SMART CALLING REPORT - Smart Calling Training

Proven Sales Skills, Strategies, and Tips You Can Use!

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Seven Objection-Handling Tips By Chris Orlob

Objection handling tips are all overthe Internet.

What makes this (one of) theBEST posts on objection handlingyou’ll read this year?

It’s the only one that involves harddata.

We studied 67,149 sales meetingsfrom our database of three million re-corded calls.

The team analyzed them with AI(artification intelligence) to iden-tify what that correlates with success,based on data.

Dozens of things stood out,including how successful salespeoplerespond to objections.

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Successful reps pause after objec-tions.

In fact, they pause longer afteran objection than during other partsof a sales call.

It�s as if objections triggerthem into slow motion.

By contrast, unsuccessful repsoften interrupt the customer upon re-ceiving an objection.They pounce on objections, getting“all riled up.”

They also speak faster after hear-ing an objection. It’s as if objectionsmake them nervous.

Consider this: In a typical salesconversation, average talking speed is173 words per minute.

But when flustered by an objec-tion, a bad sales rep will speed up to188 words per minute.

Top producers slow it down.

If you maintain a calm demeanoramid a flurry of objections, you’ll buildtrust with your customer.

The rest of the steps won’t matterif you can’t do that.

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According to the data, successfulsalespeople respond to objections witha question.

Objection scenarios are rife withpotential misunderstandings.

If you don’t clarify them, youmight address the wrong issue. Do-ing so creates friction.

Now, here’s what low performersdo instead: they react with a knee-jerk monologue.

The customer voices a valid con-cern, and the sales rep spends the nextminute steam rolling.

Not only do they often address theWRONG issue, but talking for longstreaks reeks of insecurity.

What question should you ask toclarify objections?

The first one is called mirroring.This tactic is from Chris Voss in hisbook Never Split the Difference.

Here’s how it works: Repeat thelast few words of your buyer’s sen-tence. And do it with an upward voicetone (like you’re asking a question). Ittriggers your buyer to elaborate.

Say these phrases, ending with anupward tone, like a question:

�The price is too high?�

�Your boss said no?�

�The timing is not right?�

The key is to PAUSE and let yourbuyer further explain.

Now here’s a warning. Ignore atyour own peril.

Don’t ask “why?” when clarifyingobjections.

“Why” doesn’t clarify. It’s a threat-ening question that questions the va-lidity of the buyer’s objection. It putsyour buyer on the defensive.

That leads us to the second typeof question you can use to clarify ob-jections.

"Can you help me understandwhat�s causing that concern?"

Notice this question asks “why”without uttering the word “why.”

To sum up, overcoming an objec-tion is like peeling an onion. The coreof the onion is what you want to ad-dress.

You have to peel back the outer,surface-level layers.

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Alrighty! You’ve played your pa-tience card, bit your tongue, and askeda question (or two).

GREAT! Your next job is to vali-date the objection.

I’m going to let you in on a se-cret... humans go through 95% of theirlives feeling misunderstood.

If you are the person who under-stands them, you’ll carry powerful in-fluence.

Giving your buyer the “gift” of feel-ing understood is so important, thatthe Solution Selling method dedicates

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Art Sobczak is President of Business ByPhone, and editor/publisher of SCR, andauthor of several booksand audio trainingprograms. He developsand delivers results-getting prospecting andsales training andworkshops. To discusswhat he might be able todo for you, call him at800-326-7721, or(480)699-0958.Email him at [email protected].

SMART CALLING REPORT(ISSN 0882-1461) is published 12 timesper year by Business By Phone Inc.To join,go to www.SmartCallingReport.com. Sendcorrespondence, and change of address toSMART CALLING REPORT, 14005 E.Cholla, Scottsdale, AZ, 85259. Publisher/Editor: Art Sobczak; Contributing Colum-nist: Jim Domanski. Subscriptions:©Copyright 2019 Business By Phone Inc.All rights reserved. Photocopying of thispublication without permission is breakingthe law. Please inquire for permission.(480)699-0958. Reprinting of articles inyour publication is permitted as long aswe�re credited with address, website andphone number and a copy is sent to us.

.

Now go and make this your bestyear ever!

Sales ObservationsWoody Allen was wrong. As it

relates to sales, anyway.

A quote that is popularly attrib-uted to him is �Showing up is 80 per-cent of life.�

Let�s take a leap here and assumea sales manager used that quote:

�80% of your sales success is justmaking the calls.�

Well, true, we must make a call inorder to get success. But 80% of thatis NOT just being present and dialingthe phone.

It would be (kind of) like saying,�Yep, 80% of successful surgeries isjust the doctor just showing up in theoperating room.�

�80% of your success in golf is justmaking it to the first tee.�

Umm, no.

My evidence is most of the pros-pecting calls and emails I get. It�s ap-parent the rep is just showing up. Notputting any effort into doing any re-search. They are just sending the samegeneric (and horrible) cut & pasteemail or LinkedIn message, and/orphone call.

The showing up is most definitelynecessary, but the most successful salespros show up prepared. Hopefullythat is YOU.

I experienced a disappointing,expensive, and humbling sales lesson afew weeks ago.

Many of you know I have competedin barbecue cooking competitions overthe past 20 years or so. Without gettinginto too much detail for the brief story,I've got a track record of being prettygood at it. I�ve won awards at a highlevel. I also get invited to bring my foodto a lot of parties.

So I hadn�t done a competition forabout four years, although I still cookregularly (I own four high-end smokers.Some guys collect cars. Cookers forme). I had been missing it terribly forsome time. I noticed there was a con-test right here in the Phoenix area/ I gotin it.

Since I don�t do contests regularlylike I did a few years ago in Omahawhere I had an entire team, trailers, etc.all packed and ready to go each week,I had to make arrangements to rent acamper, buy equipment I didn�t haveetc.

I was jazzed.

And of course, I felt confident. I'mexperienced. And even though I hadn'tcompeted in a few years, I'm constantlypracticing and tweaking my techniquesand recipes.

So I cooked at the competition likeI had in the past.

In fact, I felt I turned in as good--orbetter--brisket, ribs and pork than I hadwon with in the past (beating some ofthe guys you see on TV).

Fast forward to the results. I didn�tcome in DFL (dead f---ing last), but Iwas close.

My first reaction was, "What? Howcould this be? How could they not justlove my stuff?" (Sound familiar, fellowsales pro, after losing a deal?)

But, reality kicked in. I�ve been do-ing this long enough to know that turn-ing in meat at a competition for judges

is way different than the product Iserve to raving friends at parties, whosay I should open a restaurant.

My sales lesson: It doesn�t matterwhat I think is good. It only matterswhat judges think is good, at thatvery moment.

(Substitue "judges" with "prospectsand customers.")

I am a Kansas City Barbecue So-ciety Certified Judge. I took the class15 years ago specifically so I couldlearn what judges are looking for. ThenI judged a few contests, including theAmerican Royal, the World Series ofBarbecue. I interviewed other judgesback then. I had it dialed in.

Things change. I didn�t. Good foodis good food, sure. But today, my un-derstanding is many of these judgestake themselves way too seriously, andare nitpicking and looking for things(exotic flavors, perfect surgical trim-ming of meat, shininess, placementin the box, etc.) that weren�t a part ofit years ago.

It�s exactly the same as sales.What YOU think is great does notmean squat� unless they do too. Theonly way to find out, is to find out. Inour case in sales, it�s to ask. In mycase with barbecue competition, it�sto go through the judging class, ac-tual judging, and interviewing again.Which I plan to do.

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I love hearing your tips and bestpractices. Keep them coming!

Smart Calling Facebook Commu-nity member, Mike Herberts, a salestrainer in the UK shared this with me.

Start Hearing Objections andResistance Differently

Here�s an advanced technique forhandling resistance and objections.

The technique involves you men-tally adding some words to the end ofwhatever objection you are getting.

So for example the potential cus-tomer may be saying:

�We�re perfectly happy with our cur-rent supplier and there�s no need forus to change.�

Or �Your solution is very expen-sive.�

Or �My accountant has all thatcovered for me.�

Whatever they say, you just men-tally add a couple of words that willturn this �objection� into a request forsome more information.

For example, they say, �Your solu-tion is very expensive.�

But you HEAR,

�Your solution is veryexpensive...isn�t it?�

They SAY �My accountant has allthat covered for me.�

But you HEAR,

�My accountant has all thatcovered for me...don�t they?�

By doing this mental �trick� you willautomatically want to continue ratherthan let your brain sub consciously dis-engage because ��you got an objec-tion.�

So now you are no longer gettingobjections you are getting �requests formore explanation or information.�

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Getting Over theFear of Picking Upthe Phone

During our Inner Circle Call InCoaching Day, a member said he hada major problem with simply picking upthe phone. He was good when he en-gaged a prospect in a conversation, anddidn�t have a problem asking for thebusiness. The problem was simply dial-ing�part fear of resistance, and partsomething else we couldn�t identify.

Here were some of my suggestions:

1. Identify five prospects youneed to call.

2. Just force yourself to sit downand call one right NOW. We often putmore energy into avoiding something,and feeling the associated pain, thansimply diving in and DOING it.

3. Set a time each day to do thesame. Never miss the appointment withyourself.

4. Don�t worry about perfection.You�ll never reach it. Just DO it.

5. If you fear what might happenon the call, look at it differently: Ask,�What�s the worst thing that could hap-pen if I place this call right now?� Usu-ally the worst is a no. So what?

6. Vividly picture the feelings you�llhave when you have successfully com-pleted a calling session, and the resultsyou are capable of getting.

Success Quotes�Adversity is an experience, not afinal act.�Dr. Michael Leboeuf

�If you don�t fail now and again, it�sa sign you�re playing it safe.�Woody Allen (this one from himIS accurate)

�Failure is an event, never aperson.�William D. Brown

�If you want to increase your suc-cess rate, double your failure rate.�Thomas Watson, Sr.

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When prospecting and reachingan electronic switchboard, and afterhitting �O� only to be told �That�snot a valid option,� Dale Sather saidhe simply has punched in numbers atrandom when the prompt asks for anextension. Occasionally it gets himtransferred somewhere, anywhere, toa real live person who can then atleast provide her some information.

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In response to my recent podcaston how to respond to the early "I'mnot interested" on prospecting calls,Marc Zazeela with APC Postal Logis-tics likes to say this:

�Oh. I understand. I�m sureyou have something that worksfine. Most companies do. Othercompanies that were doing thesame things you are have savedeven more by using some of ourideas. My only objective is toshow you how that might workso you can decide for yourself.�

GGeett aa ��GGrreeaatt NNoo��We had Andrea Waltz, co-author

of �Go for No� on The Art of Salespodcast (TheArtOfSales.com) thispast month, and she shared tons ofvaluable tips that will change the wayyou look at no�s, and motivate youto actually never fear them. Check itout if you haven�t already, as well asALL of the episodes.

Here is just one of her nuggets:�A great NO is better than a badYES.�

Think about that one for a minute.You�ve probably had a bad yes�when someone agrees to a follow up,but in retrospect, there was nothingthere. And then we wasted valuabletime chasing them, and perhaps ulti-mately never speaking with them. Agood NO would have prevented that.

Sales Tips From the Field

4 ©Art Sobczak's SMART CALLING REPORT � (480)699-0958

Jim Domanski

(Note From Jim: This month�s columnis a bit longer than usual. Look at it as amini sales training session. Stick with me,roll up your sleeves, and I guaranteeyou�ll get more success on your calls.)

Here�s the scenario: You are at a trade show wandering around.

Someone comes up to you, strikes up aconversation. At some point the personasks: �So, what do you do?�

Quickly: what do you say? Be honesthere!

Chances are you say something likethis:

I am sales rep with ...

I am a sales consultant with �

I am a marketing rep

I work for a high tech reseller

I work with a company that sellsoffice supplies

I work for a company thatdistributes electro-medical devices

I am a financial planner

I market diabetic supplies

I work in on-line education

I sell to petroleum marketers

I�m in sales

I work with a company that sellsto school boards and districts

Now, next question: what do the twothings all these lines have in common?

First, they are dull, unimaginative andho hum.

Why?

Because every sales rep uses thesephrases. Sure they reflect the nature ofyour job or the company for whom youwork, but that�s it. No differentiation; justone of many vendors. No umph!

This leads to the second point: thesepaltry statements squander a huge sellingopportunity. By telling people what youdo in a more interesting and compelling

manner you can actually promoteyourself and your company. The veryleast you will do is get the prospect tosay �Hey, that�s different. Tell me a littlemore.�

The WWD or WIDWhat we are really talking about is a

WWD which stands for �What we do.�It is used in prospecting and typicallyoccurs after you mention the name ofyour company. It helps orient thecustomer by giving them a glimpse atwhat you do. A WWD is also anabbreviated elevator speech. (In otherwords, you could use it at trade shows,at a social function etc.)

The Two MotivatorsWhile a WWD is only a few short

words�more a phrase than a completesentence�it is a powerful way to grabthe attention of a prospect during aninitial call. By getting the prospect tolisten�and I mean truly listen�youimprove the odds of success. If yousound like the rest of the vendor �pack�,prospects will tune out.

Before you can craft a powerful-in-your-face-go-get�em WWD you need toknow a little about the two strongestmotivators.

GainThe first motivator is called �gain�.

In broad terms, people will be motivatedto take action (listen, review, ask for aquote, buy etc.) in order to �gain� orimprove upon a situation. For example,people will be motivated to buy or takeaction in order to save money, makemoney, save time, improve efficiencies,better service etc. From a WWDperspective, here�s what it might looklike:

�� we help engineers andarchitects get their educationalcredits quickly and easily.�

��I help people plan theirretirement strategies��

��I help businesses andindividuals use the phone moreeffectively to sell��

��We work withchiropractors to improve patienthealthcare and increaserevenues��

��We work with petroleummarketers to help improve cashflow and increase marketshare��

�� I help businesses savemoney on everyday purchases ofoffice supplies��

Certainly these WWDs are amarked improvement compared to theexamples cited earlier. They are moreeffective because they relate a positivebenefit to the listener. They appeal tothe �gain� motivator.

PainPain is the second motivator.

Prospects will also take action to avoidor alleviate �pain�. If something is notright, if something is not working, ifsomething is not performing well,people respond by taking action tosolve it.

Now this is important so readclosely. The real issue about pain isthis: all things being relatively equaland given a choice between improvinga situation (gain) and fixing a problem(pain), the majority of people will fixthe problem first. In other words, painis usually the more powerful of thetwo motivators. This makes perfectsense. A �gain� represents a futureopportunity but a �pain� is usually acurrent nagging and persistent realitythat normally requires immediateattention. Pain is like a toothache: itis constantly throbbing and hard toforget.

What this really means is that aWWD should actually focus on aproblem (pain) that you or yourcompany, or your product solves,because it appeals to the stronger ofthe two motivators. Here are someexamples to illustrate the point:

How to Build a �What We Do� StatementThat Grabs Interest Every Time

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5©Art Sobczak's SMART CALLING REPORT � (480)699-0958

What's Working in the Field

��I work with IT directors whoare struggling to keep hardware andsoftware costs in line��

�I work with chiropractors whoare finding it challenging to attractmore clients and manage costs intheir practice.�

�We work with engineers andarchitects who find it frustrating andtime consuming to get their yearlycredits.�

Make no mistake about it, theseWWDs are going to turn heads (or shouldI say ears?). Again, if nothing else, theyare different. They cannot help but benoticed. With proper thought andwording, the phrase touches a raw andexposed nerve. Prospects who haveexperienced even the slightest of �pain�will want to want to listen further. They�llbe curious, no question about it.

3 Steps toBuilding aPainful WWD

I wish I could take credit for this in-credible insight but quite frankly I got theconcept from marketing guru RobertMiddleton. Middleton talks about build-ing an elevator speech and he refers to aWWD as an �audio logo.� He offers threesteps:

1. Focus on a problem,not a solution

As stated above, the trick todeveloping a powerful WWD is to focuson the problem because problems getmore attention than opportunities. Whatthis means is that you have to sit downand THINK about the problems yousolve. This must be clear and concise inyour mind. What do we fix? What paindo we remove? What challenges do wesolve?

2. Use emotion-packed wordsMiddleton is emphatic about using

hard hitting, emotion-packed words.Consider the words �frustrating�,�struggling�, and �challenging�. Do theynot act like verbal beacons? Do they notconjure up vivid images? They tell it like

it is. Here are two of Middleton�s WWDsfor financial planners.

�I work with couples who areparalyzed about what to do with theirinvestments when the stock marketis such a mess.�

�I work with investors who aregoing nuts about where to put theirmoney in a falling stock market.�

These WWDs immediately hit a nervewith me. At one point I WAS paralyzedand going nuts. He hit the nail squarelyon the head with his blatant use of thevernacular.

So grab a thesaurus and look for wordsthat relate to the problems you deal withand that evoke emotion.

3. Keep it short andto the point.

A WWD is a parenthetical phrase. Itis not a paragraph. Stick to one idea andas Middleton points out, resist thetemptation to balance a problem with asolution. The objective of the WWD is toget attention, not to sell them. There willbe time for that later. Less is more.

Test the WWDUnless you are a gifted copywriter,

chances are it will take you a few triesbefore you get the right mix of words. Testthem by saying them aloud. Practice themuntil they flow smoothly from your lips.Then try the WWD on friends, associatesand family. Tell them what you are tryingto do. Get their feedback. Go back to thedrawing board and come up withvariations. As with any skill or technique,with practice it gets easier and better.

SummaryIn today�s hectic, high competitive

marketplace you need every edge you canget. The edge is often something smalland unique that no one else is doing. Thismay be all you need toget one step closer tothe sale. Give it a try.

(continued from previous page) Help Them Realize ThatDoing Nothing IsCostly

Procrastination by prospects andcustomers kills sales. The reason theyshelve their decisions is they see noreason to act now. Your job is to helpthem understand why they should.

Mike Stickler, a consultant with amanufacturing consulting firm, sharedan idea at a Telesales College on howhe deals with procrastinators (whichhe calls his biggest competition: themdoing nothing). He simply attaches veryreal, hard dollar numbers to their situ-ation if they did nothing ...maintain-ing the status quo.

He�s right to point out that if youcan illustrate how what you have willenable your customer to enjoy a mon-etary gain, or avoid a loss, every daythey delay means a lost opportunity,therefore lost money.

Run the NumbersFor example, Mike will work

through numbers with a potential cli-ent, getting them to actually figure upwhat the manufacturer might be los-ing due to a certain problem. Mike willthen get them to break that down intosmaller increments, like months,weeks. . . even days. If the sales pro-cess bogs down by procrastination,Mike is able to counter with,

�Well, we have pointed outthat every day that passes withthis problem left unchecked, islike writing an expense check, di-rectly from the bottom line for$2,000.�

Think about how this can work foryou. Calculate the numbers with yourcustomers or prospects. At the veryminimum, ask them,

�What will happen if you donothing about this situation? Willit get any better?�

Or,

�Given what we have dis-cussed, what are the conse-quences long-term of doing noth-ing?�

Jim Domanski

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AAsskk tthhee ��KKoonnddoo QQuueessttiioonn�� ttoo DDeecclluutttteerr YYoouurr FFoollllooww UUpp FFiilleessAlthough I like to think I keep up on what�s going on

(somewhat) with pop culture, the whole Kondo thing gotmiles by me before I caught on.

It was just a few weeks ago. A Facebook friend postedpictures of her kitchen and said she �Kondoed� it.

Huh? I thoughtshe meant that herapartment buildingmight have gonecondo. (Some peoplemight have to lookthat one up.)

Anyway, I let it go.Then began to see theterm all over. I�m notthe brightest bulb inthe drawer (mixedmetaphor, I know),but I finally figured itout.

I then checked itout, not wanting tostay in the dark.

For those whodon�t know, MarieKondo is a fanatical�declutterist.� She hasa book, and a verypopular Netflix show.To simplify it, she hasa radical philosophyabout getting rid of things to tidy things up.

Where am I going with this?

I�ve suggested the same thing with prospects in yourdatabase long before there was such a thing as Kondo-ing.

For example, a question I received through email asked,�I�ve got a lot of prospects pending, but not a lot closing.What should I do?�

Like many questions I get, that�s extremely vague andrequires a lot more information before I could give a spe-cific detailed answer. But it did get me thinking about apossible reason, and remedy.

It�s the perfect place to implement the sales version ofKondo-ing. Let me set it up first.

What percent of the people in your follow-up file atthis very second do you feel will ever do business withyou?

Sixty percent?

More? Less?!

You�re fairly typical if you answered 50% or less. It�snot a good percentage, but typical.

Why? Oh, there are several reasons. Reps like tohang on to prospects, thinking that shred of interestmight eventually turn into something. They�re right:Disappointment, and a waste of time, usually.

Others stake their claim to prospects, tattooingtheir name on the prospect�s record in the �system,�just in case divine intervention comes into play andthe person decides to call up and order on their own.These reps then usually pounce upon the order andsay, �It�s mine. See, has my name on it.�

Ask the Kondo QuestionBut, the main reason reps have too many �leads

working� is that they don�t ask the tough questionsearly enough. You need to find out if the person you�retalking to is really a �player.� It�s always better to geta �no� early, than to waste time, effort, paper, andpostage chasing shadows that never will materialize.

Here is what you need to do starting today.

Begin cleaning up your �non-prospect� prospectsnow. Ask this Kondo Question,

�Mr./Ms. Prospect, we�ve been talking forawhile now, and have agreed that we�d be ableto help you (fill in with how they would ben-efit.) I want to be sure I�m not bothering you,or wasting your time or mine. Tell me, what is

the probability we�ll be able to work together inthe next month?�

Think of the possible results here.

1.They say, �Zero probability.� Great, now at leastyou can find out the real problem, or move them out.Movement, forward or out, is progress.

2. They give some other probability. Good, but notgreat. You want to ask what you both need to do tomove forward now. Get specifics. Commitments. Askthem to attach time frames to the commitments. Don�tallow them to continue putting you off. Again, move-ment here is success.

3. You just might get the business right now. Perfect.Sometimes all it takes is the nudge to get the boulderrolling down the mountain.

Do some database decluttering. Examine your fol-low-up files. Prepare your own strategy and ask the KondoQuestion.

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out of its nine types of questions to�summarizing confirmation ques-tions� (questions that make yourbuyer feel understood).

If you get this tip right, it mightbe the first time in your buyer�s lifethat they�ve felt truly understood.

That�s how rare it is.

Here�s the phrase that makes ithappen:

�That�s a valid concern. Itseems like you�re _____.�

Fill in the blank with an emotionyou observed your buyer express. Forexample:

�That�s a valid concern Stacy.It seems like you�re pretty tornon what to do here.�

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Some objections are smokescreens. Your buyers words vs. what�sactually stopping them from movingforward are sometimes different.

It�s your job to make sure you�readdressing the true objection. Other-wise, you�re wrestling with smoke.

Here�s the exact phrase that getsyour buyer to voice the true objec-tion.

�If we somehow figure outhow to solve that completely�what other obstacles would wehave to overcome before movingforward?�

If your buyer voices other objec-tions, chances are those are the REALthings you need to overcome.

If they don�t have any others, thenthe first objection they voiced is theright one.

Congratulations, you�ve isolatedthe objection :)

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Each of these steps in isolationseem SIMPLE. But when you put allseven together, magic can happen.

Your next piece to the puzzle is to

neutralize your buyer�s mind. Your goalis to make them receptive to a differentway of thinking.

Without this critical step, you�ll trig-ger resistance. You can do every otherstep, but if you leave this one out, yourobjection handling efforts will fall short.

First, here�s what NOT to say to gainpermission from your buyer:

�Can I make a suggestion?�

This question triggers defensiveness.Your buyer will not be receptive to yoursuggestions.

It triggers the �rebellious teenager ef-fect.� You�ll come across as lecturing.At best, the buyer will smile, nod, andthen ignore everything you say.

Here�s the phrase that works like acharm:

"Can I bounce a few thoughts offof you?"

This question neutralizes your buyer�smind. It implies that YOU are the vul-nerable one, not your buyer.

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If you�ve done the last five steps, youcan now address the objection with a�reframe.�

A reframe is an insight that changeshow your customer thinks and feels aboutan objection, problem, or opportunity

Reframes get your buyer to see thingsthrough a new �lens.�

Here�s an example.

(NOTE: This example would notwork without the previous steps. With-out that padding, this is a trite argument.But with the previous steps, and withyour buyer�s permission, it will changethe way your buyer thinks.)

Here at Gong.io, we try to get ourbuyers to pilot our software. And anobjection we often face is this:

�I don�t want to start a pilot until af-ter next month. We�re too busy closingout the quarter. Right now is the worsttime for us to do this.�

Our sales reps reframe that objection

from �bad timing,� to �perfect timing.�

�The conversations your teamwill be having before end of quar-ter will be higher-stakes, and moreimportant to record. Right now isthe best time.�

Stumped at coming up with yourOWN reframes? Think of a commonobjection you�re currently strugglingwith.

Got it? Now ask these questionsabout it:

Is the objection�

-A problem that can be reframedas an opportunity?

- A weakness that can be reframedas a strength?

- Poor timing that can be reframedas perfect timimg?

Ask those questions, and you�llcome up with some great reframes.

SSTTEEPP SSEEVVEENN:: CCoonnffiirrmm aannUUnnbbiiaasseedd RReessoolluuttiioonn

Don�t LEAD the buyer to say whatyou want to hear. This leaves the ob-jection unresolved, killing your deallater on.

Here�s what to ask to bring closureto the objection:

�What part of your concern doyou feel is still left unaddressed?�

The exact phrasing of this questionmatters.

You DON�T want to say somethinglike �Does that resolve your concern?�

That might lead your buyer to giv-ing you a false �yes.� And remember:Objections buried alive never die :)They come up later as killer zombies.

Now, if your buyer responds with�no, we can move on,� CONGRATS!You�ve overcome the objection!

(Chris Orlob is with Gong.io. Gongcaptures all of your sales conversations,phone calls, web conferences, andemails. It then uses AI to uncover thestuff won deals are made of. Go toGong.io and request a demo.)

(Continued from cover page)

TTeelleeTTiippss


HHooww TToo SSiiggnn UUpp FFoorr aa TTrriiaallTake the Inner Circle for a test drive and get ac-

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88

YYeess,, BBrriinngg UUpp aa NNeeggaattiivvee.. AAnndd tthheennOObblliitteerraattee iitt LLaatteerr

Experienced negotiators often make demands calledthrowaway points, which are minor concessions they are will-ing to make later at little or no cost to them, but of greatperceived value. Sales reps can use a variation of this tech-nique by mentioning something during your sales presenta-tion that might cause some resistance...but will be easy foryou to solve and cinch the sale. For example, let�s say youhave some flexibility on delivery terms. During the sales pre-sentation you might say that your standard shipping time isone week. If they complain, saying that won�t work for them,you have the option of asking them if they would buy ifSecond Day Air was provided. In what areas do you havepossible throwaway points? Shipping, extended warranties,and additional items all can be added to help win the sale.Use them if you need to.

BBee aann AApppprroovveedd VVeennddoorr ttoo SSeellll MMoorreeA sales manager shared an idea that works well with his

telesales reps. Companies often have approved vendor listsupon which any seller must be listed before the prospect couldpurchase. Instead of following the route that many sales-people take, trying to sell the prospect first, his reps ask theoperator or screener if there is an approved vendor list, and ifso, how they can get on it. The callers follow the appropriatesteps, then when speaking with the prospect, it�s a real door-opener to mention that they�re already on the list.

TThhee ��WWhhaatt WWee CCaann DDoo�� CCoommmmiittmmeennttSSttaatteemmeenntt

After getting buying signals (or at least in the absence ofresistance), sum up what you and the prospect have agreedon, and suggest the next action, which would include thecommitment:

�Well Shawn, it looks like we�re in agreement thatthis is the system that will address both your currentand anticipated load levels...what we can do is takethe next step and begin processing the paperwork.What do you think?�

TTeeaassee TThheemm WWiitthh YYoouurr PPoossssiibbllee VVaalluueeNever call to say, �I�d just like to talk to you about our

products.� That�s a sure way to prompt the listener to imme-diately hit his �delete� function and purge your message intoelectronic oblivion. So, why would they want to either returnyour call or enthusiastically accept your next one? Tell them.

Hint�and only hint�at something they�d be interested inhearing. Tell them that you have additional information they'llbe happy to hear, you have more ideas that can help them, oryou�ve given further thought to their situation and have a fewmore solutions, etc. Make them curious.

GGiivvee TThheemm aann AAccttiioonn IItteemmWhen agreeing to a follow-up call give them an action

item, something they should do between now and the nexttime you call. For example, ��and if you could have avail-able the specific performance numbers you�ll require,I�ll be able to give you the best recommendation foryour application.�

PPuutt PPrriiccee iinn aa DDiiffffeerreenntt PPeerrssppeeccttiivveeIf your prospect or customer grouses about high price, shift

his/her thinking more to the long-term value they�ll receive. Trythis question:

�Are you looking more at the one time price, or areyou looking at the overall long-term cash flow?�

Here are variations:

�Is the price you�re paying today the primary crite-rion, or are you figuring in the total savings you�ll getover the life of the product because you won�t have topay for maintenance?�

�Sure, if you were to keep it for only one year, thecash outlay is more for our model, but have you lookedat the energy savings over the projected life of the sys-tem?�



February 2019 VVoolluummee 3366 NNuummbbeerr 22

SMART CALLINGREPORT

(continued on page 7)

Outrageous �Gatekeeper� Techniques, andActually a Few You Can Use

Seems like a day doesn�t go bywhen the �Content Marketing Man-ager� of some company sends mesomething they�d like me to print orshare on social media.

Like most of the �cold� calls I get,a majority of these have no relevanceto my audience, showing that thesender did no research first.

This past month I got one that wasrelevant, however the messaging wasway off.

The people at the company,TollFreeForwarding.com send me alink to this article: �Impersonation,Fabrication and Compliments: HowSales Teams Try to Beat theGatekeeper.� (Google the title if you'dlike to see the entire thing.)

Of course, my first reaction was,�You�ve got to be kidding me. An-other article about treating the assis-tant as an adversary.�

And just the phrase, �Beat theGatekeeper� goes against everythingI stand for.

Well, there were quite a few out-rageous, ridiculous, and even unethi-cal techniques in the article. I�ll sharea couple of those with you�for en-tertainment purposes. And then, theydid actually list a few that are worth-while, and that I have suggested.

AAvvooiidd TThheesseeHere are some �real life� tech-

niques they said some sales reps areusing. (And this is contributing to thenegativity that some people feel to-ward our profession.)

TThhee RRaaddiioo DDJJHard to believe, but a rep calls

and impersonates a radio announcer,saying,

�Hi [Gatekeeper] it�s [DJ NAME]from [RADIO STATION]. How areyou today?�

He says,

�They usually get so excited think-ing they�ve won something, so theyput me through.�

No. Just no.

TThhee SScchhooooll PPrriinncciippaall Again, I can�t believe they would

even print this more blatant lie. A repclaims he calls into the HR depart-ment and says,

�Hi, this is Principle Wood calling� could you just pass me onto[NAME], I have an urgent matter todiscuss with them regarding their chil-dren�.

Amazing.

EEmmbbaarrrraassssiinngg SScceennaarriioossAnd yet another.

�Good afternoon, could I speakto Mr/Mrs [NAME] please? It�s withregards to this afternoon�s visit fromour debt collection team�.

They say to �Hit the gatekeeperwith a potentially sensitive subject, andthey�ll pass you over out of sheerembarrassment.�

The article then goes on to listabout eight others, with varying de-grees of outrageousness.

But then, they do a quick rever-sal, and say, �These outrageous ex-amples are unlikely to see you attainyour final goal, particularly if yourelaborate tale is unraveled. Instead,we�d recommend adopting some ofthe advice below � given to us by thosewho have been there and done it.�

Ah, I see. So, they were using Na-tional Enquirer or online �clickbait�techniques to get us sucked in, andNOW they will say, �Just kidding.�

OK.

To their credit, a few of their rec-ommended techniques are good, andrecommended. Although they still usethe term, �beating the gatekeeper.�

I�m reprinting these pretty muchverbatim.

KKiinnddnneessss GGooeess aa LLoonngg WWaayySimilar to one of the stories out-

lined above, beating the gatekeepercould actually be as simple as beingnice to the gatekeeper. That doesn�tnecessarily mean you have to conjureup a compliment as that might comeacross as disingenuous.

Sometimes, just being a normal,nice human being can be enough.

�It�s best to be up-front and clearin your requests to show them that youcare about their time.� Paymo�s MarcelAndrei told us.

�I say please twice, once at the be-ginning and end of my request.

�Hi there, my name is Marcelfrom Paymo, the project manage-ment platform. It looks like yourmanager has downgraded theiraccount with us. Could youplease connect me with him/herto discuss this issue in moredepth, please/�

�And it works, because kindnesscan bring you a long way�.

GGoo OOffff SSccrriippttConversations between a sales

caller and gatekeeper can often take aformulaic approach. You may have



22

Art Sobczak is President ofBusiness By Phone, andeditor/publisher of SCR,and author of severalbooks and audio trainingprograms. He developsand delivers results-getting prospecting andsales training andworkshops. To discusswhat he might be able todo for you, call him at800-326-7721, or (480)699-0958.Email him at [email protected].


.

Now go and make this your bestmonth ever!

Sales ObservationsHere�s a good strategy when

you know you are up against a fewother vendors. Simply ask, �Can Ibe the last to present?� Or, �MayI have the last at bat?� When youknow there will be several players vy-ing for the business, and you are pre-senting to a group, ask to be the lastone they hear. This way, you can geta feel for what was already presented,and the last presentation typically hasthe freshest, strongest impact.

Further, when there will be sev-eral decision makers, ask your con-tact for a rundown on them, their back-grounds, interests, etc. Ask whether anyof them already have a preferred ven-dor or favor any of the other present-ers. Sell your contact as much as youcan before the presentation. Ask themif they will be in your corner. I�ve hadpeople like this lobby for me BEFOREthe call.

Here's a tip for presenting viaconference calls to groups: Plant somequestions in your contact�s mind thathe should ask the other presenters. Ofcourse these will be areas in which youare strong. This way, it ensures thecompetitors must reveal their weak-nesses, or at least present in areas thataren�t as strong as yours.

The law of gravity will naturallypull your attitude down unless you regu-larly do something to keep it up. Here�ssomething I like to do. I set up an emailfolder titled �Feel Goods.� In it I storethe complimentary emails, testimonials,and occasional fan letter. When I startto get pulled down, I go to the folderand instantly get picked up.

When someone is not ready tobuy today, and they are not even thathot of a prospect, here's something totry that could salvage something for thefuture:

�What can I say to be involvedwith you when you are ready tobuy?�

I needed to grab a bite to eatbetween two connecting flights. At theairport foodcourt I found a decent look-ing Chinese place. They had a two entréespecial, and a three-choice option that�sabout three bucks more. They were su-per busy, and the person behind thecounter greeted customers with NewYork deli-type urgency, blurting out,�Whatwouldyoulikeplease!�

Here�s the sales technique: aftereach person gave their two choices,thewoman behind the counter barked out,

�And?�

Most of the people I saw, includingmyself, added a third choice of KungPao something or another. And anotherthree dollars to the sale.

Think of the opportunities you haveto increase the size of your sales. Thebest time to get someone to buy moreis when their wallet is out. Often it isjust as simple as one question. Or oneword.

Prior to my training session withthe sales team I worked with last week Isat in on the "State of the Company" ad-dresses from the top leaders in the com-pany. One mentioned a brilliant phrasethat you can implement as a strategy also,if you have a Goliath in your industry,and you are more like David.

This company provides awesome da-tabase software, services, and support.They are growing, but not massive. Theydo pride themselves on truly caring aboutwhat is best for the customer, and I canvouch for that.

What is the phrase?

A reason that companies should dobusiness with them is,

"Because we are not Oracle."

Of course Oracle is the behemoth inthe industry. So this is taking what some-one might consider being a negative (be-ing smaller) and turning it into a posi-tive.

I can think of many of you right nowwho can use this. Maybe you already are.

"Because we are NOT amazon."

"Because we are NOT Costco."

"Because we are NOT (fill in withthe "Goliath" of your industry)."

Of course this all needs to be in con-text, and has to be backed up with thereasons why.


SSeellllnngg VVaalluuee

MMaannaaggiinngg AAccccoouunnttss

WWhhaatt ttoo DDoo WWhheennTThheeyy DDoonn��tt SSeeee tthheeVVaalluuee iinn SSaavviinnggMMoonneeyy

Sometimes having a lower price, orbeing able to help someone save moneyisn�t a sure bet to close a sale.

Let�s say you�ve reached the pointwhere you�ve pointed out the savingsyou could show for the customer, yetthat still doesn�t inspire them enoughto give you a �yes.� You want to beatyour head against the desk and say,�Dummy, open your eyes.� Don�t. Ithurts.

Instead, analyze the real problem:he simply isn�t associating the dollaramount he�s overpaying now as a bigenough problem, or viewing the savingsas a large enough solution to aproblem. Therefore, your job is topresent it in a way that helps him tothink differently.

As with any objection, the firstaction is to determine if that truly isthe only factor keeping them frombuying. Ask, �Is it that your feelingsabout the savings not beingsignificant enough the only thingkeeping you from movingforward?� After getting confirmation,then move to the next step. Consider,

Putting the savings in terms ofprofits. �That�s money that dropsdirectly to your bottom line.�

Profits, in terms of additionalsales they would need to get. �Let�slook at this in terms of what you�dneed to sell to realize this muchprofit. Based on your 10% margin,you�d have to sell another $10,000worth of your products just toshow the $1000 profit I�mbasically giving you.�

Relating it to common expenses.�With this savings you could makethe monthly payments on three ofyour delivery vans. It would be likewe�re actually buying yourtrucks!�

Showing savings or having a lowerprice helps only when they perceive thevalue they�ll get. So make it clear tothem!

So you�ve been beaten up prettybadly for the day. Your prospectingyielded zilch, and you�re gazing up ata quota number that seemingly ap-pears helium-filled, floating a bit moreout of your grasp every day.

Paging through your CRM, look-ing for a member of the 20% club ofyour account base that represents80% of your business, you�re search-ing for a slam dunk that will book yousome quick numbers so you can getclose to your number for the month.

Ah-ha, here�s one! Looks like it�stime for them to order.

�Quality Industries, may I helpyou?�

�Yes,� you respond confidently.�I�d like to speak with Kyle Johnson.�

�I�m sorry, but Mr. Johnson is nolonger with our company.�

Your heart sinks faster than a high-rise elevator. You�re searching for anintelligent response. �Uhhhh,� is thefirst sound you can muster. �Whathappened to him?�

�He�s just no longer with the com-pany.� Code words for being canned.Wonderful, here�s a guy you had agreat relationship with, always hadtime to shoot the bull (maybe that�swhy he�s no longer there), and alwayscould be counted on for an order. Heloved your products. Oh well, betterfind out who the new guy is. So youget the name of Jennifer Stevens,hang up, and regroup.

Ever been in that situation? Mostof us have. Here�s what you don�twant to do.

�Hi �ya, Jennifer? Hey, I�m DaleWilson with Complete Supply. I hearyou took ol� Kyle Johnson�s place.Well, Kyle used to buy all his fittingsand bearings from me, and I knowit�s getting about time for you guys toreorder and I�m sure you�ll want todo the same thing, so I�d like to talkwith you a bit about the way he didthings and get you going on your nextorder here.�

That would only be funny if I

hadn�t heard it before. Many times, actu-ally.

Let�s look at some better alternatives forworking with new buyers.

1. Don�t Assume. Keep in mind thenew person had a life before taking this po-sition, and might have existing relationshipswith other vendors�maybe even strongerthan the one you had with the person he/she replaced. Coming across cocky is a lockto get you crossed off the list.

2. Send a Welcome Note or Card.When you learn the new person�s name,hand write a card and note, congratulatingthem on their position. DO NOT sell in thecard. Mention you look forward to speakingwith them, and sign it with your name, andyour company�s name. They won�t get muchmail personally addressed to them duringtheir first few weeks on the job, so your ges-ture will be memorable.

3. Learn About Them. You likely haveallies in the department. Snoop around.Learn where the person came from, personalinterests, what they�ve been doing in theirfirst few days there.

4. Call to Introduce Yourself, AddValue. Here�s where you need to make thebest impression. �Hello Ms. Stevens, I�mDale Wilson with Complete Supply.First, congratulations again on yournew position with Quality Industries.(pause, chit chat) I�ve had the opportu-nity over the past several years to pro-vide Quality with bearings and fittingsthat the engineering department saysworks superbly in your line of wheelsand components. I know you�re prob-ably quite busy in your new positionthere, and I�d like to arrange a timewhen we could take about 20 minutesby phone to discuss how you like todeal with vendors, your preferences,and anything that I can do to make yourjob run smoothly.�

Notice this approach is focused entirelyon the new buyer, not on the caller. Granted,notice the caller is coming in with some sta-tus, that of a long-time vendor. But he�s notflaunting it and ramming it down the newbuyer�s throat as that�s the way things haveand will be done.

Oh, by the way. Do find out where yourold buyer went and call him there.

YYoouurr RReegguullaarr BBuuyyeerr LLeefftt.. NNooww WWhhaatt??


Jim Domanski

(continued on next page)

A question for you: how long be-fore you respond to a voice messageor email from a client?

Within minutes?A couple ofhours? The end of the day?Twodays?

There is an art and a science toresponding to messages from clientsand prospects. I'll show you whenyou should respond and why. We'lldiscuss how to strike a balance be-tween being customer-focused andstill being effective in your day-to-day selling activities.

The SituationHere�s what prompted this col-

umn: I was in the process of revis-ing the shopping cart for my web siteand was dealing with one of the ma-jor merchant card companies. Myrep, Melissa, and I started off on theright foot. Melissa explained what sheneeded from me. I got the informa-tion and called back. Got her voicemail. Fine. No problem, yet. It washer message though, that staggeredme. It informed me that she wouldrespond within 24-48 hours!

Can you believe it?

And she was true to her word.Regrettably. About 36 hours latershe called back � at 9:00 p.m. (Iwasn�t there for the call. Gee, gofigure)�and left a message to callher back. I did so the next morningat 8:30. Her response was betterthan the first call: only 27 hours later.

