Episode 114 What makes a perfect sales call?

Simplify Your Sales meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.

 

Episode 114, Learn what makes a perfect sales call!

 

What makes the perfect sales call? A call that is planned out in detail before you call or connect. One of my first managers, Perry Samuels, would say these three words when I targeted a new customer for a first meeting, "Don't Skip Steps." He believed that following specific sequences of steps would benefit you and the client.

 

No matter where you are in the sales process creating a foundation for your sales calls is critical. It is so essential to master the conversation with your new prospect or your client. A phrase shared with me early in my career was, Question your way to the sale. The question is how the best way to do that is?

 

You need to master the best questions to ask your new prospect or client.  

 

For example:

What is the prospect or client's current situation? Have you discovered the Valid Business Reason why they should meet with you? See if you can't answer this question, you should:

 

Ask yourself what background research should you do before you call or meet? Research, Research, and Research!

 

Your background research should have two focuses: Who your client is and How you can help them.

 

The first connection can be a phone call. For example, Would you be open to a brief phone call to see if it makes sense for us to meet? I have identified a few areas in which our company can successfully help you. You will get a chance to learn more about their needs, goals, and budget.

 

So how should you research your clients to prepare for the meeting?

• Educate yourself on their company and industry.
• Have well-thought-out questions to ask about them. 
• Gather evidence of relevant clients you've worked with to show you're a good fit and not going to waste their time.
• Research your client on their social channels. Engage with them on Linkedin and Facebook to see what they are posting. See whom you have shared connections to that can do an introduction. You may discover interests or causes you have in common.
• Research recent changes in their industry (shifts in consumer behaviors towards their products, market opportunities, create ideas to help them solve a problem. For example, finding qualified employees is an area in our team is assisting companies. We are sharing the latest technologies in finding these employees so companies can continue to generate sales.
• Research their competitors to look for an opportunity for your client. Is there an idea or opportunity they take advantage of to help grow sales or solve a problem? 
• Research If they are a publicly-traded company, review their earnings reports to see an opportunity.

 

Next question you should ask yourself.

 

What are your goals for meeting with the client?

These will be different conversations.

• Is it a discovery meeting where you get to know each other and build rapport while learning how to help them?
• Is this a current client that you're sharing a new product or service line that can benefit them?
• Are your reviewing results from the prior month, the quarter where you share the results of working with you and your company to gain a renewal?
• Is there an opportunity in other divisions of the company that you can expand? We work with owners of businesses and VP'S. Gaining an introduction to the HR Director to help with their recruitment is an area of opportunity.

 

What is your desired outcome for the call?

You need to be clear with your intentions of what you need from each exchange.

• Understand the next steps after your meeting. The timelines and decision-makers needed for you to get a yes on the program you presented.
• Clarify what the client needs are and see where you can be of value to support them.
• Review your recommendations and get a commitment to move ahead. Ask is there anything you have not addressed and would like included in the program? If they say no to your proposal. Ask them what is stopping you from moving forward with your proposal? It's a way to say I may have missed an area significant to you. Can you share more about that with me?
• Ask your client the best form of communication they prefer—phone, email, or face to face.

 

The goal is to leave the meeting with as much info about your client and their needs as possible. Taking the time to research and ask great questions shows that you want clients to get everything they need.

 

So Don't Skip Steps and remember these Three Words: Research, Research, Research!

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .