This is a guess post by Paul Archer

Be careful of speaker phones or hands-free mobile phones as they might be giving your customer the wrong message.

This afternoon I was sitting in Starbucks enjoying a double espresso and the guy on the next table was using his mobile phone with his speaker enabled. I appreciate that mobile phones are supposed to give us all radiation poisoning if we press them to our ear, but the information he was giving his customer was terribly public. He didn’t seem to mind bless him, but I bet the customers did, if they knew.

Worse than that are conference facilities built into many landline phones. It might be more convenient for you to use this feature when contacting customers but again the same negative message is being given to your customer. Who else might be listening comes to mind. Besides speaker phones sound like you’re in a public lavatory.

A final phone tip for you. If you find yourself working from home and need to make prospecting or client based calls and the background noise just doesn’t work for you. Children making a noise, dogs barking and such…then download a sound file from the internet which mirrors a busy office noise and play it on your computer.

I use one and although my customers probably don’t mind where I am, the comforting office sound made me feel more relaxed and I perform better on the phone as a result. Try it – it works.

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 Jill Konrath

In Part I: We focused why asking the “How Can I?” question is the key to getting unstuck and achieving your objectives. Part II continues with more examples.

Creating an Entirely New Revenue Stream

Several years ago, I lost my two bread-and-butter clients when the investment community demanded better financial results. Both these firms immediately suspended all “extraneous” projects – which included all my work with them.

While in the process of rebuilding my business, I did some free consulting for a small magazine serving the entrepreneurial community. I became enamored with the vitality of these firms as well as their contribution to the economy.

But the failure rate was sky high. Good businesses being run by well-intentioned people were closing down because the founders didn’t understand how to sell. It about drove me crazy.

For months, I kept asking myself, “How can I share my expertise with these people and make some money doing it?”

It was a real conundrum. Entrepreneurs don’t have deep pockets. When they hire consultants, they want to squeeze as much advice from them in the shortest possible time. In short, despite the apparent need, I couldn’t figure out how to make a living.

But I kept the question open, choosing not to say ‘no’ yet. Instead, I kept researching and asking the question repeatedly – in multiple variations.

One day, the answer came to me: I’d create a website called Selling to Big Companies where I could give away lots of good sales advice for free. Plus, I could offer some premium content such as ebooks, emanuals and teleseminars. While doing this, I could still serve my corporate clients.

I knew I’d finally hit on a viable business model, and, as they say, the rest is history.

Trust the Questions

Over the years, I’ve come to trust this “How can I” strategy implicitly. Whenever I pose these questions to myself, the answers always come.

They’re better ideas than I could have ever thought of myself. While that sounds strange to say, it’s really true.

Right now, I trust the question again with the Sales SheBang – my online resource, conference and community for women in sales. I’m asking myself questions such as:

• How can I attract savvy saleswomen to the 2008 Sales Shebang Conference ?
• How can I fund this project so that I can make it bigger & better?
• How can I make it an incredible value for the women who come?

The good news is that the ideas are already streaming in. The bad news is that I appear to be a bottleneck in my own system. Too much is on my plate right now, so I’m adding resources to help out. In truth, it’s really not a bad problem to have.

But it all starts with that “How Can I…?” question. Without a doubt, it’s the best strategy in the whole world for reaching your unreachable goals.

Invite others to help you answer your questions. Track down a top salesperson and ask for their insights: How can I be more successful? How can I close more business?

Ask an entrepreneur: How can I create the company of my dreams? How can I get more done in the same amount of time?

The answers are already out there. You just need to ask the questions!

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She’s a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings, kick-off events and professional conferences. For timely and provocative sales advice, visit www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com ]]> http://www.telesalesmagic.com/prospecting/part-2-tips-on-what-to-do-when-youre-totally-stuck/feed/ 0 http://www.telesalesmagic.com/prospecting/do-people-a-favor-just-let-them-talk/ http://www.telesalesmagic.com/prospecting/do-people-a-favor-just-let-them-talk/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:19:13 +0000 Chris Ducker http://www.telesalesmagic.com/?p=2284

This is a guest post by Paul Archer.

On holiday in France last year we spent many an evening in the local cafes sucking up the atmosphere enjoying everything that is France. Next to us on one evening was a charming British couple and, as you do, we got chatting. The chap talked about life back at home and mentioned excitedly about coaching his local mini rugby team.

Now that’s exactly what I do on a Sunday morning so I began to tell him, with equal enthusiasm, all about my coaching. I told him all about it, never stopped, talked over him and dominated the conversation.

That’s not empathy and rapport building…I blew it.

