Sales Call Success
The follow-up sales call is a vital part of every salesperson’s success. When making that sales call or sending an email, ask yourself these key questions:
- When, and using what method do you make your sales call?
- How often should you check-in?
- What should you say?
- Should you ask particular questions?
- What are you looking to accomplish during this sales call?
Sales Call: The Art of Checking In
Your future conversations should be shaped by previous interactions you have had with your potential customer. Having a CRM will help you track this information. Consider what time of day that you have had conversations with them before or received email responses. These times should be the target for your follow-ups. How about the preferred method of communication – do you email or call with no response, however texts are answered right away? Stick with that as your initial method for your future sales calls.
Don’t be a sales call pest
You don’t have to call someone three times a day to be top of mind. You also don’t want to go so long in between calls that you are completely forgotten and your competitor has had the chance to step in. The frequency of your check-ins depends on where you are in your sales process. Don’t call a customer in two weeks if you agreed that you would touch base again in two months. However, if they say they aren’t ready until next year, make sure you don’t wait that long to reach out to them again. Remember, things change.
What’s new with you?
Regardless of if it’s been a couple weeks or a couple months since you last spoke, ask the question “Has anything changed since we last spoke?” You may gain valuable insight to a new issue that has arisen for them, or another new product or service that they have started using that will change the direction of your sales pitch. This question is vital to keeping the conversation going in the right direction.
Have a goal, and go for it
Go into each call with a goal in mind. No, the goal of every call is not closing the sale, it’s the steps that are getting you to the close. If you traditionally have a 9 month sales cycle, don’t go into your week-two call pushing for the close. If you have qualified and educated your prospect, and after review of your sales process you are ready to go in for the close, don’t get side tracked on your call, make sure you go for it.
While you need to be flexible to the customer’s needs based upon the conversation that comes up, focus on your goal. Remember, the call is about them, so you should be asking questions that you can use for future communications with them. Always finish the call or conversation letting them know what the next step is or when you will follow-up next.
