Today I returned a call to one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Last week they called me about a program that I do on growing sales through relationship mining. (I was feeling proud of myself…THEY called ME!) I returned the call, and spoke to a very professional assistant that said she would leave a message for me with the lady from whom I had received the inquiry. I called again today, and left a voicemail for my original contact, asking her to return my call at her conveniece. I was satisfied that I had “completed” a sales call. Wait a minute…that’s not a sales call! It is closer to verbal direct mail than a sales call!

Salespeople often make the same mistake with voicemail that they do with e-mail; the confuse activity with accomplishment. Voicemail is a valuable tool, just like email. However, it has a tendency, like e-mail, to become impersonal and non-productve. Asking someone to call you back doesn’t sell anything. If you try and give your prospect the next move…they won’t move. Instead, tell them what your next action will be, whether it is a call-back, a visit to their office, or a piece they will receive in the mail that you plan to follow up on with them.

My friend Jill Konrath has a great website on selling to large companies. Read her article on the compacency voicemail has added to our sales calls, and how we aren’t always ready when a prospect actually answers the phone. Click on the following link, or paste into browser. The article is called “Don’t Blow it When Your Prospect Answers the Phone.”

Use voicemail and email to help you you grow your business, but remember there is no sustitute for personal sales contacts and sales calls.

Good selling!

Last week I spoke at a conference in California to a group of financial advisors from one of America’s largest banks. After my presentation on growing your business by building your relationship network, an advisor came up to me and asked, “What financial products do you think are “hot” right now? My answer was to sell a process, not a product.

The financial advisor that has long term success offers realistic expectations and has a process for managing client relationships. Some advisors are great salespeople, but their business “blows up” whenever the market changes direction, often because they were selling the “Hot Dot,” or the product that is easiest to SELL to their client. What makes more sense for the client AND the advisor is to sell them what they really NEED, and to sell it to them by using a process.

At the end of the day, we must be technically competent, and not just be great salespeople. Make sure your planning process is sound. Remember, if the track record has been great lately, you may be at the top of a market cycle. Don’t sell performance, sell your process, and sell your commitment to client success. Communicate the process to your clients, as well as the cyclical nature of the marketplace. It will pay off when the market changes direction.

Good selling!

As a sales and marketing strategist I am often asked “What can we do to train our salespeople to compete more effectively?” In addition, as a speaker, I am asked to get the troops fired up about what they are selling. Motivational speakers often inspire us, but often they don’t deliver techniques, and often sales training doesn’t prepare salespeople to be able to take on the competition.

Here is an example of poor sales technique in taking on the competition. Later this month, I have to turn in the car that I lease, so I am car shopping right now. Saturday afternoon I called a dealership to see if they had what I was looking for. The salesperson immediately launched into a presentation about a model she thought I should consider. I told her I looked at a comparable model from another manufacturer, and she immediately slammed them! She said when you really examined the service record of the manufacturer, they had a very high number of service problems. Sorry…I’m going somewhere else! If you can’t sell me your product unless you attack your competitor, I’m not sure I trust you. Never slam your competition!

I have an in-depth article on the method that you can view FREE OF CHARGE by clicking http://www.michaelroby.com/sales-tips/sales-competition.htm . Feel free to use the article “as is” in discussions with your sales teams, and let me know about your success by replying to this post, or email me at mike@michaelroby.com.

Good selling!