This is a guest post by Paul Archer

A few readers wrote to me just before Christmas asking for help. Both were struggling to get in front of new prospects to sell their services and products. Both had excellent propositions but found call reluctance to be as problem and prospects unwillingness to speak with them preferring to “weather the storm” and batten down the hatches.

Have you experienced this as well?

I think we all have to some degree and unless you’ve had your head in the sand, you’ll recognise that we are going through a downturn. Now I don’t sign up for the “business is better that it’s ever been, I’m busier than ever, what recession?” brigade; these people seem to be just massaging their egos when they print this stuff.

The plain fact is – we have to prospect more than ever before. Working harder and smarter at getting to speak with new customers, will help us succeed in this economy.

I think we’ve all got the skills but maybe haven’t had to use them so much over the last five to six years since there’s been plenty of business to go around.

So now’s the time to smarten up our prospecting tools, or client acquisition tools as this is now known as.

Here are some quick tips to help you.

• Examine your product and service and be crystal clear as to what problem it solves. Problems in recessions are all about saving costs and increasing revenue, getting invoices paid on time, preventing suppliers going bust and such like. Try to think like your customers and be totally clear as to what problems your product solves

• What is your customer segment? Be as precise as you can as to which type of customer has the problems that your product or service solves and then focus on these customers.

• Decide on your marketing to reach these customers. There are many routes to market that you can choose but the quickest and most decisive is still telephoning them to make an appointment to see them.

• Get over any call reluctance.

• Dedicate specific blocks of time in your diary to make calls to prospects.

• Aim simply for a face to face appointment nothing else. Don’t get into conversations, send out literature etc. These never work, although we think the do at the time, are easy to do, quite gratifying but divert your attention to the job of making appointments.

• Be up front with your prospect on the phone about the problem that your product solves and ask for an appointment.

• Don’t ask “if it’s convenient to call” you’ll lose sales if you do this. Instead say “if it’s convenient to speak right now I’d like to…” Subtle difference. And if you feel brave enough, don’t even ask, just launch into your opening.

• Learn how to politely persevere on objections twice and then leave the prospect alone. Keep coming back to the objective of asking for an appointment.

• Sticky tape the phone to your wrist and don’t put it down. Use the 60 second rule. This ensures you get onto the next call within 60 seconds, no longer.

• Spend a maximum of 60 minutes making appointment calls.

• Reward yourself when you.re done as making appointments is stressful, there’s no way around it. Yes alpha male macho types will tell you they enjoy it but you look at the burnout rate of call centre direct sales people.

It’s hard, full of rejection and people saying no, occasional rudeness and extremely easy to put off to-do another job.

We all need more prospects right now and making appointments via phone is the quickest and most effective method of doing so. Dig out all those customers that have connections to your company, old names and phone numbers. Those people who you never had the time to contact. Maybe buy some lists or leads and start to make those calls with the specific intention of making an appointment.

Paul Archer is an international sales speaker, sales trainer, author and coach based in the UK. He specializes in rapport selling and rapport coaching and can ignite his audiences large or small. For more information on Paul and his training courses, visit www.archertraining.co.uk or his sales  blog at www.paularcher.com

This is a guest post by Mike Brooks.

Clients use all sorts of objections, but sometimes I think this is their favorite. I mean, how can you argue with someone who tells you they don’t need what you have to give them because they already have enough of it?

Well, let’s face it, nobody has TOO much of anything, especially business, and while 80% of your competition get blown off when they get this objection, the top 20% know what to say.

After you read and adapt the three closes below, YOU’LL know what to say, too!

Response #1:

“I know that feeling; I do too! But for some reason, my boss wants to keep it that way so he thinks it’s a good idea to continue to market and introduce others to our products and services. And it’s the same way for you as well. Momentum is great, but if you don’t keep it going, it will first slow down, then it will stop.

Here’s what I recommend: Let’s get you started with the (package/solution) as it is, since we both agree it will keep your business coming. And then after the 6 month trial period, we can reassess. All we need to do to get your started is…”

Response #2:

“And ________ I know that the reason you have so much business is because you have the foresight to invest in (your kind of solution). It’s actually a pleasure to work with clients like you because I know you already understand the need for this kind of (product or solution).

