1. Make telephone calls
Few things are more terrifying than the unknown. The fear you create for yourself is far worse than the reality of cold calling. Once you start making telephone calls and continue making telephone calls, it gets easier. You overcome fear by doing.
2. Make a lot of telephone calls
If you have only one prospect to pursue, that prospect becomes overwhelmingly important. If you have hundreds of leads, no one prospect can make or break you. The more calls you make, the more success you will have.
3. Prepare
Prepare for cold calling the way you would for any major presentation. Know what you want to say, how you want to say it and how you want to represent yourself, your company, your product or service. And know the goal of your telephone call.
4. Practice
If you are new to cold calling or uncomfortable with cold calling, practice your pitch out loud. Role-play with friends or colleagues. Practice various sales scenarios. This way, you will not have to worry about what you are going to say. You will be prepared, and you can focus in on your prospect. Read the rest of this entry »
How do you respond when an absolute stranger calls, at work or at home, and begins to ask questions? “Are you the person who…?” “What is your marketing strategy?” “Do you own or rent?” Even, “How are you today?”
Are you annoyed and put off by these questions? Do you respond, “I already have a vendor,” “I’m not interested,” “Send a brochure” or “What are you selling?” (These days my response is to tell these callers to order Cold Calling College!)
This question-asking strategy does not work. It does not work to qualify your prospect, and it does not work to set your prospect at ease. If anything, this strategy puts you at a disadvantage and makes your prospect not want to speak with you!
Here is a better approach: Allow your prospect to “self-qualify”—allow them to tell you that they are the decision-maker. This is how: Position yourself as the expert. Give your prospect a reason to want to speak with you, and set yourself up as the person with the credentials who has the right to ask questions. Read the rest of this entry »
“How do you create a perceived value to differentiate yourself from the competition, when you are both selling a commodity?”
That’s a question I’m often asked in my seminars. It uncovers a problem that is spreading to almost every industry. The rapid pace of technological development and our ultra-competitive global economy means that no one can keep a competitive edge in their product for very long. Develop a hot new product or service, and before you can take your first check to the bank, a competitor has a hotter or cheaper version. As a result, customers are more and more inclined to view your product or service as a commodity - no real difference between you and the next guy.
This complicates life for the salesperson. In some cases, you are selling exactly the same thing as your competitor. I spent a number of years selling for a distributor who sold, for the most part, exactly the same products as four or five competitors. Many of my clients work in this arena. Lumber distributors (a piece of lumber is a piece of lumber), industrial fasteners (a screw is a screw is a screw), petroleum (87 octane gasoline is 87 octane gasoline) etc. The list goes on and on.
In other cases, your product may not be exactly the same, but the customer views your product as a commodity with no real differences between what you sell and what your competitor offers. How much real difference is there between Coke and Pepsi after all?
Regardless of the situation in which you find yourself, the problem for the salesperson is the same - getting the business in the face of the customer’s perception of your “me too” product or service.
So, what do you do? This. To put it simply, you must detail and communicate the important ways your offering differs from your competitors.
That’s easier said then done. To do so effectively, you need to spend some time thinking and preparing. And that means that you must carefully consider the two most important elements of the sale - your offering, and your customer. In this column, we’re going to focus on one part of that equation - your offering.
Granted, your product may be exactly the same as the competition, but the totality of your offering may be dramatically different. I use the word “offering” to indicate every aspect of the purchasing decision - not just the product. For example, the customer buys the product from a company - yours or the other guys. The customer buys it from a salesperson - you or the competitor. Your company and you are part of the “offering.” In addition, there may be differences in your terms, delivery, your customer-service capabilities, your follow-up, your return policy, your value-added services, etc. All of these are part of your “offering.”
The product may be identical, but everything else about your offering may be different. For example, let’s say you are contemplating purchasing a new Taurus. You have identical price quotes from two dealers. The product is the same, and the price is the same. However, one dealer is close by, the other across town. One dealer has a reputation for great customer service; the other has no such reputation. The salesperson for the first dealer is the brother of an old high-school friend, while the salesperson for the second dealer is a bit cocky and pushy. The first dealer has a clean, comfortable establishment, while the second one is cramped, cluttered and dirty.
From whom do you buy your Taurus? Stupid question. Of course you buy it from the first dealer. Not because of any differences in the product or the price, but because of differences in the offering. Got the idea? There is a whole lot more to a decision to buy then just the product or the price.
Your first job is to identify those differences. Here are some very specific steps you can take today.
