| Many sales professionals know what it's like to | | | | honor of Dr. Seuss' little poem, I refer to those troubles |
| visualize calling prospect after prospect on the drive to | | | | as the "trouble thoughts." Trouble thoughts often |
| work. They envision handling any objection and closing | | | | bombard one before and after reaching for the |
| all their prospects with fun and ease. But once they | | | | telephone to make a prospecting call. In my coaching |
| settle into their office chair, they quickly fall prey to a | | | | experience, I discovered the novice as well as |
| berating little voice that always suggests to keep | | | | executive relates to those trouble thoughts I described |
| waiting for seemingly good reasons:- If you call too | | | | above.Indeed, even sales professionals with very |
| early in the morning, you'll be considered a noisome | | | | outgoing personalities can find themselves in a petrified |
| pest. Go get a cup of coffee and plan out your day. If | | | | state before picking up the telephone. It seems that no |
| you fail to plan, you know you're planning to fail.- Better | | | | matter how much success they might have |
| check your email before making any calls. You never | | | | experienced, they still undergo sales call resistance. |
| know when an existing client might need assistance. | | | | Some of my clients divulge that their previous |
| You shouldn't keep existing clients waiting.- It's almost | | | | outstanding sales history does little to convince them |
| time for the office meeting to start. If you get started | | | | that they have what it takes to keep making |
| on making calls now, you'll feel rushed. You won't have | | | | prospecting calls today. There are even those who |
| success with prospects if you're feeling rushed. They'll | | | | admit that a month after starting a new sales position, |
| think you're rushing for the sale, and you'll lose the deal.- | | | | they have yet to place even one prospecting call. |
| People are getting ready to head out for lunch. No one | | | | According to good ol' Dr. Seuss, they simply need a big |
| wants to be bothered by a sales person, when he's | | | | bat to give those troubles a little trouble.From my own |
| getting ready to leave the office.- People are just | | | | sales experience, I learned that the best time to call a |
| returning from lunch. They don't want to be bothered | | | | prospect is as soon as I think about calling him. Waiting |
| by a sales person, when they're trying to get settled | | | | for a better time usually results in one of two things - |
| in.- Now would be a great time to call, if only you felt | | | | never finding the right time to call that prospect, or |
| more confident in your script. If you don't feel confident, | | | | waiting so long that by the time the call is finally placed, |
| the results won't be worthwhile. There's no sense in | | | | the prospect is already doing business with someone |
| putting time into making calls, if you aren't going to get | | | | else and no longer requires the suggested product or |
| the good results you desire. It would be more | | | | service.So how does one get oneself to the point that |
| advantageous to get online and learn about effective | | | | he can walk right past all those nagging reasons to |
| sales calling techniques.- Calling certain prospects could | | | | wait and call later? Is it necessary to thoroughly |
| really influence your business in a big way. When | | | | examine his past and everything that has fueled his |
| you've mastered the new techniques/scripts you | | | | fearful feelings? I don't believe so. The most effective |
| learned, you'll be able to advance very quickly. It's best | | | | method to change a present situation is to keep one's |
| to master those techniques before calling such | | | | focus on the present, not the past.When sales |
| influential prospects. You don't want to ruin your | | | | professionals become aware that it's actually possible |
| opportunities just because you weren't better | | | | to seize the phone, or as I say "Carpe Phonum," when |
| prepared.- It's too late to call prospects. They're getting | | | | they lack courage, they stop waiting and start calling. In |
| ready to leave work. Arrive here all the earlier | | | | order to create that awareness, I use an analogy of a |
| tomorrow morning, and you can get all those calls | | | | baseball player going up to bat, and naturally having the |
| completed before noon.If any or all of those | | | | goal to hit the ball, run to each of the bases, and finally |
| suggestions sound familiar, you probably know what it's | | | | cross over the home plate and score.Getting to first |
| like to hear a voice chastising you on your drive home | | | | base involves coming face to face with the voice that |
| from work because you didn't make the calls you | | | | talks one out of making all those calls. That voice must |
| were supposed to make. Strange, isn't it? It sounds | | | | be presented, discussed and revealed as the liar that it |
| quite like the voice that talked you out of making any | | | | is, before the sales professional can swing, that is, |
| of those calls all throughout the day.Learning how to | | | | swing his position from one of standstill to action. He |
| "seize the phone" requires investigating the voice, that | | | | must learn to trust his true desires so he can easily |
| talks one out of making the necessary prospecting | | | | move from the batting or starting position to first |
| calls that advance anyone's sales business. There are | | | | base.Moving to second base requires learning how to |
| plenty of programs to assist sales professionals | | | | detach oneself from the persistent voice that nags |
| become more efficient during the calls, and certainly it's | | | | and distracts but never points one in the right direction. |
| always beneficial to hone one's skills. But too many | | | | Every sales professional needs a big bat that |
| sales professionals report that it isn't the sales process | | | | effectively dismantles the seeming hold that fear has |
| that trips them up, but rather, actually picking up the | | | | on him, so he can move on to third base.Getting one's |
| telephone and placing the call to Mr. Prospect. There | | | | feet firmly planted on third base occurs when the |
| always seems to be a reason why it would be better | | | | sales professional sees more to his business than the |
| to wait and call later.Most sales professionals | | | | exchanging of goods and money. By opening his eyes |
| understand on a gut level that waiting for a better time | | | | to recognize the potential ongoing value he creates |
| to call is only cheating them from further expanding | | | | and the good that unfolds simply by contacting others |
| their sales business today. But getting past a relentless, | | | | on the telephone, he learns the greater aspects and |
| fear inflicting voice in their heads is no easy task. Of | | | | opportunities of his business.Finally, the sales |
| course, if it were, top sales professionals wouldn't be | | | | professional must learn that getting to home plate is |
| so desperately needed or so highly paid.One day, while | | | | only accomplished when he takes his foot off of third |
| musing through a book by Dr. Seuss, I Had Trouble | | | | base. It is necessary to come to grips with the fact |
| Getting to Solla Sollu, one of the poems seem to jump | | | | that the sales process is a continual cycle, that |
| out at me like a jack-in the box:I learned there are | | | | everyday he must walk out of the dugout of fear, pick |
| troubles of more than one kindSome come from | | | | up a bat of immeasurable value, put himself in the |
| ahead and some from behindBut I've bought a big bat; | | | | game and start playing. Ultimately, it is the only way to |
| I'm all ready, you seeNow my troubles are going to | | | | cross the home plate and score the sale!Tammy |
| have troubles with meIn the sales profession, most | | | | Stanley, founder of Carpe Phonum, shows how to |
| troubles come from ahead and behind the telephone. In | | | | seize the phone even without courage. |