Standing out from the crowd
an overcrowded business world, the only way to make an impression is to break through the noise and stand out from the constant stream of calls your prospects get, day in and day out.
It’s easy to stand out when you do something no one else is doing. I can hear some of you saying ‘That’s not possible, because we have so many competitors selling and saying the same thing’.
You’d be amazed at how many people don’t apply the following simple methods to their calls. Use them, and you’ll stand head and shoulders above the competition.
- Do some research about the company. Use this when you open the call, to grab their attention quickly. Remember, they get bored hearing the same old “Good morning, it’s Audrey here calling from Outshine, we’re a training company who….blah blah and more blah.”
- Set more than one objective for calls. Set two objectives for each call. That way, if you don’t make the first objective, you won’t come across as desperate. Plus, you’re creating a way of furthering your conversation with the prospect.
- LISTEN – Sadly, so many individuals don’t actually listen to their prospects. In fact, most callers simply ignore what’s being said and continue to focus on what THEY want to achieve from the call. The simple act of truly listening will make you stand out from 95% of other sales callers.
- Summarise – After you’ve listened, summarise what your prospect has said, and repeat it back to them, without sounding patrionising.
For example; ‘So what you’re saying, Steve, is that a) this is important to you, and b) although you like what we’re offering, cash flow is an issue.”
Summarising shows you’ve really taken an interest in the prospect and that you’ve figured out what is important to them. You’d be amazed at how quickly you can turn a cold relationship into a warm one with a tiny bit of summarising.
- Thank them for taking the call. Good manners cost nothing. You can use this at the start of the call or at the end. For example, ‘Good morning Steve, thanks for taking the call”, or at the end: ‘Thank you for taking the call Steve, I’ll send you the information you asked for and will give you a call back on Monday to discuss it.
- Not making a quick exit when you hear an objection. Many prospects know that when they give an objection, they can get rid of you. You might be familiar with objections like ‘We already have a supplier’, ‘Not interested’ or ‘Can you send it in the post?’ Now, believe it or not, it makes a refreshing change when callers take time to clarify and understand why an objection has been presented in the first place. This is the mark of a professional and will lead you to success in your calling, where others have given up and lost out on business.
- BE YOU – People buy you before they buy the product, service or concept that you are selling. It’s your personality, your style and your approach that make that first impression within the initial 8 seconds. Aim to be genuine.
