Q: I
am a distributor for a network marketing company on a part-time
basis. I do pretty well selling when I am in person but not so well
when doing a sales call by telephone. Is there a secret to
successfully selling a product and business opportunity over the
phone?
A:
Good question. Actually, making the call in the first place is 90
percent of the battle. To get good results, keep in mind the law of
averages in phone sales: Some buy; some don't.
Now that we've gotten that piece of wisdom out of the way,
developing an effective telephone presentation means thoroughly
understanding your product and business opportunity, being aware of
what people buy, knowing something about buyer attitudes and
behavior, and comprehending the principles of opening and closing a
sale. Above all, you must know good telephone technique.
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An effective presentation also depends on the characteristics of
a good salesperson: You have to be friendly, creative, enthusiastic
and visionary, with a great attitude, willingness to serve, good
personality and ability to listen.
Product knowledge is the cornerstone of effective selling and
recruiting. You must believe in your products completely before you
can sell them. If you have enthusiasm for your products and your
business offering, the prospects hear it in your voice. If you lack
that enthusiasm, they hear that as well.
To help you make the most of your product knowledge, make a list
of all the benefits of the products (or business opportunity)
you're trying to sell. Then ask yourself these questions:
- What are the most attractive benefits?
- How can I impress the value of these benefits on the
prospect?
- What materials do I have from my company that will help me
compose my presentation?
- What is the primary message I want to convey? How can I express
that idea in one sentence?
- What personal experiences will help me illustrate my
message?
- Who has benefited from my company's products or the
business opportunity?
Now consider your list of product benefits in relation to what
you know about your customers, and ask yourself these
questions:
- How can I relate the benefits of my products to the needs of my
customers?
- How can I present my products in a unique manner that will
create desire for them?
- What are the most significant desires that my prospects
have?
- What are my customers most interested in?
- What specific facts can I present that will support my
statements?
Customers share one characteristic: They all want to satisfy a
need or a desire. Often these desires may not be apparent even to
them. The key here is to uncover that need and show your customer
how you can fill it. No matter what you strive to do in your
attempt to succeed, you must come to an understanding of what other
people want, then find a way of giving it to them. Remember that
most purchasing decisions are based on emotional appeal.
Because some people will display a frustrating case of
"analysis paralysis," it is important to take the risk
out of the phone sale decision by using one of the two following
approaches (both are offered by most legitimate network marketing
companies):
- A 30-day satisfaction guarantee, so your prospect has
everything to gain and really nothing to lose.
- A 90 percent buyback of unused product and distributor sales
aids for as long as 90 days to one year from the time your prospect
joins your opportunity. Where can anyone start a business of his or
her own with so little risk?
Once you understand the tools your company provides, you can use
these ideas to develop an approach that is comfortable for you. I
am confident your phone sales will then drastically improve.
Michael L. Sheffield is the CEO of Sheffield Resource
Network, a full-service direct sales and multilevel marketing (MLM)
consulting firm. He is also the co-founder and chairman of the
Multi Level Marketing International Association (MLMIA). He can be
contacted through http://www.sheffieldnet.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are those
of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are intended to
be general in nature, without regard to specific geographical areas
or circumstances, and should only be relied upon after consulting
an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.