And because you already know the value of this, I’m going to recommend you start with us on the professional level that allows you to leverage your way into our top position. That’s only (X amount). How do you want to handle payment of that today?”

Response #3:

“That’s a nice position to be in. And to make sure you stay that way, I’d recommend starting with our mid-level position. That way you’ll get X amount of (leads/results) and so won’t overwhelm yourself. If you find your other (companies offering some similar solution) starting to slip, then you can simply transfer that part of your business into your account here.

What I recommend is that you start with (X amount/position) and then increase it over time as you need to. What is the best way for you to handle this start up account?”

If you found this article helpful, then you will love my, “The Complete Book of Phone Scripts” which is packed with word for word scripts just like this one that you can begin using today to make more appointments and more sales. You can read about it here:

http://www.mrinsidesales.com/scripts.htm

This is a guest post by Paul Archer

He’d frightened me to death with his automatic weapon and ferocious look. “There’s a problem with your passport” he alleged with a fierce voice and in broken English he continued. “You must come with me”

The next 30 minutes were spent in fear, trepidation and anxiety as I awaited my fate. You see I was leaving Iran following a sales speaking engagement and little did I know there was a problem with my Visa which is not a good habit to get into.

My traveling companion, Sandro, was clear of passport control and was making his way to the departure lounge but I was being kept in a windowless room whilst police and army scrutinised my passport and kept passing it from one important looking person to another.

“You cannot leave Iran – you must stay” the very official man said to me. He had a massive smile and was covered in stripes and insignia on his uniform to indicate he was a man of an elevated position. “You are in my country illegally” And he was quiet correct as it happened and just doing his job.

By this point, I was beyond rescue. However I began thinking it might be OK to live in Iran full time as it’s such a fabulous country. But think of Claire and my three smiling children waving to me at the airport. My daughter without a Daddy. How terrible.

But living in Iran full-time did sound pleasant. I could make a honest living training and speaking, pick up Farsi, get a chic apartment in the exclusive north of Tehran after all I had made some really good friends in the last week and we could party every night…..

No, I came to my senses. No I must get home to my family. They need me. “Please Sir, can you explain the problem with my Visa?” I grovelled at the official. I.d been taught to grovel at an early age and it usually worked.

“It says on the Visa that you can be in my country for 5 days…but you have been here for 6 days.”

Talk about detail and yes, I’d goofed big time. Hugely…what a mistake to make. And I promised myself to always attend to detail in the future. Never lose your attention to detail– it could take you away from your family.

In sales and coaching, we do have to concentrate on the detail and it’s plainly not everyone’s “cup of tea”. Contracts, marketing brochures, sales plans, sales meeting preparation, stocking your brief case ready for meetings, knowing the benefits of products, checklists for training courses, planning probing questions to reveal client problems, emailing actions, quarterly objectives….the list goes on.

Some people prefer to focus on the big picture and detest detail but others enjoy wallowing in the small print. But my lesson from Iran was to check the detail more often and if you don’t want to then hire or delegate someone to do it for you.

When they finally let me go through passport control I was the most thankful man on this planet. And I won’t make the same mistake again.

Paul Archer is an international sales speaker, sales trainer, author and coach based in the UK. He specializes in rapport selling and rapport coaching and can ignite his audiences large or small. For more information on Paul and his training courses, visit www.archertraining.co.uk or his sales  blog at www.paularcher.com

This is a guest post by Paul Archer

The next time you have a customer who is objecting to your price for your product or service, here’s a little quotation that’ll remind you how business works.

“It is unwise to pay too much, but it is unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money and that is all, but when you pay too little you sometimes lose everything, because the thing that you have bought isn’t capable of doing the thing which it was bought to do.”

“The common law of business balance prohibits you from paying a little and receiving a lot – it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder it would be as well to add something for the risk you run, and if you can so that you can afford to buy something better.”

John Ruskin 1819 – 1900

Paul Archer is an international sales speaker, sales trainer, author and coach based in the UK. He specializes in rapport selling and rapport coaching and can ignite his audiences large or small. For more information on Paul and his training courses, visit www.archertraining.co.uk or his sales  blog at www.paularcher.com

This is a guest post by Art Sobczak

Cold calling.

Just hearing the words causes chest-tightening, loss-of-breath anxiety for many.

