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 your initial sales approach.
Sales is right at the core of business.
It's how you connect people with products and turn products into profits.
But most sales aren't made with a single conversation.
There's a process involved.
This process involves many different steps.
And at each step, a good salesperson has to use their skills to keep the process moving forward.
In this lesson, we'll focus on the initial step of the sales process, making the approach.
This is when you talk to the potential customer for the first time.
You want to establish a good rapport and ask some questions to start learning about their needs.
We'll learn how to compliment a prospect and ask open-ended questions.
We'll also cover how to show interest, to get more information, show that you've done some background research and reference other business connections.
With these skills, you can get off to a good start with your prospect.
In today's dialogue we'll hear a salesperson named Aaron, who works for a company that sells refrigeration and cooling equipment.
Aaron is visiting a new hotel in Thailand and talking with Eva, the hotel's manager, and Robin, the head chef.
He has arranged to visit the hotel and hopes to start building a relationship and finding out about their needs.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
1.
How does Aaron compliment his prospective customers?
2.
What does Aaron show interest in to get more information?
3.
What business connection do Aaron, Robin and Eva have in common?
Well, thanks so much for having me in today on such short notice.
Certainly.
Please make yourself comfortable and pardon the mess.
No problem.
Renovation can be a messy deal.
But it looks to be coming along nicely from what I've seen.
And you've got such a beautiful spot here.
Yes, thank you.
We're pretty excited about the location.
I can see why.
And I really wanted to come in and check it out myself.
So, for starters, can I ask what kind of setup you're planning?
And what your general needs are, as far as refrigeration goes?
Robin, you want to take this?
Yeah, sure.
Well, we've got a central kitchen that serves the main restaurant, mostly time menu, and a bar.
So we're looking at just a walk-in cooler there.
Um, we're not really sure at this point if a walk-in freezer would be justified, so just chest freezers and then reach-ins in the kitchen as well as under the bar.
And an ice machine, and all the standard equipment there, too.
Okay, so a medium-sized kitchen, then, and a bar.
I like how this sounds.
And what about that front area, near the entrance?
Yes, that will be the café.
European-style foods, pastries, coffees, so on.
It'll be counter-service, too, so we'll need a couple of large deli cases in there.
Very nice.
A street-level café works well.
I think you've incorporated that into several of your hotels, haven't you?
We have, yes.
But this one might look a little different, a little more chic.
The developer has some pretty cool ideas for it.
Ah, yes, the developer.
It's Asia Contracting, right?
We're actually doing a couple of other projects with them right now.
Great bunch to work with.
And they're very familiar with our line.
Yes, they've been really great.
We're very happy with the work they've been doing so far.
But hey, how about grabbing a quick coffee?
We have a machine set up in the bar.
So how about checking that out and then taking a little tour?
Let you see the kitchen, bar, and all that.
Great idea.
I'd love to see the place.
Now let's go through the dialogue again and look at the language and techniques Aaron used in making his initial approach.
Well, thanks so much for having me in today on such short notice.
Certainly.
Please make yourself comfortable and pardon the mess.
No problem.
Renovation can be a messy deal, but it looks to be coming along nicely from what I've seen, and you've got such a beautiful spot here.
Aaron begins by thanking Eva and Robin for having him in, or agreeing to meet him.
Note that the hotel is undergoing renovations, which means changes to an existing building.
With these renovations, the hotel may need new refrigeration and cooling equipment, which is the reason Aaron is visiting in the first place.
As a good salesperson, Aaron knows that it's important to be well received and respected, and that involves being kind and polite.
It can also involve complimenting your prospect, which Aaron does, by commenting on how well the renovations are going and how beautiful the location is.
When you compliment a prospect, it's a good idea to focus on facilities and reputation, not on people or their appearance.
And it's best not to compliment too enthusiastically or to use extreme words, or you might sound insincere.
Let's practice some more ways of paying suitable compliments.
I really love your office space.
Very bright and cheery.
