By Ron S. LaVine
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Don’t try to sell the Operator: be polite yet respectfully persistent while finding who the right person to speak with is.
Get an internal transfer: the number will come through as an internal transfer and the person will pick up.
Offer to call back: ask when is convenient for them.
Random names: type in a couple of letters, wait for the system to come back; the system will supply other names and their extensions.
Department directories: listen for all menu choices as other departments provide additional points of entry -- perhaps they might need a solution from your company.
Best times to call: before or after their ‘gatekeeper’ arrives/leaves - execs will pick up their own phone after hours. Or try them on the hour in between meetings.
Make note of the time you were able to reach the person: typically you can reach them again at the same time.
Change the digits: people in the same department have similar extensions; change 1 or 2 of the digits and ask to be referred or for the correct extension.
Get the main number: use the Internet to find other numbers of points of entry.
Make an error in the extension: ‘I was trying to reach x, maybe you can help me, is Tina within eyesight?’ People like to help each other.
Listen to complete message for additional choices, names and numbers.
Build rapport more quickly by teaching yourself to regulate your voice to gently match theirs.
Practice: call yourself and leave a message. How do you sound? Practice until your voice sounds smooth and melodic. Remember people cannot see you they can only hear your voice.
Use your headset: open your mouth wide and carefully pronounce every word. Do not hold the phone on your shoulder as this tenses your throat and makes you talk from one side of your mouth.
Tip: buy a digital ‘logger’ for example at http://www.astselling.com/store.htm (last item on the list). Record your conversation, replay for yourself and/or your manager. It can eliminate the need to take notes at the time of the call; you can focus on what is being said.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a sales training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report “41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.astselling.com. If you would like information on Live Cold Calling Sales Training please call Ron at 818-991-6487 PST. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
How to Pre-Call Plan Target Accounts
by Ron LaVine
Recently I was researching a prospect before I planned to call them. I had been given a referral however before calling them; I want to do my homework first. First, I realized that at least five or more of my current clients were direct or indirect competitors. This meant this prospect fit perfectly in my target market and therefore was worth the time spent doing an in depth analysis of their operations.
When conducting my pre-call planning, I always start out in the career section. This tells often me what types skills sets are required of people they are looking for and the type of sales training in use. In this case, they were looking for salespeople with cold calling and prospecting skills.
A good start so far. This description also told me what type of sales training they were currently using. Knowing this information, I planned an augmentation strategy rather than a replacement one. Often it is easier to augment a current solution than to try to replace it initially.
Next I went and read the annual report. Since they are publicly traded, I used the link http://finance.yahoo.com/ combined with their ticker symbol in the Yahoo Finance section which led to a detailed financial overview of the company, their industry and their competitors.
I learned when was the end of their fiscal year which would help me by knowing when they would start planning and budgeting for next year. In this case it was June 30 so beginning my process in March turned out to be good timing.
I read exactly what their strategy was for gaining new business. I learned that in addition to going after their existing customer base, they had set aggressive goals for penetrating Global 3000 enterprises. The report also told me that the quarterly revenue growth was in the low single digits differential in sales from last year to this year was in the single digits and the quarterly earnings were negative.
This meant there was plenty of room for improvement and that their current sales training might not be working as effectively as planned. I also looked at the amount they were spending on Selling, General and Administrative which is where typically the sales training budget comes from. I noticed that it was increasing which meant they were adding salespeople or at least spending more money in the area of sales.
Finally I looked at their competition and noticed that two out of the five major direct competitors were already clients of mine. This fact would make it much easier for me to establish credibility and interest since I was fairly sure they were interested in how their competition was being trained.
Next I went over to Edgar http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml to read their annual report or 10K. After studying the annual report's Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations which laid out:
* Business Overview,
* Industry Background,
* Business Imperatives,
* Strategy (plus the key elements of the strategy),
* Product Descriptions,
* Sales and Marketing (including the number of quota carrying salespeople),
* Description of the Competition
Since I teach live cold calling sales training which involves getting your foot in the door into new organizations, the strategy of increased focus and penetration of key markets was of particular interest to me.
