Tips for Sales Practitioners
- Phone Tools for Sales Managers: Saving Lost Deals
- Phone Tools for Sales Managers: Verifying Sales Forecasts
- Getting Your Email Read
- The Elevator Speech Revisited
- Old-fashioned Attention Getting Technique
- Improving Your Phone Prospecting Success
- Reaching People by Phone
- Getting Phone Calls Retuned: Part II
- Getting Phone Calls Returned: A Personal Favorite
- Prospecting Success Story: Doing Something Different
- Make 'You' the Differentiator
- Proofs and Testimonials Advance the Sales Cycle & Close Deals
- Getting Phone Calls Returned
- Do You Need to be Motivated to Action Today?
- Lead Generation Tips: The Reports of Direct Mail Being Dead are Greatly Exaggerated
- Cracking 'Tough' Accounts
Phone Tools for Sales Managers: Saving Lost Deals
The master of telephone proscpecting is Stephen Schiffman, founder of D.E.I. Management Group. He has the following two tactics for sales managers and how they can use the phone to help sales people close lost deals:
1. Rescuing a 'lost deal': Call a prospect that your rep had expected to say yes, but who just said no, and leave a message that says, "I understand that you initially had a good meeting with Jim Smith and that things went wrong. I am just calling to find out what the problem was, and to apologize on Jim's behalf." More often than not, you'll get a call back.
2. Toss out a hook: Another approach is to simply leave a 'lost' prospect a message saying, "I am calling regarding Jim Smith," then leave your company affiliation and phone number. "This technique virtually always receives a return phone call, at which point you can explain that you are not certain how things went wrong and you want to figure out where Jim lost the sale," says Schiffman. "Again, you (the sales manager) will get much better information than you would if you were talking to the sales person directly." He adds that he has used this method to turn around roughly 10 percent of all the deals that D.E.I. has lost initially. And surprisingly, Schiffman says that reps don't mind these kinds of calls once they see how effective they are at turning around the sale - and once the commission check shows up.
Quoted from Selling Power's Sales Management Newsletter (9/18/2006) in the article "How to Meet Your Reps Expectations" by Heather Baldwin
Phone Tools for Sales Managers: Verifying Sales Forecasts
Stephen Schiffman of D.E.I. Management Group has a terrific solution to an age old sales management problem, the overly optimistic forecast. He calls this approach 'fishing around.' He recommends calling a contact that a rep says is a 'great prospect' and leave a message that says "I understand that it looks as if we are likely to be working together, and I am certainly looking forward to helping make that happen." Schiffman says this kind of message is a "truly remarkable sales forecasting tool." If there's an obstacle, the prospect will call you to tell you in depth what it is. Often the prospect will reveal information he didn't share with the rep.
Quoted from Selling Power's Sales Management Newsletter (9/18/2006) in the article "How to Meet Your Reps Expectations" by Heather Baldwin
Getting Your Email Read
According to a study by the National Association of the Self Employed, the day of the week that offers the best probability of having your email opened is Friday. Sunday had the lowest probability but scored highest as the day with the highest 'click-through' rate. Here is the link to the complete article http://www.entrepreneurialconnection.com/Connect/issue97/ConnectTips.asp
The Elevator Speech Revisited
I know this technique is getting over done, but a well crafted elevator speech is still a powerful weapon in your prospecting arsenal. In order to be bookmarked by others, many consultants have found the following structure helpful:
Floor 1: Start strong. "(Your business here) helps companies to (memorable accomplishment here)."
Floors 2 - 9: Back-up the boldness. How do you help companies succeed? Call it a shtick, a spiel, a unique selling proposition. Call it what you want, just have it ready. Do you use a proprietary research model? Offer unmatched expertise? Employ tractor beams? Why should someone believe you?
Floors 10 - 19: Offer results. Just one case history with an impressive, measurable result will do.
Floor 20: "That sounds very interesting. Do you have a card?"
Excerpted from Things a Great Consultant Knows, Harvard Business Review, publication # M70246, 2006, page 4
Old-Fashioned Attention Getting Technique
In this world in of high tech communication, i.e., email, cell phones, IM, podcasts, text messaging, etc., the attention-getting value of a carefully crafted, handwritten note has never been greater. Prospective clients need to be convinced that you care and nothing says 'I care' more than a handwritten note.
Improving Your Phone Prospecting Success
If you regularly prospect by phone, I want to suggest you do several things to improve your effectiveness. As a phone prospecting expert, I have used this improvement approach myself with success and have coached many others who have also experienced success with this approach.
1. After each cold call, ask yourself what you could have done better on that call.
2. And, what should you have said differently.
3. Write your answers to each of the above questions.
4. After every several calls, reread the comments from the previous calls
5. Continue to make adjustments to your approach based on your priror experiences.
If you follow this approach seriously, your phone prospecting effectiveness will improve.
