Shooting Fish In A Barrel
My friend Bill Tucker, President of the Florida Building Material Association, recently wrote in his associations publication (e-BLUEPRINT):
The members of one of our business round tables were discussing how to increase sales, when one of them commented on the need for training. Without thinking, I quickly reminded him that during the construction boom, few members attended the numerous sales courses offered by FBMA.
That’s the way it is; when shooting fish in a barrel, you don’t need to learn how to aim.
How many salespeople are sitting around waiting for someone to call? How many are still hawking the same old products with the same old lines? How many are looking to the same, rather than developing new customers? How many believe they don’t need sales training?
Whenever I am asked, “When do sales professionals no longer need sales training?”
I reply, “When they quit breathing!”
Because no matter how good you were at selling and marketing yesterday or how good your are today, there will always be competitors and economic changes that come along that you must react to, to stay where you are in your success. Those who are prepared do not react to changing times and conditions, they ‘ACT’ before the changes adversely affect them.
It is human nature, and sales professionals are no different, to take the easy way out. To become lackadaisical. Selling when times are good we do not have to have as sharp an aim, it is jus like shooting fish in a barrel.
We do not have to be sharp when the customers are calling and all we have to do is fill out the order forms.
But for many industries that time is over, at least for the foreseeable future. Sales professionals need to sharpen their old skills and yes, learn a few new ones to sharpen their aim to stay at the top of their profession. For some, as you see them falling by the wayside, it is already too late. For most it is not.
It is not too late if they make the commitment to rededicate themselves, and rededicate their business to the art of selling and marketing. Start refreshing, learning and re-learning selling and marketing skills and techniques and you will become the sales professional and business that is able to ‘ACT’not ‘react’ to the changes in your market.
I once heard that the great football coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant when asked how he turned a losing football team into a winner replied, “I thought to myself, someone has got to do something about our poor performance. Then I remembered – I was someone.”
If you are ‘the someone’ in your organization, the someone who needs to and can do something about it, it is time to:
Become more aggressive in marketing and selling
a. Create and use a sales marketing plan
b. Determine who your best prospects are
c. Learn and use selling skills and techniques that attract customers to you
Dare to be different than the competition
The business that gets noticed and is remembered will be the successful seller
Dare to market and sell differently than you did when you could shoot fish in a barrel
It is time to learn (re-learn) the selling and marketing skills and techniques it takes to gain and retain your most profitable customers. We are no longer shooting fish in a barrel.
Bob Janet uses 40 plus years of face-to-face selling and marketing experiences, combined with his unique fun-entertaining presentation audience involved style to help sellers gain and retain their most profitable customers. See all Bob’s sales growth programs at http://www.BobJanet.com
Simple Skills for Successful Selling
If you thought that selling was difficult, think again. The truth is that successful selling involves a simple set of skills. One is the skill of getting information. The other is giving it. When you master the balance between the giving and the getting, you will find much more success in your sales situations.
Getting Information
Many new sales people make the mistake of trying to tell the customer too much too soon. If you overload your customer with information, you very well may lose your chances of making a sale. The customer may view you as overly aggressive or pushy. Try
instead to learn more about the customer and the customer’s situation.
To get more information from your customer try using an open ended question. Ask, “What is the main concern or challenge facing your business?” You may also want to provide a statement of fact, “I’ve read in the news that your company is going through a merger.”
Not only does this approach make the customer feel more at ease and in control of the situation, but it also opens up a wonderful opportunity for you to gather information about that customer. Feel free to grasp on to hints that the customer may be looking for some change in his organization or may be dissatisfied with some other product or service. When you recap the information that they gave you and prove to your customer that you really were listening to his needs, you will find him much more receptive to your message.
Sharing Information
The mindset of the successful salesperson is focused on what needs to be accomplished during the time available with the customer. To be successful, you must also keep in mind the impression that you want to leave with the customer. You don’t want to be
seen as just a nice person and a possible new friend.
Still, it is extremely important that a relationship of trust is established with your customer. Listening is the first step to establishing that relationship. It demonstrates that you have the customer’s interests in mind as you attend to your own interests. Other effective ways to build and maintain trust with your customer include the following:
Prepare the Customer
Tell him in advance that you will be asking questions and then ask permission to do so.
Give your customer control of the clock
Find out how much time they have to speak with you, and wrap it up within the allotted time.
