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.
Informações básicas sobre seu cliente potencial são essenciais, mas nem sempre são suficientes. Às vezes, é preciso fazer a lição de casa para entender o panorama geral, bem como os detalhes sobre os desafios específicos que eles enfrentam e como você pode oferecer a solução.
Antes de cada chamada de vendas, você deve verificar os dados da empresa:
Página do LinkedIn, bem como o perfil profissional de seu cliente potencial
Fluxo do Twitter
Site, especialmente as seções Sobre nós e Notícias
Deixe seus objetivos claros. O que você deseja realizar antes do término da chamada? O que seu cliente potencial quer alcançar durante a chamada?
Escreva perguntas específicas e direcionadas que sejam relevantes para os negócios, o setor, os pontos problemáticos, as necessidades e os comportamentos de compra de seu cliente potencial. Esteja pronto para ouvir e fazer anotações para que você possa reagir ao que o comprador potencial disser. Limite suas perguntas para que a reunião pareça uma conversa, não uma entrevista.
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.
Antes de pegar o telefone, certifique-se de que todas as perguntas que você deseja fazer estejam de acordo com as metas que você definiu para a chamada.
3. Structure the call
Criar um itinerário informal para a conversa o ajudará a manter o controle. Primeiro, pratique como você iniciaria a reunião para apontá-la na direção certa. Em seguida, mapeie como mudar a conversa de um tópico para outro para que você atinja todas as metas definidas.
Planeje pontos de discussão que abordem as preocupações que o comprador em potencial já levantou, bem como perguntas destinadas a revelar novos pontos problemáticos e oportunidades, para que você possa coletar todas as informações necessárias posteriormente no processo de vendas.
Chamando todos os autores de chamadas não solicitadas!
Nutshell Pro oferece Click-to-Call ilimitado, para que você possa discar, gravar e registrar suas chamadas de vendas com um único clique. Confira nossa lista completa de recursos do Pro para ver como ajudamos os vendedores B2B a economizar tempo e fechar mais negócios com mais rapidez.
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.
Você sabe o valor que pode oferecer a esse comprador em potencial? Como você pode inspirá-lo a acelerar a decisão de compra ou levá-lo para a próxima etapa do processo de vendas?
Forneça informações que respondam às perguntas, atendam às necessidades ou expliquem quaisquer preocupações que eles possam ter. A chamada deve terminar com o cliente em potencial tendo medidas práticas a serem tomadas e sentindo-se positivo com a experiência.
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
Pense em como os atletas se preparam para uma corrida olímpica. Eles controlam a respiração, esticam e sacodem os braços e as pernas. Eles visualizam cada passo na pista, imaginando a força com que devem balançar os braços, a largura de cada passo e quanta energia será necessária para passar pela linha de chegada.
É assim que você deve abordar suas chamadas de vendas. Como um atleta, um equilíbrio de adrenalina e oxigênio é o que você precisa para manter o desempenho e o foco.
Imagine a chamada da maneira que você deseja que ela ocorra. Encene a conversa em sua mente com a confiança e a ajuda que deseja transmitir. Antecipe as perguntas que podem desviar o rumo da conversa e tenha um plano para voltar ao caminho certo.
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.
