Progressive Distributor - Avoid cocktail party introductions

Avoid the cocktail party introduction

by Art Sobczak

Sales calls arent cocktail parties.

Im talking about the person who starts a sales call with, Ive just taken over your account, or Im new here and I wanted to introduce myself to you.

This type of call is commonly made by reps who are new to an organization, whove just been handed inactive accounts or accounts from sales reps who have left or been fired.

After introducing themselves, these reps normally continue with something about how theyll be calling on a regular basis, and if they ever need anything to just call, blah, blah, blah.

They seem nice enough when they phone, but lets get real here. What are customers thinking after they hear this introduction? About the best response that can be expected is, OK, thanks for calling.

Anyone who has placed these calls for a few days has likely been bloodied enough to realize the cold hard truth: it wastes the listeners time. Unless the customers business existence relies on your regular phone call, calling with this self-serving declaration simply announces a policy youve implemented, or news at your company. Its us oriented.

It doesnt move you closer to your objective, which is to make a sale either on this call or a subsequent one and build a relationship.

Recommendations
OK, so youre faced with calling accounts for the first time. What should you do? First, keep these concepts in mind:

You might consider these prospects to be customers, but they might not. Thats especially true if they havent been given attention or bought from you in a while.

Your goal is to make them feel theyve gained as a direct result of talking to you.

They dont care about your job, the fact that youre new or that youve replaced someone. If there have been several reps in and out the revolving door before you, and each has called this account with the same news, your call will likely evoke an, Oh, another new person response.

Before you place another call, prepare your strategy by asking yourself two questions:

1) What will the prospect gain as a result of my being in this job?

2) How will the prospect gain as a result of this particular call?

Answer these questions from the prospects perspective and youll have the basis for making the call. Hone your answer, then use it in your opening.

Examples
Heres one way a rep can start a call when there is no previous relationship between the rep and the prospect:

Ms. Davis, Im Dan Douglas with Whittle Cutting Tools. We sold your company several cases of diamond blades a few months ago, and if I caught you at a good time, Id like to let you know about a special we have on those blades and a few other specials you might have some interest in.

Notice that this opening doesnt even mention yet that the caller is now handling the account. Its not important to the listener. There wasnt a relationship established previously. Ms. Davis wouldnt have known the previous rep from her last pizza delivery man.

Next, lets look at it from the perspective of a lukewarm relationship, where the customer buys fairly regularly from your company:

Tom, Im Gwen Charles with Whittle Cutting Tools. There are two reasons Im calling today. First, I wanted to let you know Ive taken the place of Ken Hartley, who worked with you in the past, and second, in looking at your account here, Ive got a couple ideas Id like to run by you.

After this opening, the rep should say, . . . and to make sure Im making the best recommendations, Id like to update my files here on what you use . . .

Finally, in those cases where the account is truly a major one, and theres an intimate relationship between the customer and the rep, have the departing rep introduce the new rep on the phone as part of the new reps training. Of course this is contingent on an amicable departure of the rep. At the very least, send letters to inform the customer of the change before the new rep calls. Still, the call must have something of value other than the introduction.

Save the cocktail party introductions for after-hours functions. When youre on the phone, first and foremost, youre remembered most for what you can do for your customer.

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