7 ways to get the most from your sales call

Good sales calls are critical for any growing business because no matter how good your product or service is, sales are what drive your bottom line.

Whether you have a dedicated sales team or just one person who handles all your phone inquiries, ensure you’re getting the most from your sales calls by reading over our 7 tips.

1. Be prepared for your sales call

Before you pick up the phone, take every step to make sure you’re prepared. What is the agenda you’d like to cover? What are your key messages? Write this down clearly, so you can refer back to it during the call. Are you clear on what your goal is, what you need to find out and what the next steps are?

If you’re outbound calling, is there any information you can find out about the customer beforehand to help drive your conversation?

2. Introduce yourself and your company

When you’re on the call, the first thing to do is introduce yourself and your company – this could be the first interaction you have with a customer so it’s important to get this right. Be professional, but human – no-one wants to talk to a robot!

3. Know what you’re offering

It may seem obvious, but knowing what product or service you’re offering and what the benefits are is really important. You should be able to answer almost anything the customer throws at you. Confident answers will inspire confidence in both you and your product, which is essential to closing that sale.

4. Listen

The best sales people listen to their customers – what their problems are and what they need, so you can find a solution that’s tailored to them. Put the benefits of your product in their terms, help them visualise what it can do for them personally.

5. Build rapport and show interest

Learn all you can about your customer. The next time you speak to them you can then have a genuine conversation about their needs and the solution you have come up with. This will show the customer they’re important to you and help to build trust into your relationship.

6. Follow up

Follow up on your call with an email to thank them for their time, highlight what was covered and, most importantly, what the next steps are.

7. Practice

Not all calls will result in a sale but there is always a positive to takeaway. Use every rejection as an opportunity to reflect on what didn’t go so well, so you can try a different angle on your next call.

As the founder of Skype, Niklas Zennstrom, said, “You shouldn’t be afraid of failure – when something fails, you think, ‘What did I learn from that experience? I can do better next time.’ Then kill that project (or sales technique) and move on to the next. Don’t get disappointed.”

Enjoyed this?

We have more resources for growing small businesses, including how to write a press release and how to be smart with your time.