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Training Tuesday:Preparation Before the Sales Call

Posted 6 years ago

How many times have you been confronted by a salesperson that knows nothing about you or your business? Did they launch into a barrage of “situation” questions and expect you to answer all of them? Or, worse yet, the salesperson didn’t ask any questions, but instead jumped right into their presentation about something that you have no interest in. Unfortunately, that kind of sales technique is the norm, not the exception. Preparation before the sales call is critical.

Knowledge is power. You should know as much as you can about your service, your industry, your competitors, and your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. You should also learn as much as possible about your prospective client before you make contact with them.

Below are four basic elements of successful sales preparation:

  1. Know the industry. Technology and trends are rapidly changing and new services are being offered continuously. Read industry specific publications, websites, or periodicals. Extensive and up-to-date knowledge of the industry provides your customers with greater confidence in your recommendations and abilities.
  2. Know your company. Having a clear, thorough understanding of what we do, and how we do it, will allow you to field customer questions and objections more easily. Know what areas need improvement and what is unique and adds value to what we offer. Seek to learn as much as possible about the company history and path for the future. This will allow you to offer an honest and realistic picture of what you and your company bring to the table.
  3. Know your competition. Know the competition’s strengths and weaknesses, and ask your customers what they like and dislike about your competitors. Compare your services, features, equipment, billing process, service levels, dispatching methods, and then use that to determine differentiating factors you can feature in your sales presentation.
  4. Know your customer. Complete knowledge of your customer’s company will show interest, will always impress them, and will represent an important first step in earning a customer’s confidence and business. An understanding of the potential customer’s industry, requirements for service, and general information about the customer’s company and business speeds the vital relationship building process.

You must be mentally prepared before you make a sales call. The degree to which a salesperson can create rapport and build trust is in direct relationship to the amount of preparation that has taken place before the sales call is made. The result of every sales call reflects the amount of time the salesperson invested in getting ready for the meeting.

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Training Tuesday:Building to the Sale

Posted 6 years ago

A good initial approach to a prospective customer is a crucial part of the sales presentation. All the selling skills in the world won’t matter if you don’t get your foot in the door.

A lot of salespeople tend to beat around the bush, differentiate yourself by stating your name, the company you represent, and the particular transportation services you’re there to sell, right away. Capitalize on this introduction by beginning concept selling. Tell the prospect “I’d like to share an idea with you. I’m in the transportation business. I’m assuming you’re always looking for ideas that will make your company’s shipping and receiving processes more efficient and profitable.”

This statement opens the door to your sell and informs the customer that you’re there to add value. It creates interest and you have to substantiate the statement in your presentation.

Early in your initial meeting be sure to mention the names of several satisfied customers, to establish credibility. It lets the prospect know that your shipping solutions have benefited other leading logistics decision makers, and that they can trust you and your ideas. It’s best to mention your other customers that are working in similar environments in their industry. When you can speak about familiar customers that have found solutions to similar shipping problems, you’ll get the prospect’s immediate attention. Using a prospect’s competition as an example piques their interest, because you can bet the prospect is interested in all solutions that are available to their competition.

Breaking the ice, gaining credibility and earning trust are essential to ensuring the prospective client will listen to the benefits of doing business with you. These are the cornerstones to building a long-term, profitable relationship with a new customer.

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Training Tuesday:Mentors and Joint Sales

Posted 6 years ago

Mentors are an important part of becoming a successful salesperson. A mentor or helper could be a co-worker, manager, or someone in a similar field. Find a mentor who can offer advice, tips, experience and suggestions for improving your sales skills.

Here’s a short list of our tips for getting the most from a relationship with a mentor:

Brainstorm. Sometimes you get so immersed in a sale that you can’t see the forest for the trees. Some of the best ideas and proven sales techniques come from a simple conversation. Open the conversation with a simple comment like, “Tell me about your best sales call,” or, “What do you say on a sales call that always seems to work?”

