The client was having trouble doing the job,
the expected number of calls per day, primarily.
The calls were spoken of as something they 'had to do'
something undesirable, forced, etc.
We talked about having Fun,
and making each call a Fun experience (for you And them)
by actively focusing on that;
reframing the experience from one of "have to do" (dreading it)
to an experience you "get to do" (looking forward to enjoying it).
This work, like most other activities, benefits from enthusiasm.
Another perspective that is easy and productive to adopt in the calling process
is one of Building / Creating something that grows in Value
with every time you make a call.
The point is that every call you make, you learn something,
and when that something is added to your contact database,
it creates added Value.
It can be thought of as compounding interest.
Over time that database,
and your personal experience with it and the data within it,
becomes an amazingly powerful and hugely valuable asset.
Each bit of information you add is like adding another brick to a fortress wall.
While the Goal of each call might be to
move the prospect to the next step in the selling process,
another goal is definitely to get/record as much information as possible.
Keep asking questions and building your database.
Everything you learn becomes gold...
So every call becomes an adventure in curiosity,
a learning experience,
and a banking experience.
It's also an opportunity to help the prospect,
and to share valuable information with them,
to represent yourself and your company
as a resource they can turn to when/if needed.
You are a haven in a turbulent storm.
You must earn their trust.
Trust builds over time,
with repeated encounters.
As you build your database with every call,
you build their trust with every call.
The information you share with them
builds their own value,
and the relationship is made stronger.
All this happens on each call.
O boy! I want to make calls...
:)
Let's talk numbers.
Specifically, how many calls is the right number of calls, per day/hour/etc?
There are a lot of variables to consider to come up with a number,
but the number that comes to mind immediately is the number that is
assigned as our Quota, or Target.
You'll be informed that you have a quota of, say, 50 calls to make every day.
And you'll need to provide proof that you are doing that
by completing call reports or entering results in your contact database.
Another number that is sometimes assigned to your process
is When your calls are to be made.
For example, it may be that your prospects are more available
early in the mornings,
so you should make most of your calls at that time.
But this number (when) has other contributing factors,
like your own personal effectiveness might be low in the mornings.
You need to find what works instead of accepting
This is Old School Sales Management.
The fact is that whatever number you are given
for number of calls to make,
and when to make them,
the only thing that really matters is how many dollars in Sales you make.
There will be a ratio that develops over Time,
you will learn that the more calls you make
the more money you will make
and you can even say with confidence
that every time you make a call
you will earn X dollars
regardless of whether that individual call is even a wrong number!
As an example,
management says that if you make 50 calls per day,
on 5 days a week, for 50 weeks per year,
you will earn 150,000 dollars a year.
That's 12,500 calls per year to make 150,000 dollars.
Therefore, with the absolute certainty of math,
each call we make is worth 12 dollars.
Interesting concept to get paid 12 dollars
every time you tap a phone number on your screen.
It might be a wrong number, or busy, or go to voicemail,
or some other recording,
and you won't even have the chance to say anything at all,
but you'll get paid 12 bucks for making the call anyway.
On the other end of the call results spectrum is the Bluebird of Happiness.
It's when you call and they are in a buying mood at the same time.
It does happen, and with relatively predictable frequency,
so every call you make is another step closer to finding the Bluebird.
Therefore, whatever number of calls is assigned to you...
Do More!
You'll have more Fun,
build a valuable database,
and make more Money!
This is good advice. Life is about doing what makes you happy, right? The problems occur when we forget this because of all the Other Stuff that seems to take over. If you really want to do the things that make you happy, I recommend making a checklist (not just "a list" as mentioned in the graphic). Then use that checklist, and improve it, every day, to remind you to do the things that really matter.
