Yesterday I received a call from a financial planner named Richard doing a cold call. My policy is to always return those calls which help me to understand why I would personally benefit from doing business with a sales person. This one didn't, so it ended up getting deleted.
This is what he said.
"Hello, Scott. My name is Richard ______ and I'm with ABC Financial in Phoenix, Arizona. We do 401K's for employers. My number is 480-555-1212. Please call me back."
That was it. Nothing compelling. No benefit for me in there somewhere. Nothing to incite me to return the call.
The next time you are making a cold call and leaving a message for a prospect, consider these four steps in the call.
First, state your name and your phone number first. The prospect usually has a pen in his or her hand when checking voice mail, so if you start with your phone number at least you'll get on the list of people whose calls might get returned.
Second, tell him what is unique about your firm. This sales person could have said something like "Our business takes the headache out of financial management for companies by being the sole outsource provider of employee investment programs. In other words, we do all the work, and make you look like a hero with your employees." Within your unique selling proposition, or elevator speech, there must be a personal benefit for the end user. For example, when I leave a message for a sales manager for my sales training, I say "I improve sales performance of organizations by showing sales reps how to become more disciplined, more focused, and how to sell from the heart." The focus of my USP is on them, not me. I start with their benefit, and then tell them how I do it. The personal benefit of your features is more important than your features, and nobody cares what you do, only how that benefits them.
Third, drop a name or two. Use Robert Cialdini's principle of social proof in getting your calls returned. In his book Influence: Science and Practice, Dr. Cialdini explains the six reasons why people are influenced and puts them in the form of malleable principles. (For a free special report outlining those six principles, email me at scott@scottlove.com and I'll send you the executive summary). "We work with organizations such as Pineapple Computers?" If you work with a competitor of your prospect, state that name in your voice mail. Remember that trust is a byproduct of rapport, and rapport is a byproduct of common areas of interest. By establishing a common bond with someone you have never even talked with before, you are leveraging the principles of social proof and rapport to increase the likelihood of a call back.
Fourth, give them a time to call back, such as between three and five o'clock. This makes you sound busy, and if you are busy you are important.
Bonus tip: Tell them that if you don't hear from them by Wednesday (assuming it's a Monday), then tell them that you will put another call in to them on that day. This keeps you from appearing desperate and increases the likelihood of a call back because that person knows that you are serious about talking with them.
And if you every run across a guy named Richard in Phoenix who does financial planning, please forward this article to him.
Copyright © 2004 Scott Love
Scott Love improves employee performance by showing managers how to put meaning back into work, how to build authentic employee motivation, and how to lead. To have him speak at your annual franchise, association, or corporate meeting, call him at 828-225-7700. To access his leadership resources and archive of leadership articles, visit www.scottlove.com.
Writing good sales copy is not an art, it is... Read More
Just about every clothing store uses mannequins. There are many... Read More
One of my first internship jobs as a college student... Read More
Britney Spears has recently caused controversy with suggestions that the... Read More
The main reason for buyer resistance and selling stalls boils... Read More
Being a good listener requires more than just keeping quiet... Read More
What do you think it is? Many experts insist it's... Read More
Smart buyers will always ask for a better price. Unfortunately,... Read More
While working with a new coaching client, I asked to... Read More
Several years ago I worked with a CPA who wanted... Read More
1. Animate your window display.How often do you change your... Read More
John Di Lemme on "Miracles are your responsibility"Miracles are your... Read More
Steps - it is unrealistic for most salespeople to expect... Read More
Business owners should be more like doctors.Forget selling and start... Read More
The time comes for all mortgage brokers and loan officers... Read More
Junk mail. We all get it. And it goes straight... Read More
No matter how big or small your business is and... Read More
A mobile auto detailer and their profits are tied to... Read More
A few weekends back, the Brobdingnagian Bards performed at the... Read More
I wonder when we decided to become a sales person.... Read More
? Go through the "no's" to get to "yes." ?... Read More
Strategies to help produce your brochure, advertisment or direct mail.... Read More
Will you do just about anything, including sending out hundreds... Read More
Part I of this article explored how strategies of Neuro-Linguistic... Read More
Myth 1: Sales People are all Shady!In the Broadway play... Read More
Many pressure washing companies try to stay away from the... Read More
Consulting Vs Selling, How we can make sales by not... Read More
Hello everyone, hope your day is going well! I know... Read More
How many times have you heard that you gotta get... Read More
A white paper supports PR, marketing and sales because it... Read More
In the work place, the amount of good things that... Read More
What do people buy? They don't buy your wonderful presentation.... Read More
The topic of this issue's article is a response to... Read More
Sales information resource Just Sell, calls caring "sales love". Here's... Read More
HOW TO MAKE AN EXTRA $100,000.00 EACH YEAR BY ADDING... Read More
Imagine you just met someone new. The formalities of names,... Read More
I can remember the first time that I had to... Read More
I've found that winners say "I choose to." Whiners, on... Read More
Ready to put your Web pages up? Ready to sell... Read More
The topic of this issue's article is a response to... Read More
After careful consideration, we have chosen our vendor, and it's... Read More
Who among us is not already up to here with... Read More
Some of the best sales people I have ever met,... Read More
After our first half-hour telephone coaching session, when asked what... Read More
I've been training in countries outside the U.S. recently, and... Read More
Color psychology is the biggest question I receive on a... Read More
They say if you wait long enough, a style you... Read More
When I write sales letters for my clients, one rule... Read More
"If you don't think well of yourself, no one... Read More
Recently I wanted a new lawn mower as we have... Read More
With hundreds of direct sales companies out there, how do... Read More
TELEPHONE TECHNIQUESSelling face to face is different from selling on... Read More
Offering gift certificates is an excellent way of increasing sales... Read More
I learned something very interesting this week. Thankfully, what I... Read More
This is a stupid question but it has to be... Read More
"How do you create a perceived value to differentiate yourself... Read More
In some situations, attempting to intimidate the other person will... Read More
"Which is your best CD?"Ever get that question? My band... Read More
If you were selling a mansion, and you were selling... Read More
For technology companies, service after the sale has emerged on... Read More
Over the years, many prospects have hidden behind their well-trained... Read More
Any company that relies on selling a product or service... Read More
Could casual Friday be undermining your leadership ability?One of the... Read More
Would you pay $12,500 to discover the keys to great... Read More
Yesterday I received a call from a financial planner named... Read More
Psychological Tricks in Selling By Stephen Bucaro In this article,... Read More
Sales |