15.09.2017

Check list - the easiest way to check managers and increase sales in e-commerce. According to our observations, this tool is used in almost every project, although often to no avail. Managers complain that they only waste time checking on managers, but this does not affect sales. Their checklists most often look like this:

• the manager was polite;
• greeted the client;
• clarified the name;
• suggested analogues and recommended products with the optimal combination of price, quality and delivery time;
• told about the terms of payment and delivery.

Indeed, it is easier to refuse such a checklist than to waste time. It doesn't work for sales at all.

In this article, using the example of an online spare parts store, we will figure out how to create checklists that increase sales.

How to make a checklist

Check list - a list of criteria by which sales managers are checked. Each of the criteria leads the manager to a result - a sale or solution to a client’s issue.

The checklist contains universal and specific criteria. Universal - greet, ask the client’s name - the same for any business. Specific criteria are based on the characteristics of the business. For example, asking for a car’s VIN number is a specific criterion for an online spare parts store.

Checklists for an incoming application and an outgoing call will be different. But there is general principles by which checklists are compiled:

• break the checklist into blocks, for example, greeting, identifying needs, presentation, etc.;
• arrange the blocks in the order in which the manager should convey information to the client;
• take only important criteria that lead the conversation to a sale or solution to the client’s issue;
• write one criterion in one paragraph;
• make the wording clear for the inspector and the manager.

Using an example of an online spare parts store, we will show you how to create a checklist.

Checklist example

An online spare parts store will have the following specific criteria in its checklist:

• ask for the car's VIN number;
• inform that we can deliver on the day of order if spare parts are in stock;
• announce that the client will receive an SMS notification with the order number, contents, prices and a link to payment.

Let's divide the checklist into blocks and write down important criteria in each.

When the checklist is ready, you need to choose a method for evaluating managers.

How to evaluate a manager using a checklist

The work of a manager using a checklist is assessed using one of three systems: binary, point and point scale.

Binary system - the simplest assessment option with two answer options: yes or no. “Yes” −1 point, “no” − 0. If the manager has fulfilled the criterion, he is given a 1, if not, he is given a 0.

Using the binary system, an initial check is carried out to see the problems of the sales department and find out what to work with.

Point system. Each criterion is assigned points depending on the significance and influence of the criterion on the result. For example, “a greeting according to the corporate standard” - 4 points, “the manager made an offer based on the identified needs of clients” - 15 points.

This system is used for monthly quality assessment. All calls are rated and the average score is calculated. It is used to look at how managers' performance changes over time, compile ratings of managers and build a motivation system. Scoring helps identify system errors and weaknesses in order to create a training plan.

Rating on a point scale . Each option is assigned a point:

• the manager clearly fulfilled the point in full - we give the maximum score;
• the manager tried to fulfill the item, worked it out partially, for example, tried to work out an objection, but it didn’t work out - average score;
• the manager did not fulfill the item - 0 points.

  This system is also used for monthly monitoring. It helps to identify managers' weaknesses. It is then easy to build a training plan based on them.

  There is no need to make checklists formally to be or because everyone does it. First, honestly formulate why you need a manager review and what you want to get from it. If you decide to start checking managers, evaluate not only calls, but also the management of orders in CRM and compliance with work regulations.

  We are engaged in quality control of call centers in e-commerce: we study and analyze managers’ mistakes, draw up checklists and scripts, and show points of sales growth. If sales have stalled for a long time, please contact:

  How to make a checklist

  • write a list of specific business criteria;
  • break the checklist into blocks;
  • arrange the blocks in the order in which the manager should convey information to the client;
  • take criteria that lead the conversation to a sale or solution to the client’s issue;
  • write one criterion in one paragraph;
  • make the wording clear for the inspector and the manager.

An extensive guide to telephone sales for b2b, part 4 of 4. I have collected the most common mistakes of sales managers. You can easily increase the effectiveness of telephone sales by avoiding the following mistakes.

In previous parts:

Part 1 of 4

Part 2 of 4

Part 3 of 4

In this last part, I collected all the mistakes of sales managers that were mentioned in the previous parts of the article, and also added what was not included in the previous parts (about 70% new). This part can be called a bonus, since the whole essence is concentrated here without unnecessary water, and saving three articles in order to later look for such information is not very convenient. In general, here is everything that really makes sense to save and use. Enjoy reading!