Help the Customer to Feel Special
If you go on with a memorized script, the customer won’t feel any different from any other person you could have been speaking to. Try asking what information he would like to receive from you.
Giving Information
Now that you have gathered plenty of information from your customer and you have opened the door to a sharing environment, it is your turn to be the giver. There will be times when your customer is ready to buy your product or service immediately. Don’t smother such a possibility by spilling out unnecessary data and information.
Ask an Open-Ended Question:
“What else can we show you or provide you with to make you comfortable doing business with us?”
Not only will this question save the time of giving the customer information that he doesn’t care to know, but it will also make him, once again, feel in control of the conversation.
If he doesn’t have a response to the open-ended question, don’t fret! Just go for the sale: “When would you like to start our service? Would August 1st be right for you?”
Many times, you will not be closing the sale in the traditional sense; rather, you will be advancing it a step closer to completion. This is fine. In fact, the most important way for you to make more sales is in a step-by-step advance.
When you approach the customer for the next sale, you will already have the influential advantage of the trust gained by your first approach. Be sure to use the same tools of getting, sharing and giving as you
establish a firm commitment from the customer and when you follow-up on that commitment.
You will find these simple skills to be the key to successful selling.
Alan Vengel is a consultant in management training and organizational development and
author of The Influence Edge – How to Persuade Others to Help You Achieve Your Goals. He offers
cutting edge training and skill building workshops on influence and negotiation.
http://www.vengelconsulting.com.
How You Must Be Like The Wise Old German Shepherd
One day a wise old German Shepherd starts chasing rabbits and before long, unexpectedly discovers things are not going as he expected as he is lost. But he was not overly concerned because this wise old German Shepherd had been lost before and he had a backup plan.
Wandering about, he notices he is in grave danger as a leopard is heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having him for lunch. The wise old German Shepherd thinks, “Uh, oh!” I’m in deep doo-doo now!
Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap, the wise old German Shepherd exclaims loudly,
Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder, if there are any more around here?”
Hearing this, the young leopard halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away into the trees.
Ah, says the leopard, “That was close. That old German Shepherd nearly had me!”
Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard.
So, off he goes, but the wise old German Shepherd sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must be up.
The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself for protection with the leopard.
The young leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, Here, monkey, hop on my back and see what’s going to happen to that conniving canine!
Now, the wise old German Shepherd sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks, but is not worried at all, because he has a backup plan.
The wise old German Shepherd sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn’t seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the wise German Shepherd says
Where’s that monkey? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!
Hearing this, the leopard turned and hightailed it out of there.
Moral of this story
Business people who survive and prosper in a slow economy are wise enough to have a backup plan when they discover things do not go the way they expect.
You will come out the other side of this current economic slowdown (recession for some) if your back up plan includes becoming more and more aggressive in: Building relationships with your customers
Building relationships with your competitions customers
Selling your unique selling values
Selling the benefits your customers receive from your products
Daring to differentiate yourself and your business from your competition
Bob Janet uses 40 plus years of face-to-face selling and marketing experiences, combined with his unique fun-entertaining presentation audience involved style to help sellers gain and retain their most profitable customers. See all Bob’s sales growth programs at http://www.BobJanet.com
How To Sell A Timeshare In Sixty Seconds Or Less
There really is no guaranteed way to sell your timeshare property in 60 seconds, or at least sell a timeshare property very quickly and feel like you have sold it in sixty seconds or less.
There are so many reasons why people like to sell their timeshares. But we would like to tell you that selling a timeshare property is very different from buying one. It is a lot more difficult to sell than it is to buy. So what are the reasons why people sell their timeshare, among them:
- The realization that the timeshare property is not being used as often as desired
- The desire to invest in something for potential profit
- The desire to have an increase in cash flow
It is more difficult to sell timeshare property because it is not a necessity, unlike a house that you have to put over you head. Timeshares are not real estate properties, they are shares in a real estate property. People buy them for the pure please of staying at five star hotel for the cost of a cheaper hotel.
Resort salespersons that sell timeshare resorts are very quick to tell about how wonderful it is to lap in the luxury if a timeshare resort. It is rare to find anyone who is forthcoming enough to tell you about how difficult it is to re-sell a timeshare.
There are some ways to make selling timeshares an easier task. Here are some of them.
