Step 2 – The Approach

Great care must be taken during the pre-approach contact phase of the referral cycle. Whether the initial contact is face-to-face or via telephone, the effectiveness of your approach will be the deciding factor in determining whether you are given the opportunity to make a sales presentation.

Many prospects will hang up the phone as soon as they suspect an attempt is made to sell them something. If, in the first several seconds, you fail to overcome their initial feelings of discomfort and intrusion, your chances of developing a relationship are slim.

Mentioning that a firm or business acquaintance of theirs recommended that you call helps alleviate some of the initial anxiety in dealing with quick objections. This is one of the reasons why working on referrals is so effective.

Certainly, people are willing to listen a bit longer if they know a person whom they trust has caused this personal contact to occur.

Obtaining a Sales Interview

Given a satisfactory method of sales prospecting and an understanding of the psychology of buying, a key factor in the selling process that has yet to be addressed is obtaining a sales interview. Although cold calling (approaching a prospect without prior notice) is suitable in a number of selling situations, industrial buyers and some other types of individuals may have neither the time nor the desire to consult with a sales representative who has not first secured an appointment.

The Benefits of Appointment Making

The practice of making an appointment before calling on a prospect can save some hours in time wasted in travelling and waiting to see someone who is busy or even absent. When an appointment is made, a buyer knows you are coming. People are normally in a more approachable mood when they expect someone than when an unfamiliar salesperson pops in. Appointment making is often associated with a serious, professional image and is considered as an outward gesture of respect toward a prospect.

From the salesperson’s point of view, an appointment provides a time set aside for the buyer to listen to a sales presentation. This is important, since adequate time to explain a proposition improves the change of making the sale. In addition, a list of appointments aids a salesperson in optimally allocating each day’s selling time. Appointments can be arranged by telephone or by contacting the prospect’s office in person.

Telephone Appointment

For obvious reasons of time and cost, salespersons usually phone to make sales appointments. However seemingly a simple task, obtaining an appointment over the telephone is often difficult. Business executives generally are busy, and their time is scarce. However, these practices can aid in successfully making an appointment over the telephone:

• Plan and write down what you will say. This helps you organise and concisely present your message.
• Clearly identify yourself and your company.
• State the purpose of your call and briefly outline how the prospect may benefit from the interview.
• Prepare a brief sales message, stressing product benefits over features. Present only enough information to stimulate interest.
• Do not take no for an answer. Be persistent even if there is a negative reaction to the call.
• Ask for an interview so that you can further explain product benefits.

Phrase your appointment request as a question. Your prospect should be given a choice, such as, “Would nine or one o’clock Tuesday be better for you?”

Successful use of the telephone in appointment scheduling requires an organised clear message that captures interest quickly. Before you dial a prospect’s number, mentally or physically sketch out exactly what you plan to say.

One method for obtaining an appointment with anyone in the world is for you to have someone else make it for you. Now, that sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? However, do not just have anyone make the appointment. It should be a satisfied customer. Say, “Listen, you must have a couple of people who could use my product. Would you mind telling me who they are? I would like you to call them and say I’m on my way over.” Alternatively, “Would you just call them up and ask them if they would meet with me?” This simple technique frequently works. In some situations, an opportunity to make an appointment personally arises or is necessitated by circumstances.

Making the Appointment Personally

Many business executives are constantly bombarded with an unending procession of inter-organisational memos, correspondence, reports, forms and salespeople. To use their time optimally, many executives establish policies to aid in determining whom to see, what to read and so on. They maintain gatekeepers (secretaries or receptionists) who use proven strategies by acting as filters for all correspondence, telephone messages and people seeking entry to the executive suite.

Successful navigation of this filtration system needs a professional salesperson who:

• is determined to see the executive and believes it can be done;
• develops friends within the firm (many times including the gatekeepers); and
• optimises time by calling only on individuals who make or participate in the purchase decision.

Believe in yourself. As a salesperson, believe that you can obtain interviews because you have a good offer for prospects. Develop confidence by knowing your products and by knowing prospects – their business and needs. Speak and carry yourself as though you expect to get in to see the prospect. Instead of saying; “May I see Ms Vickery?”, you say, while handing the secretary your card, “Could you please tell Ms Vickery that Ray Baker from XYZ Corporation is here?”