A new year and new opportunities! You’ll make more money in 2009 — no matter what — when you apply these 3 important skills.
1. Love the phone.
Picking up the phone to call happy customers and those who have become friends is never a problem. So, use the phone to make new friends. It’s easy!
Answer their (unasked) question: How do I know this person?
Don’t start with any variation of: “How are you today?” or “Is this a good time to talk?”
Simply open by providing your name and company, and how you’re connected.
Say:
Hi Sophie, This is Buster Brown from the Champion Resort and Spa. BC Brady suggested I phone you…
If you have no direct referral, try this:
Hi Sophie, This is Buster Brown from the Champion Resort and Spa. Because we’re both members of MPI, I was wondering…
2. Engage their imagination
When they give you time to make your pitch, engage them with story. Help them pay attention to your words by saying: “Picture this.” And then paint a picture of how their meeting will be successful. Talk in terms of “your attendees, your group, your meeting” instead of “our hotel, our people, our products, our service”… you get the picture.
At your next internal sales meeting, share customer success stories. Use emotion-laden words and those stories to engage prospects.
3. Sell what matters to them not to you.
Talk only about what matters to them. Period. To get to what matters to them, ask questions and listen to their answers.
Consider this sales energizer at your next sales meeting: What are the most common words your customers use to describe your service, product or idea? Make a list of the words you hear about your service/product from your customers (not the ones you say). Use those words when you sell.
Example: Let’s say you sell promotional products. Do your customers call them “promotional products” or do they call them incentive gifts, gadgets and gizmos? Sell what they buy.
BONUS: Want more? Discover how you can use email to sell more today! It’s Tuesday, January 6, so register now! In addition to email, we’ll talk about how to use voice mail so that they return your message (and what to do if they don’t), and what you must sell today — no matter what you sell. Make your sales goals this quarter and every quarter!