And it’s dumb.  I suggest you never place another one.  In fact, never even use the term when referring to professional telephone prospecting. You can prospect by phone successfully, when you are Smart about it.

Let’s look at a prospecting call opening from a sales rep who “gets it.”

“Hi Michael, I’m Pat Stevens with Insurance Partners. Hope you enjoyed your golf vacation. In speaking with your assistant, Suzanne, I understand that you are evaluating your competitive edge in the employment market and what you can do to attract and keep the top talent in your various locations. We’ve been able to help other companies in the same situation lower their recruiting and hiring expenses, and increase their retention of managerial staff. I’d like to ask a few questions to see if I could provide you some information.”

Pat was able to do a number of positive things in this opening:

• He used Michael’s first name, since he knew that Michael was somewhat of an informal guy who no one called “Mr. Johnson,” and hated to be called Mike.
• He knew Michael is a huge golf nut, and just returned from a golf weekend
• He mentioned Michael’s assistant Suzanne, adding credibility
• He knew that the company had recently missed out on some managerial candidates who were hired by the competition because of a better benefits package, as well as some existing employees who left for that reason
• He did not talk about insurance or benefits, but instead, results– the precise results that addressed the issues that Michael now faced.

And all of that took place in the first 10 seconds or so. Later in the call Pat also:

• Asked questions to which he pretty much already knew the answers about the company’s growth plans, their position in the marketplace, and the existing benefits package and how people felt about it.
• Commented on the great article that Michael had written for Construction Executive magazine.
• Asked about Michael’s experience working with one of his company’s competitors prior to coming to work for this company two years ago.

As a result of all of this, Michael of course viewed Pat not as the typical sales rep, but as someone who understood his business and what he was concerned about right now. Plus, he liked Pat. And Pat got an appointment.

How did Pat accomplish all of this?

The same way you can. Pat did his research. He did Smart Calling™.  There’s no excuse NOT to. He used several online resources and social media sites to get personal and professional information about Michael, his company, and industry, and very importantly, what Michael was concerned about right now. Then Pat used “social engineering,” the process of speaking with other people within Michael’s company to gain intelligence about the company’s current situation regarding their recruiting, hiring, and retention issues, and present benefits package. He also learned about Michael personally from his assistant Suzanne and a few others in the department.

Notice that Pat used a conversational, soft-sell approach in his opening to minimize resistance, and to create interest and pique curiosity. This put Michael in a state of mind where he wanted to hear more.

Can you see the difference between this and a typical “cold” call, where the sales rep knows nothing about his prospect, and is simply smilin’ and dialin’, repeating the same tired lines and closes to everyone who will listen?

There is no reason—other than laziness—to ever place a “cold” call. Use these ideas to make your calls Smart, and successful.

Art Sobczak works with thousands of sales reps each year helping them get more business by phone. His new book, “Smart Calling” shows salespeople how to eliminate the fear, failure and rejection from cold calling. To learn more about the book and get the free report, “The Top 10 Dumb Cold Calling Mistakes that Ensure Rejection” go to www.SmartCalling.com.

This is a guest post By Art Sobczak

There is no excuse for placing a “cold” call to a prospect. With the abundance of online information available about individuals and companies, and by asking questions of others within a prospect organization, you can gather useful intelligence that can help you “smarten” your calls.  This means you can quickly relate to the prospect, his/her concerns and desires, and perhaps something that is a burning issue for them right now.

You also can warm up the prospect prior to the call. If you, a staff member or marketing person can send something in advance—something that can possibly acquaint them with you, and perhaps create some interest—then by all means, do so!  IF it is targeted and relevant, it can have a significant return on investment.

My friend and fellow sales trainer Bill Lee (www.BillLeeOnline.com) suggests a good idea: Put your prospect on your mailing list long before you make your first call. Of course, this requires some work and planning on your part; but again, if you are serious about this and make Smart Calling™ a systematic habit, then it will become a ritual for you.  Bill suggests sending things that you feel the prospect might find useful (“useful” is the key term here; don’t send purely self-promotional propaganda). Send things such as:

•  News clippings

•  Magazine articles

• Copies of web pages with interesting info

•  Helpful hints pertaining to their  business

•  Your company’s newsletter (again, the more about them, the better)

And let me add to the list:

Books. Find general, current, popular business books. Include a brief note about how you thought the prospect might find this interesting, and that you will be contacting him or her soon to discuss some ideas. Sound too expensive? Of course, you wouldn’t send these out by the thousands; but let’s say a book is $15. I bet you’d have a better chance of getting in to a high-level prospect when you say to the executive assistant, “I’m the guy that sent the book.”   When this prospect becomes a client, you’ll make that $15 many times over.

