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3 Secrets to Setting Qualified Appointments

Written by Mike Brooks

If you have to set appointments over the phone then you know that delicate balance between building rapport, creating interest, qualifying and asking for and getting an appointment. It can be difficult knowing exactly when and how to ask for the appointment without sounding like you are closing them, and, of course, there is always the awkwardness of handling the no’s if you’re turned down.

The good news is that if you follow these 3 proven secrets of top producers, then you’ll not only begin setting more appointments, but you’ll set more qualified ones as well. Here they are:

Secret #1: Always use a script.

I know, this may sound basic enough, but you’ll be amazed by how many professional sales people still insist on winging it through their initial call. Your script must help you deal with things like:

• How to deal with and get past the gatekeeper • How to handle your prospect’s initial objections • How to establish quick, relevant rapport • How to qualify to see if your prospect is even the right candidate

This article is too short to script all these things out for you but don’t worry I’m not going to leave you in the dark. I’ve covered all these topics before in previous articles, and I’ve even written word for word scripts for you to use. You can find them all on my website by searching my Inside Sales Training Blog.

Bottom line: Prepare and use an effective script!

Secret #2: Know when to ask for the appointment.

Many sales reps just don’t know when the best time to ask for the appointment is. Because of this they either ask too soon and then begin fielding objections, or they pitch for too long and the prospect has then heard enough to say no.
Either way, obviously, you lose.

Here’s the rule: After you’ve made a connection with your prospect (built rapport), gained the right to ask a few questions to see if there might be a fit between what their needs are and what you’re offering (how you can help), and after you verify a few crucial qualifiers – like if they are the decision makers, what their interest level and time frame is, and what their budget is – then it’s time to suggest a possible meeting to explore if your solution might benefit them.

The key here is to ask enough questions to identify what their buying motives are (their needs) and then to give them just enough information to suggest a fit. Then it’s time to suggest an appointment.

Secret #3: Know how to ask for the appointment.
Please, whatever you do don’t use the age old sales technique of the “either or” close. You know, the “Well I can either stop by tomorrow at noon or would the next day at 4pm be better for you?” As soon as you utter those words, your credibility goes down. Everybody recognizes that as a sales pressure line and they react accordingly.

Here’s the better way to do it:

“_________, from what I’m hearing from you it sounds like it makes sense for us to explore this a little further. Here’s what I’d be willing to do: Let’s make an appointment to briefly get together so we can get to know one another and I can learn a little more about your situation. If we find that there is a fit, and you think I can help you, then I’ll give you some information that you can go over, and then I’ll put together some options for you.

And if we don’t see a fit at this time, at least you’ll have another resource you can use at a later date – is that fair?”

And then you set the appointment. The strength of this close is that it’s a none-pressure situation that gives your prospect a way out if they’re not interested. Plus, it lets them know you’re not coming over to try to close them. This script lets them know this visit is all about them, which is what it should be.

I guarantee that if you begin using the three secrets above for setting appointments, your appointment rate will not only go up, but you and your prospect will feel better during the whole process. And how great will that be?

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Four Keys to a Great 4th Quarter

Productivity - Activity

Written by Mike Brooks

Happy Fall everyone! The first week of October is the official start of the 4th quarter. I always know the end of the year is coming because that’s when my phone rings off the hook with companies wanting to hire me to help them finish the year strong.

So, what’s your plan to finish 2011 strong?

If you don’t have an immediate answer, then use the four keys below to get organized, focused and committed to having your best end of year yet:

1) Be Crystal Clear on your personal income number and revenue goal.

Quick: Exactly how much money are you going to earn by December 31st of this year? And exactly how much business are you going to close to earn that? If you can’t answer that with absolute clarity, then this is goal one for you.

Knowing exactly how much you’re going to earn acts like a magnet that attracts clients, opportunities and business your way. Having this exact number also motivates you to take action and continue taking action throughout the quarter.

Take some time today to identify these two numbers and then write them down on a card and keep it with you at all times. Post it at your desk, on your bathroom mirror, in your car, etc. Remember, what you focus on you create.

