Now that you know the basic steps to getting an appointment with the prospect, you can also vary that standard approach slightly by using a third party to vouch for you. You see, the beautiful thing about this third-party endorsement approach is that it uses most of the steps we’ve already talked about:
- Get the person’s attention
- Identify yourself and your company
- Give the reason for your call
- Set the appointment
So, let’s dig deeper into how this actually works, shall we?
Get the Person’s Attention
We’ve already learned that the easiest way to get the prospect’s attention is by saying the person’s name. So, whatever approach you’re most comfortable with, that’s what you can use.
For instance, you can say, “Hi, Bob,” “Good morning, Jill,” “Hello, Dan,” “Good afternoon, Mary,” or “Good evening, Mrs. Anderson.” And whichever one you choose, you may not need anything more than that.
Identify Yourself and Your Company
Here, we’ve also learned that if all you say is, “This is Bob Andrews from XYZ Inc.,” it’s highly likely that the prospect won’t know who you are. And as a result, that statement, by itself, isn’t enough to get the appointment.
In other words, in addition to that remark, you also need to give them a chance to understand exactly what you do. So, here’s how to do that.
Let’s say you’re in the sales training industry. After you’ve introduced yourself and mentioned the name of your company, say, “We’re an international sales training company with offices in Los Angeles and New York. I’ve done a lot of work with . . .”
Then, you go on to provide the names of specific companies you’ve worked with and briefly describe the type of work you’ve done with them. For instance, “I’ve done a lot of work with the ABC and 123 companies in the areas of objection handling and closing the sale.”
You see, by saying this, you’ve now painted a picture for your prospects and helped them to imagine what your call is about. As a result, they’ll think, “Oh, okay, this has to do with sales training.”
Give the Reason for Your Call and Set the Appointment
Next, we’ll combine the third and fourth steps. And to clarify, before we ask for the appointment, we’ll first focus on a specific success story.
So, in order to do that, continue by saying, “The reason I’m calling you today specifically is that I just completed an effective training program with 321 Company. As a matter of fact, it increased their sales results by 20 percent in six months. I’d like to stop by next Wednesday at 2 pm and just tell you about the success I had with them.”
Now, the beautiful thing about this statement is that you’re not necessarily telling prospects that you can definitely do for them what you’ve done before. You’re merely mentioning your success with other companies and asking for an appointment.
To put it another way, you’re not being arrogant or making empty promises. You’re simply saying that you were successful with another company, and that’s why it makes sense for you to get together with the prospect.
So, all together, here’s what the approach will sound like:
“Hi Kathy, this is Bob Andrews from XYZ Inc., an international sales training company with offices in Los Angeles and New York. I’ve done a lot of work with the ABC and 123 companies in the areas of objection handling and closing the sale. The reason I’m calling you today specifically is that I just completed an effective training program with 321 Company. As a matter of fact, it increased their sales results by 20 percent in six months. I’d like to stop by next Wednesday at 2 pm and just tell you about the success I had with them.”
Now, in addition to this customized example, you can also broaden the approach by saying this:
“Hi Kathy, this is Bob Andrews from XYZ Inc., an international sales training company with offices in Los Angeles and New York. I’ve done a lot of work with the ABC and 123 companies in the areas of objection handling and closing the sale. The reason I’m calling you today specifically is that we’ve helped several companies in the Houston area achieve greater success. I’d like to come by and just tell you about some of the work we’ve accomplished in your area. How’s next Wednesday at 2 pm?”
You see, the useful thing about this wider approach is that it lets you tailor your call to the city in which your prospect resides, so that you can use it whenever you need it.
