Sales Techniques

One of the reactions by sales leaders to the changing business environment we’ve experienced over the last 12 months has been a “back to basics” move – especially in relation to a renewed focus on some of the fundamental skills of professional selling.  This is not surprising given that the buoyant times we experienced over the previous decade meant that many salespeople operated in a reactionary mode as demand drove the sales process.

But things change.  And, whilst a full reversion to fundamentals of the past century will not necessarily bring the results organisations are looking for – there is certainly a place for many salespeople to revisit some of the skills which have not been practiced over recent years.  

One of these overlooked skills is the art of using the telephone.  To help revive this art I’m delighted to have Australia’s maestro trainer on telephone techniques join me as a guest presenter at the Sales E-Conference – “selling from recession to recovery”.

Over the last 14 years, Jenny Cartwright has helped thousands of people get better sales results by effectively harnessing the power of the phone.  Jenny’s written one of the best books available on the subject – “Don’t Get Hung Up”.  I’ve asked Jenny to share her experience in this area by giving us some tips in a couple of key areas – how to recruit and train great telephone salespeople and telemarketers.

Thanks Jenny. 

Jenny, can you comment on why the ‘phone continues to be the best – but often least used – tool which salespeople can use to get better results in their day-to-day sales efforts?

 The phone has been – and remains – the most effective way to make contact with people, qualify their interest and engage them in a discussion about your products and services – almost without exception.

I’ve been involved with selling over the phone for many years – and for the last 14 years I’ve helped people  get better overall sales results by showing them how to be more effective in their use of the phone as a business development tool.

Whilst it’s important to use a range of methods to engage with your potential audience – including the emerging methods  that social media and the net provide – at some point you’re probably going to need to speak with your prospect or client.  If you make the most of this contact – I guarantee you’ll get better results.

And it’s easier than you may think.

The phone has several aspects which make it unique as a communication tool, including these:

• It’s a real 2 way conversation
• By using the ‘phone, you can cover a lot of ground with the other person really quickly – and also reach a lot of people quickly
• Used properly – the ‘phone is the perfect complement to other marketing and business development tactics and strategies
• On the phone, you can adapt to unique situations and opportunities far easier than using other methods
• The ‘phone is personal – you get the feel of the other person – and they get the feel of you
• Having a ‘phone conversation is less prone to misinterpretation because it’s genuinely interactive. You can ask questions and check for understanding, and it’s a way many people like to communicate

But, unfortunately, many salespeople fear the use of the phone.  I find that this is often because they weren’t trained properly in how to develop engaging conversations.  But this can be overcome – and everybody will get better results if they invest a little time and effort practicing and planning how they use the phone.

So, what do you look for in someone who’ll be using the phone a lot in their sales efforts? 

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Tagged as: Marketing, Personal Development, Sales Fundamentals, Sales Techniques, Training

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