ONE: Think about everything that is associated with the product when a customer purchases it. Create several categories, and label columns on a piece of paper with the names of those categories. For example, the first column could be headed with the word “company,” the second with the word “salesperson,” the third with “terms.” Continue in this way, identifying every aspect of the offering and placing each of those components at the top of a column.
TWO: Now, consider each column one at a time, and list all the ways that your offering differs from your competitor’s in that column. For example, your company may be locally owned as opposed to your competitor’s branch of a national company. Or you may be physically closer to the customer, or larger, smaller, newer, older, etc. After you’ve exhausted one column, move onto the others, filling in the details as you go.
THREE: This exercise will typically reveal dozens (and in some cases hundreds,) of specific, detailed differences. Far too many than you can easily communicate to the customer. So, your next step is to pick out those differences that are most important to your customer. Keep in mind that often what you see as important may not be viewed that way by your customers.
At one point in my career, I worked for a company that celebrated its 100th year anniversary. That was unusual. No other competitors had been in business nearly that long. The company decided to make a big deal about it. A history of the company was written, brochures printed, even murals depicting significant moments in the company’s history were painted on the walls of the corporate office. We all thought it was important.
Our customers, however, didn’t care. After respectfully listening to our boasting, their response was some form of “So what?” In other words, our 100 years didn’t mean anything to them. In no way did it make their jobs easier, simplify their lives, or make them more important to their companies. What we thought was important turned out to be irrelevant from our customers´ perspective.
Don’t make the mistake we made. Instead, take the time to critically analyze your list, and eliminate those items that are not important to your customer, that don’t impact their jobs or make a difference to them. You should be left with a handful of items.
FOUR: One more step to the preparation. Translate each of those items into statements of benefit to the customer. For example, your company may be local, while your competitor ships from 50 miles away. So what? What does that mean to your customer? You could translate that item of difference into a benefit by saying something like this: “As opposed to some other suppliers, we’re just 15 minutes from your plant. This means that you can get quick delivery of emergency shipments, as well as rapid response to any problem that might develop. So, you’ll have potentially less downtime in the plant, and of course, less stress and pressure on you.”
Now that you’ve professionally prepared, you are ready to communicate those differences to your customer. You need to point them out in an organized and persuasive presentation.
Prepare a sell sheet with each of the differences noted as a bullet. Next to each bullet, have a few comments that capsulize the benefit statements you prepared. Then, meet with your customer, lay the sheet down in front of him/her, and talk down through it, explaining each point as you go.
Treat it like you would any other well-done presentation. Be sensitive to your customer’s reaction, and ask for feedback as you work down through the list. Say, “How does that sound?” or “Does that make sense to you?” and emphasize those things that seem to be more important to your customer. Then, leave that sheet with your customer.
I’m always amazed at the number of salespeople who are confounded over the customer’s perception that their product is just like the other guys, when those salespeople have done nothing to show the customer how it is different.
As always, if you have done a good job of analyzing, preparing, and communicating, your customer’s perception should be altered, and you gain the business. If you haven’t done well at this, then your customer will continue to see no difference between buying it from you and buying from the next guy. And, if you haven’t shown him/her sufficient reason to buy it from you, then he shouldn’t.
From the customer’s point of view, if your offering is just like the competitor’s, then the customer is absolutely correct in buying from the cheaper source. However, if there is any difference between your offering and your competitors´, than the responsibility is totally yours to show the customer that difference. Follow the process described here, and you’ll have far fewer customers treating you like a commodity.
Copyright 2002 by Dave Kahle
About Dave Kahle, The Growth Coach®:
Dave Kahle is a consultant and trainer who helps his clients increase their sales and improve their sales productivity. He speaks from real world experience, having been the number one salesperson in the country for two companies in two distinct industries. Dave has trained thousands of salespeople to be more successful in the Information Age economy. He’s the author of over 500 articles, a monthly ezine, and four books. His latest is 10 Secrets of Time Management for Salespeople. He has a gift for creating powerful training events that get audiences thinking differently about sales.
His “Thinking About Sales” Ezine features content-filled motivating articles, practical tips for immediate improvements, useful resources and helpful tips to help increase sales. Join for NOTHING on-line at www.davekahle.com/mailinglist.htm.
You can reach Dave at:
The DaCo Corporation
3736 West River Drive
Comstock Park, MI 49321
Phone: 800-331-1287 / 616-451-9377
Fax: 616-451-9412
info@davekahle.com
www.davekahle.com
I remember moving my family to Argentina as Vice President of Sales for Latin America. I was in charge of managing five regional offices, Argentina of course being one of them.
