Sales Hunting: How to Develop New Territories and Major Accounts in Half the Time Using Trust as Your Weapon

On the Phone for the First Time

Objective: A Qualified Appointment

The key to confidence is preparation.

—Unknown

What do you do if you actually get someone on the phone? Whether it’s a returned phone call from a voicemail you left, or the prospect picks up the phone when you make a cold call you must be prepared. It is amazing how unprepared most salespeople are for a simple phone conversation. If you listen in on these conversations, you would think that some customers just give them appointments out of pity, or to make the embarrassing moment stop. Preparation has a secondary effect: it gives you confidence, and that confidence will help ...