My telephone rang the other day, and on the other end was a voice telling me how I was at risk for something.
The problem is that what the person was claiming was a “risk” for me was something I couldn’t care less about.
Just another stupid telephone sales tactic that has not worked in years.
The number of old-school telephone sales tactics that people still try to use never ceases to amaze me. Unfortunately, when people try to use them, not only do they not work, but they also give everyone in sales a stained reputation.
It’s time we put a stop to stupid telephone sales tactics.
The biggest one is trying to use fear to gain attention.
Prospects are smart. Quit trying to think otherwise. The internet is the great equalizer in terms of leveling the playing field between customer and salesperson. The fact that prospects can find out nearly anything they want means this strategy of trying to shock the person on the other end of phone into taking action is simply no longer effective.
Conversely, another tactic that no longer works is trying to get the customer to believe what you have to say is so timely and so critical they have to take action immediately.
Sorry, but unless you’re a medical doctor I just saw, I’m not going to buy this one either. Again, the level of information available through other avenues simply makes the sales tactic of what I refer to as a “critical call to action” rarely effective.
It would be possible to list many more telephone sales tactics that no longer work, but I think you get the point.
The reason I’m sharing this is I want you to think about how to evaluate things for yourself.
Ask yourself, “Do my sales strategies still hold up in the face of how extensively the internet is used today?”
Ask yourself, “How do my customers find information? How do they evaluate information? How does all of this fit into their overall mindset and how they do things?”
The prospect of today is different than the prospect of even a couple of years ago, and I would imagine the prospect will continue to change in the years to come.
Never allow yourself to believe that you don’t need to occasionally change and refine what it is you do. I’m not advocating change for the sake of change.
What I’m saying is be prepared to change if need be. Your telephone sales tactics are yours.
Make sure whatever sales strategies you use fit your style and your market.
Copyright 2012, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.
