Psychology, cold calling...and you

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Cold calling is dead. Or at best it’s on life support.

Why? Because in 2006 anyone cold calling would make an average of 4 calls before getting through to speak to a person. By 2010 the average was 41 call attempts.

That said, if you have to sell anything in your role, you’ll need to make many ‘coolish’ or luke warm calls somewhere along the way.

So this week...a few pointers to help you maximise those calls

What’s your objective?

Many people either don’t consider this at all - or automatically suggest a ‘sale’ or an appointment. That’s too much pressure. In most cases a more realistic objective would be to get permission to send them some details, or even just confirm contact details, email address, postal address, and role in the business.

It takes time to build a productive pipeline. Build a strong base first and you’ll generate many meaningful enquiries and leads later. Go too fast too soon and you're toast.

Who are you calling?

What can you find out about them – and their company? Nowadays there’s no excuse for not knowing the basics. Having information helps your confidence. That said, don’t hide behind ‘research’ – a few quick enquires then get dialling. 

Call structure

I’ll never advocate a script, but I certainly advocate prompts to help you through the call – a kind of loose script to which you add your magic as you go along. You can improve these prompts the more you practice.

Visualise success

How do you feel immediately before dialling? Many are full of trepidation, mainly fuelled by that ‘R’ word, (the fear of) Rejection! This impacts on the success of the call. So – have a quick mental run through beforehand of how brilliantly the call will go. Replace those thoughts of trepidation with your personal vibrant ‘success movie’.

Mindset check

Remember just before dialling...you’re not trying to waltz off with an order in the next fifteen minutes, you’re just ‘exploring the possibilities’ of a relationship, or if you prefer, laying down the foundations of a partnership. This is crucial to influencing your tone and pace on the call itself.

And...

Stop thinking of the person who answers the phone as a ‘gatekeeper’. Instead think of them as ‘your new best friend - the door opener’. It helps your performance when you pick up the phone.

The call itself

Remember the pace and content of the call should depend on who you are calling. Do they need an overview, or a lot of detail? Go with their needs.

The generic flow would be something like ... (where you see a link, click through for additional information)  

Friendly greeting

Rapport building

Moving on to ‘the subject’

Open questions

Listen!

Follow up – agree what will happen next

Close 

Make sure you’ve got some ideas for all of those areas. 

Confident – but not too slick

If you sound too slick you’ll probably put the other person off! Be natural. Try giving the impression you’re an occasional caller. Ask for their help. Throw in a little hesitation in your voice. No need to be perfect in your delivery. If you sound too perfect you might intimidate them. 

Success...or learn

Getting a no is a fact of life. It’s an old adage but remember they are not rejecting you, they just don’t feel that your offering is right for them, at this current time. Nothing more. Always ask yourself what you can do better next time. Test your techniques, measure the results – and act accordingly to get that sales success.

Remember...It’s all about The Psychology of Selling

Until next time. 

Leigh

results@sales-consultancy.com

020 7903 5426 

www.sales-consultancy.com

For previous 'Tricks of the Trade' go here

Your Sales Plan

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Do you have a sales plan? 

   

Not a Business Plan. A Sales Plan?

There’s a quote that says ‘If you don't know where you're going, you will probably end up somewhere else’ (Lawrence J. Peter). You already know where this is heading!

Having some kind of sales plan is a crucial part of your overall company strategy. If you’re a new or young company then strike now whilst the canvass is clear. For established businesses it allows you to take stock and check the direction you’re going. It really is good to take time out from the everyday pressures to check in with where you’re heading, and more crucially where you want your sales to be. 

Keep it simple 

We are not talking about a 200 page document here that a government department would be proud of. It’s more about going through a few specific questions – and taking a little time over the answers.

Here are those questions...work through them and you’ll be well on your way to increasing your sales success.

Who are your customers?
Where are your niches? Who are your customers? What are their problems? How do you solve these problems? How can you solve them better than your competitors? How do you stand out?

What are your sales and marketing options?
What COULD you do to increase sales? Emails? Telephone sales? Direct Mail? Referrals? Testimonials and case studies? Pay per click? Networking? Advertising? PR? Social Media? And so on. Knowing your industry and knowing your customers, what sales and marketing tools do you need to incorporate?

What will your KPI’s be? 
Which Key Sales Performance Indicators are appropriate for YOU? What do you need to do really well to succeed overall in your sales - and your business generally? A good KPI’s list will probably number no more than 10 of your most important business metrics. For example...turnover, units sold, profit, number of emails sent, number of responses, number of telephone calls made, conversion rates.

What should you do first?
What do you need to do first - before you set up regular sales and marketing activity? What are those initial activities you need to carry out?  Set up a database? Set up your social media platforms? Review your marketing materials? What else?

What should you be doing DAILY?
What should you be doing daily NOW to get success later? How are you managing your prospects, contacts, follow ups? What’s your daily target? Update social media? Call existing clients? Respond to sales enquiries? What else?

Weekly?
What’s in your weekly check list of activities? Be sure to schedule these in. An email marketing campaign? Follow up quotes and proposals?

Monthly?
What are those things you need to do monthly? Newsletter to your customer and prospect database? Review your KPI’s? Networking? Next month’s plan? What else?

Your plan
If you take time on each of the above you’ll have a valuable document at the end of it. Don’t keep this to yourself. Share it – with your colleagues, with your team - It’s very motivational to be part of a shared objective.   

Until next time.  

 

Leigh

PS: If you really like the idea of being guided through how to generate a masterful sales plan for your business, check out my DVD programme “The Essential Sales System for Small Business” – a good part of this DVD  programme is dedicated to helping you generate a sales plan. Click here for more details...