- Offer a realistic price. Timeshares prices vary greatly, but you should offer your timeshare at a price and value that is better than the resorts price. Take note: your potential buyer must see the value of buying a timeshare from you.
- Spread the word. Tell people that you are selling your timeshare property. You can even advertise at niche classified ads. To save yourself the trouble of doing it yourself, you can also get listed with a real estate agent or a realtor. A realtor would typically just take a commission from your timeshare. The only problem is that most realtors would push for high-commission sales instead of your own timeshare. To get the most effective result, you can have your timeshare listed at a listing company. Do your due diligence to find out which listing companies are the most reputable.
- Be on the accepting mode, and close. Be prepared to accept buying offers on your timeshare property. And of course, do not forget to close the deal. If it is your first time to close a timeshare sale, then you better a professional closing company do it for you. It might cost you more if you close the deal yourself.
You will find many timeshare buy and sell companies on the Internet. These companies are already experienced in the fine art of closing timeshare deals. The best of them would feature an online resort directory where potential buyers can take a look at the resort where you have timeshares in. This is a very powerful tool since potential buyers are always looking forward to an ocular inspection before buying.
Matthew Stanton writes about how to Sell a Timeshare and has written several articles about the topic. You can check this website for more details on Timeshares at Sell A Timeshare
Is Selling A Timeshare Like Selling A House
This is question that we get asked a lot: is selling a timeshare a lot like selling a house?
We are here to tell you that selling a timeshare is a more daunting task than selling a house (read: it is easier to sell a house), and it is because timeshare units are not of real estate properties. They are, in fact, luxury items that you invest in for the sheer pleasure of an extended stay at a resort. It is not as important as having a roof over your head.
There can be a lot of reasons why you want to sell your units of timeshare. Maybe you want to invest your money in something that earns interest. You may need the money, or maybe you are simply not using your timeshares as much as you like. If it is not work, something always came up.
Most timeshare salesmen would be quick about telling you about how wonderful it is to have timeshare, you are able to stay at a five-star resort at the cost of a cheaper, but not necessarily cheap hotel. None of these salesmen will tell you about how difficult it is to tell timeshares.
But selling your timeshares really does not have to be that bloody. Here are some tips in selling your timeshares:
- Start at a realistic price. The prices of timeshares vary greatly, but your reselling price should be better than resorts prices for new timeshares. They must see the value of buying a timeshare property from you.
- Advertise. Now matter how great a deal you are offering, you will not get an offer to buy if you do not tell people that your timeshare is for sale. You can have your timeshare listed with an agent or realtor or you can do it yourself. A realtor would typically not charge you a listing fee but would take a cut of the commission. But really, you are much better off advertising your timeshare with a listing company. It may charge a listing fee but the people that run it would know where to list the timeshare so it can get sold, however, it is your duty to find out the company you are dealing with is reputable. Doing it yourself almost always means you have to place an ad yourself.
- Accept and close. There will always be responses to your ad, so you have to be prepared to accept an offer to buy and close the deal. If you do not have the experience, it is better if you enlist a timeshare closing company. Doing it yourself might cost you a lot more than what you have to pay the closing company.
Out on the Internet, there are companies that broker buying and selling timeshares. The good thing about these companies is that they have a ready audience of over one million timeshare buyers and sellers.
Keep in mind that the first thing that potential buyers do when they respond to your advertisement is to take a tour of your resort and its surrounding area. That is where the resort directory comes in handy.
Matthew Stanton writes about to Sell Your Timeshare and has written several articles similar to this topic and you can check this website for more details on Timeshares at Sell Your Timeshare
How to Build Great Relationships through Cold Calling!
Sometimes the finest solutions are the simplest. Focusing on relationships when making cold calls is one of them. It keeps us genuine, and eliminates our dread of making cold calls. We’re real people talking about real things. We’re interested in the conversation, and it shows.
Most of us dislike putting on our “salesperson persona” when we make cold calls. We think it’s needed, however, because we’ve been trained to make the sale. And yet we’re interacting with a live, breathing person without having any real connection to him or her. It often feels fake, and it often is.
This artificial role puts a great stress on us, and sabotages our cold calling conversations. When we aren’t genuine, it’s a red flag to the other person that we have a sales agenda. This puts nearly everyone “on guard.” They’ve never met us and are wary of possibly being manipulated.
