In the field of sales, there are many different ways to generate a lead. The most difficult method of closing a sale is phone calls. Phone calls are not only impersonal, but if the target didn’t ask to be called, you may end up annoying them, which will never result in a sale. However, there are some things one can do to increase their chances of making a phone sale. Anyone who is an expert in telephone sales will tell you that there are very strict unspoken rules that you must follow in order to be successful in telephone sales. Here are some tips to do a good call – included is the anatomy of a stellar strategic sales call.

Introduction

This is sometimes the most important part of the call. This is the part of the call where you know if you have any chance of making a sale, as most people will ask you not to call them anymore or just hang up if they’re not interested. This is your only chance to make the objective a reality, so it had better be good. Always be courteous, listen carefully and be honest. Think of phone sales as excellent customer service while making a sale. If you are interrupted, stop talking, listen to them and always show good manners. You called them; don’t be rude, brief, or worse, hang up, no matter what the situation. Have a certain class and show professionalism under any circumstances. Get to the point quickly. A good introduction might be, “Hello, Mrs. Jones? Hi, my name is Jamie and I work for JLAB Industries. Is there any chance I have time to hear about a powerful new all-natural dietary supplement that costs $29.99 per month?” 60 capsules? and no side effects? He has been respectful, introduced himself and got right to the point of why he called them and interrupted their busy day. The potential buyer has everything he needs to know to make an informed decision about whether or not to proceed with the call.

Question and answer

No matter how much you want to make your pitch and close a sale, this is not up to you. The target can interrupt your product description or sales pitch at any time and ask questions. Once again, be courteous and answer any of their questions. It’s important to do your research ahead of time, because if you can’t answer a single question, the sale is almost lost. If you can’t answer any questions, it’s an indication that you didn’t do your due diligence and are just calling them to make a buck. Yes, the point is to make money, but it shouldn’t feel that way to a potential buyer. You must make the target feel that you care about their life and that you are providing a valuable service to benefit them in some way.

Closing and Follow-up

This is your chance to make sure that the customer, whether or not they bought your product, recommends it to their friends. If they’ve heard you all the way to closing, it means there’s some interest in your product. If they weren’t able to purchase anything today, please provide your contact information so that if they change their mind, they can call back and place an order. Providing your contact information also sets you up for other potential customers, because they just might know a friend who could also benefit. If they bought the product, you want to convert them into loyal customers so they will order from you again. If you call them back and check on them after they’ve had enough time to test the product, they’ll feel like you really care about them. As a result, you have maximized your chances of a new order and referrals to your friends.