Most people look at cold calling as the hardest part of the sales process. After you've made that first call, it gets easier from there, right? Maybe not, according to telesales expert Jim Domanski. "In many ways, a follow-up call to a prospect is more challenging than a cold call," says Domanski. "Typically, it's the follow-up call that really gets the sales cycle rolling. It's here where value truly begins to manifest itself. It's here where substantive information is gathered, and it's here where the relationship begins to establish itself."

For those reasons, it's absolutely vital you have superb follow up strategies and tactics so you can make the most of the moment. Here are four tips from Domanski to make the perfect follow-up call:

1) Get commitment for the follow up. Perhaps the single biggest mistake reps make is not establishing a specific date and time for the follow up call at the end of the initial call. Vague commitments from the prospects ("call me next week") or the sales rep ("I'll send the proposal and follow up in a couple of days") result in missed calls, voice mail messages and ultimately a longer sales cycle. All you need to do is simply ask for a follow up date and time. For instance:

I'll be glad to write up the proposal (quote, whatever) and e-mail it to you. And what I would like to recommend is that we set up Tuesday, the 16th, at say, 8:45 to review it in detail and determine the next steps if any. How does that sound?

If this is not a good time, recommend another time. If that doesn't work, get them to establish a time and date. Creating a deadline is a simple but extremely powerful tactic. Use it.

2) Build equity and be remembered. After every call to a first time prospect, send a thank you card. Handwrite a message on a small thank you card that simply says, "John, thank you for taking the time speaking with me today. I look forward to chatting with you further on the 16th! Kind regards..." No more, no less.

In today's fast paced world, a hand written card tells the client that you took the time and the effort to do something a little different. At some level this registers in the client's mind and creates a degree of "equity" in you. It differentiates you and it gets remembered.

3) E-mail a reminder and an agenda. The day before your follow up call, send an e-mail to your prospect to remind them of your appointment. In the subject line write, "Telephone appointment for August 16th and article of interest." Your e-mail should confirm the date and time of the appointment and then briefly list your agenda:

"John, the call should only take 10 minutes. We'll review the proposal and I'll answer any questions. And then we'll determine the next steps, if any."

Notice how the words echo the words that were used when the follow up was initially set. In particular, notice the trigger phrase "...the next steps, if any." The "if any" will help reduce some of the "stress" or concern a first-time prospect might have. Often they skip out on the follow up call because they are worried that they'll have to make a commitment. This is natural and okay. If the prospect senses an easy, informal, no pressure type of phone call, he is more likely to show up on time for that call.

4) Add value in a P.S. Notice in the subject line there is a reference to an article. At the end of your e-mail add a P.S. that says,

"John, in the meantime, here's an article I though you might enjoy reading..."

The article may be about your industry, the market, a product or better yet, something non-business related that you had discussed in your initial call. This creates tremendous value even if the client does not open it. Why? Because you took the time to do something extra. This helps get you remembered and gives the client yet another reason to take your follow up call.

Jim Domanski is the President of Teleconcepts Consulting Inc. Since 1991, Teleconcepts Consulting has been working with B2B distributors, resellers, manufacturers, service related industries and others, helping them increase the bottom line of their tele-sales programs. Learn more at www.teleconceptsconsulting.com

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Making contact with a new client can be nerve-wracking – no wonder so many struggle with it! Richard Dickerson at The Brooks Group has noticed this as well, saying, “In working with and coaching salespeople, particularly new ones, or untrained ones, I have noticed many stumbling with how to initiate sales calls. Whether “cold” or scheduled appointments, many have difficulty deciding how to open the sales call. Why not simply be honest and express your intentions?” Read on for his advice.

Your prospect/customer knows you’re a salesperson. They are not stupid or naive. Being honest about yourself and your reason for meeting will position you much more favorably. Issue a statement of intention. For example: “Hello. My name is Richard Dickerson with The Brooks Group and the purpose of our appointment is to meet you, get to know you better, share information about our (whatever you sell) and discuss anything you wish to discuss with me.” Or, another way, “Hello, I am Richard Dickerson with The Brooks Group and what I would like to accomplish is to meet you, get to know you better, share information about our (whatever you sell) and discuss anything you wish to discuss with me.”

You have clearly stated a reason for being there, and most importantly, invited dialogue. Remember, they know you are a salesperson. They are more comfortable if they feel no pressure from you. The phrase “and anything you’d like to discuss with me” takes the pressure off them and you. It discloses your wish to have dialogue–a conversation, not a data dump by you, the salesperson. Prospects feel threatened by monologue. It’s inconsiderate and self focused. We have to focus on the prospect, and the prospect has to feel that focus to help develop trust in us.

Also, this is not a script; it is a language or methodology for gaining attention and building trust. Use your own words that exemplify the principle. And remember to keep it simple–least amount of words spoken with conviction and confidence that convey clearly and sincerely your interest in your prospect’s or customer’s biggest, most pressing concern.

The Brooks Group is a Sales and Sales Management Screening, Development, and Retention company that has helped more than 2,000 organizations in 500 industries transform their businesses by focusing on building and sustaining top-performing sales, sales management and business development programs. Click here to sign up for The Brooks Group's Free Sales Training Newsletter.

SalesDog.com is the world's largest network of sales and business growth experts. They offer free sales tools including expert sales advice in their free weekly newsletter. Click here to get yours.

