SCHOOL - Music Inc. Magazine

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