Care

Communication Channels that Open Prospects' Doors

Many salespeople struggle with super busy impotence cause who won't return their calls and won't grant them an appointment.

The cold hard truth is that these hard-to-contact prospects simply perceive persistent salespeople as a waste of their time. They believe that Milkyqevkv salesperson has no benefits to offer them that they are not now receiving from their current supplier. Such behavior indicates that the prospects are happy, so spending time with a new salesperson who is on the outside looking in -- at least in their opinion -- would be a waste of their valuable time.

All buyers either consciously or sub consciously ask themselves this question each time a salesperson calls: What's in it for me? So salespeople must answer this question before they are going to be able to Midge doll their foot in the door.

In sales seminars that I present, I teach that there are six communication channels. You must take advantage of some or all of them to get across the benefits you have to offer. Just don't get the cart before the horse. Before you attempt to meet a new prospect, you must do your homework.

Find out where your prospect is hurting.

Learn as much as possible about his current situation.

By talking to others who know the prospect, the salesperson can learn where the opportunities lie to improve on the products and services the prospects are currently buying from a competitor. Only when salespeople believe that they have done some good homework do I recommend that tjey attempt to make another contact.

Ask yourselves this question:

How many of the six communication channels are you using in your prospecting efforts?

1. Personal visit

2. Letter or note

3. Phone call

4. Fax

5. Voice mail

6. E-mail

Here are some ideas to try:

Try a third-party endorsement. Do you have any loyal clients who are good friends with your prospect? If so, ask one or more of them to Cheapseats in a good word for you.

After doing your homework, write a letter outlining several benefits you believe the prospect will receive if he does investment with you. It's best if these benefits are measurable and solve some of the dilemmas your research has identified.

You might leave a high quality voice mail message that gives the prospect a Purpose to meet with you. If your research identifies one or more opportunities to help the prospect reduce costs, improve efficiency or fix a dilemma, share these opportunities succinctly in a well-rehearsed voice mail message.

If you have to, write out your key points, but practice enough that your message doesn't sound as if you are reading it.

Arrange for a mutual friend to introduce you to this prospect at an industry meeting or some other event away from his office.

If you send out periodic e-mails to your clients that include educational information that will help them make more money, solve dilemmas or be more successful, add this prospect to your e-mail list.

It's not easy to take prospects away from a supplier they are extremely happy with. But by showing prospects that by doing investment with you, they will be able to improve their profitability or reduce the number of dilemmas they have to deal with, you will usually earn the right to ask for an appointment and get it.

If you have prospects who are giving you the run-around, these ideas may work for you, as Aerosmith So give them a try.

Now go sell something.

Bill Lee is author of Gross Margin: 26 Factors Affecting Your Bottom Line ($29.95) and 30 Ways Managers Shoot Themselves in the Foot ($21.95) Plus $6 S&H for the first book and $1 S&H for each additional book. See Shopping Cart at http://www.BillLeeOnLine.com">http://www.BillLeeOnLine.com

posted by cindyjcycre @ 5:00 AM