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.
Being successful in sales begins with getting your foot in the door.
If you can sit down with someone in their workplace and show your product or talk about your service, you're more than halfway to making a sale.
But if you don't get the chance to sit down face to face, making the sale will be a lot harder.
There's lots of advice out there about making cold calls, but usually you've got more to work with than just a phone number.
A good lead might be someone you've talked to at an event or someone you've been referred to by another customer or friend.
So you've got a name, a number, and perhaps a previous conversation or mutual acquaintance.
You call the person, you use your best professional greeting, you make a connection and you try to get them to talk about their company and their needs.
Now comes the hard part.
You need to make the next step and actually ask them to agree to meet with you.
Today, we'll learn some great techniques that will help you get to that point.
We'll start with showing the value of your product or company.
Then we'll cover asking for a meeting dealing with a refusal, emphasizing the need to meet and expressing gratitude.
In the dialogue, we will hear the second part of a telephone conversation between Kate and Tina.
Kate is a salesperson with a company called Thompson Medical.
And Tina works at a dental office.
Kate's company sells machines called autoclaves, which are used to sterilize tools in medical clinics.
As you listen, try to answer the following questions.
1.
Why does Kate mention flexibility in the setup?
2.
How does Kate respond when Tina says that it's hard to schedule a meeting?
Three, what does Kate offer to do if Tina agrees to sit down and talk?
Yeah, it's sort of a daily complaint, but not an emergency or anything.
It's workable for now.
Right.
Well, as you saw at the trade show, we've got some pretty good solutions.
There's a lot of flexibility in the setup.
Yes, I seem to remember it was some sort of integrated system, right?
That's right.
Prep, rinsing, sterilization, storage, everything you need in one compact package.
I'd love to come over and show you how our system works.
And maybe take a look at your setup and talk about some ways to reconfigure your space.
It would be great to involve some of your surgeons as well.
Yes.
Well, let me see.
Scheduling is pretty tight, actually.
It's quite a challenge to free up space in everyone's day for something like this.
Yes, I understand that can be tough.
Is there a time just before or after regular clinic hours that might work?
I'm pretty flexible, and I can certainly work around your schedule.
Um, I'm not sure about that.
I'd have to check.
Maybe for now you could send us a brochure or something and we could have a look and get back to you.
I could certainly do that.
But if I could come over and see the space, then I could show you some great customized solutions.
I could even just show you a few other ways to work with what you already have.
I really think your dentists would be interested in how things could be run more smoothly.
Well, okay.
Maybe I could pencil you in for Thursday after closing.
Say, 4.30?
A few of our people should still be here.
Thursday, 4.30 is perfect.
You're in Midtown Mall, correct?
That's right.
Main floor, near the 5th Street entrance.
Great.
Thanks so much for your time today, Tina.
I'm looking forward to Thursday.
Okay.
Thanks, Kate.
We'll be seeing you then.
Now let's look at the dialogue again and learn about the techniques Kate is using during her sales call.
Yeah, it's sort of a daily complaint, but not an emergency or anything.
It's workable for now.
Right.
Well, as you saw at the trade show, we've got some pretty good solutions.
There's a lot of flexibility in the setup.
As you can hear, Tina doesn't want to come out and say that they need a solution.
She emphasizes that the system they now have is workable, which means it is good enough for now.
But Kate doesn't need to make a sale on the phone.
All she wants to do is have a meeting with Tina and her colleagues.
Then she might be able to make a sale.
And in order to work towards getting a meeting, she tries to show the benefits or value of her company's products.
As she says, they have some pretty good solutions.
More specifically, she mentions flexibility in the setup, which she thinks is a feature that might be appealing to Tina.
Let's practice some more examples of demonstrating the value of your company or product.
We provide top-notch service at a competitive price.
We understand that it's not the upfront printer costs, but the ongoing cost of ink.
There's no substitute for freshness when it comes to fruit.
That's our top priority.
Our custom database solutions are built to match clients' exact needs.
Now, let's go back to the dialogue.
Yes, I seem to remember it was some sort of integrated system, right?
That's right.
Prep, rinsing, sterilization, storage, everything you need in one compact package.
I'd love to come over and show you how our system works.
And maybe take a look at your setup and talk about some ways to reconfigure your space.
It would be great to involve some of your surgeons as well.
Kate and Tina first met at a trade show, and Tina now remembers that the autoclave system was some sort of integrated system.
In other words, it has different parts or features that work together.
This statement is phrased as a question, which gives Kate the chance to talk a bit more about the product.
Of course, Kate wants to do more than just talk about autoclave systems.
She wants to actually show Tina the products in a meeting and notice that Kate shows excitement about demonstrating the products when she says I'd love to come over.
She offers to take a look at Tina's setup, softening the statement with the word maybe, and Kate shows more positive language by saying it would be great to involve the surgeons.
Kate's request for a meeting flows naturally out of the brief discussion of the products.
What are some other ways we can request a meeting during a sales call?
Let's run through some more examples.
Is there a good time when we could visit you and your staff?
I'd love the chance to chat with you in person about what we can provide.
So, does Tina agree to meet?
Yes.
Well, let me see.
Scheduling is pretty tight actually.
It's quite a challenge to free up space in everyone's day for something like this.
Yes, I understand that can be tough.
Is there a time just before or after regular clinic hours that might work?
I'm pretty flexible, and I can certainly work around your schedule.
Tina still isn't sure she wants to meet.
She begins to hesitate, saying, well, and let me see.
