Better than writing letters or emailing contracts with a note for renewals is speaking with them and getting agreement and addressing issues as it comes up. It’s faster (frequently can be done in one call) and more likely to succeed since you’re able to address issues.
(REMINDER: CHECK IN after each point. “How does that sound to you?” “Does that seem to fit with your needs?” Questions like these let you know they’re in agreement with you before you move on from the first point to the second.)
Plus, you get to find out if there are any challenges you need to overcome rather than having your emails ignored.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Overcome Overcoming Objections: Getting Appointments
Using email for appointments is effective when people contact you. For cold calls and people who don’t know you, it’s about as effective as leaving voice messages… they don’t work. You have to keep trying until you get them. Once the relationship is established, then email is effective.
For repeat business, instead of spending time trying to get them on the phone, zap an email like this...
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
For repeat business, instead of spending time trying to get them on the phone, zap an email like this...
Joe, I’d like to chat with you for a few minutes to see how things are going, what’s changed and what we might be able to do to help you reach your goals better.
Which of these days/times is good for us to chat?
Today: 1-6pm
Thursday: 8am – 6pm
Friday: 10am – 6pm
Here’s to growing your business,
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Overcome Overcoming Objections: Fact Finding's Secret Purpose
A MAIN REASON for fact finding is to BUILD COMFORT in working with you. Rarely, rarely, rarely do people buy on the first call.
This is one main reason we don’t touch price issues on the first call. The fact is that after you talk about your products or services, the next logical step is price. And once you talk about price, you’re dead... if they're not ready to buy, because most people think they have enough information to make a decision... without you, so they don’t accept or return your calls when you follow up.
So, the more questions you ask, the more comfortable they get with you in addition to your having more information to make sure you CAN help them when / if difficulties arise. Stick to asking questions on your first call, and your second call will be a cake walk instead of a head banger.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
This is one main reason we don’t touch price issues on the first call. The fact is that after you talk about your products or services, the next logical step is price. And once you talk about price, you’re dead... if they're not ready to buy, because most people think they have enough information to make a decision... without you, so they don’t accept or return your calls when you follow up.
So, the more questions you ask, the more comfortable they get with you in addition to your having more information to make sure you CAN help them when / if difficulties arise. Stick to asking questions on your first call, and your second call will be a cake walk instead of a head banger.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Overcome Overcoming Objections: Selling to Committees
When you can't present to a committee that's making a decision, what do you do???
Call your contact with the goal of finding out if there’s anything she thinks won’t be liked by the committee. Now that you know there’s a committee involved, you can ask questions like, are there any conflicting goals or objectives by committee members? When asking this question, you can then address, in your proposal, all the points necessary so I make sure everyone is happy.
Selling to committees is a different game. Preferably, if it’s a large sale, ask who’s on the committee and if you can speak with them prior to the meeting… or have a conference call with them. When possible, that’s ideal. In addition to knowing what they want, they'll know you giving you the upper hand.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Call your contact with the goal of finding out if there’s anything she thinks won’t be liked by the committee. Now that you know there’s a committee involved, you can ask questions like, are there any conflicting goals or objectives by committee members? When asking this question, you can then address, in your proposal, all the points necessary so I make sure everyone is happy.
Selling to committees is a different game. Preferably, if it’s a large sale, ask who’s on the committee and if you can speak with them prior to the meeting… or have a conference call with them. When possible, that’s ideal. In addition to knowing what they want, they'll know you giving you the upper hand.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Overcome Overcoming Objections: Don't Respond to Mail Requests!
Just like you are accustomed to doing things a certain way, so are potential advertisers. They're USED to asking you to send or email documentation. It does not mean they don't want or are not willing to talk with you. They're just used to getting information to make decisions on their own. After all, they reason, salespeople just want to sell them... and they don't want to sell. So, since your approach is different (to find out how you can help achieve their goals), you need to talk with them first.
TRUST YOURSELF. HAVE CONFIDENCE. Come from a place of wanting to help the people rather than a place of selling. When you come from a place of helpfulness, they will feel it, and you will succeed.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
TRUST YOURSELF. HAVE CONFIDENCE. Come from a place of wanting to help the people rather than a place of selling. When you come from a place of helpfulness, they will feel it, and you will succeed.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Overcome Overcoming Objections: Cold Calls
Jenae - How do you suggest I approach a cold call.?
My answer...
