Are They Listening To You?

  by Ann Barr

One of the most common mistakes sales people make is to spend the first part of a cold call talking about themselves. If the opening statement of a sales call is all about the caller, there is a good chance the prospect won’t want to listen to the rest of the call.

 Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, said:

 “You will get more people to listen to you by talking about them, than you will by talking about yourself.”

Is it all About You?

—Example of a boring opening statement (All about the caller):

“Mr. Prospect, I’m Mary Smith with Ace Printer Products. We sell replacement cartridges for printers and fax machines and I’d like to tell you what we can do.”

Or: “We’re an authorized Panasonic dealer and I’d like to introduce you to our services.”

The truth is, they don’t care what you sell. Their only concern is what they get.

—Example of an opening statement with benefits for the listener:

"Good morning, Mrs. Smith. This is Jeff Green calling from ABC Office Systems here in Denver. We specialize in supplying area accounting firms with top quality laser cartridges. The reason I’m calling you today is that there is a possibility you may qualify for one of our new printer maintenance programs, depending on what you’re now using in the way of printer supplies. How are your printer supplies currently purchased?"

With this statement, it was obvious that Jeff Green, the sales person, spent time preparing for the call. He knew what the prospect’s business was and he used the words “you” and “your” more often than “I,” “we” and “our.”

The Critical First Nine Seconds

The first nine seconds of a cold call can determine the success or failure of the call. That's how long it takes for the prospect to register who you are and why you are calling. And if you talk about the prospect—and their needs—instead of yourself, they will want to listen to you instead of ending the call quickly.

Three Ways to Get the Prospect’s Attention

This requires a little research and some planning ahead of time, before you place the call—but the results will make it worth your time.

—Talk about a recent development for the prospect or his/her company.

"I read in ENX Magazine that your company just reported a 50% increase in sales."

Or:

"I saw your picture in the business section of this morning's newspaper. Congratulations on your promotion!"

Or:

—Tell them about a specific benefit and ask a needs-based question.

"We just introduced a new low-priced color cartridge for several of the Hewlett-Packard laser printers. Which HP color printer do you use?"

Or:

— Make an offer s/he can't refuse.

"I'm calling about a new free service our company is offering for a limited time. One of our HP certified technicians will come to your office and clean your printer when you order a Laser Jet 5000 cartridge."

Words that get the prospect’s attention and go right to the heart of what you can do for them are what consumers want to hear. Nobody really cares about your products; they care about how the products will benefit them and the results they will get from using your products.

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Ann Barr is a consultant and sales trainer who has

written eight books on sales and marketing
available on her web site www.sellingsupplies.com