Thoughtful Thursdays – No selling aloud
A recent experience inspired this week’s sales tip.
I fully support the practise of making cold calls and prospecting on the telephone. What is annoying is when persistence turns into pestering. A very important selling skill is the ability to listen and actually understand what is being said.
I had been receiving calls on a very regular basis, almost daily, from a number which I determined through a web search originated from the institution I bank with. The calls were coming at times when I was in meetings or otherwise occupied. Many calls and no messages left… how important could it be? To make a long story short, I was able to answer the call the other day and after listening to the introduction I asked that they stop calling. If I have any inquiries I will deal with my branch on a person to person level. Instead of saying thank you and acknowledging my request, the person continued to promote to me. I asked if they had heard what I had just said, and they replied yes. They heard, but did not understand. This is a cardinal sin when you consider that people buy from people they like. There is no faster way to get “unliked” than to ignore what your prospect is saying to you.
In my experience, customers appreciate you more when you listen and hear. If they are not ready to buy, then do not try to sell to them. It does not mean “Would you please repeat that.”
Having said that, here is a second sales tip to think about: When you talk; facilitate, don’t tell.
Good selling,
Richard
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