Rocket Fuel - Preparing for a sales call
I've been doing a lot of work with clients over the past couple of weeks focused on telesales and telemarketing, so I thought I'd share a couple of tips you can use to make your calls go a lot better. his week we'll look at preparing for the call, and next week we'll tackle the call itself.
I've been doing a lot of work with clients over the past couple of weeks focused on telesales and telemarketing, so I thought I'd share a couple of tips you can use to make your calls go a lot better.
This week we'll look at preparing for the call, and next week we'll tackle the call itself.
So, let's talk about preparation!
It's interesting that a lot of people I speak to don't do masses of preparation before they actually pick up the telephone to make a series of calls.
Now, whilst I don't advocate that you do so much prep you never actually physically pick the phone up and make the call, I do advocate a small amount of preparation.
Part of your preparation would be setting an objective for the call: what do you want to get from it?
Now, in the training room when I ask this question people most often say "well, we want to get more information". Yes, you do, but the bottom line is that you don't just want to get more information.
You want to be able to either:
- Close a deal
- Win a sale
- Book a meeting
- Keep in touch
All of these are key things, and the last objective that people often underestimate is the "keep in touch" call.
If you can't get your deal, order, meeting but you still have the opportunity to call that person back, then that is a WIN in my book.
The more calls we do, the more we build a relationship, and the more our potential clients are likely to spend with us in the future.
So that's setting your objectives. The other prep you can do is to check the customer's website - know the business that you're talking to, have a name for who you want to contact.
Also, sit down and write out a few questions: what do you want to say? What do you want to ask? What are you going to say when somebody picks up the phone? What's your opening statement?
All of this really helps you prepare to make a successful telesales call.
Next week, I'll talk more about your opening statement, and the physical call itself.
See you then!
