Sales Moves

By
Jeffrey Gitomer

Ever call a telephone appointment on time but get voice mail instead? Ever call a customer at the appointed time and she has to be chased down because she is in a meeting?

What if there was a way to get 100% of the people to meet with you on the phone 100% of the time, on time?

The solution to no-show telephone appointments is one of the best-kept secrets in sales: an on-demand, toll-free conference line.

Here is how it works: I use InterCall (www.intercall.com), a third-party conference call provider. They supplied me with a private, toll-free conference call line and a pin number.

Either one of my staff members or I serve as the moderator and set up the call by dialing in. At the appointment time, the customer or prospect dials our conference line number and enters our code on their telephone keypad.

With a simple keypad command, I have the option to record the conversation. All parties are notified that the call is being recorded. I tell my customers in advance so no details are lost. During the past three years, only one customer declined to be recorded.

But here comes the secret: Instead of passively waiting for my call, the customer has to take action. My customer has to dial into the conference line.

One of the big benefits is that you will no longer be blown off because the prospect or customer is in a meeting. If the prospect agrees to dial in at a specified time, odds are the prospect is going make the call.

When setting phone appointments the old way, if a customer or a prospect agreed to a 10 a.m. phone call, the odds were they would not be there.

When scheduling a call with a conference line, the customer is forced to write down the conference line number and the pin number. It is a firm appointment, not just a verbal agreement.

Conference calls can take place anywhere; no need to be someplace specific. So you don’t have to be there to be “present.” And my particular service allows up to 125 people to be “present” during a call.

The best part is it works.

The simplicity of dialing in, or even listening to a recorded call, means everyone in the group receives the same message and gets the same information. This eliminates two things: whisper-down-the-line communication and errors.

Recording the call ensures every detail is documented and every promise can be kept. Recording also eliminates misunderstanding. We record every conference call and will often transcribe the notes for internal use.

One other important note about recording: If you know the details are being recorded, your mind is free to see the big picture and generate ideas. Links to the recorded call can be sent to those who missed the call or need the information.

Recording bonus: It is an incredible training tool. You have the opportunity to listen to yourself. The evidence of your prowess will be painfully audible.

Other uses for the conference call:

1. To make an initial sales call that is information intensive. Record it.

2. To make a sales presentation. In some cases, your customer can follow along with slides that you send before the call.

3. To solidify ideas or actions with key people.

4. To make strategic follow-up calls. Too often salespeople don’t make a firm appointment to follow-up in the sales call before they leave a customer.

5. To hold virtual meetings. People are often scattered across the country and unable to be in the actual meeting room.

6. To close a sale. All decision makers can be on the call no matter where they are located. Your job is to get a commitment.

After I have completed all of my sales calls, I review the notes for action items and details. Often, I have agreed to send additional documentation for which the conference call notes become critical.

Since I started to use the conference call line, our batting average for customer and prospect connection has gone from .333 to 1.000. I love it. The customers love it. And everything is documented.

Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Sales Bible and The Little Red Book of Selling, is the president of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer. E-mail him at salesman@gitomer.com.

SUBSCRIBE | REPRINTS | CONTACT US

Phone: 843-849-3100    Fax: 843-849-3122