Don't sound like a salesperson

by Art Sobczak

She made several potentially fatal call-ending mistakes on her sales call to me. But, I stayed on the line with her. More about why in a minute.

First the mistakes:

Her: "Hello Art, I'm ______ with ________. I sent you a letter the other day. I was wondering if you received that?"

Me: "Don't believe so. Did I ask you to send it?"

Mistake No. 1: The old, "Didja get it," opening statement. It's horrible. It invites resistance. It screams out, "Salesperson!"

Her: "No, no. It was an introductory letter I sent out."

Me: "I get tons of mail every day, so I probably threw it away if I didn't ask for it."

Her: "Well, we're a video service and I'm calling about helping you produce a video of a program you could send to your clients and prospects and post on your Web site if you have one."

Mistake No. 2: She gave a presentation before questioning or knowing anything about me. Like most premature presentations, it created resistance because I didn't need what she pitched. More about the objection in a minute.

Me: "I'm assuming you have not visited my Web site and don't know what I do."

Her: "Well I know you're a speaker and trainer."

Me: "So you're working from the speaker's association membership list and just going down the line, right?"

Her: "Uh, yes."

Mistake No. 3: She didn't do any research on me. She very easily could have gone to my Web site to get information on my speaking and training programs, my training products, and the possibility of my need for video.

Many callers would melt down at this point and become tongue-tied. They would mutter something like: "Uhh, keep us in mind then." If not, most prospects would have ended the call at this point.

But I stayed on the phone and gave my very real objection.

Me: "I've never used a video demo. Haven't needed one and I stay pretty fully booked with the business I choose to take. I've been around a long time; I get lots of repeat and referral business and do a good job of selling with people who haven't seen me. So it's really not an issue."

At this point, the call would usually end. I stayed on the phone with her. We had a nice conversation. I agreed if I did change my mind or needed her services, I would call.

Why did I stay on the phone? Logically, I had no good reason. Tactically, this was a bad call.

But she sounded good: genuine, smooth, warm, natural. She didn't sound like a salesperson pounding the phone to get in her 40 contacts or 150 dials.

She didn't sound like a salesperson smilin' and dialin'. Someone told her it's a numbers game; if you speak with enough people you' will bump into some success.

She sounded like a real person calling someone she cared for, discussing something she felt passionate about.

That's the ground-breaking, psychologically-advanced sales tip this week. Try to make every call sound like a call to a good friend. Approach every call like it's the only one you'll make that day, as if that person is the most important person in the world.

Visualize the person at the other end of the phone. Pretend like you're looking him or her in the eye. You are calling people, not numbers or names on a list.

Speak conversationally. You should be prepared with what you'll say, but you must prepared and practice so well it sounds spontaneous.

Are you prepared right now to conversationally and confidently answer the toughest questions, the ones you would rather not hear?

Sounding good will not consistently cover up for bad technique. But the "likeability" factor puts a positive spin on a situation that otherwise might be perceived differently if the person didn't sound or look pleasant.

The image and aura you project can help you or hurt you. Combine a great sound with solid strategy and techniques, and you have a recipe for astounding success.

Don't sound like a salesperson, and you'll be a better salesperson.

Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone Inc., helps salespeople use the phone to prospect, sell and manage accounts more successfully. Call or reach him via e-mail at . 

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