April 2001 ISSUE
Important Information with First-Time Call
By Ann Barr

According to research conducted by the Sales Board in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 99% of sales people do not set the right objectives for sales calls. What's wrong with not setting the right objectives?

* Opportunities can be missed, 
* Time can be wasted, 
* Sales can be lost, 
* You can become discouraged.

Which objectives should you set?

That depends on what you're selling. For example, if you are selling consumable products, your objectives should be to get important information:

1. The decision-maker's name 
2. Which products do they buy? 
3. How much and how often do they buy? 
4. What price do they pay? 
5. Who do they buy from?
 6. When will they need to order again?

And your seventh objective? To make a sale!

There are other objectives you can set, but these are the most important, when you are selling consumable products.

Why Is It Important to Set Objectives?

You probably have a pretty good idea of what you want to accomplish with each telephone call. But conversations often take a different turn and can develop in a different way than what you intended. It's interesting what happens when you write down your objectives before each call. If the prospect makes a comment or asks a question you didn't expect, you can go back to your written list of objectives after you reply to the prospect's comment or question. Having a written list of objectives will help you keep the conversation on track.

Benefits For You

What happens when you call a customer just to make a sale and you have no other objective in mind? Well, if you are like most people, you will feel - if you don't get the sale - the call was a waste of time. You may feel you didn't accomplish anything. But if you have several other objectives written down, you have accomplished something if you were able to achieve at least one of your other objectives.

If you have gotten important information during your first call, you will know a lot more about the prospect when you make the next call back. You may know: (1.) The name of the person who buys supplies, (2.) which products they buy, (3.) how much and how often they buy, (4.) what they pay and (5.) when they will need to order again. This information will tell you whether or not you can offer a competitive price on the products they buy. You will know the best date to call back - just before they need to order again - and you can ask for the order!

Follow-up Call Information

Before you begin your next initial sales call, think about what information you need to have at the end of the call. What information will help you make a sale the next time you call this prospect? Try this for one day: Write down at least three objectives before each sales call you make. See how you feel at the end of each call. What I find is: I feel motivated to make the next call, after having achieved one or more of my objectives. And the information I collect helps me to guide the conversation during follow-up calls. Ann Barr is a consultant and sales trainer who conducts Sales seminars in the U.S. and Canada. ENX readers can get a complimentary e-mailed copy of her report: 64 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to Ann's free e-mailed newsletter Weekly Sales Tips. E-mail your request to: annbarr@sellingsupplies.com with "Sales Tips" in the subject line, or visit Ann's web site: www.sellingsupplies.com u

Ann Barr is a consultant and sales trainer with 19 years’ experience in Sales and marketing. ENX readers can get a complimentary e-mailed copy of her report: "64 Ways to Increase Your Sales" by subscribing to Ann’s free e-mailed newsletter "Weekly Sales Tips."E-mail your request to: annbarr@sellingsupplies.com with "Sales Tips" in the subject line, or visit Ann’s web site: www.sellingsupplies.com

1. They weren't aware you carried a particular product, or 
2. They didn't feel a sense of loyalty to you, or 
3. They forgot about you!

Two Sales Stars 
During the years that I sold office equipment supplies - and purchased all of our office equipment supplies, I learned some important lessons from two of the sales people we regularly bought from.

First Impressions Count 
The first sales person I learned from made a terrific impression the first time she called to introduce herself to me. What I first noticed was Rita's positive attitude and cheerful personality. After introducing herself, she offered to help me whenever I had a question about supplies, which was important because I was new at the job. She said:

"During my ten years in this industry I've come across a lot of different supply products and we have every cross-reference catalog in existence, so don't hesitate to call me if you can't find a particular item. I'll be happy to help you - even if we don't sell the product you need."

That was impressive. It sounded as though she cared about helping me, not just selling. She answered my mental "what's in it for me" question during our first telephone conversation.

Becoming Unforgettable 
Rita seemed to be sincere, so I took her up on the offer and did call her for help when I couldn't locate specific products. Sure enough, she always found the answer for me - either immediately or later that day. She provided added value that set her apart from her competitors. I came to depend upon Rita's knowledge and expertise, and I became a loyal customer.

Whenever we needed to buy a product she sold, I made the usual calls to our regular supply sources, but made every effort to buy the products we needed from Rita whenever possible.

During nearly every phone call, she told me about one or two items her company sold - but that we had never ordered. She kept me posted on her best-selling products and, knowing the type of territory I sold to, made suggestions and gave me ideas about supplies that were "hot sellers" with her accounts in other parts of the country. I thought of Rita more as a consultant than a sales person.

Rita made herself unforgettable - so much so, that she was at the top of my list to call whenever we needed something new or different. And because she was so sincerely helpful, I trusted her and felt a sense of loyalty that resulted in sales for her. The fact that shipments came in when promised -100% of the time - was an important benefit that gave us another reason to order from Rita.

Tracking Orders 
The other sales person I never forgot about was Jeff. He called like clockwork every month - sometimes twice a month. He kept meticulous records on every product we used - that he could supply. He kept track of when we ordered, how much we used, and usually called just before we needed to order. In one way or another, he always asked for an order. It was impossible to forget about Jeff because he was so consistent and persistent - in a good way. His persistence paid off because we ordered from him on a regular basis.

Role Models 
These two sales reps were great role models. They demonstrated that to be unforgettable and successful, it pays to:

* Be positive and cheerful, 
* Be well informed about products and services, 
* Remind customers about additional products, 
* Keep records of each customer's orders,
 * Be consistent, 
* Be persistent, and 
* Ask for the order!

Rita and Jeff made the buying experience easy. I doubt that any of their customers ever forgot about either of these two sales professionals.u