Why Do YOU hate Calls from Salespeople?
When was the last time you were called by a vendor, who wanted to sell you their product?
Were you happy to take the call? Or did you have a visceral reaction the second you recognized it as a sales call? Isn't that the same barrier your reps face as they try to sell your products?
Think about why you aren't taking calls from vendors and you'll be reminded what your sales reps go through. Every day, they call on someone for whom buying isn't inherently part of their job. They're busy with the day-to-day grind of whatever it is they do - just like you are. Your products and services might be appropriate, but how can your Reps get the prospect to take time to talk with them.
Brainstorm with your Reps during your next meeting. Tell them why you hate taking calls and what might cause you to have a different reaction. Here are a couple of possibilities:
* Their calls always interrupt whatever you're in the middle of.
* The product is not something you've though about before - so you're caught you off guard
* The rep's opening rubbed you the wrong way
* You immediately think of why you don't need it
* It sometimes sounds interesting, but then you immediately think about the time it would take.
Your prospects are no different from you. They're busy, they get annoyed by interruptions, they resent being caught off-guard. Create a plan for overcoming those conversation barriers. Perhaps it involves generating more inbound leads. Or perhaps it involves a multi-channel approach: Email first, then call. Or perhaps it just requires a pitch that's honed to different types of prospects. What can your reps do to overcome these challenges? What would work for you?
It comes down to this: People don't mind talking to reps as long as they know it will be worth their time - and that's a hard thing to decide when they're put on the spot with an unexpected phone call. Think about what would convince you to stay on the phone and share that with your own salespeople.
Why Do YOU Hate Calls From Salespeople?
Duh!!!
By Nancy Nardin, Founder, Smart Selling Tools