1. Lack of a smile in your voice

Agree, when you are offered to buy something in a tired voice, the feeling immediately creeps in that this product has been unsuccessfully tried to sell to someone before you many times. In such a situation, the client feels that they are trying to “rub” something completely unnecessary to him. On the contrary, we enjoy doing business with people whose voice radiates joy and goodwill; we want to trust them.

Solution

Life hack: if you really smile while talking on the phone, the client will feel it in your voice. Experienced managers often know how to speak with a “smile in their voice” and without a smile on their face, and this is achieved with practice. I still have a reflexive smile when I talk on the phone. In just a year and a half of work, this has become a habit. It will be easier for you to accustom yourself to this if you look at your face in the mirror during a conversation: this way you will more often catch yourself not smiling.

2. Ignorance of math. parts

Have you tried to explain to someone the essence of a subject about which you know nothing? Have you also tried to sell this item, talking about its strengths?

It is very difficult to present your product beautifully and work out objections when you have too little knowledge about this product in your head. Often, arrogant managers do not devote enough time to studying the product, believing that their skills are enough to sell even a product about which they themselves know little.

Solution

The problem is solved by ongoing training, which includes a section on the intricacies of the product. Only knowing all the pros and cons, you can create competent sales tactics that allow you to increase the company’s profits. Have a knowledgeable person ask you as many questions as possible about the product. Next, write down those questions to which you cannot give a confident answer. Make a study plan and find answers to all your questions. Repeat 2-3 times with different knowledgeable people.

3. Familiarity

Do you remember when a stranger approached you from the street, addressed you on a first-name basis and asked you to give him money for travel?

Having watched enough trainings of information business people, many come to the conclusion that if you need to avoid unnecessary formalities in a conversation, then you need to address the client on a first-name basis. This is a serious mistake, especially in b2b, because the conversation is usually conducted with someone who is authorized to make decisions. Imagine: such a Big Boss is sitting and then a twenty-year-old guy on the other end of the line starts poking him and also tries to sell him something.

Solution

It is enough to study the rules of business etiquette, listen to a couple of dozen conversations of professional managers and you will understand exactly how you should approach communication with clients. Finding the “golden mean” is not easy, but it becomes possible if you have ingenuity and the Internet.

4. Overconfidence

Do you think you see right through the client? Many managers, especially those with experience, often begin to think this way. This is a gross mistake, since such self-confidence becomes the cause of excessive carelessness and imprudence. Such a manager is unlikely to work “to the fullest”, being confident that 30% of his efforts will be enough for him. Typically, such self-confidence is observed among “stars” - those who have been working for several years and can boast of some achievements.

Solution

To get rid of excess self-confidence, you can re-listen to a number of your worst conversations with clients in order to lower yourself to the reality in which no one can ever know anything for sure. If this does not help, then poor performance will be an excellent motivation, after which you may rethink your self-confidence.

5. Complex greeting

You definitely heard such greetings that then you had to think for another 5 seconds: “Damn it, what just happened?!” Did you have a desire to continue the conversation after such a greeting?

Solution

When greeting, you should not use words with a double meaning, words that are difficult to pronounce, or those that are hard to hear. Simply put, all those words that can be misunderstood or not heard at all.

6. Speech too fast

Can you imagine a panicked voice that quickly gives you a headache? This is what your voice sounds like when you speak too fast when talking to a client on the phone. It sounds as if you are in a hurry and trying to “shoot” your prepared phrases as quickly as possible so that you can quickly run home and turn off the iron that has already incinerated your favorite shirt.

Solution

Getting rid of this is quite simple: you can listen to every conversation you have or every tenth one - it doesn’t matter. The point is to constantly remind yourself that you need to do something about it. You can even ask a friend to sit next to you and pinch you painfully every time you try to scare a client with your panicked voice.

7. Speech too slow

A very boring conversation that I want to get rid of as soon as possible. It's reminiscent of that feeling when you're walking down a narrow road and the person in front of you is trailing like a turtle. Really annoying?

We had one guy at work who spoke so slowly that you could fall asleep while he said the greeting. It is clear that most clients could not withstand this endless hell. However, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that it was quite pleasant for the pensioners to communicate with him, since at a faster pace they could sometimes not hear something and miss an important detail.

Solution

You can get rid of the problem in the same way as in the previous paragraph: listen to your dialogues, and also ask your friend to watch you and constantly point out this error so that you do not forget about it.

