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We all know of the general public’s oft-quoted distaste of “snake-oil” salesmen, and we don’t want ourselves associated with “the pushy geek on the phone who won’t leave me alone when I just want to watch ER”

There are several things you can do to take the “chill” out of prospect calls. Here are some common sense “do’s and don’ts” to help you get more quality appointments on such calls:

1. Get “clued-up” first

The more you know about your prospect before placing a prospect call and speaking with him, the better your chances of an appointment. It will help you prepare a more customised opening and better questions, plus it impresses the prospect. Conversely, if you have to ask, “Uh, what do you do there?” you’re labelled as a time-wasting, self-interested peddler. So do your research thoroughly first before making any calls at all.

If you’re calling up a business, work with anyone who answers the phone and ask questions. It can help to target someone other than your primary target at first - I’ve often had success by going through a PA, or a company librarian, i.e, people who are used to answering questions.

Ask them things like: “I hope you can help me. First, I’m looking for the name of the person there who ………” then, when they give you the name, back it up with:

“Thank you. So I’m better prepared when I speak with him, there’s probably some information you can help me with, first…….”

This way you should be able to get a lot of your “knowledge-gathering”

questions answered by people other than the person you are ultimately going to target. This also has the effect of making you more confident on the call to the “decision-maker” - after all, you already know something about the person you’re calling. Psychologically, this makes it seem less of a “cold” call.

2. Don’t send information before the prospect call

Starting out a prospect call with, “I sent you a letter, did you get it?” rarely elicits a response like, “Oh, yeah. I want to meet with you!” People treat EVERYBODY’S sales material the same….it is considered junk mail and is binned, often before even getting opened. It is best to offer to back up your call with information, not the other way round.

3. Don’t expect a result.

Prospect calling for appointments is a quality game. Approach each with a professional attitude, and hope for a result but don’t push if there’s too much resistance. And don’t burn through the list of prospects as fast as you can with the expectancy that your number will be drawn eventually.

4. Don’t ask for a decision early in the call.

People are resistant when faced with decisions before they see any what they’ll get in return.. Also avoid the equally inane question, “If I could show you a way to ……, you would, wouldn’t you?” No one likes to be “techniqued.” Always remember, the the only way they’ll consider investing time with you is if you can show that you’re going to help them in some way.

5. Do have an interest-creating opening in your call.

Here’s one you might be able to adapt: “Ms. M. Oney, I’m with . We specialise in………(sell your speciality, highlighting how it will improve your customer’s business/life/prospects).and end the build up with “I’d like to ask a few questions to see if you’d like more information.”

6. Do ask questions on the call.

You can make your customer curious and pre-sell him on what you’ll speak about when you arrive. For example: “Based on what you told me, it looks like you could show quite a significant saving with our product. The best thing to do would be for us to get together so I can ask a few more questions and show you some of our options to see if we have a fit. How about next week?” Then narrow down a convenient time for both of you.

7. Do make a confirmation call after the call.

Some prospects might cancel, but it’s a risk you have to take… you need to know you won’t be wasting your time in turning up, and it reinforces their memory of the original call

8. Don’t give up

And don’t let a “no” get you down. The last call has nothing to do with the next unless you let negative feelings affect your attitude. Talking to people generates income, but avoiding the phone, stuffing envelopes and walking around do not. Set a secondary objective, one you can accomplish on every call, such as simply qualifying someone as a prospect or not, so you can have a success of sorts on every call.

All of the items above will help you once you’re actually on the phone, but getting to the phone and actually picking it up can be just as difficult. You have to develop the mindset that what you are selling is of benefit to the people you’re selling too….so much of benefit that they really have to know about it,… and you’re just the person to tell them.

When I was starting I wrote up a script, and tried it out, first on myself in the mirror, then on my family, then on friends, always asking for feedback, and refining it as I went along. You get used to saying the words, and it becomes a lot more fluent and less embarrassing.

Most of the advice I’ve given here is equally applicable to direct mailing. The trouble with direct mailing from a salesman’s point of view is that it is impersonal, and you know that 99.9% of it is going straight in the bin. But it is easier than prospect calling, and that’s why it is used in a lot of cases.

Personally I always had much more success on the phone, and the techniques listed above actually work. I should know - I was too shy to speak to anybody when I started, but these notes helped a lot.

If you develop the right mindset, and remember that your prospects are real people with real lives and treat them professionally and courteously, you are already more than halfway there.

We all know of the general public’s oft-quoted distaste of “snake-oil” salesmen, and we don’t want ourselves associated with “the pushy geek on the phone who won’t leave me alone when I just want to watch ER”

There are several things you can do to take the “chill” out of prospect calls. Here are some common sense “do’s and don’ts” to help you set more quality appointments on such calls:

1. Get “clued-up” first

The more you know about your prospect before placing a prospect call and speaking with him, the better your chances of an appointment. It will help you prepare a more customised opening and better questions, plus it impresses the prospect. Conversely, if you have to ask, “Uh, what do you do there?” you’re labelled as a time-wasting, self-interested peddler. So do your research thoroughly first before making any calls at all.

