*Now Available* : TELEPHONE SELLING TRAINING MANUAL!!! We can supply you with all the training materials to enable you to run your own Telesales Training Course! OUR TRAINING PACK CONTAINS:
A comprehensive training manual based on our own
Telesales Course In today’s challenging times highly productive and motivated sales staff are key to business survival. More and more managers are tasked with improving sales performance and training staff how to sell more. If you want to get more customers buying your products and services your sales team must be able to use productive selling techniques; sales closing skills; be confident in answering objections; even down to dealing with difficult customers. Selling on the telephone is very different from face-to-face sales and a telesales team require a specific set of skills and techniques if they are to be successful. It is not enough just to give them a contact list and tell them to ‘get on with it’. Successful results in telephone sales is a by product of successful telesales training. We, at Total Success Training Ltd are always being asked if our Telephone Sales Training Courses and Telemarketing Seminars teach techniques ‘that really work’ in the real world’. The answer to that question is ‘YES’ because our trainers not only train sales techniques but have actually sold over the telephone in previous jobs. They are able to use their experience to train our delegates to understand the tools and techniques that will enable them to sell confidently and with flair. We have over 20 years of sales training expertise and use our experiences to show the best and most practical ways to boost telephone selling results and how to sell effectively.
Introduction to Selling, Telesales and Presentation Skills are some of the courses trained by Total Success in London and throughout the UK. We have over 18 years experience training people on strategies to improve productivity and enhance self development.
* Course Dates 2010:1st Apr // 27th May // 18th June // 27th Aug // 24th Sept // 8th Nov
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME PAGE |
BOOKING A COURSE -DATES&PRICES- |
TRAINING PODCASTS |
TRAINING MATERIALS -BUY ONLINE- |
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS | FREE TRAINING NEWSLETTER | FAQs | OUR UNIQUE SERVICES | CONTACT US | ||||||||||||||||
|
CLICK ON COURSES FOR FULL OPEN COURSE AGENDAS Appraisal skills (one day) - updated to include new legislation Assertiveness Skills (one day) Assertiveness and managing conflict (one day) Coaching for managers (one day) Correcting poor performance and disciplinary procedures (one day) - updated to cover current legislation Dealing with difficult people (one day) Interviewing skills (one day) - updated to cover current legislation Introduction to selling (two days) Leadership and team building (one day) Letter and report writing (one day) - updates include writing e-mails Negotiation skills (one day) Presentation skills (two days) PowerPoint Presentation skills (two days) Advanced Presentation skills (one day) Project planning for non-project managers (one day) Stress Management (one day) Telesales and Telemarketing (two days) Telephone skills and customer care (one day) Time Management (one day) Time management working with Microsoft Outlook (one day) Time management working with Microsoft Outlook 2007 (one day) The New Manager (six days) Training the trainer (one day) We provide many free articles packed with valuable information about the topics we train. Our newsletter page contains many more. Here are some of our more recent articles How to structure a presentation Time management and working from home Assertiveness Self Assertion Analysis Customer Service on the telephone Telephone skills and Customer Care Organisational stress management Planning an appraisal and setting objectives Giving feedback in an appraisal The power of attitude in selling PowerPoint presentation tips and techniques |
Objection Handling
Objections are strange things. On one hand we think that we don't like them - we may even be afraid of them. Their very name can make us feel that the customer has something against our product, our company or even worse, us personally.
On the other hand, the sale which proceeds without a single objection is the success which gives us possibly the least feeling of achievement. Whilst we are obviously pleased that the customer has bought from us, there is often a feeling deep down inside that something is ‘not quite right’ - and if the customer did not object to the price, then we could probably have recommended and sold more to him/her.
For some reason, an objection-free sale does not give us as much satisfaction as we would like - it is too easy.
Q. Why do we have these apparently opposing feelings? A. The answer is quite simple - we are salespeople, we enjoy selling when a customer agrees with us all the way, we don't have an opportunity to put our selling skills into action. So we don't enjoy ourselves quite as much!