After reading the Annual Report, I went over to their web site and began to read the About the Company section. Not only was a clear and concise two sentence description of what the company did, I also learned that their core differentiators or values were innovation and customer focus.
Although I target VP of Sales, it was in the Executive Management section of their site that I learned that the Chief Marketing Officer was actually responsible for direct response and telemarketing around the world. I also learned that this person worked for one of my clients.
This meant I could leverage one of my client relationships as a means to build credibility with the person who was responsible for sales training or who would know who the person was I needed to speak with.
Leaving no stone unturned, I also read the Senior VP of Worldwide Field Operations (which in this case also stood for VP of Sales). He was responsible for field marketing, direct sales, channel management, strategic alliances and consulting services. This meant he too, maybe a prospect for sales training. I also noticed he worked for a client of mine so I planned to leverage that relationship in the same way as with the CMO.
A search on "@companyname.com" led me to some people who were producing the Users Conference for the company. A quick phone call to one of them led to permission to send her an email which she would forward to the person who was in charge of field marketing and also in charge of sales training. She spelled out the person's name, provided the title, ext and email. When this was all done, I sent off my first email which was followed by a call to be sure it was received.
The whole point of this pre-call planning is to show how important it is to know your prospects BEFORE you begin your approach. I'd say this whole process took no more than 10 to 15 minutes and if this deals closes which I believe it will (although the sales cycle maybe a long one) that time invested may mean thousands and thousands of dollars in revenue.
Your assignment is to choose 10 key target accounts and conduct this type of research before you make your initial call. I think you'll find this approach will help you not only sound intelligent when speaking with your prospects; it will also help you sell more in less time than before.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a sales training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report “41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.telesales-sales-training.com. If you would like information on Live Cold Calling Sales Training please call Ron at 818-991-6487 PST. ©2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Recently I was researching a prospect before I planned to call them. I had been given a referral however before calling them; I want to do my homework first. First, I realized that at least five or more of my current clients were direct or indirect competitors. This meant this prospect fit perfectly in my target market and therefore was worth the time spent doing an in depth analysis of their operations.
When conducting my pre-call planning, I always start out in the career section. This tells often me what types skills sets are required of people they are looking for and the type of sales training in use. In this case, they were looking for salespeople with cold calling and prospecting skills.
A good start so far. This description also told me what type of sales training they were currently using. Knowing this information, I planned an augmentation strategy rather than a replacement one. Often it is easier to augment a current solution than to try to replace it initially.
Next I went and read the annual report. Since they are publicly traded, I used the link http://finance.yahoo.com/ combined with their ticker symbol in the Yahoo Finance section which led to a detailed financial overview of the company, their industry and their competitors.
I learned when was the end of their fiscal year which would help me by knowing when they would start planning and budgeting for next year. In this case it was June 30 so beginning my process in March turned out to be good timing.
I read exactly what their strategy was for gaining new business. I learned that in addition to going after their existing customer base, they had set aggressive goals for penetrating Global 3000 enterprises. The report also told me that the quarterly revenue growth was in the low single digits differential in sales from last year to this year was in the single digits and the quarterly earnings were negative.
This meant there was plenty of room for improvement and that their current sales training might not be working as effectively as planned. I also looked at the amount they were spending on Selling, General and Administrative which is where typically the sales training budget comes from. I noticed that it was increasing which meant they were adding salespeople or at least spending more money in the area of sales.
Finally I looked at their competition and noticed that two out of the five major direct competitors were already clients of mine. This fact would make it much easier for me to establish credibility and interest since I was fairly sure they were interested in how their competition was being trained.