If you’re calling up a business, work with anyone who answers the phone and ask questions. It can help to target someone other than your primary target at first - I’ve often had success by going through a PA, or a company librarian, i.e, people who are used to answering questions.

Ask them things like: “I hope you can help me. First, I’m looking for the name of the person there who ………” then, when they give you the name, back it up with:

“Thank you. So I’m better prepared when I speak with him, there’s probably some information you can help me with, first…….”

This way you should be able to get a lot of your “knowledge-gathering”

questions answered by people other than the person you are ultimately going to target. This also has the effect of making you more confident on the call to the “decision-maker” - after all, you already know something about the person you’re calling. Psychologically, this makes it seem less of a “cold” call.

2. Don’t send information before the prospect call

Starting out a prospect call with, “I sent you a letter, did you get it?” rarely elicits a response like, “Oh, yeah. I want to meet with you!” People treat EVERYBODY’S sales material the same….it is considered junk mail and is binned, often before even getting opened. It is best to offer to back up your call with information, not the other way round.

3. Don’t expect a result.

Prospect calling for appointments is a quality game. Approach each with a professional attitude, and hope for a result but don’t push if there’s too much resistance. And don’t burn through the list of prospects as fast as you can with the expectancy that your number will be drawn eventually.

4. Don’t ask for a decision early in the call.

People are resistant when faced with decisions before they see any what they’ll get in return.. Also avoid the equally inane question, “If I could show you a way to ……, you would, wouldn’t you?” No one likes to be “techniqued.” Always remember, the the only way they’ll consider investing time with you is if you can show that you’re going to help them in some way.

5. Do have an interest-creating opening in your call.

Here’s one you might be able to adapt: “Ms. M. Oney, I’m with . We specialise in………(sell your speciality, highlighting how it will improve your customer’s business/life/prospects).and end the build up with “I’d like to ask a few questions to see if you’d like more information.”

6. Do ask questions on the call.

You can make your customer curious and pre-sell him on what you’ll speak about when you arrive. For example: “Based on what you told me, it looks like you could show quite a significant saving with our product. The best thing to do would be for us to get together so I can ask a few more questions and show you some of our options to see if we have a fit. How about next week?” Then narrow down a convenient time for both of you.

7. Do make a confirmation call after the call.

Some prospects might cancel, but it’s a risk you have to take… you need to know you won’t be wasting your time in turning up, and it reinforces their memory of the original call

8. Don’t give up

And don’t let a “no” get you down. The last call has nothing to do with the next unless you let negative feelings affect your attitude. Talking to people generates income, but avoiding the phone, stuffing envelopes and walking around do not. Set a secondary objective, one you can accomplish on every call, such as simply qualifying someone as a prospect or not, so you can have a success of sorts on every call.

All of the items above will help you once you’re actually on the phone, but getting to the phone and actually picking it up can be just as difficult. You have to develop the mindset that what you are selling is of benefit to the people you’re selling too….so much of benefit that they really have to know about it,… and you’re just the person to tell them.

When I was starting I wrote up a script, and tried it out, first on myself in the mirror, then on my family, then on friends, always asking for feedback, and refining it as I went along. You get used to saying the words, and it becomes a lot more fluent and less embarrassing.

Most of the advice I’ve given here is equally applicable to direct mailing. The trouble with direct mailing from a salesman’s point of view is that it is impersonal, and you know that 99.9% of it is going straight in the bin. But it is easier than prospect calling, and that’s why it is used in a lot of cases.

Personally I always had much more success on the phone, and the techniques listed above actually work. I should know - I was too shy to speak to anybody when I started, but these notes helped a lot.

If you develop the right mindset, and remember that your prospects are real people with real lives and treat them professionally and courteously, you are already more than halfway there.

Il servizio di consulenza web marketing consiste nel focalizzare l’ attenzione non solo sulle esigenze di chi ci affida il sito ma anche su cio’ che il navigatore ricerca online.
Una delle attivita’ da intraprendere in fase di progettazione del sito non consiste solamente nel controllare la concorrenza, ma strutturare in modo razionale i contenuti da porre all’ interno del sito internet.Valutare i fattori di ottimizzazione on page del sito ci consente di ricevere accessi qualificati e di cogliere nell’ obiettivo di ricerca effettuato dall’ utente quando ricerca determinati beni o servizi.

Una volta impostati i contenuti, bisogna arricchire il sito con delle fotografie senza eccedere in modo da non appesantire lo scaricamento delle pagine. E’ vero che in Italia sta sempre di piu’ prendendo piede l’ ADSL che consente una navigazione veloce, ma molte persone hanno la connessione col portatile che rende lenta la visualizzazione.

Il servizio di Consulenza Web Marketing è rivolto a quelle aziende che intendono creare od accrescere la propria attività aziendale on-line, affiaccandola laddove sia necessario a quella tradizionale.

