You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello and welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin, and I'll be your host for today's lesson on making sales calls.
Many people hate making sales calls.
They pick up the telephone and instantly feel a pit in their stomach.
They might be afraid of rejection, or they might know that most people hate receiving sales calls.
But fear not.
When you pick up the telephone, you've got an opportunity.
If you approach it positively, you'll have more positive results.
You start with a list of leads.
This might just be names and numbers.
They might be people you've met at a networking event or a trade show.
Now it's time to work those leads.
In the first call, you're not going to give them a hard sell or a pitch.
You can save the real selling for a face-to-face meeting.
And that's your short-term goal, getting someone to agree to sit down with you.
You're not the first person who has ever called someone to arrange a meeting, and there are some tried and true techniques that you can rely on.
Today, we'll focus on the first part of a sales call.
We'll look at using a friendly, professional greeting, showing respect for time and referencing other clients.
We'll also look at both asking about a client's needs and summarizing those needs.
In the dialogue, we'll hear Kate, a salesperson with a company called Thompson Medical.
She's calling Tina, who works at a dental office.
Kate's company sells autoclaves.
An autoclave is a machine that sterilizes tools.
It's an important piece of equipment in any medical office.
As you listen, try to answer the following questions.
1.
Why do you think Kate mentions that Tina must be very busy?
2.
What does Kate say about another clinic that she visited?
Three, what are the basic problems that Tina's office has with their current system?
Midtown Dental, Tina Grant speaking.
Hello, Tina.
This is Kate Reynolds with Thompson Medical.
How are you doing?
Oh, hi, Kate.
I'm doing great, thanks.
How can I help you today?
Well, we talked briefly at the trade show last week.
I was there demoing our new autoclave system.
Oh, yeah, sure, I remember.
That was quite the event.
It sure was.
Great to see so many people out for it.
So listen, I know you folks are probably quite busy, but I just wanted to follow up on what we were talking about.
Uh-huh.
Remind me again, what was that?
Well, when we spoke before, you mentioned that you're not totally happy with your current setup.
Is that right?
Yes, it's not really ideal.
So I'm just curious what you think the problem is.
I mean, is it the overall effectiveness or the layout of your sterilization station?
Or something else?
Well, the layout of the station is definitely not the best.
The assistants always seem to be bumping into each other, so they're not so happy with the setup.
Sure, I hear that quite a bit, actually.
I was at a clinic yesterday down in Rosedale, and it was pretty chaotic.
They had a countertop autoclave in a tight space.
Isn't that sort of similar to your setup?
Yes, it is.
And it works okay for the most part, but the capacity is not that great.
We run a lot of clients through every day and that means more to sterilize, of course.
I see.
So it sounds like you're dealing with problems with size and layout.
I can see how that could cause problems.
Yeah, it's sort of a daily complaint.
But not an emergency or anything.
It's workable for now.
Now, let's go through the dialogue again and look at the techniques Kate used during the call.
Midtown Dental, Tina Grant speaking.
Hello, Tina.
This is Kate Reynolds with Thompson Medical.
How are you doing?
At the start of your sales call, you need to set the right tone.
Kate does this with a friendly yet professional greeting.
Notice that she says, this is, before giving her name and company.
This is a common way to introduce yourself.
Kate also asks how Tina is doing, which makes the conversation more friendly and personal.
A friendly professional greeting is essential, so let's practice some more examples.
In each case, you'll hear a greeting, an introduction and a personal question or statement.
Hi there.
This is David Newman at True Tech.
How's your day going?
Hello.
My name is Janet with Dane Paper.
How's it going today?
Good morning.
I'm calling from Grant Industries.
How are you today?
Hi, it's Sally at Reynolds Foods here.
Hope you're having a good day.
Now, let's hear how Tina responds to Kate's greeting.
Oh, hi Kate.
I'm doing great, thanks.
How can I help you today?
Well, we talked briefly at the trade show last week.
I was there demoing our new autoclave system.
Because Kate was friendly to begin with, Tina also responds in a friendly manner.
