Don’t be tied to your talk track in sales calls.
By Paula Morand
When telemarketers call to suggest you augment your Internet service with some added options, or that you purchase a magazine, or donate to a charity, most of the time the only image you are left with is that they are speaking totally from a prepared script and that is rather annoying.
You may be vaguely interested in what they are offering, but you ask one question and instead of getting an answer that solves your unique problem, you get only a swift return to the programmed script. Sales can be lost, not won if the annoyance factor builds.
If you have a sales force working for you, you may disdain the idea of a totally prepared script, but without realizing it, your sales calls have turned into a formula just as predictable.
Going out on a sales call takes courage and there is an ever-present fear that it will end with rejection. Because of that, it is natural that many sales professionals cloak themselves with a wrap of comfort, and in this case, it takes the form of a more sophisticated version of the prepared script.
The sales pro thinks that if the client says this, they will say that. If the client goes down another road, they have answer for that as well.
Every effort is made in sales training and sales execution to control the conversation to lead to the desired end.
I would never suggest that you don’t cover all basis with your sales staff, and you certainly should have answers for the most commonly expressed questions or challenges.
But you should also encourage your sales staff to get more comfortable with the uncertainty of the moment.
Prime them to listen and to be capable of shifting gears and moving into unchartered waters if the customer has a unique problem that needs solving with your product.
This can be difficult for your sales team that is trained to try to end each call with a sale. But sometimes, they need to take the information back, mull it over with other departments, and determine if a unique problem can be solved with your product or service.
Allow and encourage some room to maneuver. It is better to listen fully and question the client to get a solid grasp of their unique problem and then say: “I understand. I don’t want to compound your problem by trying to sell you something that might not work for you. I want to go back and consult with my team and learn how my product can be adapted to do just the job you need. May I come back at this same time in three days with the relevant information?”
Most customers are willing to allow time to make a project work. By being respectful of them and their needs, and returning with relevant solutions, sales figures may end up considerably higher in the long run.
Sometimes going off the script takes courage, but it can be the only way to get to the best destination.
Paula Morand is a leadership building, revenue boosting, strategy expanding keynote speaker, author and visionary. . This dreaming big and being bold leadership expert and brand strategist brings her vibrant energy, humor and wisdom to ignite individuals, organizations and communities to lead change, growth and impact in a more bold fashion.
25 years, 27,000 clients, 34 countries, 15 books, former radio personality, 11x award winning entrepreneur and humorous emcee.
Check out Paula’s bestselling books on Amazon: “Bold Courage: How Owning Your Awesome Changes Everything”, “Dreaming BIG and Being BOLD: Inspiring stories from Trailblazers, Visionaries and Change Makers” book series; and her n newest release “Bold Vision: A Leader’s Playbook for Managing Growth”. For speaking inquiries email bookings@paulamorand.com or call toll-free 1-888-502-6317.