Advanced Sales Training - C-Level Selling

C-Level Sales Training
 4 Steps for Closing Phone Inquiries

Interest and credibility are the keys to successfully leading incoming callers to buy your products or services.  When someone calls into your business, be it your, receptionist, multi-person phone bank or home office with an inquiry, obviously interest is high. So it's really sad if you don’t convert that prospect to a customer.  However, you have to keep that interest burning while developing credibility and avoiding frustration.  So how you answer and your next few statements are critical to moving this opportunity forward. 

Step 1 – Create Rapport with Your Greeting

Since interest exist, establishing credibility quickly while avoiding frustration can easily happen by letting the prospect talk.  Credibility can be established quickly by building rapport, trust and showing expertise, in this sequence. 

Rapport starts with friendliness, respect, and being polite.  For example, Ring! Ring! "Hello, thank you for calling Sales Mastery.  My name is Sam.  May I ask what your first name is?"  Notice, "Thank you for calling," (polite); offering up your first name, (friendly); "May I ask your first name?"  (respect).  You can also ask for his/her phone number just in case you get disconnected or need to call back for any reason (thoughtful and helpful).

Step 2 – Build Trust by Getting the Prospect to Take over the Conversation

In order to keep interest high and avoid frustration on the part of the prospect, you've got to know how s/he wants to be sold.  The best way is to ask the prospect about issues or challenges s/he is having getting the benefit s/he wants from the product or service s/he is calling about.  For example, after s/he gives the phone number say, "Thank you.  So tell me Mary, how come you called in today?"  Or "So how can I help you?" 

Now here is where you have to be careful.  S/he will probably tell you the "what", s/he wants i.e. "I want to find a seminar."  "I'm looking for a book."  "I want more sales."  S/he could mention features (seminar, book, CDs) or benefits (more phone sales).  When the prospect tells you what s/he wants, you'll be tempted to talk about how you can give her with what she asked for better than any other source.  Unfortunately, if you start telling at this point, you'll lose credibility and possibly create some frustration.  The reason you lose credibility is because you have not built trust with this person yet.  Frustration comes from possibly telling about areas of no interest.  So build trust by saying, "Tell me the issues or challenges you're having that you want this book or seminar to solve?"  Or "Tell me what's preventing you from making more phone sales?"

Getting her to explain, while you listen with an ear to understand is what builds trust and keeps the prospect’s interest high.  (Remember, interest is critical and trust is the second part of credibility).  Once the person has outlined the challenges or problems s/he is having, keep asking "What else?"  This gets her to open up more which will build her trust in you while you build an arsenal of information you can use later in your presentation.  Additionally, the prospect will now know, you understand her situation because s/he told it to you.  If you really want to enhance credibility, feedback your interpretation of what s/he said and then say, "Is this correct?"  Nothing builds rapport and trust more than this simple confirmation technique.

Now if the prospect doesn't mention benefits you feel s/he should have mentioned or should care about, you can expose and entice her with these benefits.  For example, "You didn't say anything about getting past receptionists or admins.  Is this an issue?"  "What about voicemails?"  "How about getting prospects to commit?"  Exposing and enticing are to make sure s/he hasn't forgotten something, never thought about something, or didn't even know about that something.  This expose and entice technique will make you appear consultative, which goes to trust and expertise.  Just as importantly, it enables you and the prospect to more fully understand his or her total concept which helps tremendously with closing and up-selling.

Once the prospect has told you the challenges and answered your exposures and enticements, you've now got the full package of problems this person wants solved.  It may no longer be the book or CD, but rather the full-on consulting package.  In addition, you've probably built a lot of rapport and trust with this person, because you let her do the talking (which always prevents frustration).  Additionally s/he will now know that you know what s/he wants.  If a prospect knows that you know, they are much more willing to listen to what you have to present.

Step 3 -- Show Them Your Expertise

You're probably already very good at telling prospects how you can solve their problems.  So I won't dwell on this very much.  However to differentiate and show expertise be as specific as possible, using numbers names and details.  Numbers names and details create a vivid picture, and showcase your competence. Ambiguities leave the prospect with doubt and concerns. 

For example, I could say, "For many years I've worked with hundreds of companies helping them improve their closing percentages and increase their average dollars per sale."

Alternatively I could say,

"For the past 15 years, I've worked with over 120 companies who sell via phone and in person consumer goods such as appliances, healthcare and household services, as well as those companies selling business-to-business products and services such as software, hardware, insurance, and technical services.  I’ve helped Fortune 500s and those under $5 million sales increase their closing percentages to over 70% within 2 weeks, and helped them increase their average dollar sales by over 50% by effective cross and up-selling." 

This is far more meaningful and vivid to a prospect than the statement above.  (Numbers, names, and details)

Also, stay on target while presenting.  Concentrate on what was told to you, i.e. the problems /wants that s/he said were of interest.  Don't try to force the prospect to be interested in things that you didn't discuss and/or you feel should be important.

Step 4 -- Ask the Prospect for His or Her Feelings

Use these exact words after your presentation.  "How do you feel about what I just explained to you?"  This is the most important sales question for a salesperson.  It indicates position with this prospect.  If the prospects says s/he feels great/good, go directly to closing.  "Let's write this up.  What's your name as it appears on your credit card?"  Closing is an aggressive step.  The prospect feels good.  Close this deal.  You can not act tentative, such as, "So, should we write this up?"

If the prospect gives the indication s/he doesn't feel great, such as "Well, I feel okay."  Or "I'll get back to you."  This is an objection.  You then must say, "It seems you have some concerns.  What are they?"  The prospect has some issues, and you have to pull them out of her.  When s/he tells you, listen, and don't argue or try to address them.  Rather, say you understand and ask the prospect, what you should do, or how s/he could handle these issues.  Then you can address them.  This may require some additional work on your part and a call back.

After you address these issues, ask again, "So, how do you feel now?"  If s/he answers with a good or great, close the deal.  If not, repeat the above sequence.

Again, interest and credibility are the keys to phone selling.  With call-ins interest already exists, and if you follow the steps above, these should close 70% or higher.  So, your job is to sell her in the way s/he wants to be sold.  Ask questions for the prospect to explain exactly what it will take to win her over.  Don’t push what you want to say using your normal style of selling or you'll get nothing but resistance, rejection and cause frustration.  Follow the steps above and you'll see how easy and rewarding converting incoming calls into sales can be.

And now I invite you to learn more.

Bonus Tip:  FREE E-book "Getting Past Gatekeepers and Handling Blockers " .

 If you can’t get to the powerful decision makers, you’re depending on others to do your selling where the decisions are made.  The problem is you won’t know what they say, if they say anything at all. 

Sam Manfer delivers key note speeches and in-depth selling work shops for those anxious to increase sales.  His hands-on coaching turns individuals and sales organizations into selling whirlwinds.  Sam’s selling awards and $ Million sales  recognitions support his methods. His book, TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER$ along with his Matching Chemistry’s CD and sales seminars replace selling myths and clichés that frustrate decision makers with a proven approach that captures their attention.  Follow Sam’s C-Level Selling Blog for more insights.   Sign-up for his free Selling E-Zine. 

Call Today for More Information 1-866-Sam-Manfer or Send an E-mail Now!!

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