4 Keys 2) Call your best/biggest clients first.

Your greatest asset as a closer is your current list of clients. Now, I didn’t say “all” your clients, but rather your best and biggest clients.

It’s been said that 80% of your business comes from your top 20% clients, so who are they and what is your strategy to help them buy more this quarter?

Make a target list of these clients and begin calling them this week. Be on the look-out for not only more business, but referral business as well.

Once again, identify a number you expect to generate from your top clients and add 10% to it.

Remember, if you aren’t getting their business, someone else is.

3) Call your “A” Leads Next.

Identify your most valuable leads next and make attempts to reach them by mid-October. These “A” leads should include deals you almost closed earlier this year; leads or companies who told you to call back at this time; and those clients who regularly buy and who you know will place orders with you.

Prioritizing your leads in this way will make sure you spend your time in early October focused on those leads that will give you the best return for effort. Bottom line? Call these leads next!

4) Start visualizing how it feels now that you’ve accomplished your revenue goal.

A great motivator I learned from years ago told me that what’s important about goal setting is to begin acting and feeling as it you’ve already accomplished your goal. He called it the “Be” state.

So project yourself to the holidays, and ask yourself, “What does it feel like now that you’ve accomplished your goal?” “What are the things you’re enjoying now that you have?”

Start thinking about the company holiday party and what it feels like to receive your bonus or recognition. How about your family? What are they feeling now that you’ve made your goal? How confident, positive and happy are you?

These are the feelings you should identify now and begin affirming every night when you go to sleep and every morning first thing when you wake up.

Again, you become what you think about all day long.

These are the four keys to having a great 4th quarter. I’ve already organized my business to be in alignment with them, and I can already feel how good it is to have accomplished them. It’s a great state to be in and I encourage you to get in alignment with these keys as well.

Have a great week and enjoy the 4th quarter!

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4 Keys to Get Past the gatekeeper

Productivity - Activity

Written by Tony Cole

In today’s fast-paced and virtual work environment, prospecting and getting to the decision maker has become a challenge. With the help of technology, the cold or the warm call has evolved to a strategic process. However, there are still some basic beliefs that you must have as you mentally prepare to make that call; get through the barriers; deal with voicemail; and talk to your prospect.

The 4 keys to get past the gatekeeper:

1. The gatekeeper’s job is to screen you out. Your job is to get through to your contact. At the end of the phone call, your success or lack of success determines who is better at their job. You or the gatekeeper.

2. Remember that the gatekeeper is not your mother, favorite uncle or school teacher. Be polite, but don't tell them everything. Put aside your need-for-approval. It is more important to get to your prospect than to be liked.

3. The biggest mistake a gatekeeper can make is to screen out someone who should talk to their boss. Use this to your advantage as you introduce yourself and explain why you are calling.

4. Most importantly, remember to ask for help. People generally want to help others. So leverage this natural human tendency with the gatekeeper.

Given these four keys to working with and through the gatekeeper, what is the best way for you to make that initial phone call work for you? The discussion should sound something like this:

gatekeeper: Hello. ABC Company. Tina speaking. Can I help you?

Salesperson: Hello Tina. (If they don't give you their name, ask for it and repeat the following) I'm not sure if you can help or not. Can I tell you why I called?

gatekeeper: Yes.

Salesperson: I'm calling because I’m supposed to talk to Ed Smith.

gatekeeper: Okay let me put you through. (That's the easy and rare answer) or the more common response; Can I tell Mr. Smith what this is about?

Salesperson: I wish I could tell you. All I know is that I'm supposed to talk to Ed. He is the head of Job Function, correct?

gatekeeper: Yes, he is.

Salesperson: Good. Could you please put me through?

At this time, you will either be put through, get voice mail or more likely, the gatekeeper will tell you that Ed is not in and will ask if you would like his voice mail.

Salesperson: Yes. That would be great. Thanks Tina.

