Help Manage Their Time

“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Antoine de Saint Exupery (1900-1944)
French aviator and writer
wrote The Little Prince

Consider the time management efforts of your prospects & customers. Generally speaking, most people have several activities on their plates each day and all of them are perceived to be important. As a result, they (like you) have their own time management challenges each week.

Those sales professionals who deliver the most value to the prospect and customer in a clear and concise way with each contact will be those professionals who have their calls returned, meetings taken, and emails replied to (ever avoid responding, engaging with, or asking a question of someone who’s known to be a ‘talker’?).

Over the next two weeks, give attention to your regular communications with prospects and customers (by phone, email, voice mail, in person, etc.). Check yourself for unneeded verbiage, vague communication, and cluttered presentation.

Make it easy for your prospects and customers to…

• understand what’s in it for them
• how they can sell the purchase within their department or home, and
• how they can get started or take delivery

The clock is ticking with every contact. Create a feeling (a trademark) of efficiency, value, and respect with your prospects and customers.

Help them manage their time more effectively and rise above the noise.

____________________

6 quick and actionable ideas

• Script all common verbal and email communications (those that you do every sales day and in every sales process). You don’t have to read it, you just have to know it so you’re better prepared for your natural discussions (and not winging it).
• Lead your written and verbal communications with the information that you believe the contact will value most. Conclude with the lesser important support information or consider eliminating it until it’s requested.
• If called on for information that you don’t immediately have, take a phone number and/ or email address and let the person get on with their work while you find the information. Avoid having them hold or wait on you unless they want to.
• Repeat your phone number on voice mail messages twice at the conclusion of your message; slow it down the second time.
• Bullet and/ or separate the very necessary facts of your written communications (email, fax, letter).
• Anticipate your prospects’ and customers’ needs for additional information and deliver it (verbally or written) before it’s requested. Use it as a concrete reason to contact or visit rather than ‘just checking in’.

Now go sell something.~>