How to Maintain Control of your Telephone Sales Process

The idea is to engage in a conversation with the prospect with intentions; you should know the exact intentions you have before you even pick up the phone, every time you pick up the phone…  Right?  Knowing how to maintain control of your telephone sales process is critical to your success as a salesperson.  This is what we will cover in this short article.

There are times when you feel out of control of your sales process.  When the potential client is asking all of the questions and you are just answering them.  You are starting to feel like customer service and there is a lost feeling in your chest.  You have a job, you want to make your salary, you are on the telephone, you have called the prospect, and therefore it is YOUR sales process.

                So let’s get into it.

Once you get the client on the phone and get past the introductions, it is time for building a relationship.  The facts are the facts and no one wants to buy something from someone they do not know….  Especially if they do not really NEED the item, you want to sell them.  Therefore, your job is to build great rapport.

Naturally, while building great rapport you will want to discover the needs / pain points of the client that you can poke at.

So there you are, trying to build a relationship with someone you cannot see, and do not know.  As you are discovering who the prospect really is as a person, THIS is when a call is prone to go off track.  This is when you can go way off topic.  You may begin to talk about things that have nothing to do with your product.  Have you ever been off the track?  Have you ever asked a question for no reason, or explained a feature(s) of your products for no good reason?  Don’t worry, I have too.

The best thing you can do is plan ahead…In every way.  Meaning, that you should have a series of questions that you might be able to ask if you find yourself out in “No Man’s Land” and you are about to ask a question that you don’t know why you are asking it,  and definitely about to blow the sale.

What about some of these ideas?

1. So I am really glad to get to know you (prospects name), I would like to see if you might be a good fit for the (your companies name) family if that’s okay with you?

2. I think it’s time for you to start taking action towards your goals, and what you need so this is exactly why I called you (prospects name).

3. So how can I help you be more successful in what you want?

4. Okay, so just a few more questions before we finish…

5. So this is why you signed up with us then?

Or in a LAST CASE SCENARIO

6. so (clients name), I feel like we got a little bit off track, is it okay if I ask you a few more questions?

-Claude Massey, Sales Development Israel