Sales Clinic: Get On the Phone and Spend Less Time Emailing There is a process and skill associated with phone prospecting that needs to be developed and coached. By Joe Rickard For thousands of graphic communications direct salespeople, much of prospecting and managing the sales process is done over the phone. If it is not, then it should be. Th ough the use of emails and social media is very helpful, the impact and speed of a direct person’s conversation on the phone cannot be replaced. If a direct salesperson is not using the phone, they are not generating new prospects. Th ere is no way around it. Th ough many telemarketers are formally trained in how to manage a phone conversation, it is rare to fi nd direct printing salespeople who are. Like anything else in sales, there is a process and skill associated with phone prospecting that needs to be developed and coached. It is scary how many print customers we speak to receive endless emails and social media solicitations but do not receive a follow up phone call by their salesperson. Social media and email lacks emotional connection. If the overall objective is to increase sales by gaining face to face meetings, then phone prospecting cannot be beat. A Good Prospecting Call Recently I received a prospecting call from a salesperson representing a printing specialty company. Like most other buyers, I rarely answer my phone from unknown callers. In this case, however, the company calling was listed on my incoming screen. I was curious and picked up the phone. Having trained and coached many salespeople on how to prospect on the phone, I wanted to hear their approach and pitch. Th is person was sensational. Th e salesperson incorporated telemarketing principles of great phone prospecting in a polite and conversational way. Th is quickly got my attention and interest. It reminded me that like most outstanding selling traits, phone prospecting requires skill and confi dence. Whether calling someone you know, or cold, here are some good practices to make the job easier and more productive: • Smile When You Speak: Th e confi dence and tone of your voice should refl ect enthusiasm. If you are not sure, ask someone to listen to you while you are speaking on the phone. Th ough the person at the other end of the conversation can’t see you, it is important to use the same pace and conversational style that you normally use, including hand gestures. • Don’t Tell or Sell: Negotiating a deal on the phone for complex printing rarely works. Use the phone to engage customers in a conversation to determine the level of interest, close for the next logical step of gaining a face to face meeting. Trying to sell or talking too much on the phone makes it diffi cult to understand the customer’s buying signals and reactions. • Know What You Are Going To Say: Just as in a face to face conversation, developing and using good open ended questions will ensure consistency from call to call. Making strong and interesting statements will create curiosity and will encourage the conversation to continue. If things are By Joe Rickard Contributing Columnist Joe Rickard is a training leader and consultant who works with printing and technology companies in the graphic arts to improve their sales and operational effectiveness. He is the founder of Intellective Solutions, a provider of customized sales, operational, and sales management training material and services. Contact Rickard at 845-753-6156, jrickard@intellectives.com, or visit www.intellectives.com. Find this article at PrintingNews.com/12193741 26 Printing News ® June 2016 PrintingNews®com
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