A Quick Burst of Appointments is Great… But You Need to Sustain and Duplicate Great Results. Use these 9 Steps.
Received 2 emails with great feedback this week. They related good results, but without more, there is great risk these results could be a one-hit wonder.
Let me explain.
#1. Rick writes me that he picked 35 very top-level prospect companies to call using my strategies. Was able to schedule appointments with 4 of them within 10 days and 3 of the 4 asked if decision-makers from other departments could sit in. 4 mega opportunities in 10 days. Rick was pretty happy.
#2. Call center owner writes to tell me that the scripting/telecoach intervention I did with his team on a challenging account reduced the hours necessary to set an appointment from 12 to 3.
Both great results, but beware. You need a program that is SUSTAINABLE and DUPLICABLE.
SUSTAINABLE in that it consistently spits out cost-effective quality results. We can’t drive growth in our businesses with a sputtering engine.
DUPLICABLE in that existing salespeople can learn successful methods, new people can be productive quickly and lower level people could be trained to set appointments adequately.
This is important. If you are a solo salesperson you may need to delegate appointment setting to a lower level person when your pipeline gets filled. Happens often. If you have a group, you need to plug them into an already proven system to duplicate results.
To make sure your great results are not a one-hit wonder you need a total plan in place.
1. Know the sales results you want.
This is ultimately about sales, not prospecting. Everything you do should relate to achieving your very defined sales goals. How many accounts? What size? When?
2. Know your math.
If it doesn’t work on paper, it won’t work on the phone. Map out your sales, close ratio, size of average sale, appointments set, conversations necessary, number of companies to call. Don’t call until the math makes sense.
3. Set yourself up for efficiency.
Get the most out of your prospecting time. If you are working from a paper system you are doomed.
4. Don’t assume you are calling the right targets.
Almost always the prospecting net is cast too wide. Soooooooo………….. lower level lower worth suspects get called while higher worth targets are staring at the phone. Know how to select the best targets from all your options.
5. Work from a pre-determined call process.
This is mostly about knowing when to quit. You will waste a lot of time if you don’t have a call process worked out.
6. Track.
Have a simple system to track key things. Without tracking key measurements, you really don’t know what to focus on for results.
7. Have good scripts prepared.
How are you communicating value, credibility and urgency? Can you turn common objections into “yes?”
8. Know how to improve the quality of the info you work with.
She who works with the best quality info wins. Even if you don’t speak to a decision-maker you can pick up info which increases your ability to have a conversation… and convert it to a meeting. Know what to get and how.
9. Have a Plan B.
Get the no’s and unreachables into your pipeline. Have a great offer with an automatic multiple touch system. There is big money in Plan B.
If your prospecting plan contains all the above, you don’t have to worry about having a one-hit wonder. Your system will be sustainable and duplicable and generate consistent cost-effective quality opportunities.
copyright 2006-2012 scott channell