Congratulations, you have progressed beyond the gatekeeper. However, your next obstacle is voicemail which can be an even tougher challenge than getting past the gatekeeper. There are two possible voice mail strategies:

1) Leave a message as if you were actually talking to the prospect on the phone. Include your value proposition etc. or
2) Leave your name and phone number. Nothing else.

The first option gives your prospect a reason NOT to call you back. The second option raises their curiosity and may give you a better chance of getting a call back.

Finally, prospecting is the toughest part of your job and what you get paid to do. Your attitude about prospecting will determine how successful your sales career will be. If you feel that prospecting is something you “have to do”, then you will view it as drudgery. You will resist it; you will find other things to do instead of prospecting. You will not improve your skill at it, and therefore your performance and success in sales will suffer.

You must embrace prospecting. You must understand that prospecting is the job. You get paid a lot of money because you are willing to do what others won’t – prospect. The operative word is WILLING! And if you embrace prospecting, you will do a much better job getting past gatekeepers.

Those people in sales who are making the most money are not making the most because they are brighter or have better presentations, or because their product is better than yours. They are making big money because they have figured out that the real job is getting in front of people or businesses that need, want and can pay for the product and services they provide.

The moment you realize that prospecting is THE job, you have taken your first step to the best year in sales you’ve ever had.

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Overcoming the “Sales Rut”

Productivity - Activity

Written by Stu Schlackman

Its summer time and your prospects are telling you to give them a call in the fall. “Summer is busy, budgets are in review and with the vacation schedule ramping up, we’ll “see you in September”- as they say. Sound familiar?

You thought things were moving along nicely, your pipeline of opportunities was filling up, you just closed a nice piece of business that you’ve been working on for 4 months and bam - what’s next? It happens to many of us. As you manage opportunities and build your prospective pipeline, in reality you are at the prospects beck and call. The mantra is, don’t call us, we’ll call you when we are ready. Their own priorities always come first and not yours.

If your pipeline isn’t full, you may be wondering how you can avoid and get out of that “sales rut”? In the age of social media there are more ways and opportunities to make yourself visible to your prospects and convey the value that you can offer. Let’s visit 3 ways we can circumvent the sales rut.

No sense of urgency

First, put yourself in the mind of your prospect: why would they delay moving forward to the fall? Ultimately, it’s because there’s no sense of urgency. They don’t see any reason why your product or service is a top priority for them, therefore, it can wait! Companies are very busy juggling 20 balls at once. If you’re lucky, you are one of those balls. The question becomes, how do you get your prospect to stop and see your ball as a bigger ball in the scheme of things. Remember, people buy based on perceived value. The greater the value, the greater their need to take action, and they will equate your value to the benefits of your solution. More benefits = greater value. Relate your benefits to their needs. Don’t ever lead with features because features don’t meet customer needs. The only way to heighten their sense of urgency is to show them the impact on their business of not implementing your solution.

Sales rut

Keep in touch strategy

The second point to consider when combating the summer time blues is to develop a keep in touch strategy. How do you keep in touch with your prospects and what value do you communicate to them? When you stay in touch, give them pertinent information that can be of benefit to their business. Do you have a newsletter; do you send industry articles on trends and information to be aware of? Do you post information on LinkedIn and Facebook? Do you belong to networking groups that give you the opportunity to share information about trends in your industry? The greater your activity level in communicating pertinent information, the better your chances of keeping an active dialog with prospects. After all, they want value from you.

Monitor the pulse

The third point is to monitor your pipeline pulse. When you look at your pipeline, what do you see? Can you see a snapshot of what opportunities will be closing in the next 30 to 60 days? If you segment your pipeline into A, B and C opportunities where A’s will close the soonest, you can then see the big picture as to when you might be hitting the blues. If you are going into June with 5 deals that are supposed to close in the next 2 months you have a great chance of avoiding the summer time blues. Having a combination of A, B and C opportunities moving forward is vital to a constant closing of new sales opportunities.

The best way to bust the Summertime blues is to:
•    Demonstrate the benefits of your offering to create a sense of urgency
•    Stay in touch in ways that matter to them = add value
•    Pay attention to your pipeline – where are the holes and the opportunities

Anytime is a good time for selling, especially when you follow these three easy points.