8. Monotonous speech

How about this: a call from a cold and indifferent person who is trying to convince you that cooperation with him will increase your profits. To put it mildly, it’s a so-so proposal.

I will continue the story about the uniqueness of my former colleague: this same guy, in addition to speaking slowly, said everything in an absolutely monotone voice. Even speech synthesis programs have a greater range of emotions in their arsenal than this guy. Your speech should be lively and interesting; it is impossible to convince a person by saying everything in one voice. I would even say that it is not so important what you say. The main thing is how you speak, with what emotions, what emphasis you put, using different intonations.

Solution

Start reading poems. I mean out loud, in front of a crowd of people you don't know. These blows to your self-esteem (and they will happen) will be a good incentive for you to learn expressiveness, which will make your presentations in conversation exciting and beautiful.

9. Illiterate speech

It would seem: what difference does it make whether to say “two hundred” or “two hundred”? Many people use the second option in everyday life. But sales managers are not people who should be “many.” The speech must be perfect: no cakes with plum jam, bought for about two hundred rubles. But I won’t say anything about burring people: often this becomes a special “trick” of a manager, especially in cases where negotiations are conducted with the same clients.

Solution

Find yourself a perfectionist listener who is fluent in the language. Found it? Now download texts with difficult words in which everyone usually makes mistakes when pronouncing (there are such texts). Read aloud to this perfectionist. If you manage to survive, the problem will be solved after several such texts.

10. No equal contact

Do you address the client by his first and patronymic while he simply calls you by your first name? Congratulations, the client dominates you, and your value and importance in his eyes tends to zero. If the client calls you only by name, then you call him only by name. Address him as formally as he addresses you: your cooperation is not a favor to you, but a mutually beneficial partnership.

Solution

Like most problems, this one can be solved with the help of a friend who will pinch you every time you grovel. Why do I suggest pinching? Because you deserve it if you make a mistake. Joke. If it is not unpleasant (a friend's correction), then it will be more difficult for you to relearn.

11. The client does not know who he is talking to

Just imagine: noname calls you and tells you right off the bat about what great websites he makes. This may seem funny, but it is very unlikely that you will continue to have a conversation with him. Is it just to cheer yourself up?

Often managers forget themselves and immediately “get down to business”, completely forgetting to introduce themselves. What will your client be curious to know about you: your name, your place of work, your position, the purpose of your call. Without knowing this, he simply won’t know how to talk to you. As a rule, if a person cannot figure out what is the best thing to do, he simply avoids committing an act, since it usually carries fewer dangers than a rash act. Simply put, if the client doesn’t know who he’s talking to, your conversation isn’t going well.

Solution

If you find yourself not introducing yourself during a conversation, punish yourself: take a list of your friends on social networks (at least 100 people) and introduce each of them on paper. Imagine it as if you are going to introduce him to your client, describing everything you need. This is quite difficult and boring, so after a series of similar punishments it will be easier for you to correct yourself.

12. Rare use of the client's name

A proper name is the sweetest sound for every person. It will be much easier for you to establish emotional contact and gain the client’s trust if you call him by name.

Solution

Cross out all “general” messages. Especially such as “young man”, “man”, “girl”, “woman”, etc. I remember that I somehow couldn’t stand it and addressed the client as “lady”, but that’s a completely different story... Create You can get into the habit of calling a client by name with the help of punishments. For each “general” request found in the dialogue, give your colleague, say, 50 rubles. Firstly, you will not like losing money, and secondly, your colleague will be more willing to help you.

13. Incorrect pronunciation of the client's name

I think everyone understands perfectly well that in Russia you can increasingly come across a name like Kim or Vilen. Often names of this kind are pronounced incorrectly and this, as a rule, offends the client. Do you know what's the worst thing? The fact that the client is very unlikely to correct you and until the end of the dialogue you will pronounce the client’s name incorrectly. As a result, what we have: the client gets more and more irritated each time, but remains silent. And you can’t even understand why the conversation is going so slowly.

I had to talk to 2-4 hundred people a day and I remember several cases when incorrect client data was opened in CRM. Imagine all the pain of the situation when the client’s name is Tamara Ivanovna, and I call her Irina Vasilievna throughout the conversation, and she, in turn, does not tell me anything about this. And after the conversation, the program still decides to load the necessary information and I understand that the entire dialogue did not call the person by his name, and he did not say a word to me.

