How when you try to be everything to everybody you are nothing to everybody and when you try to call everybody nobody listens.
“My manager doesn’t believe in scripts.”
“You mean your manager doesn’t believe in preparation or planning and organizing the best words to use when you have very limited time to communicate value and worth?”
“Yup. Yup. You got it.”
Turns out the manager didn’t want his people sounding like the morons that called him, sounding like they were just learning to read.
What has that got to do with writing down, revising, then re-writing, then revising again and again the best approach and most powerful words in an order that quickly and clearly communicates value and an exhange worth 30-60 minutes of a top executives time?
Nothing.
The manager was confusing preparing the best words to use with actually delivering them. Two totally separate issues.
Don’t make that mistake. Write down the best words to use. Then learn to deliver them well.
This leads to another conversation I had recently with a hard working prospector with too little to show for her efforts…
“Can I give you some honest feedback?”
“Sure. I would love it.”
“Can you handle the truth?”
“I think so.”
She did.
First, I asked you twice what you were offering and I still don’t get it. If this is what you are saying on the phone I doubt others are getting it.
Second, your approach of essentially “We do X and would like to meet with you to explain what we do.” …. doesn’t really light my fire. Not much of a value exchange for my time in that approach.
Third, when I asked you to describe the companies you were calling you recited a laundry list of industries and you said you call “small and medium size companies.” That doesn’t exactly help you to focus on your highest probability targets does it?
Fourth, you offered no specifics in terms of why you were credible and what specifically were the benefits companies got by working for you. When you communicate generalities not wishing to miss anything, you end up communicating very little.
This is not rocket science.
I deal with a lot of people opening doors, meeting with top bananas and selling lots of stuff because they…
Call only the right people,
Are clear and concise about their offer, credibility and benefits,
Are organized for efficiency and effectiveness.
It takes about 10 days for you or your team to spend 100% of your time in this zone. How much more would you be selling now if you started improving your process two months ago?
Best wishes for sales success,
Scott Channell