###
Reaching People By Phone
Being a veteran phone prospector, I have learned a technique to reach people on the phone. After you have actually reached someone on the phone for the first time, carefully record the exact day of the week and time of day you reached the person in your contact management system. Everytime you attempt to reach that person in the future, call them at eaxctly the same day and time. Although no technique will provide 100% success, you will be surprised at how often you will reach that person again.
###
Getting Phone Calls Returned: Part II
The 'tips' category that generates the most interest is "Getting Phone Calls Returned." Therefore, I am now on the alert for any and all tips in this area. If you have a technique you have been especially successful with, please send me an email and I will post it giving full attribution to you as the source.
Now, for the next round of tips:
From David J. Lieberman who identifies several phrases that he says will prompt a return phone call:
"It's not too late...when you call, I'll fill you in."
"You were right, when you call me, we'll go over it."
"I know you are going to love this. When you call, I'll give you the details/"
"I appreciate what you've done. Please give me a call - I'd like to thank you personally."
The key is to leave a messge that is upbeat or shows your appreciation for something, but it is not too detailed. Human beings are curious, and if they don't feel they have the full story, that alone may be enough to get them to call you back.
It is also essential to put something at stake. "People just don't make decisions when there's no time pressure."
People are even more motivated to act if they believe that a deal might be taken off the table or the terms may change after a certain date. For some reasons, customers are drawn to unavailable items. Prospects will not necessarily be motivated by making life easier for you. However, they will usually be motivated when a deadline makes life easier on them.
"Say What"? by Kim Wright, Selling Power magazine, March 2006, pages 38 - 40.
###
Getting Phone Calls Returned: A Personal Favorite
If your prospects are executives, I have a tip that has been extremely effective for me, so much so, I had to think long and hard as to whether I wanted to put it in the public domain. However, with 28 years of experience, I have many others effective techniques in my bag.
Start by making your prospecting calls after business hours. If you do not have a direct dial number for Mr. Big, you will often be able to connect to his phone by accessing the dial by name feature available on most automated phone attendants which are activated after hours. Surprisingly, most automated systems will even provide the extension number or direct dial number for Mr. Big.
You may be fortunate enough to actually catch Mr. Big at his desk, but do not count on it. More often than not, you will be routed directly into the voice mail box of Mr. Big. Leave your message but conclude by saying that you sincerely do not want to be a nuisance and clutter his voice mail box with unwanted messages. Therefore, if Mr. Big has no interest in hearing from you again, have his assistant call you and you will immediately stop calling, no questions asked.
If you do not get a call from an assistant asking you to stop, continue your attempts to reach Mr. Big.
However, if you do get a call from an assistant asking you to stop calling, then thank the assistant for the call and commit that you will discontinue all efforts to contact Mr. Big. In reality, they are doing you a big favor by saving you time and effort.
You will also be surprised at the number of assistants who will call to schedule an appointment to see Mr. Big because of your straight forward, respectful approach.
The one key thing I must emphasize is the content and delivery of your message. No phone technique will be effective if your message is not compelling and or relevant to the prospect. Therefore, prepare a succinct, compelling message, and rehearse it so it comes out clearly and smoothly.
One last suggestion: I strongly urge you to state your phone number at the beginning of the message and again at the end of the message. By stating your phone number at the beginning of the message, the listener does not have to wade through the entire message again to obtain it. Who knows, Mr. Big may lose interest in meeting with you if it takes too long for him to wade through the entire voice mail message just to hear your phone number again.
###
Prospecting Success Story: Doing Something Different
With the incredible amount of marketing messages in the business world today, people prospecting for business need to be creative and bold to get their message through all the noise. Here's a suggestion; search for events, activities, approaches that are exciting, fun, mysterious, etc., to grab attention and convert prospects into customers. Here is an example of a creative, fun approach that resulted in an 80% success rate:
Vicky, an accomplished sales manager identified and invited her top 10 prospects to a very unique presentation event. She created a series of 3 mailings inviting each prospect for an enjoyable tour of a local lake on her boat. The boat was stocked with hors d' oeuvres, drinks, and some fun activities. The letters in the mailing series stated that all ties would be cut off and anyone not wearing shorts might be thrown into the lake.
To her surprise, all 10 prospects showed up at the dock and boarded the boat for an afternoon of fun, schmoozing, and learning about Vicky's products. Within just a few weeks, all but two became Vicky's customers.
The message is that you need to cut through the clutter with unusual, but appealing approaches to obtain prospects, and then convert them to customers.
From "151 Quick Ideas to Get New Customers" by Jerry R. Wilson, Career Press, Franklin Lakes, NJ 2005
###
Make 'You' the Differentiator
Volumes have been written on developing ways to differentiate your company and your products / services from your competition. However, most 'experts' seem to overlook making the salesperson a point of differentiation.
Is there something unique about you, the salesperson? Does this unique attribute give you an advantage over other competitors? Would prospects buy from you because they know you are an integral part of the value proposition?