First, try for Referrals first. They’re you’re best cold calls.
If you can’t get those, try to find the name of the correct person before you try to get them on the phone. Frequently you can get this by calling their sales department… they’ll talk to anyone! And you can probably get inside information in the process. PLUS, you’ll be transferred to the correct person from an internal number rather than an unknown outside number, so it’ll help you get by and through voice mail and gatekeepers. Oh, you can also ask what their direct extension is, so you can circumvent gatekeepers in the future.
This is what I say… “I’m calling to see if I can help increase your sales, like we do for (name one or two of their competitors). Did I catch you at a bad time?” Then go into the questions starting with a modified opening something like, “To help, I need to understand a bit about your situation, what would you say are your biggest sales challenges right now?”
You just got them talking instead of you, and the ball is rolling right down the center of the lane for a strike!
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
My answer...
First, try for Referrals first. They’re you’re best cold calls.
If you can’t get those, try to find the name of the correct person before you try to get them on the phone. Frequently you can get this by calling their sales department… they’ll talk to anyone! And you can probably get inside information in the process. PLUS, you’ll be transferred to the correct person from an internal number rather than an unknown outside number, so it’ll help you get by and through voice mail and gatekeepers. Oh, you can also ask what their direct extension is, so you can circumvent gatekeepers in the future.
This is what I say… “I’m calling to see if I can help increase your sales, like we do for (name one or two of their competitors). Did I catch you at a bad time?” Then go into the questions starting with a modified opening something like, “To help, I need to understand a bit about your situation, what would you say are your biggest sales challenges right now?”
You just got them talking instead of you, and the ball is rolling right down the center of the lane for a strike!
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Overcome Overcoming Objections: Turn Troubles Into Saleables
My old coaching client Tyler came up with great verbiage to re-enter the Discovery stage. It was so successful, that the first time he used it, he turned a problem around and made a sale… to a problem account. Here’s what he said:
I approached him with, “I don’t think I’ve been meeting your needs.” His customer replied: “What do you mean?” Tyler responded by going right into his fact finding questions. I hope this helps you. When Tyler realized how important this stage of the sale is, he incorporated this all the time, and blew the socks off his sales records.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
I approached him with, “I don’t think I’ve been meeting your needs.” His customer replied: “What do you mean?” Tyler responded by going right into his fact finding questions. I hope this helps you. When Tyler realized how important this stage of the sale is, he incorporated this all the time, and blew the socks off his sales records.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Overcome Overcoming Objections: Getting Appointments
Recent client question: Give me wording to set up an appointment on an 'outward' call.
My answer:
Making an outward (cold call) to someone who we desire their business. “Hi Joe, I’m calling to see if we can help you increase your sales like we do for (NAME COMPETITOR OF THEIRS). Did I catch you at a bad time?”
Or
“Hi Joe, I’m calling to see if we can help you increase your sales like we do for tons of other suppliers to (NAME THEIR MARKET/INDUSTRY). Did I catch you at a bad time?”
With CONFIDENCE, go into Discovery questions… no excuses or apologies or stumbling!
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
My answer:
Making an outward (cold call) to someone who we desire their business. “Hi Joe, I’m calling to see if we can help you increase your sales like we do for (NAME COMPETITOR OF THEIRS). Did I catch you at a bad time?”
Or
“Hi Joe, I’m calling to see if we can help you increase your sales like we do for tons of other suppliers to (NAME THEIR MARKET/INDUSTRY). Did I catch you at a bad time?”
With CONFIDENCE, go into Discovery questions… no excuses or apologies or stumbling!
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Overcome Overcoming Objections: I'll Call You
A client wrote me: I just got this blow off email from a prospect, " When we decide, we will contact you to see how you fit in." What can I do? he asked me?
My answer...
Yes, I know that’s a typical response… especially to a question about whether they’re ready to buy.
Think about this… if they had made a decision in your favor, they would have contacted you! So, and virtually everyone does this, asking if they’re ready to buy when it’s obvious they’re not is necessarily going to yield, We don’t know yet... Don't call us, we'll call you.
Instead, ask a better question like, “How can we help you ______________ (fill in the blank with their biggest obstacle or main goal)?” Or call back and leave a message with an offer to give them information that will help them (if you have a special report they’d be interested in.) Or better yet… don’t leave a message and follow up with voice mail.
