For today’s sales reps, the rules of old-school cold calling are less relevant than they used to be.
To have a fighting chance at closing a new customer, you have to start every sales call armed with a plan of how you’re going to meet that specific buyer’s needs. Here are 10 things you should do to prepare for a sales prospecting call and increase your chances of winning the deal.
Grunnleggende informasjon om den potensielle kunden er viktig, men det er ikke alltid nok. Noen ganger må du gjøre hjemmeleksen din for å forstå helheten og detaljene rundt de spesifikke utfordringene de står overfor, og hvordan du kan løse dem.
Før hver salgssamtale bør du sjekke ut selskapets:
LinkedIn-siden og den potensielle kundens profesjonelle profil.
Gjør målene dine klare. Hva ønsker du å oppnå før samtalen avsluttes? Hva ønsker den potensielle kunden å oppnå i løpet av samtalen?
Skriv ned spesifikke, målrettede spørsmål som er relevante for den potensielle kundens virksomhet, bransje, smertepunkter, behov og kjøpsatferd. Vær klar til å lytte og ta notater, slik at du kan reagere på det den potensielle kunden sier. Begrens spørsmålene slik at møtet føles som en samtale, ikke et intervju.
However, it’s also important to be on the lookout for any conditions that have changed since you last communicated with the prospect. Business moves quickly, and you need to be aware of any changes that could affect your call.
Før du tar telefonen, må du forsikre deg om at alle spørsmålene du vil stille, støtter opp om målene du har satt for samtalen.
3. Structure the call
Å lage en uformell kjøreplan for samtalen vil hjelpe deg med å beholde kontrollen. Øv deg først på hvordan du starter møtet for å lede det i riktig retning. Deretter planlegger du hvordan du kan skifte fra tema til tema, slik at du når alle de definerte målene.
Planlegg samtalepunkter som berører bekymringer den potensielle kjøperen allerede har tatt opp, samt spørsmål som er utformet for å avdekke nye smertepunkter og muligheter, slik at du kan samle inn all informasjonen du trenger senere i salgsprosessen.
Nutshell Pro tilbyr ubegrenset antall Click-to-Call, slik at du kan ringe, ta opp og logge salgssamtalene dine med ett enkelt klikk. Ta en titt på hele listen over funksjoner på Pro for å se hvordan vi hjelper B2B-selgere med å spare tid og inngå flere avtaler raskere.
Whether it’s one of your earliest calls with a potential customer or you’re about to make your pitch, tailoring your presentation of your product or solution to their unique situation is a must. You’ve already learned about their needs and pain points, so now it’s time to drive home how you provide the solution.
Is your customer looking for software that will streamline certain processes? Do they need a product to help them save money? Touch on the specific ways your product can solve their specific problems, and you’ll be speaking to what matters most to them.
5. Know your value
The truth is that your potential customer is extremely busy. They may only have a small window of time to devote attention to their buying decision. That means they want to feel like they spent their time wisely when they talked to you.
Vet du hvilken verdi du kan tilføre denne potensielle kjøperen? Hvordan kan du inspirere dem til å fremskynde kjøpsbeslutningen eller ta dem videre til neste trinn i salgsprosessen?
Gi informasjon som besvarer spørsmålene deres, dekker behovene deres eller forklarer eventuelle bekymringer. Samtalen bør avsluttes med at den potensielle kunden har konkrete tiltak å iverksette og en positiv opplevelse.
6. Prepare for potential objections
You’re likely to encounter at least one objection during your sales call, even if you’ve done plenty of research and thoroughly connected your product’s benefits with your potential customer’s needs. It’s just part of the process. Mentally preparing for those objections is key to handling them graciously when they arise.
A good way to prep is to anticipate what objections your potential customer is likely to have. Consider factors like their company’s size and budget, needs, pain points, and objections from other customers you’ve spoken to in the past.
Write out these objections along with solid responses to each one and have your list handy during the call. That way, you can refer back to your notes when needed.
7. Visualize success
Tenk på hvordan idrettsutøvere forbereder seg til et OL-løp. De kontrollerer pusten, strekker og rister ut armer og ben. De visualiserer hvert steg rundt banen, ser for seg hvor hardt de skal svinge armene, hvor bredt de skal ta hvert steg, og hvor mye energi som trengs for å komme i mål.
Det er slik du bør tilnærme deg salgssamtalene dine. I likhet med en idrettsutøver trenger du en balanse mellom adrenalin og oksygen for å opprettholde prestasjon og fokus.
Se for deg samtalen slik du ønsker at den skal være. Gjennomgå samtalen i tankene med den selvtilliten og hjelpsomheten du ønsker å formidle. Forutse spørsmål som kan føre samtalen ut av kurs, og ha en plan for å komme tilbake på sporet.
Talk out loud before the call to make sure you don’t sound nervous, jittery, or tired. Rehearsing introductions or key talking points out loud also helps you build up confidence in your voice, in the call, and in yourself.
8. Finish with specifics
When you’ve reached the end of your call, aim to get as specific as possible. Your contact is just as busy as you are, and leaving a sales call open-ended can result in them moving on to their other responsibilities and forgetting about your conversation. Getting specific about the next steps will help you both keep your conversation front of mind.
While you may be at a place to ask your prospect for a decision at the end of your call, it can be just as helpful to create a specific timeline for any action items or follow-up. Set specific dates for when you’ll provide the product specs they requested or when you can meet for your next call.
That way all you’ll have to do to move the prospect toward a sale is keep them on schedule.
9. Speak carefully about competitors
It may be tempting to bash your competitors on a sales call — after all, you want to convince your prospect that your product or solution is the best out there. While it’s helpful to understand what sets you apart from competitors so you can address those differences and highlight your product’s strengths, there are several good reasons to stay away from overly negative portrayals of your competitors.
For one, the prospect might currently buy from a competitor and see their product in a different way. If they hold a different opinion about the product, you might just draw attention to your competitor’s strengths. Second, using too much negative language, even about a third party, could result in the prospect identifying you with those same negative traits.
When comparing your product or service to a competitor’s, instead focus on the unique value you provide. Speak positively about the place your product holds in the market and be objective about what sets you apart.
10. Use the right tools
An important step when learning how to prepare for a sales call is using tools that will help you accomplish more with your time. There are many platforms available that can help you streamline your sales process. A CRM is one of the most valuable.
Providing a place for a checklist of everything you should do before every sales call
Improve your sales process with Nutshell
When you prepare for your prospect’s needs and objections, tailor your conversation to their situation, get specific, and use the right tools in your sales call, you’ll set yourself up for success.
In the market for a sales tool to help you and your team perform even better? Nutshell’s CRM provides the powerful sales and marketing features you need to nurture more relationships from prospects into customers. Our award-winning CRM helps businesses track the health of their sales pipeline, save time through automation, and make the most of every customer interaction.
