Don’t COLD Call For New Business — SMART Call

Sales rep: “Hi, I’m Pat Seller with ProductiveConsultants. We help businesses become more efficientin their communications and workflow. I was wonderingif I could set up a time to come by and tell you how wework with small businesses.”Prospect: “Not interested.”It’s no wonder salespeople don’t like to make

prospecting calls. That was a “cold” call — and a dumbone at that. Dumb in the sense that the caller didn’tknow anything about the prospect, nor hint at any possi-ble value, and was blown off the phone. Ouch!

I will show you how to avoid cold calls and how to usethe phone to call prospects you don’t know, who don’tknow you, to create interest and enter prospects into thesales process. That’s not a cold call, but a “smart” call.

But wait, isn’t cold calling dead? I agree with the“cold” part. You should never place a cold call. But, ofcourse, calling works. Just ask anyone having successdoing it. Sure, we would all like to have an endlessstream of inquiries and referrals. However, not everyonehas the budget, time or network of contacts to make thata consistent reality. If I aspire to sell to Microsoft, but Idon’t have any contacts there, nor do my friends, I couldgrow older and grayer waiting to get introduced tosomeone there, or for a buyer to respond to a marketingcampaign. Or I could call the company and, within min-utes, enter into a sales cycle with a decision maker.Picking up the phone and calling is the quickest andcheapest way to initiate a sales conversation. But youneed to be smart about it. Here’s how.

Intelligence GatheringFirst, you need to define what information you’d like

to have about your prospect: anything relevant about sit-uations within the company or industry, or even with thebuyer personally, that creates a need for the results youprovide.

Having — and intelligently using –– informationabout the people and organizations you call is like thedifference between a direct mail piece addressed to“Occupant” and a handwritten, personalized note. Butwhere do you get this valuable information?

When I started my business in 1983, I knew cold call-ing was not the optimal way to prospect. So I didresearch on prospects by going to the library and readingtrade publications, local newspapers, local business jour-nals, association publications and directories — anythingthat could help me learn about prospects. Today, a fewclicks of the mouse can provide you with volumes ofinformation. (The real expert on this is Sam Richter. Gethis book, Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling, whichshows you precisely how to use the Internet to gathermore information than you ever imagined. There arealso plenty of free resources at his Web site,www.TakeTheCold.com.)Social Engineering

“Social engineering” is another way you can gatherintelligence. It is simply talking to people and askingquestions. Make a preliminary call to your prospect’sorganization with the purpose of gleaning information.Target anyone — other than the ultimate decision maker— who can provide insight. If you sell customer servicetraining, talk to customer service reps and ask whattypes of calls they typically get, what training theyreceive now and what the company’s goal is for theirdepartment. Get the executive assistant of your decisionmaker on the line and ask questions. Think of anyoneyou might reach in a company, from the janitor to assis-tant-to-the-CEO, and determine what questions youmight ask if you reach the person.

www.clement.com Volume 32 • Issue 26 • December 20, 2010

Master Salesmanship™— page 1

“We would all like tohave an endless streamof inquiries and referrals.However, not everyone hasthe budget, time or networkof contacts to make thata consistent reality.”The Guide to Superior Selling Techniques

™

Don’t COLD CallFor New Business— SMART Callby Art Sobczak

Don’t COLD Call For New Business— SMART Call.........1

Why Adaptability Is Your Saving Grace .......................2

Have You Tapped Into This Hidden Power Source? .......2

Questions And Answers ........................................3

Why You Should Rely On Questions .........................4

…and much more!

In This Issue(continued on page 3)

Why AdaptabilityIs Your Saving Grace

Mergers, buyouts and acquisitions keep sales profes-sionals on their toes. If you find yourself in the situationof suddenly needing to learn a new industry or adapt toa new type of customer, read on.

Most successful salespeople know how to react tochange. The key is to respond successfully when changescome from forces beyond your control. Consider thesepointers to help you adapt better to changing industriesand customers:Understand why companies make changes. A

tremendous number of factors cause companies tochange today. Among these are re-engineering, totalquality management, outsourcing and globalization.However, keeping up with trends can be dizzying. Askbuyers for the opportunity to sit in on presentations thatwill help you better understand changes in their compa-nies. Ask to be placed on employee or marketing

newsletter mailing lists. Explore customers’ companyWeb sites weekly and take note of any changes.Understand why people are different. The market-

place is customer driven. It’s not a matter of dealingwith people you like — customers have to like youback. And when it comes to customers, one size doesnot fit all. If new customers do not respond to thetechniques you use, it’s because they are vastlydifferent in style.Fill in the gaps with sales training. There is no way

to keep up with everything. Still, if it’s clear that cus-tomers know more about a key topic than you do, it’stime to catch up. The best sales training is continuousin nature. Resolve to attend marketing associationmeetings throughout the year. Periodically attend salesseminars on topics with which you are unfamiliar. Evenif your company will not pay for it, course work maybe deductible on your tax return if it helps you stay ontop of your field.