It sure sounds like you guys have been doing well since the launch.
I saw the work you did on those condos uptown.
Very nice.
I must say, your reputation for excellence is very well deserved.
What does Aaron do next in his approach?
Yes, thank you.
We're pretty excited about the location.
I can see why.
And I really wanted to come in and check it out myself.
So, for starters, can I ask what kind of setup you're planning?
And what your general needs are, as far as refrigeration goes?
After establishing a bit of rapport, Aaron wants to get into some questions.
During the approach phase, it's best to keep your questions open-ended, like Aaron does when he asks what kind of setup they're planning and what their general needs are.
Open-ended questions help to get a prospect talking and they help you to figure out what they might need help with.
Good open-ended questions usually begin with WH words, especially what.
Let's try a few more ways of asking open-ended questions.
So, what types of products are you thinking of bringing in?
Can you tell me a bit about your customers?
What are your general needs in terms of delivery and courier service?
What did you have in mind as far as design goes?
So what kind of setup are Eva and Robin planning?
Robin, you want to take this?
Yeah, sure.
Well, we've got a central kitchen that serves the main restaurant mostly Thai menu and a bar, so we're looking at just a walk-in cooler there.
Um, we're not really sure at this point if a walk-in freezer would be justified.
So just chest freezers and then reach-ins in the kitchen as well as under the bar, and an ice machine and all the standard equipment there too.
It sounds like Aaron's open-ended question was effective.
Robin describes their setup and gives Aaron lots of great information about their refrigeration needs.
This includes coolers, which are any kind of refrigerator unit for keeping food cold, and freezers for keeping food frozen.
Robin also mentions walk-ins, which are very large refrigerators you actually walk into and reach-ins, which are smaller ones, like those under a counter.
All of this information is going to help Aaron when he matches his solutions to the customer's needs, but it's still too soon to start telling Robin and Eva all about his great equipment.
Aaron still needs to get more information, so how does he do that?
Okay, so a medium-sized kitchen then, and a bar.
I like how this sounds.
And what about that front area near the entrance?
Remember, the initial approach is all about building rapport, and Aaron does that by showing interest.
He says he likes how this sounds and then asks about the front area, which Robin hasn't mentioned yet.
To get information, you don't always have to ask directly.
Just by showing interest in what a prospect is talking about can encourage them to tell you more.
Let's run through some more ways to show interest.
You'll notice that there are several ways of doing this, including making a comment about something the prospect has mentioned, or asking a question.
Nice work on the logo.
And are you thinking of redoing all your branding?
200 boxes of paper a month?
You must really be looking for ways to bring those costs down.
Oh, I've seen that type of display before.
It works well for a lot of different products.
Oh, yes.
There's lots of interest in the classic styles right now, isn't there?
Now, let's hear how Robin describes the front area.
Yes, that will be the café.
European-style foods, pastries, coffees, so on.
It'll be counter-service, too, so we'll need a couple of large deli cases in there.
Very nice.
A street-level café works well.
I think you've incorporated that into several of your hotels, haven't you?
Once again, Aaron sounds complimentary and interested and what Robin has described for the café is similar to what they've done in their other hotels.
Aaron knows this from his background research and he takes the opportunity to demonstrate this research.
Doing this helps to build trust, because if you can show you know something about the prospect's company and goals, they're more likely to believe that you can help them.
What are some other ways we can demonstrate background research?
Let's try a few more examples.
I understand that you guys are planning to start selling grocery items as well.
So, you must be really excited about this new CTO coming in.
With 120 stores in Europe and 40 in North America, you must have pretty tight logistics.
Industry leader in efficiency for four years in a row.
That's really great to see.
Next, we can hear Aaron take advantage of another opportunity to build trust and the relationship.
We have, yes.
But this one might look a little different, a little more chic.
The developer has some pretty cool ideas for it.
Ah, yes, the developer.
It's Asia Contracting, right?
We're actually doing a couple of other projects with them right now.