Good selling!

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Summer Sales Slow? Five Things to do NOW!

Productivity - Activity

Written by Mike Brooks

I don’t know about you, but two days before July the 4th business slowed down and then after the holiday, it seemed to stop! We do have business, of course – very much like you – but the pace of business, the new leads and the urgency of the first half of the year seem gone…

What happened??

Summer happened, that’s what. As I speak to clients and colleagues (who aren’t on their family vacations) they tell me the same thing – many of their bosses, co-workers, suppliers or business partners are either on vacation, just coming back from a vacation, or just about to take a vacation.

In fact, many people I know are taking as much as three to four weeks off!
(I just spoke with a potential coaching client, and when I asked him when he was thinking of starting our coaching relationship, he told me it would be after his month long vacation in August. He and his wife will be back right before Labor Day.

So there you have it. Business is seasonal. Kids get out of school. The weather changes. People have worked hard and are now ready to take some time off. Business changes and people seem to relax.

Does this mean companies aren’t buying or planning for the fall? Of course not. It just means that they are going to begin doing things on their time table, not yours.

So here’s what you can do to not only make sales now, but also set yourself up for the best finish of any year you’ve ever had:

Summer sun 1) Don’t let up. Keep working hard – if not harder. Make more calls.
Send more emails, stay later and come in earlier. The time you put in now may not seem to pay off right away, but in the fall you’ll see the fruits of your labor.

It reminds me of the “dog days of summer” in NFL training camps. I still remember what Bill Parcells told his players in late December when they were about to begin a drive that would determine whether they got into the playoffs or not. He looked at his exhausted linemen and said: “This is why you lift all those damn weights!”

The effort you put in now will make the difference at the end of this year…

2) Connect with established clients. This is the perfect time to send a card, to make a call, and to talk with clients about things other than business. For example, where are they going for summer vacation?

Face it, if things are slow for you, they are probably slow in their business as well. How about asking what they are doing to deal with this period and what they are doing to get ready for the fall. And how about
asking how you can help them do that? Set yourself to work with them
when they’ll be ready…

3) Work on improving your skill set, new product development or other part of your business that will make a difference in the second half of the year. If any of you have thought about developing a greeting card campaign to stay in front of your customers and prospects, this is the perfect time to do it!

Some of you know that I use Send Out Cards to keep in front of my clients and prospects, and did you know that you can now use that same system without a sign up fee? Visit: www.SendOutCards.com/mrinsidesales to find out how. Just use this number to try this system out for free: 83661

Why not design a card with a picture of yourself and family on YOUR vacation and send it to all your clients and prospects. That’ll give you something to talk about.

4) Make goals for September through December and develop a plan of action to accomplish them. Develop an affirmation card and goal sheet of what you’re going to earn, what it’s going to feel like over the holidays to have accomplished it and begin smiling each day as you feel the feelings of having done it.

Remember, “Fear Pushes, but Vision Pulls.” Use this time to create a compelling vision of the rest of the year for yourself and let that vision pull you through the summer…

5) Feed your mind a positive diet. This is the time to feed your mind every single day (and many times in the day as well). My favorite book to re-read during each summer is: “Beyond Positive Thinking” by Dr. Robert Anthony. You can get it on Amazon.com

I’ll bet you have your own list of positive reading material you’d like to finally read. Pick one book tonight, put it on your desk and commit to reading it before Labor Day. That alone will make a huge difference for you.

The most important thing to remember during the summer is that “This too shall pass.” If business has slowed down, that will change. And if you take advantage of any of the five suggestions above, you’ll be the most prepared to prosper when it does…

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Activity

3 Secrets to Setting Qualified Appointments

Four Keys to a Great 4th Quarter

4 Keys to Get Past the gatekeeper

Overcoming the “Sales Rut”

Summer Sales Slow? Five Things to do NOW!

Sales Articles

Sales Articles

Sales Articles