In the company’s ten year history of selling into Latin America it had never exceeded $14 million (M) in annual sales. The Argentina office itself had never produced more than $400 thousand (K) in sales. My task was to increase the sales locally in Argentina, but more importantly throughout Latin America.
I remember sitting in my office one day, looking out the window and wondering, “How the heck am I going to grow this business with problems in Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico and other hot spots? “How can I grow this business beyond $14M when no one in the past has been able to do so?” Forget the movie Sleepless in Seattle, I was “Sleepless in Argentina,” trying to map out a strategy. How would I make “sales” happen?! ”
A confession to you the reader: I was scared! Please don’t tell anyone!
One day while on the phone with a customer, I heard loud noises from across my office building. After getting off the phone, I opened the window and looked at the shorter building next door. On the rooftop, I saw several men using a scrapping machine to rip apart the flat roof the size of two tennis courts. This noise went on for days.
Then one day I noticed the silence. I looked outside and discovered that the men had finishing stripping the rooftop and were now laying small ceramic tiles. Given the size of the roof I remember thinking, “That’s going to take them a very long time.” Read the rest of this entry »
1. Give your prospects a free trial of your software product, service, or let them read the first chapter or two of your informational product.
Your free trial or sample chapters will show your visitors that you are confident in the quality of your product and lead to more sales for you by demonstrating how valuable your product is.
2. Add a bonus for purchasing your product.
Provide a unique bonus such as an ebook you’ve written, a consultation with you, access to your membership site, or a resource that is only available through you.
Add to your bonus’s perceived value by placing an honest dollar amount to it, listing benefits for it, or by publishing testimonials for it.
You could also set up a joint venture with another business where you offer as a bonus an exclusive free trial of their product in exchange for a percentage of the profits (i.e., by joining their affiliate program). Read the rest of this entry »
When five years ago I was faced with having to sell my services for the first time I was terrified. I hated asking for the sale. I dreaded the part where my potential clients inevitably came up with objections why they couldn’t use my services.
I’ve since learned that lack of objections is not necessarily a good thing. In fact, I now welcome it when prospects tell me “why they can’t”.
Frankly, when a potential client shares his reasons why he or she hesitates to take advantage of my offer, to me it’s a sign of two things; one – they are interested in my services, and two – I’m getting closer to closing the deal.
But many professionals find “overcoming” objections and “closing” the deal stressful, unpleasant and “pushy”. If that’s you I want to share with you two lessons that helped me develop a different mindset around this.
First, a “no” doesn’t always mean “no”. Mostly it simply “not now” or “I don’t have enough information to say yes.” Read the rest of this entry »
I’ll be brief. If not – I’ll negate my own point. Got time to read a 12-page essay on sales improvement? You want to get back to making sales and money. Let’s go then.
Less time more pressure.
You prospects have less time and feel more pressure. Just like you, I’m sure. As a sales professional, you need to be sensitive to this. For your own good, have a clear, short and concise benefit statement. Don’t waste a prospect’s time or yours with lengthy (and boring) introductions. Observe people who go on and on at networking events when asked what they do or introducing themselves to the group. Is that you?
Less resources to get more done.
Your sales increase when you better demonstrate how much ‘leverage’ your product provides. Have prepared proof of substantial Return On Investment for prospects. The best ROI support is customer testimonials containing real numbers. If you don’t have any, use industry data and 3rd party research, or statistics, and proactively collecting your own. Start today. Read the rest of this entry »
You may not realize this, but when if you are in the early planning stages of developing a product, the best thing you can do is STOP and write the sales letter first!
“But wait a minute (you might be thinking)… this sounds totally ‘Bass Ackwards’ doesn’t it?” It sure does but it REALLY works too…
And here’s why … When you envision a product, prewriting the sales letter first allows you to place no limitations on it. You can write more freely as the very things you describe are actually helping you design and create your product’s features and benefits.
Now all of a sudden you have an extended blueprint that can add many bells & whistles some of which will actually end up being part of your final product.
You’ll also find that much of your original inspiration will also give you many great sales copy components that will also end up in your sales letter too.
