Sales Calls that Work
A colleague asked an interesting question recently… one that resonated with me personally as it pointed to an area of my business that once did NOT work and now DOES work.
He asked, “When making sales calls, are the questions we’re asking offering up the right answers?” Much depends on how we each define “right answers”, but who really has the those anyway?
As a technical expert, it’s likely your professional training didn’t prepare you for the world of sales. That’s a challenge if you own your own a business or have been promoted to a business development role in your organization.
Many technology professionals (and even die-hard salespeople) will say that cold-calling or sales calls don’t work in their business or industry.
B.S. – they can work. You just need to make a small shift in Intention and Process. Here’s what I’ve learned:
Challenge – In my own experience, cold-calling isn’t the most effective way to generate leads. Likely, the biggest reason is that I just stink at it. However, I’m in the sales business, so at the very least, staying on the phone is a key practice for me and it CAN generate results.
Learning – First, I’m facing a losing battle if my intention in making sales calls is to get immediate business. Second, I need to come to grips with the fact that whether I stink at sales calls or not, I have resistance to making them. Third, my services require a depth of intimacy with clients that are best initiated through a trusted source (i.e. referral). It’s critical that I create a system in which folks I’m calling: a) feel comfortable with my call, b) are willing to assist me, and c) qualify themselves right away as decision makers.
Application of Learning – I’ve created a business feedback interview. It’s nine questions that focus on three areas: a) what does the person with whom I’m speaking know about my industry/business, b) what do they feel are the best ways for me to market my services including defining possible objections, and c) what events or people do they know about that I should be aware of. I now use this system exclusively when making cold-calls / sales calls. I simply ask for 10 minutes of time and proceed. My intention is no longer seek immediate business, but simply seek a gift from each person I speak with – usually at least one introduction to a prospect, speaking opportunity or networking event.
Results – Just this week, I’ve been introduced to two new prospects, one new speaking opportunity, and been invited to two exclusive networking events I’ve been interested in attending. And it’s only Wednesday morning.
If I had stayed with the two traditional methods (that I was trained in for years) of: a) simply unloading rhetorical questions and a scripted sales pitch, or b) avoiding the calls altogether, I’d end up with what I used to get – nothing.
A simple shift in Intention and Process has opened a huge door for me. It might just work for you as well.
Leadership Practices:
- Email me with a request for my business feedback interview – I’m happy to share it and help you customize it for your business.
- Dedicate at least 30 minutes a day for making sales calls – start slow with just a few and work yourself up to higher numbers.
- Notice where you deny that you’re in the sales business. If that’s really true, perhaps another career would be more appropriate (and comfortable).
Don’t let sales calls bother you. As a business professional, one of your primary jobs is to sell. Embrace it by having it work for you.
Happy Interviewing,
Coach Preston
Preston,
I love what you’re sharing here. I heard somewhere that if you’re an entrepreneur, your first job is marketing (and sales)–regardless of the industry you’re in. I remember being taken aback with that statement, since I would have argued at that point in my career that my first (and only job) was being a coach.
You figured out a way to stay committed to doing a task you didn’t much care for by making a slight shift in your method and goal. Gotta be more effective than banging your head on the wall!
Thanks for sharing this!