Sales Call Introduction:


Sales Lesson:

The other day I posted a sales position opening on a well-known job site. A few days later a sales rep from that company called me. This is how the call went:

Me: “Thank you for calling SalesBuzz.com this is Michael, how can I help you?”

Sales Question:
Answer:

I’m not a fan of asking my clients the “who do you know?” referral question. If they decide to recommend my services on their own, that’s one thing. But calling them up and putting them on the spot to cough up some names isn’t something I’ve ever felt comfortable with. I don’t like it when it happens to me, so I don’t want to do it to others.

Prospecting Without Pestering

Generating referrals is a form of prospecting. A way to generate leads. The premise is to hopefully generate a higher quality lead. The “who do you know?” question is not only off putting in most cases (IMHO) but also only generates a few names as it is. I believe there are better ways to generate higher quality referral leads without risking your clients not wanting to take your future calls.

One way to do this is by creating a value added webinar on a subject matter that helps your targeted audience solve a problem (Try and keep the webinar to 20-30 minutes max)

Next, email your clients a quick note about the webinar, the problems it solves and who should attend and the link to register and then simply ask them if they wouldn’t mind “forwarding” the email to any of their contacts that they feel could benefit from it.

Do it right (meaning, have the right message – solving the right problem etc) and don’t be surprised if you get 50 to 500 new prospects registering for your webinar.

CAUTION…

• DO NOT SELL YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE AT ALL IN THE WEBINAR.
• DO NOT START THE WEBINAR WITH AN INTRODUCTION OF YOUR COMPANY AND WHAT YOU DO.
• DO NOT MAKE A SALES PITCH OF ANY KIND.

Simply get in there, introduce who you are, what problem you are going to solve and who the webinar is for and then get right to it.

Resist the urge to talk about you, your company or why prospects should buy from you. This isn’t a sales pitch. It’s a way to get on a bunch of new prospects radar and get them to view you as a trusted advisor.

If you need to see an example of a model to follow, take a look at this webinar to help inside sales teams get more prospects to return their voicemail calls: Cold Call Voicemail Scripts, Tips & Strategies Webinar: How to Increase Call Backs by 10% Starting Today!

THE PAYOFF

With one 30-minute webinar and one email to your clients, you’ve generated a host (50-500) of fresh pre-qualified leads (they wouldn’t register for the webinar if they weren’t at least pre-qualified to be considered a suspect) all without picking up the phone and making one “who do you know?” referral call to your prospects.

Just make sure you have an intelligent call strategy after the webinar because if you call them and say something like: “Just calling to follow up with you” you’re going to sound like every other inside sales rep and you will quickly get blown off the phone.

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com - Because Salespeople Don't Want to Be Trained, They Want to Be BETTER!
888-264-0562 ext. 1

Sales Numbers Need a BOOST?

Register Now for Our Next 8-Week Phone Skills Improvement Program!

• Eliminate "No, Thanks", "Not Interested" & "We're All Set" Responses from Cold and Warm Calls
• Neutralize Gatekeepers & Get Voicemails Returned
• Ask Engaging Questions Instead of Probing
• Improve Your Sales Questioning & Qualifying Skills
• Give Stellar Presentations & Handle Objections
• Close Follow-up Calls and Get Targeted Referrals
• How to Set & Achieve Your Toughest Sales Goals
• Improve Your Time Management Skills

Duration: 1 hour per week for 8 weeks
Where: Online @ your desk, conference room or home
Presenters: Michael Pedone


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Sales Question:


Answer:

Yes. But they need to be handled correctly. Last thing any business owner wants is each individual sales rep in their company sending out mass email messages. So I would highly recommend that a marketing person be put in charge (with input from the sales team) to manage the drip email marketing campaign.

And remember… The purpose of a drip email marketing campaign for an inside sales person is to:

1. Build the salesperson (or your company / organization) up in the prospects eyes as a trusted value added resource; And…
2. Be “top of mind” as a potential solution provider when a “trigger event” happens on the prospects side.

What’s a “Trigger Event”?

A trigger event is when something happens that causes your prospects to recognize a problem. In essence, its what causes a “warm lead” to become warm.

