The First Call
In my first article on this topic in last month’s issue, I said that the First Call was the most important factor in getting a prospect to buy from you.
Your goal on the First Call is not to get an order, but to earn the prospect’s respect. Practice and plan the call then, with a firm handshake, look the buyer in the eye, and say with confidence, “My name is [insert name here]. I represent [company name]. From the research we have done, your company meets our ideal customer profile. I would like to have permission to visit with you when I am in [name of city]. I will also make you a promise—I won’t waste your time.”
Help store managers solve business problems
To live up to your promise, you don’t need a trunk full of literature. You need fresh ideas and proven solutions to business problems. I have mentioned this book in previous articles, but it’s worth mentioning again: invest in a copy of “The Real Business 101” by Jim Sobeck.
To be successful at sales, you need two things from a knowledge standpoint: the products and/or services you sell and the know-how to solve business problems. Ideally, you would like for your prospects to say (after giving you an opening order), “As a salesperson, buying from you is like doing business with a key member of our team.”
Most salespeople are interested in one thing: getting an order! Make it clear that whereas you earn your income by selling your company’s products, your interest also lies in your ability to help your customers solve their most pressing business problems. If you will familiarize yourself with the information in “The Real Business 101” and use that information to help your prospects and customers make more money, be more successful and solve their most pressing business problems, you will have an edge over 95% of your competitors’ salespeople.
Train your prospects’ and customers’ salespeople
Have you attended several sales training programs presented by top-notch sales trainers? If so, you have another sales tool most of your competitors never even thought of using. Whether the company is a prospect or a customer, offer to conduct a one-hour sales training program for the company salespeople. A surprisingly few of your prospects’ and customers’ salespeople have been exposed to sales training programs. Think what a valuable service you could provide your customers and prospects if you prepare yourself to stand up in front of their salespeople and share some sales tips that will improve their ability to sell their products.
If you need an outline of a powerful one-hour program, send me a letter at 41 Farringdon Drive, Greenville, SC 29615. I have presented over 300 sales programs in our industry and I will be happy to write one specifically for you.
Credit insurance
I am embarrassed to put in writing that before I read Sobeck’s book, I didn’t know that credit insurance existed. But when you think about it, inventory, delivery equipment, your property, and other assets can be insured, why not accounts receivable?
Buying credit insurance is not unlike buying other forms of insurance. The insurance company will want to see an aging report. The company’s worst paying customers run the biggest risk of being excluded.
When the housing market turns down, most of my clients will have to write off a lot of customers. It’s during those times especially when you wish you had purchased A/R insurance.
If one of your prospects mentions that they are concerned about their receivables, this is a good time to ask if they had ever thought about insuring their accounts receivables. Chapter 6 in Sobeck’s book will spell out all the details so you can explain them to your prospect.
Your business knowledge is your advantage.