Next I went over to Edgar http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml to read their annual report or 10K. After studying the annual report's Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations which laid out:
* Business Overview,
* Industry Background,
* Business Imperatives,
* Strategy (plus the key elements of the strategy),
* Product Descriptions,
* Sales and Marketing (including the number of quota carrying salespeople),
* Description of the Competition
Since I teach live cold calling sales training which involves getting your foot in the door into new organizations, the strategy of increased focus and penetration of key markets was of particular interest to me.
After reading the Annual Report, I went over to their web site and began to read the About the Company section. Not only was a clear and concise two sentence description of what the company did, I also learned that their core differentiators or values were innovation and customer focus.
Although I target VP of Sales, it was in the Executive Management section of their site that I learned that the Chief Marketing Officer was actually responsible for direct response and telemarketing around the world. I also learned that this person worked for one of my clients.
This meant I could leverage one of my client relationships as a means to build credibility with the person who was responsible for sales training or who would know who the person was I needed to speak with.
Leaving no stone unturned, I also read the Senior VP of Worldwide Field Operations (which in this case also stood for VP of Sales). He was responsible for field marketing, direct sales, channel management, strategic alliances and consulting services. This meant he too, maybe a prospect for sales training. I also noticed he worked for a client of mine so I planned to leverage that relationship in the same way as with the CMO.
A search on "@companyname.com" led me to some people who were producing the Users Conference for the company. A quick phone call to one of them led to permission to send her an email which she would forward to the person who was in charge of field marketing and also in charge of sales training. She spelled out the person's name, provided the title, ext and email. When this was all done, I sent off my first email which was followed by a call to be sure it was received.
The whole point of this pre-call planning is to show how important it is to know your prospects BEFORE you begin your approach. I'd say this whole process took no more than 10 to 15 minutes and if this deals closes which I believe it will (although the sales cycle maybe a long one) that time invested may mean thousands and thousands of dollars in revenue.
Your assignment is to choose 10 key target accounts and conduct this type of research before you make your initial call. I think you'll find this approach will help you not only sound intelligent when speaking with your prospects; it will also help you sell more in less time than before.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a sales training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report “41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.telesales-sales-training.com. If you would like information on Live Cold Calling Sales Training please call Ron at 818-991-6487 PST. ©2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Goal Setting Exercise
By Ron LaVine, President
Accelerated Sales Training, Inc. –
Cold Calling for Success Live Call Sales Training
Every early January it is good to take some time to reflect on what went right during the past year and what areas of your life you can improve during the upcoming year. Put aside 30 minutes to and hour of quiet time for this very important exercise. First, picture in your mind what you want. See yourself having it and imagine what you will feel like when you do.
Now you are ready to set S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time and date specific
Type out your S.M.A.R.T. goals onto a sheet or two of paper and post it where you can see it (the bathroom or bedroom mirror works great).
Next, get yourself in the habit of reading your goals at least once (if not three times) a day.
You will be amazed at how many of your goals are achieved once you commit them to writing. You may not make all your goals each year but you will still find a number of them are reached and often exceeded.
If you have achieved certain goals during the past year, increase those goals by at least 10% if not more.
Actions follow thoughts. Feel it, think it and then do it.
Put your thoughts on paper and watch the universe go into action to help make your goals a reality.
Start here:
I will accomplish the following goals during the year 2011.
I will earn over $___________ during the year 2011.
I will average earnings over $_________________ per quarter during the year 2011.
I will average earnings over $_________________ per month during the year 2011.
I will improve my industry knowledge by taking the following actions __________________ during the year 2011.
I will improve my product knowledge by taking the following actions __________________ during the year 2011.
For example, you can attend your own company's Webinars or study your company's annual report.
I will improve my selling knowledge by __________________ during the year 2011.
Napoleon Hill’s Law of Success is a great choice. You can buy it at Amazon buy clicking here http://tinyurl.com/bcbn4
I will take the following actions to increase the value I can add into my customer relationships during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will make ___________ number of cold calls per ____________ during the year 2011.
