INFRAESTRUCTURAS BÁSICAS

‘‘I like to say hello the moment the telephone is answered,’’ says Bill Miller, a seventeen-year sales veteran and president of his own company that sells perishable tools and capital equipment for gear production. He believes success in cold-call selling comes from being sincere, articulate, and respect- ful. ‘‘You must have a good, strong voice,’’ he says, ‘‘and respect your con- tact’s time.’’

Being clear about the goal of your call is something successful salespeo- ple know and make their number one priority. Whether your mission is to set up a future meeting, send company literature, or just introduce your goods and services, you must know that every word counts, and on the telephone you have no time to make mistakes.

Having been connected with your prospective customer, you’ll want to begin with an interesting opening conversation. You might say something like, ‘‘Hello Ms. Jones, my name is John Smith and I represent Corporate Appearances Inc. My company specializes in (name the ultimate result your product provides). This might be worth your time to take a look at. I’d like to ask you some questions just to see whether you’d like more information.’’ Listen attentively and make short notes during the course of the conver- sation, making sure that doing so doesn’t interfere with your attention to what your contact is saying. When you have your contact’s ear, continue to ask open-ended questions.

Again, be direct by inquiring about the basics: Who is responsible for buying this product, and how do they handle it? Direct questions show you are in control of the conversation and you know what you’re doing. Avoid using weak language, such as, ‘‘I wonder if you could . . .’’ or ‘‘I’m just trying to find out about. . . .’’ These kinds of statements do not represent authority. Instead they say very clearly to your prospective customer that you lack confidence in your sales abilities.

If your contact is busy, respect her time and ask whether you can call back at a more convenient time. Asking permission to carry on the conver- sation by inquiring if it is a good time to talk makes a good impression and shows the other person that you are polite and respectful. Set a future date and time and then make sure to follow up.

93 Although some people suggest going right for the appointment setting, most professionals realize their prospective customer may either not be in- terested immediately or want to think things through before going further. Says one twenty-year sales pro, ‘‘If my prospect is qualified and he seems to have some interest, I can use the remaining time to pique his curiosity over the phone and pre-sell him on what we’ll talk further about in an upcoming meeting.’’

An example of this might be to say, ‘‘Mr. Kent, based on what you’ve told me, it looks like I could show you several ways to save with our pro- gram. The best thing to do might be for us to get together so I can ask you a few more questions and show you some of the options we have available to see if what we can offer is a good fit. How about some time next week?’’ Never ask for a decision in the opening of a cold call or say something such as ‘‘I’d like to stop by on Monday at noon, or would 3:00 P.M. be better?’’ You’ll find your customer will most often be resistant to making such on-the-spot plans about something he knows little or nothing about.

Likewise, don’t send information before you call unless it is a well- designed business card that serves as a future calling card. Busy executives and decision makers usually toss unsolicited literature with form letters. Beginning your call by saying, ‘‘Did you get the information I sent you last week?’’ is not the way to get new and continuing business. It would be one in a thousand at best who would answer with ‘‘Yes! When shall we set up a meeting?’’

Don’t let a ‘‘not interested’’ reply get you down. The next call you make has nothing to do with the one or more you’ve completed that didn’t get a positive reaction. Letting negative thoughts in will affect your entire atti- tude.

Instead of setting your goal for a sale, perhaps look at a secondary goal not as steep and more attainable. Simply making a call and identifying someone as a prospective customer, for example, will make you feel more successful and keep you moving forward. And it’s much more productive than avoiding the phone and walking about hoping things will automatically change.

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‘‘No’’ doesn’t mean ‘‘no.’’ It means ‘‘no, not today.’’

‘‘No’’ doesn’t necessarily mean the prospect doesn’t like or want your product. It often indicates that the timing is not right, or there’s an unspoken objection. Here are some techniques to help you deal with ‘‘no’’ more effectively:

• Be prepared for ‘‘no.’’ After all, most people say ‘‘no’’ a lot more often than they say ‘‘yes.’’ So why stutter and fume when your current prospect says no, as if you’ve never heard it before? Treat it as a problem to be solved, not a personal rejection.

• Ask and answer questions. Instead of looking at ‘‘no’’ as the final chapter in your business relationship, ask questions and be prepared to answer some yourself. You may discover alter- native solutions.

• Control your feelings. As a professional, you’re probably not going to stomp your feet, but if you appear defensive or des- perate, it might not be much better. Avoid accusatory com- ments and sarcasm.

• Take some time. You don’t have to resolve the issues surround- ing ‘‘no’’ right that minute. It may be good for both sides to take a couple of days to think things over.

• Follow up. Stay in touch with the customer consistently. There could still be ways you can help each other, even if you don’t actually do business together right away.

• Don’t be pushy. Once everything has been said, let it settle in on both sides. The customer may not want to hear from you for a while for whatever reasons. Respect that, and the cus- tomer will see you as a professional.

This is not an original observation, but if you are not hearing ‘‘no’’ frequently, you are doomed to failure as a salesperson. Reason: the majority

95 of people you talk to—about anything, from selling a prospect to asking for a date—are going to say ‘‘no.’’

Let’s say the ratio of ‘‘no’’ to ‘‘yes’’ is 9 to 1, meaning you will close 10 percent of your sales, and not sell to 90 percent of those you talk to. By logical extension, you are going to hear nine ‘‘no’s’’ for every one ‘‘yes.’’

Therefore, if you never hear ‘‘no,’’ it means you are not asking potential customers whether they will buy from you. This lack of sales activity may insulate you from rejection, but statistically, it will never get you to the level of ‘‘yes’s’’ you need to earn a good living in sales.

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Don’t agonize over a rejection. Move on to the next call.

A wise man once said, ‘‘It’s not what happens to you; it’s how you handle it.’’

Sure, it hurts when a big sale you thought you had in the bag sud- denly flies apart. But get over it. Grieve quickly, then move to the next opportunity even faster. Whenever a door closes in one place, one usually opens in another. Find the next open door.

On the other hand, it certainly is helpful to know why you did not get the sale. Was your price too high? Were you too aggressive? Was the competitor’s warranty better than yours? These are things you need to know.

When you lose the sale, ask the prospect: ‘‘Would you mind telling me why we didn’t get the order?’’ You can ask this in person, over the phone, or by e-mail, depending on your comfort level.

Never show anger that you were not picked. And when the prospect tells you whom she did buy from, never say anything negative about that supplier. When you criticize the prospect’s purchase decision, you insult their intelligence and also make them feel bad. Their reaction is anger. They assume that your negative assessment of their purchase is driven by your selfish motive to get the order, and is not honest, objective advice.

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Instead, if at all possible, be positive (as long as you are being honest): ‘‘They are a great company; you are in very good hands.’’

The prospect expects salespeople to become angry when they are re- jected and to badmouth whatever company beat them out for the contract. Doing the opposite surprises the prospect in a positive way: She has heard so many salespeople badmouth competitors, that when you are complimen- tary, it creates a positive impression that can lead to future opportunities for you.