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.
