| A common lament from many sales people these | | | | I think the solution to this quandary is to position your |
| days is the difficulty that they have in getting their | | | | self as a "knowledge broker" rather than as a sales |
| customers to call them back or answer emails. This | | | | person. Help your customer get as much information |
| applies to prospects and even regular customers. | | | | as possible about their problems and issues, along with |
| Sales people worry that if they call too much they will | | | | the possible solutions (I.E. your offering). Keep them |
| be perceived as a pest or as unprofessional or, even | | | | updated on other information resources such wikis and |
| worse, as a stalker. | | | | forums; become a source of knowledge and insight |
| This is a real dilemma and it seems to have gotten | | | | about their issues. This information will give you power. |
| worse over the last few years. I think that there are | | | | The change in the workday and workplace has been |
| many contributing factors, most of which you have | | | | huge. Because of technology, people are working |
| already heard about. The factors include technology, | | | | longer days and spend less time in the office. |
| the increased sophistication of buyers, and the | | | | Nowadays the new 24/7 work schedule allows |
| re-engineering of the work day in the new millennium. | | | | people to work from home on their laptops away |
| One more factor to consider: it is not their job to call | | | | from the office phones. Many people prefer cell |
| you back. It is your job to call them. Let's address this | | | | phones over land lines; in this case, take their cue and |
| first. Selling is a dance and it is the sales person's job | | | | don't call them at the office and instead call them on |
| to lead. Don't expect them to call you back....ever. It is | | | | their cell. If this is problem, they will tell you. |
| your job to call them, to inform them, and to serve | | | | How often should you call a customer while praying |
| them. Remember, it is all about them and not about | | | | for a returned call? If I had to give you a ratio of your |
| you. | | | | calls to theirs, a 5 to 1 ratio is a good; I had a sales |
| Let's return to the other factors that have made things | | | | trainer tell me that once and it made sense at the time. |
| harder for sales people. Obviously technology has | | | | After all, we don't want to overstep our boundaries. Or, |
| made the sales person's job tougher; this includes | | | | do we? |
| voice mail, the use of cell phones, BlackBerries, laptops, | | | | Maybe a smarter answer is don't keep score at all. |
| and caller ID. Busy customers have figured out how to | | | | Remember customers get dozens and sometimes |
| screen their calls and hide from sales people thanks to | | | | hundreds of emails a day; your email can easily get |
| technology. Caller ID may be biggest culprit since your | | | | lost in the milieu. The same applies to the voice |
| buyer can hide from you if they want to and many do. | | | | messages that you have left. You can't expect them |
| One way to handle this issue is use your cell phone's | | | | to leap for the phone when you call or even |
| "block caller ID feature", which will keep them guessing | | | | remember your last call with them. They don't keep |
| who is calling. | | | | score, so why should you? |
| With increased information available to buyers in the | | | | A good strategy might be to mix up your approach. |
| form of wikis, forums, and websites, buyers are relying | | | | Try a blend of land line calls with cell phone calls, along |
| less on sales people to keep them updated about | | | | with a few email messages. Text messaging works |
| products and services. Candidly, this works against the | | | | too. See what works best. When you are desperate |
| buyer since they are not benefiting from the sales | | | | to connect, try unconventional means such as sending |
| person's superior knowledge. Think about it. You sell | | | | a FedEx envelope; everyone opens the FedEx |
| the same product day in and day out; when it comes | | | | package. Call the operator at their work and have |
| to your product and how it works, you are one of the | | | | them paged; this one is surprising effective. Send a a |
| world's top experts. Meanwhile, the buyer buys your | | | | fax; people respond to faxes since so few faxes are |
| products occasionally (at best) and by definition knows | | | | now sent compared to ten years ago. Or, send |
| far less than you do. What is wrong with this picture? | | | | flowers or a gift if budget allows; this will get their |
| To quote Forrest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does". | | | | attention. |
| You have what the buyer needs; be sure to | | | | Remember, it is your job to call them. |
| remember that. | | | | |