Here are four rules.
- Mention something about their business (current market conditions in that
area).
You will have that information in your research. This helps to build your
credibility with the customer. - Do not give the prospect any
detail about what you want to talk
about at the appointment because
this allows the prospect to
prejudge your presentation before
you have given them all the
information. - Use good questioning
techniques—let the prospect talk
and you draw them out.
The key is to establish quickly a
rapport with the prospect.
Background information from the customer record sheet can be very useful. - Using a referral will catch interest and give you a few extra minutes on the
telephone to build rapport. The referral may be:
Û An industry cohort known to the prospect
Û A mutual association such as someone in a local service club or
business organization
Û A trade association such as a Chamber of Commerce or industry
governing body
Sometimes it can be very useful to send a letter to the decision maker, in
advance of your call, telling them that you will call at a certain time for an
appointment and you expect it should only take twenty minutes of their time.
The meat of your letter and your conversation on the telephone should
contain a hook that piques the reader /listener's curiosity enough to have at
least a brief look at what you have to offer.For example for #2:
The prospect will often work very hard
to pry details from you to find a
reason to say no.
When they do this, tell them that there is
too much information to properly
present and relate to them over the
phone that that is why you need to
meet with them.
Do not allow them to do that to you—
you need to control the
conversation.