Audio CDs or video DVDs. Similar to a book; be sure it is something educational, topical, and of value that will pique their interest and curiosity.

Greeting cards. A very persistent sales pro sent me personalized greeting cards every month for 16 months (that right—16!) while I continually evaded his phone calls. I finally agreed to take some time to listen to the automated system he was using for sending out the personalized cards. I was sorry I had waited so long to discuss it with him, and now endorse and use the program. I suggest you look at it as well; See complete details on the program  at www.BusinessByPhone.com/soc.htm

The best time to send the items is after you have already asked some questions of others in the decision maker’s department, what I term “social engineering.”  This allows you to tailor what you send to the prospect’s interests, and then enlist his or her assistant in helping you get it to the buyer. And when you do call, you still want to follow all of the steps in the Smart Calling™ system. Do NOT—I plead with you— do not start out your call with, “I sent you a letter, did you get it?”

Emailing Before a Call
Emails before a Smart Call™ can warm them up, if structured well. I recently received an email that did catch my attention. It started out with,

“Art, thought you might be interested in hearing about how another sales trainer like you was able to get new customers and maintain them at a high lifetime value.”

Then he went on to share a success story, mentioned some of my services and how they were similar, and shared some testimonials. He said he would call me. That message earned my time because it was personalized, not just in name, but in content. He did his homework. He also built credibility by using a testimonial with an example of someone like me. Very nice.

This can work also with a hard copy letter. Again, the key is using Smart information, and not trying to sell in the document.

Sending Unusual Items Prior to a Call
Donnie Deutsch, host of the CNBC show, The Big Idea, tells the story of when he was building his ad agency, and he wanted the account of a regional car dealer. To get to the person who was in charge of awarding the contract, he shipped an assortment of individual car parts every half-hour for a 12-hour period to the guy’s house. Each part was accompanied with a different message, like, “We’ll Give You Bright Ideas” (a headlight); “We’ll Protect Your Rear End” (fender); “We’ll Steer You in the Right Direction”  (steering wheel).  In total, Deutsch sent 24 of these packages. He got the account.

There is no doubt that sending unconventional items to buyers can get their attention. I put these things into the “gimmick” category. Just like a trick play in football, they make for a sexy story, and they are fun when they work; but you likely won’t build a career on them. Here are just some of items I have seen and heard about.

Packages of coffee and a mug. “I’d like to have a cup of coffee with you to discuss some ideas about??

Shoes, or blow-up feet. “I’m trying to get my foot in the door.”

Lumpy mail. Direct mail marketers know that a three-dimensional envelope gets opened before standard direct mail. You are limited only by your imagination. Oriental Trading Company sells all kinds of fun things. www.OrientalTrading.com.

A sales rep with Troy XCD Inc., Angie Medina said that in order to really differentiate herself, she sends a crumpled up catalog or brochure in an envelope and attaches a note saying, “Don’t throw this away again!”

At a marketing seminar I once attended, one of the participants shared the method he has used to seize the attention of high level decision makers. I thought that I had heard most of the gimmick-related techniques of sending odd objects to decision makers; but this one beat them all. This sales person purchases cheap, $20 disposable cell phones (the kind you can get at WalMart). He then sends them to his highly-targeted top level decision makers along with a note that says, “I believe we can help you increase your profits. I will call you at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday the 16th. Please listen for my call.” Then he calls the cell number! He claims that it is so unique, that it works almost every time.

Again, if you are having a difficult time getting through to a buyer—someone you feel you must have as a customer—and have exhausted all of your other avenues, you have nothing to lose by trying an unconventional approach.