They didn’t stay in the café very long making their excuses and disappeared into the night. Afterwards I realized what I’d done and knew that if I’d listened to him and allowed him to talk openly about his hobby…we would have got on better. Instead I just got talking about the same subject.

It’s easy to do this when the other person mentions something that you can say a lot about as well. Sometimes we all fall into this trap. I know, I did.

This is useful in sales, coaching and any communication situation where you need rapport and a trust before you can do your job.

Do people a favour and just let them talk.

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

The following is a Guest post by Mike Brooks, AKA Mr. Inside Sales.

Because you only have a few precious seconds to make a connection and establish interest, you’d better have a good opening prepared in advance.

Besides being very busy, your prospects probably get a lot of sales calls every week, and many of them from your direct competition. So why would they want to talk to you? What can you do to separate yourself from all the other calls they get?

The answer is that you have to establish a real connection with your prospect and stop sounding like all the other sales reps who call them.

Here is what your competition usually sounds like (I hope you’re not doing this!):

“Oh, hi Mr. __________, this is _______ _______ with the MLT Group.

__________, we are an industry supply manufacturer and we help companies streamline their production process. We work with many companies in your field and save them between 10 to 15% on the cost of their storage and delivery process. What I’d like to do is ask you some questions to see how our process may save you that kind of money as well. Where are you currently getting your…”

Do you see how this opening makes no connection with the prospect? Do you see how it just starts pitching at the prospect and doesn’t acknowledge that the prospect might be busy, or not interested? Do you see how there is no rapport built here and how it’s a one sided conversation?

How do you feel when someone barges in on your day and starts in with a pitch like this? You’re probably thinking what most prospects are thinking: “How do I get this sales rep off the phone?!”

Now let’s look at the right way to open your call. Your goal in the first few seconds is to make a connection and get them to interact. You have to acknowledge that they may be busy or that you respect their time and you need to establish some rapport and separate yourself from all the other sales reps calling them.

Try this:

“Hi, ________ this is _______ _______ with (your company), how’s your Tuesday going? Great. Listen, _______, I know you probably get a ton of calls so I’ll make this brief.

Let me ask you, if I could show you a better way of tracking and shipping (or) and save you money doing it, would it be worth spending five minutes with me next week to show you how?”

Or,

“What is the one thing you could change that would have a dramatic impact on your productivity and that would save your company money?”

Or,

“If you had a magic wand and could change one thing about how you currently do (their business), what would it be?”

Can you see how this quick questioning approach is more effective than what you may currently be using now? Eighty percent of your competition still barge in on their prospects and open their calls up with a long explanation about what they do and what they offer, and pitch their products and services without checking in with their prospects or establishing any kind of connection. No wonder most people brush them off the phone!

You can separate yourself from this group instantly, starting today, by using the opening technique above. Once again, adapt it to fit your product or service, and then practice it until it’s natural and easy for you to use. As you do, you’ll begin to notice yourself struggling less, making more connections with interested and qualified buyers, and you’ll have more confidence and feel better about yourself.  Just like the top 20% do!

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

This is a Guest Post by Mark Hunter.

I’m not talking about the dial tone. I’m talking about the tone of voice your prospect is using. More specifically, I’m talking about what to do when you hear a change in their tone of voice.  We communicate with our voice, but it goes way beyond just the words we say and the volume with which we speak.  The real telling signs in telephone sales are in the tone of the voice, particularly pitch.

Listen carefully to the next person with whom you talk, and you’ll detect slight variations in the tone. What you are listening for is when the tone or pitch goes up and when it goes down. When this happens – when there has been a change – the person to whom you are listening is reaching a conclusion of some type.  Typically, a customer’s tone/pitch will go up slightly when they become excited or enthused, and it will go down when they’re resigned or view something negatively. Often, this change of tone is also accompanied by a change in the speed with which they speak. An increase in the words per minute signals excitement and a slow down signals calmness.

The trick with all of this is to know how to use it to your advantage. A customer’s change in tone, pitch or rate of speech is not as important as how you respond to it.  When a customer’s pitch/tone goes up, you should immediately ask them a question that gets them to build on what is making them excited. Then, immediately follow with a question to close the sale.  If, on the other hand, the customer’s pitch goes down, you should ask them a question that pertains to the biggest need they’ve expressed to date. If they have not expressed any need to you thus far, then ask them a question that would draw out what you believe is the biggest need or pain they’re facing.   Follow that question with another question that gets them to build even more on what they just told you. The key is to draw out as much as possible the need they’re facing. In doing so, you’ll be in a better position to close the sale.

