180 seconds

K A LL PLANS wonx until we lLengage the enemy" and "All battles are won and lost before they are fought" are attributed to Sun Tztu (410-780 BC), general and author of The Art of War.

Translation: prepare and be flexible. Winging it is not being flexible. Deviation from a plan that works most of the time is.

Comedians work on three minutes for years. Like us, a comedian's first seconds are crucial to success. Every pause, every word

Qteriwinkle is funnier than bluel) is planned, practiced and polished.

We must be as committed as the general and the comedian. We must plan exactly how we want our calls to go.

Greetings and Gatekeepers

Our first call has more to do with how quickly and how much business we will do with our customers than any other call. One of many differences between the master seller and journeyman is the ability to bring in new customers and make them profitable faster.

We identify ourselves, the name of our company, and where we are calling from. "Good morning, this is Pete Grandvents with Great Lumber out of Grand Rapids."

We speak more slowly and distinctly when calling a new account. Our voice is new. Speaking slowly also projects confidence. If we do not identify who we are and the name of our company, a good receptionist will ask us anyway.

" How are you this morning? " If we slow this portion of the call down, just a tad, and ask the receptionist how they are doing, with sincerity, it will pay short- and long-term dividends. (Don't flirt or blather, just "How are you?")

"Could you please tell me who buys your lumber?" We don't ask them to put us through to the buyer. Ask for the buyer's name. We get the spelling of the buyer's first and last name, if need be, from the receptionist. Our time with the buyer is limited. We don't want to waste it spelling their name-and neither do they.

Another common mistake with gatekeepers is to overexplain who we are and why we are calling. A receptionist is not a buyer. Be respectful and charming, but to the point.

Qualifying the Gustomer

"Good afternoon, John. My name is Pete Grandvents, with Great Lumber out of Grand Rapids. We sell lumber in your area. They tell me you are the lumber buyer. Is that correct? "

We are brief in our introduction and ask a question. Often customers will ask questions. Who are you? What do you sell? We are prepared with clear, brief answers and turnaround questions.

We are calling the customer to qualify them.lf they meet our qualifications, we know we can help them (because we are already helping other qualified customers.)

Whether the customer is receptive or not, most will give us 180 to 300 seconds maximum on an introductory call. If the call goes longer, great, but let's plan for how calls usually go.

"Yes,l buy the lumber."

"What are your main three items?" Many salespeople get bogged down beating around the bush about the purpose of the call. We are courteous, calm and direct.

The biggest mistake made by sellers is the failure to qualify the customer on volume used. We have a list of our questions, in order, and ask them.

Ending & Gonnecting the Call

Many sellers drag calls on, waiting for the customer to kick them off the phone or out of their office. That's what happens. And that's the lasting memory of the call.

We need to be calm, in charge, and efficient. When we are finished, we thank our customer for their time. set an appointment for the next call, and make a strong and graceful exit. It is the crescendo of our first impression.

"John, I appreciate your time today. I will follow up with you next Monday at 9 a.m. with numbers that will work. I look forward to doing business withyou."

"Pete. Thanks for the information. I will work up a program that will work for you and call you Monday at 3:00. Thanks- and go Sox."

We work in a 18O-second window. Every second is crucial. Planning works-in war. comedy and sales.

James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572