(Art Sobczak works with thousands of sales reps each year helping them get more business by phone. His new book, “Smart Calling” shows salespeople how to eliminate the fear, failure and rejection from cold calling. To learn more about the book and get the free report, “The Top 10 Dumb Cold Calling Mistakes that Ensure Rejection” go to www.SmartCalling.com.)

This is a guest post by Mike Brooks, www.MrInsideSales.com

I don’t know about you, but my email open rate is going the way of voicemails – rarely listened to, and quickly deleted.  What I’ve found, however, is that there are some techniques that can give you the best chance of getting your emails read and even responded to, but you have to be very specific in the way you construct them.

Follow these six email secrets the next time you write and send an email, and you’ll be on your way to the kind of response you used to get – and the kind that will lead to more business:

Email Secret #1:  Use the prospect’s first name in the subject line.

Think about it: what is everyone’s favorite word?  Their first name!  Have you ever been in public before and heard someone call out your name?  You automatically turned around and were receptive and ready to respond until you saw they were calling someone they knew.

You can get your prospect’s attention the same way by putting their name in the subject line of your emails.  To start with, doing so will distinguish your email from the hundreds of others your prospect gets, and because we are all drawn to our own name, it will draw your prospect’s eyes to your email like a magnet.  This is the very best way to get their attention and a great way to get them to read more.

Email Secret #2:  Customize the first few lines of your email as much as possible.  Many people preview their emails by reading the first few sentences in their email program before deciding to read the whole thing, so concentrate on writing a short and value laden opening that is addressed right to them.  Something like:

“Hi Barbara, Mike Brooks here with HMS software.  I’ve got some ideas about your networking issues for your new office that’s opening in Houston next month.  I think you’ll find it useful if we talk.”

Again, keep it short, customize it to what you know they’re interested in and provide immediate, specific value to them.

Email Secret #3:  Keep your email short and easy to read!  Nothing will turn your prospect off more than long, information packed paragraphs.

Their eyes will glaze over and they will hit the delete key faster than it took you to hit the send key!

Don’t let any of your paragraphs be more than three sentences, and if possible, make them just two sentences.  Recap the major ideas in short phrases, and make sure to engage your prospect by asking questions.  An example would be:

“Hi John, I was wondering if you were still having trouble recouping all the available cash from your current collection program?  If so, you’ll want to speak with me about our new itemized IT solution.

I’ve got some time next Tuesday or would later in the week work for you?

Please let me know either way.  You can see more info here (your website address).

If I don’t hear from you, I’ll follow up with a call next week.”

Email Secret #4:  Ask for a return response – whether they are interested or not.  This is a great way to end your email and a good way to get a response.  Just think about how nice it will be to finally take someone off your list who isn’t going to do business with you, and also how great it will be to find someone who is!

Simply thank them in advance for their consideration and let them know that you’re looking forward to their response on this – either a yes or a no.

Email Secret #5:  Promise to follow up by phone if they don’t respond.

Let them know that you understand they are busy, and that if you don’t hear from them, then you’ll follow up with a call in a day or two.

This really increases your response rate and you can be happy when you get a “not interested” response.  These prospects just disqualified themselves and saved you a lot of time and energy!

On the other hand, there will be others who don’t respond and they become your follow up leads.

Email Secret #6:  Proof read your emails before you hit the send key.

Because your prospect can’t see you, they only have your writing sample to judge you on, and if it’s filled with misspellings and poor grammar, what kind of impression do you think this makes?

It only takes a minute to proof read your emails, and I’ll tell you now I’m always glad I did.  I almost always make them better, and when I hit the send key I know I’ve sent out the best message possible.  Doing so allows me to make the best impression, and this once again separates me from my competition.

So there you have the six secrets to writing effective emails.  Believe me, following them will give you the best chance of getting through to decision makers and getting responses that will give you an understanding of where you stand.  That’s a whole lot better than chasing and wondering, isn’t it?

If you found this article helpful, then you will love Mike’s: “The Complete Book of Phone Scripts,” which is packed with word for word scripts and techniques that you can begin using today to make more appointments and more sales.  You can read about it by clicking here:

http://www.mrinsidesales.com/scripts.htm

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance. If you’re looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

Here’s a guest post from Karen Andrews. In this article she addresses 15 really easy to follow steps to make your cold calling efforts become that much more successful.

