Planning a Sales Call

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COURSE OVERVIEW "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." --Benjamin Franklin

If your answer on the previous slide is YES then you're on the right track. If your answer is NO or It depends that's okay, what's important is you took the first step towards growth and improvement by taking this course. We will guide you and strengthen your knowledge in planning for a sales call. So, shall we begin?

We will give you a better picture of the steps you can take when planning your sales call strategy.

STEP 2 BUILD YOUR OBJECTIVE The point here is that you need to know what you want out of your call.

Check out the remaining lessons to learn more about each step mentioned in this lesson.

DOING YOUR RESEARCH “Whoever understands the customer best, wins.” -- Mike Gospe

Don't dial that number just yet! Make sure to time and learn who they are and their needs.

Taking a few minutes to research can earn you greater returns after having an insightful sales call.

You can improve on framing the conversations by understanding the background of the company and the person you'll speak with.

It's important Sales take the time to collect information and then create more tailored experience from first touch. By creating relevancy, you're much more likely to engage a prospect and have a positive, meaningful conversation.

Make a guess Which of the following will be useful when you do your research?

BUILDING AN OBJECTIVE If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time." --Zig Ziglar

Specific Is your objective definite? If you are in the stage of the selling process to close the deal, then your objective is for the prospect to buy your service or product.

Measurable Is there a way to identify if you succeeded in your objective? Call objectives should focus on accomplishing something. Thus it has to be measurable. If your objective is to find out the prospect's need, then you measure it by checking whether you identified a prospect's need relevant to your product or not.

Achievable Can the objective be achieved with the resources you have? This greatly focuses on the process or the "how" in succeeding on your goal. Picking up the phone and calling the prospect is not enough to achieve the objective.

Relevant Ask yourself if the objective you set is relevant to the goal you want to achieve. Can this help progress your sales process with the prospect during the call? Will your company benefit from the objective?

Time-bound With the limited time you have, is it possible to accomplish the set objective? Determining the objective, you can achieve within the time frame can be tricky. However, it is better to try and achieve a lot rather than not trying to accomplish anything is a waste of time.

Create one to two key objectives before the sales call.

STRATEGIZING YOUR CALL ENGAGEMENTS PART 1 "A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all." --Michael LeBoeuf

**How to create a line of questioning? ** src: hubspot.com Start with general open-ended questions. Start with really general questions. An example is “May I ask you some questions about your business?” Why? This gives your prospect the opportunity to shut the door — or keep it open. Gauge the leads’ interest as they answer your initial questions. Read their tone, facial expression, and body language (if the meeting is over video or in person). Do they seem genuinely interested, or are they simply answering questions because you’re asking them? Ask early on how the company evaluates new products and services. There’s nothing worse than getting far along and then finding out that your prospect uses certain criteria to evaluate new services. And that you don’t meet those criteria. Place this question after asking about their goals and more closely evaluating their needs. Always ask about the budget. No one likes to talk about money, but in many cases, whether a company chooses to purchase from you depends on the budget. Ask whenever it feels most appropriate, depending on the tone of the conversation and the prospects’ demonstrated interest. Close by establishing follow-up steps. Never close a sales call without establishing next steps. After you’ve asked enough questions that you feel a next step is necessary, be sure to verbally say that you’ll be emailing them on X date or sending the contract along for their perusal by the end of the day.

At least one of five different reactions that the prospect will have during a call. They might directly reject your ideas and statements directly Ignore what you say. Simply acknowledge that you have said something. Accept what you say and do nothing about it. Think about your recommendations and do something about it. Your rapport with the prospect can influence the reaction you receive from them.

STRATEGIZING YOUR CALL ENGAGEMENTS PART 2 "An objection is not a rejection; it is simply a request for more information." --Bo Bennett

Clarify the question first Make sure you understand the question before you provide an answer. You can rephrase your question in your mind or repeat it to the prospect aloud, or ask them to explain their question further.

Show your domain expertise You have nothing to fear if you know your industry, company, and is an expert on your product and its advantages in comparison with your competitors.

Make sure everyone understands Provide background information when answering to make sure that everyone in the call understands the topic of the conversation.

Provide an expert point of view Show that you can be a trusted consultant who has a strong knowledge of the industry instead of being an ordinary salesperson who just knows how your product or services work.

Redirect inane and unfair questions When you are asked inappropriate questions, you can respond by saying "The question you should be asking is..."

Respond with metaphors Use metaphors, parables, and analogies with relatable examples to relay your ideas. Metaphors can be used to explain concepts that are too technical. This can help your prospect understand them interestingly and persuasively.

Demeanor speaks volumes How you deliver your answer matters. Maintain a calm and confident state and continue to be positive regardless of the question the prospect asks.

Another challenge that salespeople encounter is handling objections. Most prospects have their objections or reasons they are unsure about buying your product. When objections arise, don't give up! Grab the opportunity to re-emphasize your product or service.

To sum-up overcoming sales objections: Practice active listening. Repeat back what you hear. Validate your prospect’s concerns. Ask follow-up questions. Leverage social proof. Set a specific date and time to follow-up. Anticipate sales objections.