I rarely come across a professional who likes selling their services. And because of this, they sometimes let opportunities slip right through their fingers.
Recently I was speaking to an interior designer client who has never been comfortable in a sales role. She was concerned about an encounter with a prospective client, which didn’t go quite the way she would have liked.
My client, who I’ll call Edith, received a call from a company seeking interior design services earlier that day. When she picked up the phone, they asked what type of experience she had, and instead of finding out something about them first, she started answering their questions and before she knew it, they were were saying goodbye, having gotten the (wrong) impression that she didn’t have the experience they were looking for.
Fumbling at the prospect of speaking about her business, Edith failed to get their info. She didn’t ask what type of project they were looking for, and instead, started talking about a couple of recent projects which were different from the company’s needs; giving them the impression that she lacked the experience they were looking for.
If Edith had utilized some simple sales techniques she may have been able to turn this call around. Here what she could have done instead:
1. Find out who is calling. Their name, their position, the company name, and their phone number and if possible, their email address.
2. Find out what kind of help they need, what they’re trying to achieve, the problem they want to solve and the results they are looking for.
3. Come back with an example of a client with a similar situation and need that you satisfied, a story about the solution you provided and the benfits your client got from working with you.
The next time a prospective client calls, be prepared with a list of questions to ask that will help you position yourself as the professional who can solve their problems.
Susan Martin, sales techniques and sales coaching for professionals.
