Throw Out Your "Selling" Language - Unlock Your Natural VoiceWritten by Ari Galper
I was sitting at my desk last week when my phone rang. I picked it up and said, "This is Ari with Unlock The Game." The woman on other end of phone said, "Hi, my name is Julie Jackson, I'm with XYZ company and we are a...and we offer...". As she continued to speak, I stopped her in mid-sentence and said, "Hi, Julie."There was dead silence on phone. I could sense her struggling to react to my spontaneous overture at making personal, genuine contact. She was so locked into her presentation or script that she had no idea how to respond to me. The idea of just conversing with me in her most natural way was a completely foreign concept. (She eventually took a deep breath and we transitioned into a very pleasant conversation about possibility of us being a "fit".) What has happened to us? Can't we just strike up a conversation with people we don't know and build a relationship that way? It's ironic that most of us take it for granted that spontaneous, natural communication is right way to relate to our friends, spouses, relatives, and others in our personal lives -- but, when it comes to selling, our language becomes, almost robotic. Why breakdown? Because when we make a sales call, we want something. The people we're talking with sense this immediately. They put up their guard. Our hidden agenda and their reaction immediately destroy trust-building process of communication. We go into our personal relationships wanting to simply know other person. But we go into sales situations with agendas and assumptions. And because we've been conditioned that a sale can happen only if we control process, we never even consider possibility that there can be total flexibility in how we communicate and build trust.
| | 12 Handy Tips for Generating Leads through Cold-Calling Written by Glenn Murray
Cold calling can be a great way to generate quality leads. You get to speak to gatekeepers and stakeholders, and you get a great insight into their requirements and influences. But cold calling is an art-form. It can be daunting, it’s always a lot of work, and you always need to make a good impression. So you need to do it right. Following are some tips which will help you do just that. 1) Record everything Always write down all details of every phone call. Write down any names and titles you learn. Not just name of person you’re trying to contact. The receptionist's name can be vital to remember as they're often gatekeepers. Write down when you called, and when you said you'd call back. 2) Use a database or spreadsheet to record everything You’ll never manage by hand, and Excel spreadsheets aren’t user friendly in long term. If you’re prepared to invest in a real CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool, that’s a great idea. If not, you there is a cheaper alternative. I created my own database using Microsoft Access. Visit http://www.divinewrite.com/downloads/contacts and jobs.mdb to download a 208KB working copy for FREE. You’ll need Microsoft Access 2000 to run it. I’m no database expert, so it’s not a work of art. It’ll certainly get you started though. (TIP: When using database, press Ctrl + ; to enter today’s date.) 3) Always call back when you said you would Don’t let them down. They may not even remember that you committed to calling back. But if they do, and you don’t meet your commitment, you’ll lose valuable credibility and respect. And wherever possible, work to their schedule. You're here to help them, not make things harder. TIP FOR COPYWRITERS: If you’re an advertising copywriter or website copywriter, ask to speak to Marketing Manager (or if person who answers phone says they don't have a marketing manager, ask for "the person who looks after your advertising & website" - all businesses have that person - it's generally one of owners). 4) Always try to get on with gatekeepers Receptionists and personal assistants have great influence, and quite often do more of real work and decision making than person you’re trying to contact! Make friends with them and you’ve got a foot in door. (But don’t waste their time or crawl – they get a lot of that!) 5) Keep it short ‘n sweet When you do get to speak with someone, keep it short 'n sweet unless they want to talk a lot. The purpose of phone call is to get their attention, let them know you're there, get their name and contact details, and assess whether they have any requirement for your services. (TIP FOR COPYWRITERS: If you’re an advertising copywriter or website copywriter, you might have called about brochure writing and then find out they need web writing.)
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