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EXPERT ADVICE: Dialing for Dollars
"Sometimes salespeople will make calls because they're supposed to -
not because they want to," says sales and
telemarketing consultant Chris Mullins. "They have a
negative attitude and a feeling of 'I'm just trying to get this done and
out of my hair,' and the customer or prospect can sense it. They're just
going through the motions with no enthusiasm.
If they're
professional salespeople, they'll have financial goals and should
know the exact value of their time and the value of a new customer. They
need to ask themselves, 'If this is the value of a new customer, why do
I have a bad attitude when I call them on the phone?'"
Ask yourself why you're calling customers in the first place. "Do your
homework before you call," advises Mullins. "Know why you're calling
them, have a rough script to keep you on track, practice your
presentation and believe in what you're doing. If you can't sell
yourself on why you're making a phone call, you can't sell
them."
Know what your strengths and weaknesses are when
you're talking on the telephone. If you tend to get nervous, practice
and learn to relax. Practice a script and record it into a tape
recorder. Then listen for where you can pause, take a breath or just
relax. Call a friend and role-play over the phone.
Build your
self-confidence. Know your company and products backwards and
forwards. Learn all you can about the marketplace and your customers.
The more you know, the more reasons you have to call and the more you
can offer, simply because you know more.
When you talk to
customers on the phone, concentrate of painting a visual picture for
them. You want them to be able to see what you're selling through your
words. If you really know what you're talking about and are comfortable
selling over the phone, your words take on visual
meaning.
Build and enhance a relationship over the
phone. Call with information important to your customer's business,
share something personal, or even wish them a happy birthday. Customers
will pay a premium for your product or service if they know, like and
trust you, and a phone call can reinforce that
relationship.
Listen for what the customers' real needs
are. Really listen. Ask them to repeat something if you don't
completely understand what they're saying. It pays
dividends.
Know exactly what you want to accomplish from
your phone call and get a "call to action." If you're calling about an
article you saw in Business Week that's of interest to them, fax it
over, call and set a time to call back in a few days to talk about
it.
Source: Expert Advice - Selling Power Magazine May
2001 http://www.sellingpower.com/ | 
