Sales Question:

"How should I respond when a prospect says "Call Me Back In 30-Days" on a first time call?"

Answer:

I believe the best response is to simply say something to the effect of:

"Mr. prospect, I appreciate that however I'm not asking you to make a decision right now. I'd simply like to ask you a few questions to see if what we do would help (Name Specific Benefit). And if you decide it does we can take it from there, fair enough?"

An alternative could aslo be:

"Mr. prospect, I appreciate that however I'm not asking you to make a decision right now. In fact, if I could ask you just a few quick questions, we can determine right now if a call in 30-days would be a good use of our time..."

Those type of responses has generated the best results for me on a consistent basis.

What You Can Expect

Here's what you can expect your prospect to say or do with your response:

Possibility #1:

If they say "no, now really isn't a good time, but call me tomorrow" you've just shortened the sales cycle by 29 days!

Possibility #2:

They say "OK" and now you ask a few engagement / qualifying questions and determine that there is an opportunity (and they may want to talk further now or schedule a "next step" call)

Possibility #3:

They say, "OK" and you ask your engagement / qualifying questions and discover they are not a good fit - saving you from chasing a non-qualified prospect.

All those above options are good!

If however we just agree to the initial "call me in 30-days" response, the best case scenario is we have a meaningful conversation in 30-days - but why do that when with the right response, you can increase your odds of shortening that time frame dramatically?

The worse case scenario (and most common) if you first agree to the request (ie. blow off / stall) is you end up "chasing" a non-qualified lead month after month to no avail. The choice is yours.

Hope this helps.

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com (A 2011 Sales Training Company Watch List Award Winner!)

Tired of Missing Your Sales Bonus?

Try our 8-Week B2B Sales Improvement Program and get your team up to speed on how to:

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

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

Registration is now open - Get Dates / Times / Pricing Here!

No One Makes Excuses When Winning

When a sales team (or salesperson) is making quota, you don't hear excuses like:

• “Cold calling doesn’t work”
• “Prospects don’t respond to voicemails”
• “Gatekeepers won’t let me speak to the decision maker”
• “No one has any money right now. Budgets are frozen”
• “Our pricing is too high / our competitors pricing is better”
• “The leads are old and have been called 100’s of times” etc.

But when we are failing to reach our goals, and the pressure to identify and correct the situation get’s turned up, its often all too easy to start making (and believing) excuses. And that is an unhealthy environment for everyone involved.

Excuses Keep You Where You Are. Solutions MOVE You to Where You Want to Be.

There are two options when dealing with failure:

1. We can make excuses to justify the reason for failure... Or...
2. We can look at the problem and use it as a "map" that will help lead us to the resolution for solving the roadblock that is keeping us from reaching our goals.

Example: Problem > Not Making Quota

Question: Why aren’t we hitting our numbers?

Answer: Well, for one, we leave lots of voicemails and get very few callbacks. It's hard close deals when no one calls you back!

Choice:

Option 1: Excuse: "No one listens to or returns cold call messages anymore"

Option 2: Ask yourself "why aren't my voicemails being returned and how can I solve that?"

Going with option 1 keeps us where we are: Unsatisfactory number of callbacks with no hope of improvement.

Where as option 2 would allow us to investigate how to solve the problem, which would help us get to where we want to go.

Example:

• Do I have a consistent message, designed to pique interest and entice a callback with a valid reason, prepared well in advance? Or do I put on the “Captain Wing It” cape and say whatever comes to mind or feels right at the moment?
• When was the last time I recorded my voicemail message and played it back?
• How can I change my message to improve my callback %?
• When was the last time I role-played with my peers in order to get constructive criticism?

Excuses rob us of happiness, pride and the ability to reach our potential. They also take away our accountability. And without accountability, destructive behaviors run rampant.

Definition of ex·cuse

VERB: Attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify.

If we continue to justify our failings, how will we ever achieve our goals?

Don’t accept excuses from yourself (or anyone else for that matter). Only accept solutions and watch how quickly your situation goes from “failing” to “winning”.

Hope this helps.

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com (A 2011 Sales Training Company Watch List Award Winner!)

8-Week B2B Sales Improvement Program

Learn How To:

1. Eliminate "No, Thanks", "Not Interested" & "We're All Set" Responses from Cold and Warm Calls
2. Neutralize Gatekeepers & Get Voicemails Returned
3. Ask Engaging Questions Instead of Probing
4. How to Really Qualify (I'll show you a better way)
5. Give Stellar Presentations & Handle Objections
6. Close Follow-up Calls and Get Targeted Referrals
7. How to Set & Achieve Your Toughest Sales Goals
8. Improve Your Time Management Skills

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

Get Next Available Workshop Dates / Times / Registration Information Now!

