Why Should I Spend My Time Talking To You?
Back before the “no call” lists, telemarketers had a tendency to call in the evening. After a long day of working, none of us wanted to get up to answer the telephone. Thanks to caller ID and the no call list, we now have tools to keep non- value added calls at bay. Do you think some of your customers, or potential customers, might feel they need a no call list to protect them from non- value added sales calls? Do they need a tool to protect them from you?
Think about your last sales call with a customer. Did you prepare for the call, or was it an unexpected (perhaps by both you and the customer) drop- in call? Did you add value from the customer’s perspective, or did you “check the box” for making a sales call? Intuitively, I’m certain that you were thinking about adding value, but did you intentionally, really add value? Our role as sales people is to understand the customer need, and help facilitate the value of our solution to solve that need. To be able to connect their need and our solution, we first need to set the meeting with them. You must show that you have a valid business reason for being there.
What is a valid business reason? It really depends on the customer’s needs. Robert Miller and Stephen Heiman, in the book “The New Conceptual Selling” define it as “Something that gives the potential buyer a reason for wanting to spend some of his or her valuable time in a meeting with you. It may reinforce your reasons for wanting to make the call, but it emphasizes his or her priorities, not yours.”
Crafting a valid business reason is not easy. It rarely is something you can just come up with, without forethought, in front of the customer. A valid business reason comes from your knowledge of the customer’s needs, their business opportunities, and their targets. From your viewpoint, your strengths that you bring should create a solution for them. Tying them all together in a clear, concise statement that you could leave on a voicemail, an email, or with his or her assistant is challenging. Your message needs to be compelling enough that they will call you back to set an appointment. If it ties to their interests- they will. If they answer their phone, or meet with you live, your prepared valid business reason also works as an ice breaker to set the agenda for your meeting. It answers the question of “Why should I spend my time with you?” It shows respect for your customer.
Let me share an example of a valid business reason for a sales manager of a distributor of hard goods, selling into a retail department store:
“I understand ABC is a strategic customer of your company and their major focus is to control their energy costs. We have a solution that can dramatically reduce their energy costs, without affecting their client’s perception of ABC’s quality. I’d like to set up an appointment to see if this might be of value to you, and to ABC.”
This valid business reason impacts the distributor’s needs to strengthen their relationship with ABC. It will set your appointment as a high priority. It shows them the value to their company, and it’s clear, concise, and complete. If you were the customer sales manager, would you set the meeting?
Our customers do employ tools like the “no call” lists. They are called blockers, and voicemail. If we utilize a business reason that’s valid to them, it helps them, separate us from the myriad of the check-the-box sales calls. Give it a try this week.