This continued twice more.

To make a long story short, guesswho�s not getting the business?

The Two OptionsMelissa is probably the exception

rather than the rule for responsetimes. Getting back to a customeror a prospect is important stuff. De-termining WHEN you make that callback or respond to that e-mail is thekey. There are two simple options:

Option 1:Immediate Response

Some will argue that you shouldimmediately respond to an email ora voice message the moment yourlight flashes or your computer alertsyou. You pick up the message anddial or type. Simple. Easy. Fast. Cli-ent focused.

But is it smart?

I have seen reps drop everything,regardless of how important the mat-ter, and pick up the phone. They be-come slavish to responding to clientsand prospects. And many times, therequest by the client is minor but nev-ertheless time consuming. They areforever in the response mode. Reac-tive. On the surface, they appear tobe very sales or customer service fo-cused.

But are they really, and at whatcost?

The moment you drop somethingto respond is the moment you get be-hind on other activities. Other clientssuffer. You suffer. When you are in aconstant reactive state, it is difficultto do the things that need to be done.We put aside important but less (ap-parently) urgent activities and tasks� like prospecting� or reports �orwhatever.

Option 2: Delayed ResponseAnother option is to batch your

emails and voice mails and schedulethem for a reply periodically through-out the day.

I like this approach because it putsyou in control of your time. It helpsyou manage important but not urgentmatters and helps ensure that thingsget done. The key point here is that itputs you in the proactive mode ratherthan the reactive mode.

The only challenge is to determinehow often you should batch and re-spond during the day.

How to Create aResponse Time

1. Establish a StandardThe trick to responding to clients

is to set a standard and stick to it. Astandard defined is �a degree or levelof excellence.� It is your stated policyof when you shall respond to a cus-tomer contact.

How do you set this standard?

Understand, each business willhave their own response standard. Itwill vary depending on the nature ofyour business and the nature of yourcustomers and products.

For instance, if you are in a com-modity-driven market where pricequotes and availability are vital, yourresponse time might be 30 minutes oran hour.

Why?

Because the customer or prospecthas choices of where to get the prod-uct. There are alternatives and youneed to be response-oriented.

If, on the other hand, your prod-uct is a little more complex and theselling is a little more consultative, itmight be a matter of hours. You mustcalculate how urgent typical requestsmight be. If you respond in two tothree hours, it might be sufficient. Yourclient is happy and you can still beproactive.

If you are a field rep and youtravel, your response time might be aday; 24 hours. This may or may notbe the best time. Only you, your bossand your client can ultimately decidethis. So the point is, sit down and ana-lyze your situation and create yourstandard.

2. Communicate the StandardAfter you create the standard, you

must communicate it to your clients.Educate them. You do this throughyour voice mail. Explain precisely what

How and When to �Get Back� to Clients


TopTips

(continued from previous page)

Jim Domanski

CCrreeaattee YYoouurr OOwwnnEEmmoottiioonnaall DDeessccrriippttiioonnss

Here's a great training exercise. Sit downwith fellow reps and have a brainstormingsession where you discuss what people ex-perience as a result of buying from you.Talk in terms of their emotions. Then comeup with analogies and descriptive words,terms, and phrases that help listeners toactually live the experience before they buyfrom you. Get all the senses involved.

Can they see, feel, touch, taste, or hearthe results? If so, how? Put yourself in theposition of the person experiencing the re-sults and create images that are as emo-tion-evoking as possible.

Associate the emotions with ones youknow they have experienced before. By theway, don't talk about buying from you; fo-cus on them using your product or service.Nothing beats actually demonstrating aproduct or service so that prospects canexperience the results first hand. In absenceof that, however, you can get close by cre-ating those emotions with your words.

Focus on the great feelings they wantand expect, and you'll sell more every time.

GGeett PPeerrssoonnaall WWiitthhYYoouurr BBeenneeffiittss

One of the strongest overlooked buyingmotivators is how a purchasing decisionaffects the buyer personally. Saving thecompany a few man-hours here or theremight not be too exciting, but if you learnthat your prospect is in line for a bonusbased on coming in under budget, THATcould be huge for you.

Can buying from you,

� make their job easier?

� make it more fun?

� help them make money?

� make them look good in the eyes ofpeople that matter?

� avoid any other problem or pain theypersonally are affected by?

Get them talking about these areas.

�How does that affect you?�

�What would change for you if youmoved forward?�

�What effects would this have onyour job?�

will happen. For instance,

�I am unavailable to take yourcall right now but if you leaveyour name and telephone num-ber, I will get back to you withintwo hours of your message.�

Be clear. Let everyone know pre-cisely what your response time is.

If you are away from the office onholiday, sick or whatever, explain thatin your voice mail. If you work shiftwork and won�t be in until 11:00, ad-vise the caller in your voice mailbox.Do the same thing with your e-mailmessages. Send an auto response ifyou are not in so the client understandsthere might be a delay. Offer an alter-native solution if they need to speakto someone.

3. Commit to the StandardThe next action is to strictly follow

your response standard. If the stan-dard is every two hours, do it.

Here�s how. Use your Outlook orwhatever planning system you use toschedule your response time. For ex-ample, enter �call backs� two or threeor whatever times per date at specifictimes. Stick to the schedule. Resist thetemptation to check your e-mail andvoice mail. Be disciplined. You will dis-cover that clients quickly learn you aretrue to your word and are dependable.They WILL accept it.

SummaryEstablishing a response time is a

simple and easy to do. It helps youtake control of your time and yoursales destiny. It puts you in the driver�sseat and allows you to get importantthings done.

Try it. It works.Good Selling.

(Jim Domanskiis President ofTeleConceptsConsulting, atelesalesconsulting andtraining firm.Contact him [email protected],613-591-1998)

agonized for days over your script, butthey will have likely heard it all before andhave a similar script in place to combatyou. In response, Michael Neufield fromthe Hunter Davis Group uses a techniquehe calls �script interrupt�:

�I go straight at a gatekeeper givingthem all of the information they wouldtypically ask for: name, who I am with,and the nature of my call. This interruptstheir typical script and puts me in controlof the conversation.

�You can also ask their name first (pro-vided they did not just tell you when theyanswered the call). This humanizes thecall and the gatekeeper. I have found thistechnique helps to put the gatekeeper andmyself on the same level.�

Send Them a GiftIf words aren�t enough to get you

where you need to be, you could go theextra mile and purchase them a gift � asEl Mejor Trato�s Cristian Rennella suggests:

�The best strategy we have found tobeat the gatekeeper is 10 days beforemaking the call, send a creative gift. Some-thing new and creative that awakens hisor her curiosity � and also make sure it issomething office-based. This way, whenyou call, they will know exactly who itis�.

It could also help you reignite a trailthat has gone cold, as Debra Benton,once found: �After being a little sharp withthe gatekeeper I knew I was doomed. So,after the appointment, I went to a Godivastore nearby and bought a significantlysized box of chocolates and brought themback to her.

�I explained that I was wrong, I ap-preciate her job, and thanks for the helpdespite my sharpness. She never forgotand I never forgot to be a whole lot betterto them.� Note: of course you could senda gift, too.

In summary, this should have beentwo articles. One on the outrageous thingssome sales reps do that demean the en-tire profession. And the other, actual tech-niques that are real, and work.

You know what to do. Pick out whatyou can use here when getting to buyers,and implement them. And remember,always treat everyone as if they were thebuyer.

(continued from cover page)

"Gatekeepers"


GGeettttiinngg MMoovveemmeenntt

DDoonn��tt MMaakkee LLiiaarrss OOuutt ooff YYoouurr PPrroossppeeccttssA sales rep travels nowhere on a prospecting phone

call. Because he thinks he�s doing something productive,or he�s in a rush to minimize the pain and get off thephone, he utters one of these laughable phrases,

�Well, keep us in mind, OK?�

�Here�s my number, write it down just in case.�

�How about I give you a call in six months or so?�

When I�m the prospect, I really do feel quite guilty(OK, maybe only slightly. All right, not the least bit ofremorse.) when I respond with an �OK, I will keep you inmind,� or when I�m feigning interest and scribbling downtheir phone number while I�m actually doodling.

These phrases make liars out of prospects.

Face it. They have no intention of �keeping us in mind,�let alone writing down our number. These phrases don�taccomplish anything positive, and give no reason for thelistener to ever want to consider �keeping you in mind� orcalling you. But you can and should salvage somethingfrom these calls. Here�s what you should do and say in-stead.

11.. DDeetteerrmmiinnee iiff TThheerree EEvveerrWWoouulldd BBee PPootteennttiiaall

A money- and time-wasting mistake is hanging on toprospects when there�s no shred of evidence that the per-son is a prospect. Maybe you�ve experience it: these �pros-pects� are recycled through your system. You peruse thenotes, get that aching pang in your stomach recalling yourlast dead-end call. And since there�s nothing leading youto believe they�re any better of a prospect today...you pagethrough to the next prospect, postponing the inevitable.Or you call and experience either rejection or another put-off.

Another error is letting them go when, indeed, theremight be some potential. Find out for sure. Ask,

�Ben, under what circumstances would you eversee yourself considering another vendor?� Notice thewording here. It�s a question that not only asks if they everwould use someone else, but it also asks for the circum-stances that would surround it. For example, I�ve heardprospects respond,

�Well, I suppose if I ever got into an emergency situa-tion where they weren�t able to deliver, I�d have to lookelsewhere.� Then you have an opportunity to pick up onthat remark and continue questioning.

On the other hand, if they say, �Look, you�re wastingyour time buddy. Quit calling me,� write them off andmove on. And feel good about it, since you obtained adecision.

22.. PPrrooaaccttiivveellyy GGiivvee TThheemm SSoommeetthhiinnggTToo TThhiinnkk AAbboouutt

To reiterate, �Keep us in mind,� is a worthless phrase.If you truly want someone to keep you in mind, givethem a reason. And tie it into a problem they mightexperience�a problem you could solve. That mightprompt them to not only think of you, but better yet, tocall you.

Let�s say you know you can help a company lowertheir property taxes, but they either don�t see the needat this point, or don�t believe you. You might end thecall with,

�I still feel we can help you. Here�s somethingto consider: when you review your property taxitemization, take a look at the specific valuationand charges for your out-of-state properties. If youfeel those taxes are high and question them, keepin mind we are specialists on the tax laws in ev-ery state, and know the best way to challenge,and eventually lower the bill. I�ll send you a cardwith my number on it, so keep it in your tax file,and give me a call then if you feel it would help.�

Don�t make liars out of people. The process is simple.Determine if there ever will be potential. Give them ex-amples of situations to look for, and associate themwith the problem you can solve. When they do experi-ence these problems, you�ll have a greater chance ofthem thinking of you.

YYoouu��llll NNeevveerr KKnnooww UUnnlleessss YYoouu AAsskkNever underestimate the amount and quality of informa-

tion that screeners and receptionists might be able to provideyou. Participants at a recent seminar shared stories of how theyroutinely get direct extension numbers of high level executives,and even have the organizational chart read to them! But youmust ask for the information.

OOnn CCaalllliinngg CCuussttoommeerrssWhen phoning past purchasers, sales reps in all industries

like to talk about accounts, as in �. . . and I was reviewingyour account.� Referring to a customer as an �account� is acold, impersonal way to speak with the customer.

Instead, say things like,

�We provided you with . . .,�

�You used our . . .,� and,

�We were able to help you with . . .�


SSeellff MMoottiivvaattiioonn

�

WWhheenn YYoouu��rree NNoott FFaammiilliiaarr WWiitthhtthhee CCoommppeettiittoorr

What should you do when a prospect compares you to acompetitor you�re not familiar with?

Ask them for more information.

�I�m really not familiar with that company Mr. Ma-son. Please tell me about them?�

Some prospects will even send you price lists, brochures,and proposals from the competitor. Or, get the phone num-ber from them and call for the information yourself.

HHooww ttoo DDeeaall WWiitthh tthhee NNoonn--DDeecciissiioonn MMaakkiinngg IInnffoorrmmaattiioonnCCoolllleeccttoorr

You might have experience with this person: the one whocalls you or fills out your web form and wants information,but they can�t get any clearer about what they want thanwhat is written on the meager notes in front of them.

What likely has happened here is the boss walked by andinstructed the assistant to �find out something about ______.�

You�ve probably had these frustrating calls.

There could be potential...you just can�t tell based onspeaking with this person.

And it�s equally frustrating for them, since they�re unableto answer your probing questions.

In cases like this it�s always suggested to get as much infoas you can, as minimal as it might be.

�Any reason at all why he asked you to collect thisinformation?�

�Who else are you calling?�

�What�s happening in your department that mightprompt the need for information on _____?�

Bottom line, your best move with this person is in at-tempting to get to the boss. (It�s OK here.) Justify your rea-soning so they�ll let you through:

�Pat, I�d be able to provide you with the best infor-mation if I just knew more about the reason for therequest, and specifically what the boss is looking for.If I provide you with a list of questions, could youpass those on? Or, better yet, could I speak with herdirectly?�

Stepping on someone�s head to get to the real buyer canusually cause more harm than good. Work with your con-tact instead, and you�ll show more success.

Get Rid of the AvoidanceBehavior that Hinders Your Sales

Picture the sales rep who spends two prime hours every dayreading surfing online �doing research.�

And the rep who feels obligated to assume ownership of allminuscule customer service situations�ones easily delegated�because she wants to be certain they�re handled correctly. Andher call productivity suffers as a result.

Or, the salesperson who is always fixated on one �big deal�devoting tons of time�at the expense of placing other calls�working on the proposal.

Know anyone like these people? ARE you one of these people?

If so, you are flat out avoiding something. And probablydenying it.

There are all kinds of avoidance behaviors. Whenever I getparticularly ambitious around the house, tightening things, re-placing filters, I usually get honest with myself: I should be parkedin front of a computer, preparing for a training program or writ-ing articles.

What non-sales activities do you engage in that steal fromyour productive selling time?

Or, what call behaviors do you practice that are not as effec-tive as what you should do? For example, some reps insist onjust asking a few questions during a first call, �touching base� ona second call, then phoning a few more times before finallygetting into the meat of selling. They rationalize that they�rebuilding a relationship. Bunk. They�re constructing a fat follow-up file. Sure they�re busy, but it�s like running on a treadmill.Lots of sweat, but no forward progress. Oh, but they�re building�relationships.�

Here�s how to deal with your avoidance behavior.

1. Make a commitment to improve. If you don�t havethat �want to,� read no further.

2. Pinpoint what you know you should do, but don�t,or don�t do it often enough.

3. Identify the activity or behavior that you rational-ize as important, but deep down you know it�s a mask.This is where you need to be brutally honest with yourself.

4. Determine what activity or behavior you will re-place it with. For example, asking for the bigger sale earlier,sending out fewer proposals to only the more highly qualifiedprospects, or spending less time internally chasing down answersto questions and delegating more instead.

5. Set specific, quantifiable, time-sensitive goals. Writethem out. Any time is a great time to start, even if it is not thefirst of the year.

6. Take action. Track your progress.

7. Reward yourself! What gets rewarded gets repeated.

So why wait? Don�t avoid it any longer. Take some action,any action right now that you�ve been avoiding. You�ll be gladyou did.

TToopp TTiippss

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88

PPrreeppaarree YYoouurr CCaalllliinngg AArreeaa ffoorr SSuucccceessssSome reps� work spaces look like the aftermath of a

tornado.Quite distracting, to be sure. Others often are caughtunprepared on calls, prompting them to dig wildly throughfiles on a call like a dog searching for a buried bone. Thinkthey�re paying attention to what�s happening on the call?Fat chance. Place all the prompts and resources you�ll needduring the day in front of you, and clear away the distrac-tions. You�ll be better prepared and more focused.

BBee SSppeecciiffiicc WWiitthh YYoouurr QQuueessttiioonniinnggAvoid using questions like,

�Does that happen a lot?�

�Do you experience that often?�

�Was there much of an impact?�

Think about if a customer answered �yes� or �no� tothose questions. You wouldn�t really know any more thanbefore you asked. Instead, get better information by askingfor specific information: �How often has that happened inthe past three months?�

�What has been the impact on your departmentin terms of increased sales?�

PPeerrssiisstteennccee PPaayyss��FFoorr TThheemmIf you ever receive comments about your persistence,

consider it a compliment. And be certain they realize thatthey are gaining as a result.

�You�re sure persistent, aren�t you?�

�I am. That�s because I believe sostrongly in what I have, and how it willhelp you.�

VViinnttaaggee SSaalleess IIddeeaassI was reviewing some past training programs I had done for

clients, looking for ideas I could share with you, and came acrosssome from a client whose reps sell wine by phone. Here are justa few of the effective techniques I heard used.

�You will be absolutely delighted when you receivethis wine...� (Reinforces their decision to buy.)

�When you�re serving this to your guests, you�ll bethanking me.� (Ditto.)

�This selection is like liquid velvet.� (What an image!)

�How much do you think you could use ...just offthe top of your head?� (A non-adversarial commitment ques-tion.)

TTrryy TThheessee TTrriiaall CClloosseessAfter you�ve presented a few benefits, and nothing but si-

lence greets you at the other end, resist the tendency to con-tinue with the presentation. What you are saying may not be ofinterest to the listener. Find out what they think and feel aboutwhat you�ve said: �Am I going in the right direction?�, or�Am I talking about what you�re interested in?�

AArree YYoouu SSmmaarrtt EEnnoouugghh ttoo GGeett TThhiiss??Don�t ask someone,

�Do you understand?�, or

�Are you following me?�

These questions belittle the person, insulting his intelligence.Besides, the burden should always be on the questioner to makehimself understood. Therefore, take the �you� out of it. Say,

�Did I explain that clearly enough?� , or,

�Did I go into enough detail on that?�



March 2019 VVoolluummee 3366 NNuummbbeerr 33

SMART CALLINGREPORT

It�s my job�my passion, actu-ally�to consume whatever I can findon sales tips, strategies, advice, train-ing, etc., distill it down, tweak it, testit, and share it in a variety of ways,including this publication, like I�vebeen doing for over 30 years.

Back in the day, that mostly con-sisted of going through books, audios,and workshops by established sales ex-perts. Along with articles published inactual business magazines and tradepublications by experts and people inthe field who were showing results.Those were words printed on real pa-per with ink.

Today, of course EVERYONE pub-lishes their advice and thoughts. That'swhat social media is. And a lot of it isnot good. In fact, some of it is detri-mental if it is used.

Sure, you can find some real goldout there. But there�s a lot of silt, too.

This month I�m taking a situationthat I�ve covered a lot over the years,and show how it was handled in a re-cent LinkedIn discussion.

I�ll break these down as if I werecoaching a rep live, or a call record-ing.

TThhee OObbjjeeccttiioonnThe question on LinkedIn was,

How do you overcome �I already work with someone?�

One popular response was,

“I am so happy to hear that! Doesthat person solve all of your businesschallenges? If not, I can share a quickstory where I doubled a company’srevenue in under 2 years and coulddo the same for you. Can I come bytomorrow to discuss?”

Responders were gushing over thatone with reactions like,

�Wow, that is great!�

�Amazing!�

The real problem with lots of theseonline discussions is you have people inmany cases sharing suggestions they ac-tually do not use in the real world, andothers who probably would be afraid touse them, but are wowed by them, whobelieve that is a good thing to say.

I always analyze things both from asalesperson, and buyer perspective.

If I heard that response, I would thinkthe person was a jerk. You can �do thesame for me?� You don�t know that, andwe have not established that.

(However, a question at the begin-ning is good�although not that one�as I�ll point out later.)

��OOtthheerr tthhaann tthhaatt......��Here�s another:

“Of course! I already knew that be-fore I called you. Let me ask you, otherthan you working with someone else, isthere any other reason you wouldn’t giveme a few minutes of your time?”

Again, from the comments, mindswere blown in amazement. Seriously? Myresponse to this would be,

�Nope. That�s it. See ya.�

If I had to pick out a positive, theacknowledgment that we expected themto already be working with someone isgood� as I will address in a bit.

Another:

“I perfectly understand that you areworking with someone. What I would liketo suggest that we have a quick call so

that way you have a better idea ofwhat we do if anything changes.�

That is all about� who?

The salesperson!

I don�t care what YOU wouldlike to do, and I do not care at thispoint what you do.

There were a number of othersthat were pretty much copied out ofold sales books and/or recommendedby people who had �sales trainer� intheir description, which based on theirresponses indicates they probablyhaven�t sold much themselves. Forexample,

“So I can better understand, ifyou could change one thing abouttheir product or service what wouldit be?”

Please� they might as well sug-gest the “If you could wave a magicwand” technique.

WWhhaatt SShhoouulldd BBee SSaaiiddOK, now that I�ve trashed a

bunch of these, what should be said?

Let me qualify this with, I don�tclaim to have all the answers, or theonly answer.

And, there are many things thatcan work occasionally, by a certainindividual at the perfect time. Butmost people in general would godown in flames if they tried them.

My suggestions are based onyears and years of experience� sell-ing, coaching, teaching, researching,writing, testing, observing, beingkicked in the teeth, and more.

(Continued on Page 3)

Responding to �I already work with someone.�AND Online Advice On It to Avoid



22

Art Sobczak is Presidentof Business By Phone,and editor/publisher ofSCR, and author ofseveral books and audiotraining programs. Hedevelops and deliversresults-getting prospect-ing and sales trainingand workshops. Todiscuss what he mightbe able to do for you,call him at800-326-7721, or (480)699-0958.Email him at [email protected].


.

Now go andmake this yourbest month ever!

Sales ObservationsI had a contractor come out to

do an estimate. The woman asked greatquestions, took notes, made some rec-ommendations on things I had notthought about, wrote up the estimateon the spot, and just handed the clip-board to me with a pen and said,

"You want to go with this, right?"

It was that simple.

No hesitation in her voice.

An assumptive, but not pushy atti-tude and tone.

She knew I needed the work done,otherwise I would not have called andtook the time to have an estimate done.The easy thing was to just go with theestimate.

It doesn't get much more fundamen-tal than this, and it's something we allshould follow. When someone contactsyou for a quote or for information, theyhave a reason for doing so.

I see too many organizations spendheavily on generating inquiries, and thensales reps don�t treat them with urgency,and like the precious gems they are.

Lots of studies show that they willultimately do something with someone,it might as well be you.

So, have a similar assumptive atti-tude, and be sure you ask--not wish--forthe sale.

When you are using email priorto your Smart Call, of course we wantto use the same process, mentioning theintel or connection we have. A good tipto show your credibility is to actually in-clude the link you are referencing. Forexample, "Congrats on the Best In Cat-egory award you received last week(YourCityBusinessJournal.com/link)."

Here is some great sales intelli-gence for you. A Wall Street Journalarticle suggested that you pay attentionto those automated "Out of Office" re-plies you get in response to emails.

In the responses the person often pro-vides names of others you could contactin their absence. These names could beother decision makers.

If you're prospecting it could give youcontacts who either could influence ormake a decision.

The article cited another examplewhere the out-of-office note said the hu-man resources manager at a hospital hadleft the company. The sales rep then con-tacted her successor, whose contact in-formation was in the note.

I've had this same question sev-eral times in seminars and just receivedit in an email:

"Art, Is it ok or not to tell potentialcustomers that I am doing business withtheir competitors? I am in a technicalsales field selling electric motors and gearboxes."

My answer is, there are two ways togo with this. In some industries, it canbe beneficial, since it adds credibility.

In others, some companies want nopart of you if you are working with theircompetitors because they are afraid youwill share trade secrets.

It depends on what is being sold aswell. If the nature of your business iswhere you get intimate with the customerand its methods, they might want youto themselves.

I guess the real answer is, analyzeyour situation, understand the implica-tions, try it and see what happens.

Add this phrase to the list ofmeaningless things people say and prob-ably do not realize they say it (I realizedI do it too, but I�m working on eliminat-ing it): Starting a thought with �I wasgoing to say�� Huh? You were goingto say? You just said it. When were yougoing to say it? Why didn�t you? Howabout just saying it.

Here's a good technique I heardfor getting someone to volunteer if thereare others involved in a decision.

After you qualify someone, and theytell you they�re the decision maker, say,

�It�s nice to work with some-one who can make a decision ontheir own, without having to go toa committee.�

If they�re not the decision maker, tosave face they�ll tell you they want torun it by their crew, manager, etc. Thattells you there�s more than one decisionmaker.


HHaappppyy WWiitthh WWhhoo TThheeyy AArree UUssiinngg NNooww

(Continued from Cover Page)

What I suggest is always underthe umbrella of �What will minimizethat chance for resistance for mostpeople, and maximize the chancefor success, based on basic humanbehavior principles?�

So, based on that, I�ve alwaystaught that the best way to respondto this is to first understand whythey might possibly say it.

Two Reasons1. It�s a Resistant Reflex Re-

sponse, meaning there is no sub-stance there and they are just tryingto get you off the phone. Or,

2. They are working with some-one (without whatever degree ofhappiness doesn�t matter) and theeasiest thing to say at that momentis they are happy, because even con-sidering changing the status quowould involve more work than get-ting you off the phone.

Working within those param-eters, the best first response is to getthem talking. Only then do we havesomething we can work with.

Caution: There are TWO thngsyou do NOT want to do at this point:

-We don�t want to argue withthem, or,

-pitch how good we are, or whatwe want to do.

Plus, if they are really satisfiedwith who they are with, the only waythey will even enter a thought pro-cess to consider changing is if theybegin to think there just might begreener grass on the other side ofthe fence.

For the first words out of yourmouth I suggest a softening state-ment,

�Not a problem.�

�I hear that a lot.�

�That�s OK.�

�Almost everyone I talk tois already working with some-one.�

The softening is important be-cause it is not what is expected, IFthey think you are a typical sales-person.

It puts them at ease in a way.

Then comes the question. It cantake different forms. A good one isto create questions based on prob-lems they likely still have that com-petitors don�t address as well as you.For example,

�What do you do in situa-tions where you need same-daydelivery on an essential part thatis holding up your line?�

�How are you dealing withthe issue of_____?�

The �Backup Plan�Then there is the �backup plan�

question that I have used success-fully:

�What is your Plan B in caseof an emergency?�

�When stuff hits the fan,what is your contingency?�

These questions can cause some-one to think and say, �What do youmean?�

Precisely. We want them think-ing about something that they hadn�tbefore.

Ask What They DidPreviously

Here�s another. This is based onthe proven premise that it is easierfor someone to tell you what theyhave done before, than what theywant.

�What criteria did you usewhen you selected them?�

�How did they happen to be-come your main source?�

And here is another way to pos-sibly plant some doubt:

�When do you do your an-nual review to be sure you aregetting the best competitive

market price?�

Finally, although this would not beyour initial response, but as I havetaught for years, at the very minimumyou can ask to keep the door open forthe future, after you have had a briefconversation, and it doesn�t appearyou�ll be moving forward any time soon.

�Well, if anything ever happenedwith them, and you were in a bind,would you consider us as a backupif you needed one?�

Good Points from theDiscussion

OK, back to the original LinkedIndiscussion.

There were some good suggestionsin the comments that I would approve,that go along with my principles, andwould recommend:

�Hey, I totally get it � I got intothis profession to challenge the sta-tus quo and help you improve yourbusiness. Are you confidentenough in your current provider toget a competitive look at the solu-tion?�

�If we were able to give you thesame, great quality product/service,if not better, and at a lower price,would you be interested in speak-ing with us at a later date?� Note:the �later date� is the key here, since itdoes not ask for the commitment to-day. If they say yes, then it opens upthe dialogue.

�Many of the strongest andlongest client relationships I havestarted with that exact same sen-tence.�

�I appreciate you sharing thatwith me, XYZ are a very good com-pany to work with. Would you beopen to looking at something elsethat could make your life easier?�This is very simple, and asking some-one �if they are open to looking� is aneasy question to answer.

In summary, just because you readit on the Internet does not make it true.In fact, in many cases it is not. Read alot, for sure. But scrutinize your sources.And you always know you will get goodadvice here.


Jim Domanski

Every sales training session tells youto identify needs, right? You would thinkthat is enough; find some needs, tellthem what you can do, and they willbuy. You�ve got the sale, right? NOT!

Some needs are more urgent and im-portant than others. Consequently, someneeds get acted upon and others areplaced on the back burner. Sales is likethat. (So is life, for that matter). Andhere is why so many reps feel frustra-tion: they identify a need�heck, thecustomer even acknowledges it�butnothing becomes of it. No sale.

The real trick to making a solid saleis to determine the �depth� and the�weight� of a need. That�s why we have�Analysis� questions. As the name im-plies, analysis questions are designed toget the client to explore and analyze theirparticular needs. By asking the right typeof questions, the sales rep can get thecustomer to not only articulate the need,but also to prioritize it. Once that is done,selling becomes so much simpler. Here�san example of analysis questions to helpclients explore the concern.

Sales Rep: �Mr Leon, you men-tioned that you have always had asummer school program. You statedthat some were good and some were. . . well . . not so good. Is that cor-rect?�

Customer: �Yes�

Sales Rep: �Describe some ofthose not so good programs. . .�

Customer: �Oh well, they justweren�t what we expected.�

Sales Rep: �I see. Well, what wasthe impact of these programs on thekids?�

Customer: �Hmm . . . I hadn�t re-ally thought about it. But it wasn�t posi-tive of course.�

Sales Rep: �Okay, from anotherangle: what was the reaction fromthe parents?�

Customer: �Well, that�s anotherstory. It was kind of grim in some cir-cumstances.�

Sales Rep: �How so?�

Customer: �This is a parent-paidprogram. Some of the parents felt theyhad not really gotten their money�sworth.�

Sales Rep: �So, what, if any,impact did that have on subsequentprograms?�

Customer: �As you might expect,enrollment typically dropped.�

Sales Rep: �Dropped? By howmuch? Say, on a percentage basis?�

Customer: �Off the top of my headanywhere between 15%-25%.�

Sales Rep: �Sounds signifi-cant. In terms of dollars what didthat mean?�

Customer: �Hmm . . . maybe$4000-$5000 in revenues.�

Sales Rep: �Let�s take anotherperspective: How did you make upfor the drop in enrollment?�

Customer: �Well, simple really: weintensified our mailings to create moreawareness. In a couple of circumstanceswe paid telephone reps to make calls.�

Sales Rep: �Any idea of howmuch that cost?�

Customer: �Not at this moment butI see your point. You add the loss of therevenue and the increase in cost in ac-quisition and, well . . . it is significant.�

Sales Rep: �So, having a power-ful and successful summer schoolprogram is important just as isavoiding a dud program?�

Customer: �Yes.�

As you can see, analysis questionshelp explore the situation. From a seem-ingly unimportant need, the rep got thecustomer to delve deeper into the situa-tion. As a result, a whole need perspec-tive was created and the need for a so-lution more sharply defined.

Here�s a quick example where a per-ceived need is minimized:

Customer: �Our major concern isthis: if the sales on the Tier 3 accountgrows, at what point do we pass on theaccount to field sales?�

Sales Rep: �That�s interesting,Terry. Quick question; why do youhave to pass the account on whenit is clearly being developed by theinside representative?�

Customer: �Uh . . . Uh . . . Gee, Idon�t really know. I guess we�ve alwaysdone it that way thinking the customergets better service. I never really thoughtabout it but if the customer is growingthen he is getting the service.�

Sales Rep: �My thought too.So, is this really a major problem?�

Customer: �You know what? Itisn�t!�

Personally, I am convinced that theaverage client does not really sit downand ponder his or her needs to any greatdegree. Oh sure, there are exceptions tothis statement, but for the most part,clients have not fully thought out thetotal implications of their problem oropportunity.

The role of the very wise and effec-tive sale rep is to help the client discoverthe ramifications of a problem or an op-portunity. Analysis questions do justthat. And the beauty of the whole pro-cess is that the customer has gonethrough a process of �self discovery�which means the issue wasn�t thrust uponthem by some pushy rep. The customertakes �ownership� of the problem. Withownership comes the commitment tosolve the problem or broach the oppor-tunity.

Do not stop with just uncovering aneed. Dig deeper with analysis questionsand you will see more customer com-mitment.

Finding Needs Is Not Enough. Ask �Analysis Questions�

(Jim Domanski isPresident of theTelemanagementConsulting Group, atelemarketing con-sulting and trainingfirm. Contact him at613-591-1998)


The Importance of Quick Follow Up

I was talking to a training pros-pect who told me they sometimesdon�t follow up on the leads gener-ated from their website for 2-3 weeks.

Weeks!

That is ridiculous. Why wouldthey even bother having a site andgenerate traffic?

Inquirers are most interested at thevery moment they fill out your form,or call you. Doesn�t it make sense tocontact these people when their in-terest is the hottest?

It�s tougher than ever today to cutthrough the noise and capture atten-tion. If you have prospects raisingtheir hands in interest, not contact-ing them quickly is like flushing pilesof cash down the toilet.

At the same time that organiza-tions are sitting on inquiries of vari-ous types, their sales reps complainabout not being able to reach deci-sion makers.

Some things you just can�t makeup.

The Sprinkler GuyI had an issue with a leaky sprin-

kler system line in my landscaping. Iwent to the site, HomeAdvisor.comto list my job and get some bids.

Within 60 SECONDS of hitting�send� I received a call from a con-tractor, who immediately booked anappointment with me to come outthat afternoon. He did a great job,and got paid on the spot.

This was not a huge corporationwith a sophisticated telecommunica-tions and software system.

It was a guy in a beat-up truckwith a cell phone.

He had a simple system in placeto be alerted by email when inquirieswere submitted and quickly acted on

them.

What�s interesting is that while Iwas on the call with that contractor,I received another call from anotherbidder. Because he called secondsafter the other, he missed out on thejob. Snooze, you lose.

Scientific ProofThere�s actually scientific research

to back up the common sense andanecdotal evidence.

In a famous study done by Dr.Ken Oldroyd of Northwestern Univer-sity and InsideSales.com, the resultsof 100,000 phone calls were ana-lyzed.

Here are just some of the shock-ing numbers:

The odds of calling to contacta lead decrease by over 10 times inthe 1st hour.

The odds of calling to qualify alead decrease by over 6 times in the1st hour.

After 20 hours every additionaldial your salespeople make actuallyhurts your ability to make contact toqualify a lead.

The odds of contacting a leadif called in 5 minutes are 100 timeshigher versus 30 minutes.

The odds of qualifying a lead ifcalled in 5 minutes are 21 times higherversus 30 minutes.

Let me just highlight this again:

If you call a lead back within fiveminutes of them contacting you (web,phone) your chances are 100 timeshigher than if that lead ages only 30minutes or more.

Are you a betting person? I likethose odds.

OK, now sit down for this one.

That study was done in 2007!

Just think how much more im-patient people are in today�s con-stantly distracted, ADD society wherewe�ll leave a web page in two sec-onds of we don�t get instant gratifi-cation.

Another StudyAn excellent Forbes article by Ken

Krogue gave further insight into call-ing leads back quickly, best times tocall, etc. Here is some especially use-ful info from the article:

1. When you call backquickly, you know where theyare. If they just filled out a web form,they are still by their computer ordevice, enhancing your chance ofreaching them.

2. When you call back imme-diately, you are still on theirmind. That fades quickly, so actingquickly is to your benefit.

3. The �Wow� effect. Just likewith my sprinkler guy, it�s impressivewhen someone gets a call thatquickly.

In fact, InsideSales.com builttechnology to enable a live call within8-9 SECONDS of a form being filledout Wow, indeed.

So, what is happening with thepeople who show interest in what yousell? Is there leakage in your leadmanagement, if it even exists?

Granted, everyone reading thismight not be able to control thiswithin your organization. But can youinfluence it?

But for many of you, there arethings you can do. If a guy with atruck and a cell phone can, perhapsyou can too.

Here's a Hot Lead. Sorry, Too Late


UUnnddeerrssttaannddiinngg BBuuyyeerrss

NNoo OOnnee CCaarreess AAbboouutt YYoouurr PPrroodduucctt oorr SSeerrvviiccee EExxcceepptt YYoouuI received an email from a sales rep who said,

�It�s tough for us to prospect and sell by phone. We're abit different than most other organizations. We sell an in-tangible: advertising. People can't actually touch or feel ourproduct. It's much more difficult to sell.�

In all fairness to these people, yes, they and others whosell intangibles…insurance, investments, service contracts,software and other services are at a slight disadvantage inthat they don't have a physical piece of equipment they cansend to the buyer.

Oh, I also regularly hear from people saying,

�It�s tough for us to prospect and sell by phone. We sella physical product. We need to be there face to face toshow and demo it.�

I can empathize with these folks as well.

However, I don’t fundamentally agree with either group.

In fact, when anyone puts too much emphasis on theproduct or service they sell--“the thing” as I refer to it--that’swhen they get into trouble and actually create resistanceand objections.

When you reduce sales to the most fundamental level,everyone is selling the same thing: the results of what yourproduct or service/intangible will do for the buyer. Selling anintangible should be the same as selling a physical product.

And it's usually the sales reps selling products who relytoo much on the product itself, and don't sell what peoplereally want to buy: what they get from the product.

AA QQuuoottee ttoo LLiivvee BByyTweet this one out:

People don�t buy your thing, they buy a pictureof the end result, with them in the photo.

@ArtSobczak

As I have mentioned numerous times over the past30+years, you're not selling benefits; you're selling results.

People are buying the anticipation of the good feelingthey experience from that new computer that screamsthrough programs in less than half the time as their olddinosaur machine that would force them to twiddle theirthumbs and whistle as it lumbered through its gyrations.

When I had a lakehouse and was shopping for a 4-wheel ATV, I asked the sales rep what it was like riding onthe sand. He said, “It's a lot of fun.”

Technically correct, but not emotional.

After I got one, I could tell you that when you open upthat throttle on the sand dunes and race around steeply-banked S curves in an almost sideways position, your heartbeats so hard and quickly you can see it through your shirt.

CCrreeaattee YYoouurr OOwwnn EEmmoottiioonnaallDDeessccrriippttiioonnss

Here's an Action Step for you to take: Sit down withfellow reps and have a brainstorming session where youdiscuss what people experience as a result of buying fromyou.

Talk in terms of their emotions.

Then come up with analogies and descriptive words,terms, and phrases that help listeners to actually live theexperience before they buy from you. Get all the sensesinvolved.

Can they see, feel, touch, taste, or hear the results? Ifso, how?

Put yourself in the position of the person experiencingthe results and create images that are as emotion-evokingas possible.

Associate the emotions with ones you know they haveexperienced before.

By the way, don't talk about buying from you; focus onthem using your product or service.

Nothing beats actually demonstrating a product or ser-vice so that prospects can experience the results first hand.In absence of that, however, you can get close by creatingthose emotions with your words.

Focus on the great feelings they want and expect, andyou'll sell more every time.

PPuutt TThheemm iinn tthhee PPiiccttuurreeHere’s the scenario: You have two stacks of photos

dropped on your desk. One is a collection of pictures of avendor’s product, their building, and their employees. Theother stack is comprised of photos that have YOU in eachone.

Which one do you likely have the most interest in?

Of course, most humans are interested in anythingthat affects them personally.

The point? When you call a prospect or customer, doyou begin by talking about yourself and your companyand what YOU want to do? Or do you describe an illus-tration, putting them in the picture? Remember, peopledon’t care diddly about you and what you want—theywant to know how what you have will help them.


PPrriiccee

How you position your price can determine whether ornot someone questions it and tries to get you to drop it.

Do NOT preface your price with any of these words:

· asking

· suggested

· lowest

· best

· reduced

· quoted

· basic

· usually

· book

· normal

· regular

· typically

· starts out at

· retail

These words trigger in the minds of prospects that youare willing tobring the price down substantially.

This is simply shooting yourself in the foot.

Instead, with confidence, say,

�The price is...�

Why?

Because whether they are the CEO or the regular guydown the street,they are getting ready to squeeze a betterprice out of you.

It's human nature. Everyone wants the best deal. Ifyou give any indication that someone else gets a betterprice, or that you are open to negotiation, they will seizethe opportunity.

I do it. You probably do too.

Every dollar you give away is a dollar directly from thebottom line.

So don’t give them a reason to ask, and you will sell atfull price more often.

TToopp TTiippss

While having lunch on an outdoor patio and peoplewatching, it struck me as interesting how people react whenthey see someone walking a puppy.

They approach the person like an old friend, ooh andah and just melt.

What’s really funny is I saw one of those same peopleget in her car and flip off another driver who accidentallycut her off in the parking lot.

Why would she—and others--treat a dog more nicelythan a human?

Stay with me… there is a sales lesson here.

Gosh, how simplistic can I get? We all know what todo, it's a matter of WANTING to do it.

How about this: Do an "attitude check" before everycall you place, and ESPECIALLY the ones you receive,which are interrupting some other activity. Ask yourself,"Am I ready to make this person feel special?"

Keep in mind that your attitude is contagious. As longas you are performing an activity anyway, why not do itwith enthusiasm? You'll feel better, and so will the peoplewho hear you.

WWhhaatt ttoo AAvvooiidd SSaayyiinngg,, aannddWWhhaatt TTOO SSaayy,, ttoo SSeellll aattFFuullll PPrriiccee

TThhee RReeaall SSeeccrreett ttoo SSuucccceessss

AA TTrriiaall CClloossiinngg QQuueessttiioonn

When the call is running along smoothly and you detectthey're leaning in your favor, take their temperature with,�What else will you need to make a decision to gowith this program?� The answer will indicate how likelythey are to make a positive decision, and what else you'llneed to provide to help them do it. Or, it can help smoke outany problems, which also is a good outcome.

DDoonn''tt LLeett tthhee GGuuaarraanntteeee BBee TThhee MMaaiinnRReeaassoonn ffoorr BBuuyyiinngg

Guarantees are necessary for credibility, but don’t sell yourguarantee harder than you sell your value. Some reps use thenegative sell just to get a “yes,” and then later get exactlywhat they sold: people asking for their money back.

AAsskk ��WWhhaatt iiff??��

Ask “What if?” with your prospects and customers.

