You may run a team which deals mainly with incoming sales enquiries and calls. So this doesn’t involve cold calling or even making outbound calls but it does involve persuading the callers to spend their money with  you, and maybe you’re also looking to get them to buy more than they called for.

As a result of many of these requests To Market www.tomarket.co.uk has recorded a new audio CD on these 3 interrelated sales topics upselling,cross selling and switch selling. It will be available soon within the telesales skills section of this website, the other sales related CDs can be seen at http://www.associatedlearningsystems.co.uk/product_list.asp?Section=TELESALES%20SKILLS

It is important to understand how each of these 3 parts of the sales process can work for you, and how you can get more out of our your customers. If you are interested in particular elements of this, add your comments to this post and we’ll add some specific future posts in response.�

Whenever a customer or prospect turns down your offer - always remember to ask why. This will display self-confidence and will tell you many important things.

Understanding what motivates customers to make certain choices is really important. They’ll respect you for the fact that you’re not taking the easy option and turning on your heel. 

You must then start the process of building the relationship for the next time - the next order. There are 3 audio CDs available on the sales process. Simply follow this link to find out more http://www.associatedlearningsystems.co.uk/product_detail.asp?ProdID=16

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The Associated Learning Systems site is about promoting ways of learning that can be done remotely, privately and with limited funds. I think books fall into this category perfectly. For just a few pounds you can tap into some fantastic bits of wisdom written by some very entertaining people.

One of the best books I’ve read over the last couple of years that has an impact on selling is a book called Influence : Science and Practice written by an American psychologist Robert Cialdini. He supports all the theories he puts down on the page with some well documented experiments.

If you’re involved in selling I strongly recommend it. You can go straight to it on Amazon by following this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Influence-Practice-Robert-B-Cialdini/dp/0321011473/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227621443&sr=1-5. It gives an insight into how people behave and how you can persuade them of things. How much use could that be ?! For instance he shows that if you ask for a commitment from someone, when you’ve already given them something previously - no strings attached, they will more readily agree. They are naturally seeking to redress the balance, they feel they owe you one. This is known as the law of reciprocity.

Similarly if you advise a customer not to go for the most expensive option (thereby proving your credentials as an honest broker) they are much more likely to take your advice in the future - no questions asked.

Think how these 2 devices could help you in your selling !  �

Your vocal tone on the phone gives away far more about you than you will ever realise. Of course it is all the other person has to go on. They will build up a mental picture of you by your voice and of course what you say. This extends to all manner of other things. They’ll get an idea about how tall you are, the colour of your hair, what your body shape is like, how old you are, even how attractive you are ! All from your voice !

There will be a newly issued audio CD early next year about the use of Expression, Energy and Emphasis. This has proved challenging to develop as most of the work To Market does on customer service and telesales training on this topic has to be carried out in a very interactive way. It also makes it stick ! Follow the link to http://www.associatedlearningsystems.co.uk/product_list.asp?Section=TELEPHONE%20COMMUNICATION%20SKILLS

Most of you who have been through this section of the course will remember the grey person, the red person plus of course pink & fluffy and the brown man ! So make sure that you are totally focused when you’re on the phone to your customers and prospects on what is going on in your head. If you’re having a bad day, or you are preoccupied with things outside of work, chances are this emotional leakage will be picked up by the stranger at the end of the line.

One of the easiest traps to fall into - particularly if you supply a technical or complicated product or service is to assume that everyone else knows as much about it as you do. Remember that you talk about your products and services all day every day, and so you’re well versed in what they are. However for some of your customers of course, they may only enter the market every few years, and so their knowledge may be patchy.

One of the modules To Market www.tomarket.co.uk covers on training is mixed messages. This is all about understanding that the message you send is not necessarily the same message they receive. There will be an audio CD on this subject released on this among the next batch, likely to be available during Q1 next year 2009. You will be able to find it by following this link http://www.associatedlearningsystems.co.uk/product_list.asp?Section=TELEPHONE%20COMMUNICATION%20SKILLS as it will be among the telephone communication skills section.

So remember to ask questions of the person you are talking to. This will keep them involved in the communication process and will help you get clear on whether they understand what you are saying. Don’t work on the assumption that they will ask if they don’t understand either, as most people don’t do this. It’s a bit like ‘the Emperor’s new clothes.’ People don’t like to look silly. Rather than ask, they will simply lose interest.

