By Nick Hogren
Sales call structures vary across industries, sales cycles and products or services. At Acquirent we have the advantage of working for many different companies selling a variety of products and services.
There are some general sales practices that can apply to every sales call. I apply the following call structure to my sales teams. When all eight are met I reward my teams for The Perfect Sales Call!
8 COMPONENTS OF THE PERFECT SALES CALL
1. Attitude and Energy
When selling over the phone, your prospect can’t see your non-verbals. They can, however, hear your non-verbals based on your tone and enthusiasm. Approaching each call with a positive up-beat tone can make a big difference in the type of responses you receive from prospects!
Tip: Put a mirror up at your desk and smile while on the phone, your customers will appreciate it!
2. Intro and Purpose
Having a great introduction and stating the purpose of your call is really important to get the conversation off on the right foot. It’s best if you can provide the purpose within a question. “If I can show you a way to improve your efficiency at work and lower cost, would you be interested in continuing this conversation?” By asking this question you spark the interest of the prospect and get them engaged.
3. Engage and Build Rapport
You’ve just grabbed your prospect’s attention, now give them a compelling reason to keep listening. Provide a 50,000 foot up description of your product/service. Hit on the most common pain point, but keep your explanation short and sweet. You aren’t going for the close yet! Then enjoy the call and ensure your personality shines through.
Tip: A good way to do this is to pretend the person on the phone is sitting in front of you.
4. Ask Quality Questions
So far you spent a lot of time talking. It’s time to ask some questions and listen. Start by asking a few qualifying questions. Ask questions that will determine if the prospect fits your target market and then verify the opportunity size. The responses you receive will guide your conversation and determine if the conversation should continue.
Next, ask a few probing questions and drill down on the answers. These questions should uncover your prospect’s need for your product or service.
“Who are you using right now for XYZ?”, “Have you ever considered purchasing XYZ?”.
5. Listen and Act
Once you’ve uncovered the need it’s time to show off your customer service skills. Listen to your prospect’s responses, act on what’s being said and resolve issues. Be prepared to pivot around objections. The goal is to reach a positive outcome for you and your prospect.
6. Ask For The Sale
Alright, it’s time to go all in! You’ve earned the right to ask for the sale or next step based on your previous conversation. Your success rate increases now that you’ve built rapport and uncovered a need. Be confident, honest and let your personality shine.
7. Confirm Contact
It’s time to confirm your contact’s information. Your prospect is more willing to share information now that you both see value in the relationship. There’s an advantage to waiting until now to verify contact information. Your prospect might have shared those details during the conversation previously, preventing the need to ask at all!
8. Strong Closing
Start your close by recapping the prospect’s needs and your next steps and sales process. Thank your prospect for their time and ask if there’s anything else you can do for them. Time is a precious commodity and your prospect will appreciate your attention to their needs. It’s all about them!
Alright, you have a game plan for your sales call. In addition to following the above structure, develop a playbook of objections and how to pivot around them. With these tools you will increase your chances of success! Now, get out there and make a sale!
Nick Hogren is a Sales Manager at Acquirent. He has 10 years of experience in building, coaching and leading sales teams. Today Nick leads multiple sales teams for Acquirent’s client accounts. You can find Nick on Twitter.
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