For example,

�Mr. Prospect, let�s set the money issue aside herefor a moment and get crazy. What if you did have thisplan in place. What are all the positive effects youwould notice?�

TTeelleeTTiippss







Receiving a pass along copy of Smart Calling Report? Or a current newsletter subscriber, but not yet a member of the Smart CallingInner Circle? Here’s your invitation to join today and get instant and ongoing access to the most in-depth, complete what-to-say, when-to-say-it, and how-to-do-it step-by-step how to’s on prospecting and selling by phone.


88

DDoo tthhee MMaatthh ffoorr TThheemmStephen Hattabaugh suggests that when customers of-

fer a number that represents dollars or amount of time they’relosing, wasting, or missing on a monthly basis, multiply thatfigure for them to point out the actual yearly total.

For example,

Prospect: “I’d say those workplace injuries probablycost us 20 hours worth of downtime per month.”

Caller: �Wow. So what you�re saying is that on ayearly basis you�re down 240 hours because of inju-ries.�

LLiisstteenn ffoorr TToonnee OOnn VVooiiccee MMaaiillCraig Clennan suggested that when you reach voice mail,

pay particular attention to the decision maker’s personalityon their greeting. This gives you some insight into the typeof person they are and how you might approach them. Also,listen carefully to how they pronounce their name. This smallpoint could help you avoid an embarassing mistake.

GGeett IInnffoo FFiirrssttWe often preach about the value of collecting informa-

tion prior to speaking with a decision maker. The more youknow about the company, decision maker, and buying pro-cess, the more finely-tuned your opening, questions, andoverall call will be.

Joe Adams likes to ask questions of receptionists andoperators at the car dealerships he calls into to sell his train-ing for dealers:

�How does change happen there at the dealer-ship?�

�When you implement something new there, whonormally takes the ball and runs with it?�

How to Get ReferralsDo you have so many referrals that you do not have time

to call them all?

Crazy question, I know. Most people have very few refer-rals. Why? They do not ask for them. And just asking is notenough. You need to ask in the right way to maximize thenumber, and quality of prospects you receive.

Martyn Hotchkiss was asking for referrals, and regularlymeeting a brick wall. Here is what he was saying.

�Do you know of anyone else who could be interested inour products and services?�

He'd hear responses like, “Not really,” or, “Can’t think ofanyone at the moment.”

And, really, that question invites the easy response fromthe customer.

Martyn changed his approach and has found more suc-cess by “preframing” the question by leading up to it with ashort series of closed questions:

�Mr. Buyer, In your job as ___, you will meet a lotof other people with similar jobs at seminars and con-ferences, don�t you?�

“Yes”

�And some of these will have the same sorts of needsas you?�

“Yes”

�In fact, you probably discuss these types of prod-ucts with each other to find out the good ones and thebad ones, don�t you?�

“Yes”

�Of those people you know, are there any who havebeen interested in these products?�

Martyn usually doesn't have to ask who these other peopleare, because at this point, they are already thinking of them,and the names seem to pop out!



April 2019 VVoolluummee 3366 NNuummbbeerr 44

SMART CALLINGREPORT


11 Tips for Advanced Questioning and Discovery By Chris Orlob

Are you looking to set your dis-covery calls on FIRE?

Well, this might be the most im-portant thing you�ll read this year.

You�ll see why in a minute.

But first� A Disclaimer:

These tips are NOT for beginners.

You have to know the basics ofgood discovery for these to work. Ifyou don�t, you�ll misapply them.

If you DO know the basics, thesetips will take you to the nextlevel.

With that said, let me jump rightin and show you the first tip�

ONE: Discovery is aprocess, not an event.It�s not a STAGE during the sales

cycle. It�s an ongoing process.

Your buyer�s situation is in flux.If you do �set it and forget it� discov-ery, your deal will go off the rails.

Right under your nose.

Bad salespeople treat discovery asa �check the box� event.

They have a standard list of ques-tions. They ask them as if they�reworking their way through a check-list.

AVERAGE reps ask all their ques-tions at the beginning of the call.

They frontload discovery. It�s asif they�re completing a to-do list ofquestions before launching into theirpitch.

To them, discovery is a staticevent.

The top performers spread theirquestions evenly across the call. To

them, discovery is an ongoing process,not an event.

The best discovery doesn�t sound likediscovery.

Take notes.

When you �get� discovery is a pro-cess (not an event), the natural implica-tion is for you to�

TWO: Match your ques-tions to the buyer�s journey

Your first few questions should respectyour prospect�s stage in the buying jour-ney. This typically starts with 1. LatentPain, and then, 2. Active Pain, 3. Solu-tion Development, 4. Evaluation, and,5. Decision.

Example: If you learn that your buyeris ACTIVELY evaluating products likeyours, don�t start with this kind of ques-tion:

"What�s your biggest strategic prior-ity for this year?"

That�s a diagnostic question. Its pur-pose is to uncover pain, which is appro-priate for the first two stages above.

But your buyer is beyond that stage.They�re evaluating products. So if youstart with this question, you�ll irritatethem.

Now, I�m not saying DON�T ask thatquestion at all. I�m saying don�t start withit (in this case).

Start with questions that respect thebuyer�s journey stage.

In this case, your buyer is in the evalu-ation stage. So ask them THIS question:

"What do you hope to achieve byimplementing a solution?"

See the difference?

This question matches the buyer�sstage. It�s frictionless. It�s what the buyerwants to talk about.

Once (and only once) you�ve askedthat, can you go back to the first ques-tion:

You: "What are you hoping toachieve by implementing a solu-tion?"

Buyer: "We�re looking to increasesales skills."

You: "Good to know. What�scausing you to prioritize that as aninitiative?"

Buyer: "Our revenue target has in-creased, but our marketing budget hasnot. We�ve got to do more with less. So,better selling skills is a big part of thatanswer."

Notice the second question in thatdialogue. It goes BACK to the beginningstage of the buyer�s journey (pain).

But only once your first question ac-knowledges that the buyer is already wellinto their journey. Meet them where theystand.

THREE: Revalidateeverything you uncover.Never assume that what you learned

at the beginning of the sales process re-mains true.

Priorities change. Buyers� needs aretransient.

When things do change, you�d bet-ter know about it.

If you followed the first tip, you�llnaturally uncover changing buyer priori-ties.

But if you treat discovery as a �set itand forget it� event, you�ll miss your num-ber.

Here�s how to revalidate your info.Start every sales meeting with this ques-tion:



22



.


Sales Observations

I was doing some researchfor an online marketing campaignI'm doing, and as often happens, gotsidetracked down a rabbit hole ofother topics. I landed in a forum forwebsite developers. It was mostlygeeks talking geekspeak. But I foundsomeone who had posed a questionabout actually selling their servicesand dealing with the "screener's"question, "What's this in referenceto?"

I was surprised, because a forummember, another techy-type, re-sponded that he has success with,

"Claire, typically we helpchief executives who are frus-trated that although they'vespent money on a website, itdoesn't generate any leads, itdoesn't lead to any sales andthey feel like they've been wast-ing money. I don't suppose MrSmith has ever mentioned thatthis is a problem?"

Wow, that was brilliant! Adaptthat using your own problems andbenefits.

You never know where you willfind inspiration for great sales ideas!

I always chuckle when I hearsomeone say, "I was thinking in my ownmind..." Which of course is a good placeto do it. Especially on the phone. Whenyou're searching for what to say, don'tthink aloud. Be sure your comments addto the conversation. Otherwise youmight utter some random thoughts youcould regret later.

While on a sales call with a train-ing prospect he said, "There are four im-portant things we teach our sales reps…"You can bet I wrote as quickly as I couldto get those down. And then I repeatedthem to be sure I understood. It mightseem obvious, but this made it easy forme to tell him exactly how I would helphim. A couple of points here:

-Any time someone mentions num-bers, such as, "There are three key ar-eas we need work on…" you need tolaser in with your listening.

-If they do not volunteer this info,ask for it: "What are the three areasyou feel you need the most workon?"

If you're hit with the �What doesit cost?” question too early, before you'vehad a chance to justify value, SherriTarzwell says she uses this very effectiveresponse:

“Let's verify the product worksfor you first, then we can figure upthe best price.�

Although this might not be appro-priate in all industries and applications,it fits well when there's a relatively com-plex product or service, or one wherethere are variables that affect the finalprice.

While listening to recordingsfrom client calls, I heard a prospectsay,

"Well, it is not in our budget."

The sales rep responded,

"That�s OK,"

...then continued with his ques-tioning, pretty much ignoring thestatement.

And he got the sale!

Two important points here.

First, his reaction was like theMexican beach vendors in Cabowalking up to everyone they see andasking for the sale:

"Sunglasses Senor?"

No.

"These would look good on you."

They act as if they didn't even hearthe no, then they continue. You cando the same.

Next, regarding the budget issue.If you are looking for new business,in many cases what you are callingabout will NOT be in their budget.

And it doesn’t matter.

If you are talking to the right per-son, and if they perceive your valueas high enough, they find the money.


HHaappppyy WWiitthh WWhhoo TThheeyy AArree UUssiinngg NNooww

By Jeb Blount

I don’t remember where I foundthe eleven words that changed mysales career. I think I may havestumbled on them in a newsletter ormagazine I subscribed to back whennewsletters were mailed rather thanemailed. (Art's Note: It was probablythis one. We have published that sug-gestion several times over the years.)

What I do remember is the wordsinstantly resonated with me:

When it�s time togo home, make one

more call.

I cut the blurb out of the news-letter and taped it over my deskwhere I would see it each day.

It was always the last thing Ilooked at before I hit the streets togo on my sales calls.

Those words became my man-tra.

On days when I was dragging myass because I’d had it handed to meby prospects I couldn’t close; or, itwas hot, cold, raining, or snowing;or, I was tired, worn-out, burned-out,or, jonesing to go home early on aFriday afternoon; or when I was com-ing up with really good justificationsto knock off early for the day, thismantra, “when it is time to go home,make one more call,” kept me goingfor one more call (and sometimestwo, three, or four).

It kept me focused on paying formy success, in advance, with hardwork.

The impact of those extra callswas mind blowing. So many of my

When It Is Time to Go Home,Make One More Call

“one more calls” turned into sales.It was as if the universe was reward-ing me for sticking to it. That finalpush paid off and kept paying off inmy performance and my paycheck.

Five more calls a week, resultedin 20 additional calls a month, re-sulted in 240 additional calls a year.

At a 34% closing rate that pro-duced an additional 82 deals a year,almost $2 million in incremental rev-enue, and, an extra $100k in mypocket – income I would never havegenerated if I had not developed thediscipline to make one more call.

That, by the way, is called SalesGravy.

Over the years I’ve shared thismantra with the sales professionalswho’ve worked for me and I con-tinue to share it with the new gen-eration of sales professionals I teachand coach.

Some adopt it as their own, oth-ers ... go home.

I get hundreds of calls, text mes-sages, and emails each year on Fri-day afternoons or near dark fromtop tier sales pros that say things likethis:

“Hey Jeb, you are not going tobelieve this. I was about to give upbut decided to make one last call andthe guy bought from me right on thespot. Can you believe that???”

This kind of sales serendipityhappens every day across the globeto the sales pros that are fanaticalabout making one more call.

Of course there are those whowill tell you that this is bunk. They’llargue that working harder is stupid.“Why work harder when you canwork smarter?” they somehow saywith a straight face.

Here is a brutal truth:

”Working smarter” is the hobgob-lin of mediocre salespeople.

Like all losers, they use “workingsmarter” as an excuse for their lackof achievement. Trust me on this, los-ers love company so they are happyto lure you into their “workingsmarter” camp with the Siren songof less effort for more results.

Do not buy into this bull.

Top sales professionals have theself-discipline to do the hard thingsin sales.

Do these top performers get tired,cold, hungry, burned out, and feeltheir resolve wavering and want togive up and go home? Of course theydo.

Do these top performers love pros-pecting or the other difficult activi-ties required for success in sales? Ofcourse not! They don’t enjoy theseactivities anymore than the sales-people who are failing.

What top performers in sales (andfrankly all walks of life) understandis that to succeed at the highest levelthey’ve got to pay for their success inadvance with hard work, sacrifice,doing things they hate, and makingone last, final push over the finishline.

The salespeople on the bottomknow this too but, instead of makingone more call at the end of the daywhen it is time to go home, theymake excuses.

When it is time to go home, makeone more call!

(Jeb Blount advises many of theworld’s leading organizations and theirexecutives on the impact of emotionalintelligence and interpersonal skills oncustomer experience, strategic accountmanagement, sales, and developing highperforming sales teams. He speaks to anddelivers training to high-performing salesteams across the globe. 1-888-360-2249)


Jim Domanski

(Jim Domanski isPresident of theTelemanagement Con-sulting Group, atelemarketing consult-ing and training firm.Contact him at 613-591-1998)

Voice Mail Tactics: Getting People to Listen and Respond“Jim, most sales consultants

are not nearly as successful asthey could be because they failto leverage the media and maxi-mize their use of PR.”

This was the voice mail I got justrecently after a trip to Chicago.

There was no preamble, no intro-duction of who was calling. It brokethe rules that I typically preach aboutleaving an effective voice mail.

�How dare this guy,� I said, as Ilistened to the message further.

“Jim, my name is ChrisGrayburn and I am withMediaLev. I have some ideas thatmight help you use PR more ef-fectively to generate more aware-ness and more business. Couldyou please give me a call at xxx-xxxx.”

I sat for a moment or two criti-cally judging the voice mail.

And then, slowly a smile creptacross my face as I began to realizethat the message caught my atten-tion.

Of the eight messages in my voicemailbox, this one got me hook, lineand sinker. Because the rep did notstart off in a traditional manner in-troducing himself and his company Iwas caught off guard.

So I tuned in. I listened. And Ilearned.

Break the RulesI learned several things that

quickly humble me. First and fore-most, I learned that sometimes youjust gotta break the rules.

I learned that you have to be will-ing to try new tactics even if they seema bit unorthodox.

For years I have been preaching aFour-Step Approach to leaving a voicemail message. These steps are:

1. State your full name

2. State your company name

3. Provide an intriguing statementwith implied benefits

4. Conclude with an action state-ment (e.g., leave your phone num-ber)

These steps have served me andothers well.

But the trouble is, EVERY salesrep is learning these steps. These mes-sages are starting to sound the same.Buyers are getting savvy. They haveheard this approach before. In short,the market is getting saturated withthe same type of message and it ishard to distinguish them.

So ultimately, I learned that I hadcreated my own little �box� or com-fort zone, and to use an old cliché, Ilearned I have to �think out of thebox.�

How to Make itWork for You

Chris Grayburn, changed the rules.Just a bit, but just enough. He usedthe Four-Step approach as I describedabove but he changed the order. Hebegan with an intriguing opening state-ment and then followed up with anintroduction of himself, his companyand a request for me to call.

How to Create anIntriguing Start-OffStatement

This is the tough part and ofcourse, the key to the success of thevoice mail.

Start by analyzing your product orservice. You must look closely at yourproduct or service and decide whatproblem it solves or what unique op-portunity it might provide to your lis-tener. This is the key! Problems andopportunities are what motivate buy-ers to take action. This is called a USPor �unique selling proposition.� Youmust know your USP and you mustknow how to position it.

Then you must craft a messagethat leverages the opportunity or theproblem. Position it as a statement ora question. Chris might have said,

“Jim, are you getting the typeof PR that drives sales into yourbusiness?”

That would have worked too. Playwith your statements or questions. Tryto keep them short. Most buyers donot have time to listen to long-winded,self serving messages from vendors. It�snot easy to come up with the right mixof words so learn to test them. Leavetwenty or thirty voice mails with onemessage and monitor the results. Seehow many callbacks you receive. Thentry a new voice message. Monitor andcompare the results against one an-other. Which did better? Try another ifnecessary. Be curious. Have some funwith it.

In Chris�s case, he left me with adouble whammy. I was curious whysales consultants are not as successfulas they could be, while at the same Iwanted to know how I could cash inon public relations. It was irresistible.

TIP: Use your prospect�s name atthe beginning of the message. It caughtmy attention and got me to listenclosely because I thought it was a mes-sage from someone I knew.

TIP 2: When testing a new voicemail message, rehearse it out loudmany, many times, working on yourdelivery. Vary your tone. Sound natu-ral. Then, call your OWN voice mailand leave the message. Wait a while.Then listen to it over the phone. Takenotes on the content and delivery. Makechanges where necessary.

SummaryCheck out your voice mail message.

Is it routine? Does it need an overhaul?If so, try Chris�s approach. I know Iam.


Sales Language

Persuasive Messaging in a TV CommercialI find that most TV commercials

are an insult to our intelligence. Manyare just plain stupid. I�ve never reallyunderstood how companies can spendmillions on a commercial�and hun-dreds of millions per year�and not beable to definitely measure ROI, sincethey don�t have directresponse calls to action.

And just as bad, youmight see a clever orfunny commercial, butnot remember the com-pany, product, orbrand. (Like with manyuber-expensive SuperBowl ads.)

Anyway, one com-mercial that caught myeye and ears whilewatching golf was fromFisher Investments, oneof the largest financialadvisory firms in the country.

It piqued my curiosity so much Ihad to rewind, watch it three times,and take notes.

The sales messaging and psychol-ogy was brilliant.

The relevance for us is that you canadapt or copy their messaging andpsychology to use in your own callsand written communication.

The CommercialFirst, if you�d like to watch the ac-

tual ad, just Google, �We Do BetterWhen You Do Better Fisher Invest-ments.�

The gist of the message is that itcompares Fisher to other advisors, with-out mentioning them by name. Fisheris positioned as a group of caring pro-fessionals who have your best interestin mind. Other advisors are portrayedas the typical product-pushing, com-mission-hungry stockbrokers.

The commercial starts with a splitscreen, with similar-looking financial

advisors in suits, standing next to ma-ture-aged clients,

The voiceover starts,

“All money managers mightseem the same, but…”

This is a great way to address anobjection from the get-go.

It continues with,

“Other money managers justgive cookie cutter portfolios.Fisher gives tailored portfoliosto your goals and needs.”

This appeals to the desire ofwanting to be treated as an individualinstead of a number, object, or com-modity. And it differentiates Fisherwithout mentioning any other com-petitor, something you can do as well.

Next,

“Some call only when theyhave something to sell. Fishercalls regularly so you stay in-formed.”

This plays on the perception thatfinancial planners are like The Wolfof Wall Street, or Bud from themovie, �Wall Street,� calling to selljunk investments to earn commis-sions.

It uses the Theory of Contrastbeautifully, contrasting calling to sellyou something, with calling regularlyso you stay informed. If you thinkabout this, they have actually man-aged to position receiving a phone callfrom a financial advisor as something

positive, becauseyou are being edu-cated. Genius.

Then,

“Some advi-sors are happy toearn commissionswhether you dowell or not(graphic of “Hid-den Fees” onscreen), Fisher’sfees are structuredso that we do bet-ter when you dobetter.”

Again, this appeals to the emotionsfairness, and not being taken advan-tage of. Most people are skeptical ofsalespeople who are on a commission.Even though the word �fee� is used,and most often is perceived negatively,they again paint it as a positive, say-ing that they only benefit handsomelywhen you do.

It ends with,

“Maybe that is why most of ourclients come from other moneymanagers.”

Boom. That�s the ultimate slam onother money managers. It uses socialproof. It�s credible because it�s a fact.

One way to use this last principleis when someone tells you they alreadywork with one of your competitors. Agood response could be, “Not a prob-lem. Actually, most of my clientsright now came from other moneymanagers.

Analyze these techniques and seeif they are appropriate to work intoyour own messaging.


QQuueessttiioonniinngg aanndd DDiissccoovveerryy

"What�s changed since the lasttime we talked?"

FOUR: Phrase yourquestions to get LONG

answers.Don’t you HATE it when buyers

answer your questions with one-wordresponses?

It sucks.

And guess what? According to ourdata, successful salespeople get LONGanswers to their questions:

There’s a strong link between buy-ers’ response lengths and closed deals.

Here’s how to do that:

SIGNAL to your buyer that youwant a long response. Do that byphrasing your questions the right way.

Start with your basic who, what,when, where, why, or how question.

Got one?

Now, start your question with oneof these phrases:

�Can you help me under-stand�?�

�Can you walk me through�?

�Can you tell me about�?�

�Talk to me about��

For example:

�What�s your biggest chal-lenge?� becomes �Can you helpme understand your biggest chal-lenge?�

This phrasing signals that you wantyour buyer to answer in depth. You’llget richer answers that help you closedeals.

FIVE: Say these three�magic� words.

If you tried the last tip, you’ve gotyour buyer talking.

That’s GREAT!

Here’s how to keep them talkingso you can learn even more.

When they’ve finished responding toyour question, do this:

·Repeat the main 1-3 words your cus-tomer used in their response.

·Do it with an upward voice tone,like you’re asking a question.

Like this:

Buyer: "We�re losing deals to com-petitors. Our product is strong, but ourreps back peddle when customers askhow we�re different."

Sales rep: "Back peddle?"

Buyer: "Yes. They don�t respondwith a crisp, strong answer. Theystumble. And their answers are incon-sistent."

Sales rep: "Inconsistent?"

Buyer: "Yeah, that�s another prob-lem we have. I have 70 sales reps run-ning 70 different sales processes � "

This technique is called mirroring.Chris Voss popularized it. When you doit right, you open up the floodgates.

The key is to repeat your buyers� ownwords back to them. Not your words.And then stop talking.

Pair it with the other techniquesyou’re learning here. Your buyer will tellyou things that help you close the deal.

SIX: Use �commercial-grade� listening.

Alrighty! You’ve asked a great ques-tion. You’ve kept your mouth shut. Andyou’ve mirrored your buyer.

Your next step is to label your buyer’semotions.

When you notice your buyer gettingemotional, label that emotion. Completeone of these sentences to do it:

�It seems like you___�

�It sounds like you___�

�It looks like you ___�

The “blank” is for an accurate labelof the emotion your buyer expressed.

This is another Chris Voss technique.

An example might sound like this:

Buyer: "It�s a TON of work toonboard new sales reps. Creating thetraining material is bringing ourenablement department to its knees."

You: "It sounds like you feeloverwhelmed every time a newonboarding class starts."

Buyer: "I do! I feel a sense of dreadevery Sunday night before the workweek starts."

If you labeled their emotion right,you did something magic. You madeyour buyer feel deeply understood. Thekey is to shut your mouth after you’vevoiced your label. (Haven’t I said thatalready!?!)

Let your buyer talk uninterrupted.They’ll love you for it.

If you’re face to face, you’ll noticetheir body language change dramati-cally. It will look like you breathed lifeinto them.

SEVEN: Ask questionsbased on what your buyer

just said.Don’t start a new thread with ev-

ery question.

Go deep. Base your next questionon what your buyer just told you.

Your questions should feel sponta-neous.

When you DON’T take this ap-proach, it seems like you’re sticking toan annoying line of questioning. Itdoesn’t feel like a natural conversation.

Instead, ask your questions as afollow-up to what your customer said.It’s what successful salespeople do:

Sales rep: "Can you help meunderstand where you lose dealsmost often in your sales process?"

Buyer: "After they see a productdemo. The buyer gets excited. But thenthey have the daunting task of gettingtheir VP scheduled for a call with us.Weeks go by. We follow up. And thennever hear back."

(Continued on next page)



Sales rep: "Interesting. Whatwould you need to change in or-der to prevent that from happen-ing?"

This is grossly oversimplified. Butit illustrates the point.

Your second questionshouldn�t start a new thread. Itshould go deeper into an issue thebuyer raised.

EIGHT: Ask questionsonly an expert could ask.

You know the saying, “There’s nosuch thing as a dumb question.” Itdoesn’t apply in sales!

There are plenty of dumb ques-tions. Many of which can bomb yourcredibility.

The best questions you can ask areones that only an expert would ask.They’re questions that make yourbuyer think rather than just recite in-formation.

They signal to your buyer thatyou’re a competent professional theycan trust.

Here’s an example.

When I was a sales rep, I oftenasked this question:

�Can you walk me throughyour sales process, from when youfirst generate a new lead, throughto a closed deal?�

The wording of that question mat-ters.

It signals a level of seriousness andexpertise. You’re about to dig deep withyour buyer.

Compare that question with thetrite, �What�s your sales process?�

Even though they ask the samething, only one demonstrates exper-tise. The other one shows a sopho-moric lack of preparation.

NINE: Ask the �sweetspot� number of questions

There’s a sweet spot for how manyquestions you should ask during a salescall.

That number is between 11 and 14:

If you ask too many questions, theconversation will feel like an interroga-tion. Too few, and you won’t unearthenough pain.

WARNING! … those numbers don’tapply when you’re selling to a C-Suiteexecutive.

They’re a different animal. Theyhave little patience for too many ques-tions.

When you’re selling to the C-Suite,your win rates drop after asking a smallhandful of questions:

In fact, successful meetings with C-suite executives have only four ques-tions on average. Unsuccessful meet-ings have eight:

That’s because senior executiveshave “discovery fatigue.”

TEN: Keep your �talk-to-listen ratio� in the

right range.The best salespeople talk for 46%

of their sales calls (on average). Theyleave 54% of the talking time to thecustomer.

Maintaining the right talk-to-listenratio is so obvious that it should be thefirst tip.

So, why isn’t it?

Because it�s a byproduct ofdoing everything else right.

Talking for 46% of a call isn’t goingto magically help you close deals.

But if you follow the other tips inthis post, you’ll end up with this ratio(more or less).

At the very least, stay in the recom-mended RANGE.

Don’t go ABOVE 65%, which iswhere you start to lose deals.

Keep tabs on this stat. It matters,especially when it gets too high.

ELEVEN: Turn onyour webcam.

Why is this is a DISCOVERY calltip?

Because it’s more important toturn on your webcam during discoverycalls than during other types of calls.

Why? Because other types of callsalready have a visual backdrop for theconversation:

·Demo calls have a product demo.

·Presentations have a visual slidedeck

Discovery calls are mano y mano:you and the buyer.

If you don’t have your webcam on,your buyer has nothing to look at. Andthey’re more likely to grow tired of yourquestions (or act rudely).

Closed deals involve usingwebcams 41% more often than lostdeals, accoding to our research.

When the buyer sees your face, thecall becomes more human. More con-versational. It brings life to everythingyou say.

It helps your buyer believe you’redriven by curiosity, rather than check-ing boxes in a to-do list of questions.

Here’s what to do next…

PHEW!

That brings us to the end.

Do you want the tips you learnedhere to stick?

Download our FREE cheat sheet.

It summarizes the key points ofgreat discovery calls.

(Continued from previous page)


Get it for free here.https://pages.gong.io/discovery-

calls-guide/

(Chris Orlob isSenior Director ofProduct Marketingat Gong.io, a con-versation intelli-gence platform forcoaching sales andservice calls.)

TTeelleeTTiippss









88

AArree YYoouu PPuuttttiinngg iinn TTiimmee,, oorr MMaakkiinngg aannIInnvveessttmmeenntt??

If you rent an apartment, you�re spending money onrent. But if you own your house or condo, you�re investingin your own property. Likewise if you take or place everycall in a mechanical fashion without learning from eachone, you�re just spending time. However, when you stopand reflect at the conclusion of each call, you�re building�knowledge equity.� You�re getting a return on your timeinvestment. This is knowledge you can use on future calls.After every call ask yourself, 1. �What did I like aboutthis call?�, and, 2.�What would I have done differ-ently on this call?� This simple activity helps you to shoreup your stronger points, and strengthen your weaker ones.

CClloossee WWiitthh CCoonnffiirrmmiinngg QQuueessttiioonnssHere are some conversational trial closing questions you

could use after making a point, or answering a question orobjection:

�It�s a pretty good offer . . . . what do you think?�

�Are you feeling more sure about that now?�

�Based on what you know so far, how do you feelabout the product?�

�Does that sound better than you expected?�

AAsskk TThheemm ffoorr aa SSoolluuttiioonnIf the other person has refused to accept any of your

concessions or alternatives, throw the decision back intohis court, says Dianna Booher, in her book, �Communi-cate With Confidence,� (McGraw-Hill). �OK, I've run outof ideas. How do you think we can work out thisissue/overcome this objection/diffuse this concern?�The other person often has a suggestion in mind that isworkable. In some cases, he might concede that the issue isunsolvable and as a result, drop it as a criterion for comingto an agreement.

DDoonn��tt UUssee TThhrreeaatteenniinngg QQuueessttiioonnssTry to avoid wording questions about the competition

like this, �What don�t you like about your present supplier?�,or, �What are the weaknesses of your vendor?� Thosequestions could be interpreted as an insult to their deci-sion-making ability, since they chose the vendor in the firstplace. A less threatening query would be, �In what areascould your existing level of service be improvedupon?�, or, �What would you like to get that youmight not be receiving now?�

PPhhaasseess ttoo AAvvooiiddWhen prospecting, avoid saying, �I was just going

through my records (or list) here,� and, �We�re callingpeople in your area . . . � They don�t want to feel as ifthey�re just one of the names on the list you grabbed thatday.

EExxppaanndd YYoouurr CCuussttoommeerrssDo any of your customers�even the very best ones�

buy everything you sell? Is there the chance they might bebuying elsewhere some of the same products you sell? Prob-ably. If you sell to regular customers on a regular basis, seta goal on every call to ask several questions designed todetermine whether the customer could benefit from otherproducts/services you have. �Sandy, many of our cus-tomers who now get ______ from us also find thereare a few other very compatible items that they getas well. Tell me, what additional types of . . .�

HHooww ttoo MMoovvee IInnddeecciissiivvee PPrroossppeeccttssYou can take a hesitant prospect and actually use his/

her own indecisiveness as a way to prompt them to act.For example, �Jan, I understand this is a major deci-sion. And one thing to consider is this: What willhappen if you leave things the way they are? Wediscussed that you�re missing sales opportunitiesevery day. What will that mean to you in terms oflost revenue just over the next six months?�



May 2019 VVoolluummee 3366 NNuummbbeerr 55

SMART CALLINGREPORT

Have the Attitude of this Jepoardy WinnerThe guy who is on the amazing

Jeopardy game show run.

�Who is James Holzhauer?�

At the time of writing this, he wasabout to eclipse the previous money-winnings record holder, Ken Jennings,of $2.5 million.

Except Holzhauer will likely do itin just 33 games. It took Jennings 74.

Holzhauer will eventually getbeat—it might take a while.

What I want to talk about, andwhat is relevant for you, is a personyou probably have never heard of.The person who beat Jennings:

Nancy Zerg.

She likely wasn’t any better orsmarter than Jennings. In fact, shelost the very next game, leaving herpersonal streak at one.

To beat Jennings, she managedto stay close during the main part ofthe game, then knew the last answerwhen Ken didn’t. Game and streakover.

She had something else going forher at the time that certainly didn’thurt.

Confidence.

In interviews after her victory, shesaid that she knew he would lose tosomeone eventually, and it just as wellshould be her.

In contrast, she spoke to othercontestants who before their gameswith Ken were already resigned to thefact that they would lose. They saidthings like,

“Coming in second to KenJennings isn’t bad.”

And sure enough, they came in sec-ond.

Or third.

So what is your mindset beforeyour calls? Do you pick up the phonefeeling that you’re going to succeed?Or, are you expecting the worst?

We tend to look for, create, andget what we expect. Let’s look at someways to avoid the negatives and staypositive.

DDoonn’’tt AAssssuummee NNeeggaattiivveess Too often sales reps assume the

worst before a call, and then let thatattitude come through in their voiceon the call.

Their assumption becomes reality.For example,

“I know you’re busy so I won’t taketoo much of your time …”

EVERYONE is busy. If what youhave is of value, you earn their time,and they’ll want to speak with you.

“I imagine you get lots of stuffemailed to you and probably haven’thad a chance to look at my materialyet …”

Instead, tell them that you are call-ing to review the material that you havesent them as a result of your previouscall.

If that call was strong, and theyagreed to look at your material anddo something with it, you should ex-pect that on the follow-up call.

DDoonn’’tt VVaalliiddaattee TThheeiirrRReessiissttaannccee

When a prospect or customer givesresistance, don’t put words in theirmouth to validate the resistance. Makethem do it themselves. For example, Iheard this on a call

Prospect (tentatively) “So we prob-ably won’t be doing this with you inthe short term …”

Caller “Oh, so you’re really not ina position to do it now?”

Prospect: “Yeah, … right, we’re re-ally not in a position to do it now.”

The rep then said, “Can I call youback in about three months?”, and theprospect said sure.

And why not?

The caller made it so easy! Instead,the rep should have remained silent af-ter the initial resistance, since theremight not have been much substancebehind it.

It’s interesting how, when peoplearen’t telling the complete truth, feelcompelled to keep talking when con-fronted with silence. If the prospectdidn’t volunteer further information,the caller could have said, “Oh, whatled to that conclusion?”

This way, the caller finds out if theprospect is serious, or is simply brush-ing off the caller.

Don’t go into a call expecting resis-tance. If you must expect anything, ex-pect success. And if you doubt any-thing, doubt your limitations.



22



.

Now go and make this yourbest month ever!

Sales ObservationsI was picking up my to-go

lunch order at a Chinese restaurant.

I asked if soup came with the or-der.

The woman at the counter toldme that they did not have soup to gowith the lunch specials, just for din-ing in.

I really wanted some hot and soursoup.

�So how can I get soup?�

She pointed to the menu and saidall they had was the big container fortwo, for six dollars.

I thought I'd get creative and makea logical suggestion:

�How about just filling it half-way,making it for one, and charging mehalf-price?�

She smiled and said,

�The soup is for two and is$6.�

I bought it.

Wow, what a great example ofsimply standing firm on price.

How do you respond when askedif you can do better on price?

If you�re faced with the resis-tance of “We can get it cheaper online,”a good strategy is to not get into a pricediscussion, but rather get them thinkingand talking about what they really want,which many times is not included whenpurchasing online. For example,

�Of course most things can besimply purchased online for lowerprices. But let�s look at everythingthat you really want�”

Speaking of price, in my archivesI found somewhat of an unconventionalway to deal with a higher price in thebook, �When the Other Guy�s Price isLower,” by James Bleech and DavidMutche (that was according to mynotes. I can't find the book in my library,or the book on amazon. Anyway, thatwas my source.)

When your price is higher, mentionit early in a call or relationship:

�Our product is one of thehigher-priced in the market. Is thata reason for us to stop talking?�

If the prospect says he wants to con-tinue, then ask,

�Why is that?�

This gives you great information. Ifhe says he does not want to continue,ask for a further explanation. You mightbe able to deal with it, but if not, atleast you get this person out of the wayearly and avoid wasting time.

Are you ever asked for refer-ences?

And do people actually contactthem when they’re given? Many don’t.Often, they want to see if you have them,how you react when you’re asked forthem, and what types of references

you’re able to produce, wanting to besure you’ve worked with companiessimilar to theirs.

The next time you’re asked, respondmatter-of-factly with,

"Sure, I’ll be happy to provide ref-erences. What would you like to see?"

Get them to explain why they’re ask-ing. This can help you immediately pro-vide additional information and an-swers to questions, which, in somecases, might negate the need to pro-vide the references.

You should, however, always be pre-pared to provide plenty.

It's alarming how multi-taskingobsessed people are today. Whichmeans they are not doing ANY of thosetasks with 100% focus.

And that includes listening.

A sales pro at a recent workshoptold me he closes Slack, Skype, email,Facebook, and all other windows andapps not directly related to his calling,and puts his cell phone in a drawer,turned off. Awesome.

Here's something else that struck mewhile I was on a call with a person whohad a thick accent. I had to listen witheverything I had to comprehend whathe was saying. And I thought, why notdo that on EVERY call?


This is Why CallsWander Aimlessly

Have you ever purchased a TV,couch, bed, or car without trying it outfirst?

How people buy some things likethose online without trying it first isbeyond me.

For the most part, we buy becausewe experience the feeling of, or see thepicture of the result of owning andusing the product or service.

The closer you can get to helpingprospects experience that, the better.

On the phone, the ultimate in skillis doing that solely with our words. But,if you can use other tools available toyou, why not?

For example, I received a prospect-ing call from an online printing service.He did a nice job of grabbing interestat the beginning by referencing a col-league who provided my name as areferral.

Then he mentioned a value state-ment, saying how he works with othertrainers, helping them save time in theprinting of their training manuals andhaving them delivered directly to theclients’ locations.

After a good job of questioning, hetook me to their site where we up-loaded an actual training manual thatI used with a client. He walked methrough how easy it was to submit andformat the file for printing.

Easy indeed.

Then, he had the manualovernighted to me to demonstrate thespeed. Impressive. And, I held thephysical product in my hands, seeingand feeling the better quality than whatI was paying for. I was sold.

He hadn’t even given me the pric-ing yet, but in my mind it was worthmore than what I was paying becauseof everything I had experienced. I hadexperienced ownership in advance.

How can you do something simi-lar?

Last month I shared with youthe brilliance in a TV commercialfor Fisher Investments. I saw an-other financial services commercial,this one for an online brokerage.One guy asked another,

“Does your brokerage housegive you objective advice?”

“Yeah, their objective always isto sell me something.”

Of course that was meant to bea humorous slam on full-service bro-kers whose intent is to sell stocksinstead of give objective advice.

However, it got me thinkingabout how lots of sales reps do NOThave a clear objective when theypick up the phone.

These are NOT PrimaryObjectives

For example, when I ask repsfor objectives before calls I hearsuch things as,

“I want to see who they’re buy-ing from now.”

“I’d like to qualify and send outsome info.”

“Want to see if they have anyneeds.”

Granted, all of those should beaccomplished, but none are the endRESULT you’re ideally looking foron a call.

You wouldn’t get in your car andsay, “I’m going to start my car, andthen just go out on the road some-where.”

No, you get in your car becauseyou have a very specific destina-tion in mind. And when you havea destination, then you figure outwhat route you need to take in or-der to get there. Then you followthat route. And usually you arrive.

Yet, many sales reps get on thephone with no clear, specific desti-nation in mind. Then they end upcruising aimlessly, and not surpris-

Help ThemExperienceOwnership

ingly, ending their wayward journey with-out a pleasing result.

Maybe you’ve had that feeling aftera call. Where you sit there shaking yourhead, thinking, “What just happened onthat call? I was all over the place.”

This week’s Tip is boring, simple, butyet required for success:

Have a Primary Objective beforeeach call.

Primary Objective DefinedI define your Primary Objective as

what you want them to DO as a re-sult of the call.

Again, emphasis on the DO. Itmust be action-oriented.

The ultimate Primary Objective is toget them to buy on this call.

Perhaps your objective is to “Getagreement that the customer will takeyour proposal to the board meeting andrecommend its approval.”

Maybe you want to qualify, gener-ate interest, and get the prospect toagree to do a side-by-side comparisonbetween his existing product and yours.

Look at these again. They all involveyour prospect/customer DOING some-thing.

And think big. One thing’s for sure:if you aim low, you’ll rarely hit aboveyour target. When you aim high, you’llsometimes reach it, and on average, willachieve greater results than if you startlow.

So here’s your homework: For everycall you place from here on out, simplyask, “What do I want this person to DOas a result of this call?” That’s your Pri-mary Objective.

And when you have your end targetin mind, it’s much easier to plot yourmap, and ultimately arrive at the tar-get.

As Dr. Steven Covey says in his“Seven Habits of Highly EffectivePeople,” begin with the END in mind.

BBeeiinngg PPeerrssuuaassiivvee CCaallll OObbjjeeccttiivveess


Jim Domanski

(Jim Domanski isPresident of theTelemanagement Con-sulting Group, atelemarketing consult-ing and training firm.Contact him at 613-591-1998)

How to Really Listen Your Way to More Sales Listening can be tough. It can be

even tougher in the absence of face-to-face contact. Listening, however, remainsthe key to establishing a �relationship�with your clients. As the customer beginsto perceive you understand his world,relationships grow and sustainthemselves. Here are some tips and ideason how to improve your listening skills:

How Not to Listen 1. �I know this stuff.� Sometimes

pre-call planning can work against you.Yes, you read that correctly. Occasionallyreps overprepare. Specifically, they feelthey know so much about the client orthe prospect that it builds a false senseof security.

Consequently, when a client beginsto provide information there is a tendencyto say to yourself �I know that already.�It is not so much that we entirely dismissthe comments by the customer but ratherwe listen at 50%. We miss perspective.And when we miss the client�s perspectivewe cannot fully comprehend their world.

2. �I can hardly wait to tell youthat I know this stuff.� Similarly, thereis a tendency when we overprepare toanxiously show the client how much weknow. We want to impress her with ourpreparation. In this scenario we arewaiting for the moment to tell the clientwhat we know rather than listen to whatshe has to say.

3. �Let me tell you even more.�Sales reps are taught to listen for buyingcues. Unfortunately, some reps simplywait for the cue so that they can use theopportunity to make their pitch. This isselective listening. There is a tendency tohear what we want to hear and thenswitch into the pitch mode. From thatpoint on we stop listening.

What to Do 1. Take notes. Nothing new or

exciting about this tip. However, it stillremains the most powerful way to listen,particularly when you are not face-to-face with the client. Taking notes forcesyou to concentrate on what the client hasto say. It eliminates distractions aroundyou because your head is focused on thepaper. As you take notes, you have less

of an opportunity to prepare rebuttals andpitches as described above. Incidentally tellthe prospect or client you are taking notes.They won�t mind. In fact, most will beimpressed if not pleased:

�Ms. Fontaine, I�ll be taking somenotes so I can assess your situationand not miss anything.� Telling themthat you are taking notes also preps theclient that he or she might have to slowdown or repeat themselves. Forexample:�Mr. Maher, I didn�t quite getthat last bit of information concerningyour use of trocars in surgery. I�mafraid my short hand needs a littlework. Could you go over that again?�

2. Ask Questions. Again, nosurprises here. Asking questions, of course,is the means of getting the client to speak.And that provides us the opportunity tolisten. There are several �generic��questions that can assist in getting the clientto open up. For instance;

�Bob, I�m not quite sure what youmeant by that last remark...�

�Could you elaborate...�

�Explain how that works...�

�Can you go over that again ...�

3. Provide a �playback.� Noamount of note taking and questioning willguarantee that you have listened or thatyou have listened and understood. The onlyway you can do this is by providing aplayback or summary of what you haveheard to your client:

Sales Rep: �So, Danny, let�s see ifI have got this straight: You want toexpand your market share bypenetrating the hospitals into thenortheast but you have yet to find thepersonnel to implement the plan. Thestrategy is further hampered by thefact that you are virtually an unknownplayer in this area. Is this correct?�

Note: It is vital that you simply don�trepeat word for word what the client hassaid. That�s �parroting.� You mustsummarize and interpret.