Great bunch to work with.
And they're very familiar with our line.
Eva has just mentioned that the developer has some great ideas for the cafe.
It so happens that Aaron's company is working with this developer on some other projects.
And notice that he says they're a great bunch or good people and that they're familiar with their line or their products.
Of course, what Aaron is suggesting is that he could work well with this developer, which supports the idea of buying from him, even though he hasn't actually tried to sell them anything yet.
When you're trying to build a relationship with a prospect, it's a great idea to mention if you have business connections in common.
And it's best if you can work this connection into the conversation casually, as Aaron has done.
Let's run through some more ways of referencing other connections in the approach stage.
As you'll see, it's best to keep this kind of comment a little informal or casual.
I think you know Paul Rankin.
He's a former colleague of mine.
These brochures are from Tiger Graphics, aren't they?
We've worked with them before.
Yes, we use KPMG as well.
Lauren Day does a lot of work for us.
You're familiar with her, right?
Sure.
I know the guys at Purdy's.
We did a bunch of electrical work for them.
So what is the result of Aaron's approach?
Has he successfully established a relationship and grabbed Eva and Robin's interest?
Let's listen.
Yes, they've been really great.
We're very happy with the work they've been doing so far.
But hey, how about grabbing a quick coffee?
We have a machine set up in the bar.
So how about checking that out and then taking a little tour?
Let you see the kitchen, bar and all that.
Great idea.
I'd love to see the place.
It appears that Eva and Robin are interested enough to offer him a coffee and show him around the hotel.
And that means Aaron might have a good chance to actually sell them some equipment.
Now, let's practice some of the language we learned in today's lesson.
Imagine you work for a paper company and you're visiting a potential customer.
The customer is the office manager at a large firm that is planning to open a new branch.
You'll hear a cue by the prospect.
Then I'll give you a suggestion for what you can say in response.
We'll guide you through each step in the practice and provide an example answer for each response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
Please come in and have a seat.
Start by thanking the prospect and complimenting her on their recent business success.
Answer.
Okay, thank you.
So, it looks like your business has been quite a success recently.
Yes, we're very happy with how things are going and excited to be opening a new branch.
Next, ask the prospect about their general paper needs in the new branch.
Answer.
So, tell me, what are you going to need for paper at the new branch?
Well, bathroom and kitchen supplies, of course, but we're hoping to limit our paper usage for copying and printing.
Now, show interest and ask if they are trying to go completely paperless.
Answer.
Oh, is that right?
So, are you looking to go totally paperless at some point?
Well, paperless would be impossible for us, but we'd like to cut out half of what we use per branch now.
Next show some background research by confirming that the new branch will be as large as their other branches.
Answer.
Right.
And I understand this branch will be about the same size as your others, right?
Yes, that's right.
It should be pretty similar in size and layout to our Cleveland branch.
Now reference a common connection by mentioning the manager Dave from the Cleveland branch.
Okay, that sounds great.
I'm quite familiar with the Cleveland branch as I work with Dave the manager over there, quite a bit.
Now, let's practice some of the vocabulary and collocations we've covered in this lesson.
In a moment, you'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat each sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear, You can say, After each response, we'll provide the correct answer.
Let's begin.
Answer I'm sorry, but we can't do a project that big on such short notice.
Will a waiter come around, or do they just have counter?
Here Answer.
Will a waiter come around, or do they just have counter service here?
Answer.
Come in and have a seat, but please pardon the construction noise.
Our main store downtown will be closed for two weeks while we do building.
Answer our main store downtown will be closed for two weeks while we do building renovations.
We've reached the end of this lesson, the first of our series covering the entire sales process.
We've learned how to compliment a prospect, ask open-ended questions and show interest to get more information.
We've also covered how to show background research and reference other connections.
In the next lesson we'll hear Aaron work on defining the hotel's needs and begin actually talking about what he has to sell them.
Thanks for listening, and see you again soon.
