No matter who you are talking to, a sales call can be a challenge—especially if your customer has been the recipient of several sales calls recently. Not only are you trying to make sure that your customer knows the benefits of the print you offer, but you’re trying to stand out from the crowd. By avoiding these four sales call mistakes, you’ll stand out from the crowd in the best possible way.
1. Being Too Aggressive
Whether it’s talking about yourself too much or pushing your products even after your customer has said that they aren’t interested, being aggressive is one issue that your customers are familiar with and it probably loses your competitors sales. Instead of being very aggressive with your customers, make sure that you balance your confidence with creating a connection with them. Ask questions about their print needs, offer options, and remember that the final choice of what print to order ultimately belongs to your customers.
2. Using Jargon
Your customer probably has some experience in print, but that’s no reason to fill your call with as much jargon as possible. Many salespeople use jargon in an attempt to sound like an expert, but it can alienate customers and make the call take longer than it needs to be because the customer may need to ask questions later about what those terms mean. If you need to use a technical term—bleed, for example—make sure that you’re also defining the important term in your sales pitch.
Speaking of important information…
3. Lack of Information
Whether it’s fumbling to find important information or talking only about the business itself and not about the products, a lack of usable information can make your competitors seem like they don’t know what they’re doing. Remember that you are the expert—be sure to have the information you need at the ready to ensure that your expertise comes across to your customers. Have your supplier’s catalog bookmarked so you can find that product at a moment’s notice. Keep your notes about previous conversations on hand. Not only will this help the call go more smoothly, but it will also highlight your expertise.
4. Not Giving Your Call a Clear Call-to-Action
Imagine how your customer feels when a sales call ends and they don’t have a clear picture of what’s next. Will they be sent a digital copy of a catalog to browse? Will you be calling back with a quote? What phone number should they use to contact you if they have questions? If you can give a clear call to action—a clear next step to your customer—it makes the sales process easier for them and helps ensure that you’ll get that next call!
What do you consider a big sales call mistake? Did we miss the biggest mistake on your list? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.
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