7 Ways to Excel at Calling Leads
Michael Oliver
I love calling qualified leads! To me they are the easiest and most effective way to increase business. People have made fortunes from doing it and so can you. The key is to mentally prepare yourself and step out of the box of conventional thinking and doing. Here are 7 ways to do that. 1. Call your leads when no one else is - During the summer months! Many will say summer time is a slow time. And they're right ... because they say it's slow. And because they say it, they believe it and what they believe happens. Others will say it isn't slow... and they're right too. And THAT is what makes the difference between mediocrity and greatness! Let me ask you this. If you had a regular business and you closed it down for 3 months in the summer, what would happen to the momentum, profitability and goodwill of the company? The answer is obvious. So why is it so many Distributors' take the summer off? Wouldn't the same thing likely happen? So make the summer a stellar time to be in the market and expanding your business. Unlike fall and winter, the field is clear... there is less competition, and you have more time to find, nurture and train your new downline. 2. Calling leads from a lead list is NOT cold calling! If you’re a little nervous about calling, remind yourself you’re calling someone who has requested you do so. This is because they are looking for something and you might have the solution. A cold call is calling someone you have never met and don’t know about. It’s like pulling a name randomly out of the phone book. So do yourself and them a favor... return their request as soon as possible and discover what that is. 3. Expect Positive Responses People don't think what you think they think. If you start your call with the negative expectation that you will get a lot of resistance - the chances are you will! Why? Because you get what you expect! People are mostly kind and receptive. Just like you, they're looking for ways to make their life easier, more fulfilling, etc. That's why they invited you to help them. Again, change your thinking to one that your lead is expecting you to call. 4. Discover What’s Missing In Your Lead' Life s Whatever you do, don't get into the trap of thinking that it's all about 'educating' or 'giving them information.' It's not. It's about allowing them talk in detail about what they want and why they want it. Having this frame of mind is so important. See yourself as a problem solver... as someone who has potential solutions to the problems your leads are facing. How do you do you do that? By getting into Dialogue with them by Asking questions Listening without prejudging Feeding back based on what you’ve heard them say. You'll then find every call you make will end with a positive result. Why? Because people love talking about themselves, and they will always feel good about you and listen to you... if you listen to them first! (If you want to discover more about, 'The Magic and Power of Dialogue', I invite you to visit my website) www.NaturalSelling.com
5. Go Slow To Go Fast. Spend time here helping you and your lead qualify each other. Ironically, the more time you spend, the faster you will build your business. Relationships take time. If you don't have time when you call - when will you find time? THIS is the time to find out their 'Why'. Not later on. Your lead will give you all the time in the world. Why? Because they are talking about their favorite subject… themselves. Time just flies by. 6. Qualifying. Did I say in #5, "helping you and your lead qualify each other"? Yes I did. The answers to your questions are just as much for your lead to think about... ponder and perhaps shift their beliefs over... as they are for you! Contrary to a lot of conventional opinion, selling is not about qualifying your lead in the first 15 seconds. It's impossible to find out about anything from most people in 15 seconds and you'll lose more opportunities than you will gain if you take this attitude. Spend the time. 7. Don' Wait to Get Good t Most Distributors' wait to be good! As someone I know says, '1 degree of temperature can turn boiling water into steam'. Raise yourself by one degree and you'll turn yourself into the star that's waiting to be released. Talking of temperature, take advantage of the summer and call NOW, when no one else is! Have peaceful and prosperous week… Michael Oliver Natural Selling® Sales Training www.NaturalSelling.com Michael Oliver is an Internationally recognized trainer, speaker and author of the best-selling book, “How to Sell Network Marketing Without Fear, Anxiety or Losing Your Friends!” He is also the founder of Natural Selling® Sales Training, www.NaturalSelling.com.