It seems simple, sales reps make sales calls, and we make sales calls for a variety of reasons.
At the beginning of the sales process, we make cold calls to introduce ourselves. Beyond cold calls, we make calls to conduct the interview or the Q&A or CNA. We make presentation calls, follow up calls and calls simply to keep in touch. Once the person becomes a client, we make service calls. The types of sales calls and reasons for calls go on and on.
Prior to every call we make, whether in-person, via the phone, email or text, we should ask ourselves this question, “What do I want to accomplish with this call?”.
Every call should have a clear objective. For some calls, the objective will simply be to set up a meeting or get them to say “yes” to considering radio or whatever else you might be offering. Other objectives might be to get them to agree to consider a promotion, adding another station, increasing their frequency, approving a script and starting the schedule. The reasons are endless, but your objective for each call should be to get you to your next step.
It seems obvious, after all, you know why you’re going on the call, but if you consciously (physically and mentally) ask yourself the question before EVERY call, “What do I want to accomplish with this call?”, I can assure you that you’ll have a better understanding of what you want to achieve and how to go about it. And, by doing so, every call from this day forward will be more productive.
Good Luck!
Here’s a scenario. You’re in a meeting with a potential client, and like magic, you come up with a “BIG IDEA” that you know is the answer to helping the client make a ton of money, no less yourself. In your enthusiasm to show the client how smart you are as a marketing and advertising professional, you blurt out your “BIG IDEA”!
You’re a genius, right? Wrong!
If you do have a good idea, as in this situation, and you throw it out spontaneously, the chances of it being excepted are greatly diminished. There’s a much better time to reveal you’re a real genius. It’s when you make your presentation!
Ask yourself this question. Do you think your client would put more value on a great idea that someone came up with on the fly, or one that took a week or two to come up with after much consideration and brainstorming? The client will think, “Wow, they really put some time and thought into this idea!”
Instead of blurting out your “BIG IDEA” during the first meeting, say something like, “I think I may have some good ideas, but I want to do some additional research and give some extra thought to these ideas before deciding and making our recommendations”.
While most good ideas take time to develop, we also know that occasionally we get lucky and come up with that GREAT idea on the spot.
It’ll take discipline, bite your lip, but whatever you do, WAIT, and don’t give away that “BIG IDEA” so quickly!
