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Order Taker or Selling Professional

 

Guest articles > Order Taker or Selling Professional

 

by: Drew Stevens

 

I recently became involved with several ventures that have allowed for business expansion and revenue gain. Through each of these ventures I have become involved with a myriad of selling professionals and their attributes  - or perhaps lack thereof. 

I recently returned the call of a selling professional who had called me. Not only did he not recall my name, but left his cell phone as his call back number and he answered on speakerphone. What if I were a client? How unprofessional!

I am continually surprised by the lack of discipline and professionalism in the profession of selling. My recent observations illustrate an increased degradation in the spirit, behavior, ethics and actions of many so called professionals. There are times I think I am in the real time version of Boiler Room!

Items that require immediate change:

  1. Dress the part. I tire of the bromide of business casual. If you want to be in business you need to look the part. Stop dressing like you are working on an automobile, dress better than your clients.
  2. Answering Calls. As I mentioned above, I recently returned a sales call to the number given- their cell phone! Worse yet they answered with the speakerphone! Ghastly. This is a distinction certain to cancel many contracts. Calls must be returned to hard line phones and with the headset. The example implies “I am too busy for any more sales revenue”.
  3. Voice Mail. Simply leave a name, number and best time to reach you. Why deliver a Shakespearean monologue, no one has the time to listen.
  4. Voice Mail Part Deux. Leave a professional voice mail. Be professional, not casual.
  5. Voice Mail Three. Provide accurate data as to your availability.
  6. Customer Service. According to Challey Research 40% of client interaction involves customer service. All calls, and I do mean all calls, require a reply during the business day. Stop procrastinating.
  7. Customer Service Part Deux. The proliferation of caller ID has enabled many professionals to avoid calls they would rather not take. Selling is a profession not an entitlement, every call from a client is an opportunity to provide value and obtain revenue. With increasing competition, clients can quickly become antagonists. Caller ID works both ways.
  8.  Email Apathy. Many representatives use email because it is easy. Selling is a relationship business and requires client interaction. Email is vexatious and illustrates your apathy. If you want to engage, pick up the telephone or visit. Why do exactly as your competitor?
  9. Email Part Deux. Read your email prior to sending. Do not send what you did not mean.
  10. Language. Increase your vocabulary and literary skills. There has been a degradation of language in both secondary schools and university. Proper language engages clients and instills confidence.

(C) 2009. Drew J. Stevens Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.


Drew Stevens Ph.D. President of Stevens Consulting Group is one of those very rare sales management and business development experts with not only 28 years of true sales experience but advanced degrees in sales productivity. Not many can make such as claim. Drew works with sales managers and their direct reports to create more customer centric relationships that dramatically drive new revenues and new clients. He is the author of Split Second Selling and the founder and coordinator of the Sales Leadership Program at Saint Louis University. Contact him today at 877-391-6821.


Contributor: Drew Stevens

Published here on: 07-Jun-09

Classification: Sales

Website: http://www.drewstevensconsulting.com/

MSWord: OrderTakerorSellingProfessional.doc

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Site Menu

| Home | Top | Quick Links | Settings |

Main sections: | Disciplines | Techniques | Principles | Explanations | Theories |

Other sections: | Blog! | Quotes | Guest articles | Analysis | Books | Help |

More pages: | Contact | Caveat | About | Students | Webmasters | Awards | Guestbook | Feedback | Sitemap | Changes |

Settings: | Computer layout | Mobile layout | Small font | Medium font | Large font | Translate |

 

 

Please help and share:

 

Quick links

Disciplines

* Argument
* Brand management
* Change Management
* Coaching
* Communication
* Counseling
* Game Design
* Human Resources
* Job-finding
* Leadership
* Marketing
* Politics
* Propaganda
* Rhetoric
* Negotiation
* Psychoanalysis
* Sales
* Sociology
* Storytelling
* Teaching
* Warfare
* Workplace design

Techniques

* Assertiveness
* Body language
* Change techniques
* Closing techniques
* Conversation
* Confidence tricks
* Conversion
* Creative techniques
* General techniques
* Happiness
* Hypnotism
* Interrogation
* Language
* Listening
* Negotiation tactics
* Objection handling
* Propaganda
* Problem-solving
* Public speaking
* Questioning
* Using repetition
* Resisting persuasion
* Self-development
* Sequential requests
* Storytelling
* Stress Management
* Tipping
* Using humor
* Willpower

Principles

+ Principles

Explanations

* Behaviors
* Beliefs
* Brain stuff
* Conditioning
* Coping Mechanisms
* Critical Theory
* Culture
* Decisions
* Emotions
* Evolution
* Gender
* Games
* Groups
* Habit
* Identity
* Learning
* Meaning
* Memory
* Motivation
* Models
* Needs
* Personality
* Power
* Preferences
* Research
* Relationships
* SIFT Model
* Social Research
* Stress
* Trust
* Values

Theories

* Alphabetic list
* Theory types

And

About
Guest Articles
Blog!
Books
Changes
Contact
Guestbook
Quotes
Students
Webmasters

 

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