What is Your Ultimate Result?

I often talk about the ultimate benefits or results you offer, and how those are the reasons why people are interested in speaking with you, and buying. While half-listening to the pre-flight announcements from the captain on a recent flight, he authoritatively said,

" ... and even if you've heard these things thousands of times before, I suggest you pay attention, because you might just hear something that could save your life."

Given some of the air tragedies and near-misses lately THAT got my attention. And it caused me to ponder about the ultimate benefits and results we offer as salespeople. What is yours? It's not the product or service you offer, it's always the RESULT

Another Example of an Appealing Result

Received a call from a guy selling high-end corporate tour packages to the Masters golf tournament. He said his lead generators target business executives and owners. They normally leave messages with screeners and on voice mail.

They simply say, "Please tell Mr. Big that we have openings to go the Masters. If he'd like more info, please call 800-000-0000."

The calls come directly to the salesperson, and the rate of return calls is well over 75%. Of course, we all don't have a product like the Masters to sell, but is there something about the result of your product or service that can have a similar effect?

What is Your Credibility Statement?

While doing a client seminar on the east coast, I heard a radio commercial for a real estate mortgage broker. He said,

"I have personally closed over one BILLION dollars worth of mortgages over the past seven years. Do you want to trust your biggest purchase ever to someone with little experience?"

A billion is a lot. That got my attention, and prompted me to think about experience and credibility statements. Think of the statement that expresses your own credibility and experience. As the old saying goes, "It ain't bragging if you've done it!"

Little Things Mean Everything

In response to my call, one of my vendors left an after-hours voice mail. He said he was on the road and picked up my message late, and would call back the next day, which he did.

Nice touch. Sure, it seems small on the surface, but it's the little things done consistently that build and keep relationships.

A Quick Returned Phone Call Got the Business

Speaking of the little things and returning phone calls, I had a little drain issue over the weekend and had to call a plumber. It reminded of a great contrast in sales experiences I had a couple of years ago with plumbers.

I arrived at my lake house I had at the time to discover the water pump had fried. No water, and therefore no air conditioning because I had a heat pump. Called my regular plumber there. He didn't work on pumps, but gave me the numbers of the only two guys within 20 miles who did.

With the first, the guy's wife answered and said he could get back to me "maybe tomorrow." Left a message on the other guy's voice mail. He called within the hour, but said he was swamped the rest of the week. I told him the other guy would be calling back tomorrow, but that whoever could get it done the quickest would get the business.

He said he was about 10 miles away and could stop by when he was done with that job. He did, analyzed the damage which wasn't as bad as thought, and fixed it right then and there. He made a couple extra hundred bucks for just a few minutes work that day because he returned a call quickly and got a shot at the business.

Assumptions Can Be Fatal

Be cautious about making assumptions. Be even more careful of voicing them. As I was working on this newsletter at my house, a door-to-door salesperson (a woman) stopped by to drop off a flyer for a home delivery milk service, and mentioned a special 20% discount that wasn't on the flyer.

I told her we'd take a look at it. She said, "Are you going to remember this, since guys normally don't remember when they tell their wives." Big mistake. I informed her that I actually do much of the grocery shopping and cooking when I'm home.

No chance I'll be getting milk from them.

Reminds me of taking an incoming call from a guy that sounded like he was drunk, wasn't very intelligent, and had speech problems. Not a very positive impression in my mind, to say the least. I immediately discounted him as someone who probably wanted some free information and wasn't going to be worth my time. Wrong! As it turns out, the guy was the owner of a fairly good-sized company. I did a nice piece of business with them.

Had I gone with my early assumption and disqualified him quickly-- instead of asking plenty of questions like I always do--I would have missed out terribly.

*About the Author: Art Sobczak works with thousands of sales reps each year helping them get more business by phone. He provides real world, how-to ideas and techniques that help salespeople use the phone more effectively.

Visit Sobczak's Web site.