What are you doing this coming weekend?
You probably have some things planned. When I ask that question in training seminars, most people give very detailed answers: going out to dinner, working in the yard, going to kids’ games and practices…personally I’m doing a boys Spring Training baseball weekend.
We plan the stuff that’s important.
Contrast that with the answers to these questions:
On the last telephone call you made to a prospect/customer, what was your specific objective for the call?
Did you have the opening planned so you knew precisely what you were going to say?
Did you prepare a voice mail message you were ready to deliver, velvety smooth, without hesitation?
Were your questions in order?
How prepared were you with your responses to their answers to those questions?
What was your contingency plan in case things didn’t go as well as you’d like?
If, without hesitation, you rattled off answers to these questions, I’d wager you do pretty well.
When people have trouble answering these questions, chances are there are "umm’s" and "uh’s" in their calls.
I find it curious and interesting that many people put more planning into their weekend or what they’ll have for lunch, than they do their telephone calls.
Quite simply, your sales success correlates directly to your preparation. It’s also the key to sounding smooth.
Being a superstar in sales, particularly on the phone, is not a matter of "smiling and dialing," plowing through the names, hoping that you’ll stumble into someone ready to buy.
Don’t believe any trash about this being a pure numbers game. It’s a QUALITY game.
As I always say, the worst possible time to think of what you’re going to say is as it’s already coming out of your mouth.
Go back, review those questions, and be certain you can answer them for your next call, and every one thereafter. Do so, and I’m sure you’ll show pleasing sales results.
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This was a great blog, Art. One cannot stress planning enough! My experience takes me to remind your readers or bloggers to make sure that they also plan the outcome or reuslts that they may get. How do you handle the prospect who says ‘not now’ or the one who you try to close and won’t let you. What would be an acceptable second result from those calls. Our goal should be clear but plan for a second result that may be in the control of the prospect, which is ok! This is beyond objection handling but goes to staying motivated by achieving an acceptable result for YOU.