18. Introductions Are Important
• The difference between closing or losing a sale
• Must grab the buyer’s attention
• Must make the buyer want to listen to you
• You should develop 2 or 3 introductions
– They need to be Fresh, Interesting and Intriguing
– Try them out on your prospects and chose the one that gets the
most positive results
19. Write Down The First Thought That
Comes To Mind
• What’s the most unusual aspect of what you do?
• What does ERC offer that the competition doesn’t?
• Most interesting customer story?
• Most exciting sale made under pressure?
• Most dramatic sale that solved a customers difficult
problem?
Notes de l'éditeur
Even though you may dread it, the simple truth is that cold calling is an absolute necessary part of the sales process, and it pays!Done right, it keeps a steady flow of prospects in the pipeline, which is important since 10%-15% of customers (yours and your competitors) are always actively looking for new suppliers.Another 20%-30% are willing to listen to promises of better service or lower prices.
They do a good job of presenting services, as long as they have qualified leads.They recognize that rejections can transform failure into a powerful tool for success, and may help them develop the skills to find new prospects and turn them into customers.Salespeople who can’t accept failure quickly lose their enthusiasm for making cold calls.
Research shows that 40% of salespeople will experience episodes of cold-call reluctance, despite their years of experience, product knowledge or current income level.
Without priorities salespeople jump form task to task, ignoring major responsibilities while wasting time on trivial matters that cut into prospecting time.
Anyone can beat procrastination by setting a deadline and sticking to it!
Attack the toughest problems first. Dealing effectively with difficult problems is the best way to spark a prospect’s interest during a cold call.
Waiting wastes time and money, and contributes to call reluctance.
Risk is the basis of success in making cold calls. For salespeople to make successful cold calls, they have to be ready to take risks.
Remember, if you’re not learning every day, the competition is. New information is essential to success. How much time do you spend each day learning something new? How will you use this information to make better cold calls?
Become known as a resource to prospects, not a salesperson. A salesperson’s value is liked to his or her knowledge and willingness to help prospects.
The more salespeople can solve problems, the easier it is to get in front of even the most reluctant prospects. Prospects want immediate answers in a cold call. In order to have those answers, in-depth knowledge about what they do is essential.
Look for situations that create opportunities. The key is to have and maintain a positive attitude. Attitude allows salespeople to see possibilities when an opportunity for a cold call arises.
Establish your goals for the call
This isn’t about what you want, but what the prospect wants. Your job is to show how you can meet those objectives.
Do prospects believe they can buy, believe that buying will lead to promised outcomes and believe that the outcomes will be satisfying?
You need to understand the person you are selling to before deciding on an sales approach. By understanding your buyer’s personality you will understand how they like to be sold.
Getting a prospect’s attention, holding it for a period of time, persuading the listener to your viewpoint, and then moving them to action is a skill.
