“Don’t read or simply recite a script. Don’t sound scripted.” – Jim Camp in today’s Tip 1644
What do you do when the leads aren’t simply being handed to you anymore?
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Transcript
Scott Ingram: You’re listening to the Daily Sales Tips podcast and I’m your host, Scott Ingram. Today’s tip comes from Jim Camp. Jim is a former VP of Sales, and is now an owner and coach with Camp Negotiations. Jim has also served as a military pilot and is retiring as a Major General from the United States Air Force. Here he is:
Jim Camp: Hi, everyone. This is Jim Camp again. Today, I want to share something that’s facing a lot of sales professionals today. Those that even have many years invested in one product or industry are facing the fact that change is inevitable. One day things are good, the phone is ringing off the hook, and the next day things go quiet.
Question is, what do you do when the leads aren’t simply being handed to you anymore? What do you do when the pipeline starts to dry up?
Prospecting is probably one of the hardest aspects of being a sales professional. The problem with prospecting is that most sales professionals usually do anything they have to to avoid doing it, especially if you’re cold calling. Let’s face it, if you’ve never spoke to someone and they’re not expecting your call, regardless of how qualified these people on your list appear to be, it’s still a cold call.
First, remember our definition of negotiation this will help you. It’s an agreement between two or more parties with all parties having the right to veto. There shouldn’t be a lot of expectations on a cold call and if somebody tells you no, that’s okay.
Here’s the tip for today, and this is going to be the first of many on prospecting.
Don’t read or simply recite a script. That’s right, don’t sound scripted. If you sound like everybody else, you’re going to be treated like everybody else. I’m sure all of you have received solicitation phone calls, and one of the first things that probably goes through your head is, How am I going to get this person off the phone? That’s how they feel. The moment you sound scripted and that you’re trying to sell something, their guard goes up and instantaneously, they’re wondering the same thing. How am I going to get this person off the phone? Instead of reading or reciting a script, approach it like any other sales negotiation, give the right to say no, and begin to ask questions to understand your prospect’s world, their challenges.
Have a relaxed conversation. There’s really no need to rush and there’s really very little at risk here. Uncover their challenges before you start going at anything that you’ve practiced or anything that’s almost a presentation about how great your product is. Finally, if you’re not used to hearing the word no, if it bothers you, if you feel like hearing the word no is a reflection on your ability, you got to remember it’s not.
A big majority of sales professionals give up when they’re forced to prospect. Instead, and I’ve seen this in a lot of companies, new sales professionals, especially in business-to-consumer, are encouraged to reach out to everybody they know. Unfortunately, that list of warm contacts won’t last forever. Listen, if you track anything, keep track of the people that tell you no. This is good for you, and those prospects could actually turn into future business. Once you get over the fear of hearing no, you will become more effective and more resilient. I hope you found this helpful. More to follow. Talk to you next time.
Scott Ingram: To connect with Jim and to get your hands on their free download with the 4 Reasons People Say No, just click over to DailySales.Tips/1644. Once you’ve clicked over there to grab that download, be sure to click back here for another great sales tip. Thanks for listening!