Using a drip email marketing campaign that constantly brands you (or the company you work for) as an industry leader in solving specific problems for your target audience, when done correctly is a very effective strategy for turning cold leads into warm ones.

Should “Drip Email Marketing” Take the Place of Sales Calls?

Only if you want your sales to plummet. Make the sales calls first. Add the drip email marketing campaign second. All of the “no’s” you get - add those prospects to a solid drip email marketing campaign (that they can opt out of, of course) and watch how many “YESES” you start to get down the road as trigger events naturally happen.

Doing this will free up your time to research and call on new prospects. This way you are always having a steady stream of new calls / contacts being made rather than fishing in a stilled pond of old prospects.

What’s One of the Biggest Mistakes Inside Sales People Make When Using Drip Email Marketing Campaigns?

The same mistake as when they make their sales calls… They don’t know what to say to pique the prospects interest. For drip email marketing to be effective, you need to:

• Solve a problem your audience has.
• You want to HELP not SELL.
• You want to GIVE more than you TAKE.

I’m on this one salespersons drip email marketing campaign and she will never earn my business… here’s why:

1. She has NEVER called me. I have no clue who she is other than that she always sends emails, asking for a 30-minute phone call. The drip emails she sends are all about trying to set an appointment. Her emails have done NOTHING to brand herself (or her company) as a leading solution provider for what I might need. The only thing it has done was reinforce that she really doesn’t know my business, or how she could help it grow – she has branded herself as a pesky salesperson. NOT GOOD!
2. Her emails to me usually say something like “Because I had come across your company profile and thought there might be a fit…” Well, if we might be a fit, why not give me a real example of what you could possibly do for my company? Where’s the What’s In It For Me message?

Drip email marketing campaigns can be a great way to generate “hand raisers” (warm leads) and it can also be a fast way to damage your reputation and make your prospects not want to speak with you.

Use it the right way (by providing the right type of content) and you will eventually spend more of your calls with warm leads while freeing up time to make fresh new sales calls.

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com - Because Salespeople Don't Want to Be Trained, They Want to Be BETTER!
888-264-0562 ext. 1

Tired of Being Rejected When Selling By Phone?

Register Now for Our Next 8-Week Phone Skills Improvement Program!

• Eliminate "No, Thanks", "Not Interested" & "We're All Set" Responses from Cold and Warm Calls
• Neutralize Gatekeepers & Get Voicemails Returned
• Ask Engaging Questions Instead of Probing
• Improve your Qualifying Skills
• Give Stellar Presentations & Handle Objections
• Close Follow-up Calls and Get Targeted Referrals
• How to Set & Achieve Your Toughest Sales Goals
• Improve Your Time Management Skills

Duration: 1 hour per week for 8 weeks
Where: Online @ your desk, conference room or home
Presenters: Michael Pedone

SPECIAL BOGO OFFER: 2nd Registration is Free!

Get Instant Pricing for Individuals & Group Rates Delivered via Email!

Sales Question:


Answer:

Depends on what your definition of "team meeting" is as well as what are you attempting to accomplish with a sales meeting. One of the fastest ways to kill sales motivation is to have a pointless meeting that drains your inside sales teams energy and enthusiasm.

Sales Team Meetings Should Have Goals / Objectives

Best meetings I've been to are the ones where we are working on perfecting a specific sales skill. So rather than listen to the manager try and come up with a new way to say the same old thing they've already said in the past (multiple times), it was focused on skill building. Something we would actually benefit from. Immediately.

Role-Playing

Having break-out sessions where inside sales reps had to role-play with their peers while being critiqued (in a positive, not critical way) is going to be far more effective at generating new business than will a typical sales meeting where the sales reps are being "talked to". (Just make sure they are role-playing the right sales techniques... last thing you want them to do is reinforce bad sales practices)

One-On-One Sales Meetings

When it comes to reviewing ones sales numbers, goals, short-comings, expectations and objectives, I feel one-on-one meetings are more respectful and produce better results. Sales people need to have thick skin and deal with rejection but wise sales managers will know what conversations need to be held in private.

Hope this helps.

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com (A 2011 Sales Training Company Watch List Award Winner & 2013 SellingPower Top Sales Training Company Contender)
888-264-0562 ext. 1

Sales Question: