每周翻译论坛:提高英语表达水平,增强外贸销售能力(2007/40)
THIS WEEK'S TIP
Asking For Help: It's Good and Bad
Greetings!
What do you think about this question:
"Can you help me?"
My feeling is that it's a great sales technique.
But it's also a horrible sales technique.
The difference is, with the right person, at the
right time, it can be an extremely productive
question. And that right person is anyone other
than your decision maker.
With decision makers, asking that question at the
beginning of a call--namely an initial call--creates
resistance. And deservedly so.
First, more on when and why it's good:
Before speaking with a buyer, you must seek, find, and
use info about the organization, person, decision-
making process, what they buy or use now, and
anything else relevant. You use this information
to customize your openings, voice mail, and
questions. This helps you to not sound like the
20 other sales reps who called before you, and
will call after you.
When you combine this information with what you
have and can get online and from other sources
your strategy and message is targeted and tailored,
unlike the numbers game, smilin'n'dialin, throw-
it-up-against the wall callers hoping to be in
the right place at the right time.
Ask for help at all levels before getting to the
buyer. And justify your reason. After introducing
yourself and organization, say,
"I hope you can help me. I want to be sure that
what I have would be of interest to Ms. Bigg ..."
Why It's a Bad Technique With Decision Makers
Let's first take a look at it in action:
Decision Maker: (interrupted from whatever she's/he's
doing, which is most likely NOT staring at the
phone waiting for a sales call). "Pat Kelly here."
Caller: "Hi Pat, Dale Dufus with Ace Services.
Can you help me?"
Decision Maker: (Wondering, "Who IS this person
and what does he want? Probably a salesperson.")
"What do you need?"
Caller: "I was wondering, are you the person there
responsible for the secure storage of your paper records?"
Now, what has happened here?
The caller just wasted about 15 seconds, causing
the decision maker to suspect it's probably
someone calling to sell something, then confirming
it. The negative momentum is like a freight train
rolling downhill.
And, by the way, their job is not to help YOU!
How arrogant is that!?
YOUR job is to help them! And you need to be able to
quickly communicate how you might be able to that,
before they have had a chance to move into "Get rid
of salesperson" mode.
Unless you're calling for a charity, don't call to
ask for the decision maker's help. Pique their interest
quickly with your value statement, and move them to the
questioning phase of the call.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the
confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They
sit in front of the TV and treat life as if it goes on forever."
Philip Adams
Go and Have Your Best Week Ever!
Art
搜索更多相关主题的帖子: [decision] [what] [help] [call]
|