The skills that are necessary in the pipeline phase of selling are not the same as those required in appointment setting. (Part 2 of 4.)
Many sales managers we talk to operate under the assumption that because their sales team, once in front of a target, can move that target through the pipeline effectively, they are properly equipped and capable of getting a target into the pipeline. After all, selling is selling, isn’t it? The sale, or objective for this step in the process is all that is different, right?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. And this misunderstanding of the differences has created what we like to call the ‘elephant in the sales bullpen’. It is apparent to everyone that enough Initial Appointments are not being set, but the root cause is not pursued as a separate process. Instead, us sales managers all ignore the elephant and utter the old mantra, “Make more dials”!
This four part blog explores the four major differences: the Beginning Repartee, the Pace of the Exchange, the Types of Responses heard from the target, and Preparation to Succeed.
- The Pace of the Exchange. When in front of a target in a sales call, the pace of the conversation is generally deliberate, calculated and measured. When the prospect asks us a question, we can take a moment to think about the question before answering. It is totally acceptable to do so. As a matter of fact, it can be construed as a sign of disrespect if we don’t ever seem to take a moment to think about what is asked and always seem to be quick with what could be taken as a ‘canned’ response.
On an appointment setting call, the pace is accelerated. Our targets generally answer very quickly by falling back on their favorite ‘Conditioned Response’ – i.e., their typical way of getting sales people off the phone quickly. They don’t need to think about it, it is reflex.
We must respond just as quickly, or risk being hung up on, or at least put on the defensive. The whole conversation is conducted at 90 miles an hour. So if we’re not ready and practiced at handling the few standard Conditioned Responses that we hear, we’ll not have near the results we’d like to, need to, or have time for.
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