We’ve all had those moments during our prospecting calls when our brain stops working and we say things we never thought would come out of our mouths. This is just human nature. However, there are bigger mistakes most of us make without knowing it. Here are the top 7 mistakes that salespeople make during their prospecting calls:
1. We sound like everyone else
A lot of salespeople like to focus on their own agenda, their company, and their products. The prospect doesn’t care if “Our company specializes in ________ and offers products such as…” The same is true when we say things “I was just calling to introduce myself.” I know it's hard to believe, but the prospect wasn't waiting by the phone hoping that you'd call.
Ideas for improvement:
- Focus on them, their company, and their situation. Whenever possible, a great way to start the conversation is by saying, “I understand that you are focused on…”
- Talk less about your products and more about how you can impact their problems and initiatives.
2. We love to wing it
Most salespeople put little thought into what they will say once the prospect answers the phone. A lot of them believe that they actually sound better if they wing it but they don't. As George Harrison once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”
Ideas for improvement:
- Use a script for the call. Anticipate what could happen in the call, and prepare a strategy for potential situations.
- Highlight or underline certain words or phrases in the script where you want to remember to change the inflection of your voice. This will help prevent you from sounding scripted. Then, memorize the script.
3. The human Pez dispenser
We all know we should listen more and talk less, but most salespeople tend to ramble on, usually about themselves and their products. They are eager to dole out a series of features and benefits like candy from a Pez dispenser, hoping that the prospect will bite on one.
Ideas for improvement:
- Focus on asking questions about them and their challenges instead of talking about you and your products
- Remember that most prospects like brief, concise answers to their questions. For example, if you asked someone for the time, you wouldn’t want them also to tell you how their watch was made.
4. We set off the snooze alarm
When you make a call to a new prospect, do you sound confident and passionate about what you do? Or are you boring to listen to? If you don't show belief in your product or service, the prospect will immediately think that something is wrong with it.
Ideas for improvement:
- Record your calls. It's painful to listen to your own voice, but you'll be surprised by what you hear. If you don't have a recorder, use your voice mail system to practice your script.
- Stand up when you make calls. Or at least sit up in your chair. Believe it or not, posture makes a difference.
5. The purpose of the call is to keep the purpose of the call the purpose of the call
Huh? Very simply, keep the call on track. The purpose of the call is the overall outcome you desire. If you are calling to set an appointment, don’t talk in-depth about the product as if you are trying to sell it over the phone. If you are calling to close the sale and you receive a strong buying signal from a prospect, stop everything and ask for the order.
Ideas for improvement:
- Make sure you know the purpose of your call before picking up the phone. If you don’t know, neither will the prospect.
- In Olympic terms, go for the gold. When thinking of your purpose, think big. The purpose of the call is NEVER to follow up on information, create interest, or even qualify the prospect—these are all means to an end. An overall purpose could be to gain the appointment, generate a quote, close the sale, get the signature on the contract, or deliver the demo.
6. I was just kinda wondering if it might be possible…
We all use weak words more than we realize. This is due to lack of preparation and lack of confidence (the two usually go hand-in-hand). Remember—the quality of your product is only as good as the quality of your language.
Ideas for improvement:
- Listen for weak words you use in your calls and make a list of them. Then, replace each of these words with a better, more powerful word choice. Use a thesaurus to help you find the strongest, most appropriate word.
- It may be best to eliminate a weak word altogether and replace it with silence. Remember, silence is golden.
7. How are you doing?
“Hello, Mr. Prospect, this is Joe Doe from XYZ Company. How are you today?” Most salespeople think that asking “how are you” will help build rapport. It doesn’t. Instead, it makes us sound like a typical salesperson—or worse yet, the telemarketers who call us at home.
Ideas for improvement:
- Since you never know if you caught someone during a critical task, always ask them if they have a moment to talk. For example, “This is John Doe with XYZ Company. I know you weren’t expecting my call. Do you have a minute to talk?” Most salespeople are afraid to ask this question, but you’ll find that 95% of people will grant you time, and will also give you their undivided attention.
- If they respond by saying that they can’t talk, ask for a better time to call them back. Then, make sure you follow up as promised, and you will create instant credibility.
Add your comments! What mistakes did I miss?
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