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Cold callers, unite! Get more business by Disqualifying the duds
ONCE UPON A TIME, A phone call was like a message from the heavens. Imagine -- someone else needed to reach you so urgently and desperately that he used a newfangled signal that could travel hundreds of miles in a split second!
Only problem: That was in 1898. In 1998, people actually, buy devices whose sole function is to block incoming calls. So, it's no wonder that selling by phone is tougher than ever. You're doing battle with not only your natural-born competitors but also the thousands of other people out there using the phone to land their own sales.
The solution? Be different. Stop trying to persuade people to say yes. In an era when you can cover more territory by phone in an hour than previous generations could in a week or even a month, it makes no sense to waste time on dead wood.
There's an easier way to play. If the customer isn't interested, neither are you.
Just move on, and on, and on. This is about prospecting -- the essential step that must precede selling for every successful telephone marketer. A prospector, by definition, is looking for something of value. In this case, that's someone who is ready to start the sales process, a hot prospect. Other prospects aren't hot ... yet. So, you have to fan the flame a bit. Still others will turn out to be duds, and no amount of stoking will fire them up. The trick is to classify them quickly and take the appropriate action, even if it means saying "Thankyouverymuch" (don't even waste time separating those words!) and hanging up the phone. Here's how to sort 'em so that you can divide and conquer.
A-LIST: THE WHITE-HOT PROSPECT
DEFINITION: Anyone who is interested, has a need for the product, is the decision maker or on the team, and is qualified to spend the money ... right this very moment!
BATTLE PLAN: How can you find out whether someone is interested? Ask. And how do we find out whether he has money? Again, ask. Will he lie to you? Possibly. But for now, assume that people will tell you the truth.
Start by qualifying for interest; then, if appropriate, qualify for authority to make a decision and, finally, for money. Here's an example (for a computer store).
To qualify for interest: "Would you like to take a look at some information on the new network server we just got in?"
To qualify for authority: "If you liked what you saw, would you alone be able to make a decision, or would others be involved?"
To qualify for money: "Lease payments for the server probably wouldn't run more than $400 a month. If you liked the idea, could you handle that?"
If you get yeses to all three, you're talking to a white-hot prospect. Start the selling process over the phone, or set an appointment for as close to right now as possible. If the appointment is more than two or three business days away, confirm by phone the day before; if it's four or more days away, confirm in writing by fax or letter, then reconfirm by phone the day before. Don't let this one get away.
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