Prospecting: Anticipate and use your resources

When it comes to developing the words to use for prospecting and making cold calls, we often overlook a great resource. Your experience is probably the best resource you have, regardless of how long you have been in sales. Last week I was making cold calls with a salesman. When I work in the field with sales people, I do the cold calls ( I call them BLITZ CALL®s) myself. (I do this so they can see that cold calling doesn't require any product knowledge, simply knowing how to make the call. I rely on the sales person to be the resource when the prospect asks questions.) After a few calls the salesman said he was noticing that I was asking for the opportunity to visit with the prospect right then, on our cold call. When he had been prospecting alone he was simply asking for the name of the person he should call on and then would either stop back or phone. I suggested that the cold call is simply intended to start the relationship, so let's keep it to one call if at all possible for the sake of efficiency. He then asked what I would say when the prospect said he was "all set and didn't need anything." I wondered how he knew the prospect would say that. Which hits to the core of the prospecting dilemma. Most sales people look at prospecting and making cold calls as the number one way to be rejected. The young man I was working with had been in sales for just about a month. So I asked him to fall back on his "experience" and tell me how we should handle the objection. Even though he was new to sales, as we sat down over a cup of coffee he was able to develop a very good response, in about 5 minutes. As we spent more time working on it, he was able to re-word his "BLITZ CALL" so that he will prevent most prospects from using that objection. One of the greatest resources you can use is your knowledge of the products and services you offer and the benefits they provide. Incorporate that knowledge into your presentations when prospecting as well as when selling. Most of the people we work with are not able to develop this wording spontaneously when standing in front of a prospect. You don't have the time to think about it, and most of us don't have the composure. Therefore, you must prepare the wording prior to making the calls. Anticipate what the prospect can say. When you think about it, the prospect is pretty well limited in his choices. So you can develop very comfortable, pleasant responses that will help you to achieve your goals. We were conducting a sales training program for a group of very well educated consultants a few years ago and they said that the objection they received after every presentation was that their price was too high. This caused them to hate to make the presentations because when it was concluded, they knew the prospect would confront them on their fees. All of the participants agreed. So I simply suggested that they anticipate that objection and revise their presentations to reflect what the fees covered and why the prospect was really getting exactly what they wanted. The more you think about something, the better you become at handling it. The more you anticipate what people will say or how they will react, the more successful you will be. Also, life will be a lot easier. Be sure to practice the wording, by saying it aloud. Don't simply write the words down once and then think you are ready. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Another great resource can be others in your company. Ask them how they would respond. You probably have a wealth of experience and expertise available, use it. Don't re-invent the wheel. When the new salesman and I were debriefing last week, the company president stopped in to see how our day went. We asked him how he would respond to one of the comments made by a prospect, and he gave us a perfect response. Simply because it was one that everyone in that business faces. That young man will do well in sales. Anticipate and use your resources. Sell Well and Often Bill Truax Bill@BlitzCall.com 800-253-1214 © Copyright 2006 WJ Truax