Sales
Preparing For Sales Calls
Published
1 year agoon
Preparing for sales calls. This fear of sales calls usually stem from being rejected. Nobody likes to hear a no, even if you’re trained to handle this kind of job. If you’re brave enough to put yourself in a position of being rejected, you will find long-term rewards, especially if you are prepared for the job. Here are some points to consider when preparing for a sales calls.
Personal Greeting
When calling a potential client, be different and come up with a personal greeting. There are agents that simply say “hello” and dive down to their speech. If you’re the client, calls like these are annoying. To avoid offending a potential client, be courteous and greet them professionally. Start your call by saying “Good morning Mrs. Smith” to set the tone and keep your customers at ease.
Introduce Yourself
When making sales calls do not forget to introduce yourself before launching into your spiel. Do not go into details yet. Mentioning what your company does immediately will give clients opportunity to decline your services. They might say that they are happy with so and so company, and you will not have a chance to tell them why you could be more beneficial to them.
Say Thank You
Always thank the receiver of your sales calls for talking to you. Express gratitude by saying something like, “Thank you for taking my call. This won’t take much of your time and will only take a moment so that you can get back to you busy schedule.” Saying thank you shows you know their time is important and recognize they are busy.
Purpose
State the purpose of your sales calls. Remember that you don’t want to waste time, because clients are busy like you. The best way to state your purpose is by asking a question. “What if I can tell you that we can cut your expenses to help you double your profit? Would you be interested in learning more?” Questions like these are more likely to get a yes.
Set Up A Meeting
At this point you are ready to set up a meeting or teleconference, so you can do your presentation. If the receiver is interested, be prepared to do it over the phone.
For a face-to-face meeting, offer them 2 alternatives. For example, say, “Mr. Jones, can I drop by your office at 1:30 this afternoon to discuss this further, or how does tomorrow at 10 am sound?” By giving them alternatives you control the time of the meeting. Do not ask, “When are you free?” This will give them time to stall and you might never get that meeting.
Say Thanks For Time
End the sales calls by thanking them for their time and upcoming appointment. Reconfirm the date and time. Ask for directions if you have to. Give them your contact info with the best time to reach you in case they have something to share.
Follow-up
If your meeting is days away, email a follow-up to confirm date and time. Follow the same if the meeting is tomorrow. Keep your follow-up upbeat and concise.
Business
2020 Cyber Week Deals for Businesses and Entrepreneurs
Published
4 months agoon
November 29, 2020Are you looking for the best deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday? We understand 2020 has been quite the rollercoaster. So, we compiled a list of Cyber Week deals specifically for growing your business. Here is the ultimate list of marketing, sales, lead gen, and SaaS tools you don’t want to miss.
*Bookmark and revisit this page for updated Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions.
Analytics
Brand | Savings | Duration | Description | Promo Code |
---|---|---|---|---|
Howuku | Lifetime Deal | Lifetime | Heatmap tool | DIGITALTHINK |
Websignals | Lifetime Deal | Lifetime | Social mention, listening & media monitoring tool. | DIGITALTHINK |
Wincher | 90% OFF | 3 Months | SEO rank tracker | BLACKFRIDAY2020 |
Two Minute Reports | Lifetime Deal | Lifetime | Create a complete report in 2 minutes. | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Capturly | $99 | Lifetime | Optimize your website | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Pulno | 30% Off | Monthly | SEO Audit and Website Analysis | BLACKFRIDAY19 |
Business Development
Brand | Savings | Duration | Description | Promo Code |
---|---|---|---|---|
HR Partner | 50% OFF | Lifetime | Employee records management | BLACKFRIDAY2020 |
nila.tech | 5% OFF | Lifetime | Chatbox Builder | NILA5 |
Fesh | 80% OFF | Annual | Shopify Alternative | friday2020 |
CallHippo | 20% Off | Monthly or Annually | VoIP | BFCM2020 |
TimeCamp | 25% Off | Annual | Tracking app for projects and tasks | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Apploye | 25% Off | Lifetime | All-in-one time tracking, employee monitoring, scheduling, and payroll management software | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Design
Brand | Savings | Duration | Description | Promo Code |
---|---|---|---|---|
Penji | 50% Off | 3 Months | On-demand graphic design subscription | CYBER2020 |
Glorify | 93% Off | Lifetime | Ecomm Designing Tool | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Brand | Savings | Duration | Description | Promo Code |
---|---|---|---|---|
SalesHandy | Up to 50% Off | Annual | Email Automation Tool | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Timetoreply | 40% Off | 6 Months | Email analytics tool | oAspJ1Vq |
SendX | 40% Off | Annual | Email Marketing Software | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Constant Contact | 20% Off | 6 Months | Email Marketing | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Finance