I will open ________________ number of new accounts during the year 2011 by taking the following actions.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following actions to maintain a positive mental attitude every day during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following actions to improve my physical health during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my personal life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my family life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my spiritual life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will use the following strategies to maximize my time during the year 2011.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I AGREE TO post this list on my mirror, read it at least once a day during the year 2011, and watch these goals come true in my life.
I highly recommend, if you have not yet taken the time to sit down and write out your specific plans and goals, try the above this exercise. You may or may not reach or exceed every goal however you will be a lot further along then if you made no plan at all. Always shoot for the stars and if you fall short, you will still have reached the sky. People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan. Don’t wait. Write down your goals and plans now.
I wish everyone one of you peace, harmony and prosperity during this holiday season and throughout the upcoming year.
Make 2011 your best year ever!
Ron
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron La Vine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a live call sales training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report “41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.ast-incorp.com. If you would like information on Cold Calling for Success Live Call Sales Training please call Ron at 818-991-6487. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
www.ast-incorp.com
Accelerated Sales Training, Inc. –
Cold Calling for Success Live Call Sales Training
Every early January it is good to take some time to reflect on what went right during the past year and what areas of your life you can improve during the upcoming year. Put aside 30 minutes to and hour of quiet time for this very important exercise. First, picture in your mind what you want. See yourself having it and imagine what you will feel like when you do.
Now you are ready to set S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time and date specific
Type out your S.M.A.R.T. goals onto a sheet or two of paper and post it where you can see it (the bathroom or bedroom mirror works great).
Next, get yourself in the habit of reading your goals at least once (if not three times) a day.
You will be amazed at how many of your goals are achieved once you commit them to writing. You may not make all your goals each year but you will still find a number of them are reached and often exceeded.
If you have achieved certain goals during the past year, increase those goals by at least 10% if not more.
Actions follow thoughts. Feel it, think it and then do it.
Put your thoughts on paper and watch the universe go into action to help make your goals a reality.
Start here:
I will accomplish the following goals during the year 2011.
I will earn over $___________ during the year 2011.
I will average earnings over $_________________ per quarter during the year 2011.
I will average earnings over $_________________ per month during the year 2011.
I will improve my industry knowledge by taking the following actions __________________ during the year 2011.
I will improve my product knowledge by taking the following actions __________________ during the year 2011.
For example, you can attend your own company's Webinars or study your company's annual report.
I will improve my selling knowledge by __________________ during the year 2011.
Napoleon Hill’s Law of Success is a great choice. You can buy it at Amazon buy clicking here http://tinyurl.com/bcbn4
I will take the following actions to increase the value I can add into my customer relationships during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will make ___________ number of cold calls per ____________ during the year 2011.
I will open ________________ number of new accounts during the year 2011 by taking the following actions.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following actions to maintain a positive mental attitude every day during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following actions to improve my physical health during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my personal life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my family life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will take the following steps to better my spiritual life during the year 2011.
1.
2.
3.
I will use the following strategies to maximize my time during the year 2011.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I AGREE TO post this list on my mirror, read it at least once a day during the year 2011, and watch these goals come true in my life.
I highly recommend, if you have not yet taken the time to sit down and write out your specific plans and goals, try the above this exercise. You may or may not reach or exceed every goal however you will be a lot further along then if you made no plan at all. Always shoot for the stars and if you fall short, you will still have reached the sky. People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan. Don’t wait. Write down your goals and plans now.
I wish everyone one of you peace, harmony and prosperity during this holiday season and throughout the upcoming year.
Make 2011 your best year ever!
Ron
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron La Vine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a live call sales training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special report “41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now” AND the free bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by signing up at http://www.ast-incorp.com. If you would like information on Cold Calling for Success Live Call Sales Training please call Ron at 818-991-6487. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
www.ast-incorp.com
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