Another key way you can use the tone/pitch is to help validate what the other person has just told you.  It’s very easy for a person to say something that is not the truth from a vocabulary standpoint. However, it is incredibly difficult to mask their tone/pitch.  Again, this can be a clear sign when someone is talking to you as to whether or not what they’re telling you is factual or merely something to help end the call.

This is the reason I tell anyone who is spending any degree of time on the phone to use a headset that covers both ears. Using an ordinary phone will not give you the listening advantage you need to discern the slight differences in a person’s voice. These slight differences are exactly what can help you dramatically distinguish what the customer is really saying. Ultimately, you will be better equipped to close more sales.

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” helps individuals and companies identify better prospects, close more sales, and profitably build more long-term customer relationships. He is a consultative selling expert, specializing in custom-tailored sales programs. You can read his blog at http://thesaleshunter.com/blog.

Bringing back to mind your telephone sales training, you get a vivid picture of steps you had to practice to hone your phone sales skills, your cute trainer and his phone sales tips, of how you touched base on topics in phone sales courses, and other things basic to selling over the phone. I’m guessing though that the clearest picture among those mentioned is your cute trainer and his phone sales tips, which includes smiling and being in proper posture as you take calls, and his execution of those tips thereafter.

Proper posture or smiling when speaking over the phone may seem trivial, phone sales tips you may do without. But practicing them can make all the difference when selling over the phone. Important calls are better handled when standing up. Should you opt to sit down, make sure that you maintain a good posture; seating ergonomics will surely benefit you in the long run.

Practicing proper posture or standing up when making an important call makes your voice stronger, clearer, and firmer, hence making your statements more believable and sincere. That in turn will have your clients take you seriously; communication with them will then be easier.

Here is another tip to add to what you have learned from your phone sales training: Free yourself of visual distractions when selling over the phone. Nonwork-related websites open on your computer and your mobile phone buzzing with personal messages may pose as distractions. Speaking to someone over the phone may require more focus than speaking to someone who is right in front of you. It may take more effort to give your complete and undivided attention. Clearing your computer and desk with unnecessary things will help you focus on the conversation with your client.

Aside from clearing your desk of unnecessary objects is to place in it necessary tools; that is, you have a notepad or MS Word ready for you take down notes with. Jot down the name of your client, of his company, and other information. It is advisable that you don’t rely on your memory too much; those notes may just be the handiest thing you have.

With your sales prospecting techniques and phone sales training, the phone sales tips you learned, the phone sales skills you developed, and the phone sales courses discussed to you, you are sure to perform better and gain more when selling over the phone.



This is a Guest Post by Mike Brooks, AKA Mr Inside Sales!

In sales, the ability to truly listen is what separates the Top 20% of producers from the bottom 80%. Now when I say “listen,” I mean much more than just hearing what a prospect is saying. Many sales reps hear their prospects, but because they are unprepared to handle various objections or questions, they are usually too busy thinking up what they are going to say next to truly hear what their prospects are saying. And that’s where the top 20% excel.

The most important thing you can do to begin making more sales is to start listening to your prospects. Once you do, you’ll know exactly what to say – and what not to say – to get the sale. Here are three things you can begin doing today to become a better listener:

1) Begin listening for and writing down any unique phrases or words your prospects use. While about 80 to 90% of what people say is the same, if you really listen you’ll find that everyone has a unique word, phrase or way of saying something. For example, many companies have different terms for a sales rep. Some call them sales executives, some call them account managers, some sales reps, etc.

Listening for and writing down these unique phrases will train you to pay more attention. To be even more effective, make sure and use these phrases when speaking with your prospect during this call and during the closing call as well. Doing this is what is known as mirroring your prospect and it is a proven and effective way to build rapport and make your prospect feel heard.

2) Record yourself. You may have heard this advice from me before, but are you doing it yet? Recording yourself and listening to your conversations – both sides – is the fastest, most efficient way of improving your listening skills (and sales skills, closing skills, etc.). The bottom line is that when you’re on the phone you’re usually so preoccupied with your prospect that you don’t have any idea what you actually sound like (or how well you listen).

Recording your calls and then listening to them in the quiet and safety of your conference room or car allows you the chance to really listen to yourself. In the beginning, this can be a painful and embarrassing exercise, but, again, it is the most powerful way to improve. The point is – you can’t improve something you’re not aware of, and by listening to your recordings, you’re going to become immediately aware of how you’re doing – and what you want to change.

Recording yourself also allows you to measure your improvement as well, and constant reinforcement is a powerful way to make and maintain positive changes.