But she sounds a bit confused when she asks, how can I help you?
Tina may be wondering why Kate is calling and how she knows Tina's number.
Kate makes it clear how they are connected by mentioning the trade share where they met.
And for extra clarity, Kate mentions the product she was demoing or demonstrating.
Oh, yeah, sure, I remember.
That was quite the event.
It sure was.
Great to see so many people out for it.
So listen, I know you folks are probably quite busy, but I just wanted to follow up on what we were talking about.
Tina says that it was quite the event.
When we say something is quite the something, we mean that it was impressive in some way.
Kate agrees, and as you can hear, she is not rushing the call.
She is allowing a bit of time to chat about the event where she met Tina.
Then, when Kate wants to get to the purpose of the call, she begins with two transition words.
So, and listened.
Now Kate can get to the purpose of her call, which is to follow up on their conversation during the event.
When we follow up on something, we come back to an earlier conversation.
But first Kate wants to show respect for Tina's time by saying she understands Tina's office is probably busy.
If you think people don't like sales calls, then let them know you understand that they are busy.
That respect will go a long way toward making them like you.
What are some other ways you can show respect for someone's time?
Let's listen.
Is this a good time to talk, or should I call back later?
I'm sure you're busy, so I'll make this brief.
I understand you have lots of people to talk to, but I'd love just a bit of your time.
Now let's continue with the dialogue.
Uh-huh.
Remind me again, what was that?
Well, when we spoke before, you mentioned that you're not totally happy with your current setup.
Is that right?
Yes, it's not really ideal.
So I'm just curious what you think the problem is.
I mean, is it the overall effectiveness or the layout of your sterilization station?
Or something else?
Tina doesn't remember exactly what they talked about at the trade show, so Kate reminds her.
More specifically, Kate mentions that Tina was not happy with their setup or the way their autoclave system is organized.
Kate uses a statement and then the question, is that right?
She is asking Tina to confirm that their sterilization setup is not perfect.
Or as Tina says, it's not ideal.
And if the situation is not perfect, then Kate may have an opportunity to improve it and make a sale.
But Kate doesn't want to push for a sale just yet.
First, she wants to ask Tina about her needs.
This is a crucial part of a sales call.
Notice that Kate says, I'm just curious, in order to soften the question.
Kate also presents some possible problems, including the effectiveness and the layout or design of the sterilization station.
When we ask about needs, we are learning more about our potential customer, and then we can offer them solutions that match their situation.
Let's hear some more ways to ask about needs.
I'm just curious if you're happy with your current internet service.
Could you tell me a bit about your printing needs?
Are you having any problems with your vehicle fleet right now?
So how does Tina describe the situation?
Well, the layout of the station is definitely not the best.
The assistants always seem to be bumping into each other, so they're not so happy with the setup.
Sure, I hear that quite a bit, actually.
I was at a clinic yesterday down in Rosedale, and it was pretty chaotic.
They had a countertop autoclave in a tight space.
Isn't that sort of similar to your setup?
According to Tina, the layout is the problem. and the assistants are always bumping into each other.
In other words, there's not enough space to work properly.
Kate is successful in getting Tina to talk about the problem.
And next, she shows that she's seen the same issue before.
Kate talks about another clinic she visited, which was quite chaotic or disorganized.
In this part of the call, Kate is referencing other clients by mentioning that her company works with other businesses with similar problems.
In this way, Kate is showing her experience and expertise and establishing credibility with the prospect.
Referencing other clients is a great way to improve your credibility in a sales call, so let's run through some more examples.
We've dealt with several other firms in your area on this same issue already.
That's exactly what the guys over at Rincon told us.
Last year we helped overhaul the rewards and recognition program for another hospital.
In our work with IBM, we've encountered similar challenges too.
Does Tina agree that their setup is similar to the setup in the other office?
Yes, it is.
And it works okay for the most part, but the capacity is not that great.
We run a lot of clients through every day and that means more to sterilize, of course.
I see.
So it sounds like you're dealing with problems with size and layout.
I can see how that could cause problems.