Solution

Download a hundred tongue twisters consisting of complex names. If you don’t find it, make it yourself. Every time before you start calling, say each tongue twister. Over time, you will learn to pronounce even the most difficult names. Nothing can be done about the situation in my story, as you understand.

Lifehack

It will be easier to fill your tongue twister with names if you write down the names of those clients that you found difficult to pronounce, or, if everything is really bad, that you could not pronounce and hung up in a panic. This way you won't have to spend extra time searching for names for tongue twisters.

14. Manager name is too complex

If your name is difficult to pronounce, then the client will not be comfortable talking to you, and not even because it will be difficult for him to pronounce the name. It will simply be awkward for the interlocutor to ask you if he pronounces your name correctly, not to mention the fact that he may feel ashamed if he pronounces the name incorrectly. This situation will distract your client from the essence of your call, making it more difficult to sell.

Solution

When I worked in sales, I often introduced myself as Dima, although my name is Kim. It would seem: only three letters, but at first I had to spell almost every dialogue: “K AND M - only three letters” or even worse: “Kirill, Irina, Mikhail,” after which they addressed me as Kirill, and sometimes like Irina, despite her rough voice. In general, it’s better to just name the name that will definitely be pronounced correctly.

Lifehack

If sales are cold (according to your database), then you can introduce yourself by the client’s name from the CRM. The fact that you are namesakes will lift the client’s mood and the whole conversation will go easier. Especially if the client's name is Albert or Ibrahim.

15. Unwillingness to hear “no”

I've often seen managers hang up after the first "no." Many people understand that this is stupid, but they still do it because they start to panic. In fact, the worst clients are the ones who agree with everything. Their agreement is very easy to explain: they just don’t care and don’t even listen to you. At first, I couldn’t understand how this happened: the client seemed happy with everything, the conversation went so smoothly, but the sale didn’t work out. Refusal is an indicator that the client is even understanding what you are saying. This suggests that he is interested in what you are talking about. Simply put, this is exactly the bell that tells you to continue.

Solution

Download some database of addresses and call different people with your extremely arrogant offers. The more absurd your proposal, the better. For example, offer to buy a street breed dog for 30 thousand. To begin with, it’s enough to get used to hearing “no” and other negative reactions. Then you can go further: after the first “no,” you still try to sell the dog, and so on until the person hangs up. It is important to remain serious at the same time, so that the person does not think that you are just joking.

16. Lack of needs identification

Even during training, my coach taught me a lesson. The task was as follows: it was necessary to sell her the service of a fictitious travel agency. The service is also fictitious: we ourselves could choose what to offer. I took it upon myself to be the captain of the team and came up with a cool presentation of an interesting and unusual service. We were really cooler than the second team, but here’s the problem: before the presentation of our cool service, we didn’t find out from the client what he actually needed. As a result, we offered a luxurious single tour with a striptease bar for girls to that person who would like to go to a good ski resort with his husband and child. It seems obvious now, but back then it was not so simple. In general, the mistake is still relevant: many managers try to sell their service even before they know what the client needs.

Solution

Find on social media. network with hundreds of people you don't know and try to figure out what each of them is missing. Don't stop with their first answer, like "money": get to the bottom of the truth as persistently as possible. This way, you will learn to figure out what people need, and the experiment itself will remind you to identify needs. Don’t think that no one will answer you: on social media. Communication networks have their own characteristics and people in them behave differently than in a normal conversation. Try not to choose people of the opposite sex, otherwise your messages may be perceived as an act of mating and instead of a response you will receive a music track.

17. Too many closed questions

Do you want to play investigator? Then you better go work for the police. Clients don't like interrogations, and asking a series of yes/no questions is a serious mistake that will cost you the amount you could have made on the sale if you weren't playing the bad cop. Ask more open-ended questions and only a couple of closed ones to really get to the bottom of the client's thoughts.

Solution

Ask someone to ask you only closed questions for a week, so you realize how colder and more unpleasant it becomes. You will likely learn your lesson and try to avoid overusing closed questions in your dialogue with the client.

18. Endless need identification

Managers are so often criticized for not fully identifying a need that they sometimes go to the other extreme: identifying a need for the sake of identifying a need. In essence, it looks like a meeting between a deputy and residents, where the sales manager is the deputy, and the client is the tenant. The deputy diligently asks questions about the client’s desires, and he happily pours out his soul, but all to no avail: there will be no sale anyway.