Then she emphasizes that it's difficult to free up space in people's schedules.
When we free up space, we make room in our schedule.
Does Kate give up at this point?
Certainly not.
It's very common for people to resist or refuse a request for a meeting.
Instead of giving up, Kate responds to the refusal with a question.
First, she shows understanding about scheduling difficulties.
Then she asks whether there is a time outside of regular hours which would be good for a meeting.
And she emphasizes that she can work around others' schedules.
In other words, she can meet at whatever time is good for Tina and her colleagues.
When we ask for a meeting and someone refuses, we can respond with a question that will help us find a good time to meet.
You can hear the strategy in the following examples.
Okay, but have you ever seen these machines in action?
How about I bring the brochures by myself, and then I can explain a couple of things to you.
I'm available on weekends as well.
Would that be better?
Um, I'm not sure about that.
I'd have to check.
Maybe for now you could send us a brochure or something and we could have a look and get back to you.
I could certainly do that.
But if I could come over and see the space, then I could show you some great customized solutions.
I could even just show you a few other ways to work with what you already have.
I really think your dentists would be interested in how things could be run more smoothly.
Tina continues to hesitate.
She says she's not sure and has to check.
Tina then makes a suggestion that may sound very familiar if you've ever made a sales call.
She asks Kate to send a brochure and says she'll get back to her or contact her later.
This is a common way of putting off a salesperson, but Kate is not discouraged.
Kate agrees that she could send a brochure, but then wants to emphasize the importance of meeting.
She does this by saying that by seeing Tina's office space, she can show some customized solutions.
A customized solution is one that is created for a specific customer, based on their particular needs.
Kate even offers free advice.
She says she could show Tina how to work with what they already have.
And finally, Kate says she really thinks that the dentist would be interested.
Notice that Kate focuses on the benefits or outcomes of what she might offer, saying that things could run more smoothly.
All of these ideas serve to emphasize the need to meet, which you may need to do when a potential customer resists.
How else can we emphasize the need to meet?
Let's listen to some examples.
I really think it's better for me to show you the devices myself.
If we sat down together, I could answer all your questions at one time.
I'm sure I could make some great suggestions if I could just have a look at how the line is set up.
Pictures don't really do it justice.
If I bring some samples in, you'll see what I'm talking about.
So, does Tina finally agree?
Well, okay.
Maybe I could pencil you in for Thursday after closing.
Say, 4.30?
A few of our people should still be here.
Thursday 4.30 is perfect.
You're in Midtown Mall, correct?
That's right.
Main floor near the 5th Street entrance.
Kate is successful.
Tina says that she can pencil Kate in or schedule an appointment for Thursday after closing time.
Kate responds very positively, saying the time is perfect and confirming Tina's location.
There is only one thing left for Kate to do before ending the call.
Great.
Thanks so much for your time today, Tina.
I'm looking forward to Thursday.
Okay.
Thanks, Kate.
We'll be seeing you then.
In the last episode we heard Kate use a friendly professional greeting and show respect for Tina's time, which are important aspects of professional courtesy.
But a good sales call should also finish with a friendly but polite attitude.
At the end of this call, Kate demonstrates another professional courtesy.
She says, thanks so much for your time and states that she's looking forward to the meeting.
There are many ways you can express gratitude at the end of a sales call.
Let's learn a few more.
Thanks a lot, Richard, and I'll see you next week.
I really appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day.
Well, it's been great to talk.
Thanks so much and I'll see you in the morning.
Much appreciated, Susan.
I'll bring those color swatches in this afternoon.
Kate has demonstrated some great techniques you can use in your own sales calls that will help you get a meeting with a potential customer.
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 demonstrating your company's value.
Then you'll request a meeting, deal with a refusal with a question, emphasize the need to meet and finally express gratitude.
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.
Yes, as I mentioned, we need a variety of paper types for custom orders delivered quickly.
Start by showing the value of your company by mentioning quality and speed.
Example answer.
That's great.
Our company puts a lot of emphasis on quality and speed.
I see.
That's good to hear.
But what about your prices?
Now, request a meeting to go over pricing options.
Example Answer Well, I'd be happy to sit down with you and go over pricing options.
Well, things are just too busy this week.
Now deal with the refusal by asking if there's a time next week that would work.
Example answer.
I see.
Is there another time next week that would work for you?
It's really hard to say.
Maybe we can just look at your website and get back to you.
Now, emphasize the importance of meeting and showing her some great options.
Hmm.
Well, I guess I could do next Tuesday morning at 10.
Now, express your gratitude by thanking the person, then repeat the meeting time.
Example answer.
That's great.
Thank you.
I'll see you next Tuesday at 10 a.m.
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... This software has a lot of... so you can use it for different purposes.
You can say... This software has a lot of flexibility, so you can use it for different purposes.
After each response, we'll play the correct answer.
Let's begin.
Answer.
How about I come over to your office and run a few tests?
I will have a look and get.
Answer.
I will have a look and get back to you if I have any questions.
It has been really... getting the work done with so few staff.
Answer.
It has been really tough getting the work done with so few staff.
Any time is good for me.
I can work... Your schedule.
Answer.
Any time is good for me.
I can work around your schedule.
We've reached the end of this episode, the second in our two-part series about making sales calls.
We've learned how to demonstrate value or benefits, request a meeting and deal with a refusal with a question.
We've also learned how to emphasize the need to meet and express gratitude to the potential customer.
These techniques should really help you in your own sales calls.
Thanks for listening and see you again soon.