Typically a cold call is the process of approaching prospective customers (called prospects) typically by phone but it can also be done face-to-face (via door knocking). The term ‘cold call’ is used because the person you are contacting has not asked you to call, is not expecting it and is not known to you.

Cold calling can be a legitimate and successful way of generating new business, if it is done correctly and professionally. This article refers to ‘business to business’ cold calling to generate an appointment rather than make a sale over the phone.

Here are 15 steps to cold calling success…

1. Use a friendly, conversational approach rather than a cold, direct approach.
2. Don’t try and sell on the phone; you can’t. You can, however, get a meeting or permission to send information.
3. Talk about how you can help that business or how you have helped other business. Don’t try and sell to them.
4. Name other clients that you are working with who are in a similar industry or who are a similar size to the company you are calling.
5. Set a goal for each phone call. Would you like contact information, a meeting or permission to send information.
6. Write down all the possible objections that you are likely to encounter and have an answer ready for them.
7. Target a particular Industry at a time so the script can be adapted and modified to their current situation, challenges or problems they may be experiencing.
8. Always treat Assistants, Personal Assistants and Executive Assistants with respect; they have the power to get you in or keep you out.
9. If you get through to the right contact and they sound busy or harassed ask them “is now a good time to talk?” should I call you at a later time?
10. Make your calls from 9.30am to about 11.30am and then start again around 2pm and go through till 4pm.
11. Set yourself a call target rather than a time target, it makes it easier to achieve.
12. Don’t leave messages; it is rare that anyone would call you back.
13. Ask or appeal for help rather than just going straight into a spiel.
14. Don’t be fooled into thinking that a person asking you to send information means they are interested…they are simply trying to get you off the phone!
15. If you send information by email make sure you follow it up the next day to confirm the person received it. This gives you the chance to ask them if they have any questions and gauge their interest in meeting.

Remember to try and make your calls in a block of time, one after the other, after the other. After you have finished 10 calls, for example, then send out information or do follow up. This saves you reliving the ‘fear’ or the ‘pain’ of picking up the phone. After about 3 or 4 calls you will have established a habit and you will be much more confident.

Karen Andrews is the Director of Shine Sales Solutions, based in Australia, and has over 10 years experience in managing new business development campaigns for companies. She also holds a Bachelor of Business Studies in Business Management & Human Resource Development.

Other telesales tips and cold calling tips available for you:

Softening Your Telemarketing & Telesales Questioning Techniques

How to Support Telesales Cold Calling with Great Follow-Up Sales Emails!

3 Great Tips to Partner Gatekeepers on Your Telesales Calls

UK Telesales News – Charity Calls ‘Not the Same’ as Telemarketing

Referrals – The Lifeline of All Good Telemarketing Professionals!

This is a Guest Post from Julian Blee, of Fat Cat Ideas.

I would like to take a look at the urban myth concerning the word ‘no’. I wrote this article because it is a very common misconception that it is OK to put off dealing with a ‘no’ until the end of a pitch or presentation. This is crazy and hopefully at the end of this article you to will agree with me.

The word ‘no’ is there to be loved, enjoyed and embraced. I know that is going to sit uncomfortably with many people reading this newsletter because it is the bête noire of many sales people. No’s seem to send the fear of God running through the veins of many new and also experienced sales people.

One of the biggest and most regular issues that I come across on a daily basis as a sales trainer is the fear of NO. I understand completely how this particular word can wreck havoc with sales presentations, destroy commission targets and just generally ruin your day. I used to hate No’s. I used to do what most people do when they hear a NO and that was to ignore it, speed up, or even worse become defensive. All of these reactions are wrong and let me explain why.

*I would like to point out that hitting you head with a spanner is actually not more fun that getting a no from a potential prospect.

The easiest way for me to do this is to look at why we are so scared of hearing a No. I suppose that the obvious one for me to take into account is that if we get a No from our prospects it means that they won’t buy from us. If that happens we get a little bit more deflated, and if that happens our jobs get harder and then we end up blowing so many deals because we get progressively worse with each call. This hits us mentally and fiscally and it hurts.

The above diagram is based on the renowned theory of ‘Hitting Your Head With a Spanner.’ (I know that you know that I made that up.)

