If you’ve ever stared at your phone a few extra seconds before a sales call, you’re not alone. Fear of rejection and quota pressure can rattle even seasoned reps. The good news is you can take some of the nerves out of the equation — you just need the right approach.
The best way to do this, according to sales expert Connie Kadansky, is to prepare thoroughly before you dial. This is how you can minimize the unknown and move attention away from the result and onto flow. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share her strategies for keeping those pre-call nerves in check.
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Research. Kadansky recommends reviewing public data and social profiles. Look for decision-makers’ titles and names and explore leadership changes that could give you a way in. She suggests pinpointing pain points by scouring customer reviews, industry reports and competitor actions. Then, create a compact table of prospect details for quick reference: company, contact, role, pain points, recent news, potential trigger and a tailored opening line.
Scripting. Crafting a loose script with an intro and a value statement can be a great anxiety-buster. Kadansky advises keeping each piece short so you can pivot based on their responses. You should also have some open-ended questions at the ready. For example, you could ask “What challenges are you currently facing?” and “How do you see your business evolving in the next few years?” Then, rehearse the script until it sounds like a conversation. Read it out loud and trim where it sounds clunky. Swap out industry jargon for plain words that reflect the prospect’s vocabulary.
Rehearsal. When you trade places and role-play with a colleague or mentor, Kadansky says it helps demystify the whole process. It’s also helpful, she says, to listen to other reps’ calls. This helps people see that anxiety is universal and surmountable. Try recording practice calls to let reps study cadence, tone and word fillers.
Goals. Every call should have a clear objective, whether it’s to book a meeting or validate a requirement. Explicit goals minimize straying thoughts during the call, she says. Kadansky recommends diving monthly quotas into daily call targets and micro objectives. Keep track of victories and lost objectives to discover trends and update objectives as the sales cycle shifts.
Environment. It matters where you make your sales calls. Don’t overlook a room’s acoustics and make sure you have charged and reliable devices. This can help facilitate clear communication and alleviate technical anxiety. Kadansky suggests preparing notes and scripts with a tiny visual cue, like a photo or note, to make the call a friendly chat and ease some of the pressure.
You can’t control how a prospect will respond, but you can control how prepared you are when they pick up. By focusing on the conversation, you can turn those pre-call jitters into productive energy.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Connie Kadansky helps salespeople overcome sales call reluctance so they can set more appointments and sell more.
