I have listened to thousands of sales calls over the years, and I spend the majority of my coaching and training hours listening to sales calls even today. And I still hear the same mistakes….
Here are three things NOT to say if you want to become more effective at opening and closing more sales:
#1: When speaking with a gatekeeper and they ask if they can tell the prospect who is calling, don’t:
- Just say your name (“John,” or “John Davis”)—and then nothing else…
- Say your name and company name
- Say your name and company name and then start pitching the gatekeeper…
Instead, respond with: “Absolutely! Please tell prospect’s first name, that John Davis is holding, please.”
#2: If you’re speaking with a client and you’re asking if they need to order anything, don’t say:
- I’m just calling to see if you need anything today?
Instead, change the question to make it assumptive. Ask: “While I have you on the phone, what’s on your white board that you’ll be needing soon?”
You can adjust this to fit your product or service, but always change “Is there anything” to “What are you looking for…”
#3: When you are scheduling an appointment to follow up, don’t use the generic:
- I’ll call you in a month to follow up…
Instead, you should ask the prospect when a good time to follow up is. AND, make this ask assumptive. Try: “When would you like me to check back in with you?”
By asking the prospect when you should follow up, you’ll be able to gauge their urgency and assess their buying rhythms. If they tell you 6 months, then suggest you’ll check in with them in 3, just in case something changes.
Little tweaks like this can make a huge difference in your overall sales results. Remember: practice doesn’t make perfect; it just makes permanent.
Only practice of perfection makes perfect.
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