One of three interesting things can

happen when you provide feedback. First,the client can confirm what you haveplayed back: �That�s it, Ben. You�ve hitit right on the head.�

Second, the client can correct ormodify your play back: �That�s not quiteright, Ben. We do have two sales reps inthe northeast already. Their focus hasbeen only on the hospitals in Boston.�

Third, the client can add moreinformation: �Well, Ben, thatsummarizes it. I should also mention thatwe have the exclusive rights to theGraseby Pump from England. Typically,the pump can help reduce post operativecosts by 30-40%. Surgeons and hospitalsare constantly looking for ways to reducethese costs. We have proven results andtestimonials from Europe and here in themid-West.�

Sales Rep: �So you see thepump as a unique means ofpenetrating the market despite thefact that your company is not wellknown. Am I getting the picture?�

�Precisely.�

Note the use of the last question.Don�t be afraid to ask for confirmation.Phrases like �How does that sound?�or �Do I have it right?� or �Am I onthe right track?� or �Is that correcton my part?� help check your listening.

In summary, while listening, you getto know the customer and their world.But another curious thing occurs. As youdemonstrate your listening skills, theclient gets to know you and your world.And the customer concludes you arereliable, trustworthy, and professional.That�s what relationships are made of.

Good selling.


Getting to Buyers

Persuasive Messaging in a TV Commercial

BBeeiinngg HHeessiittaannttCCaann HHeellpp YYoouuMMoovvee FFoorrwwaarrdd

I heard this technique on a callwith an assistant.

Assistant: �Bob Jones� office.This is Kate.�

Rep: �Hey Kate. I�m not sureI should be calling here... hope-fully you can tell me.�

Assistant: �Umm, ok.�

Then he proceeded to explainwho he was, and the problem hesolved (not the product he sold) andasked, �Is that something Bob isresponsible for, or does some-one else handle that?�

Several things going on here. Theassistant was disarmed a bit whenthe rep said he wasn�t sure he shouldbe calling there, and then he usedthe tried and true technique of ask-ing for help. It was now as if theywere solving a mystery together.

And then after describing theproblem he solves, he asked the al-ternate choice question, which in ei-ther case would give a useable an-swer (in this case it was Bob).

You could also use a variationof this with the decision maker, re-gardless of whether you already knowhe/she is the person you should bespeaking with.

For example,

�Hi Bob, Dan Jacobs withExcel Services. First, I�m notsure if I should be calling you. Iwork with companies that (de-scribe the problem you solve)and help them to (describe theresult of solving the problem).Is that something you are re-sponsible for, or is someone elsein charge of that?�

It�s an unconventional ap-proach, but certainly could accom-plish our opening statement objec-tive of getting them curious and in apositive state of mind, while movingthem to the questioning.

I went to the Dollar Store to get aspecific-sized tin foil pan I needed forsome cooking I was doing for a party. Itook it to the checkout, expecting topay my quick buck and get out of there.The clerk had difficulty scanning it andcalled over a manager who didn�t ap-pear too happy she was forced to getout of her chair in her office.

She tried scanning it a few times,punched some buttons on the screen,then threw it down and said it wasn�tin the computer, they couldn�t sell it.Then she walked away.

The clerk looked at me with apuzzled face. So I went over grabbedanother one, waited my turn in line�again. She tried scanning it again. Noluck.

The manager definitely was nothappy about having to get up again ina span of five minutes. She tried scan-ning it again. She threw that one downand said, �I told you we can�t sellthese.�

I was floored. And then startedlaughing.

�How about I just give you a fivedollar bill. You keep the change, andthen just figure it out later.�

She snapped back, �No. We can�tsell them.�

And then she walked away.

So much for �finding a way� andsolving problems.

That manager should be fired.

This isn�t a sales point so much asa sales prevention example.

If you do a completely honest andtransparent evaluation, are there anypolicies and practices�personal or or-ganizational�and personal habits thatyou control that hinder people frombuying from you.

This is one of the easiest areas�intheory�to fix.

Awareness must be the first step.

AArree YYoouu DDooiinngg TThhiinnggssttoo PPrreevveenntt SSaalleess??

Customers

FFiinndd OOuutt WWhhyy TThheeyyAAsskkeedd tthhee QQuueessttiioonn

We often hear questions that aretough, catch us off guard, or are off-the-wall and irrelevant. A strategy for all ofthese is to get them to continue talking.This buys you time, helps them furtherexplain their reason for the question, orunmasks the fact that the question hasno point.

For example,

Their Question: �How many pro-grams have you done in my industry?�

Your possible questions:

�Are you asking because you�rewondering about our ability tohandle your types of issues?�

�Just kind of curious. Why areyou asking?�

�Is experience one of your mainconcerns?�

�When you say �your industry,�what specifically are you referringto?�

�Not sure I understand. Couldyou explain?�

Of course, be sure your reply makessense.

Move Them ForwardGood question to begin wrapping up

the details and moving the process for-ward: �What do we need to do first?

A Common ProblemProblem: Sales rep talking too much

at the beginning of a call.

Result and Implications:

� talking himself out of a sale.

� Giving information that is irrelevant,boring the listener, or, worse, givingammunition for an objection.

Solution: Be sure to get informa-tion before you give it.

Questions



I’m fascinated by other professionsthat use the skills and techniques wealso employ as sales pros. Police de-tectives, for examples.

And while it was just a TV show,a much-studied and quoted TV de-tective was Columbo, from the seriesof the same name in the 70’s.

Columbo was a master at gettinghis subjects to open up and shareabundant information. He’d oftenfeign confusion and apologize for notbeing as smart as his interviewee,therefore prompting them to explaindetails and timelines in clearer terms.

We can do the same, by simplysaying, “What do you mean by that?”

For example,

Prospect: ”We are in the processof exploring options for generatingmore qualified leads for our salesstaff.”

Sales Rep: ”Oh, what do youmean by that?”

Prospect: ”We were finding thatour reps were ignoring leads since mostof them were just looking for free in-formation. So, now, we are lookingat putting more qualifiers in the webform.”

Sales Rep: ”Oh?”

Prospect: ”Yes, what we need todo is…”

See how much more info you getby just letting them explain what theymean? Many reps would have jumpedin after the prospect’s first commentwith, “Well let me tell you how wecan do that!”

Perhaps the technique Columbowas most famous for was the “Justone more question…” He’d give theimpression that the interview was over,begin walking toward the door, thenturn around and say,

“Let me ask just one morequestion…”

Ask Questions LikeThis TV Detective

This would catch his subjects off-guard, getting them to say things theymight not have earlier. Now, I’m not abeliever in trying to trick anyone into any-thing. But, you might consider making ita policy to always ask one more ques-tion to ensure that you are not jumpingin too early.

Let’s explore this again, in action:

Prospect: ”We often need to placeorders after our East coast supplier hasclosed for the day.”

Rambling Rep: ”Oh, we stay openuntil 8:00 p.m. your time!”

Better add-on “What do youmean?” question: ”What do you domean by that?

Follow-up questions: ”What doyou do in those situations?”

“What other implications does thatcause?”

Then you can really get them in afeeling-the-pain state of mind by gettingthem to attach a specific cost to prob-lems or needs they have.

Here are questions using other ex-amples,

“Tell me Joan, what do you feelit’s costing you to have your staffsort and seal those envelopes byhand?”

“Frank, about how much peryear would you say you spend oncopier machine maintenance?”

“Can you estimate how muchbusiness you’re losing because youaren’t contacting your smaller ac-counts?”

The additional questions help you toput them in a better, more receptive frameof mind to hear about your solutions.And, once you’ve discovered what theproblem means to them, in monetaryterms, you are better-prepared to posi-tion the benefits and price of your prod-ucts and services.

LLeeaarrnn TThheeiirr BBuuyyiinnggPPrrooggrreessssiioonn

When questioning, it’s useful toisolate the steps the prospect followswhen making a decision. Here are somefine ideas from the book, �GuerrillaSelling,� by Bill Gallagher, Orvel RayWilson, and Jay Conrad Levinson.

We all typically have a methodologywe follow when making decisions, andthis progression is unique for everyone.We do tend, however, to follow the sameprogression consistently. A goodquestion to learn this decision-makingprogression is,

“How did you decide to . . .?”

Then listen carefully. What you’lllikely hear is something like, “Well, firstwe ____, then we. . .”

The answer not only gives you theirbuying criteria, but also the progressionof their strategy. Once you know this,you can match their strategy andsystematically structure your case usingthe same progression.

(SOURCE: �Guerrilla Selling,� by BillGallagher, Orvel Ray Wilson, and Jay ConradLevinson.)

AAvvooiidd TThhiiss UUsseelleessssQQuueessttiioonn

Here’s a virtual ly worthlessquestion: It occurs after a prospectsays, “I’m buying from ABCCompany,” and then the sales repsays, �Oh, is everything going OK withthem?�, or, �How are they workingout for you?�

What do these reps expect theprospects to say? �Oh, everything isawful. I�m looking for a supplier. Gladyou called. How do I sign up?�

Instead, be prepared with aquestion that specifically deals with aproblem you know they’re likelyexperiencing.

“I see. What are you seeing inthe area of ____?”

For example, “What has been yourexperience with returns?”

At this point you want themtalking about potential problems, notthe fact that they like their presentsupplier.


RReeffeerrrraallss

Adrian Gahlot is a Customer Success Man-ager with LinkedIn. He shared anexcellent post about asking for re-ferrals from your LinkedIn con-nections. Here is his post, andone of the templates he has suc-cess with in getting referrals andrecommendations from clientsand customers.

Adrian's Post84% of B2B buyers start

their buying process througha referral.

If you ponder on this stat alittle longer, you'd realize thatmost of the decisions onetakes today started from arecommendation through afriend, colleague, acquain-tance etc...The gym youjoined, the recent vacationyou planned, a new cuisineyou tried.

The reason we prefer buy-ing into recommendation isthat we trust these people!

Hence, it goes withoutsaying that this natural ten-dency influences the busi-ness decisions we maketoo!

In fact, your B2B buyer is5X more likely to engage withyou via a warm introductionthan a cold outreach.

The sad part: only 11% ofSales professionals ask forthem!

Check out a template thathas worked for me when try-ing to get warm introductions.

How to Get Referrals Using LinkedIn

TTeelleeTTiippss









88

SSeellff--MMoottiivvaattiioonn IIddeeaass Keep in mind that the large prospect you�re wait-ing to call is buying from someone, but will eventuallychange. It might as well be from you!

To beat call reluctance, think of all the successesyou�ve had when you dug in your heels and took action.Nothing but guilt and regret results from wasting time,and avoiding the phone. Pick it up now and equate ac-tion with accomplishment!

Set short-term activity goals, such as number ofprospecting calls in a two-hour period. It keeps you fo-cused, active, and invigorated.

Rejection is not an experience. It�s how somepeople define an experience. You�ll never be rejected againif you can pinpoint something positive that comes fromevery call.

Don�t settle for �good enough.� That�s defined asjust enough to get by and survive. Always put in thatlittle extra.

PPrreeffaaccee YYoouurr PPrreesseennttaattiioonn WWiitthh PPaaiinnPreface your benefits (results) with a reminder of the

pain they want to avoid, and/or have experienced in thepast. For example,

�And this next option will ensure that you�ll neverhave to spend time manually doing those tediouscalculations again ...�

�Here�s something which will help you avoid writ-ing those monthly checks to the repair company ...�

�You won�t have to worry about whether or notyour reports are accurate anymore, because ...�

HHooww ttoo HHaannddllee TToouugghh OObbjjeeccttiioonnssHere are some ideas to help you get them talking when

they object.

Replace objections with benefits. �I know youwant (objection). But isn't it true that (benefit) is moreimportant?� �Although (objection) seems vital rightnow, won't (benefit) be more significant in the longrun?�

Face them down. Let's say the prospect raises atough objection like, �Why should I buy from you when Iknow I can get a similar product for much less?�

Respond: �Well, do you have competitors who sellfor less? How are they able to do that? Then ask your-self what you're really looking for, as much as pos-sible, or as little as possible.�

The Feedback Formula. Ask the prospect, �That'sa real concern for you, isn't it?� He'll either brush off hisown objection, or validate it. If he validates it, respond bysaying, �I can see how you feel about it, and I under-stand. But have you considered (benefit)?�

(SOURCE:�Secrets of Closing Sales,� Charels Roth and RoyAlexander)

LLeeaarrnniinngg TThheeiirr BBuuyyiinngg PPrroocceessss,, aanndd WWhhootthhee BBuuyyeerrss AArree

We always need to find out the decision-making processwithin an organization and determine who the players are.

Here�s a good way to learn that information without bluntlysaying, �So, what�s your title?�, or, �Are you the decisionmaker?� After they mention someone�s name, such as, �I�lldiscuss this with Jerry Smith,� reply with, �So, Jerry Smithworks for you?�

They typically answer with something like, �Oh, no, he�sthe VP of Finance,� or, �Yes, he�s the Supervisor in chargeof�� In any event, they provide great info you can use tocontinue questioning.



June 2019 VVoolluummee 3366 NNuummbbeerr 66

SMART CALLINGREPORT

How to Begin a Scheduled Meeting and Quickly GetThem Talking About Exactly What They Want

Today there is tremendous empha-sis on �getting the meeting.�

Entirely new job positions have beencreated for it. Actually, they might havejust been given new names, Sales De-velopment Professional, Business De-velopment Rep. Regardless of who doesit, it involves calling to arrange a meet-ing, either in person, on the phone, oronline--which adds the visual elementwithout being there.

In my experience, I have seen fartoo many situations where the appoint-ment and meeting was set, but then thecaller�or a different sales rep blew itin the actual meeting.

TThheeyy FFaaiill aatt tthhee MMeeeettiinnggNow, there are lots of things that

could have contributed to the rep notbeing set up for success to begin with.Perhaps the prospector simply calledand quickly asked for, and got a meet-ing without any conversation. I�ve neverbeen a fan of that. These are the peoplewho follow the �the first call is just toget the meeting� myth. That usuallyresults in a disinterested, sometimes un-qualified prospect.

And those are costly when you cal-culate the actual costs of a meeting.

Perhaps the caller didn�t find out ifit would be appropriate to get others inthe meeting or on the next call.

OK, we won�t focus on those fornow. Let�s talk about the rep who callsor shows up for the scheduled meeting.And then proceeds to go into his or herpitch.

You know where that ends up, right?

With a disinterested, unengagedprospect, looking at his or her watch�while the salesperson is droning on

about his �thing,� his product or ser-vice, and what he feels are the ben-efits.

Ask any decision maker, andthey�ve been in more of these salespresentations than the good ones.

Sure, the rep might ask some ba-sic questions, but the default mostoften reverts to �pitch mode� by thesalesperson.

And even though most sales train-ing teaches we should go deep withquestions, the easy thing to do forsalespeople is to shift into what theyare comfortable with: dumping prod-uct knowledge.

But of course, that is exactly whatwe don�t want to do. Because it is in-effective and creates objections.

TThhee RReeccoommmmeennddeeddSSttrraatteeggyy

So what is the effective, recom-mended strategy?

Get the prospect talking aboutwhat they want. Quickly.

This should not be a surprise foranyone who has followed me for anytime at all. Pretty much every callopening I�ve ever suggested ends withletting the prospect know that in orderto deliver on the possible value we hintat, we need to ask some questions.

And, the same format can and doeswork if your model is to follow my pro-cess for the initial call, and then toarrange a meeting or demo.

So for example, a good first callwould reach the moment where youdetermine a meeting would be appro-priate.

You�ve qualified them, and askedquestions at the advanced level... notonly to get information, but to intriguethem, getting them thinking about aproblem, pain or desire, and interestedin speaking more.

Of course I�ve always been partialto taking the first call as far as possible.If the music is still playing, stay on thedance floor. Why end the party prema-turely if they are playing along

But OK, let�s say for whatever rea-son, your model is another meeting. Yousuggest the best next step would be aweb demo call, and that the other de-partment heads should be involved.

Your prospect agrees. You confirmthe date and time, and assign somehomework. Which could be them col-lecting data, speaking with their frontline team... whatever.

TThhee��SSooccrraattiicc OOppeenneerr��You want to be prepared to use the

�Socratic Opener� to kick off your ques-tioning.

This is something I pulled out of a23-year old book that was on my shelf,�Socratic Selling,� by Kevin Daley andEmmett Wolfe.

I had forgotten about the book. Butpulling out older classics is something Ido regularly. Not everything has changedin sales, regardless of what you mightread on the Internet.

In fact, most things regarding humanbehavior have not changed. And thingsyou read in actual books, by successfulpeople who authored them based onexperience, are more valid than a socialmedia post that an out-of-work �expert�or �influencer� just typed up.




22



.


Sales ObservationsI was reviewing a few of the

past The Art of Sales podcast epi-sodes when doing some research fora client training workshop, and foundmyself listening to the entire showagain where I had Dan Hoemke onas the guest, "CEO Guest: DanHoemke Shares How to Sell to theTop.

As a former CEO of HumanaHealthcare, and someone who has,and still sells to the C-Suite. He hadsome tremendously valuable how-to'sanyone can use to sell to decisionmakers--at any level.

One of the many tips that sentme scrambling for my pen was onour discussion of not being proposalprinters... meaning that proposalsshould be the result of moving thesales process to the point where thereis already a good probability of get-ting the deal. In response to an earlyproposal request, Dan suggests say-ing,

"The last thing I would wantto do is put a proposal in frontof you that was not worthy ofyour consideration."

Powerful. That is a great way tofurther qualify someone as serious,and get them to continue with ques-tioning.

(You can hear this episode, andall of them at TheArtOfSales.com)

In all my years of doing this I un-derstand that in our huge audience wehave many who are high-activity callers.You are on the phone all day long, mak-ing 40+ attempts per day. (And some inthat group just laughed at how low 40is!)

There are others who are whale hunt-ers, carefully selecting a big prospect perwhatever time period... day, week, or evena month. These typically are huge-dollardeals,with multiple people and longersales cycles.

In any case, the same processes ap-ply. In the latter situation, sales pros havethe luxury of taking a bit more time formore in-depth research and activity sincethe potential ROI is there.

This tip falls into that category, al-though of course anyone could use it.

When you have reached the pointwhere you are mostly prepared to reachout to your new prospect, make an afterhours call to his/her number. (Hopefullyit is not a mobile phone!)

Your goal here is not to leave a mes-sage, but to hear their greeting. Lean inand listen carefully for tone, cadence, per-sonality, accent... anything you can pickup.

Do they sound friendly and inviting,or to-the-point. If the latter, don't let thatintimidate you; let it give you clues as tohow you should approach them with yourmessage.

And do take notes on any timely info,such as if they will be out, who else tospeak to, and whatever else they share.This is a form of passive social engineer-ing.

Finally, do be prepared in the unlikelyevent they pick up live!

Who knows?

They could be in the opposite end ofthe world and have their calls forwarded.Do have a version of your value state-ment prepared.

In the Hubspot blog I saw aninteresting justification for havingmore success with leaving voice mailsat the end of the day:

"We can thank the serial position ef-fect. This psychological phenomenonsays when you show people a list,they'll remember the first and lastitems the best. That means whenyou're trying to grab a prospect's at-tention, you want to be one of thefirst or last things they hear."

Hmm, interesting. They reasonthat when you hear voicemails at thestart of the day, even if one DOESsound somewhat interesting--but noturgent-- it could land on your "Possi-bly to Get To" list with other well-in-tentioned things... that get muscledout by other things.

However, if someone is wrappingup their day and they hear somethinginteresting, they might reply with anemail or call back right then and there.

Captain Obvious here, but weare half way through 2019. If you areon track to hit or blow away your num-bers, congrats! I challenge you to doit by a lot. Too often I have seenpeople pump the breaks, which hasa lingering effect. And if you are notwhere you want to be, you can doanything in six months, if you wantto!


PPrroossppeeccttiinngg

I'm often asked if it is worth it toleave voice mails when prospecting.

Absolutely. You are cheating your-self if you don't.

You don't have to look too far tofind those who suggest you just hangup and move on. Bad advice. The ar-guments I hear for not leaving a mes-sage:

-"No one calls back." Of coursemost messages get ignored. There's noway busy decision makers could returnmessages from all of the people whocall them. Don't expect a call back. Butyou do have an opportunity to leave avalue imprint.

-"It takes time." As a percentageof the time you've already put in, notthat much compared to the potentialimpact.

You've already done the heavy lift-ing. You've done all of your call prepand you are totally ready to give a value-packed opening to the prospect---right?Why in the world wouldn't you takeanother 30 seconds to leave an impres-sion?

-"They'll know you are a sales-person." If you leave a horrible Me-Me message, yes. But instead, you willleave a message that piques their curi-osity, right?

Here's the deal, if you call multipletimes and hang up without leaving a

message, that shows up on Caller ID.What impression does THAT leave?It could not be that important, right.And, just think, whose behavior doesthat resemble? Telemarketers.Robodialers. If they are sitting at theirdesk and happen to see a call comein again from that number, it is easierto ignore.

A great voice mail does not sell. Itleaves a question in the listener's mindthat they want the answer to.

It should be the same as the greatinterest-piquing Smart opening thatyou are already prepared to deliver ifthey do answer live.

The difference is at the end, youlet them know that you will call back,and if they'd like to reach you in themeantime, leave your number. Andlet them know you are sending anemail that they can simply reply towith good times to reach them.

Finally, here's one I just heard andreally hadn't given much considerationto, but it has merit: Leaving a few(good) messages also plants a slightpsychological feeling of reciprocity intheir mind. They might feel slightly ob-ligated to speak with you. Again, nottrue in all cases, but it can work inyour favor with the well-crafted, pros-pect-focused messages.

So, leave those voice mails!

When you are are looking for acommonality to make a connectionwith a prospect, how about startingwith the commonality first and thenthe right prospect?

More specifically, how about fel-low alumni of your college or univer-sity?

Most of us have a special bondwith our school. And this brother orsisterhood inherently gives us an ad-vantage over a stranger off the street.

And what's both interesting andodd about this at the same time isthat there were likely thousands ofothers at your school that you saweveryday and never spoke with, but ifyou saw someone in an airport inanother city with a t-shirt from yourschool you might be likely to say some-thing to them, right?

I digress.

How To Do ItOk, how do we use this?

Go to LinkedIn search. Click onthe People search.

Then in the Filters, go to the Adda School. Add yours.

Then, you can search by whateverother criteria you want.

I just did one for "VP Sales" in theTitle section, and Creighton Univer-sity, and came up with 82 people withthat title.

Now, this does not diminish theneed to still have something of value.They likely will not buy from you justbecause you went to dear old Home-town U.

So, treat it like any other SmartCall. Do your other research. Comeup with your possible value for them,like you would any call. Tacking onthe "fellow alum" connection at thebeginning is used to warm them upand make it easier to get them en-gaged.

For example, in looking at my searchresults, one of the first to come up listscoaching kids sports as one of his inter-ests. Perfect. I'd start with this.

"Hi Matt, Art Sobczak here withBusiness By Phone. First, I see we'reboth Creighton Bluejays... I was acouple of years before you... I didn'tget to see Benoit Benjamin whenhe played for us. (chit chat) Well

hey, the reason for the call is thatI know you are responsible forthe new business team there... Ispecialize in working with..."

You likley paid a lot of money foryour college education. This is oneway to leverage it that can have afinancial benefit, even if that Statis-tics 101 class didn't.

YYeess,, YYoouu SShhoouulldd LLeeaavvee aa VVooiiccee MMaaiill

Prospecting Fellow Alumni


Jim Domanski

(Jim Domanski isPresident of theTelemanagement Con-sulting Group, a telemar-keting consulting andtraining firm. Contacthim at 613-591-1998)

What You Say To Yourself Can Lose SalesUsually my column, and this entire

newsletter focuses on what to say to pros-pects and customers to move toward thesale. Today we'll look at negatives wordsreps use when speaking to themselves, theirpeers, or anyone else who happens to belistening. These are words that can maimand kill a sale. Or a career.

Self Defeating TalkThe following example is taken from

a real life incident in a call center. It istypical of many salespeople.

The rep explained to me in a coach-ing session, �We can never beat them onprice.�

So what�s already wrong? The rep hadnot even picked up the phone that morn-ing. Yet he had painted a picture of de-feat in his mind.

It�s tragic. Before they utter a word toa client or prospect they have already pol-luted their minds with reasons why peoplewon�t buy. With that type of thinking, it'seasy to see why reps feed their clients asteady diet of �don�t-buy-from-me�-typefeelings.

Yeah, ButThe interesting thing is that when you

try to logically deal with this type of atti-tude, some people will actually go out oftheir way to defend their negative tenden-cies. They invariably use the �yeah-but�defense. It goes like this:

�Okay,� I reply, �Price is often a keyfactor in a proposal. So if price is the mo-tivator why not offer the Value Plan?�

�Yeah, the Value Plan is cost effec-tive, but it does not include scaling. (ateeth cleaning procedure for pets)�

�Is scaling important to the custom-ers?� I inquire.

�Well, I am pretty sure it is. Most cus-tomers find it important.�

�Did you ask? Was this identified as aneed?�

�No.�

I replied, �Let�s take a different ap-proach. The Elite Plan offers scaling. Ifscaling is so important to the client, whynot offer it?�

�Yeah, but the Elite Plan includes dis-ability.�

�So???� I ask.

�Well, clients don�t want disability.�

�Oh I see,� said I. �Did you ask?�

�No.�

�Isn�t disability a good thing to have?�

�Yeah, but it increases the premiumand when I tell the client about the dis-ability it turns them off.�

Okay, I can't bear to go any further.The rep was building ready-made excusesfor why he could not sell the product. Helost before he had even begun calling.

Apart from maiming his mind by hisnegative words, there are a couple of otherfactors contributing to this negative atti-tude. First, the rep made broad assump-tions. He assumed that all clients thoughtscaling was important. As it turns out,most of the clients had no idea what scal-ing was. Secondly, armed with these falseassumptions, the rep did not bother toquestion to determine the client's needs.

There�s more. In cases where scalingwas deemed important, the rep felt com-pelled to position the disability coverageas an unnecessary add-on which raisedthe price. In fact, the rep actually toldclients that the Elite plan included scalingbut also included disability. Of course theclients viewed it as a negative simply be-cause the rep positioned it as one.

This is a classic example of talkingtoo much. If disability is unimportant tothe client, then don�t sell the feature ofdisability. If scaling is important, sell thescaling feature and its benefits.

Where the �Yeah, Buts�Came From

Shortly after the conversation with thisrep I met with five or six other salespeoplefor coffee. These guys were the �grizzledold vets.�

It was deja vu. I heard the same dia-logue as I had with the rep that morningabout scaling!

We tend to build �support� groups thatreinforce our attitudes. Sometimes we fallinto the trap of hanging out with negative

individuals. Over a period of time, a subtlebrainwashing occurs. We actually beginbelieving our own negative junk and spreadit to our clients.

What to DoFirst, the next time you're with a bunch

of reps, stop and listen. how do theyspeak? How do they position your prod-uct or service? Is it negative or positive? Isthere a pattern forming? Figure out ifthose around you jump on the bandwagon.

Second, if it is a negative atmospheretry to determine if there is any legitimacyto it. If there is a product flaw of somesort, do the proper people in managementknow about it? And it is simply not enoughto �mention� it. Anyone can do that.

Go further. Gather data. Collect �evi-dence.� And make some suggestions orrecommendations. For example, when Iasked the reps how many clients/prospectsactually mention scaling, there were onlytwo out of several hundred who had com-mented.

Third, if there is no legitimacy to thewhining or complaining, then remove your-self from that environment. Don�t hangout with that crowd. It will poison you.

Fourth, if you find that you are alreadypoisoned with negative talk, stop it. Youhave a choice. Learn more about the prod-uct features and benefits. Spice up yourselling skills by reading newsletters, readsales books, listen to selling and motiva-tional tapes.

Words that maim and kill a clientevolve from the same words we speak toourselves. Keep a keen ear out for howyou speak to yourself and others, ensureit's all positive, and your thoughts andactions follow.


Prospect Meetings


Anyway, I am going to take the�Socratic Opening� and adapt and re-fine it a bit. (And I do still want to givecredit to where I found it, although manypeople might just take this idea and callit their own. )

I�ll just lay it out for you, then I�ll breakit down, show why it is effective, and offervariations you can use.

Here it is:

The day and time arrives, the call be-gins, small talk and introductions ex-changed, and you then say,

�Mike, I�m prepared to talkabout (the result/benefit they wereinterested in and what you had dis-cussed on the first call). If you couldgive me your perspective on that, wecan focus the meeting on what in-terests you most.�

Boom. There it is. Sit back and watchthe magic unfold.

The book analyzes each part of it. I�lltake their analysis, adapt it, and add mysuggestions to it.

1. Saying You are Prepared.�I�m prepared to talk about (the

result/benefit they were interested inand what you had discussed on thefirst call).�

By stating this at the beginning, youare implying that you have done yourhomework and could get into presentingwhat they might be thinking they are go-ing to hear.

The authors say that that this lendscredibility to you, and it puts the pros-pects at ease. They give other ways toword this:

�I�m ready to discuss...�

�I could start by explaining...�

I�ve come up with some of my own:

�Some people might start out bygoing into a presentation about (re-sult/benefit) and I certainly could dothat...�

�I�m prepared to talk aboutmany of the reasons that othershave taken advantage of (benefit/result)...�

I like mine, since we�re actually do-ing a �pattern interrupt� on what theymight be expecting a typical salesper-son to do. You are contrasting yourselfwith them. And accomplishing the samething the authors suggest of notifying theprospect you are prepared.

2. Invite the Prospect toSpeak

�...If you could give me your per-spective on that...�

Notice the choice of the word, �per-spective.� The authors point out thatthis is a �mind� word.

Everyone has thoughts, viewpoints,and ideas. The prospect doesn�t haveto work too hard to answer.

And they point out to avoid the useof words like, �problems,� �concerns,�and �needs.�

What? Doesn�t most training suggestthat we get into those things? Yes, butnot this early.

Depending on what has transpiredup to this point in your discussion, theycould justifiably be thinking�or say��Wait, we didn�t say we have a need.�

Also, notice you are not asking themto just tell you about their business�which some training suggests. Instead,you focus them on the particular topicat hand: the result of your product orservice.

3. Offer an ImmediateBenefit

�...we can focus the meeting onwhat interests you most.�

Although the book doesn�t explainit in this way, I find this is brilliant inthat we have already mentioned thepossible benefit they will hear about andare expecting, but now we have dis-rupted that thought with something evenbetter:

What interests them the most.

It appeals to the most basic emo-tion: what we as individuals want.

On the surface, this technique isrelatively simple: letting the prospectknow you want to find out what is im-portant to them instead of pitchingwhat you have.

And it is what I have been preach-ing for years.

But this framework is so wellthought out and constructed that I sug-gest you give it a try.

The authors give numerous ex-amples of its success in action.

In one case, once arriving at themeeting, the rushed prospect said thatsomething urgent came up so heneeded to make it a quick 15 minutes.The rep was tempted to just go into hispresentation slides. Instead, he calmlyexecuted the Socratic Opener. The 15-minute meeting ended up being anhour. With the prospect talking for 50minutes of that. And the sales rep gen-erating an opportunity far beyond whathe was seeking.

One final suggestion on implement-ing this and having success with it. Justlike with any process and technique,you can�t wing it.

You must craft the words that aremost comfortable, appropriate, andlikely effective for you (subject to tweak-ing, of course).

And then practice. Out loud. Withothers. And record them. Rinse and re-peat.

The authors say,

�It�s one thing to think of whatyou�ll say. It�s quite another to trainthe mouth to say the words you choose.Rehearsal guarantees that your mouthwill follow your mind�s orders.�

In conclusion, if you arrange meet-ings with prospects, the Socratic Openerwill be effective for you. Go througheach of these steps, create severalvariations, practice til they are natu-ral, and then put it into practice.



Learning, and Creating, from a Mistake

When first starting as an SDR atYesware, an email management soft-ware solution, Saniat Sheikh learnedthe importance of always knowingyour competition.

Real-life example: On a cold call,the prospect said that he didn’t havetime to talk and he used a competi-tor.

Saniat mistakenly mentioned hewas unfamiliar with the competitorand despite “not having enoughtime,” the prospect laid out to him

GGeett RReeffeerrrraallss ffrroomm WWiitthhiinn TThheeiirr CCoommppaannyyIf you have a customer within a company that has multiple locations, or

many departments at one location, you probably haven’t even scratched thesurface of potential business.

The hard part is over—getting the company as a customer. Now thatyou’re in the door as part of the family, ferret out other opportunities. Askyour customer,

�Who else within your company also uses/does ______, whocould also take advantage of something similar to what we�re doingtogether?�

Prompt them a bit: �How about other departments? Other loca-tions?�

Even if they come up empty, ask them, �If I can find other buyers onmy own, it wouldn�t be a problem if I mention your name as a refer-ence, would it?�

the importance of having that infor-mation.

Now, Saniat suggests keepingquick facts about your competitionon-hand during cold calls.

You can do this by creating yourvery own battle card.

In column A of a spreadsheet,list out price, features, customer dis-satisfaction with competitor, whereyou win, where they win, and cus-tomer stories. In row 1 (starting with

your company) list out your competi-tion and fill out the information.

Here are some quick tips to do theresearch:

Track them down on Twitter to seewhat customers complain about.

Read reviews on G2 Crowd — Fil-ter to the 1 star ratings to see wherethe competitor has the most satisfac-tion hiccups.

Get acquainted with their features,strengths, and weaknesses.

When evaluating openings and voicemails I scrutinize every word and sentenceand ask, "Is this working toward the objec-tives (piquing interest and moving them tothe questioning), or is it just taking up space?"

That's when we can do micro-surgery onthe messaging... addition by subtraction,meaning making the message more relevantby tightening it up.

Here's another reason to tighten up yourmessaging: with most of your calls going tovoice mail, more are going to personal cellphones, which usually provides a text tran-scription. I suggest calling your own cell voicemail and leaving your message. See how itlooks, and you might make further edits.

FFiinnee--TTuunnee YYoouurr OOppeenniinnggss


RReeffeerrrraallss

Seems like that in every workshopI do the topic of small talk at the be-ginning of calls is brought up.

Makes sense.

It's a part of everyday human in-teraction in almost every conversa-tion.

And everyone has an opinion onit. Because it is based on feelings.

I've writen and spoken a lot aboutthis over the years... I won't rehash itall here.

In summary, I believe that usingsmall talk, and an ice-breaker suchas "how are you?" depends on,

-the individual, first and foremost.If you are comfortable using it/them,fine.

-how someone answers the phone.Personally, if I get a warm vibe fromthe get-go, I'm more likley to get a bitfolksy.

And my caveats always are, if youDO use them,

1. Be different.

2. Be sincere and conversationalin your delivery.

Along these lines, I stumbled upona YouTube video by sales trainer MarcWayshack. He suggested an alterna-tive to "how are you?"

His alternative is,

"Have have you been?"

In his studies (he didn't elaborate),the response was SIX TIMES greaterwith that line.

Again, not sure what the metricsare or what they mean, but, it's wortha try.

In my own limited sample size ofattempts, both on the phone and in-person, sales and social situations, ithas gotten a favorably response.

The Small Talk and “How are you today?" DebateTTiippss FFrroomm FFeellllooww SSmmaarrttCCaalllleerrss

I also posed this question in theSmart Calling Community onFacebook and got some great sug-gestions.

Edward Totland said,

Yes, I do a simple introduction,following the smart calling formatthen i’ll interrupt myself from goingany further, and say, �Did I getyour name right? is it pro-nounced, Sub-Check?"

Then regardless of what they sayi’ll say my name looks simplebut people get it wrong all the time,Tot-land.!! then just get back ontrack with your normal introductionand opening statement.

I think when you admit a tiny bitof stupidity in a certain area it bringsyou down to earth from any loftysales pillar you may be standing onin their eyes,

Jan Meyers said,

I don’t ask how they are unlessI really want to know. You have tobe careful, so that it means some-thing.

Before I make the call, since I callnationally, I usually check theweather in their zip code. Weatheris something we all have in com-mon.

You can’t assume they like or dis-like their current weather based onyour own feeling about yours. Italso helps to be sure you have theirlocation right.

�Hi Joe, my records show youare in CO, is that correct?�

If they say yes, then lead on witha comment like,

�I bet you haven�t heard thisenough�but wow, did any of the

HHaavvee YYoouurr PPeerrssoonnCCaallll TThheeiirr PPeerrssoonn

High level execs like to deal withpeople they see as being on their leveltoo. If they perceive you as merely adesperate vendor, well, get in line withthe rest of the peddlers on the outsidepeeking through the window. Here's adifferent idea... have your assistant calltheir assistant and arrange a meeting.

Exec's assistants often handle theircalendars. So, having someone onTHEIR peer level call can be effective.

Don't have an assistant? You couldhire one on a contract basis for this task.

Just be sure that they are well trainedin the Smart Calling process, social en-gineering, and everything you would bedoing on a call. Keep in mind that theyare an extension of you.

first day of summer snow reachyou?�

If they say no, they are not in CO,this gives you the opportunity to up-date your records, and say,

�Not sure how I thought youwere in CO, maybe I was listen-ing to the news about all thatsnow they got on the first day ofsummer.�

The point is...everyone likes tocomment on weather. It breaks theice, is a quick comment, and youmove on to why you are calling.

Also, if they are hating their cur-rent weather, that comes out andaffects their mood, and is an indica-tor they may be a bit on edge, sodon’t waste a lot of their time.

Asking about weather tells me alot actually..

TTeelleeTTiippss









88

AAsskk WWhhaatt TThheeyy DDoo NNOOTT CCaarree AAbboouuttDuring your fact finding, in order to determine your

prospect�s hot buttons, ask them what is least important intheir mind. For example, �Cindy, you seem to be quitefamiliar with dodgems... tell me, what features areof least concern to you so I don�t spend time dwell-ing on them.� Then, you have a natural opportunity toprovide an on-target sales message.

SSoouunnddss GGoooodd??Try the �Sounds good?� technique as a trial close, or

even as a final close. For example, �What I can do ishave your account set up, and have that first ship-ment�at the 20% discount�sent out tomorrow.Sounds good?� This is similar to the �OK?� technique inthat it is a natural tendency to reply positively to �Soundsgood?�

FFiinnddiinngg OOtthheerr DDeecciissiioonn MMaakkeerrssIt can be delicate at times getting the names of other

influencers and decision makers without insulting your con-tact. Here are a couple of ways to do that.

Assuming you�re fairly well down the line into a salesdiscussion you could say, �Pat, let�s fast forward... ifyou did decide to go with us, would anyone else besitting in on the final decision?� The key words are�sitting in,� since it�s not as direct as �Who else needs tomake the final decision on this?�

Another idea is when you agree to send something be-fore your next call. You could casually ask, �Who elsemight benefit from seeing a copy of this?� That mightsmoke out the names of anyone else who will be involved.If they offer names be sure to get titles and an explanationof how they fit into the decision equation.

TTaakkee tthhee ��II�� OOuutt ooff tthhee MMeessssaaggeeUsing �I� doesn�t carry as much weight in dealing with re-

sistance as third party references. For example, compare,

1. �I think that by using our system you will get better re-sults.�

2. �Joe Jones at ABC Co. Had the same problem, andafter he used our system his results increased by...�

Of course the second example has more credibility becauseeven though the words came out of your mouth, the situationwas experienced by someone else.

HHeerree''ss aa MMeettrriicc TThhaatt MMaatttteerrssSome people suggest that you count the number of no's

you get each day, to somehow motivate you to get more. In-stead, how about keeping track of something that is positive,and totally part of the process, and which will yield the resultsyou want: the number of times you ASK for the sale or com-mitment each day.

DDoonn��tt CCoonncceeddee oonn PPrriicceeSometimes prospects/customers can make outrageous and

unreasonable statements about price and ask for concessions.A simple way to show you aren�t negotiating price, and pointout how ridiculous their demand is�without saying it�is tobe positive and point out what they could get for what theysaid they�ll spend.

For example,

�Our budget for this is $1500 and no more.�

Sales Pro: �I see. Well, for that, I can give you thestripped down XL model. Of course it won�t have theadapter, accessories, and maintenance plan you want,but it would be within that budget.�



July 2019 VVoolluummee 3366 NNuummbbeerr 77

SMART CALLINGREPORT

Despite What You Hear, You CAN and Should DoMore on the First Call Than Just Set the Appointment

One thing I�ve heard for yearsabout prospecting that is just aswrong today as it was then, is a gen-eral declaration being stated as if itis the absolute truth in every situ-ation:

�Just sell the meeting. Nothingelse. Just get the appointment set.�

In my opinion that is only true ina small percentage of situations, in-dustries, and types of calls.

I agree with it as it relates to aninbound call, where the caller is re-questing an estimate on somethingthat realistically requires a physical,in-person assessment. Most oftenthose are B2C type interactions.

For example, my friend TommyMello, �The Home Service Million-aire,� and owner of one of the mostsuccessful garage door service com-panies in the country teaches thatinbound reps should never be ableto give quotes over the phone.

Their job is to set the appoint-ment for the service/sales technician.

Because they are in a much bet-ter position to assess the problem inperson, build personal rapport, makea recommendation, and close thesale.

IItt DDiidd NNoott WWoorrkk HHeerreeAlthough, this approach failed for

the plumbing company that wouldnot even give me a range of pricesfor a very simple valve-change job,insisting they just couldn�t do it overthe phone. They had to come out inperson.

They did not have an opportu-nity to. I went with a company thatDID provide a range, had them comeout, and then went with their middle-recommendation, which was higherthan the lowest priced option theygave over the phone.

BB22BB EExxaammpplleeThe other situations where I can

somewhat agree that the first call isjust for the appointment is when acaller is prospecting for someone else.The modern B2B titles are Sales De-velopment Rep (SDR), Business De-velopment Rep (BDR). They typicallywork at the same company as thesales rep they are prospecting for, andthen hand the qualified appointmentover to the rep.

In other situations, there areoutsourced callers making calls andsetting appointments.

