London, UK
The most frequently heard objection by telemarketers when cold-calling is probably “I’m not interested”. Usually just a fob off, this is used by most buyers to get rid of you quickly. There are two ways of dealing with this. One is to ensure you say something very compelling before they get a chance to blank you or if they do try saying something like this:
Buyer: I’m not interested”
You: I wouldn’t really expect you to be interested in something you haven’t investigated and, if after a few minutes you’re still not interested in what other firms like yours are getting from our new system then I shall leave. How about Wednesday at 9.30 or Thursday at 10.10am?
(Occasionally I add at the beginning “well that’s why I’m phoning you rather than the other way round”. This can break the ice before you launch into “I wouldn’t really expect……”)
A couple of things to remember here:
1. You are only “selling” an appointment and not the product, so don’t discuss it.
2. Use ten past or ten to the hour when asking for an appointment. This may lull your prospect into thinking you’ll only be there for a short period time.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by JeremyJacobs and JeremyJacobs, JeremyJacobs. JeremyJacobs said: Ring Up, Fix Up, Hang Up – http://tinyurl.com/26yb2ln #sales [...]
Jeremy,
I have some serious issues with this advice. Perhaps for a sales exec doing some cold calling and trying to gain traction with a very strategic account, this might be something worth trying. But for a telemarketing rep? Or an outsourced Appointment Setter? This is the kind of strategy that gives our industry a bad name. Setting an appointment without qualifying at all – without even discussing the product or service – is a recipe for a really unproductive appointment that will antagonize both the prospect and the unlucky sales rep who is assigned to it.
Business Development, Lead Generation, telemarketing… whatever you want to call it, should be about engaging people, gauging interest, pain, need, drivers, propensity to buy. And, IF it is relevant and worthwhile to do so, scheduling an appointment that will be productive and useful to both parties. Trickery like this just wastes everybody’s time and perpetuates negative myths.
- Andrew
Andrew
Thank you for your feedback. I have to point out that this isn’t really advice its just an opinion. Also the points raised should be considered as tactics and not a strategy. However, I must concede that had I used the term “sales exec” rather than telemarketer I may not have received quite such opprobrium.
You may not have read other posts on this site concerning cold-calling had you done so, you would have realised that our positions are very close indeed and I’m not like those egregious individuals one so often hears on the end of the telephone line.
My use of the phrase “say something very compelling” could be a metaphor for a benefit statement, a question or a reference to something in a national newspaper about your prospect. All of which would have taken some time researching and then crafting into a suitable phrase with ensures you would have some degree of empathy with your prospect. On these points we appear to agree. Where we may differ is on the overall strategy. There is, of course, a place for simple prospecting or information gathering which maybe the domain of outsourced telemarketing companies and similar organisations. If on the other hand, you are tasked with getting sales appointments (and of course it does depend on your market-place) some hard-nosed cold-canvassing maybe more appropriate. What bothers me about the points you raised is that you give the impression one should “give up” getting an appointment. Leaving aside the argument of the buying cycle for a moment – isn’t it the case that a little bit of gentle persuasion by a sales professional will mean he or she gets an order over those who just accept “we’re not interested”? Every successful salesperson I’ve known in B-2-B sales, would never take “no” for an answer.
Jeremy
Andrew is clearly a hard working honest sales guy who is guided by integrity but I think in this case he may have got the wrong end of the stick a bit. I have made a study of every kind of sales technique for my best selling sales books, mainly Resistance is Useless, The Way of the Dog, and now my latest book, Irresistible Persuasion, and through all of them a recurring theme is that of staying in control of the customer. People have an almost reflex reaction to a sales approach which is “No thank you, I’m not interested”. When that person jumps on you in a shop and says, “Who provides your telephone service?” we immediately say “No thank you, not interested in discussing it.” But the fact is, they are not trying to sell us something we don’t want, we do use a telephone service, and its just possible that what they are offering is the best deal ever and will save us a fortune. So why on earth did we say “No, not interested.” Its because everybody is scared of being actively sold to. Just like a baby, when you have something absolutely yummy on the spoon and they will not even open their mouth to try it, I suppose (and I hate to use the word) we have to resort to ‘trickery’. “Where’s the birdy?” And the minute they open their mouth we whip the spoon in. As soon as they realise it is delicious they start eating.
In my book Resistance is Useless I use the example of selling a tank to Ghengis Khan. Selling superior technology to a thirteenth century warlord. It starts with a telephone cold call – he doesn’t know that we have such a fabulous piece of technology that it will solve all of his problems. His reply is constantly “No I’m not interested, I’ve got a war to fight.” All we can sell him is that appointment. He has got to see the tank in action, it cannot be described over the phone, there is no point in posting him brochures or details, he has to physically see his problem solved, his enemies defeated. Whilst I do take Andrew’s point about qualification, the qualification process should be done by the salesperson. I don’t want the customer qualifying me and deciding to reject my approach before I’ve had a chance to demonstrate face to face my wonderful offers. I’ve watched Jeremy in action and his simple telephone approach gets results and whilst you may think it is a bit ‘foot in the door’ he will get you in front of customers where you get the opportunity to shine.
I think both of you make valid points. Cold calling is a tough, often brutal thing to do. I admire anyone who can it well consistently.
Hi Jeremy and Andrew,
Some great points made which leaves me equally agreeing and disagreeing. That’s really the beauty of sales – there is never one correct way.
Looking at Jeremy’s original article, i would say that to be really successful in today’s modern selling climate you have to do everything possible to stop the “I’m not interested” answer. Once you have this then you have a hard job coming back – one that can be done, but one that few salespeople have had the training or posses the skills to do correctly (we obviously train these!).
If you are getting this response then you are either not prospecting correctly, are not articulating a value statement correctly or with enough relevance or you have just caught someone at a really bad time. There is so much information available today using services such as google news, google alerts, linkedin, twitter e.t.c that there are so many opportunities to call exactly when the time is right for the other person. My report available here will start you off http://www.scribd.com/doc/24902671/Sales-Prospecting-Techniques-Absolute-winners
I do agree that you are only selling a business meeting and not the product. This is a focal point of our training. Don’t sell yourself, the company, the solution to their problems (you don’t know them yet – how can you assume you can help them?). Instead productise your meeting so that it has its own intrinsic value. Once you get to the frame of mind that you would happily charge for your meeting then your success rate will rocket.
I don’t agree with Jeremy about the time – “lulling” someone into something is never a good thing. Relationships and integrity are all important in today’s business world. Don’t try tricks. How about “I wont waste your time asking meaningless questions because i will come thoroughly prepared having done my homework. Within about 10 minutes you should get an idea whether you want to continue. After that, the length of the meeting is down to how many questions you have for me”. Think 10 minutes is a short time to prove your worth? Practice your skills!!! I recently heard a story about a guy who had 180 seconds to pitch a deal to Donald Trump. The value – $150 million.
I also agree with Andrew about not qualifying. A fantastic middle ground is to use the selling the meeting approach in as quick as time possible and get a firm date/time in the diary. This has cemented the meeting and has allowed you to gain rapport/confidence. Once you have the meeting in the diary you can now qualify the other person. Try something like ” Steve, just to make sure we don’t waste a minute of your time let me ask you three quick questions so that this is definitely going to be of interest for you”.
I absolutely believe in qualifying and not wasting time but would argue (as i do in my trainings) that the time for that is before you ring someone. If you are ringing them then you have done your research and they fit your target audience. Therefore id you have a meeting it will never be wasted because you are beginning the relationship that will eventually flourish.
Cheers
Peter