What NOT to Say in Your Opening Value Statement

Here's a common example of an opening value statement that often leads to failure:

"Hi, this is (YOUR NAME), with XYZ LOGISTICS. Could I speak to the person in charge of the freight division and could you tell me their name?"

"Hi CHUCK, this is (YOUR NAME) here with XYZ LOGISTICS. As I prepared for this call, I noticed you have shipped with us a couple times before... So tell me, how many shipments off the top of your head do you think you did last month?… (ANSWER) I'd love to talk with you more about that if you have time now,... or if I email you over some information, I can call back by let's say a few days from now and we can talk then."

Why This Fails & What to Say Instead

1) "Hi, this is (YOUR NAME) with XYZ LOGISTICS. Could I speak to the person in charge of the freight division and could you tell me their name?"

• This screams COLD CALL to the gatekeeper. You aren't the only person trying to reach their decision maker and it's quite possible the gatekeeper has been instructed to not let anymore of these types of calls to go through... so running this play will increase the likelihood of you having to tangle with the receptionist... and it's above his/her pay-grade to determine if what you have to offer is in the best interest of the company he/she works for... let's not give the gatekeeper power that isn't theirs.

• 99% of the time you should already know with whom you are calling to speak with. There are only so many "titles" that will have the authority to make a purchasing decision on what it is that you offer. A simple search on their website, LinkedIn or Google search ("title" + company name) and you can often find the person you need to speak with in less than 60 seconds! (Not minutes or hours, but seconds... too much time is also wasted on "research" when really it's a blind excuse to not cowboy up and make the call... but I digress)

Sure, there may be multiple people involved in the decision making process, and each company will have their own approval process to follow (these are things we will cover as we get deeper into the 8-week course) however, at this stage of the game when we are making that first call, a little "pre-call" research needs to be done.

2) "Hi Chuck, this is (YOUR NAME), with XYZ LOGISTICS. As I prepared for this call, I noticed you have shipped with us a couple times before... So tell me, how many shipments off the top of your head do you think you did last month?"

The goal of your opening value statement is to pique interest and gain permission to continue the call. It's not a vehicle to launch right into "probing questions".

That is how most salespeople do it and it is why most salespeople fail. Most times, it's not the lead, it's the process the salesperson is following that causes failure.

3) "I'd love to talk with you more about that if you have time now,... or if I email you over some information, I can call back by let's say a few days from now and we can talk then."

I'm willing to bet that "CHUCK" is going to take you up on that "email some information" deal almost every time. And good luck getting him back on the phone next week.

This is prolonging the sales cycle and making your job harder on yourself and it's also costing you money as you will close very few deals trying to sell this way.

Simple Solution / Suggestion:

Look at the difference a well structured opening value (keyword: value) statement brings:

Hi CHUCK this is (YOUR NAME) with XYZ LOGISTICS. The reason for my call is (slight pause) based on past shipments you've done with us, there's a possibility we may be able to (#1 thing your target audience wants to avoid) while at the same time (#1 thing your target audience wants to gain) and if I caught you at a good time, I'd like to ask you just a few quick questions just to see if what we have to offer may be of some help to you, would that be OK?

With blanks filled in:

Hi CHUCK this is (YOUR NAME) with XYZ LOGISTICS. The reason for my call is (slight pause) based on past shipments you've done with us, there's a possibility we may be able to cut down on your shipping costs while at the same time improve your customers level of satisfaction and if I caught you at a good time, I'd like to ask you just a few quick questions just to see if what we have to offer may be of some help to you, would that be OK?

And now you're in position to smoothly transition into the next step of the SalesBuzz process.

Hope this helps.

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com (A 2011 Sales Training Company Watch List Award Winner!)

8-Week B2B SalesBuzz Improvement Program

Learn How To:

1. Eliminate "No, Thanks", "Not Interested" & "We're All Set" Responses from Cold and Warm Calls
2. Neutralize Gatekeepers & Get Voicemails Returned
3. Ask Engaging Questions Instead of Probing
4. How to Really Qualify (I'll show you a better way)
5. Give Stellar Presentations & Handle Objections
6. Close Follow-up Calls and Get Targeted Referrals
7. How to Set & Achieve Your Toughest Sales Goals
8. Improve Your Time Management Skills

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

Get Next Available Workshop Dates / Times / Registration Information Now!

Sales Question:

“We use a lead management system (InsideSales.com) that allows us to callback a warm lead within less than a minute of the prospect requesting information from our site… So why do I still need an “enticing” opening value statement? They are already “warm” and are requesting more information… this isn’t a cold call where they don’t know who we are.”