While there are hundreds of pos-sible variations of how the entire pro-cesses work from first call to appoint-ment call by the sales rep, my per-sonal feeling always has been thatthe first call ideally should NOT be�just get the appointment as quicklyas possible and get off the phone.�

Why?

Just ask any sales rep who callsa supposed �qualified appointment,�or worse, shows up in person, andthe prospect vaguely even remembersspeaking with the initial caller.

Oh, but an appointment was set.

MMyy SSuuggggeessttiioonnMy stance is, if I have someone

on the phone, engaged because I(Continued on Page 5)

piqued their curiosity with a greatvalue statement, why in the worldwould I suggest we stop talking now,set up another time to speak in thefuture, and get off the phone? (I�msomewhat raising my voice as I askthat question.)

The number one problem sales-people have right now is actuallygetting someone ON the phone.

Isn�t it absurd then, when we fi-nally get someone live, to then sug-gest we stop for now and set upanother one instead?

If the music is still playing, stayon the dance floor!

�But Art, people are busy. Wemight have reached them at a badtime.�

Uh-huh. Didn�t they pick up thephone?

And if they are indeed too busyto talk, won�t they let you know?

Of course.

BBeenneeffiittss ooff MMoovviinnggFFuurrtthheerr

Now, look at the benefit of tak-ing this first call further.

You can qualify them evenmore. This minimizes the chanceyou follow up with someone whocan�t or won�t buy from you.

You have the opportunity to getthem even more interested in whatyou have, enhancing the chance ofa better outcome on the next callmeeting. Using a football analogy,



22



.


Sales ObservationsHere are some great sugges-

tions for the �That�s expensive� pricecomment. (Do keep in mind thatcomment is just that, a statement...not a real objection. Therefore, inmany cases you�re OK not even re-sponding.)

“Yes, it could be... if youdon’t use it.”

“Yes, if it’s not put into prac-tice.”

(These are useful when the prod-uct value is derived when the prod-uct/service is used, such as training,memberships, etc.)

“Not if you factor in the realcosts of the alternatives.”

“Well, not really if you con-sider how expensive it will be ifyou do nothing.”

Speaking of money issues,when they make the comment, �Ourbudget for this is $1500 and nomore,� a response (depending on thecontext of course) could be,

“I see. Well, for that, I cangive you the stripped down XLmodel. Of course it won’t havethe adapter, accessories, andmaintenance plan you want, butit would be within that budget.”

Just because you don’t feel likedoing something, does not in any waymean you are incapable of doing it.

Often we let our feelings get in theway of taking action right now on thingsthat we should be doing, instead of oth-ers that will have huge long-term ben-efits.

If you don�t feel like making one morecall for the day, do it anyway.

If you do not feel like you want totake the time to do the research on thatprospect, do it anyway.

If you do not feel like taking the timeto listen to that self-help podcast andwould rather listen to music, listen to thepodcast.

If you do not feel like calling that largerprospect, and instead feel safer callingthe smaller one, do it anyway.

Any time you allow these feelings ofmediocrity and laziness creep into yourhead regarding what you know you shoulddo, don't hesitate, just do it anyway!

This seems so simple, but oftenthe things right in front of us get over-looked: speak the language of the per-son you are talking to.

If a person who only spoke Spanishcalled a company looking for help, theywould likely be directed to the person inthe company who spoke Spanish. Well,duh, right?

OK, let�s put it in another perspec-tive.

A rep for a tech-hardware firm gets aCIO on the phone. He jumps into hisvalue statement with:

� ... and our always-on QoS featuremeans you can consolidate radically di-verse applications without fear of I/Ocontention.�

The CIO would likely respond with,�Oh, our IT Administrator would handlethat. You need to talk to him.�

And now the rep has been referreddown to an overworked and under-paid operations person.

Know the language of your buyer.Which typically is based on the re-sults they are responsible for andmeasured on.

Those are the words that get theirattention.

Similar to the previous point,sales pro Tim Spreda stresses listen-ing very carefully to the customer'schoice of words, as that conveys theneeds and desires of the speaker.

For example, he shared the storyof how one prospect, a buyer for amanufacturing operation, repeated theterms �safety and ergonomics� in al-most every sentence. Naturally, Timfocused the recommendation for hismaterials handling equipment onthose areas, and used those words.

Personally when I am on discov-ery calls with prospective training cli-ents I always record them. I'll takenotes on their specific words andphrases, but sometimes we miss thngsin real time. By listening to the re-cording I'm able to pull things out Imight have missed, and use themword-for-word in the proposal.

It's almost like they have written itthemselves, which of course will reso-nate with them.


CClloossiinngg

The Only Closing Technique that REALLY Works By Jeb Blount

It doesn�t matter where I go orwhat I do I can�t get away from sales-people who quiz me about closingtechniques and sales managers whobeg me to teach them how to gettheir salespeople to close. I try toavoid these conversations becausephilosophically I believe that closingis a process that depends on excel-lence throughout the entire salescycle, rather than a point in timewhere a manipulative line or tacticgets the prospect to say yes.

Everyone in sales is looking forthe edge that will help them closemore deals.

Unfortunately, most people wantthe easy way out so they spend theirtime looking for shortcuts and silverbullets which will miraculously de-liver huge commission checks. Thisis why so many questions I get in-clude statements like, �what�s thetrick,� or �can you tell me the se-cret� It is also why so many sales-people are duped into buying intoseminars and products that promiseto deliver these secrets of closing onlyto find that there really is no secret.

There is No Easy WaySales, like athletics requires train-

ing, education, persistence, practice,and a winning attitude. That is thereal secret.

Universally, though, there seemsto be an unyielding desire to find amagic closing pill. There was even atime when I would wear my specialclosing tie on sales calls. From su-perstitions to an endless stream ofcheesy scripts, closing, much likeputting in golf, is shrouded in mys-tery. There is no shortage of �experts�who are quick to claim that theyhave the one, true secret for �closingthe deal every time.�

(Jeb Blount advises many of theworld�s leading organizations and theirexecutives on the impact of emotionalintelligence and interpersonal skills oncustomer experience, strategic accountmanagement, sales, and developinghigh performing sales teams. He speaksto and delivers training to high-performing sales teams across theglobe. SalesGravy.com)

Here is the brutal truth: There isonly one closing technique that reallyworks.

Now what I�m about to share withyou is a secret that has been guardedby the Knights of the Sales RoundTable for thousands of years. It hasbeen passed down from generation togeneration � given only to worthy salesprofessionals who have sworn an oathto use this powerful secret wisely andguard it with their lives.

I�m going to reveal this secret toyou; but, before going further, I needyou to you to solemnly swear on Jef-frey Gitomer�s Sales Bible to use thisinformation to earn a higher income,become sales rep of the year, go onyour president�s club trip, get pro-moted, and earn a massive income.

Get your note pad and pen ready.Here it is. The silver bullet, the realsecret, the magic closing pill:

Ask

That�s it. The only closing tech-nique that really works. Just ask. Askfor the appointment, ask for the nextstep, ask for the decision maker, askfor the business. Ask for what youwant. Ask.

The fact is, if you are having a hardtime getting the next appointment,getting to decision makers, or closingthe deal, 9 out of 10 times it is be-cause you are not asking.

Why? Because 9 out of 10 timesyou are afraid to hear �no.�

Rather than admitting our fear andworking to overcome it, we blame ourfailure to close on everything else. Weblame our product, our company, theeconomy, our sales manager, and ourluck.

Instead of owning up to ourshortcoming we look for secrets,tricks, silver bullets, and turn tocheesy closing scripts that make usand our prospect feel even worse.

Instead of facing our fear of �no�and asking anyway, we hide behindjustifications like not being too pushy,or bad timing. Along the way ourself-esteem deteriorates, our beliefin our self suffers, and ultimately wedon�t reach our true potential assales professionals.

Acknowledge the FearGetting past the fear of �no� isn�t

easy. The first step is to at least ac-knowledge that your fear is real. I�vebeen selling my entire life and havebeen incredibly successful at it, yettoday I still have to remind myselfthat �no� won�t kill me.

Once you admit that you fear�no� you can then begin to pay at-tention to your behavior in front ofprospects. Start by learning to an-ticipate the anxiety that comes rightbefore asking for the deal. Thenpractice overcoming your fear byasking for what you want.

When you fail to ask, and youwill fail, don�t put your head in thesand a pretend it didn�t happen.Instead, acknowledge your failure,get back up, and on the very nextcall ask for the business.


Jim Domanski

(Jim Domanski isPresident of theTelemanagement Consult-ing Group, a telemarketingconsulting and trainingfirm. Contact him at 613-591-1998)

Know When to Let GoAre you a persistent sales rep,

or just plain annoying? The linebetween persistence and annoyancecan be thin. I recall a scenario when Ihandled some advertising for a majorcorporation I worked for several yearsago. An advertising inside sales rep dida great sales job on me initially, butthen pursued me until she became acomplete and utter pain in the . . .

Jennifer had initially sold me on thebenefits of advertising in her company�sweekly magazine. She presented a hostof impressive studies claiming to havea well-balanced audience for my prod-uct. She handled my objections welland closed the sale.

I got exactly four responses to thead. Not good. Not necessarily her fault,but I was burned nonetheless.

The Calls ContinuedJennifer continued to call wanting

more advertisements, and her effortsincluded a rather thorough �indepen-dent survey� which probed the read-ers.

�It�s your target, Jim,� she said.�Shall I book you for a full page ad thistime?�

�No,� I replied emphatically, �Youmay not. The draw from my last ad tothat well-targeted market only drew fourresponses. I doubt the survey and Iplan to run another ad with XXXpublication.�

�Oh, they don�t have the same read-ers as we do. Our survey shows it. It�snot what you want.�

�Then how come I pulled over ahundred orders with a single run?�

�Well, it�s not who you should betargeting. The survey shows that ourpublication is read more by your po-tential customers.�

�Jennifer, you are not listening. Igot four orders from your publicationand over a hundred from XXX. Maybeyour magazine isn�t being read. Maybeyour survey is not so accurate.�

�Ah, but it�s not �our� survey. It was

an independent survey. Take a look andsee. It is our readers that should be buy-ing your product.�

Need I go on? Jennifer was armedwith a survey. It was both her shield andsword. She was so blinded by the �re-sults� that her listening was obviously im-paired. She bugged me with her innuen-does. For example, when she said, �It�snot who you should be targeting,� shewas really saying, �Jimbo, you�re wrong.�That�s a no-no.

Even so, I could forgive her momen-tary blindness. But she continued to call.Two more times and the conversation vir-tually repeated itself. What a pain. Butto make matters worse, she managed toget through to my boss, and his boss,who in turn came running to me, surveyin hand, saying we should run an ad.Hey! Guess who got to break the newsabout the four lousy orders. I didn�t looktoo good that day. (It was something Iwas trying to keep quiet.)

Lesson: Listen. Learn. Recognize alegitimate �no� and let sleeping dogs lie.Don�t ruin a long run relationship for ashort term kill.

Sometimes What You Do NotSay is More Persuasive

Think back to the last time some-one said this to you:

�I�ve got something I�d like to go overwith you . . . nah, forget it. It�s not thatimportant.�

What was your feeling? Curiosity,right?

Sometimes what you don�t say canstimulate interest. The information youwithhold can get your prospects and cus-tomers drawn into the conversation, in-terested in hearing what you might havefor them.

Therefore, instead of telling some-one what you think you can do for them,tease them first. For example,

�There are a few ways we mightbe able to help you increase the re-sponse to your ads. These are meth-ods that have helped other people.Let�s talk about your situation firstto see if they would even be worthdiscussing.�

Now, do you think that personwould be likely to answer the questions?

Certainly!

Here�s the formula:

1. Pique their curiosity with a po-tential benefit. Make hearing it contin-gent on them answering questions.

2. Ask the questions.

3. Present the benefits alluded toearlier with the assurance they�re listen-ing to what you have to say.

Be Like a Waiter and Ask for the OrderEver notice how busy waiters manage their customers? They always ask for the

order! �What would you like?� �What can I get you?� �What do you prefertoday?� In contrast, think about the results if they were wishy-washy, explainingevery menu item in detail, but never asking for action. It would unnecessarily lengthenthe experience for everyone involved. Just like a sales call.

Ask yourself, �Do I just finish my presentations, or do I ask for and invite action atthe end?�

Sadly, many sales reps invest plenty of time working up to the action phase of thecall, then stop short of asking for commitment. They volley control back to the pros-pect/customer, when, in fact, like a restaurant customer, your prospects want to beled with requests and suggestions.

When it comes time, close. Ask. Get commitment. Without movement, nothinghappens.

Persuasion


Prospect Meetings


setting an appointment on a firstcall with no discussion is like start-ing on offense at your own one-yard line. A lot of ground yet tocover, and the odds are not in yourfavor.

By taking the first call further,you have moved the ball downfield,closer to the endzone. Maybe al-most all the way where scoring isjust a formality.

I do it all the time.

Similar to the previous point,you can also help ensure a betternext meeting.

You can ask them to get otherstakeholders involved. Even dosome preselling for you.

When you take the first callfurther, you satisfy the buyer�s cu-riosity and need now. If I am talk-ing to a sales rep about somethingI�m interested in, I don�t want toget all worked up only for the repto say, �Uh uh, not so fast. Wecan�t go further now. You have towait.�

Forcing someone who is inter-ested now to wait is like watchinga burning match go out.

We live in an instant gratifica-tion society. Seize the opportunitywhen it is right in front of you, rightnow.

What to DoOK, success with this relies on

having the strategy, desire, and pre-paredness with your words to takethe initial call as far as you can.

Sell yourself on the fact thatyou want to maximize how the ad-vancement of every contact.

Don�t get uptight when the con-versation is going smoothly. (It�samazing to me how many repspanic and jump off the train whenit�s moving.)

When you do reach that momentwhen it is appropriate to set the nextaction, ensure you follow some provensteps

Setting Up, and Executingan Effective Follow Up Call

As I�ve regularly written andtaught, the success of your follow-upis in relation to the success of yourprevious contact.

This includes

having a substantive reasonfor the follow up,

getting a commitment theyare doing something between thenand the next contact,

asking them to get others in-volved (if they are essential for thefinal decision), and,

getting agreement for whenthat will take place.

That sets up and actually writesthe opening for the follow-up call:

�Hi Pat, it�s Dale with ABCSystems calling to continue ourconversation from last week,where you had interest in cuttingdown your time-to-market onnew releases, and wanted to re-view the demo video explaininghow we do it. I�d like to discussyour observations, and I havesome additional case study re-sults I think you�ll find interest-ing.�

Notice that example also bringssomething new to the table.

Here is an additional idea for thefollow-up:

Ask if anything has changed sincethe previous contact.

For example,

�Since we spoke two weeks ago,has anything changed in your worldregarding this issue?�

So, the mantra of �Set the appoint-ment quickly on the first call and getoff� is bad advice for most salespeople.

If my sugggestion resonates withyou, adopt it and I�m confident you willsee your call efficiency and effective-ness�and sales�improve.

How to BuildInstantCredibility

It�s not enough to have a goodoffer for your prospects. You must beperceived as credible so that it�s be-lievable.

According to Dr. Robert Cialdini,author of �Influence,� there�s a wayyou can quickly build credibility in theprospect�s mind.

What you should do early in yourconversations is mention a flaw ordrawback to your offer, or tell themwhat wouldn�t work in their situation.

For example, Cialdini relates thestory of a suit salesperson who liter-ally tore a suit out of a man�s handsand refused to sell it to him becausethe fit wasn�t right, and couldn�t becorrected by tailoring. The prospectwas so impressed, he bought $4000worth of clothing!

Here are some examples:

�Jan, I�m not sure our high-est-priced model is necessary forwhat you want to do. Let me rec-ommend one that is priced lower...�

�That item is going to takequite a bit longer to get in stock.You might not want to wait thatlong. I do have some alternativesfor you...�

By telling someone what doesn�tfit, the impact is much greater whenyou tell them what does fit.



The Stalker Approach is No WayTo Get an Appointment

By Kendra Lee

Not long ago, I had a back-and-forth discussion with a sales rep whojust simply wasn’t taking the cor-rect route in regards to following upwith a prospect.

This undoubtedly happens allthe time, but this particular instanceperked my ears up a bit.

The rep engaged in pursuing aprospect with nothing but good in-tentions, yet ended up coming offas a stalker as a result of her ap-proach.

Worst of all is the fact that shedidn’t realize what it was that shewas doing wrong, only that it wasn’tworking.

To put things simply, the rep inquestion was devoting her time andenergy to all the wrong aspects ofprospecting.

Instead of waiting to follow upwith a prospect at the five- six-month mark (as he had specificallyoutlined), she made an attempt toconnect after only one month--threemonths in a row!

Hounding a prospect is an easymistake to make when the rightamount of care isn’t put intothe prospecting process.

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Consider these three tips for fol-lowing up with your prospects in arespectful, productive manner untilthey’re ready to work with you.

1. Don�t Ignore theProspect�s Time-FrameSuggestions

Here’s a scenario to consider -

you contact a prospect and they ex-plain that now is simply just not thetime to begin working together andto get back to them in 6 months.

This is extremely common inprospecting.

It can be very tempting to con-tact the prospect ahead of time be-cause you know something mighthave changed, but you must use ex-treme caution in doing so. While con-tacting them at perhaps the 5-monthmark might be acceptable, getting intouch within a month’s time is prac-tically stalking. Avoid the temptation.Give prospects the room they needin order to feel as if you’ve listenedand respected their request.

2. Utilize the Proper Methodsfor Staying in Touch

While you should always respectyour prospects’ wishes for when theywould prefer to be contacted, there’snothing wrong with staying in touchso they don’t forget about your inter-est in meeting with them.

More often than not, however,sales reps take a route that doesn’thelp them in the end, calling too fre-quently to try to set the appointmentsooner than the prospect is ready.

You can get a lot of mileage outof sending a short, handwritten note,responding to their Linkedin com-ments, or emailing a relevant infor-mational article every five or sixweeks or so.

These prospecting strategies willhelp to show your interest, graduallybuild a relationship, yet not make itseem as if you want something fromprospects right now. You’re just stay-ing in touch.

Anything more and you’re push-ing your boundaries.

3. Be Aggressive When theTime is Right

If you take a full-force approachto follow up with the prospect priorto when they’re ready, your chancesof alienating them will be extremelyhigh.

This being said, you can be ag-gressive with your prospecting strat-egy if you wait until the proper mo-ment.

Use your prospecting follow-upstrategy and don’t worry about hold-ing back. Combine calling,voicemail, emails, drop-in visits andsocial media to connect. So long asthe prospect expects you to get intouch, you shouldn’t feel as if youneed to censor yourself.

Closing the first appointment isalways a challenge, regardless of howlong you spend crafting your valueproposition.

However, if you’re confident inyour follow-up abilities and can keepthe hounding temptation at bay, yourchances of succeeding can sky-rocket.

(Kendra Lee is aProspect Attrac-tion Expert,president ofKLA Group, andauthor of theaward-winningbooks The SalesMagnet and Selling Against the Goal.KLA Group helps entrepreneurialand growing companies breakthrough tough prospecting barriersto exceed revenue goals. She is a fre-quent speaker at national sales meet-ings and events. To find out moreabout the author and her “Get MoreCustomers” strategies, visitwww.klagroup.com)


The sales engagement service,SalesLoft, deconstructed millions ofemails to find out which best prac-tices lead to higher reply rates. Theystudied subject lines, greetings, emailbodies, and signatures.

They had some interesting find-ings.

As with any “study” or research,please consider that these are theresult of their own study, which inthe post I saw did not discuss whattypes of emails these results camefrom, what industry, product, salesprocess, etc. So, obviously you needto make your own judgment with thefollowing.

1. Craft subject lines nolonger than 5 words. Their re-search shows that subject lines withjust one word outperform the aver-age email by 87%. (Craft sales emailsubject lines with 1 to 4 words.)

2. Avoid numbers in subjectlines. They say those showed a 32%drop in response rates.

3. If you are reaching outbased on a referral, say so. Sub-ject lines with the word “referred” hada whopping 536% higher reply ratecompared to the average email.

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1. Craft subject lines nolonger than 5 words. Researchshows that subject lines with just oneword outperform the average emailby 87%.

2. Two-word subject linesbeat one-word subject lines. So,use “Hey Jane,” rather than simply“Jane.” ( Better to start with “HeyJane” than simply “Jane.”)

3. Say �Hey.� They found thatis the best leading word in a subjectline, commanding a 23% higher re-ply rate.

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Findings From an Email Study4. If you don�t know the

prospect�s first name, don�toverthink it. Just say “Hey there.”

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1. Personalize 20% of the con-tent in the body of an email toenjoy a 2x higher reply rate. (Salesemail probability of replies proportionof personalization.)

2. Be brief. Keep emails to nomore than 50 words to boost replyrates by over 40%.

3. Avoid bullets. Emails withbullets suffer 37% lower reply rates.

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1. They say the best signoff is�Best.� That's it.

2. Avoid the P.S. This one I donot agree with. They reason, “Youwould not use a P.S. with a colleagueso don’t use it with a prospect.”

They don’t say they split-testedthis variable, but I’m going to go withpersonal experience, and what directmail copywriters use. It’s widelyknown that the MOST read part of aletter is the P.S. I’m assuming thesame is true for email.

3. Avoid opt-out links. The postsuggests that if legal (when you per-sonalize emails, it often is), avoid opt-out links to gain a 38% boost in replyrates.

Now, with all of that said, pleasedo not be that annoying salespersonwho just mass-blasts emails all dayasking for "15 minutes on your calen-dar."

Email can be a great tool, butsimilar to voice mail, it should simplycreate a question in the prospect'smind that they want the answer to.

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Tom Welsh suggests asking the assis-tant how the decision maker likes to beapproached, and addressed. For ex-ample, some people enjoy a little smalltalk, while others prefer getting straightto the point. Some are offended whenyou use their first name too early in arelationship, others get uncomfortablewhen addressed as “Mr.” or “Ms.”

Getting into a conversation like thiswith an assistant serves two purposes: itobviously gives you good information youcan use on the call, plus it implies thatyou truly care about the decision and arenot just a self-interested salesperson whowill waste time.

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Here’s the scenario: You have twostacks of photos dropped on your desk.One is a collection of pictures of avendor’s product, their building, and theiremployees. The other stack is comprisedof photos that have YOU in each one.Which one do you likely have the mostinterest in? Of course, most humans areinterested in anything that affects thempersonally. The point? When you call aprospect or customer, do you begin bytalking about yourself and your companyand what YOU want to do? Or do youdescribe an illustration, putting them inthe picture? Remember, people don’t carediddly about you and what you want—they want to know how what you havewill affect them, their interests, theirwants, their needs.

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Matt Hagenhoff says that when anassistant says, “He’s not in right now,”he replies with, �Oh, is he on vaca-tion?�

Typically the assistant will then ex-plain exactly where he is, and when hewill return.

And if he is on vacation, he finds outthe details and asks about it when hedoes reach the decision maker, buildingrapport in the process.

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88

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A common saying is that the word �fear� stands for�False Evidence Appearing Real.� Fence sitters afraid totake the leap many times don�t have a logical reason fortheir inactivity, yet they fear making a decision. And theyprobably can�t explain why. So help them recognize theirirrationality.

�What�s the worst thing that could happen if youdid this?�

�Let�s look at the worst case scenario if you movedforward.�

�Let�s think in the future for a moment and as-sume that you did get this system. Can you think ofany downside?�

�What if you just went ahead and did it? Is thereany real disadvantage you can think of?�

�What would be the drawbacks if you purchasedtoday?�

Or, try this one,

�Let�s say you did nothing. Then where wouldyou be?�

DDoonn''tt AAppoollooggiizzeeDon�t apologize for taking someone�s time at the begin-

ning of a call. It diminishes your importance. For example,consider the caller who says, �I know you�re busy, and I�msorry for interrupting...I�ll take just a few seconds, and here�swhy I�m calling.�

Stop. Think about what you�re really offering. You havesomething of value that will help make this person�s lifebetter. You need to present that feeling with conviction. Ifyou�re not sold on your importance, they certainly won�t.

DDoonn��tt CCaavvee iinn TToo GGeett tthhee DDeeaallSeems like the 80/20 rule applies to most everything.

Including negotiating. Negotiation experts say that 80% ofthe concessions occur in the final 20% of discussions. What�simportant for us is that we don�t appear too eager�or des-perate�to get a sale, therefore caving in to concessionstoward the end.

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a lower competitive price, they tense up and believe theyhave to match it to get or retain the business. A smartapproach is to remain calm and question the competitiveoffer in order to blow holes in it.

For example,

�Oh, that sounds like a really low price. Whataccessories do you receive with that? How long isthe warranty?�

Especially question in the areas where you know youare strong and offer more.

WWiillll YYoouu HHeellpp MMee??After leaving a voice mail, try then opting out to find

the buyer's assistant. Then, simply ask him/her �Will youhave a chance to see Ms. Bigg when she comes back?�

When they answer affirmatively, continue with, �Great.When she picks up my message, would you pleasetell her personally that I really would like to speakwith her today? I have an idea that she might wantto know about.�

By treating the assistant ith respect, and understandingthe power they wield, you should be able to get them tohelp you reach the decision maker.



August 2019 VVoolluummee 3366 NNuummbbeerr 88

SMART CALLINGREPORT

How to Use a Micro-Commitment in theObjection-Handling Process

I've been teaching a process foryears to address the real objectionswe hear. I've just added a powerfulnew component to it: the micro-com-mitment

You can see the process explainedin a video by going to YouTube andsearching on my name and "objec-tions, " although I'll share a brief ver-sion now.

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The first step after hearing anobjection is using a Softening State-ment.

You don�t want to give the im-pression that you are going to arguewith them. Therefore it�s good to letthem know that you are going to beconversational with them. You couldsay,

�I see.�

�I understand.�

�Not a problem.�

�Let�s talk about that.�

�Let�s discuss that . . .�

�That�s an interesting point.Let me get a good understand-ing of it ...�

�Tell me more about that... �

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In most cases it�s wise for you tonarrow their reason for objecting toone issue. After the softening state-ments we just went through, you

could use phrases and questions suchas these:

�Let�s take that out of the pic-ture. Would we be the onesyou�d choose?�

�Let�s look at this a differentway. Looking at us compared tothe others, what would you saywould be the more comprehen-sive choice for you?�

�If you didn�t use that as oneof your criteria, would we be theones you�d choose?�

�If we completely took thatout of the discussion, thenwhere would we be?�

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The next step is where you actu-ally use the doubt-creating questionsyou will think about and prepare inadvance.

So again you will ask your ques-tions here, designed to get themthinking about, and doubting theirreasons for objecting.

Ultimately you want them think-ing, hmmm, well, maybe there isanother way to look at it.

Let�s look at a specific situation,a wholesale supplier trying to per-suade a retailer to carry his product.

The retail customer says, �Wedon�t need to stock any more lines.�The wrong response would be acanned �objection rebuttal,� comingback with market share facts and fig-ures that would prove the retailer


wrong�but not change his mind.A doubt-creating approach woulduse questions:

�How often in the pastmonth have people called andasked for this type of productand you�re not able to provideit?�, or,

�What situations have youhad where someone called andasked about a product like this,but they didn�t come in becausethey found out you didn�t haveit?�

When you are prepping yourquestions you would also be antici-pating their possible answers, yournext questions, and so on.

44.. TThhee MMiiccrroo CCoommmmiittmmeennttNext is the micro-commitment.

We now have softened and brokendown their resistance. We want todo one more thing before we go intoyou restating your case as to whythey should move forward.

This is simply asking them,

�Are you open to an idea.�

Boom. This is almost hypnotic.

It�s an easy question for themto answer.

Notice the key words.

"Open." Again, given the con-text of where you are, most reason-able people would at least be open,right.

And then you are asking about



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Sales ObservationsI got a "Your baby is ugly"

email from a guy who did brandingfor speakers and consultants.

He tried using some lame humorat the beginning, then said he wasdoing an audit of every member ofthe National Speakers Associationand their sites.

He then went on to list about10 things wrong with my home page.

Finally he ended with, "...and todiscuss these, please call me at..."

Ironically, he violated one of thesuggestions he made to me. He saidthere was nothing prominent on myhome page about me. If someonedidn't know me, they wouldn't careabout everything else. (I guess itwould be too much work to click onthe About Art tab.)

So here was this guy that I neverheard of before telling me how badmy site was.

That really endeared me to himand made me think, "Oooooh, greatpoints. Thanks. Let me hire you."

No, of course not.

How do most humans view un-solicited advice from someone whohas no credibility, especially if thatadvice is critical?

Exactly. Most people get defensive,and perhaps a bit annoyed.

Even if the advice is valid.

The problem is, the emotion blocksthe logic.

What could he have done?

Perhaps say, "I specialize in work-ing with your peers in NSA, and havehelped many take what was alreadya well-performing website, and helpthem make some minor tweaks thatprovide big results in speaking in-quiries and bookings. In looking atyours I've identified at least three,and there might be even more. I'dlike to ask a few questions to see ifyou'd like to hear them."

So, is the "Your baby is ugly" approachan effective one?

It can be.

It is doing Smart Calling at a highlevel, when it involves really understand-ing what could be a problem the pros-pect has, or what they could do better.

The key to success, as I've detailedhere is in the approach.

Establish your social proof... whatyou have done for others similar to them.

Hint at the fact you know somethingabout them, without offending them, butintimating that you might be able to helpthem fix something or get something.

Get permission to ask questions in-stead of just giving them what you know,and the unsolicited advice.

Stephen Key, cofounder ofInventRight, a product licensing com-pany had an article in Entrepreneur aboutgetting voice mails returned. Most of itwas the common things we've convereda hundred times. Although here was hislast point that I find a bit intriguing:

"I use a special technique whenI'm having a tough time getting some-one to call me back and it has yet tofail me. I simply let the person knowI will keep calling. I don't call repeat-edly, but consistently. Sooner or later,his curiosity is piqued and my sheerdoggedness has earned me enoughrespect to warrant a call back."

Not sure how to take that oneand I haven't tried it. Putting myselfin the position of hearing it, I prob-ably would only react positively andreturn the call or pick up the phoneif I see it's from him, and if therewas good value attached, AND heused that technique with a bit ofhumor.

For example,

"And, if I don't hear back ei-ther way, I'll call back, since I'lljust assume you probably didn'tget my message, or you love thesound of my voice (chuckle)."

Would like to hear how this worksif someone uses it.

As we go to press with thisissue, I'm awaiting the final versionof the contract from my publisher forthe Third Edition of "Smart Calling."I plan on about 30%-40% updatedand new material, without changingthe process itself. I'd love to hearwhat's working for you, and perhapsinclude you in the book!


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By Jim Meisenheimer

Why do many of the difficult sell-ing tasks have negative labels?

Words like prospecting, cold call-ing, gatekeepers, and even the wordclosing seldom inspire inspiration,motivation or initiative.

I�d like to share some ideas onhow you can get a better receptionwith the gatekeepers you call.

Gatekeepers aren�t really gate-keepers. They are people like you andme. (I know, Art likes to call them"assistants.") A lot of salespeople getoff to a poor start with gatekeepersbecause they don�t treat them likepeople.

The gatekeeper has radar thatgoes on quickly, especially whensalespeople call. The gatekeeper hasmultiple responsibilities. One of themis to keep babbling, unprepared, dis-organized, unfriendly, and self-cen-tered salespeople from pestering andpossibly annoying senior managers.

I�m also guessing that mostgatekeepers are anxious to help theirsenior managers identify cost savingopportunities, new products, new ser-vices, new trends, and even new con-tacts that add value to their organi-zation.

From Their Point of ViewLet�s begin from the gatekeeper�s

perspective. They don�t like pushy andaggressive salespeople. They don�t likesalespeople who talk too much. Theydon�t like salespeople who have allthe answers even before they ask anyquestions. They especially don�t likesalespeople who treat them like in-visible servants.

Try this on for size. Most peoplerespond well to people who are cour-teous. Most people respond well topeople who speak softly. Most peoplerespond well to people who ask ques-tions. Most people respond well topeople who ask for help and advice.

When someone takes the initiativeto call you they have qualified them-selves as a buyer to some degree.

So, why not go for the sale every timesomeone calls you for a price quote orwith a question, even if they think that�ssimply why they might be calling?

If you take the attitude that yourfunction is to provide information, you�rewrong. Your job is to sell. The morequickly you can do that with one cus-tomer, the more quickly you can moveon to doing it with the next.

That, using simple math, meansyou�re going to sell more.

Go For The Sale OnEvery Inquiry

Most people respond well to peoplewho have a sense of humor.

There are many ways to approacha gatekeeper. If you don�t prepare yourapproach in advance it�s likely thatyours will duplicate what other sales-people have said.

What to SayHere�s an example of what you

can say the next time you reach agatekeeper. Since I personally pre-pared this for you, it�s highly unlikelythat your gatekeepers have ever heardthis before.

When you reach a gatekeeper, youshould act and as if you were therein front of this person: smiling, withyour chin up and in the locked posi-tion.

Speaking softly, introduce your-self. For example,

�Good morning, my name isJim Meisenheimer and I�m withthe Superior Products Com-pany.�

Then say, �I need your help.�Remain silent until the gatekeeper sayssomething like �How can I help you�.

Then say, �I need your adviceon what would be the best wayfor me to get five minutes withBill Anderson.�

If she says, �You�ll have to makean appointment,� simply ask whoshould you speak with to arrange one.

If she asks, �what is this in re-gards to� give her your �ELEVATORSPEECH.�

An �Elevator Speech� briefly de-scribes what you do and how you addvalue in less time than it takes anelevator to get from the lobby to the15th floor.

Then say,

�I�m not sure what we offer iswhat Bill Anderson needs.� (Softand subtle)

Then say,

�After five-minutes with BillAnderson he�ll either show me thedoor or want to know more.�

There�s no risk � if you don�t addvalue � you�re off the phone in fiveminutes.

Take a moment to re-read theabove. Read it out loud. Conventionalwisdom suggests that salespeople showup and throw up. My approach is dif-ferent and creates a hard-to-resist con-versation between you and thegatekeeper.

There�s a huge difference betweensounding canned and being prepared.

Knowing what you�re going to say,before you say it will differentiate youfrom 90 percent of all salespeople.

The best way to pry open agatekeeper�s gate is not to use an ax.The best way may be to ask for adviceand a real quick five minutes with thedecision maker.

You�ll get the cold shoulder less of-ten if you warm up your approach tothe gatekeeper.

(Jim Meisenheimer�s sales tech-niques have helped hundreds of thou-sands of sales pros. You can get Jim'sbooks at amazon.com)

The Professional Way to Work With Gatekeepers


Jim Domanski

(Jim Domanski isPresident of theTelemanagement Consult-ing Group, a telemarket-ing consulting and train-ing firm. Contact him at613-591-1998)

When to Close, and How Often?

All too often sales reps, supervi- sors and their managers la-

bor under the impression that sales isa �one step� process. In other words,you make a call and you either sell oryou don�t. Closing on a single call canbe a mistake, and, in fact, there aretimes when a second or third callshould be made before you ask forthe sale. This month's column looksat using separate and distinct callstrategies to close the sale.

Two Main PointsTwo points here. First, customers/

prospects don�t always adhere to yourschedule. They often need time tothink, assimilate, and check out otheroptions. In short, there are times whenclosing just doesn�t make sense fromthe client�s perspective. Attempting todo so could harm the sale.

The second point is that you cannot always assimilate the data youhave received to make a reasonableproposal. You might well need the timeto gather the information and formu-late a proposal for the next call.

Strategically, there are some ben-efits to closing the sale on the secondor third call. First giving the customertime to evaluate your presentation po-sitions you as �longer term� in yourrelationship. You are not rushing theclient and many will respect that. Onthe other hand some might argue thatthis allows the �fish to escape fromthe net.� This is why you must care-fully consider the type of product youare selling, the type of client you haveon the phone, the sense of urgency,the competitive situation, and whetherthis is a one-time sale or the start of along- run relationship.

Giving the ClientTime to Ponder

If the product is complex and/orpricey, if the customer is analytical, ifthe competitive situation is tight andyou are looking for multiple sales, thefollowing technique might be used.

�Mr. Burla, I recognize thatthis decision will require somethought. What I would like to dois give you a day to consider the

proposal. I will call you tomorrow at3:15 and we can discuss any otherconcerns you might have. If everythinglooks good, we can proceed with thesale. How does that sound?�

In this example, you have shown pro-fessional courtesy by allowing the time forcontemplation. At the same time you arecreating action by giving the client a speci-fied time frame in which to mull over theproposal. As well, you are �closing� on theprecise time of your next call. If the cus-tomer commits to the time, chances arethat he or she will review your proposal withthe view to buy.

Give Yourself theTime to Ponder

Another instance where you might wishto delay asking for the sale is after the ini-tial questioning phase. As mentioned, youcannot always assimilate the detail pro-vided. It is a great opportunity for soberthought of your own. So instead of forcinga presentation, and fumbling through a pro-posal or close, you might want to say this;

�Ms. Clemens, you have given mea lot of good information. What Iwould like to do is take a day to goover the information and come backto you with a detailed proposal. Iwould like to set up a telephone ap-pointment for say, 30 minutes, tomor-row at 3:45. How does that sound?�

From your client's perspective, this strat-egy positions you as a thoughtful, consul-tative sales rep who does not have pat so-lutions or answers. It lends a certain amountof importance and value to the informa-tion you have received. Most clients willrecognize and accept this. When you domake that return call with the proposal,use the opportunity to its fullest advantage.In other words, you have been given thetime to review the information, so use thetime to develop a good proposal.

TipsHere are some tips. Before calling the

client back, review the notes taken fromyour questioning �mind map� (in the No-vember issue). Collect the data and placethem into the following categories: CurrentSituation and Solutions and Recommen-dations.

Under �Current Situation� sum-marize the customer�s wants, needs,problems or concerns. Use the oppor-tunity to verify and confirm that theseissues are core to the client. Under�Solutions and Recommendations�list how your product or service cansolve these wants, needs, problems orconcerns. In other words, use features,advantages and benefits,

When you call, start the conver-sation with something like this:

�Ms Clemens, as you know, Ihave taken the time to review mynotes and I have come up withsome ideas and solutions thatmight benefit you. What I wouldlike to do is simply review yourcurrent situation to ensure that Ihave understood you correctlyand then present some solutions.How does that sound?�

In this example, you are remind-ing the client that you took the timeto give their situation individual at-tention. In addition, you are present-ing a clear agenda of what you wouldlike to do. It also shows what a tre-mendous listener you are. Again, thisis consultative. The client feels thathe or she is part of the process.

In conclusion, closing a sale a callor two later has some strategic ben-efits. It is not necessarily the wiseststrategy in every situation, but thereare times when it can and should beused. Consider your products/servicescarefully. Consider the individual cli-ent (decision maker) and his or her�buying style.� Consider the future youwould like to have with these clients.Consider, too, the type of image, you�dlike to portray to these clients. Taketime to consider the benefits.


Status Alignment

(�Micro Commitments,�continued from cover page)

an idea. Ideas are non-threat-ening. They don�t cost money.

And, once they say yes, they arenow invested in listening to whatyou have.

5. Recommend AgainNow you make your sales rec-

ommendation again, and ask forcommitment.

For example,

�So Mike, based on themath we just did here, it lookslike your total cost of owner-ship would be less with our sys-tem, since you feel it will give

Last month in one of my The Art ofSales podcasts I did an interview withOren Klaff, author of the million+ copy-seller, "Pitch Anything." (Episode 75,TheArtOfSales.com.)

We talked about his new book, "Flipthe Script- Getting People to think YourIdea is Their Idea."

The book is not your typical salesbook. The overall concept is one I've beenteaching forever: help people buy. Getthem in a frame of mind where THEYmake the decision that they need yourproduct/service.

There's a lot that goes into that. Hecalls the entire principle "Inception."

Oren breaks the process down intoseveral components.

Similar to "Pitch Anything," the ap-proach is more geared toward a "pitch-ing," one-way presentation type of sale,which I am not a fan of, and have re-fused to participate in when companieswanted me to "present my deck" andTELL them about my training.

I've always insisted I need to ask ques-tions first.

In fact, several years ago I took my-self out of a possible huge opportunity

How to Use ��Status Alignment� inYour Openings and Voice Mails

with Monster.com because I wouldn'tplay that game.

With that said, most of the compo-nents in this book can be adapted to theSmart Calling process and my overallsales philosophy.

In fact, most of them are already builtin to what I teach.

Oren talks about "Status Alignment."This means that in order to connect witha decision maker, he/she must feel thatyou both are on the same level of the"dominance hierarchy."

These hierarchies exist in pretty mucheverything.

For example, he�s a motorcycle en-thusiast, which I asked him about rightat the beginning since it was in the introhe provided.

He's into high-end, collector typebikes most people have never heard of.

Personally, I know nothing about mo-torcycles, and would never get on one.

I jokingly asked him if he's ever beento Sturgis.

He seemed offended, and said hewasn't into THOSE type of motorcycles.

you a greater return over the longerlife of unit, and you won�t have theout of pocket maintenance ex-penses. Given all of that, let�s goahead and move forward with it.�

Again, what�s important here is thatif you just made that statement beforegoing through the doubt-creation pro-cess, technically you could be totallyright, factually, but they might not bethere yet emotionally, therefore theylikely wouldn�t buy into the argument.They�d still be in resistant mode.

And again, incorporating the mi-cro-commitment makes it all stronger.Work it into your process.

We obviously were not in StatusAlignment on motorcycles.

The way WE can use Status Align-ment is in our Smart openings andvoice mails, to show we know some-thing about the prospect, to build cred-ibility, and to show we are on theirlevel.

He suggests it is done in one ofthree ways,

1. Use specific industry lingo.

2. Describe a recent action youhave taken.

3. Mention a real situation every-one in the industry cares about.

Actually, great Smart openings in-corporate all three. Here's one to aCIO of a financial institution.

"Hi Ms. Prospect, I'm PatSeller with Secure Systems. Iunderstand you are looking intoenhancing your protectionagainst server breaches due tostolen credentials (#3 above). Wespecialize in working with banksto minimize this at the multifac-tor authentication level, whilebeing in compliance withFFIEC(#1). In fact, after havingour system for just a week, onecommunity banking group iden-tified and stopped a breach thatwould have cost millions (#2). I'dlike to ask a couple of questionsto see if I could provide some in-formation."