And, in this mode of no barrier mind-streaming, you’ll undoubtedly come up with more creative ideas than the restrictive mind we use when analyzing possibilities…
Always use your higher logic to harness your creativity into a final workable solution. But don’t inhibit your creative process when initially creating your products…
Instead try this…
Set out for a dream product state-of-mind that is full of features that can be turned into benefits… What you’re doing in essence is conjuring up the most unlimited version of your product. One that defies all confines at this stage. Write it out as if this product was right there in front of you and can performed every detail that you promise…
You are in effect reverse-engineering your product which is a catalyst to making the product not only better, but also helps it live up to the high expectations you design into it.
What you bring into reality is an out growth from using unlimited creativity to logical harnessing of all ideas fused into a finalized product. Writing the sales letter first adds incredible inspiration into your product ideas. This technique helps dictate new avenues of creation and marketing that can add much leverage to a successful product launch.
A good way to get you started in using this principle is consulting a good source on sales copy writing. There are many great ones out there to choose from. I highly recommend, Order Button Triggers. It will help you do this quite effectively as it triggers your sale writing creativity using a unique Trigger Association System not found in any other books on the same subject. You can find it at: http://www.OrderButtonTriggers.com
(c) By Michael Nicholas, 2004
Michael Nicholas is the author of, Order Button Triggers. His ground breaking ebook focuses on how to get prospects to click the order button to buy. Featuring over 30 years of Internet marketing experience combined, Michael brought in top marketers to tell how they do it. Click for more info==> http://www.orderbuttontriggers.com
While working with a new coaching client, I asked to hear her sound bite. Everyone needs a good sound bite. A sound bite, sometimes also called an “elevator speech,” is a 10- to 15-second commercial on what your company does, offers or stands for. Use it when you meet someone new in business, use it at networking meetings, and use it on the telephone as part of your introductory calling script.
Here is the sound bite from my client:
Client: We offer complete marketing solutions.
Wendy: (With eyes glazing over…) Huh?
The idea behind the sound bite or elevator speech is to communicate clearly, easily and effectively what you do and why someone else should be interested in what you do.
I asked my client, if a friend asked her to explain what she does, would the answer be “complete marketing solutions”? Probably not. And there’s your litmus test. If a phrase would make a friend think you’d suddenly lost your mind, don’t use it in a conversation with a prospect! Most likely, it sounds artificial and probably doesn’t actually mean anything. That same phrase may be fine in writing, for your brochure or web site, but it is not as effective in spoken language, because written language and spoken language are different.
These differences come into play when you are writing an introductory calling script. Write your script down the way that you speak. If your script is in written language, you will sound phony. Real people do not speak with capital letters at the start of sentences and periods at the end. People actually speak more in phrases or fragments, with pauses and the occasional “ah” or “um…” Write your introductory calling script with no punctuation and no capitalization. If there is a point that you particularly wish to emphasize, underline or highlight it. It is imperative that you sound real, so you may want to try talking into a tape recorder, then playing it back and writing down what you’ve said.
Try to stay “jargon-free.” Every industry has its own jargon, but you must know and use jargon appropriately. If your prospect does not understand your industry jargon, then she will not understand you when you use it! Instead, become conversant with your prospect’s industry jargon—then, she will see you as an expert who understands her industry and her issues and concerns.
When you are writing your script, keep in mind a particular individual to whom you will be speaking. Picture this person as a friend, as someone who is open and receptive to what you have to say. Speak to that person as you would to a friend, and not in formal business language taken from your company brochure.
I have seen perfectly reasonable, articulate human beings become stiff, formal and uncomfortable while trying to speak in a manner they believe to be “businesslike.” They use unwieldy phrases like “complete marketing solutions,” because someone told them it sounds more professional. It doesn’t. If no one understands what you are talking about, no one will buy your product or service. Be yourself, and speak as you would to a friend. Remember your litmus test: Do not include anything in your introductory calling script that would make a friend raise an eyebrow.
The very definition of an introductory call is that you are talking to a stranger. You are telling your story to someone who knows nothing about you, your company and your product or service. You must be clear. For the ultimate test, before you get on the telephone, try role-playing your script with an eight- or nine-year-old. If that kid does not understand what you are talking about—no one else will either.
© 2004 Wendy Weiss
Wendy Weiss, The Queen of Cold Calling & Selling Success, is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. She is the author of Cold Calling for Women and the recently released Cold Calling College. Get her free e-zine at http://www.wendyweiss.com.
Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-Roll
Here’s the Scenario…
You’re at a trade show. Out of town. It’s probably an unfamiliar city. Maybe overseas. Lots of strangers. There’s a client or two. A couple of buddies. Lots of opportunities to do business. Lots of opportunities to get yourself in a bind.
