10 TIPS TO SELL MORE BY PHONE, PART VIII
1. Personalize Your Questions
To gather more--and better--information during your fact-finding,
personalize your questions. For example, "Joe, I'd like your opinion
on...." "Kathy, give me your personal feelings about...." "Mike, tell
me how you would react to...." Donna, what are your thoughts on...."
By using their name before the statement, you grab their attention.
Then, when you ask for their personal feelings about an idea or
situation, you are likely to hear them answer in greater detail.
2. Don't Be Quick To Drop Price
Some salespeople are swift to give a price concession, many times
where it isn't necessary. This eats directly into the bottom line.
For example, when queried about price, they'll respond, "Well....it's
$575, but we could probably give it to you for $490." Then, realizing
that negotiating is possible, the prospect may take $490 as the
starting point, and ask for further concessions. State price matter-of-
factly, and avoid any urge to come down, even if you are greeted with
silence. If prospects get the feeling that there is room to play with
price, they will not be satisfied until they feel they have reached the
lowest possible level. On the other hand, if the point is made that
THIS IS THE PRICE, it may not become an issue with them.
3. Say it with Flowers
Dieter Langenecker writes: Before calling a prospect, send a flower
to the person with a card saying "Find out tomorrow how to make your
company bloom." He or she will be likely to take your call in a
positive frame of mind when it does arrive.
4. Recite Numbers in Groups
Ever have a problem with people asking you to repeat numbers after
you've recited them? Assuming that you are speaking crisply, the
problem usually is with casual listeners at the other end, dis-
tractions at their end, or poor phone connections. One technique to
help them get the accurate number the first time is to group the
numbers together. For example, when giving the last four digits of
a phone number, instead of saying "Nine three eight eight," try
"ninety-three eighty-eight."
5. Use Positive Preconditioning
Some reps negatively precondition the prospects when stating price.
For example, when a prospect asks "How much for the best model?" a
negative preconditioning answer would be, "Well, it's quite a bit,"
or, "It's pretty expensive." This gets the prospect thinking that
they might not be able to afford it, even if price wasn't a concern
before. More positive alternatives are, "It's not that much more
than...." or, "It's a lot less than people think. It's only..."
6. "No" Means Maybe
A reader called with a useful idea she uses to answer objections,
and rejections. Whenever she hears a "no," she interprets it as a
"maybe," reasoning that the prospect simply hasn't received enough
convincing evidence yet. Likewise, when she hears a "maybe," that's
a hesitant "yes." She then works on removing the hesitation. When you
get a "no," she suggests waiting a few days and then call back to
cover some points you didn't go into on the first call. These points
might be topics you did present, but you will now state them in
different ways. People often need to hear ideas worded differently
before they will accept them.
7. FAX a Phone Message
If you don't get a response from your messages, try this unique
approach. Fill out a standard phone message slip with a detailed
note for your prospect. Enlarge it on your copier and fax the
large copy to that hard-to-get person. Your message will stand out
from the other slips of paper, and pique their curiosity.
8. Answering the Tough Questions
Have you ever experienced the frustration of an objection that left
you speechless? Try a "team" approach to be sure you are prepared for
such situations. Have a meeting with fellow sales reps. Brainstorm
for the toughest questions or objections you've ever heard. Have each
person write out how they would handle the situation, then discuss
them. By taking the time to write them out, you will get a variety of
good answers.
9. Pre-Call Checklist
Before you place the next call, take a few seconds to go through
this checklist:
* Have you mentally separated yourself from whatever activity you
were previously engaged in? You should block out all thoughts of the
previous call, the paperwork, etc. Focus only on the person you are
about to call.
* Put yourself in a prospect/customer-oriented frame of mind, and be
sure that a feeling of warmth and enthusiasm is ready to be projected
in your voice. Make a conscious effort to do this, since sometimes our
voices can reflect a "down" attitude, even when we're not aware of it.
* Concentrate on what you are about to say. Rehearse it in your mind
so that it sounds spontaneous and conversational.
10. Oh, Just One More Point..(click)
Let the other party hang up before you do. Make sure you hear it. Why?
Have you ever had "just one more question" from someone, and you
didn't think of it until just as you were hanging up? Most of us have.
By waiting until your prospect or customer hangs up first, you ensure
that they aren't left hanging with unanswered questions.
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This resource is (c) 1996 by, and excerpted from,
Telephone Selling Report newsletter.