Telephone sales as a selling technique achieved a very unpopular reputation among salespeople. Most people don't like phone sales, though in the vast majority of cases it's an inherent part of the business profession. Many businesspeople are afraid of addressing clients over the phone. However, if you proceed in a systematic way, you might actually enjoy phone sales. That said, you have to stick to certain steps and know what you have to achieve in the individual phases of the call.
This general outline was published by Forbes.
First phase: Introduction
You aren't just presenting yourself, but also your product and how the prospect can benefit from it. All this must be done in a short, straight-to-the-point manner so that you make the client curious to know more.
Second phase: Building rapport
Create a good atmosphere through informal talk, find out what the prospect is interested in and what their priorities are. This phase should be very short and it shouldn't keep you from getting down to business.
Third phase: Needs analysis
Ask the prospect questions and let them talk. Your task in this phase is to find our what their needs and priorities are.
Fourth phase: Presenting the product
It is absolutely necessary not to present the product by itself but by putting emphasis on the benefits that it will provide to the client.
Fifth phase: Pricing
The aim is to naturally proceed to the question of price, timeline and signing the contract. Before getting to this phase, you must be positive that the prospect has no objections or doubts. If they do, these have to be handled first.
Sixth phase: Recap and sale
Go through what you agreed on, define a timeframe of the whole process, ask for a referral and close the sale.
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