From our point of view objections are opportunities to sell to put our skills into action. From the customer’s point of view, the objection may be one of a number of things:
1. A genuine lack of understanding - we might not have put our case as clearly as we could have. 2. A need for more information - we might not have told him/her enough to make a decision easily. 3. A genuine desire to defer making a decision - we might not have found out something about the specific reason which he/she feels is stopping her/him from saying yes now.
4. Customer has not been sold - we just have not done our job as effectively as we should have. 5. A closing signal - she/he might not be the type of person who says ‘Yes’ easily. She/he wants to buy but needs some reassurance from us that they are making the right decision!
Whatever the customer's reason for objecting, there are basically two things which we have to achieve:
· The right attitude towards objections - find out what is the real reason for objecting. · The right answer to the objection - sell the benefits of our product which will overcome it.
It may be that you find yourself facing the same objection often.
If this happens, there may be something in your presentation which is causing it, or it might be your attitude, in the way you present to your customers.
If this is so, try another approach to that part of your presentation. If there is a part of your presentation causing objections, which you cannot change, then preempt the objection before that part of the presentation - in other words, answer it before it becomes an objection!
There is no single answer to any one objection.
To select the best answer we need to take a number of things into account:
1. At which point in the sale did it come up? 2. Is it a real objection, an imagined objection, or is it false (smokescreen)? 3. How often has the customer made the objection? - If more than once, then maybe the first answer wasn't right for her/him. 4. Was it just a passing remark or something on which he/she has a firm conviction? 5. Should you answer it immediately or say that you will answer it later (and do answer it later!). 6. Consider the personality of the person raising the objection. RECOGNISING RESISTANCE · The customer does not contribute to the conversation · Answers to questions are short · The customer does not agree with you · You find it difficult to establish an area of dissatisfaction - everything in their garden is rosy · The customer does not ask you questions · You struggle to keep the conversation going
WHEN I SAY NO I MEAN CONVINCE ME Sometimes, a customer will say “no” automatically without really considering their response. This is because it is easier to say no than it is to say yes. “No” might be a defensive gesture, it relieves the customer of the responsibility of saying yes. “Yes” is a response that carries responsibility. A buyer will be inclined to say no if:
− They are new to the company − They lack confidence − Your organisation does not leave a track record with the customer's company − Your product is untried by similar companies − They are worried about the reaction of users of the product or service − They are worried about whether they have negotiated the best price − They are concerned about making the wrong decision − They want to avoid making a commitment of their time or money
It's normal for customers to have concerns, they may have a good reason to hesitate and your response must reassure them that they are 'doing the right thing'.
An objection can be a need for more information or more simply a false objection. We have a technique which helps identify the objection or whether it is a smokescreen. The technique is:
ACKNOWLEDGE - DEFER- ANSWER
1. ACKNOWLEDGE Objection as a link to an open question.
“Where do you buy your products at the moment?” “What is it that your current suppliers are offering that makes you stay loyal to them?” “What types of product are you using at the moment?” “Where do you find most of your business comes from at the moment?” “How did you come to that decision?” “How do you mean?” “Is ……..your only concern?” “It’s too expensive compared to what?” “How far are we away from agreeing on this?” “Cost aside for the moment, how good a proposal is this to you?”
OBJECTION HANDLING: Use the table below to plan your responses to objections:
2. DEFER Objection; signpost that you will be answering it later in the sale.
“ I appreciate what you’re saying and I have some information about our product which I’ll come onto later…….” “ I agree that is an important point but let me deal with that in a minute”
3. ANSWER Deal with the objection before moving on with the sale.
Also, whatever the objection, it should be dealt with clearly and concisely, so that both you and the customer know exactly what the true position is. Whichever answer you decide to use, it should be logical - to both you and the customer, it should be common sense and it must be factual.
Your answer should be a true feature - with its related benefit to the customer - about the product. It could be:
1. Something about the physical 'make up' of the product. 2. A related feature - e.g. finance options, etc. 3. Market research - including statistics. 4. Testimonial - "it worked for them - it can work for you". 5. A logical forecast of what will happen if she/he buys.
