The true sales Pro prepares for every call

1.      Who makes the decisions Be sure to engage with the decision maker. So many Reps try & negotiate with anyone who will talk to them. I have visited a Client who was the tea lady! The Rep had called on her for 18 months & didn't ask...............!

2.      Establish good habits Plan each call, your day, your week & month religiously. This will avoid crisis management situations.

3.      What do you want to achieve from the call Never call without an objective. Second rate Reps “pop” in to say hi. Professionals call with a very clear idea of what they want to get out of the call. It is called “return on activity”.

4.      Adding value Customers have needs – they crave for better ways of doing things, products they didn’t know about or how to use, more efficient ways of working etc. That’s why they need you. Are you able to add value to a Customer?

6.      Knowledge & ability Customers want to do business with people who can assist & empower them. Gain an understanding of your Customer’s business & who his Customers are. What are his goals & aspirations? What is preventing him from accomplishing them? Your greatest tool is the ability to converse with your Customer on his terms & in his language.

7.      Time is valuable A Customer’s time is important & of course, so is yours. Prepare in advance for what you plan to discuss. You have only 540 minutes a day. Use them wisely.

8.      Don’t make sales calls Sales calls are viewed as an intrusion on a Customer’s time. Be sure that when you walk in the door, they are looking forward to seeing you. They must believe that you add value to their business, every visit. So be sure to research before each call & have something valuable to offer them.

9.      Spot the difference Let your competitors talk about prices, their company & themselves. You talk about what is important to your Customer. That is all they are interested in – not you or your company. Only then, will you be viewed as being a true consultant rather than just another smous.

Happy selling - er, consulting!

Richard