Another tip is to describe things in a colourful way, use other everyday examples of simple things which we can all relate to. These mental pictures often stick with people longer than the actual message !�

A few people have been asking us recently if we have an audio CD available yet on To Market’s customer service module which is titled Pacifics www.tomarket.co.uk The answer is that it will be added early next year in 2009. You will be able to find it in the http://www.associatedlearningsystems.co.uk/product_list.asp?Section=CUSTOMER%20SERVICE%20SKILLS section.

But the whole idea here is to offer tips so what is today’s tip ? Today’s top tip is to consider what is really important to you when you’re a customer and you’re at the cinema, at a restaurant, in Currys or Sainsbury or wherever. And if you’re reading this as the head of a customer service team, set up a short session with your team in an office with a flipchart. Simply put up 2 lists side by side and ask the team to talk about the things they like and dislike about how they’re treated when they’re customers. Chances are you’ll have a lively discussion and people will tell you about how they’ve got on recently with Orange, Virgin mobile, Sky or whoever.

If you simply write up the things these businesses are doing well and badly, you’ll have a great template for the customer service YOU should be offering YOUR customers ! Because of course, the things you like and dislike will be exactly the same things your customers like and dislike. �

Ok, so finding new business is a subject we’re asked about a lot at the moment, and there are some practical steps you can take instantly that won’t cost much at all.

First you should make sure you keep the communication channels open with all your clients or customers (even those who are spending less.) You’re in this for the long-term and want to make sure you keep them as things pick-up. It is also really important that you understand how they’re doing, what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.

The next biggest block are those who have spent with you previously, but who are not active trading accounts. I am amazed at how little effort many companies put into ‘lapsed customers.’ They are all winable ! Well maybe not all, but many are ! You know something about them, and what they do - so milk this information to gain maximum advantage.

You may also need to have some internal brainstorming meetings with your team to tap into their ideas. Remember we’re all in this together, and they’ll value the opportunity to help out. You might need to look to promote ‘value’ products, or look for market sectors that are doing well at the moment. You may look to offer free taster sessions if you supply services, or some free ‘added value’ presentations if you sell products.  This may buy you some brownie points for when things pick up.

There are many, many ideas and the companies who will survive are those who adapt fastest and change their behaviour.�

Right now, many organisations are facing varying levels of decline in business. And because of the speed of the downturn and the severity of it, these are times when your business model has to be critically reassessed. Things that you may never have had to do before, will have to be considered.

Good will come of this, as it will make all of us take stock and appreciate the business we do get.

But if there was ever a time to make your business more proactive, this is it !

You will need to make a much larger volume of calls and approaches, and the sales team that you have involved in field selling, or a phone team dealing with incoming enquiries will need to lead this process.

So make sure you have a quality list or database for them to work from. They will also need training (possibly) to help them adapt to a different role, and they need a robust process to operate. So for instance they need to be able to store notes (on a computer) about each person they call, some notes of the conversation, and equally importantly a field to mark the next contact due. This makes intelligent use of the sales database. Remember that knowledge is power !

We have an audio CD on setting up and managing a telephone based team which covers the issues mentioned above on process etc http://www.associatedlearningsystems.co.uk/product_detail.asp?ProdID=2 is the link for this product.

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As you know if you make outbound calls as a part of your job role, the people you contact are likely to be receiving many calls each day, all trying to interest them in a range of products or services.

So, your opening has to be well structured, and well delivered. I believe that your opening should consist of 3 things. You start with your name, the name of your company and the reason for the call. This will all take around 8 seconds. This is a good formula as it ensures you know what you’re talking about ! And of course it lets the other person know what the call is about. You will then get more from the other person - if they understand your motive for calling.

These calls you receive occasionally that start with the line “I’m not trying to sell you anything” are the opposite of this. They’re just rubbish because you know they ARE trying to sell you something !

So be professional, honest and upfront, and then the next thing you do is ask them a question. This is a good device as it brings them into the conversation. They will appreciate this. We cover this during our training on the directing the conversation module. We have also now got an audio learning CD that covers this easy to use 2 stage technique, called “How to get to where you want in communication.” Follow the link to http://www.associatedlearningsystems.co.uk/product_detail.asp?ProdID=11