Tina does confirm that they have the same problem and she mentions another issue the capacity of their autoclave.
Capacity refers to how much something holds.
A problem with capacity normally means something is too small, and Tina mentions that they run a lot of clients through.
In other words, they've got a lot of customers and a lot of equipment to sanitize.
At this point, Tina has mentioned two basic problems with their sanitation system.
Before going on to ask for a meeting, Kate wants to summarize those problems.
She starts with, I see, to show she's been listening and understands.
Then she begins her summary with, so, to show what she is saying follows logically.
Kate then reviews the two basic problems that Tina has the layout and the size of their sterilization system.
By summarizing a client's needs, we are setting up a possible sale, because wherever there is a need, there is a possible solution.
Let's finish off our review with some more ways to summarize needs.
The primary issues are speed and accuracy.
Is that right?
From what I'm hearing, you're more worried about cost than delivery time.
So, first you want advice on the design, and second you want a quote on the renovations.
Sounds like you need regular maintenance on 12 vehicles.
Now back to the dialogue.
Yeah, it's sort of a daily complaint, but not an emergency or anything.
It's workable for now.
Tina agrees with Kate's summary, saying it is a daily complaint.
A complaint is just something people complain about.
But then Tina is a bit careful.
She says that it's not an emergency and that it's workable or good enough.
Tina realizes Kate is a salesperson, and she hesitates to open the door too wide for Kate.
How does Kate react to this hesitation?
We'll have to wait until our next episode to find out.
Now, let's practice some of the language we've learned in today's lesson.
We're going to start with a role-play practice.
You'll play the part of a salesperson with a paper company calling a potential client.
You'll start by using a friendly, professional greeting.
Then you'll show respect for time, ask about needs, reference other clients, and summarize needs.
At each step, you'll hear a cue given by the person you're calling.
Then, I'll give you some suggestions for the language you can use to respond.
We'll guide you through each step in the practice and play an example answer for each response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
Hello, this is Red Ink Marketing.
Dana speaking.
Start off by greeting the caller and introducing yourself as Pam or Paul with Best Paper Company.
Example answer.
Hi there, this is Pam with Best Paper Company.
Oh hi Pam, how are you?
Now answer the question and show respect for time by saying you understand she's busy.
Example answer.
I'm great, thanks.
I know you're probably very busy, but I'd love to ask you a few questions.
That's okay.
It's a pretty good time of day, actually.
Now, find out about her needs by asking how much paper they use in a month.
Example answer.
Well, I'm just curious how much paper you usually use in a month.
Well, regular printing is about 10 boxes, and then we use specialized paper for custom print jobs.
Now reference other clients by mentioning you supply both regular and specialized paper for another company in their area.
Example answer.
I see.
We actually sell both regular and specialized paper to another company in your area.
Is that right?
Well, for our custom jobs, we usually need pretty fast delivery.
Now, summarize her needs by mentioning regular printing paper and fast delivery on special paper.
Example answer.
So, you basically need regular paper for printing and specialized paper delivered quickly.
Is that right?
Now let's practice useful vocabulary and idioms.
You'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat the whole sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear...
We need a storage unit that has a bigger than our current one.
You can say We need a storage unit that has a bigger capacity than our current one.
After each response, we'll play the correct answer.
Let's begin.
Staff always have a lot of about the lack of parking in our building.
Answer.
Staff always have a lot of complaints about the lack of parking in our building.
I could come by tomorrow and... The product for your staff.
Answer.
I could come by tomorrow and demo the product for your staff.
Let's sit down and look at the basic of the new website.
Answer.
Let's sit down and look at the basic layout of the new website.
Answer.
Answer.
With so many people in such a small office, it feels very chaotic.
We've learned how to use a friendly professional greeting, how to ask about and summarize needs, and how to show respect for time and reference other clients.
Be sure to tune in for the next lesson, when Kate will make her pitch for a meeting with Tina and the dentists.
Tina won't agree right away, but Kate will be able to persuade her with some good techniques.
Thanks for listening, and see you again soon.
