A Quick Cold Calling Quiz
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High Kicks, Basketball and Sales
Back in High School, I was the co-captain of our Kick Line Squad where we cheered on our sports teams by performing precision dance routines in the style made famous by the Rockettes.
This came up the other day on a call with a basketball playing colleague. I mentioned that basketball had been my favorite team to cheer for. I loved the energy, the pace and, most importantly at the time, that it was played indoors!
Though, I said, I don’t know why they didn’t give each team 100 points and let them just play that last 5 minutes of the last period since that always seemed to be when the game was won or lost. It always seemed to be a tie til those last plays.
My colleague quickly pointed out, ‘No, no, no! You are missing the point.’ Basketball, he explained, is a game of ENDURANCE. It is a game won or lost based on the focus and stamina of the players over that entire 48 minutes – all four of those 12-minute periods. Yes, it may come down to the last play at the buzzer but the team that trained and practiced and stayed focused the entire game, will be the one who wins.
I got it. And I immediately realized the similarity to the SALES process!
Sales too, is a ‘game of endurance’. It can be a tiring slog and can frequently come down to a last minute play – a close – at the buzzer, but it is the player and team that has trained, focused and practiced that will more reliably deliver and more importantly, succeed.
Do you and your team train regularly? When was the last time you actually had someone ‘coach’ you on your sales approach, scripting and tactics?
At One of a Kind Sales, we train you and your team on the sales tactics and techniques that WORK. Then we monitor progress and meet to track and improve delivery. This work helps ensure that you can get past all the ‘no’s’, properly identify and convert the ‘yeses’, to deliver the leads and sales you and your company need to succeed.
Think YOU or YOUR team could benefit from some sales ‘coaching’? Click here to set up a time to discuss how we can get YOU and YOUR team into the big leagues!
More Sales tips and advice:
A Step by Step Guide to Sales Prospecting Success: Step 3 How to Overcome Objections – Pt 2
This is Part 2 of our post on how to Overcome Objections when Sales Prospecting. (Click here to see Part 1)
Objections are often a Salesperson’s nightmare, keeping them up at night and making them reluctant to pick up the phone to make calls in the first place. Knowing you will face objections and having a plan and scripting to address and overcome them, is a sure way to reduce some of the frustration. Here are some techniques for re-directing discussions once objections have been raised.
- Say something they DON’T expect
Frequently, when on a call or in a meeting with a Prospect, we can find ourselves going into ‘sales’ mode. And Prospects, in response, will go into ‘defense’ mode. You are using all the stereotypical ‘sales’ techniques and they are responding in kind. But that gets you nowhere.
If you find yourself in this type of situation, I suggest saying something they do not expect. Rather than doing and saying what is EXPECTED – a classic hard sell – we can approach it differently in order to get a different, more positive, response. We show our people how to ‘sell’ differently – in our case, through conversation and building relationships – and Prospects respond differently, by trusting us and doing business with us.
When someone says, ‘we’re good’, they often think that will get them off the hook. With most salespeople, that means the conversation is over. You can change the outcome by continuing to talk with them, asking them ‘gee, what are you doing right?’. By continuing to be curious, you are no longer pushing a ‘sales call’ but you shift it to ‘having a conversation’.
- Stay curious
The goal is to keep Prospects talking about their problems. You do this through questioning and listening. When a Prospect starts speaking, you begin ACTIVE listening.
Follow up with questions and make statements such as:
“Wow, I can’t believe it’s been going on that long”
OR
“Wow, that must be frustrating! Tell me more.”
Sometimes you may need to play ‘Dummy’ to keep the conversation going, saying something like:
“Gee, you know, I’m really not sure I am getting it, can you please explain that again?”
Stay curious. Include statements and questions which will elicit conversation. LISTEN to their answers.
- Call their bluff
Sometimes, Prospects will say, ‘We don’t need help, everything is great!’. I suggest asking more questions or making more statements and possibly calling their bluff. You can say something like:
“Wow! So, you and your sales team will hit your quota, even despite the pandemic? How have you managed to do that?”
