Many of my clients ask me about successful prospecting, because it's something that their sales people are struggling with. Developing new business, prospecting, cold calling is the most challenging part of the sales process. After all, you are interrupting somebody's day. It's almost like being on a first date, testing the waters, making sure that there is alignment.
But, that's exactly what's missing in many situations where sales people are calling on prospects. Making sure that there is alignment.
Try to put yourself into your prospect's shoes. What would you want to hear when you pick up the phone where somebody is interrupting your day. Would you want to hear a sales pitch, or would you want to listen to somebody who is potentially adding value to your life?
It's all about fit
If there is no fit, there is no reason to have a conversation. But in order for you, the sales person to determine if there could be a fit, you need to do your homework first. Most sales representatives who call me don't know my business, have never visited my website or my LinkedIn profile. They are just rattling off a pitch and in some cases they even stutter around trying to get to a point.
Be short and distinct and!! ADD VALUE
People will appreciate when you get to the point fast. And by that I mean that you need to have a value statement. Let me give you an example. When I call on organizations to pitch our sales training, I always focus on the fact that we help companies Increase Revenue and Profitability by helping them establish a common Sales and Service language. Something that is really important for organizations with sales people around the country, or the globe for that matter. But this pitch only works with companies who have many sales people in more than one location!
Don't focus on features and benefits
Features and benefits as oppose to value can be mentioned to support your value statement at a later point. For example, the fact that our training is a blended eLearning/customized coaching approach is something that supports the fact that we help our clients increase revenue and profitability by establishing a common Sales and Service language. It's not something that needs to be mentioned first, because there is many other providers who claim to have effective on-line training. It's not a differentiator and eLearning might not be something that is attractive to a company at first. How you get to the results for your client is not something that you want to lead with.
Know who you are talking to
When calling on people. try to understand their role within the organization and their responsibilities. When I call on a CEO (which is always my first outreach, because it's more effective to work your way down, rather than up the ladder), I always focus on the business goals. Top line value statements.
Increased Revenue and higher profitability are messages that resonate with CEOs.Once I get to the sales or training manager, my message shifts. Then it's more about the nitty-gritty, the details, ins and outs of the program. Of course, increased revenue and higher profitability are also important to the sales manager, but they also want to make sure that their people don't spend too much time away from their desks, so I talk about the fact that their sales people never have to leave their desk and they will still become more successful.
Don't look for a fit if there is none
No matter how much research you do and how well you prepare for a call, sometimes there is no fit. Don't push it, there is no sense in trying to find alignment if there is none. Reasons can be plentiful. Very often I find that companies don't want to commit to a long-term process, which means that they are not really committed to a consultative sales approach. I could push them, but it wouldn't lead to a successful client engagement. Sometimes, it's best to leave a good impression and to move on.
Be personal
In closing - people buy from people. Be personal. Don't try to sell. We all know that sales people are on the phone or emailing to drum up business, but you need to connect with a person on a human level, make them comfortable and then talk business. Once you have established rapport, it's much easier to have a conversation and to build trust.