5 Steps – Increase your sales calls!

Get the final touch on your sales calls!

Use these 5 steps to get the final touch on your sales calls! You have the power whether your counterpart is listening, not listening or becoming a future customer. In a highly competitive business environment, the success of your company depends decisively on whether you can convince the customer on the phone of your product solution. Refresh your know-how and start your next conversation with a new drive.

5 steps:

1. Preparation
2. Conversation
3. Phrasing
4. Reaction
5. Closing

1. Preparation

There are hundreds of phone numbers that you could call, but for good reason, you have chosen a specific one. Successful sales calls begin with the selection of the right contacts. If your product does not fit the architect or the timing, precious time will be wasted. Inform yourself about your potential client. Know your conversation partner, especially for current and future projects.

Know everything about the office!

The first step is to visit the company website. Also, visit the homepage of companies that have already received orders in the past.

Tip: Use the Building Radar platform to get information about past and future construction projects and cooperation partners!

Investigate the organizational structure!

Is there a commissioned person who is looking for new cooperation partners, or is the respective project manager responsible for this? Social networks like Xing and Linkedin provide information about the person you are interested in talking to. Equipped with this information, you can ask directly for your person of interest. Also, google the e-mail address of your counterpart!

2. The conversation

Time is precious. All of us want to filter the most important information in the fastest way possible. Long and artificially inflated conversations have little place in our hectic working world. The first impression is decisive in sales calls. Don’t waste time: it takes only a fraction of a second for the caller to get a mental picture of you and your company.

The assistant challenge

Example: Good morning (name). My name is (first name/surname) of the company (name). Is Mr. (name) already in the house?
The secretary does her job. Her task and instructions are to separate the important from the interfering calls. Take the secretary seriously! She manages the appointments of the supervisor you want to speak!

Prepare an icebreaker

Example: “Hello Mr. (name) congratulations on winning the bid for designing the new complex in Berlin. Congratulations!”
Generate a relaxed atmosphere. Build a personal relationship with your conversation partner with an icebreaker. Use information from your background search, such as: won tenders, completed projects to break the ice.

Pay attention to your voice

How you say it matters more than what you say. A clear and distinct talk will be influenced by your stress level and sitting/standing position. Take a few deep breaths to prepare yourself for an important phone call. Make sure your body position does not prevent you from breathing freely.

Get to know the needs of your conversation partner!

Who is your counterpart on the phone and how does he tick? What information is important to him? Create detailed Buyer Personas to gain deeper insights into your target audience. Create a list of all the target groups that you can think of.

The owner of the office is Mr. Smith. He is fifty and interested in straightforward solutions.

Mrs. Miller is a 40-year-old engineer. She can be swayed with technical aspects in her decisions.

Mr. Peter, the young employee, is mainly focused on the prize.

3. Phrasing

Especially on the phone, a positive choice of words acts as a crucial door opener. The influences of gesture, facial expressions, and external appearance are missing, so the choice of words gets a higher priority in sales calls.

“and” instead of “but”

We are hardwired to understand barriers and resistance by hearing “but”. Instead, use “and”: The information you want to give is expressed in a positive light.

“But” suggests that there is no solution for the problem.	Example: “I want to go to the cinema, but still have to finish the presentation.”
Whoever uses the word “and” tries to find a solution.”	Example: “I want to go to the cinema and have to finish the presentation.”

Filler words

We often talk faster than we think. An increased speaking rate makes us speak faster than our thoughts are. Filler words such as “um”, “mhhh”, “yes” make listening more difficult. Follow these three steps.

1. Be aware of your filler words	Record your conversations to become aware of your gap fillers.
2. Perceive your filler words	Try to recognize your filler words while you are talking consciously.
3. Replace your filler words	Replace the filler words with a pause.

4. Reaction to objections

Speaking quickly, and with emotion – this is how the basic rules of reacting to objections can be summarized. The customer’s resistance should in no way be a reason to throw the shotgun into the grain. Each objection is a potential purchase signal. Hardly anyone invents objections to a product that does not interest him. Use the following three techniques to make successful sales calls:

The counter question

Example: ”The delivery will take too long for our current project.”
You do not know what experience the customer has brought to this opinion. Now you have the chance to ask, “How do you come to this assessment?” With this question, you have taken over the conversation again and gain valuable information.

Conversion

Example: “The price for your product/service is too high for us”
Focus on what the customer wants. Take this information and use it in your favor: “What budget do you have?”. Do not start a price negotiation! Instead, offer alternative solutions.

References

Example: Why should I choose your product/service and not that one of your competitors?
Buyers crave for security. They want someone to confirm that their choice is right. Mention references to give customer security.

5. The closing

A friendly farewell is just as important as a friendly greeting and a pleasant conversation. Just the last sentence remains in the memory and should give the customer a good feeling. A professional farewell is for example “Thank you for your time, sir …. I wish you a nice day.“ A lot of sales are lost because a salesman does not finish the conversation properly. Do not let yourself be satisfied with a “We’ll get back to you” – keep the control!

Some pressure is ok!

Example: “What information do you need from me to make a decision?” Do not be afraid to put a little pressure on the potential buyer. Without pressure, they will not make a decision. Inquire specifically which information the call partner needs to make a decision.

Summarize the conversation

If the phone call comes to an end, summarize what you have discussed. Repeat the offer, the date and the thing around it. This is how you give the call partner an overview of what has been said. In addition, he has the chance to ask again, if something is unclear.

Give a prospect about the added value!

Example: “You can profit mainly from our product/service through the points X and Y.”
If we agree on a cooperation today, you can already rely on our product/service as of (date). When talking to your call partner, make sure that your workspace is improved by your product/service. Schedule a start date.