Solution

If you have identified one need, continue to delve into it. Don't try to identify another need. If you go deeper, try to fit your product to this need (in your head). If it doesn’t work, move on to another need. And do this only until you manage to try your product on the identified need of the client.

19. Throwing from stage to stage

I have often observed and continue to observe how managers jump from the stage of identifying needs to presenting the product, and then back to identifying needs. Your presentation in this case will look no more convincing than a homeless person trying to sell you his book on how to easily make money in the stock market.

Solution

Buy the simplest and cheapest wall clock. Pull out the dial from there. Take three markers of different colors. Divide the dial into three parts, starting at 12 o'clock. Sign each part, starting at 12 o'clock: Establishing contact, identifying needs, presenting the product accordingly. Now imagine that you cannot return a stage that has already passed, just as you cannot return the past time. Hang a clock somewhere in your workspace to remind you that these steps are in strict order and nothing else.

20. Interrupting the client

Even if you already understood what the client meant and even if he says something about your product that is not true, do not even think about interrupting him to finish his thought for him or to correct his erroneous statement. This is an extremely elementary and basic rule, but it is very often violated. Try to keep an eye on this.

Solution

Every person has a friend who likes to interrupt. Try telling this friend a long story. Think about it. Stop doing the same. It makes sense to periodically listen to your unsuccessful conversations in order to identify such cases and remind yourself of this. Or have someone sit next to you and connect to you through an additional headset. This person can constantly correct you during a conversation with a client, which will make it easier for you to break this habit.

21. Talking about life

Let's talk "for life"? In my practice, it often happened that contact with a client was established so well that he began to have a friendly conversation with me on topics unrelated to the purpose of the call. Perhaps this indicates a high-quality emotional contact, but at the same time, an incorrect conduct of the dialogue, since this happened at all. This needs to be stopped very correctly, so that the client is not offended that you don’t want to hear about how he and his wife went to the sea. Often the client does this unconsciously, so if you give him a subtle hint, he will immediately pull himself together.

Solution

*Space for your decision* - write in the comments what to do in this case, since I don’t know what exactly can be said about this.

22. Attempts to argue with the client

Do you disagree with your client's objections, but don't know how to counter them? I'll give you a hint: do not try to argue with the client, especially on topics related to the scope of his business. Instead of arguing, sales managers convince their customers simply by asking questions. Questions that prompt the right thoughts are what should be used, including for working out objections.

Solution

Contact any web designer or programmer. Ask him to tell you how tired he is of clients who don’t understand anything but constantly interfere with the work process. Ask him not to hold back. Look at how a person reacts to arguments on topics in which he considers himself more competent than you. It’s exactly the same with the client whose business you’re interfering with.

23. Carelessness in expressing an opinion

The client should do 80% of the dialogue. It may seem that this is directly related to the fact that the manager should ask questions and not talk, but this is not so: the fact that the manager should only ask questions is a consequence of the fact that the more the seller says, the more opportunities the client will have for objections. Be sure: every word you say is an additional weapon in the client’s hands. It is better not to give your interlocutor a reason and not to express your opinion in vain: only questions and the essence of the proposal, no “water”.

Solution

Try getting involved in a debate in some philosophical community. Each of your proposals will definitely be taken apart, contradictions will be found and your stupidity will be pointed out. Spend about a week in the comments of such a community and the habit of talking irrelevantly will disappear. In addition, you will be able to see that the most experienced debaters usually do not say anything, but only ask questions.

24. Bedding for the client

A manner of speech like: “I would like to offer you”, “I’m calling with an offer” is a sure way to kill your importance in the eyes of the client. Instead of mutually beneficial cooperation, instead of partnership, you offer him to provide you with a service - to use your service for his money. Give the client a chance to decide for himself whether he will respect you or not. There is no need to help him feel like he is in control of the situation.

Solution

Use phrases like: “I’m calling to discuss the possibility of mutually beneficial cooperation,” “I’m here to discuss cooperation,” “I’m calling to see if we can be of assistance to each other.” Only this way, only on equal terms.

25. Ignoring the interests of the client

Your greeting begins with words about what a great product you have, how many years you have been on the market, how many clients you have had, what profitable suppliers you have? The client is interested in his benefit. He doesn't..., ahem, care about your achievements. Forget about bragging. Better tell him what he will get from working with you. Not just “100 successful cases”, but “We have experience and we can give guarantees, thanks to which your profits will definitely increase.”

