Things to avoid saying or doing during sales calls

Things to avoid saying or doing during sales calls

Don’t try to do too many things at once

This is an absolute no-no. People can tell when you aren’t paying attention to them, and if you’re on a sales call, you need to devote all of your attention to your prospect. Although no one will notice you doing it on a regular basis, you will be missing out on the connection you should be building with this prospect.

Don’t write checks that you won’t be able to cash

You should avoid making promises you can’t keep or answering questions you aren’t 100 percent confident in answering.

When under time constraints, it can be tempting to say what people want to hear. However, if your relationship with a prospect is built on faulty information, your time spent on the phone with them may be rendered ineffective.

Don’t rush for an outcome

You’re going to have another conversation with them. Because you have someone on the phone, there is no need to read your entire script in a single conversation just because you are on the phone. If you can engage them in a productive conversation today, they will be more receptive to your pitch in the future.

When you’re on the phone, avoid eating anything

Face it, you can’t hide the fact that you’re chewing on a granola bar when you’re talking to someone whose only connection to you is the audio device that’s literally an inch away from your chompers.

Because this also falls under the category of multi-tasking, you will receive a double deduction in points.

The need to make a cold call should never be so pressing that you find yourself talking on the phone while eating your lunch. Put yourself in the position of having “no choice” but to call into work during your lunch break. There may be a number of obstacles preventing you from being fully engaged, maintaining a positive outlook, and giving it your all in your work.

Before getting on the phone, take a moment to reassess the situation and relieve some of the workplace stress.

Don’t call unless you’ve done some prospect research

You should not even consider picking up the phone until you have learned more about the prospect. Are they a good match for each other? How many people do they have under their control? What exactly is their role within the organization, and are they the most appropriate person to speak with? Trying to figure out all of these details over the course of a cold call is a surefire way to get hung up on.

Don’t dominate the conversation

Allow people to be themselves, and more importantly, allow yourself to be a person. You want to establish a connection with your prospect, and no one wants to establish a connection with an aggressive know-it-all.

Allow them to lead the conversation at their own pace, rather than shoving information down their throats. If your product is the most incredible thing that has ever happened to them, allow them to discover it through conversation rather than forcing them to buy it.

Don’t call unless you’ve done your homework on the company

How can you assist a business in achieving success if you do not understand what they do or what their requirements are? Spend a few minutes on their company’s website to learn more about them. To find out if they’ve recently won any awards or issued a press release, search Google News for the company name. To learn more about the company’s employees, take 60 seconds to visit LinkedIn. Check the stated location of the target prospect against the nearest corporate headquarters to ensure that you are calling the correct office.

Showing that you’ve done your research on the company during your first conversation will get you a lot further than dialing the company’s phone number without knowing who to speak with and asking to speak with “whoever makes IT decisions.” Make the prospect do your work for you rather than the other way around.

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