The internet has made it possible to do away with using the phone in sales. This is a relatively common belief, but it is actually misguided. Shunning the phone can leave a lot of money on the table and cost you lots of sales.
It’s not impossible to close sales completely via email. People have done it and continue to do it. In fact, it’s something you should consider even if you decide to use the phone for sales. This one-two sales punch is going to give you more traction in your campaigns. It’s better to have potential sales from multiple avenues than to limit yourself to one.
But, due to the increase of internet-based sales techniques, i.e., email, people have actually become afraid of calling. They fear the direct rejection that they will receive, or worse, the swearing and shouting that may happen when they call.
The truth is when you call people, especially cold calls, you are going to get people who hang up on you and curse at you.
You’ll also get people who will politely state they are not interested and leave it at that. When you do find one of these people, gently ask if they know of a colleague or friend who may be interested in what you offer. If you have a way of offering a referral bonus, this can help motivate them into giving you names and numbers.
The one tactic to completely avoid is the hard sell. This is no longer effective in today’s sales environment. Salespeople during the pre-internet era could use the advantage of a customer’s lack of knowledge about the products, services, or industry. Today, anyone can check out a product with the click of a button. You no longer have the luxury of ignorance on your side with the sales process. That is essentially what hard sell tactics are all about.
A better approach is to sell to people who want what you have to offer. While this may seem obvious, people get this wrong all the time. It’s also where using the phone can help you to instantly prequalify people and move on if they don’t seem like a good fit. This is a crucial component in selling as you want to make the most out of closing your sales. What good is it to try to close someone that has no interest? It’s better to move onto the next prospect than spend your efforts convincing an uninterested person.
Hope it helps.
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