Four tips for managing sales conversations
Sales talks are full of challenges: Your contacts are often stressed decision makers who have to make decisions under great time pressure and may be skeptical about new offers — this is particularly true when it comes to cold calling over the phone. We have therefore put together a few tips to help you with your next sales talks.
1. Start the conversation professionally
As already mentioned, your contact person will usually only have little time for longer discussions. The most important rule when starting a conversation is therefore: Be brief! You should be able to quickly explain in one sentence who you are, which company you work for and what the purpose of your call is. Of course, it is particularly important to explain why your counterpart should be interested in a conversation. In addition, you should respond to his needs as much as possible, i.e. ideally find out about possible topics in advance in order to directly arouse his interest.
2. Ask open questions
Closed questions are only useful if you want to request information (e.g. “Are you responsible for...? “). However, if you really want to start a conversation, then open questions are the method of choice. Get your contact person out of their shell and be a good listener — this is how you learn more about them than if you were simply working through a questionnaire. The order of your questions can also be decisive for the course of the conversation.
3. Formulate benefit arguments
After a few questions, you have found out which topics concern your contact person. Now you can open the treasure chest of your portfolio and name the appropriate benefits that make your products or services the ideal solution. Be specific about what you have said and explain exactly why your offer should be of interest.
4. Reject objections
This includes objections. Often, they are just a sign that your interlocutor has taken a look at your offer. So be patient and respectful and ask specifically: Does your contact person really have no budget, for example, or has the benefits of your product simply not yet become clear enough to them? You can also anticipate frequent objections so as not to let irritation arise in the first place.
conclusion
No guide can prepare you for every conversation situation — but with these tips for good conversation, you will gain the necessary confidence for improvisation. Success is then just a matter of time and effort.
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