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SALES IS COMPETITIVE. We have to make a ton of calls. There’s a lot of humanity to deal with. We have goals to meet, so there is pressure. There are also many techniques we must learn to give a professional sales call, including how to run an effective prospect call, take a thorough inquiry, deliver a promotional sales call, overcome objections, and close.
The two biggest reasons salespeople fail to be courteous are being too driven—it’s fine, even mandatory, to be driven to be successful in sales, but we must also be personable, or the message is “I’m just here for the order,” which is easy to say no to. The second reason is nervousness. If we are nervous, we will make the customer uncomfortable, which leads to a lot of short, unproductive calls. Because of these factors often we forget that being pleasant and courteous is a competitive advantage.
The Greeting
The most professional greeting is “Good morning. This is John Smith with Smith Lumber Sales. I am calling you out of Atlanta, Ga. How are you doing today?’’ Our manner is relaxed, our pace moderate. The person answering the phone has never heard our voice before, so we want them to hear us clearly, easily. We watch our space between words and sentences.
When we tell them who we are, who we are with, and where we are calling from, we answer all the questions they have. This sets us apart from the mass of salespeople who don’t give enough information, talk too fast, and leave whoever answers the phone with a “Who is this?” feeling, which is not good for rapport. Rapport is built (or not) in the first four to 14 seconds, so our greeting is important.
Most sellers are only charming with the buyer. This is a mistake. The receptionist, or whoever answers the phone, can help us—or not. Often the receptionist is related to the owner or the buyer.
Smile
Some of us are natural smilers. If you are, fantastic. If you aren’t, train yourself to be. I’m not talking about a Bozo the Clown, over-the-top smile. Just a slight smile that sends the message “I love what I’m doing, and I know I can help you.” I agree with Stanley Gordon West: “Smile and the world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone.”
Use Their Name
Get the correct pronunciation and spelling of their name. If it’s an unusual name, we slow the conversation down and make sure we write out the correct phonetic pronunciation and put it in our notes. We may be the only salesperson calling on them who pronounces their name the way their family does.
We don’t want to overuse it, but two to four times a call using their name will warm it up.
Don’t Interrupt
This is the number one thing I have to “un-coach.” We are excited or nervous, so we jump in too soon. When the customer is calling, we give them rapt attention. If there is something we want to say, write it down, wait for the customer to finish, count to two or three because they will often restart, and then ask our question. If a customer interrupts us, stop talking.
When in Rome, Speak Italian
Our customers have a communication style. We want to match their volume, pace, tone and demeanor. This will make them the most comfortable. We are a tribal animal. We like and are comfortable with people who communicate the way we do.
Empathy
If a customer brings up a problem, personal or professional, we take the time to ask them about it. We show a sincere interest. The best way to show a sincere interest is to ask one or more follow-up questions about their problem. Many salespeople are too quick to get to the business portion of the call. This is a mistake; show emphathy.
Thank Them
We thank them for the order, this may be obvious. We can also thank them for taking our call, for giving us an inquiry, for giving us a firm offer.
Being courteous will make our day and our sales lives more enjoyable. In addition, it will set us apart from the crowd—a competitive advantage.
– James Olsen is principal of Reality Sales Training, Portland, Or., and creator of SellingLumber.com. Call him at (503) 544-3572 or email james@realitysalestraining.com.
