Instinctively transform objections into sales in telephone prospecting
A recent training experience at one of Belgium’s largest call centres once again proved that commercial success on the telephone is determined by convincing power.
Classically speaking, this process consists of three steps:
Demonstrate empathy
Formulate a plausible counter-argument
Propose two alternative meeting dates
As a concrete example, here is a telephone conversation between a salesman of warehouse storage systems and a prospect.
Prospect: “I am far too busy!”
Salesman: “I completely understand that your time is valuable, and therefore I would like to demonstrate to you, in person, how our systems will save you and your warehouse staff lots of time. How about next Tuesday or Thursday?”
I have noticed in the past few years that this method, no matter how valuable it is, doesn’t work for everyone. Assertive and analytic salespersons often have to put in a great deal of effort to show empathy during the initial phase, which leads to a “contrived” answer and an inability to transform the prospect’s objection into a concrete sale. What helps is a method that is more in line with your natural style, allowing you to deal with objectives more instinctively, faster and successfully.
Here is an example of the “assertive” method:
Confront your customer directly, but respectfully
Show that you are convinced of the added value you offer
Propose two alternative dates
Prospect: “I am far too busy!”
Salesman: “That’s precisely why I’m calling you. If you are interested in higher efficiency and productivity in your warehouse, I can guarantee you that the thirty minutes that our meeting will take will be the best investment of your time ever. How about next Tuesday or Thursday?”
The “analytic” method works as follows:
Demonstrate understanding in a neutral way
Demonstrate your added value precisely
Propose two alternative dates
Prospect: “I am far too busy!”
Salesman: “I understand that this is your first reaction, considering that you know nothing about the precise added value we can contribute to your business. When we see one another I will explain to you, based on genuine cases, how you can increase productivity in your warehouse by 15%. How about next Tuesday or Thursday?”