To answer objections effectively, there are several golden rules to follow: These are:
1. Listen to the customer - so that you know exactly what he/she is talking about (don't assume you know what he/she is going to say and interrupt - you might be wrong). Listening can also lessen the chances of an argument occurring. 2. Qualify - decide whether the comment is really an objection or just an excuse - ask “Why do you feel that way?” 3. Never discuss an excuse - you will never answer it successfully. Always welcome an objection - it shows that you have an answer. 4. Restate the objection using a different phrase - to confirm that you are both talking about the same thing. This also gives you the opportunity to isolate the objection to find out if the stated objection is, “…..the only thing that is stopping us from going further?” 5. Answer the objection briefly - the more concise your answer, the more effective it will be (if you go on for too long, he/she might think you are trying to evade his point). 6. Commit on answer - make sure she/he understands, and is satisfied with your answer. Has your approach successfully handled their objection? If it hasn't, you need to clarify why. Often it is because there is another underlying objection which should now come to the surface and enable you to handle it by repeating the above steps. 7. Go back into the sale at the point which you left it or attempt to close if applicable.
To understand how to handle objections we need to understand what the customer is saying 'yes' to during the sale before he/she will go ahead and buy. We call these buying decisions and can be categorised as:
NEED - does the customer have a need for your product or service? PRODUCT - do they feel that your type of solution is valid? VEHICLE - do they think your product is right for them? SOURCE OF SUPPLY - will they use your company or one of your competitors? PRICE - do they perceive it as value for money? TIME - do they need to buy it now?
If we keep to the steps of the sale, we should have covered all of these.
Before we can answer the objection we need to ensure we fully understand the nature of the objection. To achieve this we need to question the objection to enable us to categorise it. Answering the Objection Example 1: Customer: (objection) “Your prices seem high and I think I should shop around and compare prices before l place my order.” Doug: “I am sure that you will be satisfied with our product. Will a Friday delivery date be okay?” In this example Doug was not listening. He did not hear the customer's objection and as a result tried to move the sale along. Doug deserves credit for trying to get the order but there is not much point when the customer's objection goes unanswered.
Example 2: If you have isolated the objection as a true reason for not buying then this may be the answer you need: Customer: (Objection) “I think I should compare prices before placing an order." Helen: “O.K. you’ve said that price is the only thing that’s stopping you from making the decision to buy. That's fine. Our customers tell us we offer the best prices because we will match all competitors costs. We recently lowered prices on the model you are considering, and it continues to carry the best warranty in the industry. If you place your order now, we could deliver it early next week. How does that sound to you?” When listening always pay attention to voice inflection. It communicates a great deal. Suppose the customer says, “Your delivery dates are unbelievable.” If the customer made this statement in an assertive voice, you would interpret it as an objection. If delivered in a cheerful voice, the customer has probably paid a compliment. Customers will let you know when they object to something, and their objections will usually be direct and to the point. Your job is to listen closely |
OUR PREVIOUS CLIENTS INCLUDE:
Thames Valley Police National Air Traffic Control Tesco Luton Borough Council Legal Services Commission Remploy Physiological Society British Retail Consortium University of East London Amnesty International Hyde Housing Carbon Trust Glaxo Smith Kline Game Conservancy Trust Serco Docklands Light Railway Suffolk County Council Thale Translink Tennyson Group Goldman Sachs Merseyside Police Mencap Renaissance Hotels Berners Hotel South East Essex College Johnson and Johnson Ernst and Young Toshiba London Borough of Greenwich Direct Line Insurance Rank Leisure Epilepsy Society Lloyds of London Bank of America Level 3 Communications Abbey Life Thistle Hotels Tetrapak Informa Group Marcus Evans Legal and General Nationwide Building Society Eurostar HJ Heinnz Halifax Barclays Global Investors BAE Systems Holmes Place Health Clubs Action Energy and the Carbon Trust British Airways STA Travel Ernst and Young London Borough of Greenwich The Royal Society Cancer Research The Film Council Pfizer Diageo London Chamber of Commerce Metro Newspaper Universal Pictures Nestle London Borough of Lambeth British Gas Age Concern ICI St John's Ambulance |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME PAGE |