Of course I made that scenario up,but you get the point.

The language was way over thehead of most people, but it was inperfect Status Alignment with theprospect.

While it isn't a straight how-to salesbook, I like it, and there are manyother concepts that you will likely beable to adapt and adopt for your calls.



Sending Something Before a Prospecting Call;Compelling, or Clutter and Crap?

Here's a 1980�s version of a badprospecting approach:

"Mr. Russell, I�m Rob Dunlap withWhatever Services. I sent you a letterand brochure last week, and was won-dering if you read through that?"

Here's a 2019 �Sales 2.0.� �So-cial Selling,� �Content Marketing�version of a bad prospecting ap-proach:

Voicemail:�Hi Bob, I�m RobDunlap with Whatever Services. I seewe are both connected to Pat Ivory. Isent you an InMail with a link to ourvideo on our IQC capabilities andwould like to arrange an interactiveweb demo to go through our variousoptions with you.�

Technology and innovation doesnot make a poor strategy (or no strat-egy) and messaging that lacks valueany better.

I can shoot just as poorly with mynew Callaway Epic as the clunkythings I played with in college. (In fact,I have.)

The example above is about asalesperson sending something in ad-vance of speaking with a targeted pros-pect. Used in those ways, it�s as badof an idea now as it was then.

There are exceptions of course.When some best practices are fol-lowed.

Decide whether you�re conductinga direct response lead gen campaign,or doing sales

Do you intend that your mail,InMail, email, white paper, video, etc.,does the selling for you?

If so, it should be structured as astand-alone direct response piece. Andif that is your strategy, why, then, areyou needed? Pay someone minimum-wage to call and say, "We sent you avideo. Would you like to place an or-der?"

We live in an �Ignorance Environ-ment.�

Meaning that we all ignore most ofthe messages that come our way daily.We must. Unless there is somethingtimely and compelling that interrupts ourADD mode. More on that in a sec.

If, however, you want to take the chilloff of a prospecting approach, we needto first and foremost have some pos-sible value for the prospect.

And grab attention through messag-ing that cuts through all of the other noisethat screams �Salesperson!�

Here are some steps to take. If youare a practitioner of Smart Calling, thisshould not look new to you.

DDoo YYoouurr HHoommeewwoorrkkTheir interest level is in direct pro-

portion to how targeted your message isto them.

Be a detective. Do your onlinesearches. Being proficient at all aspectsof LinkedIn is no longer an option. Andactually not even enough. Check outthese other lead and intel tools:SeamlessSmartCalling.com andSmartCallingIntel.com

Do Social Engineering. This iscalling and asking questions of assis-tants, screeners, others in the buyer�s de-partment, and users of your product orservice. For example,

"I hope you can help me. I�mgoing to be speaking with your VPof HR and want to be sure thatwhat I�d be discussing would be rel-evant. Please tell me �"

You�ll use this information to cus-tomize and personalize yourpreapproach note, voice message, open-ing statement, and to ask targeted, in-telligent questions.

DDrraafftt YYoouurr PPrree--AApppprrooaacchhMMeessssaaggiinngg

The more personalized, the better,using the information you gleaned fromyour sleuthing:

"Mr. Russell, I saw your postin the Facilities Managementgroup on LinkedIn. I understandthat you are now in the processof considering an addition toyour manufacturing facility andare looking for the latest energy-efficiency options. We compileda resource list of just that, thatanother company in your indus-try used to reduce utility ex-penses by 30%. Here�s the linkto it. If you have questionsplease let me know.�

Discuss the potential results thatcan be gained by the prospect, notyour products or services. Leavethem curious.

MMaakkee yyoouurr CCaallllUse an opening similar to the

wording in the note. Just make theseslight changes:

"Mr. Russell, Rob Dunlapwith Whatever Services. I sawyour post in the Facilities Man-agement group on LinkedIn andI understand that you are nowin the process of considering anaddition to your manufacturingfacility and are looking for thelatest energy-efficiency options.As I mentioned in an InMailmessage to you, we recentlyhelped another company inyour industry reduce utility ex-penses by 30% If I�ve reachedyou at a good time, I�d like toask a few questions about yourplans to see if it would be ofmutual benefit to discuss someof the various options for reduc-ing energy expenses."

Prospects do not want or need,nor will they pay any attention tomore irrelevant content, clutter andcrapola.

We all, however, will pay atten-tion to something that is compelling.Your job is to determine what thatmight be, then insert it into a Smartmessaging approach.


SSaalleess LLaanngguuaaggee

UUssiinngg ��PPiicckk UUpp�� LLiinneess IInn SSaalleess

I know. That headline piqued mycuriosity too.

Actually the one I saw atop anarticle was �5 Spiritual Pick UpLines to Perk Up Your Relationships.�

The article was by syndicated col-umnist, speaker, and board-certifiedhospital chaplain, Norris Burkes.

The original article dealt withthe �how are you today?� question,which typically elicits the roboticanswer, �Fine. You?�

It�s a much-debated topic in thephone and sales world since it�s usedon more calls than not. Burkes ex-plains that the question does not seekan honest answer.

In fact, he says that mostpeople don�t want an honest an-swer. They just want the trite re-sponse and then to move on.

PPiicckkss UUpp SSppiirriittssInstead, Burkes suggests �spiri-

tual pick up� lines that are intendedto �pick up� the spirits of the otherperson.

(And some of you thought thiswas going in another direction withthe pick up lines.)

The lines are actually questions.Great questions in fact.

And especially good for us insales situations.

I�m modifying the questionsslightly for our purposes, and givingsome other suggestions.

1. �What�s new in yourworld?�

Burkes says this is his favoritesince it usually provokes a storyabout fun, faith, or family.

By modifying it we can get thesame result with our customers andprospects.

For example,

�What�s new in your depart-ment since we spoke in July?�

�What changes have takenplace in the past quarter?�

�What�s new regarding your2020 Plan?�

And if they respond with, �Oh, notmuch,� prompt them further with

�Oh, come on, there must besomething��

2. �Tell me about your��

Burkes shares a story about hiswife, a school teacher, who will sayto her young students,�Tell me aboutyour drawing,� instead of �What areyou drawing?�

It�s getting people thinking aboutobservations, not conclusions. Thatis brilliant!

Also known as �instructional state-ments,� I have suggested their use foryears. It�s easier for someone to com-ment on something, than to create itthemselves. For example,

�Tell me about how youhandle your downtime issues��

�Describe the process for��

�Tell me about the last timeyou had a situation where��

3. �What�s your plan to-day?� Or, �What�s yourday looking like?�

This hints that you care, and thatyou want to help. And it sets up thenext two questions.

We could use,

��What�s your plan for therest of the month regarding�?�

�What does your fourth quar-ter look like as it relates to�?�

4. �How can I help makethis a good day for you?�

Burkes suggests that if you reallywant to know about a person�s well-being, then you must be willing tohelp.

These are more general ques-tions, and of course context plays akey role in their effectiveness.

Examples we could use are ,

�What can we do as a sup-plier to help?�

�How can I help you youreach those goals?�

�What could we provide youto accomplish that?�

5. �What are you hopingfor?� �What are you pray-ing for?�

The author says that you are ac-complishing two things here: You aregetting them to examine their great-est needs, and your are entering intoa spiritual covenant to help themattain what they want.

While in a business setting weprobably would not ask about theirpraying, we can adapt it to get simi-lar results.

�What are you hoping mostfor with this project?�

�What do you want the mostregarding the outcome?�

�What, ultimately do youhope to happen as a result?�

These are some great �pick up�questions that can get your prospect/customer to really reveal their inner-most needs, pains, problems and de-sires, therefore helping you to helpthem.

TTeelleeTTiippss









88

RReessppoonnddiinngg ttoo aa PPrriiccee QQuueessttiioonnIn his book, �Secrets of Great Rainmakers: The Keys to

Success and Wealth,� Jeffrey Fox says that whenever theprospect says the word �price,� we need to help them seethe lowest total cost, not the price.

If the prospect asks, �What is the price?�, give theprice (he says 82% of prospects who ask for the price sim-ply want to know the price. They are not negotiating.)

After giving the price, ask, �How does that sound?�If they respond with something like, �Are you kidding? That�smore than I thought,� follow up with, �May I show youwhy this product is actually the lowest-cost solutionto your problem?�

TThhiinnkk,, BBuutt DDoonn''tt DDoo iitt OOuutt LLoouuddWhen you�re searching for what to say, don�t think aloud.

Be sure your comments add to the conversation. Otherwiseyou might utter some random thoughts you could regret later.

What prompted this was a sales rep I was in the processof negotiating with. I asked for something to be thrown in tosweeten the offer, and then he began talking to no one inparticular in a stage voice: �...well let's see, I did give somethings to the Blake client, and we did throw in an additionalthree months for someone else...� I then interrupted his con-versation with himself and said, "Yeah, those two things wouldbe good." Of course he complied.

IInnsstteeaadd ooff IInntteerrrruuppttiinngg,, SSttoopp BBrreeaatthhiinngg..RReeaallllyy..

If you have a tendency to interrupt, hold your breath fortwo or three seconds before speaking. This ensures they aredone, and gives you an opportunity to think of your nextstatement or question.

AAnnsswweerriinngg TThhee SSccrreeeenneerr��ss QQuueessttiioonnHere�s an answer to the screener�s �What�s this in reference

to?� question, as it appears in �SUCCESSFUL COLD CALLSELLING,� by Lee Boyan:

�We are working with many firms similar to yours,with an idea that our clients tell us substantially cutstheir operation costs (or whatever general benefit ap-plies to what you sell). In my experience I have foundthat the president can quickly determine whether or notyour company would want to consider this idea. Could Ispeak with him/her to discuss it?�

AA DDuummbb TThhiinngg II HHeeaarr:: �I don�t have time to do pre-call planning. I have to place a

lot of calls.� Oh really? But you do have time for personal calls,internet surfing, chatting with others, admin stuff that should bedelegated, and generally frittering away time during the day?But no time to perform the action that can ensure success, orguarantee failure by its absence? C�mon, everyone has littletime thieves that steal from us every day. And we allow them torob us. Invest more time in planning and you�ll see your salesrise.

2277,,337755 DDaayyssSpeaking of time, if you live to just 75 years old, that�s how

many days you have on Earth. In an article I read, the authorpointed out that number is soberingly small when you reallyanalyze it, keeping in mind that you spend about the equiva-lent of 8,000 of those days sleeping, leaving even a smallernumber. So what�s the point here? Given how little time weactually have, how do you make decisions regarding how youinvest your time, both on the job and off? Too many peoplewaste time, and many others go through each day, miserable,engaging in activities and being around people they despise.The amount of money you could make is theoretically almostinfinite, while the amount of time you have is very finite. Trymaking decisions with your time based on the ticking-awaycommodity that it is.



September 2019 VVoolluummee 3366 NNuummbbeerr 99

SMART CALLINGREPORT

At Which of These Performance Levels Do YouOperate? Most are Lower Than They Could BeThis is not a what-to-say sales

tip. But it could be life-changing inmaking the difference in your pros-pecting and sales success.

I�ve personally been around tensof thousands of salespeople over theyears.

Some�the top performers achiev-ing at the highest level�produce stag-gering results.

Because they think and DO ex-traordinary things.

On the other end are the manywho just couldn�t cut it in sales andeither got out on their own, or wereasked to leave.

And then there�s the middle. Boththe low and top of the middle.

These folks pretty much get by,and depending where they are, areeither living on the edge, or are rela-tively comfortable with where theyare at.

YYoouu AArree WWhheerree YYoouuDDeesseerrvvee ttoo BBee

One thing everyone has in com-mon, at every level, is that they areexactly where they deserve to be.

Because their results are a directreflection of their identity, attitude,and subsequent behavior.

I�ve been studying this all quite abit over the past year, thanks to trans-formation coach, Jim Fortin.

There�s a lot that goes into all ofthis, and for now, I want to focus onwhat I see with sales reps� attitudesregarding their skills, and self devel-opment.

I�m always leery of�and oftenmake fun of�general stats thataren�t substantiated, or are appliedtoo broadly. But here�s one I�ve seenseveral times, and can believe basedon my own experience:

The typical sales person readsfewer than two sales books per year.

And I know some read none.

They are likely in the �poor per-forming� category.

Other sales reps take the attitudeof, �I�ve seen this before,� when pre-sented with training, or even tips,techniques and ideas on any part ofthe sales process.

In pretty much every sales groupI�ve worked with of 20 or more, theretypically is at least one person therewho is bored, disengaged, and non-participative.

They feel being there is a wasteof their time. Because they�ve seenthis stuff before (that�s their percep-tion initially�often I change it.)

The other interesting thing is thatthey rarely are the top producers.

Think that�s a coincidence?

Not at all.

While listening to one of Jim�spodcasts, he addressed this briefly,and I�m going to build and add onto it.

Jim suggested that there is a dif-ference between understandingsomething, and really knowing it.


I can understand what it�s liketo give birth to a child. But of courseI could never really know what it�slike.

In sales, you can understandthat you should ask open-endedquestions to get someone to explaintheir needs.

But to really KNOW it, we mustwork on questions to use in differ-ent situations, practice reciting them,actually experience using them, get-ting comfortable with them, andthen continually evaluating our per-formance and making tweaks.

I�m going to add two more cat-egories to this as it relates to salesknowledge and skill, on the frontand back end.

See where you reside and whereyou want to be.

1. Having Heard Something Before.

2. Understanding

3. Knowing

4. Mastering

11.. HHaavviinngg HHeeaarrddSSoommeetthhiinngg BBeeffoorree

This is a phenomenon that is abit mind boggling to me. Perhapsit�s the ADD-environment we livein today, where so many are look-ing for the next shiny object. Whenpresented with a concept, skill, ortechnique, sales reps often say orthink, �I�ve heard that before,� andthen tune out and shift their limitedattention elsewhere.



22



.


Sales ObservationsA sales rep used a technique

with me that got me thinking, andinto a conversation. Although he didn�taccomplish his objective (an appoint-ment), and I gave a response thatthrew him off a bit, I see how it couldbe useful when used correctly.

The technique in the opening, af-ter saying your name is, �Does thatsound familiar?�

When he used it with me, I replied,�Why would that sound familiar?�

He stumbled a bit, and then wentinto what sounded like a general open-ing that left a lot to be desired.

After analyzing this, I could see howit might work when you use it in aSmart Calling approach. Perhaps send-ing an email in advance to tease yourPossible Value, and also leaving a voicemail with a similar message.

Then, when you finally do reachthem live, you could introduce your-self and company, and ask the ques-tion like he did.

After likely hearing, �no,� then youcould continue with, �I had left acouple of messages about how wespecialize in...� and then you�d con-tinue with your opening.

The reason to even consider usingthis is the �pattern interrupt� aspect

of it. It could cause someone to breakout of their �This is a salesperson� frameof mind.

A possible other benefit is that theyactually DO remember your previousmessages, if they were good (which ofcourse they always are, right?).

A great question to qualify howurgent a need or a problem is, and ifsomeone plans on taking action on itis,

�What�s your deadline for get-ting that fixed?�

If they already have a fixed date, ofcourse you�ll learn that, then you canask, �Why is it that date?�

That will give you very valuable in-formation you can continue to drilldown on.

If they say they don�t have a dead-line, you�d continue to question that aswell.

You could get them talking moreabout the cost of delaying and perhapshelp them realize the urgency and needto take action.

Or, you might find out it is not thatmuch of a priority, which is also goodsince it will indicate how to proceed fol-lowing up with them.

One exercise in my sales train-ing workshops for clients is where weidentify the possible motivators of thevarious levels of decision makers. Anarea we get into that a lot of trainingoverlooks is what personal needs anddesires the prospect has in their posi-tion. And these often are stronger thanany business motivator.

A question that can uncover a lotof this is, �How will solving this/fix-ing this/implementing this, etc. af-fect you personally?�

People love talking about their fa-vorite subject�themselves. Make sure

you listen, take great notes, and con-tinue questioning when they answer.And then use this when it�s time tomake your personalized recommen-dation.

Here�s an interesting sugges-tion I saw from Derek Gaunt, a ne-gotiation trainer and personal coach.He suggests that when you encoun-ter a tough gatekeeper (his term forthe assistant), you reply with, �Whatwould have to be true for me tospeak with him?�

That prompts them to go off theirtypical �get rid of salesperson� script,causes them to think, and in manycases give good information.

I was talking to a friend abouta business idea he had that soundedawesome for him. I felt he wouldcrush it if he pursued it. However, hehad a case of the �Yeahbutts.� Asin, �Yeah, but what if...?� And hecontinued coming up with possibili-ties of why it might not work.

Many of them were far fetched,worst-case scenarios.

As are many of the things weworry about, and that hold us back.

Forget about all the reasons whysomething may not work. You onlyneed to find one good reason why itwill work, and go for it!


QQuueessttiioonnss FFrroomm tthhee FFiieelldd

Q&A

Creating Interest With DoctorsArt, I have a position involving con-

tacting Chiropractors and MD's to see ifthey, a) Use portable medical equipmentin their practice, and, b) if they are inter-ested in having units on consignment toprovide for their patients.

My question is when speaking to a verybusy client such as this, what would bethe BEST technique to use. I would neverbe pushy, but I don't want to come acrossas complacent in my delivery. I have theability to get past the �Gatekeeper� bybeing their friend. But a doctor is differ-ent in that they are taking their valuabletime to listen to me. It is my job to getand keep their interest.

Mike Hamernik

Art's ResponseMike, the key here, as with any call, in

getting and keeping interest is determin-ing what it is about your equipment andproviding it to their patients that wouldbe of interest, and why. Then you need toplug that into an opening so that they willthen answer your questions.

I would assume the main motivatorshere would be patient convenience�andlet's be realistic�revenue they keep insteadof refer elsewhere.

Therefore you might consider some-thing like,

�Dr. Sawbones, depending onwhat you're now doing with patientswho require in-home equipment fortheir surgery rehab, we might have asimple way for you to make it easierfor your patients to acquire the equip-ment, and generate additional in-come for your practice... (pause) howdo you handle these situations now?�

Then, your goal is to get them talkingabout their situation, learning what theydo, how they do it, and how much rev-enue they might be earning for someoneelse.

And of course, if you can do someSocial Engineering in advance that will giveyou some insight as to what they are do-ing now.

What to Do When You AreEmotionally Drained

Art, I don�t mean to sound like awhiner, but here lately I feel just men-tally drained. You get (or I do) tiredof hearing that people are not in, oryou get voice mail, or they say noth-ing when you are trying to ask ques-tions and engage them in a conversa-tion. I think I am pretty decent at tele-phone sales, but like I say, I just feeldrained here lately (emotionally, men-tally, physically). I wonder sometimesif I take things personally when peoplereject my offers... Is there any goodway to separate it in your mind assomeone made a �business decision�and not a �personal decision aboutme�?

Pat Olsen

Art's ResponsePat, a couple of suggestions:

1. Do things differently. If youwant different results, change your ap-proach. Analyze where you�re nothappy with what�s happening, seekout new ideas, then practice and trythem. Just the process of getting newinfo is motivating, and even more sowhen you see the results.

2. Set a Secondary Objectivefor every call. I define that as , �Atminimum, what can you accom-plish?� For example, simply getting adecision on each call, yes or no. Orat least finding out why you got theno. And judge success not on just theyes answers, but on your attempts.

3. Change your definition of�rejection.� Rejection is not an ex-perience, it�s your definition of the ex-perience. Rejection is not what hap-pens to you, it is how you define andreact to what happens to you. Youwill always get no's. Stuff happens. Ifit's not, you're not in the game. Sochange your definition! Do not asso-ciate a no with rejection. Keep in mindthat no one can reject you withoutyour consent.

This month Art reaches into the mailbag and answers questions from readers.

RReeffeerrrraallss

How to GetReferrals

Do you have so many referralsthat you do not have time to call themall?

Crazy question, I know. Mostpeople have very few referrals. Why?They do not ask for them. And justasking is not enough. You need toask in the right way to maximize thenumber, and quality of prospects youreceive.

Martyn Hotchkiss was asking forreferrals, and regularly meeting abrick wall. Here is what he was say-ing.

�Do you know of anyone elsewho could be interested in our prod-ucts and services?�

He'd hear responses like, �Not re-ally,� or, �Can�t think of anyone atthe moment.�

And, really, that question invitesthe easy response from the customer.

Martyn changed his approachand has found more success by�preframing� the question by lead-ing up to it with a short series ofclosed questions:

�Mr. Buyer, In your job as ___,you will meet a lot of otherpeople with similar jobs at semi-nars and conferences, don�tyou?�

�Yes�

�And some of these will havethe same sorts of needs as you?�

�Yes�

�In fact, you probably discussthese types of products with eachother to find out the good onesand the bad ones, don�t you?�

�Yes�

�Of those people you know,are there any who have been in-terested in these products?�

Martyn usually doesn't have toask who these other people are, be-cause at this point, they are alreadythinking of them, and the namesseem to pop out!


Jim Domanski

(Jim Domanski isPresident of theTelemanagement Consult-ing Group, a telemarket-ing consulting and train-ing firm. Contact him at613-591-1998)

Be a Mystery Novelist With Your Voice MailsHave you read any novels by

John Grisham, Tom Clancy, AnnePerry, Nelson DeMille or perhapsPatricia Cornell?

They have the uncanny ability todraw you in, to get you to read thenext paragraph, the next page andthe chapter beyond even though it iswell past midnight.

Why?

Because they are masters at in-trigue. Intrigue is defined as �mys-tery, suspense; to spark interest orcuriosity.�

At the end of every chapter, theseauthors leave you with an unan-swered question, a moment of sus-pense, a sense of expectation.Youcan�t help but read on.

Voice Mail NovelistsWhen prospects pick up their

voicemail, they are, in effect, pick-ing up a �book� and leafing throughthe pages. Something must catchtheir eye�er�ear.

In a way, you must become amaster of intrigue when it comes toleaving a voice mail.

You must become the Grishamor Cornell of voice mail! You mustleave your prospect hungry for more.He or she must want to pick up thatphone in the telephony equivalent ofturning to the next page. How doyou do this?

Intrigue BuildersWriting a good novel is essentially

a matter of technique. So too is leav-ing a voice mail. After leaving yourname and your company here aresome �techniques� or statementsthat leave your prospect curious formore.

�I Need Your Help�� Thisstatement has proven to be very ef-fective in getting prospects to callback. It looks like this:

�Mr. Gandara, I need your helpwith some research I am doing onsafety issues and I am told you arethe resident expert��

There are three things that workwith this statement. The first is thatthe word �help� appeals to the aver-age individual. It is not threatening andit certainly doesn�t sound like a salespitch.

Secondly, intrigue is created by forc-ing the recipient to ask: �What kind ofhelp?� �Why?� �What�s this all about?�

Finally, the phrase flatters. By stat-ing that the prospect is the �residentexpert,� the prospect feels important.

�I Have An Idea�� I have usedthe �idea� opener�in other scenariosin sales and it works extremely well be-cause it leaves the recipient asking thequestion, �What idea?�

For instance: �Ms. Ackerman, Ihave an idea that I would like torun by you that might significantlyimpact your quality control pro-gram��

It creates intrigue in much thesame manner as the �I need your help.�

The prospect is forced to wonderthe precise nature of the idea. That itsignificantly impacts quality controlmakes it all the more interesting.

�A Question�� This is a new onefor me. I like it and wish that I haddeveloped it, but the credit goes to TomFreese, author of �The Secrets of Ques-tions Based Selling.�

�Dr. Tuori, I have a questionthat I believe only you can answerconcerning carpal tunnel syn-drome��

The fact that only the recipient cananswer the question is intrigue enough.The prospect thinks, �What question?Why me?�

�The Insider�� Here�s anotherone I have seen used in various forms.The insider referral leverages the ex-pertise, title or position of someonewithin your company and creates aunique sense of intrigue.

.�Mr. Jackson, Dr. Carrigan,the head of our Marketing Devel-opment Division, suggested I giveyou a call concerning employeeproductivity��

The intrigue here is twofold.First,the reference to �Doctor�Carrigan� is powerful.

A doctor? What kind of doctor?What is this about? Why should a doc-tor want me to call?

Second, the reference to produc-tivity is an implied benefit. But it isnot precisely clear and it nags like apersistenct itch.

To scratch it you have to call.

Not every company has a doctoron staff, so another variation of thisvoicemail statement is,

��Mr. Edgerton, our presi-dent, suggested I give you acall��

�The �president� is a powerful titleand generally gets the attention of thelistener.

Summary

Learn to be a master of intrigue.Craft your messages and try them.Testvariations and see what works best foryou. Maybe you�ll create your own�best seller.�


Performance Levels

As if having heard something beforemeans we can check it off of the list. Kindof like, �Yep, I had my measles shot whenI was a kid. that's out of the way.�

I can�t count how many times some-one has asked me, �Do you have any newsales techniques?� Or, �What advancedsales skills do you have?�

And what I am almost always think-ing is, �How well are you executing thefundamentals?�

Usually, not very well.

Perhaps you have heard this before,and if so, good: �Repetition is the motherof all learning.�

The next time you hear or read abouta sales skill, technique, strategy or ap-proach and your inclination is to think,�I�ve heard this before,� stop. Ask your-self,

�How well am I doing that?� Or

�What could I do to get better inthat area?�

2. UnderstandingThis is similar to the previous level,

except it is more dangerous. It is whenpeople actually think they have a graspof something. Then they close themselfdown to further learning and improve-ment.

And worse is the result of this: theydon�t really use or implement what theyknow.

A simple example is someone whogoes through a training program andlearns the concepts of a good openingstatement/voice mail. He/she could prob-ably even explain it to someone else.

But then, when they get on the phone,they fall back into their old default mode.Reciting the same old words that don�tget the results they really want.

I know I�ve been guilty of this. A lot.

I�ve spent substantial money on train-ing programs and courses on different as-pects of marketing for my business overthe years. Sure, I�ve implemented a lot,but nowhere near all of the things that I�understood� but didn�t take action on.

(continued from cover page)To get to the next level really relies on

action regarding what you understand.

3. KnowingThink of the things you consider your-

self really good at, either physically or men-tally, or a combination of both. Cooking,putting together parties, getting discountson everything you buy, movie trivia, fixingthings around the house, or hopefully, anyor all aspects of sales and prospecting.

These are things that you really know.

Because you worked at building andrefining your knowledge and skill.

The late David Sandler wrote the book,�You Can�t Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at aSeminar.� Of course that was referring tothe notion that someone can�t learn sell-ing just by sitting through a presentationwhere the instructor is just talking aboutsales.

You have to do it. Regularly.

I did a bit of research on what �know-ing� something really means. My eyesglazed over with the philosophical expla-nations from Socrates, Sartre, Kant, andother old dead guys whose names I barelyremember from college.

However, a couple did resonate, andare in a language most people can under-stand:

Knowledge is...

Interpretation (or memory) thatproduces power.

Also, it�s

The ability to reproduce orreconstruct something.

Everyone is capable of knowing whatit takes to be excellent at prospecting andsales.

Most don�t reach this level, sadly.

And their results reflect it.

4. MasteryMastery is not actually a level, but a

mindset.

A journey, not a destination.

It isn�t something you can actuallyachieve, because you can always get bet-ter at anything.

The highest achievers in anything seethemselves as apprentices.

It�s a way of thinking about and work-ing toward goals rather than an end goalitself.

And if someone believes they havesomething mastered, that�s when theystall, and even regress.

Watching those at this level�in pur-suit of mastery� is a joy to behold. Theymake their performance look effortlessand flawless.

When people say, �She is a natural,�or �He is a born salesman,� they reallyhave no idea.

There�s the story of Picasso, sketch-ing in the park. A woman recognizes himand begs for him to sketch her portrait.He agrees, takes a couple of minutes,and hands her the result, which she loves.She asks how much she owes him.

He replies, �Five thousand dollars.�

She is outraged, and asks how thatcould be, since it only took him a coupleof minutes.

Without missing a beat, he respondswith, �No, madame, it took me my en-tire life.�

Mastery takes time. It is not for the�Look, squirrel!� crowd.

It requires intention and attention.Practice. Repetition. Acquisition of infor-mation. Accountability. Input from oth-ers.

Rinse and repeat.

What I have always loved about salesis that in no other profession is your im-pact and reward virtually unlimited. Theceiling only is as high as you perceive it.And for those in pursuit of mastery, theycan�t even see one.

Hopefully that is you.

Again, there isn�t a single sales tip youcan recite to a prospect or customer inthis piece. But hopefully it has causedyou to look at where you are right now,raised questions about where you couldbe, and sparked the desire and action tomove to the next level.


How to Effectively Ask About and Discuss BudgetsAnyone who has been involved in

building a house will vouch that yourarely end up spending what youthought you would when first starting.

Another electrical outlet here, nicerfixtures there...what the heck, let�s getthe better carpet. While we�re at it,expand the deck to multi-levels withthe built in benches-easier now thanlater.

Before you know it, your original�budget� looks as close to what you�llactually spend as your take-home paylooks compared to your actual grosswages.

So, what dynamic is at work here?

Emotion.

Rationally and logically you believeyou could spend �x� for the house.

Mix in your emotions�along withthe desires of the spouse, kids, futurekids, and suddenly you�re up to�x+++�.

The �budget� seems so arbitrary.What you really WANT wrestles con-trol from the logical you.

The same principles apply with yourprospects and customers.

Which is why, for many sales reps,asking a question like, �What do youhave budgeted?� is sales disaster. Be-cause, simply accepting their figure cancause you to miss out on sales andprofits.

Add to the fact that saying �Ourbudget is all gone,� is an easy and ef-fective way to get rid of sales reps.

For example, let�s take an adver-tising sales rep. He asks, �So what doyou have budgeted for advertising thisyear?�

The prospect answers, �$5,000,and it�s already spoken for.�

Then the rep is left to either try andtalk the person out of what they�re al-ready doing, or just meekly asking,

�When should I call you again for thenext budget year?�

Instead, the rep would be muchbetter off NOT even bringing up bud-get, but prompting the prospect to thinkabout what he really wants. Really,that�s the only reason for advertisinganyway.

For example,

�Tell me about what you�relooking to do this year regardingnew product introductions.�

�What sales figures do you re-ally want to hit?�

Notice these questions get the cus-tomer thinking and talking about re-sults. Advertising is simply a means ofgetting those results.

If the sales rep can stoke enoughdesire and excitement in the customer�smind, and then make a sensible rec-ommendation�naturally including therep�s advertising�then the budget fallsby the wayside, victim to emotion.

Oh, I understand this doesn�t ap-ply to everyone in all situations.

I�m primarily referring to instanceswhere you�re talking to a key decisionmaker who likely has the authority tooverrule a budget, or instances wherea �budget� is more of a range or guide-line than a strict figure that is writtenin concrete.

If this principle applies to you, youprobably know it. If you believe itdoesn�t, think again; who sets the bud-get, why, and who has the power towork outside of it when they want to?

DO Ask About MoneyAnd I�m not suggesting you don�t

ask about money�you should.

You usually need to find out whatrange you�re dealing with in order todetermine if you�re in the sameballpark.

For example,

�Mike, I want to be sure we�reboth on the same page here re-garding what you�re looking for.What range of investment did youhave in mind for this project?�

�So that I can make the bestrecommendation for your situa-tion, give me some idea of dollarrange you were initially thinkingabout.�

Notice that these questions talkmore about a range, and not a strictbudget.

This way, you can qualify them,but yet not limit your chances.

When Budget Is A RealObjection

If you do a great job of sellingvalue, budgets usually aren�t an issue.

But, realistically of course, the bud-get objection might indeed be a realroadblock.

You need to become a problemsolver, a detective, to help the pros-pect come up with the money to buyyour product or service.

Some of the questions mentionedearlier that we do not want to ask inthe general part of a call are more ap-propriate here.

First, whenever you hear the bud-get problem, you need to be sure thatthe prospect is PERSONALLY sold onwhat you are offering.

Otherwise, there is no way they aregoing to do what�s necessary to lo-cate the money. For example,

Prospect: �Everything looks great.Problem is, we just don�t have themoney in the budget.�

Caller: �I see. Let�s talk aboutthat. Let me be clear first. Mike,I�m assuming that this is some-thing that you personally are to-tally sold on, and you really wouldlike to do something now, right?�


BBuuddggeettss


BBuuddggeettss

There are many old sales tech-niques that you�ll still see being sug-gested (usually by people repeatingsomething they read, but aren�t us-ing themselves.)

One such technique that I�vemade quite a bit of fun of over theyears is a response to the ResistantReflex Response of �I�m not inter-ested� right at the beginning of acall.

The old response is, �Of courseyou are not interested, because Ihaven�t told you yet what I have.�

I saw a LinkedIn post the otherday from Anuj Pillai who writes asales blog.

When I first saw the response Irolled my eyes as usual, but contin-ued reading.

I was surprised that he had asuggestion that is actually prettygood.

Here�s the entire suggestion inthe post:

__________________

Prospect: I am not inter-ested.

Sales Rep: I understand andagree with you that there won'tbe any interest at the moment,because I have not yet providedany information for you to seevalue in talking with me.

Now, if you give me 30 sec-onds, I will brief you on how wehave transformed C (C = yourclient who is your prospects com-petitor) in I (I = Industry sameas your prospect is in) in achiev-ing R (R = Results in terms ofmonetary value) by doing W (W= Work you do). Then, if you arenot interested even after listen-ing to me for 30 seconds, youwill never hear from me again!Sound fair? Shall I proceed?

I heard a compelling commercial fora car dealer in Phoenix. What especiallygrabbed me was, �Our salespeopleon not paid on commission, theyare paid on total volume of cars wesell. We guarantee the lowest priceanywhere. So if you buy a car some-where else, you are paying toomuch.�

The credibility statement here of notbeing on commission is what reallymakes this work. Don�t get me wrong; Ibelieve getting paid based on what youproduce is the greatest thing in the world.But if you are not on commission, itremoves skepticism. Research hasproven that. For example,

�And Joe, I�m not paid on com-mission, so you can be certain thisis a purely objective recommenda-tion.�

�Really, it doesn�t matter oneway or another to me personallywhich option you choose, since Idon�t stand to gain anything fromit commission-wise. I just feel sostrongly that�s it�s the best choicefor your situation.�

If they say �no,� their commit-ment isn�t strong enough yet.

Before even addressing the bud-get concern, you need to sell themon the value so that they�ll �go tobat� for you. If they agree, the nextstep is simply a series of questions.

Here are some examples:

�When is your budget yearover?�

�When do you need to put re-quests in for the next budget?�

�How much money do youhave in the budget under thiscategory?�

�Which other categoriesmight we be able to list this ex-pense under?�

�Any other departments thatwould benefit from the purchaseand might be able to share in theexpense?�

�What do you typically dowhen there is something you re-ally want, and the funds are notbudgeted?�, or,

Whenever you can come up witha precedent, it�s much easier to an-swer the objection.

�What have you done beforewhen you�ve run into similar situ-ations?�

�The last time you had a situ-ation where you found some-thing that would give a return oninvestment like this but did nothave it budgeted, what did youdo?�

By asking these questions and oth-ers, the creative juice begins flowing.

They are thiking of ways they canget what they really want.

Treating the objection as it reallyis, a problem, you are both able tosearch for win-win ways to solve it.

(Continued from previous page)

OObbjjeeccttiioonnss

AAnn OOlldd SSaalleessyy TTeecchhnniiqquuee,,WWiitthh aa TTwwiisstt tthhaatt MMaakkeess iitt OOKK

Then he suggested moving on withyour pitch and appointment request

I am still not a fan of the first partof the response, about not having yetprovided anything of value. I feel thatis a waste of words and valuable time.

The real power here is in the expla-nation.

That gives the WHY.

Personally, I would leave out thefirst part, and simply say, �That�s OK.But with just 30 seconds I can letyou know how...� And then give theexplanation.

By the way, if you re-read the pre-vious paragraph, I use two words thatsome people suggest you never use:�but� and �just.�

BUT, if you examine how they areused, they are entirely appropriate here.Which shows that context matters.

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88

IInncclluuddee aa CCoommpplliimmeenntt iinn tthheeRReeffeerrrraall OOppeenniinngg

When calling a referral, include some personal informa-tion from the person who referred you. Preferably a compli-ment.

This starts the call on a real positive. A sales rep did thison a call to me, and I found myself in a more receptiveframe of mind, and I realized why afterward. For example,

�Hi Dan, I�m Kelly Stevens with Info Supply. BobRussell at Muffler Industries suggested I give you acall. He said some great things about you, particu-larly how you have ...�

DDeeaalliinngg WWiitthh UUnnrreessppoonnssiivvee PPeeoopplleeRemember the last time you ran into an “unrespon-

sive?” You know the types. The people who are very stingywith their words and emotions.

Some unresponsives act that way intentionally to showtheir resistance.

Others are naturally quiet, and are very deliberate lis-teners, carefully analyzing everything you have to say.

Some may not be listening at all, and might be en-gaged in some other activity, such as writing, or makingcomments to a person in their office.

When speaking with unresponsives, resist the tempta-tion to talk faster. Typically, reps become self-conscious whenfaced with silence, and start rambling on about features,bouncing from point to point. Some people get so flus-tered, they freeze up, or become tongue-tied, reducing theirpresentation to meaningless babble.

Stay calm, and stimulate the prospect to respond. Getthem involved. Ask questions such as

�How do you feel about...?�, or

�What are your feelings on...?�.

MMaannaaggee PPrriioorriittiieess,, NNoott TTiimmeeIn the great movie �The Pursuit of Happyness� Chris

Gardener had to do in six hours as a stockbroker trainee(cold caller) what everyone else did in 10, because he hadto get home and take care of his little boy.

He calculated how much time in a day he spent pickingup and putting down the phone, so he simply pushed thedisconnect button down with his hand instead of puttingthe handset down. This saved a few precious minutes perday to make more calls with.

Get this: he also avoided water and coffee so he wouldn’thave to go to the bathroom as much!

The real point here is that time management is reallypriority management. If you want to get something done,you will. If you want to place more calls, you will find away.

RReessppoonnddiinngg ttoo �II aallrreeaaddyy wwoorrkkwwiitthh ssoommeeoonnee�

And speaking of �The Pursuit of Happyness,� Terry Ward,sent me an email with a great quote from the book, onwhich the movie is based. Gardener said that when a pros-pect stated they were satisfied with their current broker, hereplied with �I understand you�ve got a broker. Nowwe�re not interested in interfering with that relation-ship. However, we would like to be able to comple-ment that relationship by showing you one or twospecial situations here.� Pretty good, and adaptable tomost industries.

CCoonnffeerreennccee CCaallll TTiippWhen you schedule a conference sales call and there will be

several decision makers you have not yet spoken with, ask yourprimary contact for a rundown on them, theirbackgrounds, interests, etc. Ask whether any of them alreadyhave a preferred vendor or favor any of the other presenters.Sell your contact as much as you can before the presentation.Ask them if they will be in your corner.



October 2019 VVoolluummee 3366 NNuummbbeerr 1100

SMART CALLINGREPORT

How to Get the Attention of Busy Buyers


How many attempts to get your at-tention did you ignore already today?

Online, print and broadcast ads,emails, billboards, phone calls, the guyspinning a sign on the street corner, alady pushing samples at the grocerystory... the attempts are endless.

As a society we have become �pro-fessional ignorers.�

We have to be.

Now, just think of the decision mak-ers you want as customers. You couldprobably 10x the number of attempts toget their attention they receive each day.

But yet, as sales pros who need newbusiness, we still must figure out how tobreak through the noise.

And, despite what you might hearfrom those selling the next shiny objectSocial/Sales Enablement/AI tool ormethod, buyers are still talking to hu-mans who manage to get their attention.

How do we do that?

I�m going to explore that with you.Granted, many of these are not new, andI�ve covered them many times.

And they still work. And are more im-portant than ever. Plus, repetition is themother of all learning.

I�m also sharing a few other strate-gies, techniques and processes that canwork in conjunction with some of thebasics. Let�s dive in.

HHaavvee RReelleevvaanntt VVaalluueeThis is such a �Well duh, no kidding�

point. And also the one most violatedby salespeople. Which causes them togo down in flames.

Value is not the thing or stuff yousell. It is always the perceived resultobtained by the buyer.

�Perceived� is the key word, alongwith �relevant,� since it is always whatthey think it is, not what your market-ing department says on your website.

This is something you don�t hearmuch: perceived personal value is not aconstant for individuals. I�ve had salesdirectors call me in a panic, needingsales training right now! Because theyjust got out of a meeting with their boss,threatening bad things if they didn�t hittheir new business quota next quarter.That same person ignored my promo-tions for sales training for the eight yearsthey were on my list, and never hadpurchased anything. MY offering ofvalue didn�t change, their perceptiondid.

So how do we help someone per-ceive our possible value as relevant. Seethe next point.

PPeerrssoonnaalliizzee aanndd CCuussttoommiizzeeYYoouurr MMeessssaaggiinngg

This is the �smart� in Smart Call-ing.

Consider this scenario: I put two largeenvelopes on a table, and I say the blueone contains a description of how peoplehave doubled the money in their retire-ment account.

The red one is a detailed study ofhow, based on your existing retirementaccounts, your income, your lifestyle,your goals, and your dreams, you per-sonally could potentially double theamount you have on the summary pageof the account statement in that enve-lope.

Which one would be of interest toyou?

Obviously we are all mostly inter-ested in us.

Problem is, many salespeople don�tsuspend that feeling when they callprospects.

Woody Allen reportedly said�thereare variations�that �80% of successis showing up.�

While it�s true we still need to showup and make calls, just because wecall and ask for 15 minutes ofsomeone�s time is a recipe for failure.Unless we have personalized, custom-ized, relevant possible value.

This value messaging applies to allof the following points. The more per-sonalized, customized and therefore,relevant, your emails, InMails,voicemails, videos, audios, notes, andeverything else you communicate is, themore impact you will have.

Specific TacticsHere are tactics you can adapt and

use to grab attention.

SSeenndd SSoommeetthhiinngg PPhhyyssiiccaallEmails and voicemails are easy to

delete, as we all do every day. Butwhen something shows up in a box ora puffy envelope at our home or of-fice, it gets our attention.

