The difference between being a pest and being persistent

Have you ever wondered how many times you should contact a hot prospect but worry you might be perceived as a pest? We have all heard that persistence in selling is important but when is it too much.

The standard statistic for the number of “touches” is between 7 to 10 times. The average sales person will stop at 5. This means that you can set yourself apart with the additional touches. A “touch” can be a call, voice mail, email, etc. However this type of persistence works best when you are in the beginning of the sales cycle or the prospecting stage. The goal at this stage is to find a qualified prospect who is interested in learning more about your product or service.

Make sure that you bring value to every touch. This means you will have to get creative. You can send information or articles that could be pertinent to their industry, congratulate them if they have won any recent awards or provide them with some new ideas of how you can help their business.

When can these touches go from being persistent to being a pest? Here are a couple examples:

1. When you leave the same voicemail over and over.
2. When you call too many times in a short period of time.
3. When you do not build rapport and seem to be interested in them
only for a sale.

In order to avoid being a pest once you are further along in the sales process, you will want to also follow a few rules:

1. Be sure to always set up a follow up action and set a date for next call while you are still on the phone.
2. Ask questions about when they will move forward.
3. Ask questions about the factors they will be considering to move
Ahead with your product or service.
4. Be straightforward. Let them know that you want to be sure that becoming your client is the right choice for you and the prospect.

You can be persistent without being a pest when the approach is thoughtful and smart. Don’t be afraid to be direct and let your prospect know that you are excited to work with them so you will continue to stay in touch. Your new clients will appreciate your honesty and your persistence.

Your success is our mission!

Warmly,

Joanne

ph: 888.856.3185
fx: 415.663.4183
www.salessolutionsusa.com
www.breakthroughsalessystem.com

What Could You Do if You Understood What Your Prospect is Thinking?

The answer: Close more business!

Now I am not suggesting that we become some type of mind readers but it is important to understand what motivates our prospects to buy in order to effectively sell to them. If you are able to quickly identify the personality style of the customer, you will know the "hows" and "whys" of what to say to meet their needs. Once they feel that you truly understand them and feel an emotional connections, they will come up with the logical reasons to buy from you.

It is always my goal to make sure that my solution is the right solution for my clients. I do this through a sales process which includes understanding the emotional reasons motivating them to make a purchase. Because of my personality type, I may think certain aspects of my service are important but my prospect may not feel the same depending upon his or her personality type. I need to talk in a way to show I understand them.

Here are the personality types that I use in my selling process as well as in my Sales Mastery Training program:

Analytical - Analytical people are known for being systematic, well organized and deliberate. These individuals appreciate facts and information presented in a logical manner as documentation of truth. They enjoy organization and completion of detailed tasks. Others may see him at times as being too cautious, overly structured, someone who does things too much 'by the book'. When selling to an Analytical personality type, you will want to talk about the numbers. They are not risk takers so you will need to be able to demonstrate logically how making a decision to buy from you would not be a mistake.

Driver - A Driver is a mover and shaker who is definitely not averse to risk. They are extroverted, strong-willed, direct, practical, organized, forceful, and decisive. Look for someone who tells it the way it is and is very persuasive. Watch out or you’ll be worn down and bowled over. When selling to a driver, you will want to get to the bottom line quickly. You will want to show that you appreciate their accomplishments and experience.

Amiable - They are dependable, loyal and easygoing. He or she is a team player, cooperative and easy to get along with, trustful, sensitive and a good listener. Working in groups with cooperative individuals, the Amiable tries to avoid confrontation. He or she enjoys company, performs best in a stable environment, and often has a stabilizing effect on others. The Amiable personality is concerned with the team. You will know someone is an amiable if they always defer to others. When selling to an Amiable, us "We" in your conversations and build yourself in a member on their team.

Expressive - Very outgoing and enthusiastic, with a high energy level. They are also great idea generators, but usually do not have the ability to see the idea through to completion. They enjoy helping others and are particularly fond of socializing. They are usually slow to reach a decision. Often thought of as a talker, overly dramatic, impulsive, and manipulative. Expressive personality types make decisions based upon emotion. They can also make decisions quickly that may can sometimes get them in trouble. You can tell you are talking to an expressive if they are talking about how they feel about something. When selling to them, make sure you express that you understand the emotion reasons why they are making a purchasing decision.

This information is instrumental to my own sales success and for my clients. I am always excited to help my clients have those "Ah ha" moments where they see how they can utilize this information into their own sales process. It helps build confidence and develop new profitable client relationships.

To your success,

Joanne Hernon
CEO of Sales Solutions
http://www.breakthroughsalessystem.com
http://www.salessolutionsusa.com