Do You Dare Throw Away The Script And Start A Conversation!
Stop the sales pitch and start talking and listening to your customer. �It�s an amazing feeling, says Helen Robinson, when you feel the rapport, that mutual trust you�re building with the customer.� My first experience in sales was in telemarketing. I was so scared that to this day I can�t remember what I was selling. The sales trainer told me to read the script and all would be fine. I found a nice secluded corner desk where no one would hear me and dialed my first lead. I introduced myself and started to read the script I was given. I thought I was doing fine until the gentleman asked me a question. �You can�t do this to me; my trainer didn�t say anything about questions; there are no questions in the script!� Of course I didn�t voice this out loud; I just broke out in a sweat, lost my place in the script and felt my throat closing.� Since he had no idea who I was, thank heaven, I just hung up the phone. Silly wasn�t I? At that moment I decided I needed a new mindset. The person on the other end doesn�t know me. The only reason they will speak to me is because I sound warm, friendly and polite and if I ask a question, even a simple one, I will wait for an answer. Have you experienced the caller who asks how you are today and doesn�t wait for an answer just starts reading some words on a piece of paper? Wouldn�t it be nice to build up that trust and create a customer for yourself and the company you work for? You don�t need a script. You should learn all you can about your company, the product or service you�re selling before you pick up that phone. Try to be relaxed and get you�re customer in the same mood. Here�s one of my best examples of listening and I think one of my favorite moments on the phone. A business owner called asking for some information to be sent to him. I tried to get some information about his operation to start a conversation but that�s all I could get was a yes or no answer. From the name of his business I realized he owned many pretzel concessions that were located in movie theaters, etc. I was listening to his tone and it seemed to me that he wasn�t unfriendly, perhaps just shy or had a really bad day. He proceeded to give me his name, address and in the middle of this information, I asked, �Do they come with mustard?� The long silence was deafening. I said, �The pretzels, do they come with mustard?� He started to laugh and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I knew he would become a customer and he did. I looked forward to calling him for reorders and I really think he liked hearing from me. The moral of the story, believe in what you�re selling, know your product and enjoy talking to your prospects. Relax and the orders will come.
