Action Items from Last Episode

Your last assignment was to:

1. Prove to yourself that you show your customers you tell the truth in your first few words. This doesn't mean saying, "Trust me."

2. Prove to yourself that you show your customers you care about them through your first few words-hint: Have you said something to them or responded to them in a way that told them that you were paying attention to what they said either on the phone or over the desk or on their web site, advertising, or collateral material?

How did you do?

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New Material

We gave an example of how to show you tell the truth-

"This is Tom with XYZ supercomputers and I am calling to sell you our computer system"

We gave an example of how to show the gatekeeper you care while showing that you are telling the truth-

"Well thanks for answering Mary of XYZ Investment Corporation, where my financial future is your life" (pause here for amused chuckle, we hope!) and I don't know if you need to direct my call or to who. You see, my name Tom Smith and I would love to sell you our product!"

Now let's talk about the opening sales conversation from someone who sells financial services. People we used to call Stock Brokers.

I hear calls that go something like this-

"Mr. Jones, this is Brett Harte with the investment firm of Twist, Oliver, Dickens and Charles. I am calling to introduce myself and see if you would like to receive free research on a potential investment that could fit your needs. Do you have a few minutes so I can ask what kind of investment research you might be interested in?"

-usually not that smooth. Feel free to use this one. There is nothing at all wrong with it. This opening, applied with concern and care and delivered with true, understated passion, will work.

Here is an opening statement leading to an opening sales conversation for the investment industry. And we will show a young sounding, inexperienced broker how to take away some of the experience barrier.

A point to remember, and I am quoting Deepak Chopra-

"An ah ha! is a lot like a ha ha."

If you have the funny thing going on, use it. If you don't-don't!

"Hello, Mr. Jones, this is Brett Harte, from the investment firm of Twist, Oliver, Dickens, and Charles. This is not a sales call. Don't get me wrong- If everything goes right in a few months I'd love to make a sales call, helping you make the right investments! Now, I'd simply like to ask you a few questions to see if there's a good chance my team can use its 120 years experience to help you, and let you go about your business. Do you have a few minutes now?"

Now- Did we to T? Tell the truth?

"Hello, Mr. Jones, this is Brett Harte, from the investment firm of Twist, Oliver, Dickens, and Charles. This is not a sales call. Don't get me wrong-If everything goes right in a few months I'd love to make a sales call, helping you make the right investments!"

My answer would be yes.

Do you think we showed that we cared?

"If everything goes right in a few months I'd love to make a sales call, helping you make the right investments! Now I'd simply like to ask you a few quick questions to see if there's a good chance my team can use its 120 years experience to help you, and let you go about your business. Do you have a few minutes now?"

We show we care by asking useful questions and actively listening to the answer.

How do we show that we can help? You have engaged the gatekeeper in conversation, differentiated yourself from the competition, showed that you cared by active listening and paraphrasing. Now for even more good fun,

Let's go back to Tom with XYZ Supercomputers. He is talking to his new sales coach and ally the former gatekeeper. Here is our example of how to show you care:

"Now, the reason I really want your help is that from my research on the web and other places, it looks like you run your business a lot like ABC company in Phoenix and EFG company in Portland. I'd sure like to truly understand how your company works because we saved ABC seventeen percent on their data processing and EFG even more. Now, I won't guarantee that we could do that for you, but I'd sure like to ask you folks a few questions to see if we might. Are you involved in decisions to save money on data?"

Since it is right in the middle of many important holidays, why don't we stop right there and you can ponder actions items?

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Take Action

Each e-letter will encourage you to take immediate action to implement consultative selling skills and positive leadership principles. 

Perfecting your sales conversation

1. Count your blessings and care for the world you live in. Most of us, here and now, live better than any king lived even a hundred years ago. Take a few moments to be thankful and take care of those less fortunate around you.

2. Pick three prospective customers. Get your success stories lined up-specific to them-and do enough research so that you can show that you care when you call them.

Our next episode will move you further toward perfecting an effective opening sales conversation. Thanks for reading, happy selling!