Sales Managers set the standard
for Incoming Sales Calls
This is one in a series of articles on approaches to
enhancing sales management performance. The articles include coaching,
appraising, motivating, managing hiring, territory management and many
others.
I have called hundreds of companies over the years to enquire about their
products or services. Some have been fantastic, some have been terrible and most
could have been much better. How does your company rate? And your competitors?
If you don't know the answers to these questions, you had better hurry up and
learn because you could be out of work if anyone finds out.
Call your salespeople and all your major competitors today. Have your
salespeople make some of these research calls, too. Make sure you write a
note in your diary to do this exercise again in six months to make sure you stay
ahead of your competitors.If you need an outsider to call your staff and report
professionally on the results. Call Brad at Louern right now on
0407-272-353 to
arrange it. Aim to find out the following:
-
How the phone is answered - What is
said
-
How long it takes in rings
-
How the person sounds - Happy,
interested, bored, angry etc.
-
How long it takes to get to a
salesperson
-
Do they ask your name
-
Do they get your contact details
-
Do they ask how you found them
-
How many and what needs questions
they ask
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How do they handle objections
-
How do they handle price objections
in particular
-
Other factors connected to the kind
of sale your company does
Once you have this data set standards
for your receptionist and your salespeople that exceed the best practice you find
from your competitors. I suggest for the receptionist:
Smile
Answer within 4 rings
Say ... Good ..... Welcome to xxxxxxx
company, this is Firstname Lastname, How may I help you?
Once the receptionist has answered the phone professionally and transferred
it through, the last thing you want to do is let the team down.
Some guidelines
-
Pick up a pen or pencil before
answering
-
Answer within 4 rings
-
Smile as you answer
-
Treat every call as though it is
from your best customer
-
Treat every information gathering
enquiry as a buying signal
-
Remember your goal is to satisfy
the customer's needs profitably
-
Ask for the callers name - you will
succeed more often if you know and use the persons name
Good ... Welcome to Sales, this is
Firstname Lastname, How may I help you?
Now that you have asked your first
question, stop and listen carefully to the response. The key is to hear what the
customer means remembering that this is not always what is said.
Once you understand what the customer
means give feedback that you are really listening. This feedback provides many
functions including:
-
Showing you are attentive and
interested
-
Relaxing the customer
-
Confirming you have understood the
customer's meaning
Here are some ways you can confirm
you have listened and understood
So you are saying that ....
Have I understood you correctly that
....
It sounds like ....
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 28 July 2005 )
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