Have you ever noticed that most cold calls break down the moment we try to “move” things along towards a sale? It’s as if we’re getting ready for battle, and the tension pushes us along.
But the person we’ve called doesn’t know us. The momentum we’re trying to impose puts him or her in a defensive position. They’re protecting themselves from a potential “intruder” who might have a self-serving agenda.
So how can we to shift into something more positive? We begin by focusing on the relationship rather than salesmanship. We call with the anticipation of meeting someone new, and looking forward to a pleasant conversation to find out whether we can be of service. This mindset is subtle but powerfully felt by the other person.
Building relationships humanize our cold calling conversations — and ourselves. We are less artificial. Cold calling conversations become more natural. And people tend to respond with more warmth and interest.
The point is not to use the “technique of building relationship” to improve sales. That’s having a hidden agenda rather than a relationship. Our goal is to see if we can provide something that will benefit the other person. If it doesn’t, then we prefer not to continue interrupting their day. That’s a real relationship, even if brief.
When we’re being real people treating others as real people, the difference is amazing. Both people are both more at ease. We anticipate talking with someone who may possibly have an interest in what we have to offer. And if they don’t, we’ve enjoyed our time with him or her.
When others feel this relaxed mindset from you, they are much more likely to welcome you into their day. But if you rigidly follow a script or launch into a mini-presentation, then your call is immediately pegged as something initiated primarily for your own gain. And that puts most people into resistance.
Here are 8 keys to building relationships in cold calling:
1. Focus on the other person’s needs rather than on securing a sale
2. Surrender to the outcome of your cold call so you can connect with your potential client at a human level
3. View the human connection as an exciting journey in which you encounter new and interesting people
4. Speak graciously and naturally as you would with any new acquaintance
5. Remember it’s about how you come across, not about how many people you call
6. Allow the conversation to evolve naturally
7. Invite both of you to decide together whether it’s worth your time to pursue the conversation further
8. Use phrases that are non-aggressive yet very effective
So try this. Practice shifting your mental focus from salesmanship into a place of relationship. You’ll find that your genuine enjoyment of the conversation rubs off on the other person. They’ll be less defensive and more likely to share with you truthfully.
One of the best ways to build relationship is by using phrases that carry the human element very well. Start out by asking, “Hi, could you help me out for a minute?” The most common response will be, “Sure. What do you need?”
Your next question might be to ask whether they are open to the idea of looking at different ways to, for example, reduce their expenses. Most of the time the reply will be something like, “Well, sure, what kinds of expenses are you talking about?”
Now you are able to open the conversation between the two of you and build an initial relationship. It’s easy and comfortable to continue from there.
When you do this, you’ll experience so much success and satisfaction that it will really change the way you do business. And it will bring sales success beyond your imagination.
Adam Price is a Senior Coach, for Unlock The Cold Calling Game, making cold calling painless and simple. Learn the cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit: http://www.UnlockTheGame.com/PersonalGrowth
How to Stop Cold Calls from Feeling Intrusive
Can’t you tell when somebody wants something from you? I certainly can. And it usually feels inconvenient and intrusive.
So you can understand, then, why potential clients will often run for cover when your cold call is only about “making the sale.”
Most people sense that cold calls are self-serving to the person calling. You can almost hear the unspoken thought, “You want something, right? Otherwise why would you be calling?” This triggers almost immediate resistance.
For cold calling to be done in a non-intrusive way, we must shift the perception away from “you want something,” into “you are being helpful.” When our cold calls do not feel intrusive, people naturally are more open to talking with us.
Shifting this perception in others is all about shifting a perspective within ourselves.
Focusing on being helpful takes us away from the traditional sales mindset. In the old mindset, we talk about ourselves and our product or service. In this new approach, we’re focusing on potential clients and what may be helpful to them.
To be perceived as helpful, we must actually be helpful. If we try to use “being seen as helpful” as just another sales technique, people will sense our hidden agenda and react with suspicion. Be sincere in your approach and desire to help the other person.
Here’s how to stop being intrusive and start being helpful:
1. Make It About Them, Not About You
We’ve all learned that when we begin a conversation with a potential client, we should talk about ourselves, our product, and our solution.
But this self-focus almost always feels intrusive to the other person and shuts down the possibility of a genuine conversation.
Instead, step directly into their world. Open the conversation with a question rather than a sales pitch. For example, “I’m just giving you a call to see if your company is grappling with unpaid invoices issues?”
