15 Prospecting Questions

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Practical Tips for Selling During Tough Times
by D.M. Arenzon

Tough times call for new strategies and tactics. Here are 15 practical things you can start doing right now to boost your sales.

1. Make sales calls by industry to start selling 10 times more than what you're doing right now! Think about it; if you made 10 calls a day in the same industry five days a week for one month, can you imagine how much you will learn about that industry? Can you imagine how much more you could bring to the telephone call? Rather than sounding like just another cold caller, you will soon be viewed as an expert in your field.

2. Treat your customers like gold. Give them good service. Give them more than what they expected. Start listening to your customers more. Build relationships with them. Focus on how you can help them. In time (meaning tomorrow, next week, next month, six months from now or one year from now), they will tell others. They will tell your story for you.

3. One excuse that a lot of salespeople make is "No one's buying anything." Stop the excuses! What's the solution? You need to knock on more doors to find one that opens completely! Change your thinking pattern. Stop the negative thinking. Now is the time to think of new and creative ways to cross-sell business to existing customers and to attract new customers to your book of business. When was your last brainstorming session with your co-workers, management or sales team?

4. In order to compete and make your sales during tough market conditions you may need to re-invent yourself and the way you do business. Ask yourself, "What can I do to strategically create more interest in my product or service?" If the sides were reversed and you were the prospect, what is the one "Magic Line" that you would want to hear? What would move you to take action and become a buyer?

5. How's your marketing collateral? When was the last time you updated it? Is your material engaging and eye-catching?

6. Quick question: When was the last time you sent a thank you card? I'm not talking about sending one through your email; I'm talking about sending a handwritten thank you note. This note could be for someone that you recently met with, a recent customer, or a new prospect. Thank you notes make your customers and prospects feel important.

7. People are always looking to save money, but when the economy is down, saving money becomes their number one priority. On your next cold call, let your prospect know that you have a customized money-saving program specifically designed for their industry. If they're interested in your offer, suggest a day and time that you may drop off this information. Send a friendly confirmation via email of your conversation one day before you visit their office. The contents of this email should summarize your telephone call and the day and time you will stop by.

8. Try testing new messages. Maybe it's time to refine your sales pitch or perhaps it's time to reword what you say over the telephone because your current message is not working. Take a look at what your competition is doing and review their website for new and innovative ideas.

9. Start introducing your customers to each other. Look for synergistic opportunities between the two. There's an old saying, "What comes around goes around." If you take the time to introduce a client to another, in time, they will take the time to refer you business!

10. Do more research on your prospects and customers before you call or meet with them. Armed with more information you'll relate to your customers and prospects much more quickly. The more you know about your prospects and customers will always result in better sales questions, and better questions will always close more sales!

11. The best time to make cold calls is during tough times. Everyone's complaining about their vendors. If you strategically position your company and convey the right message you will get the attention of your prospect. Focus on benefits, solution-based selling and bring new ideas to the conversation (do some research on their competition).

12. Some great words and phrases to use on your sales calls during these times include: well-positioned, strategic, take market share, customized, targeted, implement, custom-design, industry specific, tailor-made, generate, caliber, quality, includes, added value and grow your business.

13. Start doing some research on your prospect's industry. Did you find an interesting article in a trade publication? Did you find an advertisement of one of their major competitor's? If so, then try sending it with a note saying, that you look forward to speaking with them soon and thought they may find this article (or advertisement) of interest.

14. Are you making enough outgoing calls? No output means no input. How many outgoing calls are you really making time for each day? Each week? Calculate your statistics.

15. During tough economic times, there is nothing more important than persistence. Being persistent means making not just one sales call, but many more. Being persistent means not giving up on prospects. Being persistent means not giving up period. How many sales appointments did you set this week?

Known as Mr. Cold Call, D.M. Arenzon is the author of How to Have Fun Cold Calling and Get Your Telephone Ringing Off the HOOK. He says, "Your cold call success is dependent on 11 winning personality traits. Collectively, these traits allow you to uniquely market yourself over the telephone so you can inspire your prospect's curiosity, reduce their resistance and close even more sales!" To learn more, visit his site www.MrColdCall.com.

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