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Companies are dependent upon salespeople to represent them well. Usually lofty goals are set for sales professionals in terms of revenue to be brought in as well as new clients to bring into the fold.
Inherently talented salespeople are usually able to overcome the steep goals set for them. But for most in the profession the office displays a revolving door. In other words, employees enter and quickly leave the company.
Before you agree to sales training inquire as to the caliber. Below are comparison between what has been taught and what should be taught. The idea is to provide insight on how to bring value-add to the meeting that then encourages additional sales.
Vocabulary
Most sales trainers launch into providing you with a script. But there are inherent problems with scripts. On the client’s end, the verbiage may not apply to their business. On your end, the vocabulary and sentence structure may not suit your style. A prospect can spot this a mile away and will not give you the time of day.
Sales Lesson: Speak in your own vocabulary and be authentic. For interviews, as a sales rep or in your entrepreneurship, research the company first to specifically target your discussion.
Hammer the phone
There is usually quite a bit of pressure for new representatives to make many calls per day both by phone and in the field to attain quota. But similar to a script, repeating the same call after call, frustration sets in and the verbiage begins to make even less sense.
Sales Lesson: Research each company prior to contacting. It’s a slower process but the results prove it is far more effective.
Meeting Push
Trainers will advise that you be relentless in pushing for a meeting. But insistence does not work nearly as well as asking for the prospective client’s preferred date and time.
Sales Lesson: In your own vocabulary suggest “now or down the road…” to obtain a higher number of agreed to appointments.
Timeline
Frequently it is taught that a seller needs to ask for the sale several times during conversation. However, the result of doing this usually annoys the prospect to the extent that the salesperson is asked to never return.
Sales Lesson: As issues are revealed during meetings, strive to get a timeline as to when the client sees these being resolved. Due it on their watch not yours.
Follow-up
One sales manager actually advised me to call my prospect every single day until they agree to meet to finalize a sale. Doesn’t that sound like stalking someone? It did to me and I refused to do it.
Sales Lesson: At the conclusion of a phone call or an initial meeting, ask the person their preference for you to follow-up. Get specific by also asking morning or afternoon and how they would like to be contacted eg. email or phone call.
Following these guidelines will lead you to the Smooth Sale!