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An off kilter look at sales tips & tricks for telesales professionals |
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Issue 7: Celebration Edition
Is doing business with you a party? I received a sales email back in September that had a subject line that included “(because you're fabulous!)”, how could I not open it? This of course got me to thinking about the fact that salespeople make every customer interaction a celebration. Invitation - Change your perception. Every phone call you make to a prospect or customer is an invitation to do business together. What do you want your invitation to look like?  That beginning will set the tone for when they get to the party and you start doing business together. Have you ever gotten to an event and felt like the invitation let you down?
Directions - How do we get from here to the party? The easiest way to get to the party may not be the shortest OR the fastest. Need an example? In my neighborhood there is a street called Burnet Park Drive - which is only 4 blocks long, yet includes; two left turns, one hard right, and the feeling you’re going the wrong way up a one way street. 
That may be the shortest way to get to our house, but if someone who has never been to the neighborhood is coming over we’ll send them blocks out of the way to avoid that one road. Make it easy; make them want to come over. Give them a short list of streets to travel or some very familiar landmarks to spot on the way to doing business with you. RSVP - Please Respond! RSVP is short for the French répondez s'il vous plait which means that guests need to respond to the host(tess) whether they are attending OR not! It is the salesperson’s job to express the same idea when it comes to quotes and proposals. Make sure you will hear you’re winning and the order is on the way OR your competition was chosen. Make sure you get agreement from the person receiving your quote that they will RSVP, so you know if they are coming to the party. Think about the increased accuracy of your forecast once you master this skill. Party Planning - Before they arrive. Once you know they’re joining your celebration, it is time to make sure they have a good time at the party. For your business, what things need to be done BEFORE you receive an order to ensure it is smooth sailing from the customer’s perspective?
Figure out how to make the likelihood of those things happening as close to 0% as you can for your customers. It’s A Party - Where are you going? Now your guests have arrived, as host(tess) you wouldn’t leave the event would you? Then why do many salespeople become unavailable once they earn the order? I know, I know - on to the next prospect, trying to close the next deal. That’s a salespersons job OR is it? Sure it is a salesperson’s job to find more business and close it BUT not to the detriment of the business you just closed. Make sure you’re around for your customers after the order comes through. Post sale follow-up is the #1 way to prevent buyer’s remorse. After the Party’s Over - Clean Up. Once the order has shipped and the invoice sent, breathe a sigh of relief and then keep working. Make sure that the customer has the support they need from you (and you’re company) to successfully use your products/services. My favorite way to find a new opportunity is to follow up on an order to make sure everything went the way the customer expected. When it we pulled off the perfect party - most people are looking forward to the next event and will tell us. If the party was a bust, not as much fun as they anticipated, or they got lost on the way - better to apologize and reset expectations so they’ll consider the next party you put on. Don’t miss our Tele-Sales Twist on Thank You Notes! |
Welcome to the Month of Lynn!
Thanks to my girlfriend Maxine, my poor husband doesn’t just have to celebrate my Birthday, since 1996 the entire month of October is all about me in our house. This made me think about how to make every phone call all about the customer. An UpYourTeleSales.com Reminder We aren’t talking about a college toga party here - instead, the intention is to make your prospects and customers feel special. Then they look forward to your calls and to working with you. TeleSales Twist Don’t underestimate the value of a hand written thank you note - no matter how bad your hand writing is! There is nothing like getting an unexpected piece of mail that doesn’t ask you for anything! Pick up some inexpensive, small size note cards OR if your company has them, use ‘em. It doesn’t have to be long, just a quick note:
I appreciate that you trust me with your business and look forward to continuing to work together. Thank you, Your Name Here
I appreciate your consideration and desire to work together. I know that we weren’t the best fit for your current project, but look forward to finding areas to work together in the future. Thank you, Your Name Here Want to use any of our content in your publication, blog, or website? If so, please include the bio below and let us know when and where it will appear. Lynn Hidy, founder of UpYourTeleSales.com, is the specialist at creating profitable telesales sales people and organizations. She knows you can make six figures over the phone - she does it! Working with Lynn you will learn to create a phone experience where they will forget you aren't actually having a cup of coffee together. To find out more about Lynn, read her latest articles, or subscribe to A Chip Off The Block, her free newsletter - call 315-751-0146 or visit www.upyourtelesales.com. |
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