Confidence is what C-level decision-makers want to see in their selling partners. Yet, it's uncomfortable selling to influential leaders. Big egos come with big titles and these people can be intimidating. Therefore a salesperson’s biggest asset is confidence. So how do you build that confidence? Today sales trainer Sam Manfer walks you through the process.
If you’re confident you exude credibility. Confidence leads to believability and trust, and credibility, believability and trust, respect and results are key ingredients necessary for selling to powerful and C-level executives. However, do not confuse confidence with arrogance or boasting. Confidence is stealth and very pervasive.

The best way to become confident is to prepare. Here’s how. Learn about the situation or the executives before the engagement. Ask anyone you can about the situation and executive for information. If you open your mind, you’ll think of a lot of people who can help you. Ask yourself what you want to know. Then prepare questions to get this info. Prepare questions for your contacts and for the executive. Have questions to confirm information and to gather new information. Before meetings call the executive and other participates to learn their expectations of the upcoming meeting. These and other preparations will get you ready and instill a feeling of confidence.

Visualize a positive outcome. Most people are intimidated and feel uncomfortable visiting powerful people. This is called fear in one sense or another. Fear is just the visualization or projection of a negative outcome. Why do you lock your doors? You worry someone will steal your belongings or hurt you. Why do you slow-up when you see a police car? You fear getting a ticket. You’re visualizing the worst.

The same is true when thinking about officers of a company involved in the decision making for your sale. This nervousness goes to rationalizations (I really don’t need to meet with the top people) and/or uneasiness once you decide it is necessary. It is all negative projection - they don’t want to meet with you, or others will block you or feel badly if you go to their bosses, or you worry the meeting will go badly and you’ll lose the deal. This is all negative speculation.

You don’t know how it will go. You don’t know that you’ll get robbed if you leave your car unlocked. You don’t know if your meeting will go well or badly. However, when you think negatively, you lose confidence and come across as weak and ineffective.

Confident people feel comfortable asking pointed, penetrating questions – ones to learn the executive’s real issues, threats and opportunities, and they get the information without interrogating. They feel comfortable following-up with more questions to clear ambiguities and to understand the deeper meaning of words and phrases - often buried issues. Most importantly, they posture themselves to listen intently. These actions make leaders feel confident about the individual so that they can project positively about the upcoming deal.

Since 1995 Sam Manfer has been speaking, consulting, writing and leading seminars in sales and personal development. As a keynote speaker and seminar leader Sam has addressed thousands of new and experienced sales people and managers all over the world in all types of businesses and industries. Learn more at www.sammanfer.com

SalesDog.com is the world's largest network of sales and business growth experts. They offer free sales tools including expert sales advice in their free weekly newsletter. Click here to get yours.

Let’s face it -- today's business world is competitive. Besides the normal objections you get (no money, price too high, need to talk to, etc.) a common objection that blows out 80% of your competition is, "I can get a better deal elsewhere." This frustrates a lot of sales reps and takes thousands of dollars of commission out of their pockets. Today sales trainer Mike Brooks shows you how to deal with this objection.

The top 20% also get this objection but are prepared for it and know how to overcome it. Here's what they do:

First, they recognize that if someone says that they can get a better deal elsewhere, it means one of three things:

1 -- They're wrong (in other words, they think they are getting the same thing you're offering, but they're not).

2 -- They're just putting you off and using this objection as a smokescreen.

3 -- They really can get a better deal.

In order to find out what your prospect means, offer to help them determine if they really are getting a better deal by questioning and comparing every component of it. Use this script:

“Bob, my customers tell me this all the time, and sometimes they genuinely can get a better deal, but a lot of times they can't. I'll tell you what I’ll do. I'll go over each item you’ve been quoted by this other company, in other words we will compare apples to apples, and if everything is equal I'll see if I can do even better on that. If I can, you'll get an even better deal and if I can't, I'll tell you so. Either way, you'll win. Now, do you have that other quote in front of you?"

Then simply go over each item to make sure everything is equal. Often times it's not and you can point this out. And if it is, you still have a chance to win the deal. If they do have a better deal, then build the value of having you as their sales rep and try to close the sale anyway. Either way, you'll win.

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance. If you're looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: www.MrInsideSales.com.

SalesDog.com is the world's largest network of sales and business growth experts. They offer free sales tools including expert sales advice in their free weekly newsletter. Click here to get yours.

With customers asking for discounts left and right, it can be difficult to feel comfortable and confident with your pricing. If you’re too high you might feel uncomfortable selling, and if they’re too low, you don’t make enough on each sale. Today sales trainer Tom Reilly shares how to make sure your price is right.

The easiest way to avoid price resistance is to give the buyer a fair price. The tough part is determining a fair price. Perceptions of fairness are based largely on emotion, which means buyers' reactions may not always be rational.

Buyers want to maximize the return on their investment. They want a good deal. Sellers, on the other hand, want to optimize their pricing. They want to apply prices effectively to gain a desirable return on sales. At first glance, this sounds like a zero-sum game—one winner and one loser. In practice, it can be win-win.

The search for the Grail of fair pricing reaches back through history, from contemporary economists to Adam Smith to Aristotle's study of ethics. Aristotle wrote, "equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally." Some may reach further to the beginning of time and ask, "Did Adam really understand the price he would pay for that apple?"

The central construct of win-win outcomes is equity: Is the product or service a fair exchange for what I give up to acquire it? Or, am I getting as good as I am giving? Both buyer and seller should be able to answer this question favorably. Satisfaction with the outcome of the transaction is tied to one's expectations of gain. This means sellers must understand the buyer's expectations of the return on investment that the buyer wants. Also, if the seller's expectations are not met, seller remorse sets in.

The way to begin your discussion of price is to determine in advance an equitable outcome for buyer and seller. If it is a good deal for the customer and a good deal for you, that sounds like a fair price to me.

Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.

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