Mark BernardWhat day is the best to call? Traditionally, it’s not Monday
mornings when companies have meetings, when the decision-makers
are eith er regrouping for the next week or going over the last week with
th eir staff. The best times are Monday afternoon and Tuesday through
Friday all day. Most people tell me that Friday is not a very good day,
but I’ve secured some of my biggest clients at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon.
At that time, most company staff are looking at the clock. If they work
until five, at 4:30, they’re starting to shut off their computers. At 4:20,
4:30, 4:45, they are starting to get their jackets on, change their shoes
and get to the transition of heading out the door right at 5.
I have called decision-makers—presidents, and VPs—and asked
th em to stick their head out of the office to see what the staff was
doing. “My goodness,” says the decision-maker, “they’re laying around
watching the clock, shuffling, getting their jackets ready, and s hutting
off their computers.”
“Exactly,” I’d reply, “and what am I doing right now? I’m calling
you because my work day isn’t complete yet. How would you like
me to teach your team to do that—to have that much passion and
corporate esteem that they want to stay working up until 5?” I’ve
secured more business at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon than probably
any other day because decision-makers want that commitment from their
employees.WRIGHT^
So once you make your calls and actually set the appointment with
your prospect, what do you do or say at the appointment?
BERNARD
I struggled with this when I first started in sales. This is what
salespeople s ay all the time, “I can book the appointments but I’m not
closing them.” You must have a unique selling propositi on of who you
ar e, what y ou do, and how y ou do it with outcomes to the client. That
must be very clear, but you a lso must have a system for the discovery
meeting. I call it a “discovery meeting,” not a “sales appointment” and
not an “appointment.” You’re going into that meeting to see if you can
dance—if you have a solution f or the prospect.