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| A Note from the Editor |
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| Beating The Brush-off |
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It's happened to all of us. You're on
the phone with a prospect and, early in the conversation,
he abruptly says, "I've got to run to a meeting.
Can you email me the details?" You confirm his email
address and he is gone. You then spend precious selling
time composing the email he requested, press send ...
and never hear from him again. What happened? You've been
brushed-off. This week we bring you Paul Cherry with a
quick three-step process to use, while you're still on
the phone, to thwart the brush-off and determine if you've
got a viable opportunity.
Need help getting your foot in the door, establishing
value, and persuading prospects? Then get on this
complimentary one-hour teleconference on Wednesday, Aug
20 featuring cold-calling Top Dog Leslie Buterin, the
Ultimate Sales Chick Brooke Green, and author of Metaphorically
Selling Anne Miller. These ladies really know their
stuff and they'll share their secrets with you. The call
is sponsored by our friend Jill Konrath, founder of the
Sales Shebang sales conference for women. Get
call details here.
Who let the dogs out? We emailed you last week
asking for your comments on this newsletter and you're
responding in droves. (Was it the chance to win a Sony
camcorder that got this response?) In any event, if you
haven't yet told us what you think, please do. You'll
also get your chance to win that nifty Sony camcorder.
Go
here now. |
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| To your success, |
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Tina LoSasso
Managing Editor, SalesDog.com |
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Qualifying Questions Lead To Quality Sales
By Paul Cherry
You've got a live one on the line. You think you're getting somewhere
when suddenly your prospect has to run to a meeting. Are you getting
the brush-off? Paul Cherry shares a quick three-step qualifying process
that will have you working opportunities not chasing duds.
You've been making sales calls all day, leaving countless voicemails
–– and finally you reach a real live person! Thirty seconds
after your conversation starts, she says, "I have to run to a
meeting. Can you send me information?" Sure, you'll send it,
but will it be read, or thrown on top of a pile of other info kits
that haven't been touched since the day they arrived? What could be
more frustrating?
You must make every prospect count, making
the best use of your time and energy. You want to accommodate people's
requests, but how can you tell if it's a legitimate opportunity before
you spend too much effort on it? You don't want to devote hours of
your precious time to providing materials to prospects, only to have
them blow you off. To keep from wasting time on people who aren't
seriously interested in pursuing a business relationship, try this
three-step qualifying process on an upcoming sales opportunity. You'll
quickly know whether it's alive with possibilities or a dead-end.
Step 1: Agree
Find something within your prospect's reply that you agree with. This
is a good way to connect with someone on a basic level, giving your
prospect acknowledgement and encouragement, plus it buys you time.
Even if she gives you a canned response such as, "Send me the
information," you could reply, "I'd be glad to forward you
some information." But don't end the conversation there.
Step 2: Clarify
Now's your chance to get clarification about your prospect's needs.
Ask one or two questions about your prospect's current situation,
her organization's decision-making process, or concerns she has about
their current provider. For example, you could respond to that information
request with, "What specific information would be of particular
interest to you?" It's important to analyze her response––exactly
why does she want information about your service?
It's a good sign if your prospective client answers your clarification
question using language like: "We're looking to...achieve...fix...solve...eliminate...avoid...
secure...improve..." Such words suggest this organization has
already identified its problems and accepts that change is needed.
While your prospect explains her problem, listen carefully so you'll
better understand the goals and solutions being sought, and how you
can help.
Step 3: Legitimize
Determine whether your prospect is serious or trying to politely get
rid of you. Ask a question that'll project her into the future so
she can walk you through her firm's decision-making process. For example,
you can say, "I'll put together information that you'll receive
by this Monday. Will that work with your time frame?" Should
your prospect answer yes, add, "Assuming you need time to study
the information, when should I call back to discuss this further?"
Now you'll have a definite time to follow up on this sale.
As your legitimizing process proceeds, you might say, "Okay,
I'll have the information to you on Monday. Let's assume for a moment
that Friday is here. You've reviewed our information and you like
what you see. What do you feel will happen next?" By posing this
question, you create a scenario that the client can picture. Now she'll
think in detail about your service, as well as the process of purchasing
it. This will help her explain her organization's needs. Now you'll
be able to figure out from her answer if this organization is truly
interested in your service, or if the prospect just wants to get you
off the phone.
Other effective phrases with which you can begin legitimizing questions:
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"What if..."
"Let's just pretend..."
"Just suppose..."
"Imagine for a moment..."
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Suppose you get into a dialogue with someone who ranks high in the
organization. As you talk with him, you're told, "Oh, you should
talk with Lou, who reports to me. He's responsible for these kinds
of decisions."
"Great!" you reply. "So I can prepare to speak with
Lou, based on what we've discussed so far, what issues do you think
he'll be most interested in discussing?"
Listen for the legitimacy of the response. If he says something active
like, "Lou is trying to overhaul our department's approach to...",
then there's a real thought process going on, and a better chance
that it's a real opportunity.
If he says, "I have no idea," chances are this is a brush-off,
not a true opportunity. After all, what are the odds that Lou and
his supervisor don't communicate with each other?
Here are some red flags to alert you whether this opportunity is a
dream or a dud:
The "Just send me information" routine
The more canned the response, the less likely it's a genuine opportunity.
Instead, look for detailed answers like, "I need information
on how this process works in the real world...ways to reduce our turnover
costs...finding the right people and keeping them..."
The "Call me back" routine
"Call me back" is one of the hardest answers to interpret.
Sometimes a prospect really is busy, maybe even in the middle of a
crisis, and she has absolutely no time to talk. If you get this response,
ask for a specific time and date to call back. If your prospect commits
to a specific time and date at which she'll expect your call, you
have a good shot at discussing a real business opportunity. If she's
unwilling to commit to a time and date, chances are it's a brush-off,
so move on to your next prospect.
The silent treatment
If your prospect won't share his motivation with you by answering
your clarifying questions, this isn't a legitimate business opportunity.
However, make sure your questions aren't self-serving; clients never
like feeling manipulated.
In minutes, this three-step qualifying process will help you evaluate
whether or not a prospective client is truly interested in doing business
with you. Not only will you save time, money, and irritation for both
yourself and your prospects, but the answers you've uncovered will
help you better prepare any future proposal you might submit to them.
Paul Cherry is Managing Partner and Founder of Performance
Based Results. He has 20 years experience as a sales training
consultant with an emphasis placed on sales training, leadership development,
sales coaching and leadership coaching. 84% of his clients report
on average a 12:1 ROI from his training programs as the emphasis is
on reinforcement and accountability. He is the author of the top-selling
book, Questions
That Sell.
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| Praise for Top Dog Sales
Secrets |
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"One of these top dog secrets can earn you a fortune."
– Jeffrey Gitomer
"It's like reading the best ideas from 50 sales books
all in one book."
– Michelle Nichols, Savvy Selling International
"I HIGHLY recommend it for the inspiration AND the skills
that one will learn or ‘re-learn.' It is easy to read,
entertaining, and very broad in topic selection."
– Lori Richardson, Score More Sales
Order
your copy of the book today to learn an effective
strategy that will help you take back control of the sale. |
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