Have a game plan. Based on your personal styles, or the nature of a particular sale, determine in advance the roles that you and your partner will play in each sales call you make together, whether in person or not. You can have your mentor/helper make a follow-up phone call to your customer and ask how you did, if you asked the right questions, and if you provided a real solution. Team selling is one of the most effective ways to approach customers and a great way to close more sales.

Learn. When you go on a sales call with a proven sales professional, be sure to keep your eyes and ears open. Study their selling techniques. Pick out things they say that fit your style, and then use them on your next sales call.

Be selective. Use your sales mentor to your best advantage on difficult sales calls or for negotiations where you are at a stalemate. For some reason, you may not click with a particular customer, but your mentor may be the key you need.

Try making a joint sales call with your mentor today!

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Training Tuesday– Silence and Sales Listening

Posted 6 years ago

Often the most important part of your sales pitch is when you are completely silent. We often rush through all the great benefits of why a customer would buy, without really listening to them tell us what they need…why they might buy from us. Silence is often uncomfortable and we feel the need to fill the space, but silence is often one of the most important pieces of the sales puzzle.

It’s not what we say that makes the sale, it’s what we can get the prospect to say.

Begin with Questions

Think about how many times you launch right into your presentation thinking you know what the prospect wants. Sometime later, often too much later, you find you’re on the wrong track. The prospect has an entirely different need – one you might have uncovered by asking open-ended questions that required more than a yes or no response. Then you could have focused on what the customer wanted instead of what you had to sell. Stop thinking so much about what you are going to say and concentrate on what the prospect is telling you.

It’s a paradox: the more we try to tell the prospect up front, the more barriers we create to the purchase. The more we listen to why he or she wants to buy, the more we can tailor our delivery to providing very specific information concerning how our product or service fits his or her needs.

Ask More Questions

The opening question is merely the first in a series of questions that guide the dialogue. If we want to involve someone – the first step in convincing that someone – every comment should end with a question that solicits more information. After you ask a question, let the prospect answer, don’t be too anxious to fill the silence.

Don’t Rush in with Answers

Break yourself of the habit of jumping in too quickly after the prospect finishes. Instead, train yourself to wait several seconds after the customer has stopped talking before they begin. That gives you ample time to think about your response and answer in a way that reflects the customer’s concerns.

Get in a habit of paraphrasing what the prospect has said. This reduces the likelihood of misunderstanding what was said, and it boosts the prospect’s ego.

Learn to Listen

You need to learn to listen with your eyes, ears, and entire body. Use body language that shows you are paying close attention and your listening habits will automatically improve.

And finally, listen for buying signals. You’ll never remember a buying signal from the customer when you’re doing all the talking.

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Training Tuesday:Questions for the Sales Call

Posted 6 years ago

Knowing the questions you’re going to ask before you arrive at the customer’s desk or get them on the phone is essential to a productive sales call. The information you can collect from the customer through asking targeted questions with increase your chances of putting together a winning proposal after you’ve made your consultative sales call. You won’t have the opportunity to ask all of the questions outlined below, but over time the information you secure will allow you to earn more and more of your customer’s business.

Some of our best questions are below:

What does your company specialize in? Manufacturing? Distribution?

What do you ship? In what quantities? Expedited? Truckload? LTL? Intermodal?

In what lanes do you ship, and how often?

What is the average value of each shipment? Would you be interested in our ability to purchase affordable shipper’s insurance?

What service level is required? To where?

How is your product packaged? Palletized? Shrink wrapped? What is the average weight of each shipment?

What is the normal pick up time? Do you have any unusual pickup requirements?

What is the frequency of your shipments?

What is your average monthly cost for freight transportation?

How do you feel about your current freight transportation service? Pricing? Efficiency?

Would you benefit from adding shipping services that are not available with your current broker, carrier, or 3PL?

What services would you most like to add? What is the benefit?

What is most important to you: service, stability, technology, or something else? Why?

What would cause you to begin using a different carrier or broker?

