Three ways to improve your sales calls

You have an attractive prospect. You need a face-to-face opportunity to sell your products and services. So you drop by, without an appointment, hoping to get past the receptionist and catch the decision maker at a rare unscheduled moment. “I was nearby and thought I’d drop by and say hi.” Well, at least you tried.

Of course, there is a place for the courtesies and social aspects of business, but let’s not confuse them with a sales call. Many salespeople focus on their own comfort zone, on social calls and lunch dates, or on product presentation. And as a result, the sales process never gets off the ground. Before you try to meet with someone, you should ask yourself, “What is the reason this person is meeting with me?”

At Miller Heiman we call it a valid business reason. It gives the potential buyer a reason to spend time with you. Having a valid business reason for every sales call, whether in person or over the phone, is the best way to do business. He tells buyers, no matter how long he’s known them, that he’s thought about their current challenges and is looking for solutions that are “good” for them.

The best salespeople understand their customers’ challenges 21% better than the competition.
(Source: 2006 Miller Heiman Sales Performance Study)

What is a valid business reason?

1. it is valid: It’s about the customer. Valid for customers means it’s worth taking the time to hear how you can help solve a problem that’s keeping them up at night.

two. They are business: Research shows that many sales calls are too general and unfocused to be useful to buyers or sellers. Do your homework and manage your selling time. Understand your business. What are your challenges? What are they trying to fix, achieve, or avoid?

3. It’s a good reason: It’s not your reason. The client’s reason: to take time out of a busy schedule for you, instead of spending it on other priorities. Tell the client what you would like to meet about and why you think this might be valuable. It’s about solutions. How can your solution help what they want to fix, achieve, or avoid? You are specific, because you have done your homework.

Now write it down in 25 words or less, so you can leave it on a voicemail or with a receptionist. And remember, it’s always from the customer’s point of view.

By defining your Valid Business Reason, you will never “cold call” again. You’re doing strategic planning before every call, even the first visit to a new prospect. And his ability to get “face time” is improving dramatically.

For a deeper look and to learn how to create winning valid business reasons, Miller Heiman Conceptual Sale® workshop shows you how to:

• Sell ​​how customers buy.
• Go beyond the product launch.
• Reach out to decision makers.
• Sell ​​a win-win solution.
• Create winning Valid Business Reasons… that put you face to face.

These recommendations are based on Miller Heiman’s proven sales system. Our system provides a repeatable approach to use with every opportunity to close more deals, faster. If you would like more information on this topic or would like to discuss the results you would like to improve, please visit us at http://www.millerheiman.com and we will recommend the solution that best suits your needs. .