Brand | Savings | Duration | Description | Promo Code |
---|---|---|---|---|
InvoiceBerry | 50% OFF | 6 Months | Online invoicing software | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Marketing and Social Media
Brand | Savings | Duration | Description | Promo Code |
---|---|---|---|---|
LinkHelp | 17% OFF | Lifetime | LinkedIn Automation | LH17 |
Vyper | 50% Off VYPER + Free Instagram Growth Course | Monthly | Build giveaways and referral programs | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Klenty | 25% Off | Annual | Sales Engagement Platform | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Project Management
Brand | Savings | Duration | Description | Promo Code |
---|---|---|---|---|
nTask | 30% Off | Monthly | Project Management Software | BF2020 |
Infinity | 86% Off | Lifetime | Project Management | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Web Development
Brand | Savings | Duration | Description | Promo Code |
---|---|---|---|---|
One Word Domain | $10-50 Off | Lifetime | Domains Database | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Brizy | $299 | Lifetime | Website Builder | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
WP User Frontend Pro | 20-30% Off | 1 Site to 15 License | Registration & Profile Builder | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Dokan | 20 to 30% Off | 1 Site to 10 License | Multi-vendor Marketplace | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
BlogVault | 40% Off | Annual | WordPress backup, staging, migration & security | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Cloudways | 40% Off | 3 Months | Managed cloud hosting platform | CLICK TO ACTIVATE |
Why do customers prefer one brand over the other? Brand loyalty is not a mental act but an emotional one. This is because customers have an emotional relationship to the brands they prefer. The challenge for many brands is how to get customers emotionally invested and to keep the connection going. Here are some ways you can make customers love your brand.
Personality
Give your brand a personality. How do you want customers to feel? What message do you want to convey? Determine the tone of your brand and be consistent in maintaining this tone. Marcus Tober from Searchmetrics suggests that entrepreneurs give their brands a personality many people can relate to so that they can find it easy to connect and establish a level of trust.
High Quality
Brands that consistently maintain high quality are very trustworthy. When your brand is reliable and consistent, customers become loyal. If you let a customer down, they don’t forget. What’s worse, they might even tell their friends.
Make Customers Feel Unique
Customers like to feel that they are special. They don’t want to become just another number in your spreadsheet. Reward customers with little extras like personalized customer care. This way they will remember the experience and know that you are dedicated to them.
Develop Excitement
Hype can develop excitement over your brand and products. Building excitement can get people talking about you. Apple for example is very good in building excitement over the launch of their iPhones every time a new model comes along. The result is usually long lines from customers who want to be one of the first few people to buy the model or a pre-ordering frenzy online.
Exclusive Events and Parties
One way to reward loyal customers and maintaining the emotional relationship with them is to reward them with exclusive events and parties. Event marketing is a great way to make customers feel special. When they feel that they are receiving special attention and gaining access, they feel special and it forges a deeper connection.
Special Incentives
Consider how to make your products and services more special. This is not only so that you can survive a competitive marketplace where everybody wants to be innovative but also so that you can maintain a competitive edge. Think of ways how to improve your product or how you can make an entirely new and more superior product. New improvements will give customers reasons to love you more.
Deliver Value
Make sure your brand speaks of matters that concern your customers. Customers want to see how you can enhance their lives because if you can’t, they don’t have a reason to be loyal to you. Show them that you can deliver value by staying loyal to your brand.
Connect With Social Media
One of the ways you can connect with customers is by engaging them through social media and blogs. Connecting with them through these platforms give your brand a more human persona and they will be able to relate more easily to you. Create social media accounts not only for updates but also so that your customers can reach you more easily. Give them information they can use through blogs and answer questions and comments to develop a relationship with them.
Real-Time Customer Support
People today are used to everything becoming “instant”. They are impatient and want everything on demand. Providing real-time customer support is a great way to retain customer loyalty and increase satisfaction.
Encourage Feedback
Getting feedback from customers is a great way to boost customer loyalty. When customers feel that they have a say in how to improve your product or service, they feel that they are valued. When they have input, they will feel important. Encourage feedback from customers and learn from it.
