Sales wisdom

There is wisdom that applies to all professions. In many ways, sales is a science, and its effective execution certainly benefits from an ample injection of wisdom. The Oxford English Dictionary defines wisdom as the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.

For example, wise salespeople believe in the value contained in what they are selling. They exude confidence when they are asked to present their price. Don’t apologize for the price you are quoting; don’t be so insecure that you believe your price is too high, because your customers will pick up on it every time. Be so conscientious, so thorough, so prompt, and so dependable that your customers question what they would do without you. Believe in your heart that your products and your services are a bargain.

Resist making enemies. When you have a disagreement with a manager, customer, or buyer, resist having the last word. It may feel good to “slap the cheek” of someone you believe has wronged you, but it’s something like Murphy’s Law that causes the enemy you make today to almost invariably crop up down the road and make you pay dearly. Certainly not all, but most executives and buyers stay in the same industry for a lifetime, as do salespeople. This phenomenon occurs so frequently it’s almost predictable, so avoid shooting yourself in the foot.

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When prospecting for business, how often are your messages returned? For me, it’s almost never. I do my part: I make the call, and I leave a pleasant message. My prospects apparently don’t understand how to work their voice mail.

It occurred to me, though, that if I want different results, perhaps I should try a different approach. One of the most successful telemarketing trainers in North America, Art Sobczak, is a good friend of mine, and here’s an example from him: “I’m Jay Jenkins with Temco Services. We specialize in helping accountants generate more corporate work during non-tax seasons. I’d like to discuss the type of business you’d like to get more of, to see if it would make sense to speak further. I’ll try back Tuesday morning before 10:00 AM.”

You need to be prepared to leave a message every time you call a prospect or customer. Every contact is an opportunity. With a little preparation and lots of practice you can put prospects in a frame of mind where they eagerly look forward to your next call.

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Never mention price on a voice mail message. Every day I receive several voice mail messages that sound like the following: “This is Doug Danielson with Upstate Tree Care. We are going to be in your neighborhood this week, and we can prune your trees and it will save you a substantial amount of money. Give me a call at 555-5555.”

Or maybe it’s from your local grocery store, claiming, “We have the lowest prices this week.” Every grocery store in town claims to have the lowest prices, and no one believes them. Instead, consider the following claims: “We have cashiers at all of our checkout stations.” “We have a butcher on duty until closing time.” “We package beef in the quantities you specify.” “Need help getting around our store? We’ll meet you at your car with an electric cart.” “We have customer service clerks in every aisle to help you locate hard-to-find items.”

Leave your customers and prospects clear messages so they will know what action to take and what action you are going to take. Don’t copy your competitors. Listen to their claims, and be sure to set yourself apart from the masses.

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