There are times when you have to discuss price with a customer during a telephone call.
I’m a strong advocate of using face-to-face meetings to discuss price, but I realize there are many times when you can’t. Key in talking price on the telephone is to still not forget the basics.
Never talk price until the customer has shared with you at least 3 benefits the desire or needs they have. What’s the point in giving somebody a price if they haven’t shared with you why they need what you have?
Second, make sure they have vocalized the time frame within which they intend to make a decision. Sounds logical, but why waste too much time if they’re not ready?
Customers will use the telephone as a way to gain an edge with a salesperson, because many salespeople for one reason or another seem to forget how the rules of a face-to-face meeting still apply to a telephone conversation.
For example, when you do talk price, you have to be able to do it with a firm, solid voice. Any wavering or hesitation on your end is going to be picked up by the customer. One of the best ways to show strength on the phone is to go right from stating your price to using the “assumptive closing” technique to get the sale. Assumptive close goes like this: “Let’s go ahead and write up the order now.”
Along with sharing the price and using the assumptive close, always place an element of time in the deal to help speed the close and protect you from things getting drug out. You can use lines such as “if we get the order in today” or “I can protect this price for only two days.”
Never allow yourself to get sucked into providing the customer a price before you have gathered their needs and understand them. If you do then you might as well forget about selling anything, because at best what you’re doing is providing customer service or, even worse, you’re pretending to be a talking website.
Copyright 2012, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.