To be a differentiator yourself, you must be able to answer to many of these questions: What is it about your that either is or could be developed into a differentiator? Do you have any relevant, specialized educational or professional experience? Do you have any other unique credentials? Are you a published author? Have you appeared on radio or TV? Do you have satisfied customers who would be willing to provide references on their experiences with you? Do you have any unique relationships? Have you provided value to people even when it had nothing to do with making a sale? Do you have unique or expert level industry or product knowledge?
If you can answer 'yes' to the following question, 'you' will be the differentiator to your prospects: Can you introduce prospective customers to your prospects and / or customers? If so, you will quickly turn prospects into customers and keep customers from leaving.
###
Getting Phone Calls Returned
It is not effective to stress the urgency of the matter because people will expect that is has to do with something unpleasant. Rather, try something along these lines: "I appreciate what you've done. Please call me. I would like to thank you personally." This makes the person feel your call is problem-free. It also arouses curiosity and desire for gratification. HOWEVER, make sure you really do thank the person for something.
If you are leaving a voice mail message for someone you do not know try this: "Hello, my name is XXX and my phone number is YYY. I am calling because I understand you're the person to speak to about..." and then hang-up the phone in mid-sentence. The listener to the voice mail message will think you've been cut-off and will call back to see what the end of the sentence was.
"Bottom Line" Spring 2006
###
"Do you need to be motivated to action today"?
Not motivated to sell today? I suggest doing any of the following:
Call a customer or former customer with whom you have not been in contact recently
Send a note or gift to someone who provided you a lead or referral
Attend a meeting, conference, or event and introduce yourself to an influential person
Send someone an article you know would be of interest to them
Add contacts to your CRM system
Ask one of your customers for a referral
Send someone a handwritten note (that's right, handwritten)
Create and leave a compelling voice mail message for people with whom you have never previously had contact
Write a letter to the editor of a publication your customer base reads
Introduce one of your customers or prospects to one of their customers.
Seek a way to introduce a customer or prospect to a prospect for their organization. You'll probably gain a customer for life for doing this.
"How to become a Rainmaker" by Jeffrey J. Fox
###
Lead Generation Tips: The Reports of Direct Mail Being Dead are Greatly Exaggerated
COST: Email lists are getting more and more expensive ranging in price from $300 to $500 per thousand addresses. Standard direct mail lists still average $90 to $150 per thousand.
DELIVERABILITY: Undeliverable email addresses or bounce backs are on the rise - in many cases 20% or higher, due to anti-spam software and frequent email address changes. Most snail mail list owners will guarantee a deliverability rate of 95%.
PASS THROUGH: Undelivered email doesn't reach anyone. If you send paper mail to a company and the person has moved on you usually get the replacement.
STICKINESS: If a prospect doesn't want your message, she just clicks it away. And, if if she does read it, she is the only one. Direct mail, especially catalogues, can hang around and around and around. Lots of people will see it.
BRAND: Email is easy to send, so easy that everyone in the company seems to have their own marketing campaign with poorly written copy, unclear or nonexistent offers, and no coordination of who get what. Our brands are getting killed. Direct mail pieces take time and thought to produce because they cost so much they often enhance our brand image.
VOLUME: Everyone is doing email marketing, and the trend is rising quickly. It's hard to get to through the clutter. Direct mail volume is down 25% from two years ago. There is a lot more room for to get your prospect's attention.
ATTENTION: You get two seconds (or less) and one line to appeal to the email recipient. At least with direct mail, you get 5 seconds and an entire page to catch your prospect's attention.
Management Consulting News (March 1, 2005, Volume 4, No. 3, Wellesley Group, Framingham, MA
###
Cracking 'Tough' Accounts
Usually the 'tough' accounts to crack are the ones where the really large payoffs exist. However, human nature being what it is, most sales people will shy away from the 'tough' accounts in favor of working 'easier' accounts where results, albeit smaller, will come more quickly and with less difficulty.
If you are a person who is up for the challenge of cracking a 'tough' account, I recommend the approach suggested by Ray Dreyfack in his article "Meet Challenges Head-On" in Selling Power, June 2006, page 33:
Keep a list of 'difficult prospects' and continue to update it.
Make this list a three column spreadsheet to capture the following information; name of the account, reason(s) the account is a tough account, and resources (both internal and external to the account) that can be leveraged in your penetration efforts.
If you are really serious about penetrating a particular account, I strongly recommend buying a few shares of the company's stock (if publicly traded). By being an investor, you will naturally be interested in tracking its activities, reading information published by the company, financial analysts, and the media. You will aslo be attuned to challenges the company is facing which should give you ideas on how your product or service could address one or more of those challenges. You will also learn about the key people in the company and how the company is organized. When you obtain meetings with people in the company, your credibility will be greatly enhanced by being able to speak as a shareholder and one knowledgeable about the organization.
####