3) Use your mute button. I think the most valuable button on your phone is the mute button. By simply pushing mute when you ask a question or when your prospect starts talking, you are not only forced to allow your prospect to keep talking, but if you can’t help yourself, you can talk and interrupt all you want and they won’t hear you! Believe me, this was crucial for me as I couldn’t stop talking in the beginning to save my life!

Here’s a tip: Once you hit mute, leave it on for a couple of seconds even if you think they are done talking. You will be amazed by how much more information your prospect will provide you if you just shut up and listen.

Don’t be fooled by how simple these suggestions sound – they are harder to follow then they seem. But the good news is that they are so much more powerful then they seem as well. Remember, what separates you from the Top 20% is your ability to really listen and hear what your prospect is saying. But once you master these three simple techniques, closing sales like the Top 20% will be simple as well!

Mike Brooks has over 20 years of inside sales closing experience, and has been billed in the USA as Mr. Inside Sales. Once a bottom 80% producer, Mike learned and perfected the skills of Top 20% producers and became the number one sales rep out of 5 Southern California branch offices. To find out more about Mike, and his teachings visit www.mrinsidesales.com.

Here’s the first of a two-part guest post from regular Telesales Magic contributor Paul Archer of Archer Training. This time round Paul discusses how important it is to listen to your prospects and clients when selling them on the phone (or face to face, even).

Your Own Volume Control – Listening on the telephone in fact listening in general, has to be one of he hardest things to do continuously.  Yes we can all listen for five minute bursts but to do it all day every day, just has to be hard graft.

So next time you feel your listening ability has taken an early bath imagine your very own personal volume control. Now your volume control has 3 levels – 1, 2 and 3.

Most of the time it’s on level 1 which is selfish listening and there’s nothing wrong with this. Only the other day I was on a business trip to a strange airport and I was operating on level 1 listening.  I was looking out for signs and noises that would help me on my journey.  I wasn’t interested in anyone else just myself and my next steps. But in selling or dealing with people on the phone, we mustn’t focus on just ourselves.  We need to get into their shoes and that’s level 2 on your volume control.

Turn up the volume and start to think of the world in their shoes.  How do they see things, have empathy for their situation, understand their world. Have you spoken to a friend recently that has just returned from a holiday abroad to the same place as you’ve been.  Did you find yourself comparing their experience with yours?  I bet you did.  I do, until I kick myself back into level 2 listening.

Finally there’s volume level 3. Rarely do we cross into this level. Here we begin to hear and see things around our customer that are not obvious. We develop a kind of sixth sense so we can hear what’s not being said as well as what’s being said.

They call it intuition.  Trust it, as it won’t let you down. So next time you’re on the telephone and you’re struggling to listen, think of your imaginary volume control.

Reflective Statements -These are very handy little devices that show the customer that you’re listening and help to build empathy.

These are used to reflect emotion; they can act as a valuable tool in building rapport. If someone is perhaps angry, or very excited, or anxious – this emotion is probably going to get in the way of our discussion. Until we have in some way handled this emotion, we may not get their full concentration on what we need to find out.

•    “I can understand how that could be frustrating”
•    “I can see how that would be upsetting”
•    “You seem annoyed about something”

It gives the person the chance to vent the feelings and emotion.  Make the statement and pause for 1½ seconds for a response.  Learn to be comfortable with a little bit of silence before you have to signpost your way through it.

Verbal Nods – Imagine having a conversation with a good friend in a coffee shop and she gets to the best bit.  What do you do?  Yes you lean forward, give eye contact, nod your head, match expressions.

Yes you are showing good non verbal listening skills often called active listening.

The disadvantage of the telephone is we don’t have body language to help us listen, or show that we’re listening.  Classics such as nodding, eye contact, eye brow movement all help to show we’re listening. But without sight we have to go totally verbal.

•    “Uh hur”
•    “I see”
•    “keep going”
•    “that’s interesting”
•    “oh dear”

The list goes on and each one tells the customer that you’re listening to them. Care though you don’t use the same one as this will soon become what’s known as a “verbal tic”.

Beware the verbal tic…

The second part of this post will go live on Friday this week, be sure to check back then when Paul will be going into how to Eliminate Distractions, both internally and external, as well as a summary of the entire concept of listening effectively on the telephone.

Paul is an international speaker, trainer, author and coach based in the UK.  He specialises in rapport selling and rapport sales management and can ignite his audiences large or small.  Find out more about Paul by visiting his website www.archertraining.co.uk

If you like this post, you might like our other telesales tips:

How to Listen Effectively on a Telesales Call: Part 2 of 2

Warm Up Your Cold Calling – How to Sound GREAT On The Phone!

Softening Your Telemarketing & Telesales Questioning Techniques

The Ultimate Top Ten Telesales Tips