Have you examined your approach style?
How do you wish to be perceived and are you able to convey that desire? Your approach affects your marketing message, business development and ultimately sales.
This morning, someone called on my business line asking for my husband – not too swift. He then launched into the fact our bank has investment advisors on board who are ready and willing to help us make new allocations with our money.
Question based selling always performs better than the old fashioned telling-selling. Furthermore, “Bob” spoke hesitatingly and continually qualified what he said after the fact. His approach left me cold and I had no interest in pursuing the conversation.
The irony of all this is had Bob taken the time to research our account, he would have seen that once upon a time we used the very services he was trying to sell. He could easily have approached me on our history, would have sounded intelligent and quickly found what he needed to know. Our history was less than stellar to be polite.
By taking time to research and prepare upfront, you will come across with credibility. Through the cycle, as you build relationships and trust, you will be far more likely to close the sale – and it will be a Smooth Sale!
Footnote: It must be open season on people cold-calling who do not have a clue! As I was typing the previous paragraph, someone called to ask me to join their program not realizing I had already completed it! Compounding this error, oblivious to what my business entails, “Chuck” then asked, “How would you feel if…” – He was obviously reading from a script trying to sell me. Needless to say, he reached the wrong person.