Remember, you are your own trainer. So start todayand make change your ally. �

“Salespeople with enthusiasm early in their careers seem to enjoy the sense ofadventure that selling presents. They look at tough prospects and new sellingsituations as challenges, and they feel proud when they meet those challenges.”

Have You TappedInto This HiddenPower Source?By Homer Smith

You can’t buy it at any price, yet without it your salesare fewer, life is less exciting and you’re less happy. Ifyou have it, however, and apply it to your selling activi-ties every day, you can double your sales income, pushyourself up the success ladder and attract more friends.

We’re talking about the power of enthusiasm! I’veheard someone call enthusiasm “money in the bank,”and it certainly puts money there.

So, if it’s such a great sales tool, why aren’t moresalespeople enthusiastic? Well, it doesn’t start out thatway. Most young salespeople are very enthusiastic. Theytend to feel that they’re getting into a great career andthat they will do great things in selling.

Then, somewhere along the line between youth andmiddle age, too many salespeople lose that spark ofexcitement and enthusiasm that made life enjoyable foreveryone they met.

Fortunately, it is possible to recharge the enthusiasmbattery. It all depends on developing a positive attitudeand a strong belief in yourself. Salespeople with enthusi-

asm early in their careers seem to enjoy the sense ofadventure that selling presents. They look at toughprospects and new selling situations as challenges, andthey feel proud when they meet those challenges. It’s alla matter of attitude.

Do you feel your own enthusiasm slipping? Let’s fig-ure out why.You were probably very enthusiastic aboutyour job at one time. What has changed? Has it becometoo routine? Are the challenges gone? Well, it’s time toseek out new challenges.

Go after some prospects that you figured you’dprobably never land. But instead of attacking them withthe “I don’t know why I’m wasting my time on thisprospect” attitude, try being positive. Say, “There’s gotto be a way to win this prospect over to my side.” Or,try a new technique or sales presentation that you’venever used before. What have you got to lose? Be alittle daring!

Enthusiasm can also be rejuvenated simply by practic-ing it. Strangely, even the simulation of enthusiasm canbring on the real thing. Try acting enthusiastic in every-thing you do for a couple of days to test this theory.You’ll find that it doesn’t take long for the acting tobring on the real thing. People will respond positivelyto enthusiasm and react likewise.

With these thoughts in mind, selling can be muchmore than a way to make a living. It can be a stimulat-ing, satisfying career. �

Master Salesmanship™— page 2

The Smart Call™ Interest-Creating Opening Statement ProcessLet’s assume you have done all of the information-gathering, you know

something relevant about your prospect and it’s time to craft an opening thatwill grab attention. Here is the step-by-step opening statement process:1. Introduce yourself and organization — Hi, I’m Pat Seller withProductive Presentations.

2. Use your Smart Call Intelligence — Here, you employ something youknow that implies you are not the typical cold caller; the more tailoredand on-target, the better. For example:• I was speaking with _____ and she mentioned that you are now inthe process of _____.

• Congratulations on the _____ I read about in _____.3. Hint at your possible value proposition — This is where you hint at

the results you have delivered for others and might be able to provide tothis prospect. For instance:• We specialize in working with _____, in helping them to deal withthe issue of _____.

• With other _____ in the same situation, we have been able to _____.4. Suggest more possible value, contingent on moving to questioning —

This is the step where you build upon your possible value and beginto ask questions specifically tailored to the prospect’s responses/situations/questions. For example:• I’ve got a few ideas that might be of some value to you regarding_____, and I’d like to ask a few questions.

• We might have a few options that could possibly be a fit for you aswell. If I’ve reached you at a good time, I’d like to ask a few questionsto see if I could provide you with some information.

ConclusionLet’s stitch this all together and look at the same caller from the beginning

of this article, but this time using the Smart Calling process and techniques:“Hi Mary, I’m Pat Seller with Productivity Consultants. I was talking with

Dale in your eastern office, and I understand that a major initiative for 2011 isstrengthening the communication and collaboration between your accountmanagement and production departments so you can increase your customerretention rate and order frequency. With another components manufacturer, wewere able to help them implement a system to do exactly that and raise theirretention by 55 percent in six months and reorder rate by 34 percent. I’d like toask you a few questions to see if I could provide you with some information.”

Prospects today do not have time nor the tolerance for cold calls. Theyexpect anyone who calls on them to have done their research. “Cold” callingis dead, but prospecting is very much alive and profitable when done in asmart way.

For more than 27 years, Art Sobczak has helped salespeople, and anyone whoneeds new business, get sales results using the phone. His newest book, SmartCalling —Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling, hit No. 1on amazon.com’s Sales and Marketing categories on its very first day. Visitwww.SmartCalling.com or e-mail Sobczak at [email protected]. �

Master Salesmanship™— page 3

Questions AndAnswers

Q:I was taught by asales pro to always

use positive statements aboutwhat a product will do. Butisn’t there a time when anegative statement is better?