Solution

It is very important to observe the “property-benefit” link. The most striking example of the use of this combination: there is a product - sunflower oil. There is a property: vegetable fat. Benefit for the client: “Our oil consists of vegetable fats, and therefore there is no cholesterol, so your blood vessels will remain healthy.” And now just a banal boast: “We make the best sunflower oil. Our sunflowers are grown using advanced technologies, and our company has been operating in this market for more than 900 years.” Do you feel the difference?

26. I-approach

Too many “I”s in a conversation with a client is an indicator that you are more interested in your own person rather than cooperation with the client and mutually beneficial conditions.

Solution

Use less “I believe,” “I think,” “I want,” and other bad phrases that start with “I.” Instead, ask the client's opinion: “what do you think about this?”, “Can you…”, “This gives you the opportunity...”.

27. Stupid questions

“Cunning manipulators” who have seen enough trainings where they talk about how to get a client to say “yes” three times, but don’t talk about how to do it competently, begin to ask incredibly poor questions. For example: "Do you want to increase your profits?" or “Does your business need sales?” No, guys, what are you? Money and sales are just what a business lives on. What a little thing, damn it. I imagine Big Boss sitting there and his eyes are bloodshot from the fact that he is being taken for a complete idiot for asking such questions.

- What is your name?

- Andrey.

- Andrey, right?

- That is, your name is Andrey, did I understand correctly?

- Yes...

- So, I can address you as Andrey, right?

- Yes, you think very well, username!

Well, that’s all: three “yes” received. Consider the sale in your pocket.

Solution

Use the well-known "hook drive" technique. Its essence is to ask a question, the answer to which would demonstrate to you the client’s fundamental interest in your service. Let me give you an example: once you already called a client and agreed that he would study the commercial proposal you sent, after which you would call back within the agreed time frame. So, if during the second call you understand at the very beginning that the client has studied the CP, you can ask a question like this: “Given that you agreed to study the CP, I understand that there is a certain interest in *solving such and such a problem* you are present, right?”, or “Dear, you took the time to study my CP. As I understand it, there is a certain interest in cooperation, right?” . Do you feel the difference between a stupid and an appropriate question?

28. Agreeing with the client's petty desires

Usually, when a client comes with a stream of small technical questions, like: “Can you do...?” people answer: “Yes, of course we can do it that way,” losing sight of the fact that the flow of such questions can be endless - as long as imagination is enough.

Solution

In such cases, it is important to seize the initiative by disrupting the client’s “program” aimed at a number of minor issues. It’s not difficult to take the initiative; to do this, you can ask the question: “Everything suits you, except “this” little detail, right?” or “Are you ready to place an order, and all that remains is to clarify “this” last thing to do, do I understand correctly?” The client will either tell you: “Yes, just these couple of moments and everything is ok” and you will receive the order, or the client is from the category of “went into the store to warm up” . The second question after this one simply goes away and you don't waste time on someone who hardly has any interest in working with you.

29. Answering a question with a question

Your “cunning tricks” like answering a question with a question are very annoying. Especially if this is a client who wants to learn more about the disadvantages of the cooperation you are talking about. What to do if a client asks a question?

Solution

Give him a long and detailed answer so that he calms down and understands that his questions are respected and answered, that you are not a rogue who dodges questions. However, there is one important “but”: immediately after your answer, you must ask the client a counter question without pausing. Now your counter question will not cause a negative reaction, since you have already given an answer to the question that the client was interested in.

30. Pause after answering a client’s question

This one was born from the previous point - never pause after answering a client’s question. Why? Because this way you will give him a chance to ask you the next question and the initiative in the conversation will be hopelessly lost by you.

Solution

Always ask a counter question immediately after your answer. This will allow you not to lose the initiative in negotiations, and will also give you the opportunity to obtain additional information that can help you persuade the client to cooperate.

31. Losing the essence of the call

Often, “experienced” managers discuss very important issues with colleagues: “Damn, I came across such a stupid client today! The whole conversation contradicted itself, I couldn’t even justify my refusal.” Anyone who has worked in sales knows that this is common practice. So, often such “smart guys” begin to demonstrate to the client his “stupidity” right during the conversation. Yes, I'm not kidding - instead of selling, they try to point out to the client all the contradictions in his words, in some way mocking the fact that he cannot express the essence of his desire. Of course, they don’t think that the client, unlike them, was not ready to talk, but that’s not the point. The main thing is that this error is very common and needs to be actively eradicated.

