Maximizing Your Potential!

Let’s face it – not many people like making phone calls. I love it but I realize I am a very rare bird.

The more you understand the rules of any subject, the better you will be at that subject. So here are some tips that should make this sometimes difficult and onerous thing a little less stressful.

1. If your goal is to make an appointment, avoid selling your product – focus on the goal, set the appointment.

2. Be enthusiastic on the phone. The phone is a very direct line of communication and you certainty or lack thereof can great effect your results – always have a smile on your face when making those calls. Make sure it is genuine.

3. NEVER argue with the prospect over the phone – there is no faster way to cut a communication line than starting an argument, especially over the phone.

4. You must be different! Your prospect probably receives tons of phone solicitations. Make sure that your approach is unique – I saw one where the sales person had a staff member make the call, saying that Mr. Smith was going to be in the area on Weds. and would love to meet with them at 10 AM. She made lots of appointments.

5. Keep your communications short and effective – don’t waste time.

6. Have high Affinity for your prospect, share some reality with him, such as, “Most business owners are looking to increase sales, increase efficiency or increase productivity. I have a system to help you achieve all three. I’d like to meet you at 2:30 Weds. for a 1/2 hour appointment.’” You must have a high level of determinism in pushing through to get that appointment.

7. Handle any objection for setting an appointment with the 5 steps of ACCORD.

8. Control the conversation! Remember, Control = Income!

9. Decide what you want BEFORE you make the phone call!

10. Do not promise anything that you are not absolutely sure you are able to deliver on that promise, just to get the appointment.

11. Do not be afraid of letting a prospect go. Too many times I have seen someone nurture this one prospect along when it was obvious that NOTHING was ever going to happen with that person, while ignoring 5 other prospects who were ready to do something and were qualified.

12. If your morale is down, Do NOT pick up the phone! Do something to pick your spirits up and then get back on the phone!

Happy Prospecting!

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There was a survey done by the New York Sales Club a while back as to what a salesperson’s success rate was after each attempt to close. The results were pretty interesting:
1st Attempt to Close 8% said Yes
2nd Attempt 14% said Yes
3rd Attempt 18% said Yes
4th Attempt 27% said Yes
5th Attempt to Close 44% said Yes

Now, if you continued to carry this forward you would get up close to 80%.

But let’s face it you will probably never make it to 100% closing because there are many factors which are out of your control, such as, the person has just lost their job or any number of other unforeseen factors.

However, there is an interesting correlation here. Another survey was done that showed that 80% of salespeople gave up after the third attempt to close. The 20% who persisted beyond the third attempt got 80% of the sales.

So, what happens is that the salesperson seeks to interest the buyer and meets with a person who is trying to pretend that there is no sale. He’s got his attention on other things and is trying to ignore the sales person.

Then the sales person starts to really desire the sale. He’s desiring to get the sale done but the prospect is doing his or her best to inhibit the sale. They may say something like,

‘I’m just not sure if now is the right time.’ or ‘We have decided we need to think about it.’

They are trying to put on the breaks on this process.

The salesperson then tries to pressure the client, ‘This is the best time to purchase this product,’

And get’s pressure back from the prospect, saying, ‘We said NOW is not the right time!’

And right about the time the prospect starts to desire the product or service the salesperson starts to inhibit the sale saying something like, ‘You are probably right. This is not the best deal for you.’

Here the poor prospect is ready to buy and totally interested and the salesperson is ignoring the prospect. You think this seems to far fetched but it happens all the time.

Remember, 80% of sales people give up at 3 above, when both of them are at enforce (the sales person pressuring the prospect and the prospect insisting that he’s not interested.)

All the salesperson has to do is stay at interest and let the prospect move up the scale to meet him or her. This is super simple and super powerful!

Good luck!

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