Dan McGouran
Breaking Old Habits
Posted 1:52 AM on 09/12/08 -
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Jeffrey says not to ask a prospect "How are you today?". I have been in sales for 20 years and stilll can't break this habit. What else should I say instead when making a cold call? Any suggestions?
TC
breaking old habits
Posted 2:39 PM on 09/13/08 -
Reply to this postA reply to this question would be, sound very friendly when you say this "Hello Welcome to--Your Company--is there anything I can help you find today?" if they say no, give them your 20 sec commercial about your store.... this works good for me.
DV
BRAKING OLD HABITS
Posted 4:01 PM on 09/19/08 -
Reply to this postWHAT CAN I HELP YOU WITH TODAY, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY, MAKE IT ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER. MAKE THEM THE FOCUS, MAKE THEM FEEL IMPORTANT.
Yvonne
Great Feedback
Posted 2:03 PM on 09/23/08 -
Reply to this postThanks for asking the question Dan. Never thought how much I get tired of asking that question until now. Great feedback. It's not just about what you asked but what others ask that can make you think.
Laszlo Mokri
Public sector
Posted 6:23 PM on 09/11/08 -
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I have recently been hired by a small municipal software company to sell their software to towns and municipalities. I was hoping that someone could give me proper advice on how to approach this sector. I have worked in the priate industry for 10 years and have no problems but find the public sector a total different environment. Any help would be of great use. Thank you very much.
Laszlo
Jennifer Wilson
Selling Myself
Posted 11:45 PM on 09/04/08 -
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A position for VP of Sales in my office has come available. I worked directly under this controlling and sales-will-fall-in-our-lap attitude of a person. I was held back, and feared by this VP, but took a stand for myself and wrote the CEO directly of my issues with this person. The CEOs eyes were opened and as sales manager I finally have my chance to prove my ideas!! In just 3 days, I've turned around our team. I need advice on how to ask my CEO to consider me for the position and/or and hold off on hiring someone else, so I can prove to him I am the right person.
Alan Smith
Selling myself
Posted 3:46 PM on 09/08/08 -
Reply to this postJennifer,
While I do not have full access to your success at the position you currently hold and can't really comment on that, 3 days is hard to bill as a "trend", I would say you must let your results speak for themself. You should help the CEO identify what it is they are looking to solve for and use your history to support you as the best candidate to solve for it. I once got a promotion by helping to write the position as a 'consultant'. I turned around and applied for it, and got it. Good luck.
Jonathan
If I can get you this.... will you buy today?
Posted 9:52 AM on 09/02/08 -
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In the sales Bible Gitomer calls this a repulsive line reserved for sales people in need of more training. I totally concur but I find mind always wandering back to it. What would a better approach to this be in replacement of that line?
Roberto Rodriguez Jr
Help them buy
Posted 2:37 PM on 09/11/08 -
Reply to this postHello Jonathan. I think if you have added value to yourself by being an honest advisor with the purpose of fixing your customers problem, you don't need a replacement line. As salespeople, we are just helping other people buy from us. If there is no need we don't create one. Just ask yourself -- are you truly caring about this person as a friend. That's how I perceived your question. Hope I helped.
Josh
Help them buy
Posted 9:41 PM on 11/07/08 -
Reply to this postI hear you. When you say things like that, don't you feel like you are trying to grab hold of their pant legs so they won't walk out the door? That's how my 4 year old does some days when I drop her off at day care. Guess what- it makes me more determined to leave and go to work.
Try this: ask the customer what they would like to accomplish during your meeting/store visit that day. Most of the time, this approach takes the customer off guard and and allows them to open up. I find that people will either say "just looking to get an idea on price", or "looking for information for a future purchase", or "looking to buy and go home today". The last group is the easiest one to sell.
For people who are purchasing in the future, try to educate them about product or services in terms of them as a customer. If you use this approach, you can show them why certain products cost what they do and how it will benefit their everyday life. In this way, you teach them about your product and service and make it unique to their situation. You will be the only person who works to provide a value.