La consulenza e’ un campo vasto e prevede ad studi di fattibilità, orientamento allo sviluppo dell’attività aziendale su web ed elaborazione di strategie di marketing on-line.

Spesso si pensa che per fare profitto su internet basta avere un sito, magari anche bello graficamente, poi qualcuno si accorgerà della sua esistenza.

Per avere un ritorno e massimizzare l’investimento devi cambiare strada, ed investire sia in visibilità che in comunicazione per persuadere i clienti a comprare proprio i tuoi prodotti o servizi.

Dobbiamo incentivare il potenziale cliente ad agire subito.Se arriviamo in ritardo in questo, l’utente potrebbe non riuscire più a trovare il nostro sito. Le azioni possono essere di diverso tipo: compilare un form, inviarci una e-mail, iscriversi ad una mailing list, fare una telefonata, acquistare un prodotto, iscriversi ad un corso, abbonarsi ad un servizio, richiedere una dimostrazione,ed altro ancora.

Attraverso il Servizio di Pay per Click qualunque sito internet, anche se non ancora presente nei risultati dei motori di ricerca, può essere da subito ‘posizionato’ sui principali motori di ricerca e ricevere visite targettizzate.

L’ attivita’ di consulenza diventa anche un servizio di orientamento, dopo il quale, in caso di esito positivo dello studio di convenienza, sarà possibile far seguire una serie di interventi specifici di web marketing.

In today’s competitive sales market, preparation is everything. Often it’ll mean the difference between getting the opportunity to meet with the decision maker and being able to have a productive meeting with a prospect. Pre call preparation can either be an asset or a detriment to your competitors. You need to be able to understand what the prospect wants and have the ability to embrace their objections.

So, exactly what does preparation all entail? Preparation involves doing your homework on the company, planning and using good critical thinking. Start by learning as much as possible about the prospect’s company. Ask yourself basic questions that will assist you in helping them. For example, what are their organizational objectives, how do they see their company experiencing growth, and what are their current challenges, who are their competitors. These questions will allow you to determine whether they would be a good fit for you as a client.

The most essential piece is getting all the information so that you can later explain why it makes sense for the prospect to meet with you. Doing this shows the client that you are genuinely interested in their needs, not just wanting to sell your product/service. If you play your cards right, it should expedite the sales cycle. Gaining early credibility is extremely helpful in helping overcome objections that may appear. It is also valuable to gather any information regarding their current challenges prior to your meeting since this gives you the ability to offer solutions when you get together.

Planning and critical thinking before a phone call or meeting helps set objectives and the means to achieve them. An example might be, prior to a management ride along be sure to discuss the objectives of the activity, potential objections your may experience and a plan for moving forward.

In addition, prior to a meeting it is essential that the role of manager and sales person is defined. Answer the question, who is going to handle the meeting? The manager needs to base those decisions on the salesperson and their personality attributes. In order to comfortably prepare, the manager may want to role play some different scenarios with the representative prior to the meeting.

In summary, there will be times when planning will not help you effectively handle the situation, just remember that if you don’t have the answer offer to find out the correct answer for the prospect. It is also important to remember to smile, whether in person or over the phone, people can hear enthusiasm in your voice and it catches. By doing your homework, planning for the call and using good critical thinking skills you’ll be on your way to a successful cold call experience.

There are four proven correlating techniques, which will greatly improve your ability to refer products to clients. This will not only increase their ability to operate, but also your favorable relationship with them, improving the profit on both sides. It will form the basis of a strong relationship.

1.Win customers over. You want to impress the client at the beginning with your excellent customer service skills. Show them you are interested. It is very important people feel they are being listened to. You can do this by addressing them by name, taking notes in order to not have information be repeated several times, saying please and thank you, taking control of the situation once you have realized what they are asking for. Take control by asking specific questions in order to pinpoint the need.

2.Your associates must know the business inside and out. They must know the procedures and policies of your business and how they work. They must know about all the products. Give them accessible information and the tools to access the information. It is very important that they give accurate information, because misinformation will lead to errors in the flow of business and result in problems later. These situations can be resolved in the beginning with accurate information. It will save money for all involved. At times you may take an immediate loss in finding a better fit for a customer. However in the long run it will provide them with a great service and retain the relationship. In the end it will be more profitable.

3.You should have data or statistical information about clients. Have spending information and sales information. This helps assess what might be good for the customer. Always reassess their needs. Analyzing this information is just as important as what the customer has to say to you. It will give clues as to the way the business is headed. You must remember you are the one supplying the service. You are the expert and that is why they are coming to you. Do not be afraid to offer suggestions that are valid and helpful. Explain why you are offering certain products to help them.

4.Command the referral
Avoid any weak language like, would you like, do you think, may I ask you a question.
Use words such as help, protection, benefit, qualify, assist, enhance, stimulate, and growth. Not only is it important you use strong language, but you must follow through with actions. The actions are more important than the words.

In Conclusion
Using these methods will put a smile on the face of your customer, creating new opportunities and retaining relationships, which are healthy and strong.