Choose Your Words Very Carefully
So, if you HAVE to have that proof before 11 a.m. tomorrow, just say that. Don’t dance around it. Just say what you need and make sure that you are heard correctly so there are no disappointments, especially on the part of your clients.
Performance Expectations: If you are a sales manager or owner and you say to your sales people—“We have found that the people who are the most successful make about 20 phone calls per day.”—what do you think they hear? A SUGGESTION. If you REQUIRE that they make 20 calls per day, say that.
In fact, create some sort of system that requires them to track and report those calls, so that you can see that they make them. Otherwise, you have no right to be disappointed or take any disciplinary action against them for something that you merely “thought was a good idea.” Get my point?
Setting appointments: If you call a prospect and ask if you can have 10 minutes of their time to tell them about your services and equipment and show them examples of how you helped companies just like theirs, what is the easiest thing for them to say? No thanks. But what if you said, “I specialize in helping companies improve the effectiveness of their communications by increasing the value of their documents. When would be a good time for us to meet in person to discover ways that I can help you?” Which approach gets you more appointments? Yep. The second one.
So, pay special attention to the language you are using. Ask yourself, “Am I being clear here? Are my points being made effectively? Are these words communicating my intentions and requirements?”
If they are, good for you—you get an A for the day. But if not, take a hard look and make some changes. It will go a long way to helping you get where you want to be.
Blogger, author, consultant, coach and all around evangelist for the graphic arts industry, Kelly sold digital printing for 15 years so she understands the challenges, frustrations and pitfalls of building a successful sales practice. Her mission is to help printers of all sizes sell more stuff. Kelly's areas of focus include sales and marketing coaching, enabling clients to find engagement strategies that work for them and mentoring the next generation of sales superstars.
Kelly graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Political Science and, among other notable accomplishments, co-founded the Windy City Rollers, a professional women's roller derby league. She is also the mother of two sets of twins under the age of ten, so she fears nothing.