Never let the person feel that your focused on your own needs, goals, or agenda. Communicate that we’re calling with 100 percent of your thoughts and energy focused on their needs.
2. Avoid the Artificial Salesperson Enthusiasm
People feel pushed along by artificial enthusiasm. This triggers rejection because it feels very intrusive to be pushed by someone they don’t know.
Artificial enthusiasm includes some expectation that our product or service is a great fit for them. Yet, we’ve never spoken with them before, much less had a full conversation with them. We can’t possibly know much about them or their needs.
And so to them, we are simply someone who wants to sell them something
It is better to modestly assume you know very little about them. Invite them to share with you some of their concerns and difficulties. And allow them to guide the conversation, even when it means getting “off track” a bit.
3. Focus on One Compelling Problem to Solve
Don’t go into a pitch the way you would if you were operating out of the traditional sales mindset. Make what you say about them, not about you. Try to keep in mind that who you are and what you have to offer are irrelevant at this moment.
The key is to identify a problem that you believe the other person might have. Depending on your business or industry, here are some examples of what you might say:
I’m just calling if you’d be open to looking at any possible hidden gaps in your business that might be causing sales losses?
I’m just calling to see if you’re grappling with problems of employee performance related to a lack of training support?
I’m just calling to see if you’re open to looking at whether any department in your company might be losing revenue due to vendor overcharges?
Address one specific, concrete problem that you know most businesses experience. Don’t make any mention of you or any solutions you have to offer. Remember, it’s always about them, not about you.
4. Consider “Where Should We Go From Here?”
Let’s say the initial call turns into a positive and friendly conversation. The other person feels you’re offering something valuable, and wants to know more. Both of you feel there may be a match.
Rather than focusing on making a sale at this point, you can simply say, “Well, where do you think we should go from here?”
This question reassures potential clients that you’re not using the conversation to fulfill your own hidden agenda.
Rather, your giving them space and time to come to their own conclusions. You’re helping them create their own path, and you will follow.
Adam Price is a Senior Coach, for Unlock The Cold Calling Game, making cold calling painless and simple. Learn the cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit: http://www.UnlockTheGame.com/PersonalGrowth
How to End the Cold Calling Game of Chasing a Sale
Our thoughts are always at the basis of our behaviors. If our thoughts are fixed on the goal of making a sale, then we’re not really being forthright. We’re not focused on the conversation or the truth of a situation. We’re chasing people — or at least chasing the sale.
Here are 5 important steps to help end the “chasing game” in our cold calling efforts.
1. Avoid reading from a script
Life is not a script, nor are normal conversations. When we read from a script, we’re not being natural. We’re playing a role. And that means we’re chasing a sale rather than enjoying an opportunity to meet someone new and find out if we can help them.
Allowing a conversation to naturally flow helps you enter into a dialogue based on trust, which lets your potential client’s real issues emerge.
Formal scripts, on the other hand, don’t give you the freedom to take conversations in the direction they may naturally want to go. And this feels stilted and awkward.
If you begin to view your cold calls as conversations or dialogues, you’ll find it easy to let go of the idea of scripts. And you’ll sense the shift of the energy in your conversation when the emphasis of the call is about the person you’re talking with and not about your making a sale.
So generate a spontaneous conversation, based on the problems you can help the other person solve. This will diffuse your feelings of being awkward and artificial, and allow you to enjoy the journey.
2. Address a Core Problem
People connect with you when they feel you understand their issues before you focus on yourself and your solutions. Come up with two or three specific problems that your product or service solves. And talk about it with the potential client first, before offering your sales pitch.
When you offer your presentation or solution without first involving the other person by talking about a core problem they might be having, you are focused on the sale rather than the conversation. And your whole energy tends to drive the interaction into a sales mode. Remember, whenever someone feels “chased,” they usually run.
So stop for a moment. Convey that you’re a problem solver. Invite a mutual exchange of information that explores whether there’s a possibility that the two of you might work together. Help them understand that your thoughts and goals are not focused on selling them anything at all.
Most people will welcome your interest in their problem as long as you’re not operating out of the hidden agenda of making a sale. So overcome the temptation to discuss what you have to offer and move into focusing on your caller’s world. Invite discussion, express interest, and stop chasing the sale.
3. Uncover the Truth of the Situation
Make your objective to uncover the truth of the potential client’s situation and to be okay with the outcome, whether it’s a yes or a no.