(Ed. Note: this was a question from a salesperson that is currently going through our online 8-week B2B Phone Skills Improvement program)

Answer:

Enticing opening value statements are needed for cold, warm and hot leads no matter if they are outbound or even inbound calls for several reasons…

Let’s go with your example where you are making an “outbound” call to a warm lead (warm lead = prospect raised their hand by requesting more information via filling out a call-to-action form on your website)

1. Even if the form they filled out lets you know that they are the CEO, you still do not know their purchasing process. They may have several others involved in this type of decision. Going in and assuming you are speaking with the decision maker based on the warm leads “title” will leave holes in your sales process and set you up for failure (You know, those stalls you hear like “I need to check with my partner, IT department, HR, VP, etc when you try and get to the next step or go for the close?) So the only way you are going to truly uncover their purchasing process (among many other things you will need to know before presenting your solution or going for a close) is to be able to ask them some questions. You’ll need an opening value statement that piques interest and then places you in a position to be able to ask them a few quick questions. If you use a weak opening value statement and then start asking “probing questions”, you’re going to get resistance from the prospect, no matter if it is a warm lead or a straight up cold call.
2. Most prospects are going to have a little trepidation when a salesperson contacts them. Warms leads don’t equal “I want to buy your stuff right now”. They are only a few degrees (for the most part) above a cold call. There is some interest but they may not even be able at this stage to articulate that interest or understand the exact problem they should solve nor realize yet the full benefits they would gain as a result of buying a solution such as yours. That is the salespersons responsibility to make sure that process happens. Salespeople help prospects by asking questions that will confirm or deny in the prospects mind if this is a wise decision / choice. This is done by asking well prepared questions in a logical sequential order and if a poor opening value statement is used on a warm lead, it most often times “blocks” the salesperson from being in position to ask the right questions, at the right time and instead raises the prospects defenses, which causes the salesperson to go on the “offense” and try and overcome the resistance that they are responsible for causing in the first place. Why continue to sell that way when there is a better solution available that is quick and easy to implement?
3. What happened the last time you went to a car dealer, got out of your vehicle and looked at a specific automobile you were interested in and then saw the salesman walking briskly towards you? How did you feel? Our prospects feel that too (all though usually not to that degree) when we call and if our opening statement is something like “You requested some information on XYZ and I wanted to see if you had any questions”, even if they do have questions, you’ve placed yourself at a disadvantage already and are now a talking brochure instead of a salesperson who should be asking specific questions in a logical sequential order that would help the prospect and you determine if there is a potential opportunity for both parties.

YOU DECIDE

Let me give you a perfect example.

Which “opening statement” would you be more receptive to receiving if you requested next available dates and pricing information for our online sales workshops:

Option 1:

Hi (PROSPECTS NAME) this is (YOUR NAME) with (YOUR COMPANY NAME) and I’m getting back in touch with you regarding your request for pricing information and wanted to see (take your pick)

• …if you had time to schedule a 20-minute demo?
• …if you had any questions?
• …if now was a good time to talk?

OR…

Option 2:

Hi (PROSPECTS NAME) this is (YOUR NAME) with (YOUR COMPANY NAME) and I understand you're curious about what type of results you could expect from our online workshops as well as what the initial investment might be.

A recent client of ours said their sales increased by more than 25% in the first month following our program and if I caught you at a good time, I'd like to ask you just a few quick questions to see if we could expect similar results for your group as well, would that be OK?

BETTER RESULTS

Which “opening statement” do you believe would have a higher % of making it to the next phase in the sales process: Option 1 or Option 2? (it's a rhetorical question)

BONUS ROUND

What happens if you get the prospects voicemail? Which “opening values statement” message would generate more callbacks?

An enticing opening value statement can also be used as a powerful tool in order to generate more callbacks when having to leave a voicemail.

Using the two examples above, if you had to leave a voicemail message, which of the two do you think would generate a greater number of callbacks? (again, rhetorical question)

Hope this helps.

Michael Pedone
CSS: Chief Sales Scientist
SalesBuzz.com (A 2011 Sales Training Company Watch List Award Winner!)

8-Week B2B Sales Improvement Program

Learn How To:

1. Eliminate "No, Thanks", "Not Interested" & "We're All Set" Responses from Cold and Warm Calls
2. Neutralize Gatekeepers & Get Voicemails Returned
3. Ask Engaging Questions Instead of Probing
4. How to Really Qualify (I'll show you a better way)
5. Give Stellar Presentations & Handle Objections
6. Close Follow-up Calls and Get Targeted Referrals
7. How to Set & Achieve Your Toughest Sales Goals
8. Improve Your Time Management Skills

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

Get Next Available Workshop Dates / Times / Registration Information Now!