A:We’re advised in salescourses and texts to

make sure that everything in ourpresentations is made in a posi-tive manner. We’re told it’simportant to make promises,claims and benefits positive.

There’s no doubt that positiveselling is powerful because it hasmore punch and arouses theprospect’s desire more success-fully than a weaker negativeapproach. But we can’t ignore thefact that there are times, as yousuggest, when a negativeapproach can be even morepotent.

Prospects are obviously inter-ested in what your product orservice WILL do — positiveresults and benefits. But they arealso interested in what it willNOT do.

It’s very important, for example,that a product will not rust, stain orfade. Television commercials arefull of examples, and we can learnfrom advertising research thatusing the negative can actuallyaccentuate the positive. The nega-tive can actually make positivebenefits and advantages becomemore dramatic, remembered anddesirable.

One important thing to remem-ber, however, is to never end yourclaim in your sales talk on thenegative. Always come back tothe positive benefits. End on theupbeat promise. �

Don’t COLD Call For New Business ... (continued from page 1)

“Employ something you know that implies you are not the typical cold caller;the more tailored and on-target, the better.”

Master Salesmanship™ (ISSN 0199-3887) is published bi-weekly by Clement Communications, Incorporated, 3 Creek Parkway, P.O. Box2208, Upper Chichester, PA 19061 for $247.00 per year per single copy subscription. Multiple copy rates and back issues are available onrequest. Periodicals postage paid at Upper Chichester, PA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes toMaster Salesmanship™, P.O. Box 2208, Upper Chichester, PA 19061. Customer Service: 1-800-253-6368 or [email protected]. The information contained in this publication is intended for the general information of our readers and should not be

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Why You Should RelyOn Questions

Professional salespeople know that it is important toencourage prospects to talk. Sales reps do this by usinga valuable selling tool — the probing question.

Here are five uses for questions during a salespresentation:1. Questions to open the sale. Use a question to get

the prospect’s attention and interest. Most people willanswer a reasonable question out of habit. An armored-car service salesperson might ask, “How do you get yourdaily proceeds to the bank?”2. Questions to uncover needs.A couple of fact-find-

ing questions will help you qualify a prospect quicklyand avoid wasting time during the presentation. Forexample, “How old is your present washing machine?”3. Questions to get an opinion. Whatever your prod-

uct or service, you have to offer it as a solution to aprospect’s need or problem. Questions help identify theproblems and get the prospect to admit them. For exam-ple, “In some offices, workers have difficulty gettingtime to make copies. Does this happen in your office?”4. Questions to probe deeper. When prospects resist

or object, the salesperson has to get the real buyingmotive or uncover the true objection in order to knowhow to proceed with the presentation. Questions are usedto get the prospect to talk more. Simply asking, “Why?”often works well. Another example is, “What would youlike to have in this kind of service?”5. Questions to assure communication.

Communication is sometimes difficult. Questions areused to check the salesperson’s understanding, like, “Letme see if I understand what you need.” After repeatingthe customer’s statement, ask, “Do I have the rightidea?” Be especially careful in phrasing the questions.Don’t imply that the prospect is not intelligent. Avoidstatements like, “What you mean to say is ...” �

Nine Ways To ListenMore Effectively

A salesperson’s success depends on getting the rightinformation from prospects and customers. Effectivelistening teamed up with skillful questioning are the toolsthat get the information.

Here are nine ways to improve your listening skills:1. Stop talking and listen! Encourage the prospect or

customer to talk while you listen attentively.2. Persuade the person to keep talking.Ask probing

questions. Nod your head. Use direct eye contact. Don’tcut in or finish sentences.3. Pay complete attention. Concentrate on what the

customer is saying. Don’t pretend to listen while youthink of what to say next.4. Listen for keys to the sale.Ask questions that will

identify wants and desires, then listen carefully for cluesas to what they are. Weigh what the customer says in

terms of how you can use it to complete the sale.5. Concentrate on ideas, not just facts. You may

need certain facts, such as sizes, preferences or uses, butlook deeper for the needs and desires of the person.6. Pay attention to body language. People don’t

always say what they feel. Watch for clues in expres-sions, actions and inflections of voice.7. Control your emotions. Customers may say things

that antagonize you, like false accusations or unfair com-parisons. Keep your mind open and maintain a relaxedenthusiasm to encourage further expression.8. Take notes. Don’t trust important facts to memory.

Get them correct and put them down on paper.Information, such as sizes, color preference and dates,are all crucial to your sales success.9. Get feedback.Ask questions to check on how you

are communicating with the prospect. What you say ordo could be misunderstood or have a different meaningthan you intended. Listen carefully to the replies andmake corrections. �

“When prospects resist or object, the salesperson has to get the real buyingmotive or uncover the true objection in order to know how to proceed withthe presentation.”

SELLING SLANTS

Master Salesmanship™— page 4