Tel-E Sales Tip of the Week
 

June 7, 2010

Published By Art Sobczak, Business By Phone Inc.
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This Week's Tip
Help Them Tell You What They Want

Greetings!
 

If you handle incoming telephone inquiries
or follow-up on mail-in or web business leads
by phone, keep one thing in mind about these 
people: Even though they took the initiative to
contact you, they might not know what they want, 
or even which questions to ask you. 


It's frustrating when an inquirer tells me, 
"Uhh, we're just interested in training," 
and can't be more specific. They called me, 
for gosh sakes! I guess that during my hectic 
business day, I expect someone who calls me 
to tell me exactly what they're looking for.


What a mistake on my part! 


I need to realize that sometimes these people 
don't know precisely what they want, and 
likely aren't even aware of what's available. 


It's like when I take my car in for a repair;
I'm mechanically inept, and they usually 
realize that when I mumble something about
how "it makes a noise in there somewhere." I
usually have no clue about specifically what 
I need, and therefore, I'm a prime candidate 
for recommendations. (I am more picky about
where I go though--one guy told me the muffler
fluid was low. $50 isn't too much for muffler
fluid, is it?)


WHAT TO DO
Be careful here. For lack of something 
better to say, these folks often start with, 
"Well, just tell me what you have." You don't want 
to shift into data-dump mode, spewing in 
laundry-list fashion everything you sell. 
Since that is nothing more than a generic 
verbal brochure, it's likely they won't 
find anything of interest. 


Instead, when you realize you have a prospect 
who can't articulate what they're looking for, 
be prepared with questions that get them to 
open up. Try to first determine the reason 
for the call:


"Tell me, what was it that prompted your call?"


"What ion the site caught your eye and persuaded 
you to contact us?"


"How did you happen to decide to call us?"


Just think about the great information you 
could get here. It could be like unlocking 
the dam of information they have inside.


Or you could get, "Uh, I dunno. Just saw 
the ad and thought I'd call."


OK. Then we need to focus the microscope a 
bit more, and uncover the real reason for 
the call...which would be the problem, the 
irritation, the annoying pebble in their 
shoe--not the solution; that's what they're 
looking for from you. Begin questioning 
with the big picture, then narrow it down. 
Ask about the past:


"What has happened in your department 
that helped you determine you needed to 
look at additional training?"


"What have you done before that didn't 
work as well as you would have liked? What 
were those results?"


Ask about the present:
"What are you doing in this area right now?"


"What results are you getting?" 


Or, "What do you anticipate?"


When you finally touch a tender area, then 
it's time to embellish their answers even 
further with additional questions:


"How is that affecting you/the department/
the organization?"


"And then what happened/happens?"


"What is that costing you?" 


Then ask about the future. This should 
help you determine specifically what 
you should recommend:


"What results would you ideally like to see?"


Of course within this framework you'll 
also ask your typical qualifying questions 
regarding budget, authority, and time frame. 
After getting all of this great information, 
then you're in a prime position to tell them 
what you can do for them, and recommend 
your next action, whether it be a sale, 
appointment, or simply sending them 
information by mail or fax.


People who call you often don't know 
exactly what they need. Your questions 
help them tell you. And that helps them
sell themselves.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"To continue learning is to embrace the process of 
trial and error at higher and higher levels." 
Michael Gelb and Tony Buzan 
 

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____________________________________________________

 

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Reprint These Tips In Your Own Publication
We encourage you to reprint these Tips in your own email, online, or conventionally-
printed publications. It's free, as long as credit is given. Reply with your
request. Contact: Art Sobczak, President, Business By Phone Inc. 13254 Stevens St.,
Omaha, NE 68137, (402) 895-9399.  Or, email:arts@businessbyphone.com

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