Cold calling (ie without an appointment) is rarely rewarding. Buyers are busy people who generally abhor door knockers. You won't always be able to make appointments and, indeed, some firms are relatively easy to get into without that magic phone call, but your time is valuable and your car costs a lot to run. The more people you can see in a day, the more chance you have of making a sale, so make an appointment where you can. Ask for the buyer and make sure you record the name. If you are stuck for the name it sometimes helps to make one up. Say: 'Mr Johnston the buyer, please' to which the receptionist may reply, 'Don't you mean Mr Whiteside?' or whatever. In some firms the buyer's personal assistant guards the boss like the Crown Jewels.
Offer alternatives, and always be positive and self-assured. 'Good morning. My name is John Richards from XYZ Company. I am in your town next Wednesday and Thursday morning. Which day is more convenient for me to see him? I have a proposition I would like to put to him which will take no more than 15 minutes.'
Try not to get involved in long discussions with personal assistants. Good ones are trained to winkle out time-wasters, and you are not selling to the PA but the boss. As with all selling, be persistent, courteous yet firm. Don't forget the PA could well control that vital appointments diary, so you mustn't get on the wrong side of him or her. Sending a letter in advance, spelling out the major benefit, is often a good door opener that reduces delay from the PA. 'He will have received my letter' seems to stop procrastination and implies an established relationship.
Make sure that you are seeing the right person. Many large firms split buying functions right down. Finally, when you do get an appointment make sure you understand where the prospect is situated. If you are fobbed off, be persistent yet firm, and always be polite. A firm may genuinely have completed its buying for the season, or only work on annual contracts. Never put the phone down without having learnt something of value, some extra fact that you can come back on. You must leave yourself with a leadin for the next time. Also, record the conversation in your files.
At last you've arrived for your appointment in good time. In your case you will have a notebook and pen (that works), brochures, your diary, colour photos of your product range or past successes that aren't in your leaflet, samples if size permits, maybe a Powerpoint or video presentation, and your order book (why not?). When you are shown in, introduce yourself, shake hands – and smile! The smile is the ice-breaker, it shows you are human, just like the buyer. A smile means warmth and understanding. It relaxes tension and removes the worry lines round your mouth. A smile is also the shortest distance between two people.
First impressions are most important. Psychological research has shown that we are conditioned and judge people in the very first moments of meeting 'Body language' or 'non-verbal communication' has also been studied. Apart from the words you use, the manner in which you respond and behave is often just as telling. Eye contact is very important. Avoiding looking at the speaker is regarded as shifty, while an alert interest encourages a warm response. An open approach conveys integrity and sincerity. Nervous movements of the fingers, hands and legs, combined with shifting about, fail to give an air of confidence.
The rules of the game allow you first bite to get your presentation under way. Keep pleasantries to a minimum. Don't throw that advantage away by rambling on about the weather or admiring the buyer's rubber plant. If the buyer is not familiar with your company, a thumbnail sketch of the setup, personnel and specialities is in order. Starting on a subject you are totally familiar with helps to break your nervousness and encourage a natural flow of words.
Your whole manner should be positive, enthusiastic without being overbearing, sensitive to responses from your audience and on a stance of equality. An attitude of craven humility or the reverse can be equally disastrous. It will be difficult at first to sound natural but strive to conduct your sales pitch as a normal conversation, for this is, after all, what salesmanship is all about. Ask questions – open questions. By that I mean questions that can't be answered simply by a 'Yes' or 'No'. For instance, 'Shall I send you some?' can only provoke either yes or no and if it's no then you've rather run out of steam. Probing questions like 'How many do you use in the course of each week?' or 'What do you look for when you buy this product?' will involve the other person, who has to think and give intelligent replies. You are showing an interest in his or her business, problems and needs.
By shifting the emphasis you should develop the sales patter into a discussion, not about you but about the buyer's world and how your product can help make more money for his or her company. Questions should be aimed at discovering whether and in what quantities the firm uses products similar to yours. The old standbys of what, where, how and when should be used. Show enthusiasm.
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Carrie Hopkins at 07172010
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