We can do this by checking in at various times in the conversation to make sure it makes sense to continue the dialogue. If we just move ahead without doing this, we’re in “chase mode.” And in this case, we may be chasing something very unrealistic for this particular potential client.
So we ask important questions such as, “Is this a top priority for you to solve right now?” We may find that the potential client is very interested in working with us, but the budget or staffing may simply be too thin at this time.
We stop at various checkpoints in our conversation to make sure we’re moving ahead together. If our thoughts are fixed only on our own goal of eventually securing the sale, we can miss very important signals that the other person may actually have no intention of following through.
4. Where do We Go From Here?
Here’s something very surprising. Allow the conversation to end without chasing other person into an sales appointment or commitment, and the other person will often be the one who initiates further contact.
So when you feel as if the conversation is coming to a natural conclusion, you can simply say, “Well, where do you think we should go from here?”
This question reassures potential clients that you’re not using the conversation to fulfill your own hidden agenda. It invites the other person to take charge of where things are going, and all you need do is follow along.
When you stop chasing the sale, you’ll be truly surprised at how often the sale gently awaits you within a friendly conversation focusing on the needs of others.
Adam Price is a Senior Coach, for Unlock The Cold Calling Game, making cold calling painless and simple. Learn the cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit: http://www.UnlockTheGame.com/PersonalGrowth
Cold Calling With Integrity – The Way We’ve Always Wanted To Do Cold Calling!
You probably never tell potential clients your real goal in calling them, but you don’t need to. They’re already aware, because we’re all sensitive when the phone rings and it turns out to be someone we don’t know.
In the old traditional training, we learned the latest techniques for making a sale. We talk to “prospects” rather than with people. And we “guide” conversations along rather than letting them unfold naturally.
The way we do this sometimes might even be called a bit manipulative. After all, we’re relating to another person while holding an ulterior motive of making a sale.
Where does honesty and integrity fit into this scenario? Well, most of us honestly believe in our product or service. But beyond that, we carry a somewhat artificial persona when we’re cold calling. We talk with people for the primary purpose of making a sale, and we’re not really interested in them or their world.
Doesn’t this make you feel uneasy at times? It does me.
So let’s discuss some ways we’ve been trained in the traditional sales mindset that feel artificial and dehumanizing, and ways we can overcome them.
1. We intrude upon another person uninvited, with the goal of making a sale
It’s against our nature as human beings to create uncomfortable situations. We have a natural instinct for courtesy and connection It’s usually hard for us as regular people to call uninvited, because on some level it feels discourteous.
We can change that by changing our goal. What if our goal is not to make the sale, but to find out if we can help someone? This shift makes us more relaxed. And it keeps us in harmony with personal integrity.
2. We project ourselves as personable and friendly, while also holding an ulterior motive for securing a sale
There’s an inner conflict with integrity when we find ourselves using our connections with others for self-gain. So we can bring ourselves back into honesty and truthfulness by shedding ulterior motives entirely.
We do this by focusing on whether we can provide something that will benefit another person. We find out if they have a problem we may be able to solve. And if it turns out we can’t help with our product or service, we graciously accept the outcome.
By being honest and not playing a role, we find ourselves really liking what we do. And when our “ulterior motives” are simply non-existent, people are more open to trusting us.
3. When we meet someone new, we immediately talk about ourselves and what we have to offer
It’s actually not normal for us to start an interaction by launching into a self-focused monologue. As regular people, this just goes against our grain. Common courtesy dictates that initial conversations be dialogues, not monologues.
In normal conversations we would feel self-absorbed if we primarily talked about ourselves and what we have to offer. Yet in the traditional cold calling situation, it’s an accepted “norm.” We’ve been trained to read a script, follow a strategy, or give a sales pitch.
This really isn’t the way we’d like to relate to people, but it’s the way we’ve been taught.
We can break out of this artificial game of sorts by just being ourselves. Integrity and truthfulness means being authentic. We begin cold calling conversations with a natural focus on the other person. We find out their needs, and respond with genuine interest.
4. We “rev up” in an artificial way, hoping to carry the potential client along with us into a sales process
When we “pump ourselves up” with enthusiasm, it feels somewhat fake. It’s not our normal way of being, and it throws us out of integrity.
And we also appear artificial to potential clients. They become wary of possibly being maneuvered into a sales situation.