Solution

Control yourself, and if you can’t, get as far away from working with clients as possible.

32. Attempts to sell "one touch"

Many new salespeople try to make a sale on the first call. This is a big mistake, because if in b2c this approach still has a chance, then in b2b this approach is doomed. The fact is that no one will listen to the whole essence of your commercial proposal over the phone, and making a decision on cooperation without familiarizing yourself with the proposal is simply suicide. It is impossible to sell “one-touch” in b2b.

Solution

Just remember the elementary scheme: call, close the call to send a commercial offer by email and call back again in N days. On the appointed day, you call back and close the sales conversation when the client has read your commercial offer and is ready to make a decision.

33. Lack of preparations for processing objections

Usually the situation is this: beginners do not use blanks, “average” ones have a lot of blanks on pieces of paper, pros keep all the blanks in their heads. Without prepared answers to questions that the client may have in one or another version of the conversation (and there can be more than several dozen basic variations, depending on the quality of the created sales script), it will be very difficult to quickly and confidently counter the client’s objection. Your uncertainty will be noticed in a split second and the entire stage of working with objections will fail.

Solution

Write down each unique objection of each client, prepare answers to each of the objections in advance. Try to remember after which words which objections arise, and after which of your answers which reaction will follow. If you have enough experience and a good memory, then most of the conversation will go according to your plan: you will be able to manipulate the client's behavior, knowing in advance what he is likely to answer and what objections he is likely to have. After a year and a half of working in sales in the same area, from the very beginning of the dialogue I could understand whether there would be a sale or not, but I did not behave self-confidently: this is only a probability and it is not one hundred percent. Don't relax.

34. Vague deadlines when closing a deal

When deadlines are blurred, a difficult situation arises: you cannot understand whether the client is still going to contact you and is just thinking for a long time, or whether he is lost forever. Because of this, some confusion occurs, because by calling the client again, if he is actually just going to contact you and make a payment, you will arouse unnecessary suspicion. The client may decide that something is going wrong and, in order not to take risks, he will simply refuse the transaction. As a result: you either call someone who just thinks for a long time and arouses unnecessary suspicion in him, or you don’t call and are tormented by guessing whether the client has forgotten about you.

Solution

For example, if you called a client for the first time and agreed that he will study your commercial offer, after which you will call him back, be sure to specify the exact time frame within which you will call him back. If this is the second call, then stipulate the exact terms of payment: “How long do you think it will take you to make an advance payment?” or an earlier version: “How much time do you think you need to fill out the brief and send it to us?” This way, you not only set a soft deadline, but in the future you will be able to determine whether the client has disappeared or he simply has not yet decided to contact you. Based on this, it will be easier for you to understand how to behave in the current situation.

35. Questions like: “Are you comfortable talking now?”

“No, it’s inconvenient” - this will be the answer in most cases. There is no one on this planet who would be interested in talking to a sales manager before he starts his job. By asking a client such a question, you are actually giving him a reason to sneak away from you before you even have a chance to say anything. Even if the client was supposed to be interested in what you want to voice, you won’t even have the opportunity.

Solution

Instead of this question, it is better to use the wording: “Tell me, Vasily, how much time are you willing to devote to our conversation?” So the client does not have a direct opportunity to avoid the conversation, not to mention the fact that if he has five minutes, you yourself can understand that there is no point in talking now, after which you can agree on a call back.

36. False promises in the heat of the sale

This is how I veiled an outright lie. Often managers get into a rage and want to get a sale in any way. Not for the money, but for the feeling that they managed to convince a difficult client. I assure you, this happens more often than you might think. I have seen hundreds of similar cases among my colleagues, and I myself once almost made this gross mistake. And I would have allowed it if I had not accidentally pressed the call reset button.

Solution

I don't know how this can be avoided. After all, that’s why it’s called “going into a rage,” because a person is not entirely aware of himself outside the situation in which he finds himself. If you have any good ideas, here is a great place for your solution.

That's it, the list is finished, as is the final part of my article on the topic of telephone sales.