I received a FedEx box fromGoogle. Of course I ripped it open rightaway. It was a notebook computercase, along with a note saying theywould like to give me the Chromebookcomputer that went in the case.



22



.

Go and make this your best monthever!

Sales ObservationsSmart Calling Facebook

Community member Mike Herbertsshared this technique as a way tolearn where we stand with a hard-to-reengage prospect and get move-ment.

�Just wondering where to gowith this Mr. Prospect...my sys-tem gives me three op-tions...close the file perma-nently, close it temporarily or...keep it open for awhile... whatwould be the best option foryou and me at the moment?�

He says that doesn�t comeacross as needy and it gets greatresults.

A reader informed me thatsomeone posted online somewherethat me claiming you could pros-pect without rejection was bogus,and impossible.

Obviously he had not read anyof my stuff. Here's what I would tellhim (I didn't see the post):

"Rejection" is not an experience.It is always how you DEFINE theexperience. "Rejection" is a BS storyyou tell yourself. "Rejection" is sim-ply your thoughts about what hap-

pened on a call, or worse, what you areafraid might happen on a call.

You are in complete control of yourthoughts. Since you have a choice, whyin the world would you choose to labelsomething as "rejection?"

Don't let thoughts about a past ex-perience--or fear of what you might ex-perience-- affect your actions (calling),that is depriving you, your family, andyour possible future customers of thegood that comes when you sell (help)others. Just Place the Call!

The debate about using smalltalk, �How are you?� etc. is never end-ing.

Edward Totland shared one of thelittle tricks that works for him.

He does a simple introduction fol-lowing the Smart Calling format theninterrupts himself from going any further,and says, "Did I get your name right?Is it pronounced, Sub-Check?�

Then regardless of what they say hesays his name looks simple but peopleget it wrong all the time, Tot-land!

Then he just gets back on track withhis opening statement.

Edward says when you admit a tinybit of stupidity in a certain area it bringsyou down to earth in their mind. It's atype of humanizing comment that wecan all relate to and it briefly breaks theice and lowers the resistance wall.

I called a training inquiry wherethings were not progressing, the prospectwas a bit wishy-washy and non-commit-tal and I could tell she wasn�t the ulti-mate decision maker. She asked, �Canyou send a proposal?� I asked, �Are wereally to that point yet?� She said,�Well, not really.�

We agreed she had more homeworkto do before we would speak again. Had

I put together a proposal, of course thatwould have taken time, and it wouldhave been wasted time. That one ques-tion saved me tons of time, and money,like it has many times.

How can you write more agreementsand cut down on needless bids, propos-als and quotes?

At the grocery deli counter, theguy greeted me with, �What can I helpyou with pal?� �After pointing out thecheese I wanted: �This one bud?� �Heshowed me a sample: �OK, chief?��Then, �What else boss?� �He handedit to me: �There you go my friend.� �AsI left: �Take it easy dude.��Need I evencomment on this exchange? I mentionit because I sometimes hear similarthings on phone calls, although not tothis extent I admit. Pal, dude, chief,boss, bro, my friend, buddy�perhapsthose terms have an appropriate placewith a good friend in a casual conver-sation, but my feeling is that they an-noy most others.

Now is the best time to ensureyou end the year strong... not duringthe past couple of weeks! And, if youare going to hit your yearly number early,this is no time to coast! Start laying theggroundwork for your amazing year in2020. You've got this!


HHooww ttoo GGrraabb AAtttteennttiioonn

(Continued from Cover Page)

All I had to do was book a meetingwith one of their G-Suite sales execs toreview their offerings. Now, I was think-ing Google must know something aboutme that I didn�t, since I don�t considermyself a huge prospect for their offer-ings (I already pay them monthly forsome.)

I booked the meeting, spoke with therep, we concluded I was not a prospect,and she had the computer delivered. (I�ma Google shareholder, and I�m assum-ing there is a huge return on investmentwith this strategy... It�s all about totallifetime return on investment.)

I could give you lots of examples ofhow to do this, but one guy has alreadyspecialized in it. Stu Heinecke evencoined a term for it: �Contact Market-ing.�

Get his books, �How to Get a Meet-ing with Anyone,� and the new �Get theMeeting,� to get hundreds of ideas onhow you can send something simple, orengage in a multi-step campaign to grabattention and create interest.

Mention a ReferralWhen a prospect hears or sees the

name of someone they know and respectat the beginning of your messaging, thatsparks attention.

Nothing new here. Just a solid strat-egy that still works at all levels.

Of course the key is getting referrals.

Most people do not ask for them.

The script is pretty simple: �Pat, whoelse do you know who (problem yousolved for them) who would benefitfrom getting (the same results theydid)?�

Highlight UncommonCommonalities

When we�re in our home team sportsstadium and there are 40,000 others allwearing the team gear, we don�t feelcompelled to strike up conversations withall of them. But when I was in Italy, andI passed a guy wearing a NebraskaCornhuskers hat, I had to stop him andtalk.

I�ve written that we can prospect fel-low alumni and use that as a tool of simi-larity in the connection part of our open-ing. But we can take that much further ifwe both had the same quirky Economicsprofessor and had experience with his crazy�graphs and laughs� assignment.

Of course you won�t be able to usethis one with most people, but with theones you can, it is golden.

Express GratitudeIt�s human nature to favorably view

someone who thanks us for something.You can do it in your messaging. Youmight not have personally received some-thing from your prospect, but you canthank them for a valuable article or post,something that they or their company hasdone or is doing. Of course this must begenuine and sincere.

Give ComplimentsThis is similar to gratitude, and dou-

bly powerful when coupled with it. �FirstMr. Prospect, I�d like to thank youfor your LinkedIn post on how pro-fessional salespeople must focus onquality rather than quantity. That wasvery well-written, and something thatall organizations need to hear.�

Show Up in Their Social MediaIf your prospect is active on social, let

your name be seen there.

Comment on their posts. Compli-ment and thank them there.

�Like� their posts. I had one com-pany who had several of their peopleretweeting my posts for a couple of weeks.It piqued my curiosity and I checked themout.

Give a review. If you use their prod-uct or service, give a review. This will bemore effective with smaller organizationsor where you are speaking with the personresponsible for ratings and reviews.

Tag them appropriately. You haveto be very judicious here. When you putout something and it would be of particu-lar interest to a specific prospect, tag themso they are notified about it. Again, besure it is extremely relevant for them.

I get annoyed when I get tagged alongwith 20 other sales experts by someone

who is just looking to create conversa-tion.

Look, a Flying Pizza is Outside!That headline is a �pattern interrupt.�

Something that is designed to interruptour pattern of thinking.

Let me preface all of this by saying Idon�t suggest it as a long-term, consis-tent go-to strategy. And, it needs to fitwith your comfort level of delivery. Orelse it can come across as gimmicky orgoofy, and actually create resistance.

An example of this is saying right atthe beginning of a prospecting call,�First, I need to let you know this isa cold call. Would you like to hangup now.�

Again, I don�t recommend it for ev-eryone, but for some unicorns it works.

Other examples right at the verybegining of calls, even before introduc-ing yourself, that I�ve heard (but not triedmyself):

Ask an unusual question: �Mike,is the noise hurting your sales team?�

Make an unusual statement:�Cheryl, I�m more concerned then everabout where the industry is going.�

The goal here is to jar someone intocuriosity, and then for best results, con-tinue with your possible value statement,and move into the questioning.

Personalized VideoAn email containing an image and

personalized value message indicatingyou have made a video just for them canbe very effective.

Services such as Vidyard, Loom,BombBomb and Soapbox by Wistiamake it easy to shoot a video from yourdesktop and send it in an email.

Jason Bay of Blissful Prospectingshowed how he did this with me on theInner Circle September webinar to getmy attention, and on my podcast.

I do it myself. It is not difficult, it'sactually fun, and it does get results.

This list is not all-inclusive, of course.It does, however, contain strategies andtactics that are working right now to getthe attention of buyers. Which ones willyou adapt and implement?


Jim Domanski


Jim Breaks Down a Blown Call--His Own

Here�s an old Polish proverb taught to me by my grand-

father: �If you have to eat crow, it isbest to eat it while it is young andtender. Crow does not get better withage.�

Translation: when you are wrongor when you make a mistake, it isbest to acknowledge/admit it right upfront. The real point is to deal withthe issue as soon as possible. Avoid-ing it or delaying it only makes thematter worse.

What are you talking about,Jimbo? I am talking about my an-nual blunder: that time of year, when,despite years and years of training,knowledge, experience, and expertise,I blow a call. And I mean really blowit. It happened last week. Let me tellyou about it and let�s learn from theexperience. (Actually, I need to purgemyself and confess. The Jesuit priestsin my youth obviously had an impact.)

The Hot LeadI received a hot lead from a col-

league. The client wanted training fora sales conference for their inside reps.I questioned intently. I listened. Ilearned of the needs and the depth andthe breadth of those needs. Theywanted a proposal. I delivered. Darngood pricing. Powerful copy. Enticingand exciting, if I do say so myself. Imade the follow up call in the pre-scribed period of time. Got voice mailbut I employed my famous (well, it'snot famous yet but one day) �4/3 strat-egy� of follow up voice mails. I did allthat I should and maybe even more.A sure thing. A cinch.

Or so I thought�

On the third follow up call Ireached the prospect, established rap-port and went for the close. Heck Ifollowed the book from beginning toend. The prospect replied:

�Oh, well, we decided not to in-clude that portion of the training.�

Ever-savvy Jimbo replied,

�Oh, okay, well, thank you.�

Jim Carey ScreamsDid you ever see �Ace Ventura, Pet

Detective,� starring Jim Carey? He ut-ters a word in the movie that has beenscreaming in my head ever since the mo-ment. That word? Loser.

I am being somewhat dramatic and Ireally haven�t beaten myself black andblue but it was a nice little wake up call.

AnalysisI did a lot of things right. I established

rapport, I questioned, I presented a strongmessage selling message, I followed upand I closed. But there are two things Idid not do; two things that most salesreps are guilty of at some point in time.

Pre Call PlanningFirst, I did not bother to plan my call.

I was so confident of getting the sale Idid not take pen to paper and plan thecall. I assumed the sale was a shoo- in. Igot �cocky� or maybe a better way toput it was that I got lazy.

I wasn�t prepared for the prospect�sremarks. I was totally caught off guard. Idid not have prepared a secondary ob-jective nor did I even remotely thinkabout an objection.

Handling ObjectionsOkay, so I did not prepare. That

doesn�t really excuse the second blunder.I did not bother to handle the objection.I accepted it at face value.

The question now is, why did theydecide not to go with the training? Was itmy price? Was it the training proposal?Was it me? Was there a competitor whohit the nail on the head? Did the budgetrun out? Heck, I don�t know.

Two QuestionsMy father taught me a lesson once a

long time ago when I screwed up on some-thing. Dad said to ask myself a question:

�So what did you learn from allthis?�

And that�s my real point. I am not a�loser.� I simply screwed up. I made amistake. That happens. It will happen toyou sooner or later. And that�s okay. Itis okay to blow calls and make mistakes.

But what is not okay is to ignorethe lesson that can be learned fromthe mistake.

That cannot be forgiven. That re-ally deserves the moniker �loser.�

Every time you miss a sale, go backand review it closely and ask yourself�What can I learn from this?� Keep anotebook and call it �Lessons I haveTaught Myself.� Record your impres-sion. Toss your hurt feelings aside andbe absolutely honest with yourself andanalyze the moment. Sometimes youreally screw up. Learn from it. Don�tbeat yourself up because that�s an ut-ter waste of time. Try not to do it again.If you do, record it again. And again ifnecessary. Check your �Lessons� bookfrom time to time and see if there�s apattern. Fix it. Sometimes you don�tscrew up. Write down what youlearned from the moment anyway.Learn from it. Who knows maybe youcan write your own book one day.

The next question my dad wouldask is this;

�So, what are you going to doabout it.�

Dad was saying that it is fine to doan analysis. But that wasn�t enough.The next step was to figure out whatyou should do next. Sometimes the nextstep is to do nothing. But more oftenthan not, it means you have to dosome uncomfortable things. Do them.

As for me, I plan to eat my crownext week. I will send the client thisarticle with a note explaining what Ihave done. I will make the follow upcall and learn from it.

Good Selling.


Call Reluctance

I was talking to a sales pro whowas struggling with just picking up thephone.

She believed in her product, waspersonally sold on the value it deliv-ered--which was much more than theprice.

She also has invested in herself andher skills, and is fairly proficient in theSmart Calling process (we always canget better). She's fairly new to pros-pecting, although has lots of experi-ence in working with customers.

So what was the problem?

Outcome AttachmentShe was too attached to the out-

comes of calls.

Huge mistake!

If you do that, you are destined toroll up into the fetal position and crawlunder the covers.

Why?

You WILL get no's. People will ig-nore you. You will lose deals. Peoplewill lie to you.

Big deal. So what. Who cares?Next.

And, you can't be desperate to getthe next deal. That is a certain repel-lent.

Instead, be attached to the pro-cess, and your activity. THOSE arethe things you control. When you arecommitted to what you are doing, andhow you are doing it, the results fol-low.

Be attached to WHO you are. Youneed to define that. You need to BEthat. For example,

"I am a committed, top pro-ducing sales pro who helps thou-sands of people."

This is not woo-woo stuff folks. Itis proven.

And you need to be attached towhat you really VALUE... for example,perhaps earning at a high level so youcan provide the lifestyle for you andyour family that you REALLY want.So that you can help more peoplethrough the charitable causes you sup-port, etc.

Never let the thought of a "no" bebigger than of what you value and whoyou are. When you put that in per-spective, it really is ridiculous to worryabout silly no's, isn't it?

If this resonates with you--like itdid with the sales pro I mentioned--re-read it. Several times. Apply it toyourself. Let the lights go on.

And take that action. Just placethe call.

While I'm at it, let's make thispage all about your motivation andfearlessness.

Even if you don�t follow golf, youcan be inspired by the winner of thisyear�s US Open.

Gary Woodland held on to thelead to win the tournament. And hedid it with nerves of steel, pulling offa few incredible shots to do so. In-cluding a chip shot from one part ofthe green to another on the 17th holethat most occasional golfers wouldhave muffed miserably.

Personally, I would have put thatshot 50 yards into the Pacific oceanwhich was behind the green.

The Sales LessonHere's how we can turn that into

a sales lesson.

Paul Azinger, one of the commen-tators, and a Major championshipwinner himself, said this about Wood-land and his amazing shot:

"He focused on what heWANTED to happen, not onwhat he was afraid might hap-pen."

I scrambled for my pen and pa-per, and put the broadcast on pause,and rewound it to hear it again.

So many times as salespeople weare deterred, or completely stopped(not placing the call) by the fear ofwhat MIGHT happen.

Focus on what you WANT as youplan your week, your day, and eachindividual call.

Then pull the trigger. Repeatedly.

Make those calls.

And even when we get the no's--which we will--they never will be asbad as the fear of what we think theywill be when we avoid them.

Let the thought of NOT even try-ing hard enough be much greater thanany thought of a silly "no."

Think About This, Instead of Call Outcomesto Be More Motivated and Fearless

Focus on What YouWANT to Happen

Motivation

Quick Motivation Tips Accept that you won�t have a

100 percent success rate. What, doyou expect to get a yes on every call?That�s absurd, right. But wait, everytime you don�t, you�re going to beatyourself up by saying you got rejected.That�s insanity, and a sure way to hateyour job. Major league baseball play-ers don�t get hits most of the time. Yeteven the worst ones still make millions.Likewise, you don�t need to hit yourprimary objective every time to be asuperstar, do you?

Quit identifying what happensto you on sales calls as "rejection." In-stead, try something you can control,or at least have hope for.

�What I said didn�t work thistime.�

�The timing wasn�t right.�

�It wasn�t a fit for him.�

After every call where you didn�taccomplish your primary objective, askyourself the very important learningquestion, �What could I have donedifferently?� You CAN get somethingpositive out of every situation. And ifsomething isn�t working, fix it.


Thinking Big is Great. But Starting Small Gets You GoingFor my entire career I have made

it a priority to invest in self develop-ment.

I've invested hundreds of thousandson coaching, training, courses, books,seminars and more.

Like many people after a workshopor seminar, I am motivated. Confes-sion: But also like many people, I tendto not follow through with all of mygood intentions.

It seems like there are so manythings to do, and sometimes the hugegoals look so daunting, that it becomeseasy to slip into the same habits that Iwas in prior to absorbing all of thegreat material, and coming up withall of these great ideas.

At one of the coaching weekendworkshops I attended this year therewas a big focus on what is really mostimportant in achieving anything huge:

Starting small.

Focusing on one thing at a time.

And then the next. And the next.

You have probably heard the sto-ries and motivational quotes ...

Q. How do you eat an elephant?

A. One bite at a time.

"The journey of a thousand milesbegins with a single step." Lao Tzu

"You don't have to be great to start,but you have to start to be great."

All are so true.

You can't say "Beam me up to suc-cess, Scotty." (Original Star Trek refer-ence there... might be lost on ouryounger colleagues.)

There are people in my coachinggroup (this is a group primarily focusedon online marketing for smaller busi-nesses) who did not have a businessor even a list 18 months ago and arenow bringing in over a million dollarsa year.

How did they do it?

They broke it down for us.

It wasn't a get rich overnight ad,email, funnel, or sales pitch. It alwaysstarted with one small action.

Followed by another.

And another.

And doing things consistently. Ha-bitually. With tremendous discipline.Making high value activities non-ne-gotiable.

JJoohhnn WWooooddeenn''ss QQuuootteeThe legendary, basketball coach,

John Wooden (whose national cham-pionship records will never be dupli-cated) was maniacal about the smallthings, all the way down to how play-ers tied their shoes.

He said,

�It's the little details thatare vital. Little things makebig things happen.�

While I was mindlessly scrollingthrough my Facebook personal feedthe other day (I am working on tryingto pretty much eliminate that) I sawthe story of a very young couple whofinally had it with their weight. Theywere trapped inside of their bodies. Thewoman weighed over 430 lbs. She isless than half that today. And theirbefore and after photos are stunning.

How did that happen? By makinga decision, and taking the first smallsteps. Going to the gym the first time.Having their first healthy meal at

home, instead of going to get fastfood.

So, back to coaching weekend. Ourcoach, Ryan Levesque, author of thebest selling book, ASK, and creatorof the ASK Method, stressed the im-portance of us focusing on just onething at a time in the pursuit of a goal.

And here is what he has said to usa hundred times, and really empha-sized it. And you can follow this ad-vice as well.

When you are in pursuit of a ma-jor goal, ask yourself,

�What is the ONE next stepthat I can take where it literally isimpossible to fail?�

Think about that for a second.

What stretch goal do you haveright now that you are not actively andpassionately pursuing? What is it thatyou would really love to achieve, butit is more like a monkey on your shoul-der, than a racehorse that you areriding?

For whatever reason, it has becomestalled.

Would you like to get going on it,and have it be easy to do so?

You can. And when you do,Newton's first law of motion comesinto play,

"An object at rest stays at rest andan object in motion stays in motion."

So here's what I want to leave youwith, and I'll repeat myself. And I sug-gest you write this down, answer it,and then do it.

"What is the one next sales/prospecting step that I can takewhere it literally is impossible tofail?"

Got it? Great, now go take thatsmall step!

AAcchhiieevveemmeenntt


CCaallll TTiimmiinngg

SSeelllliinngg VVaalluuee

TThhiiss PPrreevveennttss PPeeooppllee FFrroommSSeelllliinngg MMoorree

Here's something that InnerCircle member, Jay Stein emailedme.

HHeeyy AArrtt,,

II kknnooww hhooww yyoouu ffeeeell aabboouuttssttaattss tthhaatt ssuuggggeesstt tthhee bbeesstt ttiimmeettoo ccaallll aanndd yyeett II wwaanntteedd ttoosshhaarree wwiitthh yyoouu ssoommeetthhiinngg tthhaattII��vvee ssttuummbblleedd uuppoonn..

TThhoouugghhtt II��dd sshhaarree tthhiiss ttiippwwiitthh yyoouu..

OOnn aavveerraaggee II mmaakkee 6600oouuttbboouunndd ccaallllss aa ddaayy ((5500 ffiirrssttccaallllss,, 1100 ttoo cclliieennttss aanndd ttootthhoossee pprroossppeeccttss wwhhoo II hhaavveeppllaaccee iinn mmyy ffuunnnneell)),, wwhhiicchhmmeeaannss tthhaatt ffoorr mmoosstt ooff tthheeddaayy II��mm oonn tthhee pphhoonnee,, aannddmmaakkee ((aaggaaiinn oonn aavveerraaggee)) 44ccoonnttaaccttss ppeerr ddaayy,, mmyy ppooiinntt iiss,,tthhaatt aannyyttiimmee iiss rreeaallllyy tthhee rriigghhtttthhee ttiimmee ttoo ccaallll,, yyeett......

II ffiinndd tthhaatt II mmaakkee mmoorreeccoonnttaaccttss ((tthhiiss iiss ppuurreellyy aanneecc--ddoottaall aass II ddoonn��tt ttrraacckk tthhee ttiimmeetthhaatt II ppllaaccee tthhee ccaallll)) wwiitthh bbuuyy--eerrss wwhhoo II hhaavvee ppllaacceedd iinn mmyyffuunnnneell,, 1100 mmiinnuutteess bbeeffoorree tthheehhoouurr aanndd 2200 mmiinnuutteess aafftteerrtthhee hhoouurr aanndd ttyyppiiccaallllyy hheeaarr..

11.. II wwaass wwaaiittiinngg ffoorr aa ccoonn--ffeerreennccee ccaallll ttoo ccoommee iinn aannddtthhoouugghhtt yyoouu wweerree tthhee ccaall ll ..((tthhiiss mmaakkeess ppeerrffeecctt sseennssee aassmmoosstt ooff mmyy bbooookkeedd pphhoonneeaappppttss aarree oonn tthhee hhoouurr oorr oonntthhee hhaallff hhoouurr))

22.. II��mm pprreeppppiinngg ffoorr aa ((ttooppooff,, oorr bboottttoomm ooff tthhee hhoouurr,,))mmeeeettiinngg..

-- JJaayy

___________

I like this in that it's not the typi-cal general "study" being passed offas applicable to everyone. It's oneperson's experience, with commentsfrom actual buyers.

One of the biggest roadblocks Isee that prevents salespeople fromgetting to decision makers, and cre-ating interest with their emails, voicemails, and openings is thinking fromtheir OWN frame of reference and notthe prospect's.

(In fact, that is a roadblock to al-most all human interaction whenthere are conflicts, but we'll keep it toprospecting and sales.)

Think about it... every day youwake up thinking mostly about... well,you. And what you need to do. Whatyou want. And what you don't want.

Most people let that drive theirdaily activity. And it shows in theircalls. They need to hit their "numbers."They need so many demos or ap-pointments.

They approach their job with a "Ineed to sell this" mentality instead of"WHY would someone want this?"

The words they use in their mes-saging defaults to the easy, cannedthings they have in their templates,or that do not require much thought.

They talk about the standard "ben-efits" that marketing came up withand are on the website.

Calls are processed instead of con-nections being made with individualhumans.

WWhhaatt TTOO DDooWhat to do instead?

Slow down. Stop even. Take adeep breath. Pretend that you areunzipping the cover that is you andwhat you want, and step outside ofit. Then, focus on the people in yourmarket.

You have put aside your self-in-terests. Now your goal is to crawl in-side the mind of your prospects.

You can do this as an exercise todefine and/or remind yourself of why

FFrroomm aa FFeelllloowwSSaalleess PPrroo

people buy what you sell (highly rec-ommended), and then most certainlydo it before every call with your indi-vidual prospect.

Ask yourself...

Who is this person? Picture theirenvironment, what is possibly goingon around them. Make it up if youdon't know.

What might be going on in theirworld that might make them a pros-pect for me?

Why might they not be inter-ested?

As it relates to the type of re-sults my product/service provides,what do they want the most?

What problems or pains mightthey be experiencing that my prod-uct/service solves?

How are they evaluated in theirjob, and how might you be able toaffect that favorably?

This is an exercise I do with train-ing clients. When you answer thosequestions-- first in general, and thenmore specifically with your researchand social engineering with individualprospects--you have specific word-for-word messaging you can plug intovoice mails, emails, and interest-cre-ating openings.

I both laugh, and shake my headwhen salespeople look for the EasyButton... as if one magic phrase willget through, get in, and cause a pros-pect to say, "I've been waiting for you.Here's my Purchase Order."

No, it's a process. That's proven.That starts in your head.

Change your thinking, and yourresults change too. And you'll changethe way people respond to you.

TTeelleeTTiippss









88

OOffffeerr OOppttiioonnss ttoo IInnccrreeaassee tthhee CChhaannccee ooffTThheemm PPiicckkiinngg OOnnee

In your sales presentation/recommendation, offer alter-natives for the customer. Present a low, middle, and higher-priced option.

For example,

�Paul, I have three possible solutions for you, ourMini, Midi, and Maxi models. (Explain the benefits ofeach, as well as the limitations of the Midi and Mini.)All will provide what you want, naturally to differentdegrees. What do you think is the best choice?�

This is a great tactic because it preempts the tendency toprice haggle. If they want to pay less, it is clear they will getless value. It lets them make the choice. Even if the Midi isan adequate choice, you can get a larger sale if they selectthe highest-price alternative. And it might surprise you howmany do go this route.

HHaavvee aa SSeennssee ooff HHuummoorr AAbboouutt YYoouurrDDiiffffiiccuulltt NNaammee

If you have a name that looks like spilled alphabet soup,you can use it to your advantage to break the ice and buildrapport.

(This is one I certainly have lots of experience with!)

For example, Kym Wszolek likes to say,

�It only looks like a giant typo,� after spelling hername for someone.

If the moment seems right, after spelling her name, andthe other person asks how it’s pronounced, she’ll deadpan,�Smith,� and then wait for the response, or begin laughingherself.

Keith Jankowski says, �I�m the Irish guy,� after spell-ing his name.

Personally, I like to say, �It�s S-O-B-C-Z-A-K. Mostpeople agree with the S-O-B part.�

HHooww ttoo NNoott CChheeaappeenn aa DDiissccoouunnttIf you are able to provide savings to a customer, give

him a break above the average customer purchase amount,not below, says Tom Winninger, author of “Price Wars.”

Winninger uses the example of a customer asking hisoffice supply sales rep for a discount on copier paper. Thesmart sales rep said,

�I appreciate your request and I want to give youan opportunity to save. Here�s what I can do. On thefirst twenty-four reams we�ll charge you the regularprice. On the next twenty-four, agreed to as part ofthis arrangement, we�ll give you a 40 percent sav-ings.�

Notice the sales rep said “savings rate” instead of “dis-count.”

Value-added salespeople should take the word “discount”out of their vocabulary and substitute the word “savings.”

TThhee ��TTwwoo TThhiinnggss�� TTeecchhnniiqquueeA reader told me he was having success with assistants

and getting messages replied to using my Two Things tech-nique. I'll share it again here.

We all know that an assistant is not going to write downa long message for their boss. So let’s simplify it, andstrengthen it in the process. If the assistant offers to take amessage, or you can ask even if they don’t offer, ask themto write down Two Things.

Make them results-oriented and brief, and something thatpiques curiosity.

�Pat could you please just write down two thingsfor the doctor. First, more new patients, and second,no increase in marketing expense.�

As our fellow sales pro shared, this increases call backs,and the likelihood the person will take the call next time, ifthey are available.



Novmeber 2019 VVoolluummee 3366 NNuummbbeerr 1111

SMART CALLINGREPORT

Using Smart Calling Intel Does NOT Make You �Creepy�


I just finished turning in the manu-script for the Third Edition of Smart Call-ing. It is scheduled to be out around Mayof 2020, just over 10 years after the FirstEdition entered the market, and changedthe way sales pros prospect worldwide.

The foundation for Smart Calling iscrafting a relevant, possible value mes-sage based on intelligence we learn aboutthe prospect and his/her organization, andsituation.

Imagine my surprise when I saw anarticle about not using too much insideinformation on a prospecting call, be-cause you�ll come off as creepy. Ironi-cally, it was written by Charity Heller, a�content manager� at DiscoverOrg, oneof the top providers of sales intelligence.

��IInntteenntt�� aanndd��OOppppoorrttuunniittyy�� DDaattaa

The article suggests that you don�twant to use �intent� and �opportunity�data, such as saying things like,

�I see you�re looking into ��

�I know you�re working on ��

�I�ve heard that you have a newproject ��

She suggests that the typical repliesto things like this are defense and denial,such as

�How did you know that?�

�No, we�re not.�

�Where did you get this information?�

�WHATEVER IT IS, I�M NOT IN-TERESTED!�

Then she takes a big leap and com-pares that to getting a personal call froma stranger, saying,

�I know where you live, your cat�sname � and what you�re doing rightnow. Eating a sandwich, huh? Is thatturkey? You�re not a mustard guy?�

She says that a negative response isnatural when a stranger reveals that theyknow personal information.

CCoonnssiiddeerr tthhee SSoouurrcceeWell, I�ll give her a bit of a pass on

this, since she is a �content manager,�and not a decision maker who is gettingmany, many untargeted sales pitches perweek, by phone and email.

And I�m assuming she is not placingprospecting calls, with success on hun-dreds of calls per week relying on creat-ing interest within about 10 seconds.

The fact is, calling business decisionmakers, at their place of business, ismuch different than calling a person athome or on their personal cell, and talk-ing about personal things. (We do wantto find out personal info about our pros-pects, since people buy from people, butwe won�t be leading with that of course.)

And actually, the opposite of whatshe said is true: The more a sales repknows about the business, and can crafta relevant possible value message aroundthat information, the greater the chancethe prospect will pay attention.

I base my opinion on years of work-ing with salespeople actually doing it,doing it myself, and receiving both bad,and the occasional great call.

To the author�s credit, she does pro-vide some useable. ideas. These are fromDiscoverOrg�s VP of Sales, SteveBryerton who suggests beating aroundthe bush a bit. He says you can use the�intent� data as a prompt, but not tomake it the reason for the call itself.

EExxaammpplleess�I�ve been seeing X trend in

your industry. Are you seeingthat, too?�

�Many companies in your in-dustry start thinking about Xwhen they get to be your size. Isyour company thinking aboutthat, as well?�

�I talk to dozens of people aday who struggle with X, and Ihave some great ideas for solv-ing it. If you�ve struggled withthis issue too, maybe I can help.�

�Your peers say X is an issue.What do you think?�

Although these are passable, andI get the reasoning behind them, myfeeling is that it forces the listener toconnect the dots and do more think-ing. I don�t want my chances of suc-cess in those first important, preciousseconds of a phone call to rely onsomeone figuring out a riddle.

It�s like the difference between,

�A major concern with CIO�s inthe financial industry is complianceand cardholder security. If that is aconcern of yours, we have ideas tohelp,� and,

�In speaking with your VP ofOperations, I understand thatyou are concerned about thedata breaches you just experi-enced and are looking for a com-pliant solution. We specialize inworking with credit union CIO�sto address that and I�d like to aska few questions to see if it wouldbe worthwhile to have a conver-sation.�



22

��AArrtt��



.

Go and make this your best monthever!

Sales ObservationsSeems like more and more we

hear how buyers are more educated, andthey are (pick a percentage) through thesales process by the time they speak withyou. I'm always skeptical of any salesstats, but let's assume there is some truthto that. So then, when a prospect doescontact us, let's find out exactly why theydid so.

I've been teaching this simple con-cept forever, but I rarely experience asboth a business and personal buyer.

Ask questions to get them to sell them-selves, and give you great informationin the process.

For example,

�Tell me, what was it thatprompted your call?�

�What was it on the site thatcaught your eye and persuaded youto contact us?�

�How did you happen to decideto call us?�

�What were you looking for onour site?�

I've made a lot of money with thesesimple questions, letting people buy. Youcan too.

Everything you do or say addsto or detracts from your image. Thinkabout that for a moment. For now, let’sanalyze your voice mail greeting. Listento your tone. Is it inviting? Here’s animportant point: do you have negativewords in there? For example, “sorry,” and“unfortunately.” As in,

“I’m sorry I missed your call...”

“Unfortunately I am away from thephone right now...” (And, no kidding,right?)

Keep it upbeat and positive!

�I look forward to speaking withyou!�

�Thank you for calling!�

I don’t want a prospect to have topaint a picture in their mind to under-stand how I might be able to help. Iwant to show them the picture, withthem in it, and get them to react emo-tionally to it.

And let me go back and address the“defense and denial” responses that theauthor suggested are typical responses.In all my years of teaching this, I per-sonally have not heard anything likethat.

Actually though, I have said thosethings to sales reps who call with some-thing that I would never be a prospectfor. Then I respond with, “Where didyou get my name? Why are you callingME?”

But I have many times suggested asimple technique to sales reps in train-ing who might feel a bit squeamishabout using intel, for fear of comingacross as creepy. If they ever are ques-tioned about how or why they have that“inside” information, simply responddefinitively with,

“Well, I respect your time and wouldnot want to waste it unless I did myresearch, and felt strongly that we havesomething that is a good fit. And tohelp determine that for sure, I’d like toask a few questions…”

Don’t worry about being creepy onSmart Calls. If you want to worry aboutanything, be paranoid about not beingrelevant enough about how your resultsmight be able to help them specifically.


This has happened severaltimes, and in each case it made animpact. In response to my call, one ofmy vendors left an after-hours voicemail. He said he was on the road andpicked up my message late, and wouldcall back the next day, which he did.Nice touch. Sure, it seems small on thesurface, but it's the little things doneconsistently that build and keep rela-tionships.

I got up to my hotel room onthe 16th floor after a long day of trav-eling. The key card did not work. Great.So I trudge back down to the lobby.The solo front-desk attendant was onthe phone handling a reservation, whileanother line was ringing. She put thatone on hold. I’m standing there right infront of her. She gets off the first call,handles the second. She’s oblivious tome. Another line rings. She gets rid ofthe second call, and handles the third.All I need is a new key. Finally some-one comes out of the back room andhelps me.

My point?

The phone takes precedence overthe people right in front of you. That’spart of the reason why the phone is stillsuch a powerful communication andsales tool. People are still answering theirphones. They are taking meetings. Theyare buying. From those who can com-municate value. Keep placing thosecalls!


LLiisstteenniinngg

In an interview with a senior HRdirector at a large firm, he lamentedthat although he had plenty of jobsto fill, his main issue was with thegeneral lack of “soft skills” by appli-cants.

These include using proper En-glish, common courtesies: “please”and “thank you,” having their pantspulled up (I’m not making this up)and listening and following instruc-tions.

I have a major problem withpeople not caring enough to do agreat job. I especially have a prob-lem with the “not listening” part.

It's tougher to listen over thephone than face to face, but theproblem is all around us. It's a petpeeve of mine.

Since I’m traveling frequently Ihave more encounters with serviceand hospitality people than thenorm. I have some great experienceswith people who really care and ex-cel at what they do, regardless oftheir position and pay level. Unfor-tunately though, it seems that moreand more people—like the HR di-rector said, just don’t care enoughabout the details.

ExamplesA few examples...

· I’ll emphasize sauce on the sidefor wings. They often come with thesauce on.

· I’ll ask for a vodka soda with alemon. It usually comes with a lime.

· The grocery clerk asking, �Didyou find everything you were look-ing for?� and then not listening tothe answer, resulting in them askingagain a few seconds later.

Oh, I know, there are somepeople right now reading this whoare fuming, coming to the defense

of service people, saying it’s not theirfault, they are paid low wages, lots ofcustomers are jerks, that I am out oftouch and just can't put myself in theirplace.

Save it.

Yes it IS their fault. And I havebeen there... I’ve washed dishes, bussedtables, cleaned office toilets, deliveredflowers, mowed lawns... I didn’t loveto do those things, but I CHOSE todo those things at that time in my life.

Although I always didn't immenselyenjoy all of those jobs, I worked hardat them and dealt with the occasionalidiot. Ultimately I realized I could trademy time and talents, deliver the mostvalue, and make the most money—plus sit inside and not get dirty--by talk-ing to people and selling. (That didn’tinsulate me from the small minorityof jerks. We still must deal with them).

And I decided to do whatever ittook to become excellent at it. Themore I learned and practiced, and theharder I worked, the more I got paid.Funny how that happens.

If someone chooses a job, theyhave contracted and agreed to pro-vide the stated value for what theemployer is paying.

Do Everything with ExcellenceI remember a quote from Brian

Tracy when I was just starting in busi-ness over 30 years ago (I’m paraphras-ing a bit):

�When you are doing any-thing, why not do it to 100%of your ability, and with ex-cellence?�

Everyone has that choice everyday. And we all do make a choice atdifferent levels on the scale.

For us in sales, let’s circle back tothe listening part. This is the easiest tomaster from a purely physical perspec-

tive, but perhaps the most difficult toexecute for many. The problem isn’twith knowing how to listen. Everyoneknows how. It’s the why.

When I cover listening in my train-ing workshops, I go through the TwoP’s of listening: purpose and pause.

The purpose is having a reason forlistening. And for those who right noware saying, “Yeah, but I can’t evenget through to people to have a chancefor them to listen to me,” the reasonwhy, and the problem usually also ispurpose. The salesperson has “Me-itis,” making his messaging about himand not about the prospect. Of coursepeople don’t want to talk to him.

Instead, when you have an other-focused purpose, your attitude, ap-proach, messaging and desire to lis-ten takes on a different tone. As doyour results.

The pause is simply that.

Silence.

Pause at two points in the ques-tion asking and answering process.Pause after you ask a question. Pauseafter they answer. You might beamazed at what you can learn.

Slow Down Your ListeningAlso, a hindrance to good listen-

ing and comprehension is tuning outand being distracted.

Since people speak at about 120-140 words per minute, and we canlisten at a rate up to 10 times that,we often quit listening because weassume we know what the other per-son will say. That is dangerous. Prac-tice slowing down your listening, fo-cusing on every word and thoughtfrom the speaker. It will help you paycloser attention and gain better com-prehension.

So, there’s my contribution to softskills training that can and does pro-duce hard results, and cash.

This “Soft Skill,” and Caring, Will Set You Apart


Jim Domanski


Hate Prospecting? Try the Menendez Method InsteadFelix hates prospecting calls.

In fact, he despises them. Hewon�t make them. And yet he is oneof the top sales reps in his company.Felix Mendendez will only make warmcalls and he closes over FIFTY per-cent of those he makes!

His secret?

Referrals.

Felix gets referrals from his exist-ing clients whenever and wherever hecan. This month we will look at the�Mendendez Method� of referral sell-ing. It�s a good one, so pay heed.

Why the Big Deal?Why the big deal about referrals?

Because in business-to-business sell-ing, referrals will close at 40%,50%�heck, even at a 100%. This isnot hyperbole. This is a fact. Refer-rals close faster and easier than anyother single approach in the sellingworld.

Of course, it makes sense, doesn�tit? When a customer supplies youwith a referral, your job is made easierfor two reasons. First, when you callthe referral you have the commonground of the person who gave youthe name. It is not a cold call. Youhave a pretext for calling and typi-cally, the referral listens closely towhat you have to say. That�s half thebattle.

Second, and perhaps more im-portantly, there is the explicit or im-plied endorsement of you, your com-pany and your product/service by theperson who made the referral. Thisendorsement creates an element oftrust almost immediately. The refer-ral, if he or she desires, can �check�up on you.

Why Sales Pros AvoidReferral Selling

But the fact of the matter remainsthat many, if not most, sales repsavoid this veritable gold mine of leads.There are two reasons for this:

1.They fear it is too pushy oraggressive. Unfortunately, many repsthink customers won�t like them if theyask for a referral.

Bull.

If the sales rep has done a goodjob in selling the product and the cli-ent has derived positive benefits fromit, the rep has �deposited� a degreeof trust and satisfaction in their rela-tionship. This is powerful equity. Usethat equity. Leverage it. Use the good-will that has been created.

Too pushy?

Hey, get over it. What�s the worstthat could happen? The worst thingthat could happen is that the clientdoesn�t cough up a name. So what?

2. They don�t know. This is dif-ferent. Some reps don�t ask for thesale simply because they don�t knowhow to go about it. Let�s take a lookat how Felix tackles referrals.

The MendendezMethod: How toAsk for a Referral

Over the last few months I havelistened in on Felix several times andhave observed that he uses a simpletwo-step approach.

11.. TThhee RReeqquueesstt The first step is the request. After

Felix has taken care of any businessissues and has ensured that the clientis completely satisfied with the pro-gram, he�ll say,

�Dr. Maynard, I�ve got mymanager on my back about get-ting sales in�you know how theyare�and I was wondering if youhad a name or two of any doc-tors who could benefit from theprogram like you have?�

Then he shuts up and waits.

Felix�s approach is candid. Noth-ing fancy. It is straight and to the point.

He explains exactly what he is askingfor and why. His approach is alsoclever. He references the �benefits� ofthe program and uses that to remindhis client that the request isn�t justbeneficial to him (Felix) but to oth-ers. In other words, it is a win, winsituation. Clients like that.

2. The RewardThe second step is the �reward.�

After Felix has been given a referralor two he says,

�Thanks Dr. Maynard. I reallyappreciate that. Hey, listen, if Iconvert any of these I�ll be sureto send you an cap or golf shirt.Which would you prefer?�

Interestingly, the reward is heldback until a name is given. In otherwords, he doesn�t use it as a �bribe�up front to solicit a referral. That�scheesy. He uses the �reward� after-wards to say �Thank you.� That�sclassy.

SummaryThere is nothing particularly com-

plex about Felix�s approach to refer-ral selling. He has created an effec-tive technique but more importantly,he USES it. And that�s why he�s oneof the top sales reps in his company.Not once in all the times I have moni-tored his calls has Felix NOT gotten areferral. Not once. So what does thattell you?

If you are not using referral sellingyou really need to give your head ashake!

Good Selling.


Thinking On Your Feet

How to Use Comedy Improv Skills in Your Sales By Julie Hansen

I�m a big Tina Fey fan and herbook Bossypants didn�t disappoint.Not only is it a fun, insightful glimpsebehind the SNL cameras, it alsoshines a light on one of the cardinalrules of improv that has a lot ofapplication for anyone in sales.