Also, depending on your product, figure out a way to create a sense of urgency without being pushy. I sell mattresses. I see a ton of people who walk into a showroom "just looking". I will tell them that there are a number of products on the floor that are currently on sale, so I will give them the normal retail price on the items they like before they leave, explaining that I hate feeling like I have been put through the old "bait-and-switch". Once they find the product they like, and I tell them the normal retail price, they almost always ask about the sale price and when the sale ends. Once they make a buying decision, just real 'em in. If they are looking to buy in the future (3-4 weeks), "I'm sorry, but we don't stock that item. If you want, I can take as little as a 20% deposit and order it in for you so we can deliver the day you move into your house".
Mary Martinez
Help me close a sale!
Posted 9:58 AM on 08/29/08 -
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I need advice on how to close a sale. I am cold calling for an outsourcing company. I have no problem getting my pitch in. My problem is I have given so many pitches but not closing many sales. I am new to cold calling, I have only been doing this since the second week of July. I have only closed 2 deals. I think my pitches are pretty good, I have only been hung up one time. My problem is I have little experience in cold calling. I need to know some tips on closing a sale or maybe making my pitch better for setting up for the close. Any advice would be very appreciated!
craig
Help me close a sale!
Posted 4:41 AM on 09/02/08 -
Reply to this postMary, the best advice I can give you is go the source of your challenge. Your targeted Customers! Go to those you have failed to convert and ASK THEM, WHY YOU DID NOT GET THEIR BUSINESS :)
It's that simple, your comment "I think my pitches are pretty good" is a common one made by all sales people but the fact is, that's your view of the world. One great way to learn and improve the success rate of your calls is really understand how your clients view your pitch and ask them what style or content in a pitch would have opened their door to you. Ask them to be brutally honest with you, "the truth will set you free", or so the line in Liar Liar goes.
Good luck, determination and the ability to learn from your clients will give you massive success. Ohh, and by the way, even if people don't know you, many of the people you ask will be happy to provide you with feedback, especially when they know that your genuine in your desire to learn from them.
Mary
Help me close a sale!
Posted 12:56 PM on 09/02/08 -
Reply to this postThank you Craig, very good advice! One of the problems I am having is that I am in involved in the development and selling new service products. Most of my clients that I have gotten feedback from are saying they need it but are afraid of change, in so many words. Even though the product I am selling is less expensive and truthfully a better way of doing things, they just don't like change. Trying to convince someone to spend less money and step out ot the "old school" way of doing things isn't as easy as it seems! Any advice on that?
Craig
Help me close a sale!
Posted 9:18 PM on 09/09/08 -
Reply to this postHi Mary, first of all the clients raise good concerns, in their minds! One strategy I find useful is called Third Person Positioning. (A fancy name for putting your self in their shoes :) ) I mean really putting yourself in their shoes, for a short time try and really think, feel and be exactly like them. This will allow you to discover how they think. Once you understand issues from their perspective, you are more capable of providing a solution they are happy with. One thing you need to be careful of is that you always remember your Sales focus and the outcome you want, but propose it in a way that the client will be comfortable with.
As an example
1/ Acknowledge that you hear and understand their concerns and you can see they like the product and that you understand how they are caught between the benefits of lower costs and the risk of change. You also acknowledge the pressure they must be under to lower costs while keeping quality.
2/ Ask the client, "if I can find a way to help you achieve lower costs with little or no risk with all the support you need, would that be something that is of interest to you?" -- Then say nothing let the client do the work, remember they buy the things they want, you cannot sell them something they don't want. (long term anyway)
3/ If the answer is No . Are they interested in a product that is better for their clients and their business? That will not create any risk or business disruption for them?
4/ If the answer is Yes,
Then say "Ok then what I have seen done very successfully in other companies and i think it will work for you is, that they only use a small amount of your new product as a test. Tell them that if you were in their shoes and you had to make this decision, you would not change immediately to a new product yourself. You may not even want to change 50 % of the order. But perhaps if they consider shifting 5-10% of their current product to your new line that is cheaper and more superior. This is a win, win!
