10 Biggest Blunders Sales Reps Make when Talking to Internet Leads
Good communication is an art and sales reps who master the subtle nuances involved when it comes to talking to their Internet sales prospects can be far more effective than those who don’t. In 99% of cases, the first time you talk to an Internet lead, the conversation will take place over the phone, which makes choosing your words all the more important. Your sales prospect can’t see your genuine smile or that you put on your best suit that day, so you need to nail it with your voice and what you say. Here are 10 blunders to avoid when you’re talking to Internet sales leads, and suggestions on what you can say instead.
Blunder 1: Calling your sales prospect a “lead” to their face or even referring to the “lead they submitted” online
The concept of a lead is wholly one-sided. When a business product buyer provides their contact information online, they’re not thinking, “I just sent a good lead to someone.” They’re thinking, “I need specific product information so I can make the best purchase decision.” It sounds obvious, but all too often, we hear about vendors who open their conversation with, “Yes, I’m following up on the lead you submitted online.” Don’t be that sales rep! Before you pick up the phone, get past viewing the person you’re about to talk to as a lead. Get into the mindset that you are talking to a fellow professional and it’s your job to understand their needs. Make the jump from “my lead” to “your needs.”
Here’s an example of what you can say:
“Hello, Louise. This is Ralph Turner, account executive with ABC Networks, and I’m calling to follow up on your request for more information on wireless networking equipment.”
Blunder 2: Not saying your full name, title, and where you’re calling from when you open the conversation
To reiterate the example above, always say your full name, and in most cases - your title, and where you are calling from when you open the conversation. We know that business products are partially motivated by fear – because it’s their reputation at and possibly even their job on the line if they make a bad purchase decision. Assume you are dealing with a skittish buyer. By stating your name and where you’re calling from, you’re taking the first steps in alleviating suspicion and fear.
“Hello, Joe. This is Nate Jones, regional manager for Acme CRM Solutions.”
Blunder 3: Focusing on the fact that your prospect submitted a lead and where they did so online vs. focusing on the specific reason they requested information
After you announce yourself, put the conversation back into your prospect’s court. The beauty of an Internet lead vs. a cold call is that your prospect made the first move. Because people’s natural reaction to sales calls is to be on guard (even if they requested the information first), it’s important to remind them that you are responding to their request in order to address their needs. If you run into a hurdle, such as, “Oh, I was just researching and looking around.” You can try to get to the bottom of why they requested the information in the first place.
For example, instead of saying:
"Hi Joe, this is Susan Friedman with ABC Video Conferencing. I saw that you are researching video conferencing systems online…”
You can say something more along these lines:
You: “Hi Joe, this is Susan Friedman with ABC Video Conferencing. I am following up on your request for more information on video conferencing systems. Please tell me more about your needs so I can help you find the best solution.”
Susan: “Oh, I was just starting to look around. Not in the market yet.”
You: “That’s great. So you are in the research phase of your project. I see that you downloaded a white paper comparing different vendors. May I provide you with some more detailed information on our products to help you as you’re evaluating products?”
Blunder 4: Giving up at the first brush off
With business buyers, you’re competing for their time and attention. So if your sales prospect brushes you off on the first phone call, don’t just accept it and give up on the lead. This is a sales prospect who specifically requested information on the types of products you’re selling, but they also have a job to do. At the least, ask to provide them with some additional information (i.e. “consultative selling”) – again, to help them in their research process.
“I understand you’re still evaluating products. Well, since you have me on the phone and I work with phone systems every day, I’m sure I can give you some general, objective information to help you in your decision-making process – since I do this every day! I’d be happy to give you some insights to help you as your research.”
Blunder 5: Talking before listening and not asking enough questions
Your job as a sales rep is to discover your prospect’s needs before offering your products. You need to draw them out. So, for example, before saying,
“Our phone systems were rated #1 for sound clarity, reliability, and price.”
You might ask something more along these lines:
“What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced with your phone system or unified communication system in the past?
Or:
“Can you tell me a little bit about what would make your team’s workload easier when they are calling on clients? For example, are they on the road a lot? Or, are they making many calls per day, so a feature like click to call dialing would greatly improve efficiencies?”
Blunder 6: Asking them questions about the information you already have in their lead
If you are calling on pre-qualified sales leads, your sales prospect has already provided some information (and that information has been verified by your lead provider) on their purchase preferences. Asking them to repeat information they already provided can cause them to lose patience and even feel like your left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. If you do want to verify information, ask a question that takes the information in the lead one step further, meanwhile validating the information you already have.
For example:
“I see that you’re looking for CRM tools to be used by your sales team of 75. Can you share with me information on why you’ve decided to make the switch to a new system?”
Blunder 7: Focusing on how you sell vs. how they buy
You may have a very solid sales process in place for how you provide information and the sales cycle you’re working in, but never lose sight of the buying process on the other side of your sales process. You can find out about your prospect’s buying process by asking the right questions.
For example:
“Are there others in your organization who will play a role in this decision whom I should send some information to?”
“I’m sure you have a lot of competing priorities right now. Can I get a sense of where the new networking system fits in amongst your other projects?”
“Does this work with your current budget? I would be happy to provide you with some return on investment data that will help you feel confident about purchasing now.”
Blunder 8: Not asking who else they’re talking to
With a business buyer who is shopping online, you should assume they’re evaluating competing products. Don’t be afraid to ask them what other products they’re looking at. This will give you insight into, not only who they’re comparing you to (so you can express why your products are better), but also how much they might be planning to spend, features they might consider, etc.
Blunder 9: Not answering pricing questions
If your sales prospect asks you about pricing, the worst thing you can do is be evasive. Study after study shows that business buyers want to buy from someone they trust – and a lack of trust will always be disruptive in a sale, regardless of price. Giving a price range with a low and high estimate will help you far more than putting off providing a price for fear you might alienate them or price something too low. Giving a price range can create a win win for you and your sales prospect.
Blunder 10: Being impersonal
Of course, you want to have a formal politeness when you communicate with your sales prospect, but that doesn’t mean you have to be impersonal. Asking your sales prospect about previous experiences they’ve had making purchasing decisions for their organization, or other challenges and successes they’ve experienced, gives them the opportunity to express how they want to work with you.
For example, you can ask questions like the following:
“I respect your time and would like to make this as efficient as possible for you. If you can share with me any experiences you’ve had purchasing technology from other vendors that worked particularly well for you, or which you want to avoid in the future, it would be great to hear about them.”
Or:
“What are the biggest challenges you’re facing right now…?” – And this question can lead into specifics about their job challenges, operational challenges, etc.
Likewise, you can ask about their successes:
“What are some of your or your company’s recent wins or successes that you would like to see more of in the future?
By focusing on your lead’s needs first and asking the right questions, you can avoid the blunders that too many sales reps make, and be a standout against the competition.