Know Building Blocks That Lead to a Sale and How to Handle Complaints
1 Sell Yourself First
By taking an interest in them. People buy people first, products or services later. Make them think, “This person acts and thinks like I do”. When you’ve got a customer, give them great service and never forget them. And never let them forget you.
2 Sell by Asking Not Telling
Asking questions keeps you in control. Asking questions helps you find out what they want.
3 Sell Results
Explain how the customer will benefit. Not cosmetics . . . but confidence. Not the latest in computer software . . . but time saved or better control of the business.
1 Sell Yourself First
How You Look
Think how you should look and act before you actually begin selling. The easy way to find the answer is to reverse things. Look at it from your customers’ point of view. If you were in the market for the product or service that you provide, what would you expect? ‘Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. If you were a customer, how would you expect the seller to be dressed?
The Right Attitude
To succeed in selling, you need a combination of:-
- product knowledge
- selling skills
- the right attitude.
How important do you feel these three factors are relative to each other? Is your success mainly due to product knowledge? Or to selling skills? Or to attitude?
Attitude is more important than ability.
This does not mean that product knowledge and selling skills are unimportant. They are vitally important. However, in order to get the best results, you have to think right. You need a positive mental attitude.
What Makes a Seller More Successful?
Here are ten factors that make salespeople more successful:
• Enthusiasm
• Ability to close the sale
• Product knowledge
• Looks after the customer
• Plans use of time well
• Good listener
• Answers objections better
• Makes a good first impression
• Good talker
• Has better contacts.
2 Sell by Asking Not Telling
Why? Well, who knows more about the customer’s needs – you or them? Ask questions. Listen
- It avoids mistakes and arguments
- It helps you discover what will motivate them to buy
- You control the conversation
- They feel important
And they are talking about a topic that they find fascinating. What is it?
3 Sell Results
People do not buy things.
People buy what things do for them. This is an absolutely vital point and, without a total understanding of it, you will not make many sales!
• People don’t buy boxes of matches, they buy a box of flames, ie
what matches do for them, not what they are.
• People don’t buy make-up or curling tongs, they buy confidence, ie
what things do for them, not what they are.
• People don’t buy a box with a cathode ray tube in it, they buy entertainment, ie
what a television does for them, not what it is.
How to Handle Incoming Calls
Here are two questions to consider.
- What happens when you meet someone face to face?
- What do you say when you answer the telephone?
GATE is a simple mnemonic that will help you remember the correct procedure for
answering telephone calls. Here it is in detail.
Greet- The first things to say when you answer the telephone.
Ask questions
Ask – the caller’s name. Write it down and use it. Check the spelling. Don’t say, “What is your name?” or “Who are you?” but “May I have your name please?” or “And is that Ms.? Mrs. . . .?).
Ask – the purpose of the call. Get full details. Write them down.
Do
- ask open questions (keep control)
- be patient- show you are listening
- be interested- ‘mirror’ their speech
- be clear and concise
- volunteer any useful information.
Don’t
- Don’t- interrupt the caller
- be impatient or rude
- use superfluous phrases (“You know” etc)
Tell them what you are going to do.
Eg:
Do- hold- put through
- call back
- give information
- offer help and options where pertinent.
- pass on the caller’s name and nature of their enquiry before putting them through to an extension
- tell callers why you are asking them to hold
- tell callers who you are putting them through to and why
- above all, say what you can do – not what you can’t do.
Don’t (unless unavoidable)
- put calls straight through to extensions.
- Check the person’s availability first
- ask the caller to call back later. You call them back. Set, check or agree your company policy on this
- commit other people unless you have authority
- shout to colleagues across the room when on the telephone- make derogatory comments about other departments or staff
- use bad language
- make judgements.
End the conversation.
Summarize what you have agreed, thank the caller and ring off.
Try and ensure that you put the receiver down last.
Reminder: You are treated by people on the telephone in the same way that you treat them! Behaviour breeds behaviour.
How to Handle Complaints
Use this six-step sequence for handling complaints made by telephone.
1. Listen Hear them out.
The most angry complainant will run out of steam eventually as long as you do not try to interrupt and argue.
2. Empathize But do not agree.
The complaint may not be valid. Understand that the caller believes he/she has grounds for complaint. Say, “I can understand how you feel”.
3. Thank.
Thank them for bringing the matter to your attention.
4. Question Ask open questions in order to obtain full, detailed information of the grievance.
Do not comment other than to express understanding and do be patient – no interruptions.
5. Tell.
Tell the caller what you are going to do. (See notes under ‘T’ of GATE).
6. Report Back.
If the complainant is not satisfied during this first call, report back to them with an answer to the complaint.
Note. If the complaint is valid, offer your sincere apologies and put the matter right. If the complaint is not valid, understand the complainant’s views and endorse their right to hold them. Then say, “However, in actual fact . . .” and explain the situation.
Reminder: Reverse the situation. Ask yourself how you would feel if the situation was reversed
General Points on Using the Telephone
- Smile.
- Talk to a person through the telephone. Don’t talk to the telephone.
- Be consistent but not parrot like.
- Remember each caller is ‘new’.
- Always make notes of what they say and what you need to do.
- Confirm messages given or taken in writing.
- Use hand movements, be natural. It helps.
- Remember, we all like to deal with pleasant people.