If we can navigate a cold calling conversation without such games, people will sense we’re trustworthy. They react warmly and unhesitatingly to a conversation that feels natural to them, and especially if it revolves around their issues rather than our agenda.
So how do we approach cold calling in the most truthful way? We stop being “salespeople” and become human. We engage in an honest dialogue rather than a monologue. We look for ways to help others, and we’re comfortable knowing that our product or service may not be an honest “fit” for them right now. And we stop playing roles, especially the “high enthusiasm” game.
This is what I mean by bringing integrity back into selling. It’s unbelievable just how rewarding both personally and professionally this is.
Adam Price is a Senior Coach, for Unlock The Cold Calling Game, making cold calling painless and simple. Learn the cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit: http://www.UnlockTheGame.com/PersonalGrowth
How to Diffuse Cold Calling Pressure Points
Stop your expectations from sabotaging cold calls
Sales pressure is a mighty saboteur. And it comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. Beginning any conversation with the anticipation of a sale puts the whole conversation under pressure. This doesn’t normally create good outcomes. It usually triggers pressure, resistance, and tension.
People have received so many calls with such a strong focus on sales that they respond in a defensive manner to any sales calls at all. If you can release your expectations while making a cold call, you’ll diffuse the underlying tension that comes with sales pressure. And you’ll be surprised how often others will welcome talking with you.
Most of us truly believe that our product or service can help others, so we assume that anyone who fits the profile of a potential client should buy what we have to offer. Isn’t that one of the first things we learn in our sales training?
But this is a recipe for disaster when it comes to cold calling. When we make a call assuming someone will be interested, we’ve automatically moved into expectations. No matter how well camouflaged they are, sales expectations block the flow of natural conversation and put pressure on the other person.
So move away from making any assumptions when making cold calls. After all, how much sense is it to have assumptions about someone you’ve never spoken with? How much can you possibly know about their problems, issues, needs, budget, or other key information?
If you approach your calls from a place of genuine interest rather than expectations, you’ll diffuse any sense of sales pressure. The other individual will relax and the interaction will flow naturally.
However, if you’re already convinced in your own mind that they should be a fit, certain pressure has already started before the conversation has really even begun. The last thing you want is to introduce this into the conversation. So rather than moving into a sales presentation immediately, maintain the natural flow of interaction instead.
You can diffuse underlying sales pressure within any conversation by focusing first on whether you are a good fit. Invite the other person to focus on this with you. And determine together whether a good business relationship might genuinely be possible.
When our honest objective is not to make a sale but rather discover the truth of the situation, we have released expectations. The key is to offer options, so the person we’re talking with doesn’t feel pressure from us. This would only trigger the defensive reactions we’re trying to avoid.
Overcome the temptation to immediately discuss what you have to offer. Instead, help the other person overcome the fear of who you are and what is expected. Potential clients are much more likely to respond to you when they are not subjected to an immediate mini-presentation. This approach usually just creates suspicion and rejection.
So allow the conversation to have a natural sense of rhythm. Define mutual interest before launching into a description of your solution to a problem you probably know very little about at this point.
If you’re still caught up in the traditional mindset of making the sale, your voice and demeanor will be full of expectation. Although you may even be using the “asking questions strategy,” you are really thinking about moving the conversation into the sales process. Others will subtly (or overtly) react to this expectation with resistance.
It’s perfectly fine to describe your product or service. However, you must introduce this at an appropriate time.
So be relaxed and low-key. Otherwise you risk introducing sales pressure immediately.
Rather than a presentation, you might begin with the question, “Hi, maybe you can help me out a second?”
The person will almost always respond by saying “Sure. How can I help you?” You’ve now diffused any immediate sales pressure. You’re being genuine and not using the canned phrases that every other salesperson is using. You’ve gotten rid of the usual initial pressure and tension that comes along with sales expectations.
When your expectations are released, others won’t feel you’re trying to lead them down the path to a sale. They are usually willing to examine along with you whether a business relationship might be good.
So there you have it. Release your expectations to avoid conveying a sense of sales pressure. Potential clients become more interested and involved as a result, and also much more truthful about where they stand.
Adam Price is a Senior Coach, for Unlock The Cold Calling Game, making cold calling painless and simple. Learn the cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit: http://www.UnlockTheGame.com/PersonalGrowth