Using the phone to sell is Andrew’s book covering all the key things you need to sell successfully on the phone in B2B markets. How to sell more to more people more often.
An easy-to-read paperback which comes in at 270 pages guides you through over 20 years of experience in using the telephone as a highly effective marketing tool. The book is aimed at a number of audiences who want to generate more business over the phone.
- Business owners – perhaps you want to set up a team or understand how the phone can be used to generate new business.
- Sales directors and managers – Your task is to bring in new business and grow the company. The telephone is one key element of the mix alongside field appointments, social media, advertising, PR, exhibitions etc.
- Team leader, supervisor – You oversee a team of people who make outbound calls each day. You’re keen to know how they can generate more.
- Telemarketing – telesales agent – Some top tips on how to manage your time and your call pot to wring out the maximum value you can.
It is also available for your Kindle too if books don’t do it for you. Buy here directly through the site.
Top tips
This slightly (in places) autobiographical book guides you through some of the setbacks, disasters and highlights Andrew has had over the years managing outbound telephone teams and building his own training consultancy business.
What can I read about?
The book starts with some observations about how selling has changed since the 1980s. You then get to read about what selling is and the personality traits you need to be successful. The importance of being a nice person is spelt out in Chapter 3. You sell based on the quality of your relationships with your customers and prospects. Your competitors will hope to steal them from you by being more committed, more diligent and nicer!
Good selling is also about being organised. Some top tips in Chapter 4 on how to set your stall out and how to run your own sales process effectively. Spend time on the things that matter and less on those that don’t.
Questioning techniques are a key part of identifying needs and demonstrating interest in the person you’re dealing with. Some of you will have been on courses including questioning in the past. But their importance cannot be overestimated. Rediscover your inner child. As children we are all naturally curious.
In selling you will inevitably come up against objections, complaints and nos. Your ability to brush these off makes you an experienced and unflappable sales person. There is always someone in the market who can offer it cheaper or quicker, or to a better quality. How do you sell against these things?
Structuring the sales call is adapted from the training material To Market covers on the 2 day telephone sales masterclass. Knowing how to navigate your way through a successful sales call helps ensure consistency and a robust sales approach.
Getting past the gatekeeper
There just had to be a chapter on Getting past the gatekeeper. For anyone selling on the phone this is a daily obstacle. Something you have to learn to take in your stride. So lots of top tips from Andrew and delegates he’s trained over the years in an easy-to-digest format.
Many people running consultancy style businesses – especially the self-employed use the phone reluctantly. In a chapter specifically for consultants the book offers to explain the reticence of consultants to make phone calls and how to make it a more successful and pleasurable part of marketing activity.
Finally a chapter on selling in a post-pandemic world – acknowledging that much has changed and will continue to change post 2020.
You can buy the book Using the Phone to Sell – how to sell more to more people more often from all good bookshops. This includes Waterstones and Amazon. Or buy it direct through the site to get a signed copy. Alternatively it’s also available from Amazon on your Kindle too.