The Art of Prospecting

Placing someone on the phone who lacks basic sales, people or communication skills, can be a recipe for disaster.  Regardless of how much knowledge or passion they have for a product, if they are unable to put across their message appropriately, the call will be wasted and result in a meaningless outcome.

There are many common mistakes every caller will make at least once in their lifetime. Here, we are highlighting three of the most popular bad habits.

Firstly, a big, big mistake; Lack of Information.

No matter what you’re selling, to gain an insight on the business and basic information about your prospect is vital. If you contact an IT Consultancy, for example, and try to discuss Gas Analysers, you’re clearly going to be barking up the wrong tree.

If you are sure you’re targeting the right company, but uncertain of processes or of whom you should speak to, simply ask the receptionist. (Refer to THE GATEKEEPER – DRAGON-SLAYING IN FIVE STEPS for more information) More often than not, you will be put through or referred to someone who is likely to take your call. This ‘Someone’ may not be the right person to speak to, but they could point you in the right direction, even inform you of who gets involved with what and at what point they will get involved with the project. This will allow you to give a more tailored approach when speaking to the right person.

Secondly, the dreaded word, Emails.

Emails are regularly used as a conversation starter when introducing a company or product to a business, but truthfully speaking, if used incorrectly or mentioned at the wrong time, your well composed and perfectly executed email could be a complete waste of time and have the adverse effect.

Your prospect is likely to receive hundreds of emails each week, resending them an email that he may not want or be particularly interested in is only going to get lost, ignored and left unread.
Understand the importance of qualifying your calls and tailoring the information you would like your prospect to receive. Including information that highlights or covers certain pain points of the business and how your product could potentially benefit your prospect and their company could prove fruitful.

Thirdly, but most certainly not the least important; Closing the call.

Don’t make grandiose statements, for example, “We can guarantee…” or “We are the best at…” and as true as they can be, it is difficult to convince your prospect to believe such claims, so when you close the call, leave your prospect with the thought that he has just experienced value in the conversation and he feels that he would be happy to communicate with you again, creating that important relationship.

If you have sufficient information on the company and you are comfortable with the product or topic you are discussing, such phrases will not be necessary. Let your personality and confidence carry you through the call naturally, your prospect will pick up on this and become more relaxed with you, potentially landing you a fantastic lead and a happy customer.

Be sure to look out for upcoming blogs and tactical telemarketing tips, and remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook,Google+ and LinkedIn.