Mastering the Psychology of Selling by Phone

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The 4 Steps to Success in Selling Arousing Curiousity/attention in your product Interest in doing something about it Desire for one product or service in particular Action

ATTENTION With an incoming call,this may have been achieved by your advertising, marketing, PR, s, mailshot or satisfied client referral When making an outgoing call, then you must get the prospect’s attention by – Using revelant benefit statements – Asking pertinent problem related questions

INTEREST Establish the level of interest in your product, by Probing, to find out what they want Introducing things they may not have thought of Summarising and prioritising Pre-closing the caller to test for commitment to purchasing

DESIRE Convert interest into desire by: – Showing them what you can do for them – Match your benefits to their needs – Answering their questions confidently – Confirm they are happy to proceed – Induce them with special offer, pricing etc

ACTION Ask for the order or commitment – Get feedback throughout the call or presentation – Handle all objections as they arise – Use frequent trial closes “IF you were to order…” – Ask for the order

QUESTIONNING SKILLS Ask open questions to gain INFORMATION “what are..”, “How do you..” Ask closed questions to gain COMMITMENT “If you..”, “do you..”, “Would you..”

In-Coming Calls Take the order – Get their contact and full company details – Get the Invoice and delivery details – Product details, quantities and specifications – Be clear on payment terms

In-Coming Calls Confirm it is what the customer wants – You don’t want the wrong items delivered – Ensure it is the right size, colour, in-stock etc – Confirm the use of the items ordered

In-Coming Calls Up-sell, Cross-Sell and Re-Sell other products – When taking the order, use phrases like: – “many of our customers prefer…” – “did you know that we also offer…” – “have you heard about our new…” – Ask about other products and services – Remind caller of your special promotions

In-Coming Orders Do they have an account ? What is their credit limit/are they on hold ? Is payment with order ? Will authorisation be required ? Will they send confirmation ? Where did they hear about you ? What made/prompted them to call ? Who had they been using before you ? What else do they buy ?

In-Coming Calls Are out-going calls harder to make ? Think, with an in-coming call, you have no control over: When they are going to call you Who you are talking to What they will want to talk to you about You are being REACTIVE not PROACTIVE

Compass rule for Telemarketing SWSome will SWSome won’t SWSo what ? SWShan’t worry NNext call Your key to success is PLANNING and preparation

The psychology of Rejection Many telemarketeers are scared of the word “ NO ” If a prospect company has not heard of you, and you never call them, then the answer will always be “no” However if you call them and get a “no”, you are no worse off. If you call them and get a “yes”, then YOU ARE BETTER OFF Either way – YOU WIN !

Plan your calls Plan Your time for calling – Break your goals into achievable chunks – Take breaks regularly, and set mini targets Set goals and targets daily and weekly – Number of calls you’ll make – Number/value of sales you’ll generate – Number of quotations/estimates – Number of decision makers you will reach

Why Targets are important Goals and targets help you focus, and motivate you to succeed Work out your personal averages to help motivate you when productivity is low

Planning each call you make Who will you ask for Why are you calling them What do you hope to achieve by end of the call What is the key message you have What is the first thing you will say What are the likely objections they will throw at you

How to deal with “Gatekeepers” Secretaries, PA’s and Receptionists are “gatekeepers” Treat them politely and with respect Use “I wonder if you can help me” or “you’re going to like this one…” Call first thing in the morning (just before 9:00am) or last thing (circa 5:00pm) Don’t leave your name and number for them to call back – they won’t

Now, you’ve got your man ! “sorry, I’ve never heard of you or your company, I’m not interested and you’ve got me at a bad moment” Check you’ve got the right person Introduce yourself and where you are from Give a one line description of your USP, your product or company and why you are calling Confirm it is convenient to call

CLOSING THE SALE The DIRECT Close These questions require “YES” or “NO” only Ask a closing question Lead verbally with an answer Listen carefully – Say nothing, let them speak

CLOSING THE SALE CHOICE Close This helps by taking away the choice of whether to proceed or not – “would you prefer RED or BLUE” “would you like it delivered or collected” “will you be paying cash or VISA”

CLOSING THE SALE ASSUMPTIVE Close Take control of the conversation and close in for the “sale”… “OK, I’ll an order form to you just now, if I Can have your address” “If you give me your credit card details, I can despatch it today to be with you tomorrow..”

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