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STREETWISE SELLING I BY KENNY SMITH<br />
How to Use the Phone<br />
The No. 1 reason music retailers have telephones is to get customers<br />
in the store. Selling prospects on what you, your dealership<br />
and your products can do for them is much easier<br />
in-person than over the phone, so you’ve got to get people in<br />
your showroom.<br />
Many salespeople believe they are close to making a sale when a wouldbe<br />
buyer calls. That’s not the case. Customers typically research online and<br />
call three to four stores when they’re planning on purchasing something of<br />
any grandeur. That said, they only physically visit one or two<br />
stores before making the buy. The telephone is critical.<br />
TELEPHONE BASICS<br />
What you don’t know<br />
about the telephone<br />
could be costing you<br />
serious sales volume<br />
48 I MUSIC INC. I OCTOBER 2010<br />
It’s important to practice, fine tune and apply excellent phone<br />
skills every day. You’ll maximize your closes and become a<br />
better salesperson in the process. Here are the basics:<br />
1. Answer the phone by the third ring.<br />
2. Use a three-step greeting. For example: “Good afternoon.<br />
Thanks for calling Dave’s <strong>Music</strong> Store. My name is<br />
Sue.” Speak clearly, slow down and be friendly. Smile when<br />
you pick up. It works.<br />
3. Always have a pen and paper handy. When a caller says<br />
his name, write it down, so you can use it during the call. If he<br />
doesn’t give a name, ask for it and repeat it.<br />
4. Don’t leave a caller on hold for more than 30 seconds. If it’s<br />
going to take longer, ask the caller<br />
for his number, and call back.<br />
5. Make sure everyone who<br />
answers the phone can give clear,<br />
accurate directions to the store<br />
within a 20-mile radius. And<br />
avoid sending prospects past competitors<br />
whenever possible.<br />
6. Inform the caller of your<br />
hours of operation before hanging<br />
up, and invite him to the store.<br />
7. Concentrate on the caller,<br />
and listen carefully. Repeat what he or she says. Reading and typing emails<br />
during a phone conversation is distracting and rude. Don’t do it.<br />
NEVER QUOTE PRICES<br />
Telephone prospects are quick to cut you out of the picture. If you sound<br />
uninformed, don’t have a product in stock or talk price, you’re risking<br />
being crossed off the list. Giving out a price, in particular, can be the kiss<br />
of death. Smaller independents wouldn’t lose as many deals to the Internet<br />
if they didn’t quote so many<br />
prices on the phone. Even if<br />
you give a reasonable explanation<br />
for your prices, all the<br />
customer hears is, “$399 ...<br />
blah, blah, blah.”<br />
STAND OUT<br />
Strike a chord with the customer<br />
on the other end of<br />
the line. Be the kind of person<br />
he wants to meet face to face<br />
before he buys. Underneath<br />
every phone conversation<br />
about products and prices lies<br />
the rest of the story. Get customers<br />
talking. Ask questions.<br />
They’re looking for someone<br />
who understands their hopes<br />
and desires, someone who can<br />
help them fulfill their dreams<br />
better than anyone else. If you<br />
can be that person, they’ll at<br />
least come in.<br />
ASK FOR THE FAVOR<br />
One of my prized retail<br />
techniques is to tell the<br />
customer, “When you come<br />
in, ask for me. My name is<br />
Kenny.” This is a powerful<br />
way to end a call. When you<br />
ask a customer to do you a little<br />
favor — to ask for you by<br />
name — it makes him subconsciously<br />
think you’re going to<br />
owe him one back. It works<br />
like a charm. As an extra<br />
bonus, your boss will be<br />
impressed when someone asks<br />
for you by name. MI<br />
Kenny Smith is an industry veteran and consults<br />
both retailers and suppliers. Find him<br />
at kennysmithsalesguru.com.