   

  results@sales-consultancy.com

 

020 7903 5426

 

www.sales-consultancy.com

 

  For previous 'Tricks of the Trade' go here

You, Your Sales - and The Law of Attraction

A question for you...do thoughts influence chance?

“The Law of Attraction” burst into my personal consciousness several years ago – and has played quite a part in my personal and professional life ever since. Not just me – The Law of Attraction and “The Power of the Universe” have captured many people’s imaginations in recent years.

The Law of Attraction suggests that both your conscious and unconscious thoughts can truly affect what comes about. It’s centred around visualising the successful completion of your goals and is regularly used by many top sportsmen and women, business leaders too, as they bid to ‘attract’ success.

Fab or Fake?  

 

Nevertheless, The Law of Attraction has been criticised by some scientists as violating scientific principles and that it is merely a type of placebo effect.

With my specialist subject being Sales Psychology, The Law of Attraction was always bound to arouse my interest. What was all the fuss about?

Well, several years later I can report that I find it a very useful tool in my sales armoury. Spooky? Kooky? Maybe – but definitely something to consider. Whether it’s a presentation, pitch, networking event, pending contract or something much more long term, the potential applications are limitless.  

Try it. It’s a great technique for fine tuning your goals and ensuring they are more likely to be delivered. It will really help you to focus on what you want - and help you achieve it.

It’s great fun too.

The Law of Attraction...

1. PREPARE

Make sure you’re in a relaxed state. The best times for this are immediately on waking or just before you go to sleep.

2. ASK

Know what you want and ask the universe for it. After all - If you don’t place your order with the Universe, how will it ever know what to deliver to you? Create a movie of yourself being successful at whatever it is you want to achieve. Create as vivid a movie as you can. Turn up the colour, the sounds, the happiness levels you're experiencing, the tastes – everything. You are living your goal!

3.BELIEVE

Feel and believe as if the object of your desire is on its way. Focus your thoughts and your language on what it is you want to attract. Feel the feeling of really ‘knowing’ that what you want is already on its way, even if you have to trick yourself into believing it. Replace hope with firm expectation.

4. RECEIVE

Be open to receive it. Notice the messages and signs from the Universe to confirm you are on the right path. Open yourself to receiving the very thing you want.

5. ACTION

It doesn’t matter how much you want something or how much you visualise a successful outcome...if you don’t take action it won’t happen. Any action will do to get you off the starting block and give you some momentum.

How does it work? For me it’s because planting positive images in your subconscious will switch your brain into the mode whereby it will automatically generate the endorphins that will give you the natural impetus you need to succeed. You’ll then be more minded to take the actions that will take you to where you need to be.

Another contribution to The Psychology of Sales.  

Until next time.  

Leigh

PS: Do you have a fear of selling? CLICK HERE

results@sales-consultancy.com
 

020 7903 5426
 

www.sales-consultancy.com

 

For previous 'Tricks of the Trade' go here

7.5 things to do in July

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Well it looks like we’re finally heading for some hot weather, at least in most parts of the UK. So this week I thought I’d share with you some of my common-sense summer sales tips.  

Every one of these tips will help you increase your sales success - IF you take action!

Enjoy! 

1)Your goals

How compelling are your sales goals? So many sales people and business owners have lack lustre goals. Maybe 'I want to reach target' or I want to progress', 'I want more money'. If you have mediocre goals, you're setting yourself up to be ordinary, not outstanding. Shouldn't you be aiming to be outstanding, and with some structure to help you get there? Revisit your goals and make them outstanding.

2) Your marketing

Does your marketing talk about you? Your company? Your products? How many awards you've won? How boring. It should be talking about 'them', the problems they can get solved, the goals they aspire to, how they want to feel. If your brochure, your emails, your website talks just about you, you won't be making any where near as many sales as you could be...ouch!

3) Your customers

Make sure you stay in front of the people you want to do business with. This might be a phone call, an email, a newsletter, social media posts, or all of these. Stay in their consciousness and when the time is right, there's a greater chance they will do business with you.

 

4) Networking
If you go to networking events it's tempting to head for those people there that you already know. Yet if you really want to get the greatest value, make yourself spend the vast majority of your networking time with people you don't know. More challenging? Possibly. More rewarding? Definitely!

 

5) Pitches and presentations
If you make regular presentations as part of your sales activity, when was the last time you practised and filmed yourself? It's so easy to film yourself these days and you'll find it invaluable as a tool to help perfect your presentations. Ask others to view it too - feedback is essential if you're going to improve.

6) Adding value

Never think you are selling a commodity. If you do, you are condemning yourself to always sell on price. There has to be value in there somewhere. If not on the initial sale, then maybe in the sales process itself, in the guarantee, the after sales, the delivery, the after sales advice and care - there's usually some way you can add value to the most basic of products.

7) Your mindset

What reasons and excuses are you giving to yourself for any lack of sales? Think deep. Recession? Too much paperwork? Not enough time? Spending cuts? Budgets frozen? Bad news - these are not genuine reasons. Now think again - what are the REAL reasons for you not getting the sales results you want? Go deep.

7.5) Think about the buyer

When selling, don't forget the buyers' challenges. They often have to get others to buy in to your proposal. Your proposal may initiate internal change that the buyer has to promote internally. They could have to negotiate through all the internal politics, nurture internal relationships and a whole lot more. That's why you have to support the buyer and why it sometimes takes a long time for decisions to take their course.

Do get in touch if you need any more information on any of these.

Enjoy the hot weekend!

 

Until next time.

  
Leigh

 

PS: Do you have a fear of selling? CLICK HERE

results@sales-consultancy.com

020 7903 5426
 

www.sales-consultancy.com 

 

For previous 'Tricks of the Trade' go here