One of the hardest parts of this business for a rep is the dreaded phone call. Why is it so hard to pick up the phone and talk to a person? What are we all afraid of? One of the reasons it is so hard to call a customer is that we feel that we are intruding on that person’s space and time. We are afraid of potential rejection. One of the easiest ways to overcome this is to change the thought process regarding phone calls and to practice.
With every contact that you make you will risk getting a “NO” as the result. “Yes or No” you will want to analyze it and see what works and what doesn’t. Was the call successful? Why? If it wasn’t successful, is there a better way to say it?
As a sales rep you are in the business of contact. You must contact your potential customers in order to receive the sales. If you wait until the customer contacts you, you will miss out on 75% of your sales. You must contact them to be successful. So the easiest way to push through the discomfort is to practice and prepare. Here are a few suggestions to help you maneuver the hard parts.
Think positively! If you think about your phone call as a service you provide to your customer to remind her to place her order, then it’s not like you are bothering her, but you are helping her to remember. Even the dentist office calls you as a reminder. You don’t think that they feel like they are bothering you, do you? If they didn’t call they would have a very large “No Show” in their office. You don’t want a “No Show” order do you?
Develop your greeting, make it personal yet professional. Allow the other party to participate in the call; don’t just jump in to it. Be personal first then professional and ask them after you have found out about their day or situation. Thank them for taking the time to talk to you, confirm with them that you know that their time is valuable and you want to respect it. Ask them if they wanted anything on the order; let them know that you don’t want them to miss out on our great products and life is so busy that you know that it might have slipped their minds. Let them know that you want to make sure that they are happy with our products and they can get them when they want them. Remind them of the special offers and the “can’t miss out deal” that we are offering them.
Here are a couple of example scripts that you can make your own. You will want to practice and make them feel like they flow and come easy to you. Remember practice makes perfect.
“Hi, ____________. This is __________, from Alison’s pantry. How are things going for you? Do you have a minute? I wanted to make sure that you received your catalog and had a chance to look it over; I know how crazy busy life gets every day.
Yes, they looked and want to order= Are you ready with your order? If so I can get that on the system for you. Did they qualify for any of the bonus buys, or would they benefit from items to use with something they ordered? Remember to pair our items to help them utilize our products in the best way.
No, hasn’t looked at it yet = No problem, I can call you back, when would be a good time for me to call you? Call her back within a timely manner and if she doesn’t answer then shoot her a text to remind her of the order once again. (It’s not being pushy it’s going the extra service mile!)
Don’t want anything this month= that’s ok; I just didn’t want you to miss out if you did want something. If you change your mind and remember something you need, let me know by ___________ and I can put it on for you. I will make sure you get a catalog and will call you again next month.
After answering them accordingly, make sure to thank them for their order and to explain when the order will be ready for them and to that you will send them a confirmation.
The most important thing is to be yourself, make your script feel like it flows and feels real. You can adjust this script as you need, it is only a suggestion. Find what works for you, but most important is DO IT! Good luck and Happy Hello!
Stacee~