Please Stop Acting Like You Care About Their Day

If you make sales (phone) calls as part of you job, we need to talk about an annoying phone habit you've probably developed.  It's this...

"How are you doing today?"

Seriously.  Stop asking this question.  I'll tell you how their day is - BUSY. I assure you as soon as you say it, the person on the other end of the line is already thinking about how they're going to get off the phone.   It's what every other average, pesky sales person says after their name and company.

I know, I know...it's an instinctual, knee-jerk question we ask.  And it will feel weird not to say it.  You're right - the first few times will be rough.  But break the habit.  Don't sound like EVERYONE else.  Stop it.  Now.

Ok?  Ok...so let's talk alternatives:                                                                                                              

1. Make them laugh - if you can elicit a laugh in the first 20 seconds of a phone call, you buy yourself at least a minute to get your message across.  My go to - "Happy ____day!"  Whatever - Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs.  If it's any day but Friday, nine out of ten times I get a chuckle or can feel a smile on the other end of the line.  That laugh alleviates the awkwardness of the cold call, puts a smile on their face, and allows you to take a quick temperature of the type of person you're dealing with (If you don't feel an air of levity on the other end of the line, you better talk fast)
2. Good morning/afternoon! - this salutation is a much more logical thing to say when calling a stranger. 
3. Acknowledge you'll be quick - you're calling to open the door to a conversation.  Say to them, "Hey, I'm sure I'm catching you in the middle of something; do you have a quick moment?"  If they say YES, begin your next statement with, "Excellent - I'll be brief."  Say your benefit statement and engage.  
4. LinkedIn Precall plan - find something of interest or a common thread on their profile - hobbies, college, associations, charities, whatever.  Say, "Hey before I get to the main reason for my call, I saw on LinkedIn that ________.  How involved are you? (or I support that cause too.)"  

Got something that has worked for you?  Would love to hear the idea - drop me a note and happy selling! 

Whoa, Whoa Buddy…You’re in the Wrong Place.

I had just gotten back from two weeks of corporate training and I was pumped up.  I had booked eight prospect appointments for that 1^st week in the turf and was ready to take all of them through the six steps of the sale.

Monday afternoon, looking polished in my new suit & tie, I had my first prospect call – Jerry’s Diner.  It was just after the lunch rush and I slid into the faded green booth across from the owner.  I gave him my card, and attempted to ‘build rapport’ (step 1), making polite chit-chat about how long they had been in business.  I then set an agenda (step 2), and off I went into my memorized company overview (step 3) – excitedly telling him how we’re the largest, oldest, most well-respected company in the industry, 600,000 clients can’t be wrong, etc, etc…

Before I could begin he ended it by raising his hand toward me and saying, “Whoa, whoa buddy... you’re in the wrong place.  Thanks for stopping by.”  Without a handshake or second thought he was back in the kitchen and I was alone in the booth.

I got two big lessons my first day out…

Understand your audience – meeting with the owner or office manager?  Top 50 law firm or Jerry’s Diner?  Before you step into their door you better know how to be dressed and the questions you’d like to ask.  Seek understanding on their:

·         Website – is it crisp & new, or was it built in 1996?  Shows you their image and positioning in the marketplace, if they value technology, and their history.

·         LinkedIn – what associations are they active in?  Hobbies?  Where did they go to college?  Find a common thread and think about what motivates them.  Conversely, maybe they don’t share much on LinkedIn or any social media platform – chances are they’re going to hold things a bit closer to the chest.

·         Obvious Clues – type of industry, their job title, how you got in (referral or call call?), “About Us” section of website.

Adapt your style & rhythm.  Every conversation has a pulse to it; a cadence.  Your job is to create flow, which helps display competence and builds a foundation of trust.  Matching your prospects energy & intensity level is a good start.  If you can tell they’re more reserved, don’t be pushy.  Energetic & Fun?  Show them your biggest smile.  Do they expand on questions & ideas, or do they seem like they need to be somewhere else in 5 minutes?  With your questions in hand, prioritize and don’t interrogate.  Use phrases like Really?, Tell me more…, No kidding?, How do you mean? to encourage people to share.    

Don’t be afraid if the topics & questions wander a little – as they say, you never know where the conversation may go (hopefully toward a 2^nd meeting).  Understanding your audience & adapting your rhythm will develop your sense of empathy and help you better connect with people during those first crucial steps of the business cycle.  In the end, seek first to understand, then to be understood.      

 

Perhaps in another post I’ll get to those last three steps.  Until then, happy selling!