You really do want to talk with them, so keep calling ‘til you get them on the phone. A lot of prospects work late, so call outside regular business hours.
Nothing’s guaranteed, but here are three ideas as to how to stop getting this input.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
My answer...
Yes, I know that’s a typical response… especially to a question about whether they’re ready to buy.
Think about this… if they had made a decision in your favor, they would have contacted you! So, and virtually everyone does this, asking if they’re ready to buy when it’s obvious they’re not is necessarily going to yield, We don’t know yet... Don't call us, we'll call you.
Instead, ask a better question like, “How can we help you ______________ (fill in the blank with their biggest obstacle or main goal)?” Or call back and leave a message with an offer to give them information that will help them (if you have a special report they’d be interested in.) Or better yet… don’t leave a message and follow up with voice mail.
You really do want to talk with them, so keep calling ‘til you get them on the phone. A lot of prospects work late, so call outside regular business hours.
Nothing’s guaranteed, but here are three ideas as to how to stop getting this input.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Overcome Overcoming Objections: Easier Repeat Business
A client emailed me asking how he can best word a “button up” email for repeat business.
My answer...
You need to talk with them first! Then it’s just a question of putting it in writing and zapping an email to them… no proposal, no grandiose verbiage. But don’t attach an agreement until they agree! Otherwise if they do not renew, you’ll have a heck of a time getting them on the phone… you know how hard it can be when they don’t want to talk with you. So you WANT to speak with them before you send a renewal order.
You, yourself, just one or two days ago, talked about how important it is to connect with them, and if you let this once-a-year opportunity go by, and you don’t do monthly emails, when are they ever going to feel connected to you and that you truly care about anything other than their money?
You’re right! This is VERY important. Let me know if this helped.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
My answer...
You need to talk with them first! Then it’s just a question of putting it in writing and zapping an email to them… no proposal, no grandiose verbiage. But don’t attach an agreement until they agree! Otherwise if they do not renew, you’ll have a heck of a time getting them on the phone… you know how hard it can be when they don’t want to talk with you. So you WANT to speak with them before you send a renewal order.
You, yourself, just one or two days ago, talked about how important it is to connect with them, and if you let this once-a-year opportunity go by, and you don’t do monthly emails, when are they ever going to feel connected to you and that you truly care about anything other than their money?
You’re right! This is VERY important. Let me know if this helped.
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Overcome Overcoming Objections: Turn Cancellations Into Renewals
Cancellations and non-renewals are a bummer... but they're a fact of life. So, if you haven't asked great questions at the beginning of your sales encounter, now's the time... if you can get back in touch with them (which is the main reason to get all this information in the first place). But, ok, let's get back to trying to save what might be lost.
Here are the top questions to ask them. NOTICE... I am not suggesting you TELL them anything. In order to know WHAT to tell them, you have to know what their hot buttons are. So this will help you get there.
Top Discovery Questions...
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Here are the top questions to ask them. NOTICE... I am not suggesting you TELL them anything. In order to know WHAT to tell them, you have to know what their hot buttons are. So this will help you get there.
Top Discovery Questions...
- What are your top business priorities right now?
- What has changed in your marketing strategy, priorities and challenges since (mention last date did business with you)?
- How is what you’re doing working for you?
- What do you like most about the other (name competitors) you are using?
- What would you change, if anything, about them?
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Overcome Overcoming Objections: Email or Letter
Today a client asked me this question: Instead of an attachment, should I just put the whole letter in the body of an email?
My answer...
Emails are best when you can read the whole thing on one screen. The letter is two pages, so it's too long for an email.
Actually...
It would be best if you call them instead. Voice to voice always trumps writing. Salespeople would be unnecessary if letters could do the selling. You need to know what his hot buttons are before you can "convince" him to buy anything... so call first!
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
My answer...
Emails are best when you can read the whole thing on one screen. The letter is two pages, so it's too long for an email.
Actually...
It would be best if you call them instead. Voice to voice always trumps writing. Salespeople would be unnecessary if letters could do the selling. You need to know what his hot buttons are before you can "convince" him to buy anything... so call first!
Welcome to Stress-Free Selling®,
Jenae
P.S. If I can help you overcome sales challenges and reach your goals, call or email me. 954-290-9896 - Jenae@SalesPowerhouse.com
P.P.S. For a list of sales resources, click here.
P.P.P.S. Presidents & Sales Managers, call for a free consultation (954-290-9896).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)