 

After asking some of the above questions, be sure to wrap up the appointment by asking for the next appointment and initiating a trial close. The trial close, something like “I’d like to prepare a customized program for your company. Would you be able to commit to giving us a shot to prove that we can offer the kind of service you need?” lets the prospect know that your next call will include more of a sales push. It prepares them to say “yes” when you come back later and ask them to buy.

Good questions lead to profitable answers!

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Training Tuesday– Tips for Phone Calls & Voicemail

Posted 6 years ago

You can use the same tools when leaving a message as you do when speaking with a live gatekeeper: be aggressive, assume control, sound important, and be confident.

Here are some tips that will help you be an effective communicator on the phone or through voicemail:

  • Be clear and clever. Make sure you sound enthusiastic and authoritative on your business and theirs.
  • Being an effective communicator on the phone or in a voicemail is a skill that takes practice. Be sure to speak slowly and distinctly enough to be clearly understood.
  • Make your message short. Time is valuable. Give the prospect the headlines instead of the entire story, until you’ve grabbed their attention.
  • Smile with your voice. A friendly voice will hold your prospect’s interest. Prospects like to buy from people they’re comfortable with so be sure to project your friendliness over the phone.
  • Be an energetic speaker. This expresses your enthusiasm for your job and your product.
  • Make it clear that you’re not calling to make an immediate sale, rather to make a scheduled time for the call because you understand that their time is valuable. This also implies that you are busy helping other clients, which in turn translates to a perception that you’re successful.
  • Listen attentively. No one appreciates being interrupted. Sometimes the prospect will give you useful information that you can use during a face-to-face appointment, or a follow up phone call. Be sure to take notes.

Connecting with a prospect over the phone or through their voicemail can be frustrating, but it is also a very effective way to start the sales process. With the tips above, you’ll be on your way to being a better phone communicator.

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Training Tuesday:Closing Techniques – Part 2

Posted 6 years ago

Last week we mentioned 5 of our top 9 closing techniques you should try on your next sales calls. This week we’re addressing 4 more methods for confirming sales.

6.The “Testimonial” Close

To build credibility and reassure the prospect that they’re making a wise decision, tell them about success others have had in working with you.

7.The “All That” Close

To use the “all that” close, simply reiterate the client’s needs and wants, and how your service satisfies them: “From what you’ve told me, you want this and you need this, we can do all that.”

8.The “Ben Franklin” Close

Since we can’t offer perfect service all the time, it’s often difficult to overcome every one of the buyer’s objections. When an unanswered objection stands between you and a sale, make a list of benefits versus objections (just be sure that the benefits far outweigh the objections), and present them to your buyer and say, “As you can see, the reasons for buying far outnumber the reasons against.”

9.The “Reverse” Close

The reverse close turns the prospects’ reasons why they shouldn’t buy into reasons why they should buy. When your prospect voices an objection, think of a benefit to that objection: “that’s the reason why you should use us.”

 

The more closes you know, the better prepared you’ll be to face that moment of truth at the end of your presentation. With so many effective ways to confirm a sale, odds are, you’ll be able to confirm a sell on your very next call.

It’s no secret why you’re making the call in the first place. And it’s no secret why your prospect is listening.  They know you’re there for the purpose of selling them your services.

Be a closer (or confirmer). Your main objective is to get new business. At the end of the presentation, a real sales professional will confirm with their prospect that they’ve done a good job, and that confirmation will come in the form of a sale.

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Training Tuesday:Closing Techniques – Part 1

Posted 6 years ago

There are as many different closes as there are sales people, but there are some recurring techniques that may come in handy. While you may find that certain closes work better than others, that shouldn’t deter you from using a variety of closes or confirming techniques, depending on different situations. We’ve outlined the first 5 of our top 9 closing or confirming techniques. Learning the closes listed here will increase your chances of getting more sales, more often, from more accounts.

1.“It Costs Too Much” Close

Emphasize the benefits you know the prospect finds irresistible. Uncover the prospect’s hot buttons and emphasize how your solution will actually save them money in the long run.