This will allow you to continue the conversation and to learn more. If they ARE in fact in great shape, you may not be able to help but might learn some insights about how the organization works. If they are NOT doing as well as they originally said, it is an opportunity to add value and to continue the conversation.
No matter what, be POLITE! We are trying to create relationships here, not burn any bridges.
- Rule of 3
I train our salespeople to address objections and stalls three times. After that, if the Prospect is still not on board, I suggest you ask for the referral and move on.
- Memorize your script
Yes, hearing obstacles may feel like a kick to the stomach but by expecting them, have SCRIPTED responses (which you have memorized) and being prepared, you can take much of the sting out of them.
- Stay UNemotional
Stay unemotional – this is NOT a verdict on your self-worth or a personal failure. It is a ‘no’. And this is a business where you will hear a LOT of no’s. Move on, your next call is waiting to be made – Keep Dialing and get to that ‘YES’!
If you or your sales team need help with scripting or preparing to address obstacles, give us a call TODAY at 908-879-2911- we provide the words, encouragement and support you need to face obstacles like a PRO!
Other posts in this Step by Step Guide to Sales Prospecting Success series:
Step 3 – Part 1: How to Overcome Objections
More tips on how to overcome objections:
A Step by Step Guide to Sales Prospecting Success: Step 3 How to Overcome Objections – Pt. 1
This is the third post in our Step-by-Step Guide to Sales Prospecting Success. In the first post, we covered the Cold Call. That call culminated in setting an appointment for a ‘First Meeting’ which was step two. Here, in step three, we will show you how to overcome objections you are likely to face when working with Prospects. Since this is such an important topic and so key to a Salesperson’s success, we have broken this into multiple parts. Here is Part 1.
Objections are often a Salesperson’s nightmare – they keep them up at night and make them reluctant to pick up the phone to make calls in the first place. Knowing you will face them and having a plan and scripting to address and overcome them, is a sure way to reduce some of the frustration.
- Objections at the BEGINNING of the relationship
If you are frequently encountering objections right at the beginning of the relationship with a Prospect, it may be that you are coming on too strong. You may be sounding pushy or ‘salesy’ and making the prospect uncomfortable. If they are feeling that they are being ‘sold too’ or not listened to, it is likely that they will balk and throw up more obstacles.
As we mentioned in Step One: The Cold Call, the Cold Call is NOT a sales call. It is a time to listen and learn. Eliminate objections by making it about THEM, not you or your services.
- Pricing
Price will almost ALWAYS be a point of contention. No one wants to feel like they are paying more than necessary or that they aren’t getting the best deal possible. Focus on the value you and your services ADD and what they will LOSE by NOT investing in them rather than spending time talking about the specific dollars and cents.
- Deflections and Stalls
A typical stall is when a Prospect says, ‘send me an email’. Or when they say, ‘We tried this in the past and it didn’t work’. Sometimes this type of response comes as, ‘We are good‘ or ‘We are happy with what we have’.
When you hear something like this, I suggest leaning INTO it. Say something like, ‘Gee, how did you get so lucky?’ or ‘Wow, I don’t usually hear that – what are you doing right?’. This is NOT what they are used to hearing from a salesperson and underscores that you want to have a CONVERSATION. You want to LISTEN to what they are saying and doing. The information you gain from these conversations will help you better tailor your responses and offerings.
- Happy with the status quo
A frequent obstacle is when a Prospect says, ‘I am happy with my current provider’. I will be honest with you, when someone has a provider that they are happy with and have been with for over 15 years, it IS hard to capture that business but there are a few tactics to try.
Ask, ‘when was the last time you had a third party review your policy or services?’ or ‘would you be open to seeing what options a new vendor can offer?’. The goal is to keep the conversation going so you can uncover more info and identify the Prospect’s pain points.
- Ask for the truth
In our post, ‘The Truth Will Set You Free’, we talked about how you want to be honest with Prospects and you want them to be honest with you as well. If it sounds like they are blowing you off, ask, ‘often, when someone says this to me, it is just to get me off the phone. If that is the case here, it’s OK to let me know. I don’t want to waste your time nor mine. I would rather you be honest with me.’