Joking aside it shows that if we get a No, our immediate response is to get defensive. This is a very common reaction from someone who is new into sales. (It also happens with so called experienced individuals too.) Greeting a No with negativity will not assist in turning that No into a Yes. This will result in frustration. If you sell with a frustrated head on your shoulders you will receive more No’s. This will drag you to Negativity. Once that happens, you have to stop and re-calibrate your outlook to positivity or just forget it for the day.

Don’t mis-quote me here, because I am not advocating going home every time you get a No. But I do know that if you fire into your lead box with a negative pitch, you may as well just throw them all in the bin; it will save you time, effort and your employer a phone bill. I will talk about re-calibrating back to a positive outlook in a later newsletter. Right now I want to stop you getting negative by showing you how to deal with No’s.

Before I show you a simple way to work with No’s you must change your mind set. You have to learn to like No’s. In fact you have to actually learn to love them, really love them. Once you learn to love No’s you will be pleased when you hear one. Trust me on this one, I haven’t taken leave of my senses.

A No means one of two things:

1. I really don’t want your service/product/wingwang.
2. You have not told me enough in order for me to give you a yes. You need to give me more benefits, or fact find more to ascertain exactly what I need from you.

Either one of these are good news. If it is 1, then this is good news because the last thing you want in your pipeline is a ton of prospects that really have no interest in your product. This is called a false economy.

If it’s a two, and 9 times out of 10, (depending on your fact finding skills) it is a two, then you need to deal with the No in a positive and upbeat fashion. And this is where loving your No’s comes into play.

The flowchart below describes a simplistic and structured way to deal with a no. There are lots of different methods and styles to help you work a no into a yes. However, this method is like a well tailored dark blue suit. It will work in almost every situation.

It goes a little like this:

1. When you receive a No, embrace it. Don’t get negative. This is an opportunity showing its self to you. This wonderful No is telling you that he’s there and that he’s the hurdle between you and the deal. So don’t get scared or frustrated, give him a hug.
2. Ask what it is exactly that is stopping the client from buying your product today.
3. When your prospect tells you what the problem is repeat it back to them. This will show the client that you have heard what they have said and are simply confirming that the information you have is correct. It will also give you time to think.
4. If the client says yes, then you now have your objection; the barrier between you and the sale.
5. You MUST now isolate the objection; “Is this the only thing stopping you from buying from me today.”
6. If the client says Yes, you need to effectively overcome the objection and move smoothly into the close.

There are of course lots of other things that your prospect could say in order to throw you off course. But I cannot cover those in a 1,000 word article.

The crux of the above is that you have to learn to love the No, and deal with it as soon as it arrives. It is an objection that is in the clients mind, stopping him from listening to your presentation. Put yourself in your prospect shoes, would you listen to a sales pitch that you have already said No to?

The No is the thing stopping you from closing the deal. And because of this reason alone you need to be friendly with it in order to understand it. Once you understand it, you then have a shooting chance of overcoming it.

You need to be able to establish if the No means that your prospect doesn’t know enough about your product, or in fact they really do not want it. Practice the basics and you will learn to be able to distinguish between the two.

I have sold to people that really didn’t want my product, but I sold it to them anyway. That’s not ethical way to sell and it doesn’t leave you with a great conscience. (That was a long time ago on part of my learning curve; I certainly don’t do that anymore.) It also destroys any chance of longevity or relationship that you may have been able to build up.

I have also lost lots of deals because I didn’t realise that my prospect did in fact want or need my product, but I was just selling badly. Good telesales skills take time to develop. You will fall over along the way, but just dust yourself down and get back on with the job in hand. Stay focused, sell ethically, be professional and you can reach your wildest dreams.

Julian Blee has been in the sales business for 20 years and is currently the ‘fattest cat’ at Fat Cat Ideas, a company that offers sales orientated SME’s a range of no nonsense, jargon free, sales training, marketing and copy writing services.

If you like this post, you might also like these other telesales tips:

Is your new Telesales & Telemarketing Tips & Tactics Blog doing okay so far…?

Telesales Jump-Start Tip! How to Wake Up Stalled Sales

15 Steps to Easier Cold Calling Success!

Wait for it! This is What Will Happen on Our Call Next…

Telesales Urban Myth #3: Smother them in Love and Be Nice Nice Nice!