2.The “What You Really Want” Close

Help the prospect see themselves using your service. Speak to them as though they already use it, and tie in a hot button benefit to its use. “When you use us, then this will happen, and that’s what you really want, isn’t it?

3.The “Minor-Major” Close

The minor-major builds a chain of affirmative answers to questions you ask to help lead a prospect into saying yes to the sale. To put the prospect in the habit of saying “yes,” ask questions you’re sure will get an affirmative answer.

4.The “If I Can” Close

This close uses the prospect’s questions and comments to help you get them to buy if you can provide what they want. Instead of immediately assuring the prospect that you can meet all of their needs and wants, ask them if they’ll buy from you if you can…

5.The “Give Us A Try” Close

If the prospect is waiting for an invitation to buy, give them one. Make a persuasive argument for choosing your product or company, including reasons why the prospect should buy, then invite them to do it. “Why don’t you give us a try?” or “Would you like to get started right away?”

Next week we’ll address 4 more top closing methods and how adding them to your repertoire of sale confirming techniques can help you up your sales success.

 

 

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Training Tuesday:10 Tips for Helping Dissatisfied Customers

Posted 6 years ago

Even the best company, with the best service, will occasionally make mistakes. What matters most is how you handle the situation when issues arise. We’ve included our top 10 tips to best help a dissatisfied customer.

1.Inform the customer as soon as you can – they’re going to find out one way or another – and no news travels as swiftly as bad news. Contacting them first allows you the opportunity to set the tone and break the bad news in the most productive way possible.

2.Get to the point quickly. Don’t draw out the inevitable.

3.If your customer approaches you with a complaint, don’t interrupt. Don’t become defensive or make judgement until you’ve heard all the facts as the customer sees them.

4.Take complaints seriously, even if they seem trivial to you. Remember that problems exist when a customer perceives they exist.

5.Apologize sincerely.

6.Avoid playing the “blame game,” instead focus on fixing the problem. The customer has already decided to blame you and your company, so take responsibility for the problem and solve it.

7.Let your customer suggest solutions or alternatives. Find out their expectations for a solution and follow that if it is reasonable.

8.Do something extra. Recognize the inconvenience caused by the problem and acknowledge that.

9.Listen to your customer, trust their sincerity, and empathize with them.

10.Follow up. After you’ve done everything you can to remedy the situation, follow up with the customer and make sure they are truly satisfied.

 

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Training Tuesday:Countering Objections

Posted 6 years ago

If it weren’t for objections, everyone would be in sales. While none of us like objections, we must accept them as part of the business and learn how to overcome them.

Your main goal when faced with an objection is to turn the objection around into a reason to purchase our service. If a prospect raises the ever-popular “the price is too high” objection, counter it by saying “Our prices accurately reflect the value of our services. And good value is important to you, isn’t it?”

Occasionally you’ll run into a prospect in the traffic or purchasing department who is sure they’ve seen everything there is to see. Generally, all this person really wants is attention, and to show you how much they know about your industry. Recognize their expertise and give them all the attention they crave. This is always a better way to handle a tough customer than putting them down.

When possible, let prospects answer their own objections. Sometimes you can stop an objection in its tracks by asking, “Could you tell me why you feel that way?” If the prospect can’t answer, then you and the prospect know the objection has little or no validity. If your prospect does not answer with a more specific objection, you have a chance to eliminate it and move one step closer to the close.

When faced with an objection, first restate the question or statement…

Give the prospect the opportunity to confirm your understanding of the objection, and hopefully they’ll give additional details.

Then, clarify the objection…

Remember this is a conversation between two people, not a contest.

After you’ve restated and clarified the objection, answer it. Answer the objection head on, honestly, simply, succinctly. A direct approach to handling objections guarantees greater sales results.

Buying decisions are risky for your prospects, and objections are the only way they have to help make sure that risk will pay off for them. If you can eliminate their objections, you’ll help provide the reassurance they need to say yes.

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