This Commentary is about how to stay out of trouble, save your dignity and keep your job.
Trade shows are hard work - both physically and emotionally. It’s tiring to travel. Hard to be away from home. Boring to be pleasant and smile for hours. And, a blow to the ego when people ignore you, don’t respond to your comments, look the other way when passing your booth, or just say “no” to your offer.
There’s pressure to produce. Talk with prospects. Entertain clients. Look for partners. Scout out the competition. Get the business. And, increasingly because of technology - e-mail, e-fax, cell phones - keep up with your “real” job at the same time. So, it’s easy to fall into the traps of your normal stress
reducers - the inter-relationships of sex, drugs & rock-n-roll.
The Lectures and the Tips…
I call these behaviors - Things your mother taught you not to do, but since you’re away and you think nobody knows you, you can get away with them. Sorry, somebody does know. And that’s you.
Sex - Ah, how nice it is to be loved. Or at least enjoyed for a short period. The temptations and availability of anonymous sex are high when you’re away plus there’s the chance to have a rendezvous with a co-worker, client or other business acquaintance. Magic moments fizzle fast when the
sun comes up. Remember, your life is longer than the trade show.
Drugs - Does your company have a policy that allows you to buy, sell and use illegal drugs? Doubt it. You are on company time from the moment you leave your home until you return. Not only do you endanger your career and industry reputation, you run the risk of breaking US and foreign laws. Jail? Not a nice experience. Note that the U.S. Embassy cannot bail you out if you break foreign laws.
Are you traveling with legitimate prescription drugs? Keep them with you in the original bottles with the pharmacist’s labels, keep a written copy of the prescription details in another location (in case you lose the vials and need refills). And most importantly, don’t double up doses because you
feel ill or uncomfortable. Check with your physician before you leave in case you have a minor emergency. This is especially true if you have allergies, a heart condition or use mood levelers. For example doubling tranquilizers may calm you to the point of stupor.
Rock-n-Roll - Hey, it’s Party Time. Free beer. Free booze. Lots of great food. Music to rock by. Business is on a roll. You’re king of the hill and queen for a day, you’re entertaining and being entertained. What a life!
With some clients and in some cultures, you’re expected to indulge in Party Time behavior. Drink a lot. It’s OK to get drunk. Cozy up to the hostesses. Let your hair down and have a good time. Party hardy. Here’s a secret - You can still be pleasant, have a good time and stay sober.
Why be a prude when party opportunities abound? Because you’re smart. You know alcohol loosens lips. Your hosts are now willing to brag about their business - details on the newest product, personnel shifts, corporate goals and insider gossip. If you’re sloshed, you won’t remember. If
you’re drinking club soda with lime, you will.
Conversely, when you’re drinking, you may trash your boss, reveal company secrets, ask the wrong person for a favor and be generally boastful and obnoxious. You’ll be memorable for all the wrong reasons.
When sober, you’re smarter because you’re gathering critical market intelligence - information to get you ahead of your competition and be a leader in industry trends. Remember, at a trade show and all surrounding events, you are what people perceive as Your Company. How you act is
how people view your firm.
The Solutions…
There are ways to avoid these traps. Here are perfectly legitimate excuses for not indulging in wayward behavior, but you have to make the rational decision to use them.
Think first of your health. Anything you knowingly do that endangers the health of you and your family is stupid, and hard to explain. Keep the wedding band on. Be polite and say no. The major VD’s are still around, though treatable.
But as global travel expands, new viruses and diseases are popping up and transmuting. Besides the emotional trauma associated with sexual escapades, the health risks are just not worth it.
Understand your corporate policies from using drugs to paying bribes to accepting gifts. What’s standard at the office, applies away from the office. If you don’t know your policies, ask before you go. Better be safe than sorry.
Examine your religious beliefs and laws. Adultery is a big sin in most religions. So are lying, cheating and stealing. We all want to do business with people who are trustworthy. It’s your responsibility to demonstrate that.
Trust your gut. If you’re uncomfortable in a situation, get out. Whether it’s physical danger or an emotional jolt, your intuition is your best guide.
You can say “No, thanks.” Because of health, corporate policy, beliefs and intuition. But the main reasons is because you’re a trustworthy person.
Julia O’Connor - Speaker, Author, Consultant - is an expert in the psychoology of the trade show environment. As
president of Trade Show Training, inc. she counsels clients around the country about staff selection, behavior and
results for trade shows.
http://www.TradeShowTraining.com — 800-355-3910
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