Improv for salespeople can be asecret weapon when it comes toovercoming objections and movingthe sale forward.

Improv for Salespeople:Always say �Yes and.�

The essence of the Rule of �Yesand� is that no matter what yourpartner (prospect) gives you, you say�yes� to them.

Example:

Tina: Hey Julie, that�s a cutemonkey you have there.

Me: Yes, he is cute, isn�t he?(Even though I don�t see a monkey.)

In other words, I accept it. Do Ihave to agree with it? No. I don�teven have to LIKE it. But I am ac-knowledging my partner�s perceptionof reality.

In sales, your scene partner isyour prospect or customer, and theyhave their own view of reality as well.If your prospect sees a monkey (aka,has a different opinion) arguing withthe �facts� head on is rarely a win-ning tactic. (Now, if your prospectsees ACTUAL monkeys, you havea bigger problem on your hands!)

Denying another�s reality iscalled �Blocking� in improv andusually only serves to bring the sceneto a screeching halt.

Example of Blocking inImprov:

Tina: Hey Julie That�s a cutemonkey you have there.

Me: That�s not a monkey. That�s

a dog!

What happens?

Scene OVER, that�s what hap-pens!

I have just said �NO� to my scenepartner, made them look and feel fool-ish and left us with nowhere to go.Unfortunately, this happens all thetime in sales. We say �No� to ourcustomer�s reality (subtly and not sosubtly) which puts them on the de-fensive and we meet resistance.

Blocking in Sales:Prospect: �I always buy Brand X.�

Salesperson: �But you�re not get-ting all of the key features that weoffer which will really help you ac-complish your goals��

What happened? The salespersonhas immediately put his prospect inthe position of defending his competi-tor. That�s not where you want themto be, is it?

By the way, be aware that �but�is simply another form of no. Haveyou ever had someone apologize toyou and then blow the whole thingby adding �but?� For example: �I�mreally sorry I knocked you over, BUTyou are only allowed 15 items in theexpress lane.�

My friend Tina (That�s MY ver-sion of reality � deal with it!) saysthat this rule ��.reminds you to �re-spect what your partner has created�and to at least start from an open-minded place. Start with a Yes andsee where that takes you.�

So now that you�ve said �Yes,�to your partner, what happens? Youadd �And�:

In other words, bring somethingnew to the party. As an improviser ora seller, you have to add something,an idea, an opinion or a solution in

order to keep the scene (or sale, inthis case) moving forward.

�Yes and� Improv Example:Tina: �Do you like my new car?�

Me: �Yes, that�s a great-lookingFerrari, AND it would be fun to takeon a road trip to Vegas this week-end!�

Now we have a scene�and a hotnew car�that can go any number ofplaces!

�Yes and� Sales Example:Prospect: �I always buy Brand

X.�

Salesperson: �Yes, and thatmade perfect sense in the past sinceyou didn�t have all the great choicesyou have today. How about if I showyou some of the latest features that Iknow are most important to you��

With �Yes And,� I am acknowl-edging my prospect�s reality and of-fering up an alternative perspective� without getting their defenses up.

Improv for salespeople can be avaluable tool to have in your pocket.Try following the Rule of �Yes and,�to avoid many of the toe-to-toe standoffs that can break down a sales con-versation and move towards collabo-rating with customers on mutuallybeneficial solutions. After all, isn�tthat what sales is all about?!

I think Tinawould say, �Yes,and��

(JulieHansen is arecognizedexpert ongaining a

winning edge in salesby applying the power of acting andthe performing arts to salespresentations and demonstrations.She is the author of the highlyacclaimed ACT Like a Sales Pro!How to Command the BusinessStage and Dramatically IncreaseSales.www.PerformanceSalesTraining.com)


A Call Opening Before and After MakeoverOOppeenniinngg MMaakkeeoovveerr

Here's a call opening that was submitted by a reader. I've given the Before, and the After, andbelow I'll give my breakdown of what I did.

Ashley has a pretty good foundation here, and with a fewmodifications we can make it even stronger.

First, I took out the thank you for taking the call. Thatreally adds nothing, and takes up valuable time.

She did some social engineering and found out someuseful things about their use of radios and manual inventorycounting (not the most efficient methods) and wireless pres-ently and mentioned that, which is good.

She then mentioned what she has done with other com-panies to address that issue, and gave a number. Also good! Isuggested taking out the RFID part, since the "how" part is notas important as the result itself right now.

Then she went on to list the other "things" that shesells. People can hear those and object to them in their mind,thinking, "I don't need that."

She ended by mentioning she'd like to ask a few ques-tions, which is great. But then added on the mention of sched-uling a meeting. We do not want to ask for a meeting in theopening. Yes, it might eventually be the result of the call, butmentioning it now can cause resistance.

I suggested taking out "to see if we can achieve thesame results for your company." Again, granted, that will bethe intended results, but it is assuming too much too soon.We simply want to get into a conversation at this point, whileminimizing the chance for resistance.

You can see how changing just a few words can have adramatic affect on a call opening.

AArrtt''ss RReevviieeww


EEffffeeccttiivvee CCoommmmuunniiccaattiioonn

HHooww ttoo CChhaannggee tthhee TTooppiicc SSmmooootthhllyy

Here's an opening I received from a Smart Calling training customer. They sellcompliance and regulatory resources. This is a call to an existing customer in anattempt to cross sell other resources.

"Good morning/afternoon_______, this is ______calling from___. How are youdoing today? I am giving you a call today to discuss your DOT compliance programyou have with us. Are you still the one who handles DOT for your company?"

" Great, then I�m talking to the right person. And as I�m sure you�re aware, therehas been a lot of activity with the DOT this year. So to help me get a better under-standing of your company and your DOT program, I have a few questions I�d like toask you so we make sure we have the right resources in place for you. First let me askyou�."

AArrtt''ss RReevviieewwFirst, this could be an internal issue, but I'd want to know who handles DOT and

not have to ask this person, if indeed they are the decision maker. We can do thisthrough social engineering. Or, if we are calling the name on the account, leave theasking about it out.

Also, this does a lot of talking before even getting close to giving them a possiblebenefit or a reason to even stay on the phone. It talks about what the caller wants �toget a better understanding,� and to �ask a few questions,� before finally at the veryend saying �make sure we have the right resources in place for you.� And even thatisn�t a strong benefit. What does that mean for the listener?

A briefer, stronger example would be:

"Hi, I�m ____ with ___. You presently have a DOT compliance programwith us, and because there has been a lot of activity with DOT this year, wewant to be sure that you are up to date on any changes that affect you... I�dlike to ask just a few questions ..."

I was talking to a prospect and I wasdiscussing the possible deliverables fortheir training, based on her answers tomy questions. Then it hit me that I wantedto present something I hadn�t askedabout yet. So I said, �I�m going toshift gears here a bit. I hadn�t askedyou about this. Tell me about howyou are now handling ...�

It was a nice transition from what wehad been discussing without feeling like Iwas jumping all over the place.

In thinking about the best communi-cators--and salespeople-- that I know, theyall are smooth. Their conversations donot seem disjointed.

And that got me thinking aboutchanging the subject when we need toon calls.

WWhheenn YYoouu MMiigghhtt WWaanntt ttooCChhaannggee tthhee SSuubbjjeeccttSSmmooootthhllyy

It could be when they get off on atangent.

Or, like in my case, we want to shiftto a different area of focus that they couldbenefit from.

Maybe you�ve reached an awkwardsilence in the conversation.

So I searched for conversational waysto do that.

I found some great ideas from an ac-cent and communication coach for non-native English speakers who simply goesby �Kim� on her website. (Which I foundodd for someone who is a communica-tion expert. Anyway...)

CChhaannggiinngg tthhee SSuubbjjeecctt bbyyIInnttrroodduucciinngg aa NNeeww TTooppiicc

When you have a talkative prospect,and maybe the conversation has veeredoff the rails a bit, you can redirect it. Kimsuggests first agreeing with what the otherperson just said.

- That�s interesting.

- Yeah, I heard about that too.

- That seems really popular aroundhere.

- People keep asking me that ques-tion.

Then after using one of those typesof statements, you follow with,

- So�

- Speaking of which�

- Talking about�

- By the way�

- Anyway�

- That reminds me�

- Oh, before I forget�

- I wanted to mention�

- Let�s talk about�

- We need to discuss�

- Oh, I wanted to tell you�

- Funny you should mention that�

CCoommpplleetteellyy CChhaannggiinngg tthheeTTooppiicc

In other cases, when you want tochange the topic entirely, consider,

- Completely changing the subject�

- This has nothing to do with whatwe were talking about, but�

- Not to change the subject, but�(and then go ahead and change the sub-ject).

- Changing gears a little bit�

- Changing the topic slightly�

- Totally unrelated�

When you are comfortable shiftingthe dialogue, you can accomplish moreof your objectives, and do it in a natu-ral, conversational way.

AAnn OOppeenniinngg RReevviieeww ooff aa CCaallll ttoo aa CCuussttoommeerr

TTeelleeTTiippss









88

QQuueessttiioonn FFrroomm aa FFeellllooww SSaalleess PPrrooQ. �Art, Thanks for all your great teachings! Ques-

tion on following-up: I sell my LinkedIn website writingand resume writing for over $1,000, for which I requireprepayment. Have you covered what happens when theprospect commits, you invoice, they promise to send pay-ment and then don't? These projects are not small en-deavors on my end... they take concentrated, focusedtime and scheduling. Sometimes I've put a due date on it,prospect misses and emails back... oh, is it too late? Usu-ally those emails come in within 24-78 hours. Thanks!�Tia Dobi

A. Tia, without knowing all of the details or hearingthe calls, in general the problem is they really haven'tcommitted in their mind, or else they would do it, right?So what can you do to fix that? Perhaps they don't seeenough urgency to do it now. To prevent that, help themtell you why it is important they do it NOW, what they willmiss out on every day. Also, have you asked for paymentright there over the phone? Finally, ask specific commit-ment questions, "When will you pay this so we canget started?" "Will you get this paid by tomorrowmorning?" And as you mentioned, tell them you aregiving them a specific time slot for this work and paymentneeds to be made to get started or they lose that slot.Hope that helps!

RReeffeerr ttoo tthhee AAssssiissttaannttIt�s always good to befriend the executive assistant

when trying to reach the buyer. A fellow sales rep in thetraining business shared a tip that works well for him. Herefers to the assistant when leaving a voice mail messagefor the boss. For example, �Ms. Bigg, Julie suggestedI leave this message for you. She told me a fewthings about your situation and how you�re nowhandling the fulfillment of your continuing profes-sional education requirements, and we might havea few options to make that process a little easierfor you ...�.

HHaannddlliinngg ��WWee''rree hhaappppyy wwiitthh wwhhaattwwee''rree ddooiinngg..""

During some training we worked on responding to �We'vebeen with our supplier for years and we're happy with whatwe're doing."

Here are some responses you can use or adapt.

�I understand. Would you at least be open to see-ing how others have benefited?�

�There have been lots of other doctors who alsohave been happy with what they have been using. Andmany of those were surprised to learn _____. I�d justlike to ask a few questions to see if I could provide youwith some information..."

�I understand that you want to stick with whatyou�ve been doing. But how about we take a quicklook at everything that you really want...�

�Under what circumstances have you consideredlooking elsewhere during that time? What would causeyou to look elsewhere?�

�I imagine you have upgraded technology and meth-ods in other areas over the years... can you share whatyou�ve done?�

�That's good. But, what would you need that wouldmake you absolutely delighted with your process?�

�Doctor, I�d imagine you keep up on the latest tech-nology in most areas of your practice... would you beopen to at least taking a look at what your peers aredoing now to ____?�

�That�s fine Mr. Client. As you know, there are newproducts and services that come along every day thatare bigger, better, faster and cheaper etc. which is whatoften separates the succussful companies from the un-successful ones. In the event that something changeswith your current service/supplier would it be alright ifI stay in touch? Terrific...by the way...is there any par-ticular product or service that you might have an inter-est in?�



December 2019 VVoolluummee 3366 NNuummbbeerr 1122

SMART CALLINGREPORT

Getting in to speak with executivesat the highest levels of companies ofcourse requires a lot more than jump-ing on the phone and winging it.

The training company, CorporateVisions, conducted an interesting ex-periment on getting access to C-levelbuyers. They did an entire article aboutit. (https://corporatevisions.com/execu-tive-level-selling/)

While their article goes deep intothe weeds, and uses scientific termi-nology, I�ll summarize what they did,the results, and then show you howyou can use the winning methodology.

TThhee EExxppeerriimmeennttCorporate Visions partnered with

Dr. Nick Lee, Professor of Marketingat Warwick Business School, to testcommon messaging approaches to useto get access to an executive and se-cure time on their calendar.

They got 400 C-level executiveswith VP or higher titles in companieslarger than $50 million, across multipleindustries, who had authority over bud-get and purchasing decisions to par-ticipate in an actual simulation.

The executives were told they werereading an email from an outside ven-dor sales rep they didn�t know and hadnever met with before.

They were then randomly dividedamong four test messaging conditions.After reading the message, they an-swered a series of questions, includingwhether they would take a meeting, de-cline, or delegate.

FFoouurr TTeesstt MMeessssaaggeessThey tested four common ap-

proaches. I am quoting them here di-rectly from their article

1. Unique Product ValueProposition: This approach uses aproven model for creating and deliv-ering a differentiated product valueproposition that shows how theseller�s solution helps solve a prob-lem in a new, different, or better waythan competitive alternatives.

2.Known Business Initiative+ ROI: This is a popular approachthat�s been widely promoted for thelast 20 years across a variety of salesprocesses and skills training programs.It�s where the seller demonstratesthey�ve done their homework and un-derstands the priorities or challengesthat the executive is trying to address.Then, they share quantified ROI re-sults from other similar customers andoffers an estimated potential impacton the executive�s business.

3.Provocative Industry In-sight: This approach introduces anew need the executive hasn�t con-sidered up to this point, based on theseller�s experience with other custom-ers. This �Unconsidered Need� maybe a problem or missed opportunitythe executive doesn�t know they haveor doesn�t fully appreciate. This is anapproach we�ve tested and proven towork in other sales conversations buthad not yet tested specifically as anapproach to gaining executive access.

4.Competitive Benchmark Of-fer: This approach has generated alot of buzz recently. The seller offersto benchmark information compar-

ing the prospective executive�s com-pany to other similar companies. Ide-ally, it includes exclusive data yourcompany developed with existingcustomers in relevant industries. Thisdata offers executives a chance tosee how they stack up across a rangeof key performance indicators.

Can you guess which one per-formed the worst?

It was Number 2, The �KnownBusiness Initiative + ROI.�

Personally, I found that a bit sur-prising. But their reasoning madesense.

EExxppllaaiinneedd iinnLLaayymmaann''ss TTeerrmmss

I�ll put it in layman�s terms andsimplify it with an example: if youtell an executive that you know theyare looking to break into a new mar-ket segment and can show them howto do that with a 15% ROI, well, thatis probably something they�ve al-ready studied and came up with theirown possible plan of attack for.

You really haven�t told them any-thing new, or given them a reason toshift from what they already arethinking about.

Putting that into an opening,voice mail, or email might piquesome curiosity, but it isn�t as com-pelling as the winner in the test.

Which was, Number 3, Pro-vocative Industry Insight.

This Experiment Showed What C-Level ExecsRespond To. We Show You How to Use It

(Continued on page 5)



22



.

Go and make 2020your best year ever!

Sales ObservationsAs we enter the New Year, it�s

normal for many people to embarkon resolutions, goals, intentions, etc.

And, it’s a fact that most of thesewill go by the wayside by the end ofJanuary. Sound familiar?

One of the main reasons is thatpeople go about it in a way where theyset themselves up to fail. They seekout to DO something different, with-out first BEING the person who willconsistently commit to doing what isnecessary.

Transformational coach, JimFortin calls this the Be-Do-Havemodel.

Let’s focus on sales and new busi-ness as an example. If someone saysthey intend to prospect more in 2020,they might have good intentions ini-tially, and begin on that path. But,life inevitably gets in the way.

They go back to being the personthey have always identified with. Theperson who did not prospect regularly.

On the other hand, if a sales proshifts their thinking and entire beingto “I AM a sales pro who prospectsone hour per day, non-negotiable,”then the activity—the DOING—comes as a result.

The key is that it becomes part of youridentity. It is who you are.

To simplify it, we will never accom-plish anything we do not already see our-selves accomplishing.

What's very interesting is that thesubconcious mind can't distinguish be-tween what is real, and what is imag-ined.

And our subsconcious actually con-trols our behavior.

So, you CAN tell yourself that youare the the person who prospects everyday. But you must do it repeatedly.

I have just barely scratched the sur-face here with this principle. I encourageyou to check out Jim’s work:JimFortin.com. I encourage you to alsodownload his free "Master ThoughtForumula" there.

He also has an awesome podcast(there are a couple past episodes on this).Personally, I have been in his coachingprogram the past couple of years and ittruly is life-changing, without the rah-rahand fluff that so many motivationalspeakers regurgitate.

More on BEing the person who isa top performer: If you spend—waste,actually— time on social media that isnot business-related, do you think that isthe behavior of the highest performers inyour field?

Likely not.

The problems with frittering away timeon Facebook and Instagram are well-documented. In addition to the time-suck,the content itself... the toxicity, negativ-ity, political arguing, and self-compar-ing... all affect people both consciouslyand subconsciously.

And not in a positive way.

How about instead having some go-

to educational, motivational and inspi-rational sites and podcasts you make ahabit of visiting and consuming.

I can think of no other professionwhere our results--and income-- reliesmore on our attitude, and how we feelwhen we are performing our job.

So how about making this the yearwhere you get obsessed with your self-development? The fact that you arereading this says that you are alreadyahead of about 95% of the population.

How about getting into the top 99percent? You CAN do it!

Speaking of inspirational mate-rial, I found an amazing Ted Talk fromthe greatest college basketball coach ofall time, John Wooden (Google it andlisten several times). He gave this 18-minute talk when he was 91, in hiswheelchair, and shared an incredibleamount of wisdom.

Directly related to what I just men-tioned about comparing yourself to oth-ers, he said, ”Never try to be better thansomeone else. Always learn from oth-ers, and never cease trying to be the bestyou can be.” Further, he added, ”If youget too engrossed and involved and con-cerned in regard to things over whichyou have no control, it will adverselyaffect the things over which you havecontrol.”


CCaallll RReevviieeww

Avoid All of the Mistakes in This OpeningHere’s a call opening I received that

carries a ton of lessons on what not todo:

�Hello, this is _____ with ActionPromotion. I was cleaning out some oldfiles here from a sales rep who didn�t doa very good job, and I see you had someinterest at one time a couple of yearsago in advertising with us, and I�d like totalk with you about that again.�

I know there are skilled, professionalsales reps out there selling advertising—but they're not the ones I get calls from.I hear from people who give that busi-ness a bad name.

Let’s look at what is wrong with thisopening:

1. �I was cleaning out some old fileshere . . .� Wow! Doesn’t that make onefeel special! Consider the same ap-proach, different situation: �Hello, Brit-tany, it�s Tad Johnson. Hey, I was justcleaning out my contacts on my iPhoneand I saw we texted each other a coupleof years ago ...�

2. � . . . from a sales rep who didn�tdo a very good job . . .� Nice way tobuild credibility in the first 10 seconds ofa phone call, huh? So, before I hear aresults-oriented reason why I shouldspend any time with this guy, he’s hint-ing at the inefficiency of his personneldepartment and sales management.

3. � . . . and I see you had someinterest at one time a couple of yearsago in advertising with us . . .� This state-ment only serves to put someone on thedefensive. Even if I had expressed inter-est at one time (which I had not; thiscompany comes no where close to reach-ing my market), it was over two yearsago! For example, think about all thetelephone solicitations and emals you’vereceived during the past three monthsbut didn’t buy from. How many of thosecan you remember the precise details of?Now, can you even recall any of the callsyou received over two years ago?

4. � . . .and I�d like to talk with youabout that again.� Am I missing some-

thing here? Where’s the benefit . . . theresults?

This next point is true for everyone,but many advertising sales reps seem tobe the worst culprits: prospects do notbuy advertising (or any product or ser-vice itself). They might even have nega-tive impressions of advertising in gen-eral. When they invest in advertising theydo so with the hope of the end results:increased store traffic, more phone calls,more leads, or more sales.

RecommendationOK, smart guy, you might be think-

ing, what approach should he havetaken? Easy. Treat it like any other pros-pecting call:

In his preparation he shouldrealize that it’s probably a good idea tonot even mention any past conversa-tions until he’s well into the call withthe prospect. After all, if the old salesrep was as bad as he says, what kind ofimpression did that leave on the pros-pects he contacted, even if they remem-ber?

He should collect informa-tion before speaking with the prospect.What my company does might havebeen a logical place to start. He couldhave quickly realized we weren’t a pros-pect. (No, on second thought, it wouldn’thave mattered to this guy. Even after Itold him my buyers are not Data Pro-cessing Managers and Directors, he stilltried to pitch me on the number ofpeople I could reach, and the “low” in-vestment per contact.)

The opening has got to hint atresults the person would be interestedin, and then get him involved. Let’s as-sume he did indeed target my market,and learned a little about me beforespeaking with me. A good opening wouldbe, �I�m ____ with Action Advertis-ing. We specialize in helping mar-keters get their message out to salesleaders who buy sales training ma-terials for their companies. I seethat's an an audience you promoteto, and we might have a few alter-natives to help you acquire custom-ers at a relatively low investmentper account.�

What SuperstarSales RepsNever Say

Benjamin Franklin said, “He whois good at making excuses is seldomgood for anything else.” Let's look atexcuses for not getting a sale whichare never heard from superstar sales-people, according to consultant JohnGraham.

� �They didn't get back to me.� Or,�They are getting back to me.� Expect-ing someone else to take the action,stops the action. Never wait long forsomeone to take the next step.

• �I didn't have time.� The same as �Iwas too busy.� If it is important, makethe time. Otherwise you'll wear the la-bel of “Can't handle the job.”

• �We've been playing telephone tag.�Call more often, set a phone appoint-ment, give them your home numberor cellular number, insist that you'repaged during lunch . . . do whatever ittakes to be sure you're accessible, andthat you reach them.

• �I haven't been able to get throughto her.� Why not? Are people ignoringyour voice mails? Are screeners cast-ing you aside? Perhaps your messageis not compelling enough. You've gotto provide them with a reason to wantto speak with you. Stand out from thecrowd. Get creative. Send flowers,gizmos, whatever it takes to get atten-tion.

The only measure for success insales is performance. “Excuse Makers”are a dime a dozen. “Roadblock Re-movers” are the sales superstars.

TToopp TTiippss

Consider the Source WhenHearing No

An online travel article discussedsecrets of getting what you want fromhotels and airlines. It made a valuablepoint not just for travelers, but for sales-people as well: Don’t accept a “no”from someone not qualified to give youa “yes.”


Jim Domanski

(Jim Domanski isPresident of theTelemanagementConsulting Group, atelemarketing consultingand training firm.Contact him at 613-591-1998)

Six Objections Mistakes, and What TO Do InsteadMany sales reps have been taught to

"overcome" objections, and other non-sense that is actually counterproductive,and causes prospects to become moredefensive. Here are six of the commonmistakes I see, and we'll then look at thepreferred, �consultative� response to ob-jections.

1. Putting Words Into the Prospect�s Mouth

Prospect: �I need versatility.�

Mistake: �You know you need to haveflexibility to move your funds from oneaccount to another.�

Consultative Sales Rep: �Couldyou explain to me what you mean byversatility?�

The logic here is simple but powerful.Your version of �versatility� (movingfunds from one account to another) andthe client�s version of the word may bemiles apart. The consultative rep listensfor words which may have a broad inter-pretation and attempts to bring focus tothe objection.

2. Insulting the ProspectProspect: �I find your prices are

very high.�

Mistake: �If I understand you, youare not interested in quality, is that cor-rect?�

Consultative Sales Rep:�I under-stand Price is critical in any decision.In order to make sure that we arecomparing �apples to apples� canyou tell me what you are comparingour price to?�

It is truly sad. Countless sales are lostto price every day simply because manysales reps make false assumptions thatbelittle the client. A consultative sales rep,through questioning, seeks to learn ex-actly what the prospect is evaluating andthen educates him/her. For example, yourprice may include a warranty where thecompetitor�s might not.

3. Avoiding the IssueProspect: �Quite frankly, your ser-

vice is useless.�

Mistake: �What are you looking forin service?�

Consultative Sales Rep: �I under-stand. Obviously something has hap-pened to make you feel that way. Canyou tell me about it?�

Instead of being defensive or askingwhat the client is looking for in terms ofservice, the consultative sales rep recog-nizes that this objection will not be an-swered until the prospect has the oppor-tunity to �purge� himself. In addition, find-ing out the cause of the dissatisfactiongives the sales rep an opportunity to cor-rect the problem or future problems. Thequestioning does not necessarily ensure asale will be made but it does begin toposition the rep and the company as re-sponsive.

4. Demand to DemandProspect: �The return on investment

is too low.�

Mistake: �What kind of return on in-vestment are you looking for?�

Consultative Sales Rep: �Rate ofreturn is very important. What are youcomparing us to in saying that therate is too low?�

This response is similar to #2. Con-sultative reps acknowledge the customer�sobjection and then seek to narrow thescope. As it stands, this objection is vagueand can not possibly be answered effec-tively without some comparative basis.

5. Shifting ResponsibilityProspect: �Your delivery standards

are too slow.�

Mistake: �I wish there was somethingI could do but my hands are tied when itcomes to shipping, Five days is the best Ican do.�

Consultative Sales Rep: �I cansee that delivery is critical to you.What has made you feel that our stan-dards are too slow . . . ?�

The consultative sales rep does notblame others. He/she seeks understand-ing so that solutions can be developed.Sometimes that takes guts. Asking �why�the product needs to be delivered in Xdays requires an element of courage. Butit is the type of question that gets the cus-tomer thinking. For example, you mighthear,

�We�ve always had delivery inthree days.�

Is this a standard of habit or ofnecessity? If it is a standard of habit,perhaps you can offer some value-added service that the extra two daysmight bring (for example, a lower pricebecause expedited shipping is not re-quired).

6. Contradicting the ProspectProspect: �You guys always seem

to be on strike or experiencing workdelays.�

Mistake: �No, that�s not correct.Did you know we have not had a workstoppage in 18 months?�

Consultative Sales Rep: �Yes,in the past we have had work de-lays, and over the past 18 monthsmanagement and union haveworked together to solve this is-sue. Can you tell me if you haveexperienced any delays so that Ican investigate further?�

In this situation, the sales rep ac-knowledges the prospect�s perceptionof a problem and then seeks to ex-plain and investigate. By using theword �and� instead of �but� to ex-plain management and union efforts,the consultative sales rep does notdemean the prospect�s evaluation.Further, the consultative rep seeks todetermine if something has occurredrecently to prompt this remark. Ulti-mately, it gets the customer to focuson the reality of the present rather theevents of the past.

Practice with your own objections.Use these ideas and approach objec-tions from a problem-solving, consul-tative perspective.


Selling to the C-Suite


The researchers suggest that to getsomeone really interested enough totake a meeting, you need to �desta-bilize a preference.� (Which Number2 does not do).

This is done by �offering new in-formation that they don�t know. Of-fering that new information eitherchanges how they define the prob-lem or changes the range of optionsthey have available to solve it.�

Number 3, when using the Cor-porate Visions �Why Now StoryModel� helps to accomplish this.

The Why Now Story ModelHere is that model as they de-

scribe it:

1. Present a business issue rootedin external trends and factors the ex-ecutive will identify with and connectback to their strategic initiatives;

2. Introduce Some UnconsideredNeeds�that is, unforeseen problems,challenges or missed opportunitiesyour prospect has underappreciatedor doesn�t yet know about that cre-ate flaws or limitations in his or hercurrent approach;

3. Provide a solution story, dem-onstrating specifically how you canresolve the Unconsidered Needs youidentified and enable them to realizetheir goals;

4. Quantify business impact bysharing a preliminary calculation ofhow your solution can positively in-fluence revenues, cost savings, andoperating margin.

They do not give an example ofhow to use this with actual messag-ing. But I have taken the liberty todo so.

Here is an opening that would usethat model.

A little background as to how Iused the model: the hypothetical salesrep here did some research to learnabout the company's expansionplans. In this case, it would have beenpretty easy to find online throughnews sources.

�Hi Ms. Prospect, I�m DaleSeller with Compliance Automa-tion. I understand that your teamhad California as one of the pos-sible states for expansion, but thenew independent contractor lawcould delay or eliminate thoseplans. There actually is a unique,little-known way to still have ser-vice providers considered com-pletely independent there. Infact, we�ve successfully imple-mented it for a client in a UScounty with a major city that en-acted a similar law, and they�veavoided $4 million in expensesthis year. I�d like to ask a fewquestions to see if it would makesense to have a conversation.�

Even if you are not selling to theC-suite, this is a sound approach ingenerating interest. Use your SmartCalling intel, and this approach (whichis essentially a form of the SmartCalling model) and you�ll enhanceyour chances of entering into a mean-ingful conversation.

NNoott ��II..�� UUssee ��YYoouu�� IInnsstteeaadd Record your calls and have a few

transcribed. (The mobile app, Temi, isgreat and inexpensive for the transcrip-tion.) Then go through and circle everyuse of �I.� Think of how you could haveinstead used �you� and �your.� For ex-ample, instead of, �I think our product isthe best for that application,� you couldsay,

�When you use your new systemfor that application, you'll notice howmuch easier the job becomes, andhow much more quickly you finish.�

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There's a classic Saturday Night Liveroutine where David Spade plays the an-noying reception person, and communi-cates primarily through fill-in-the-blankquestions. �And your name is . . .?��And your purpose for being here is .. .?� When used at the right time, in mod-eration, this is an effective technique. Forexample, you might say, �So, your maingoal for this project would be . . .?�

A Few GreatQuestions

I've got a bit of an obsession withsales books. Always have. Amazonhas compounded that with their sug-gestive selling. As a result, I haveabout 20 new sales books stacked upthat I need to get to.

With that said, I also enjoy goingto my shelves containing the hundredsof sales books I've collected over theyears. What's great is that basic hu-man psychology has not changed.What was written years ago usually isstill very relevant today.

Here's an example. I pulled off myshelf and skimmed through �The IHATE Selling Book,� by Allan S.Boress. I saw some awesome ques-tions.

Here's a question to learn the de-cision-making process and timeframes:

�What does the decision-mak-ing process look like for hiringour firm?�

If you are being considered alongwith at least two of your other com-petitors, ask this question:

�Based on what you know sofar, and if my company wasn't in-volved in the process, betweenthe other two firms, which wouldyou recommend?�

This usually whittles their choicesdown to you and the remaining ven-dor. You could get even more infor-mation by asking,

�What was it about (the com-pany they wouldn't select) that wouldcause you to eliminate them?�

Questioning

AA QQuueessttiioonn ttoo AAsskkYYoouurrsseellff

The best questions are the ones weask ourselves. How about this one:

"What would need to happen forme to increase my income by 50%in 2020?"

Begin a list with your answers. You'llfind they are very attainable.


PPrroossppeeccttiinngg IIddeeaass ffoorrAAppppooiinnttmmeenntt--SSeelllliinngg

I was doing research for a client train-ing program and going through my mate-rial I've written over the years. Early inmy business I became friends with anothertrainer who also focused on prospecting.While he never became a big "name," BillBishop's material was solid. And it's justas applicable today. Here's some of Bill'sadvice on �selling the appointment�:

�Is there any reason why we can�tget together around 8:40 this Wednesdaymorning?�

�Is there any reason why your part-ner/attorney/Aunt Flabby can�t join us?�

�Would it be a problem for us tomeet around 9:20 Tuesday?�

�Do you have any objection to a10 minute meeting so you can see our_____?�

The key words in closing these appoint-ments are in bold print. Master the keywords, and follow them with the wordsthat are appropriate to your situation. Ofcourse, if you aren�t setting appointments,you could use these same key words toclose the sale by phone.

SSttaallllss AArree FFoorr HHoorrsseessHere are more ideas from Bill

Bishop, from on stalls and objections.

After hearing something like, �I wantto discuss it,� or �Give me a call back,�you respond with:

1. �I understand. That usuallymeans there is a money-relatedquestion, or some other question Ihaven�t answered yet. What is thequestion?�

2. �I understand. I�m sureyou�re leaning in one direction rightnow. Which way are you leaning?�

3.�I understand. Let�s talkabout the worst thing that couldhappen if you went with it. Theworst that could happen is that________.�

You then fill in the blank with some-thing like,

�....you�d try us out and find weare the same as what you�re gettingnow, and that wouldn�t even be sobad.�

SSttaayy SShhaarrpp aatt AAllll TTiimmeessWith the repetition of phone work

naturally comes the temptation to be-come lax with some of the basics, espe-cially when you�re quite busy. Here aretwo areas to especially be cautious with.

Leaving rushed voice mail mes-sages. Particularly your phone number.If your goal to have them return yourcall, a rushed phone number that�s un-intelligible negates that possibility. Andmost of us are unaware we�re doing it.Here�s a good strategy: According toNancy Tuckerman and Nancy Dunman,authors of the Amy Vanderbilt CompleteBook of Etiquette, before you leave yourphone number, say, �Here�s my num-ber,� and then pause for one or two sec-onds. It gives them a chance to retrievea pen. Then pause every few digits, andrepeat the number at the end so the per-son can check what he has written.

Blurting out your name, andyour company name. I�ve heard in-troductions that sounded like thespeaker�s mouth was taped shut. Articu-late your introduction, and speak at arate so you�re understood. Be proud ofyour name and affiliation!

And remember, even though youmight be repeating something 30 or moretimes daily, they�re hearing you for thefirst time.

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If you have a customer within a com-pany that has multiple locations, ormany departments at one location, youprobably haven�t even scratched the sur-face of potential business. The hard partis beyond you�getting the company asa customer. Now that you�re in the door,part of the family, ferret out other op-portunities. Ask your customer, �Whoelse within your company also uses/does______, who could also take advantageof something similar to what we�re do-ing together?� Prompt them a bit: �Howabout other departments? Otherlocations?�

Even if they come up empty, askthem, �If I can find other buyers onmy own, it wouldn�t be a problem ifI mention your name as a reference,would it?�

DDuummbb QQuueessttiioonnssCCrreeaattee OObbjjeeccttiioonnss

As I�ve said quite often, there aresuch things as dumb questions.

For example, during a prospect-ing call, or in the early stages of afollow-up call, you don�t want to askquestions that invite an easy objec-tion from them, such as,

�So I guess you�re satisfied withyour present vendor?�

Or, �I�d imagine that you don�twant to go through the trouble toevaluate a new supplier?�

As goofy as these might seem,I�ve heard them.

If someone is resisting as a mat-ter of instinct�which most peopleare wont to do�let them think oftheir own reason to justify it, andthen allow them to verbalize it.

What occasionally happens isthat by actually applying some ra-tional thought to their resistance,then stating it out loud, they mightrealize it�s not logical, and mightbecome more open-minded to yoursuggestion.

GGeett AAggrreeeemmeenntt oonnWWhhaatt TThheeyy MMeeaann

A critical part of listening is ensur-ing you understand what the speakersaid. If you are a bit cloudy, try say-ing,

�Let me see if I understandwhat you�re saying . . .�

�So if I�m following you,you�re saying that . . .�

�What I�m hearing is that you. . . �

�It appears that what you wantis . . .�

When you�re more certain, para-phrase with,

�As you see it . . .�

�It seems to you that . . .�

�What you feel, then, is . . .�

TToopp TTiippss


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How You React to Your MistakesDetermines Your Destiny

We all flub up occasionally. How you deal with it is what charts your success ordemise.

The great, late, college football coach, Bear Bryant, said about mistakes, �Youshould do three things with them. Admit them. Learn from them. Make sure theynever happen again.�

Dr. Martin Groder said, �You won�t learn anything from a mistake if you refuse toadmit your error in judgement to yourself.�

You�ll just commit the same mistake over and over again. Like using an openingthat elicits more resistance than interest, or using a worn-out closing technique thatonly serves to �close� the door.

Groder offers further advice we can relate to objections:

�When someone tells you you�re wrong, resist the urge to defend yourself or denythat a problem exists. Assume your critic is right until he/she is proven wrong.�

Except, with objections we don�t want to prove them wrong, we use questions tohelp them come to a better conclusion.

YYoouurr CCaallll IISS IImmppoorrttaannttKeep this in mind: if you and your

company didn�t deliver value to custom-ers, you wouldn�t be in business.

Especially remember this as you�replanning and placing calls. Too oftenreps will have the feeling that they�recalling busy people and they don�t wantto interrupt the prospect . . . or whatthey�re calling about is insignificant.

Nonsense! Get that out of your head!As long as you�re able to clearly andconcisely articulate your potential valueto a valid recipient, you�re not wastingtheir time. Their job relies on evaluatingand implementing new ideas, products,and services.

TToopp TTiippss

MMoottiivvaattiioonnaall IIddeeaassHere are self-improvement and mo-

tivational ideas from Art Mortell, in hisbook, �World Class Selling.�

Use �Forced Scheduling� topush yourself into success patterns. Setbefore-hours telephone appointments, orbrainstorming sales-idea breakfast ses-sions with others to build successful hab-its.

Exaggerate. Take what you typi-cally avoid, and get outrageous with theactivity. If you avoid prospecting, hold amarathon prospecting day, doing noth-ing but cold calling. Comparatively, theone or two hours you should prospectregularly will seem like child's play.

Emulate. Look at the people whoare achieving at the levels you aspire to.Study their positive characteristics andemulate them. Don't try to become them.

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Visualize right now some of the bestconversationalists you know . . . thepeople who make you feel most at ease,those you really enjoy speaking with.They probably have several of these char-acteristics: 1. they listen with feeling; 2.they show a sincere interest in what youhave to say; 3. they ask you questions;4. they get you talking about one of yourfavorite subjects: you. These are the char-acteristics essential to building rapportand successful selling by phone. Analyzeyourself in each of the areas, and workto ensure you excel at them.

YYoouu''rree NNoott aa ��TTaallkkiinngg EEmmaaiill��Keep in mind you are not a �talking email.� That�s a caller who spews the

same information, call after call, with little regard for questioning and the needsof the listener. For example, the caller might repeatedly say, �The reason for thecall is to let you know about our special on muffler belts this month. They comein six colors and are only $5.95 each. Would you like some?� A tape recordingcould give that same message, for gosh sakes! Ensure you�re calling with pre-pared questions, and only present after you�ve learned of their needs.

By the way, you can take a specific offer, and make that the premise of yourcall�you just don�t give the entire spiel at the beginning. Instead, you might startwith,

�Pat, when I saw this month�s special, I thought of you, and how itwould be perfect for you because of what you told me last time abouthow muffler-related items move well in your store. (pause) Tell me, whatbrand of muffler belts are you carrying now?�

After layering questions further�questions designed to uncover needs-relatedinformation�then the listener would be in a much more receptive frame of mindto hear about the belts, plus the rep could tailor his presentation to fit snugly withthe prospect�s situation.

Regardless of how many calls you placed or received today, your next oneis the first one to that person. Treat it like the only one for the day.

When you greet someone on an incoming call, view it as escorting a friendinto your home. You wouldn�t frown or act indifferently. Greet them warmly,with enthusiasm.

Practice tongue twisters to articulate clearly. Recite this one now, severaltimes while picking up speed each time: �Frank phoned four pharmaceuticalfactories feeling fresh and fulfilled.�

TTeelleeTTiippss









88

CClloossiinngg IIddeeaass ffoorr YYoouurr SSccrriippttHere are ideas to use when preparing and delivering your

recommendation and closing script.

When prefacing your close, in addition to �recommen-dation,� consider,

�I suggest . . .�

�If I were in your situation, here's what I would do. . .�

�My advice is to . . .�

After prefacing, make it easy for them to take the ac-tion:

�Here's all we need to do to get started . . .�

�And it will be very simple to begin the implemen-tation process . . .�

Don't rush through your close, or change your tone ofvoice. If they detect you're uncomfortable, they might havesecond thoughts.

TTrryy TThheessee TTrriiaall CClloosseessAfter you�ve presented a few benefits, and nothing but

silence greets you at the other end, resist the tendency to con-tinue with the presentation. What you are saying may not beof interest to the listener. Find out what they think and feelabout what you�ve said:

�Am I going in the right direction?�

�Am I talking about what you�re interested in?�

�Are any of these things resonating with you?�

�Am I on the right track here?�

�Are we on the same page here?�

TThheeyy DDoonn''tt AAllwwaayyss NNeeeedd aa PPrroobblleemmWhen prospects tell us, �I�m not having any problems with

my current supplier,� our first thought typically is to ask ques-tions to get them to admit, or realize problems they might behaving. R. Scott Winters, suggests an alternative method. Re-spond with,

�I�m glad to hear you�re not having problems . . .but are problems the only criteria you use when mak-ing the decision to change suppliers?�

Generally, the answer will be no. Then you have the perfectopportunity to question further along that path, learning moreabout the other criteria, and then following up with your ap-propriate product/service recommendations.

HHeellpp TThheemm SSeeee aa PPrroobblleemmEven though the previous point presents an alternative,

asking about problems is still an effective way to open up theirmind. However, don�t simply say, �Are you having any prob-lems now?� That forces them to think too much for you, andthey�re likely not going to do that, or at least come up withanything worthwhile. Instead, in response to �I�m happy withmy present supplier,� ask something like,

�I see. When you�ve had difficulty in the past with______, what were the specific problems?�

You fill in the blank with something you�re pretty sure theyhave challenges with. For example,

�When you�ve had difficulty in the past with com-patibility, what were the specific problems?�

FFiinndd tthhee RReeaall RReeaassoonn ffoorr OObbjjeeccttiinnggGet to heart of the reason for an objection: �It seems the

real decision here is this: is (the ultimate benefit they�llreceive) more important than (the objection)?� For example,�It seems the real decision here is this: is giving yoursalespeople a proven system for generating additionaladd-on sales more important than the time they�d beinvesting in the half-day program, time off of the phone?�

SMART CALLING REPORT - Smart Calling Training

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