(By Rick Fink) As media reps, we make sales calls for a variety of different reasons. Depending on the stage of your relationship with a client, each call has a different purpose.
At the beginning of the sales process, we make cold calls to introduce ourselves. Beyond cold calls, we make calls to conduct a Q&A or CNA. We make presentation calls, follow-up calls, and calls simply to keep in touch. Once the person becomes a client, we make service calls. The types of sales calls and reasons for calls go on and on.
Prior to every call we make, whether in-person, via the phone, email, or text, we should consciously ask ourselves this question, “What do I want to accomplish with this call?”. Doing so will put you in the “right frame of mind” so that you know exactly what it is you want to accomplish.
Regardless of the level of importance, every call should have a clear objective. For some calls, it may simply be to set up the next meeting or get them to say “yes” to considering radio or whatever else you might be offering. Other objectives might be to get them to agree to consider a promotion, add another station, increase their frequency, approve a script, and start the schedule. The reasons are endless, but your objective for each call should be to get you to your next step.
It seems obvious, after all, you know why you’re going on the call, but if you consciously (physically and mentally) ask yourself the question before EVERY call, “What do I want to accomplish with this call?”, I can assure you that you’ll have a better understanding of what you want to achieve and how to go about it.
By doing so, every call from this day forward will be more productive.
NEVER Stop Learning – Get Better Every Day!
Rick Fink from ENS Media (www.ensmediausa.com) can be reached by phone at 605-310-2062 or e-mail at [email protected]