BOOKING A COURSE -DATES&PRICES- |
TRAINING PODCASTS |
TRAINING MATERIALS -BUY ONLINE- |
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS | FREE TRAINING NEWSLETTER | FAQs | OUR UNIQUE SERVICES | CONTACT US | ||||||||||||||||
TOTAL SUCCESS PAGES:
Site Navigation aid - Links to all our web pages are listed below
- Training Pages -
Assertiveness Skills - Assertiveness and managing conflict - Time Management - Management Training / New Manager - Sales Course / Introduction to Selling - Telesales and Telemarketing - Presentation skills - PowerPoint Presentation Skills - Appraisal skills - Interviewing Skills - Stress Management - Leadership and team building - Coaching for managers - Letter and report writing - Dealing with difficult people - Customer Service and Customer Care -Correcting poor performance and disciplinary procedures - Negotiation skills - Training the trainer - Telephone skills and customer care
- Newsletter Pages -
Presentation tips - Overcoming presentation fear - How to structure a presentation - How to master body language plus a useful presentation checklist - Asking questions in interviews - Structuring a recruitment interview - Good work through praise - Time management tips - Time management skills - Managing your e-mail - Time management and working from home - Time management links - Assertiveness Self Assertion Analysis - Assertiveness links - Self Assertion Analysis - Becoming More Assertive - Constructive criticism and disciplinary procedures - Dealing with difficult people - Dealing with difficult customers on the telephone - Customer Service on the telephone - Telephone skills and Customer Care - Managing your stress - Organisational stress management - Practical appraisal skills - Planning an appraisal and setting objectives - Giving feedback in an appraisal - The power of attitude in selling - Opening the telephone call effectively - PowerPoint presentation tips and techniques - Using visual aids in PowerPoint presentations - How to use transitions in PowerPoint presentations - Negotiating with difficult people - Planning a successful negotiation - Managing meetings - Train the trainer training - Presentation planning form - Handling conflict in appraisals - Project management - Neuro-Linguistic Programming - Management skills - Leadership Skills - Stress Management and Control - Customer Service and Customer Care - Management checklists for Training courses - Planning form for Public Speaking Presentation - Managing your e-mails - Stages of Competence in Training - Time Management and Technology - Training Stories and Anecdotes -
- NEW Newsletter Pages -
Stress Quiz: How Stressed are you? - Recognising and Combating stress - Managing Stress - Relaxation techniques for managing stress - Relaxation using simple and personal mantras - Stress and the Credit crunch - Using Humour in Presentations - Attention gaining tips for Public Speakers - How to make the best of closing your presentation - Making Powerful Presentations - Using Visual Aids in Presenting - The importance of FlipCharts in Presentations - Improving your presenting style - Vocal and Diet tips for presenters - Rate you Presentation effectiveness - Dealing with Difficult Audiences - Overcoming Presentation Anxiety - More Presentation Anxiety tips - Dealing with Difficult people at work - Tips for Dealing with difficult people - Dealing with Difficult People-the arrogant person - Dealing with Difficult People-the aggressive person - Customer Service during Christmas - Time and Stress Management - Successful Telesales - What type of leader are you? - Vocal Elements of Communication in Leadership - Managing Pressure - Handling Very Difficult Customers - Opening Negotiations Effectively - Tips and Techniques for Sales Presentations - Rules of Assertiveness - Product Demonstration Skills - Personality and Stress - Handling Objections - Methods of Overcoming Resistance - Effective Communication in Negotiations - Your Response to Stress - Dealing with conflict and aggression - Co-Presenting Tips and Techniques - Controlling the Call - Contact Strategy - Becoming Assertive in Negotiations - Situation Leadership for Coaches - What is your managerial style? - Giving Praise - How great can you delegate 1 - How great can you delegate 2 - Management superstars - Delivering effective course content - Dealing with complaints - Practical guide to punctuation - The sequence of a report - Top tips for writing effective emails - Aims and Objectives for the New Manager - Question Techniques in Group Training - Its not What you say, but How you say it! - How to overcome and channel fear - Why is project management important - Project definition and proposal - Estimating time accurately - 10 step guide for Project Planning - Project Progress Meetings - Assess your problem employee - Disciplinary Procedures Guide - Disciplinary Rules