Respond to emails with a phone call. Let’s consider for a moment what a true conversation is like. People in a conversation bounce between topics and go off on tangents. They brainstorm. Thoughts are triggered and memories are shared. A conversation that began at Topic A finishes at Topic Z. Throughout the course of the conversation, voices have tone, faces have expressions, and bodies speak their own language. As a result of such interaction, the prospect may reveal another pain that your services may have a solution for. A world of opportunity can be revealed simply by getting the prospect on the phone. Emails do not offer such conversational opportunity. Emails are a way in which a sales person can avoid talking to a prospect. You cannot sell by email. The next time you receive an email from a prospect, hold off on hitting that reply button. Pick up your phone!
Archives for June 2016
OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS IS A MYTH
I recently read an article about how to handle the “I want to think it over”. The techniques were standard fare and I have no real quarrel with the techniques (other than they seemed very high pressure to me). I just think the whole approach is wrong. Salespeople usually cause their own objections by being Me-Centered and “pitching” (I hate that word) the prospect. We have all been on the receiving end of a salesperson’s pitch. Your instinct is to defend yourself without being mean or arrogant so the easiest thing to do is say “I need to think about it”. In other situations prospects come up with other objections “I have to talk to my spouse”, “Can you call me later”, “we don’t have the money right now”, etc. These are all designed to take the pressure off of the prospect, make it seem impossible to move forward and get rid of the salesperson. We have all said these things to salespeople when we didn’t really have to talk to our spouse, we knew we wouldn’t take the call when they followed up and when we had money if we wanted the product. These were made up objections designed only to end the sales encounter.
Think of it this way; either objections are real, or they are made up. If they are real, you can’t overcome them and if they are made up you don’t really have to overcome them. If you try and succeed getting by one objection they will make up another. This is not to say that once in a while they don’t give up and buy. But the emotional energy and the risk of alienating the prospect is hardly worth it.
THE ANSWER – Don’t cause the objection in the first place. Don’t be me-centered. Focus on the prospect instead. Don’t say “We have this really great product and it will make copies twice as fast.” Rather, ask a question like “are you wasting time because your copier is too slow”. The question will lead to discussion and you won’t hit a dead end with made up objections.
Here is a sales tip of what to do when you find yourslf in that situation
Command The Prospects Attention – Ask Tough Questions
Command the prospect’s attention by asking good, hard, and tough questions. Asking someone good hard and tough questions is something many people are shy of. If we ask difficult questions of someone, they may not feel comfortable. If they don’t feel comfortable, they may not like us. We can’t have that! Therefore, we ask prospects easy questions. Maybe we don’t ask any questions at all, relying on our slick sales presentation to earn the prospect’s respect. However, the prospect understands human nature. If you are giving them easy pitches to hit, they aren’t thinking much of you as a pitcher. Fire in those fast balls! Work the corners of the strike zone. Give the prospect something to think about when they step up to bat. They will give you respect. Once you have their respect, they’ll listen to what you have to say – about your products, services, and solutions. Command the prospect’s attention by asking good, hard, and tough questions.
Ask for referrals from people who don’t buy from you
Ask for referrals after the prospect says “no”. This is a very powerful technique. Why not ask? You have invested a great deal of effort getting through gatekeepers, getting to know the prospect’s business, and building a relationship. They know alot about your strengths and solutions. Why walk away with nothing? Ask for a referral. Perhaps they were forced to choose a competitor’s proposal because their hands were tied for various reasons by senior management and they had no other choice. Who knows? You might be the preferred vendor in their mind anyway. Ask for a referral from prospects who don’t buy from you.
What to do when you have a financial problem
Sell your way out of problems you encounter. Are you short on cash? Are you struggling financially? Sell! When faced with financial adversity, individuals who are not in the sales profession are forced to cut costs or work additional over-time or part-time hours, if such work can be found. They are not likely to generate a significant infusion of cash in a short period of time. Salespeople, on the other hand, have that opportunity. If you double your sales efforts for a short period of time, your income will rise proportionately. Statistically, if you generate 1 sale every 20 calls, you know you will generate 2 sales if you make 40 calls. You can generate 3 sales if you make 60 calls. How much income do you generate per sale? Let’s say it is $ 2,500. You are financially struggling to the tune of $ 4,000. You need two additional sales to eliminate that financial burden. That’s 40 additional calls. When can you find time for 40 additional calls? Can you cut out your golf game this week? Can you chat in the office a little less about the weather for a few days? Can you make phone calls while you drive in the car instead of listening to music? Salespeople have opportunities to overcome their financial hardships in a short time span unlike any other profession. Double or triple your effort this week!
