Tel-E Sales Tip of the Week
October 7, 2008

Published By Art Sobczak, Business By Phone Inc.
See articles, and other resources
http://www.BusinessByPhone.com

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Work With Art Personally on Building Your
Own Successful Sales or Prospecting Call
Attend the Telesales College Two-Day Workshop
Don't Get Shut Out. Programs are Filling Fast!

Quit making call-killing mistakes and see exactly what
to say to get YES more often by phone.
http://businessbyphone.com/college.htm

Chicago, October 21-22
Dallas, December 10-11

See complete details, agenda, comments from attendees,
and register here or, download a brochure


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Here are the New Posts at Art's
TelesalesBlog.com Since Last Week
 -Avoiding the "How's it going?" call that so many reps place
to existing customers, but in reality, is a nuisance

-A non-sales post, but one on barbeque. Art has won
championships in barbeque competitions and shares
some tips

-Why "FREE" is not always a benefit. 

Make it a point to visit regularly. Go to the blog at
http://www.TeleSalesBlog.com

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Now is the Time to Take Advantage of
The "Economic Crisis" and Bypass Your
Competition: Join the TeleSales Success
Inner Circle
My Inner Circle membership program and site has been
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reason why you would not at least take a look at everything
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giving it a look at http://www.TelesalesSuccess.com

In challenging economic times, the sales reps who continue
to cash in are those who do the right things, who know
the "secrets"...the strategies, the processes, the right
words to get sales...while others get no after no. YOU
can be in the success group. Join us in the Inner Circel
today: http://www.TelesalesSuccess.com

THIS WEEK'S TIP:
Should You Use this Question:
What's It Going to Take?

Greetings!

I've been giving some thought to the question,
"What's it going to take to ...?"

It's a bad, salesy-sounding, cheesy technique.

And It's a good technique—when used at the
right time, in the right situation.

Let's look at some examples.

The call arrived, I answered, and the salesperson
with the office supply company said,

"I'm with _____. I see you're not with us anymore,
and I was wondering what it's gonna take to get
you back with our service?"

So what's wrong with this approach to win back
old customers? It,

• gives the listener no reason to even answer the
question; assumes that the prospect is sitting there,
waiting for the salesperson's call, list in hand of all
the "What it's going to take" criteria for the salesperson;

• puts the prospect in an uncomfortable (and possibly
defensive) position, and,

• presumes that the person would even CONSIDER
coming back.

Sometime, somewhere, I'd love to see or hear this happen:

Prospect: "Yes, I was expecting your call. I have prepared
a list of demands I need met in order for me to buy from
you. I can email, FAX these, or read them to you, which
do you prefer?"

Fat chance.
Yes, we DO want to know "what it's gonna take," but at
the beginning of a call we must first earn the right to
uncover that information. That means you need to offer
something of value, which puts them in a frame of mind
so they'll willingly share information with you.

For example,

"Hello Ms. Lostcustomer, I'm Dale Reed with Atom
Industries. The reason I'm calling is that we previously
had the opportunity to provide you with your computer
peripherals and supplies. Depending on what you're
using now, what you're spending and where, there's a
possibility we might be able to cut your overall costs.
I'd like to ask just a couple of quick questions to see
if I could provide some additional information."

This would accomplish precisely what you're trying
to do with your opening: get them talking. You'll want
to find out why they left (which is usually because
someone else simply asked them to); what they
didn't like about what they had with you previously;
what they like (and don't like) about what they have
now.

The answers to these questions sound to me
something like what it would take to get them to
switch, if that's even a possibility.

The "What's it gonna take?" question IS effective
and appropriate when used at the right time. The
two that come to mind are,

• during your questioning, when you're looking for
buying criteria: "What ultimately, is it going to take
to win this contract?" And,

• during a negotiating, resistance handling, or
objections mode.

On the second point, sales trainer David Yoho,
and author of "Negotiating Higher Prices in
Competitive Markets," suggests using it when you
sense some resistance or have reached an impasse.

"So, what will it take for us to be able to work together?"

If they say, "Uh, I dunno. A good price," he responds with,

"That's it?"

Which then leads him into more questions, which of
course are used to help identify more ways to build value
as opposed to lowering the price.

ACTION STEP
"What's it gonna take?" can either get you blown off
the phone, or help you uncover great information on the
way to a sale. Think of situations during your questioning
where it would be appropriate, and then take the next
step and prepare for all of the possible answers you
could hear, and THEN prepare for how you'll respond.

______________________

I'm really excited today. Why? I was doing some research for
a training session, went to the archives in my Telesales Success
Inner Circle, and COULD NOT BELIEVE how much information
is there on all aspects of selling and prospecting by phone. I could
go on and on about everything you can get access to, but the best
way is to experience it yourself. Right now, I urge you to go to
http://www.TelesalesSuccess.com to take a look at everything
you can have within minutes.

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Go and Have Your Best Week Ever!

Art

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Planning Your Next National Sales Meeting
Or In-House Training?
If your company or association would benefit from a content-packed,
entertaining, interactive, how-to customized workshop on any
part of, or the entire telesales and prospecting call and process,
let's talk.

I specialize in developing and delivering programs
that get sales reps saying and doing the right things, right
away, to get more YES answers from prospects and customers.
Isn't it time that the organization does something special
for the most important part of the sales process?

Contact me at ArtSobczak@BusinessByPhone.com, or call
me at (402)895-9399. (Special incentive for Scottsdale/Phoenix
programs) 

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Omaha, NE 68137, (402) 895-9399.  Or, email:arts@businessbyphone.com

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