And if it really is the end of the call, remember to ask for the referral. Even if they haven’t done work with you, they may know someone who could use your services, so be sure to ask!
- Setting an appointment just to get you off the phone
Sometimes, in our excitement to set an appointment, we can get too pushy. And that can lead to people setting appointments they have no intention of attending, just to get you off the phone.
Be cognizant of this and don’t push for an appointment if it is not qualified and agreed to.
Keep an eye out for Part 2 of this post when we show you some techniques for re-directing conversations that are not going as planned.
And if you or your sales team need help with scripting or preparing to address obstacles, give us a call at 908-879-2911 – we can give you the words, encouragement and support you need to face obstacles like a PRO!
Other posts in this Step by Step Guide to Sales Prospecting Success series:
Step 3 – Part 2: How to Overcome Objections
More tips on how to overcome objections:
Texting Sales Prospects
I was recently asked what I thought about texting Sales Prospects. Here is my response; it really depends on the industry and the individual prospect.
First some stats*:
As of January 2020, 292 million people in North America use text messages – that’s 80% of the total population.
The country with the highest percentage of mobile users is Russia where 89% of the population sends and receives text messages.
China and India have the most people who send SMS messages – China comes first with 1,081 million people and India second with 730 million.
For prospects who actively text, texting CAN be a HIGHLY effective way to follow-up and keep in touch with them. Some people totally avoid using the phone wherever possible and for them, it may actually be NECESSARY to use texts to interact.
But there are still many industries, especially white-collar organizations in the US, which have not yet embraced texting. Texting a prospect there may be a turn off, or worse yet, may never even be seen!
The same is true of some of the older “C suite” occupants. It doesn’t mean they aren’t a good fit or a strong prospect, it just means that texting might not be their ideal choice of platform. And making the prospect COMFORTABLE it key. Texting them, if they are not used to texting, could be the reason you don’t get an appointment. Why take that chance?
We often talk about how you should ‘mirror’ a prospects tone, speech patterns and speed. This helps create a connection and builds trust. The same applies to your messaging. If they are phone people, pick up the phone to connect. If they are wedded to texting, by all means, text them. If you aren’t sure, pick up the phone and ASK THEM.
I also want to caution Salespeople who use texts, to be sure they are not using it as a crutch. In my training experience, I have seen many people who prefer to use texts for outreach, rather than picking up the phone. Yes, it can be easier, and it can give you a (false) sense of control, but it is NOT an effective way to Cold Call and is especially ineffective for building relationships.
Remember, Cold Calling is NOT about SELLING but about creating RELATIONSHIPS. Interaction doesn’t happen on platforms like texting – at best, it is just a messaging platform. The phone allows you to interact, hear, and really LISTEN to the prospect. And then you can pivot and respond appropriately. There are way too many ways to miss what is being said (or being left unsaid) when texting so keep it to appointment confirmations and quick follow-ups.
Another caution is that it can be very easy to get too ‘casual’ when texting. I know that I personally DISLIKE it when someone I don’t know sends me a text or email with a really casual opening like ‘Hey Nan’ or ‘Hi Nance!’. If you are going to use texts, keep them professional. They don’t have to be FORMAL but don’t get too ‘friendly’ in your messages with the Prospect until you are actually that comfortable in person.
Note that I am not asking or concerning myself here with which communication mode the SALESPERSON prefers. That is not a factor. The goal is to identify the platform or mode that the PROSPECT is most comfortable with and then utilize that. For those of you who are not yet comfortable texting, you may want to consider it. If nothing else, it is yet another communication tool for your toolbelt.
As salespeople, we need to take advantage of ALL the tools available to us. Texting is a valuable one for some – use it where appropriate but don’t rely on it exclusively.
*https://www.slicktext.com/blog/2018/11/44-mind-blowing-sms-marketing-and-texting-statistics
