A painfully uncomfortable sales scenario is the team call with a senior that does not go well. Whether the senior has been blindsided or the salesperson just wasn’t prepared, a bad call with a senior not only hurts the client relationship, but also internal credibility.
Before you make your next call with a senior (or a colleague), take steps to make sure the call is a win for everybody involved.
Pre Call
– Background – keep it very brief.
– Who is client, business data, length of relationship, any high points or bumps on the road, role of the client, personal insights
– Issues/topics of priority interest to the client
– Current business with the client
– Future business (sold, not begun)
– Any issues or problems that are outstanding
– Client objectives
– Opportunities to expand relationships you want the senior to promote
Post Call
Be judicious in how you use senior resources. When you make seniors look good, you will look great in your client’s eyes and the senior’s and by preparing seniors fully, you will get a disproportionate amount of their time!
Linda Richardson: President and CEO of Richardson, training consultants to corporations, banks, and investment banks globally. Richardson has 110 professionals, 15 regional offices in the United States, and presence in London, Australia, Singapore, Latin America, and Asia. Clients of Richardson include KPMG, Federal Express, General Mills, Tiffany & Co., Dell Computer, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Citibank, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, and Kinko’s. Visit http://www.Richardson.com.
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