Black Sales Journal

As a sales professional, you know that finding prospects and developing your leads is crucial.  You are probably doing in-person cold calls and continuously honing your skills to increase your effectiveness.  You also know survival would be difficult without the tool we call the telephone, as much of your prospecting is done on the phone.

It cannot hurt to discuss some basic cold calling etiquette for in person as well as phone solicitation.  Many of you veteran’s know this and practice it, yet a review for others can’t hurt.

In-Person Solicitation/Cold Call

As a sales professional I cold-called and that probably lead to me being a manager who also accepted cold call solicitations.  I will admit to giving almost all sales professionals a chance to make their pitch.  As I moved higher in the organization the sales pros were not always as lucky when they got my executive assistant as her patience with sales “nubees” as well as long-termers was short.  When they did get past her and to me, it was because she gave them her consent.

We had reps approach us who were unkempt, unprepared, and unprofessional.  Did I waste time by talking to them?  The answer is yes, and sometimes it was painful.  I also had a chance to witness some good sales practices from true professionals who knew the importance of their appearance as well as how to deliver their message quickly and effectively.

The short list that follows is more from a person who was solicited than one who was responsible for the employment of sales professionals.  It is a different view, and I think valuable for those with just the sales perspective.

I will throw out a few simple etiquette points for the in-person cold call that you should always consider:

• Be prepared - Always know what you want to say.  Respect the prospect’s time.
• Know your prospect’s name – Know the correct pronunciation and by the end of the call, the correct spelling.  When someone cannot get your name right it makes you wonder.
• Check your appearance – You only get one chance for a first impression.  Have a mirror in the car or your brief case, and use it.
• Be fresh – It goes without saying that gum or mints always help.  Remember, as the day goes on, you need to make sure that you are on top of your game.  Of course chew the gum before the call, not during the call.
• Remember the end game – You want some information as well as an appointment.  A short informative call is what a buyer wants, while you want information.

It is also important to remember these important tips as they can get on the nerves of any potential customer:

• Your prospect’s washroom is not for you. When cold calling/prospecting, get your relief the same place that you get your coffee.
• Do not smoke on your customer’s premises, not even in the parking lot in your car.  This is not the place to satisfy your habits.
• Turn off your cell phone while you are there. This is personal interface etiquette which you must practice.

The Phone – The Ultimate Sales Tool

The phone is an enabler, and even more important is the fact that it is totally acceptable to use it as a prospecting tool.  When I began selling many years ago, the phone was just barely acceptable for cold calling.  Most prospecting was done in-person, and it was very time consuming.  In the early ‘80s, it became acceptable to solicit and that was a renaissance as it not only saved time but allowed some “racial anonymity” to start the process.

There is established etiquette for using the phone as a prospecting tool.  The best sales professionals observe the etiquette and maintain their professional standing.

Here are a few of the more important items:

Phone solicitation:

• Be conscious of the prospect’s time – short and to the point.
• Have your phone voice ready – be warmed up.  Know one wants to hear you clearing your throat at 9:00 in the morning.
• Have a brief but inclusive statement (sales pitch) to start your call
• Avoid the ‘tricks’ such as telling assistants that you are an acquaintance if you are not.  You will lose in the end.
• Avoid the speakerphone for cold calling – use a headset if you need both hands for notes and otherwise.
• Don’t shuffle papers, tap pencils, or create unnecessary background noise.

Voice mail Etiquette:

• Short messages only – keep it to 35-45 seconds max.
• Talk slowly and clearly – spell words such as names or product names if necessary.
• Leave your number at the beginning of the message and at the end of your message – no exec will go back to the beginning to get the number if they are interested.
• Again, no background noise – no Judge Judy or soap operas in the background!
• Clear concise message – plan it well and deliver.

The phone is an equalizer if used correctly as it reduces the opportunity for fair and equitable treatment for this first ‘touch’.  There is more to it than picking it up and dialing; there is planning and practice to do.  You can work magic with a solid script and practice.

If you have read Black Sales Journal before, you probably know how I feel about practice/role playing.  You should work at it until your comfort level is obvious.

Try it and you will realize that you will learn from each call.

Your comments are welcome.  Write me at michael.parker@blacksalesjournal.com.

For this post I could not have picked a more important topic. Unfortunately there are many of you out there who have a strong belief that there is nothing less desirable than a morning or afternoon of prospecting.

Prospecting – You Can’t Do Without It!

There are many aspects of cold calling and prospecting that drive Black sales professionals nuts, especially if you are cold calling in person.  This is already a lonely task, especially if you are faced with any aspects of racial preference or racial discrimination.

In the long term, there is no substitute for prospecting.  Networking is productive, and we will  talk about the benefits of networking and its uses in a future post, yet prospecting is a necessity.

Prospecting is a numbers game.  You have heard it, and realize it is true.  Know your numbers.  Know how many calls you make and how many result in an appointment.  Fine tune your approaches for more success.

Note the following:

• Prospecting, over time, is the only way you are going to succeed in sales.  Without this sourcing of new potential customers, you will not have a chance to show your talents
• Whether you are a long-term sales professional or fledgling, your devotion to sourcing new prospects is important
• Even if you closed two sales this morning, there is no better time to prospect because of the new energy you generated

There is no doubt that prospecting is a requirement of the majority of sales jobs.  I want to throw out some tips that might help with this truly necessary evil.

A Few Tips for Success

Here are a few tips that I would like to share regarding telephone and in-person prospecting:

• Master the Telephone - The telephone is your ultimate tool as a Black sales professional.   You probably already know this.  Master its uses and advantages.
• Practice, Practice - Work on your telephone introduction/presentation.  Use a ‘dead’ phone line to work on it over and over.  Try it with a friend or confidant.  If you have a mentor, express your desire to work on it with them.
• Create Interest - You must create interest, anticipation, and curiosity.  You need to be able to draw someone into this meeting and dialog.
• Make Realistic Claims - As you do your sales points, make realistic claims.  You may need to prove them one day.
• Be Confident - Find your comfort.  Sound confident, informed, and race neutral. Be personable and not mechanical.
• Be Concise - Know your sales points.  It is in essence your elevator speech.  Be able to say why someone should work with you and your organization in 15 seconds or less.
• Know the End Game - The end game of all prospecting is to get in front of the buyer.  Always remember this.  You want an appointment!
• Have Knowledge - Know what your organization can do for a particular industry even if you don’t know the client’s needs.  Be prepared to talk about it.
• Name Dropping - Be prudent about dropping names, but do so when it makes sense.  Remember, some buyers do not want any information shared with their competitors.  Just know the landscape.

One point that I don’t need to tell you about is that as a Black sales professional in B2B you should avoid putting your picture on your business card.  It is not required, and most employers would give you a choice anyway.  Why create situations that can lead to preference or prejudice?

More Prospecting Discussion to Come

We will be covering some important prospecting activities later in January, February, and March.  Items such as:

• Getting past the gatekeeper
• Understanding Your Sales Metrics
• Selling A Commodity? How to Build Value!
• Networking Your Way to Prospects

Make sure you check them out.  Your comments would be appreciated.

Write me at michael.parker@blacksalesjournal.com.