Exceed Expectations
Don’t be satisfied and go the extra mile to exceed customer expectations. This is a great opportunity to tell customers that you value them. According to a study by the Rockefeller Corporation, 68% of customers leave because they feel unvalued. Exceeding customer expectations means that you are appreciating customers and the business they bring.
Do you know how to ask for a favor? Asking for a favor might be hard especially if you’re the independent type. Like it or not, we need to ask favors now and then if we want to succeed. Favors have varying degrees from the very easy: “please come to the conference call tomorrow” to the onerous “please introduce me to your contact at Apple”. Lucky for you, people like doing favors. Studies show that people comply with requests to avoid awkwardness and it also suggests that favors are less of a burden than we think.
But regardless of studies, asking for favors can still feel strange. Therefore being deliberate in the way you ask a favor can make a big difference in the outcome. When asking for a favor, remember the following:
- Set the stage: “I need to ask a favor”
- Provide reason
- Provide means of escape
The phrase, “I need to ask a favor” is a very powerful verbal contract. It also implies reciprocity. If you help me now, you can ask a favor from me in the future. This two way relationship of give and take acknowledges that the favor is not totally one-sided. But aside from this, it also makes the other switch gears into receiving mode. This will give your friend time to have an “uh-oh” or “happy to do so” moment. Consider these:
“Friend, can you cover my shift tonight? I’m not going to make it due to an emergency” or
“Friend, I have a favor to ask. Is it possible for you to cover my shift tonight? I have an emergency”.
In the first scenario, the friend is off guard and might feel that he has to do the favor. In the second scenario, setting up the stage to ask the favor gives your friend a second or two to decline or accept the favor.
The Reason
According to Robert Cialdini’s book, Influence; giving a reason to your favor increases the chances of a positive response. If you know how to ask for a favor be sure you’re providing a reason makes people react positively even if the reason is makes no sense to the request. People like to know that they are being asked something. If you’re asking a millennial for a favor, consider reading this article about 5 things you need to know about Millennials. It’ll give some insights on what makes millennials tick.
The Escape Clause
When learning how to ask for a favor, it’s good to keep in mind an Escape Clause. People are inherently good especially when they are asked to comply with a request. This is because giving is better than receiving. However, when you ask a favor your goal is two-fold: getting what you want and making the giver feel good about helping. The best way to do this is to provide and escape clause so that your friend can graciously decline in the event that they cannot do you the favor. Remember you are giving them the choice to comply. You are not commanding them.
Good Escape Clauses Include:
- “I understand if you can’t help. But I thought I’d ask”.
- “I understand if you can’t come because you’re busy”.
- “I would like an introduction to your friend from Apple but I understand if it makes you uncomfortable”.
Friends and colleagues cannot always come through when you ask them a favor due to a variety of reasons. However, you can always ask them favors with grace and gratitude so that you maximize your chances of getting what you want. Hopefully you will be able to pay back the favor once they ask something from you.
Best Habits to Cure Stupid Startup Budgeting
Top 10 Ted Talk Presentations Using Engaging Visuals
Penji VS Kimp: Graphic Design SmackDown
My Experience With Penji (+25% Promo code) Unlimited Graphic Design Service
My Honest Review of the Juiced HyperScorpion eBike
Twitter Shop Button: Keeping up With the eCommerce Boom
Half a million dollar Playstation 5
My Experience With Penji (+25% Promo code) Unlimited Graphic Design Service
Cancel Culture: The Double-Edged Sword
My Honest Review of the Juiced HyperScorpion eBike
iRoad X10 4K UHD Dashcam Review
Penji VS Kimp: Graphic Design SmackDown
John Trogner Brews Beer with his Brother and You Don’t
Many Pixels and Flocksy Square Off
Trending
- Business2 days ago
My Experience With Penji (+25% Promo code) Unlimited Graphic Design Service
- Reviews2 days ago
My Honest Review of the Juiced HyperScorpion eBike
- Reviews4 days ago
iRoad X10 4K UHD Dashcam Review
- Reviews2 days ago
Penji VS Kimp: Graphic Design SmackDown
- Business5 days ago
Digital Marketing Statistics: Surprising Facts You Need To Know
- Business4 days ago
Know These Logo Statistics and Facts to Grow Your Business
- Gaming3 days ago
Half a million dollar Playstation 5
- Startup Central22 hours ago
Best Habits to Cure Stupid Startup Budgeting
- Top Stories2 days ago
Twitter Shop Button: Keeping up With the eCommerce Boom
- Business23 hours ago
Top 10 Ted Talk Presentations Using Engaging Visuals