The Videolom project was with you,

Increasing the efficiency of the sales department in 50 days Ryazantsev Alexey

Package of templates for reports

Package of templates for reports

1. Activity report

The activity report quantifies the actions that managers performed during the day, as well as the results of the day. The table includes:

Month, date and day;

Lateness, in minutes;

Number of new cold calls;

Number of contacts with decision makers (DM);

Number of commercial proposals (CP) sent;

Number of repeated calls;

Number of successful calls;

Number of scheduled appointments;

Number of meetings held;

Number of invoices issued;

Amount of payments, in rubles;

A note is made that the call log (for the next day) is completed and sent to the head of the ROP sales department (Table 5.2).

This is one of the most powerful tools in the sales department. By implementing it, you will be able to maintain productivity as managers begin to take fewer targeted actions over time. In addition, you will be able to control how many actions managers perform and see how the conversion and payment amounts change.

Time to fill out the report: 10 minutes.

2. Workbook

The workbook is one of the main working tools of a sales manager. It is prepared at the end of the working day the next day. Contacts for touches are entered into it. At the end of the working day, the completed work log is submitted to the head of the sales department by email - unless a document sharing system or CRM is set up.

What data is entered into the work log?

Organization.

Name of the decision maker.

Phone and email.

Result of the call.

Source for collecting contacts (so that managers do not independently select low-quality databases) (Table 5.3).

Table 5.2. Call log

Table 5.3. Example work log

This tool helps you quickly get into work in the morning and make calls in a block in two to three hours, rather than searching the Internet for contacts of organizations one by one. The manager’s average speed in this case will be five to six contacts per hour. And having a work log, people come to work and can immediately call ready-made contacts.

If the list has not been completed the night before, you can be sure that the manager will easily dedicate this important process all first half of the day.

3. Checklist “Daily Schedule” (Table 5.4, 5.5)

Table 5.4. Checklist for a sales manager

It is important that the work in the department is built in blocks: one block is two to three hours, within which one type of work is performed (mainly). Turn off multitasking for your managers and you can increase their productivity by at least two and a half times. Don't believe me? Schedule a test month and see for yourself.

Scientists have proven that it takes our brain about 30 minutes to reach peak productivity and enter a state of flow. And to get out of it, all it takes is a small switch to something else, even for 30 seconds. This is important to understand. Therefore, you cannot give managers the opportunity to call all day. They should have a call block. Same with other tasks.

The second advantage here is the psychological aspect: when you set yourself a time limit for a task, you complete it much faster than if you had a lot of time to implement it.

4. Base for generating warm clients

A customer acquisition database is necessary in order not to lose potential clients who contacted you - they were sent a commercial offer, maybe meetings were held, but the matter did not come to a sale. Our statistics show that at this stage, 20-30% of transactions fall through - only because they simply forgot about the clients, hoping that if they decide, they will call themselves. Work should be carried out with all warm clients, the dates of the next calls and pressure to reach the deal should be determined (Table 5.6).

After filling out the database, the manager enters the schedule into his calendar and sets a reminder on his phone. Or fills out your Google calendar and sets a reminder via SMS. Very comfortably.

5. Meeting report

Employees fill out a meeting report after the meeting. It records the subject of the meeting, the main agreements and the dates of the next meeting.

The report is important because it allows management to monitor the actual meetings that took place and their effectiveness.

Table 5.5. Checklist for the head of the sales department

Table 5.6. Sales pressure base

A common problem is when managers schedule meetings for themselves while they go about their business.

Sales manager meeting report

Date _______________ Full name of manager _________________

Company name ________________________________

The contact person _______________________________________

Manager Notes:

Result of the meeting:

Further actions:

Further actions from the client:

6. Reporting of the head of the sales department

The report on the results of the sales department is filled out by the head of the department and thereby allows the director of the enterprise to monitor sales performance for the department as a whole and the results of each manager (Tables 5.7, 5.8).

You can add any other indicators, such as the number and volume of upsells, sales volume of affiliate products, etc.

Table 5.7. Sales department report

Table 5.8. Sales report for a specific manager

7. Audit of the client base

The head of the sales department conducts an audit of the client base once a month/quarter. Based on the results of the audit, he fills out a report table (Table 5.9).

Table 5.9. Audit of the client base (using ABC segmentation)

8. Reporting of the sales representative (merchandiser)

It is used to control the bypass of retail outlets subordinate to the sales representative (Table 5.10).

Table 5.10. Sales Representative Daily Report

9. Key client base

It is important that managers maintain a database of key clients. Because you need to maintain communication with them of a completely different quality. This part of your base is where your business rests, and it is very important to establish systematic touches in it.