A Good Sales Call

I am so sick of hearing salespeople say that they had a great conversation with a prospect.  Do you know how rarely those good conversations convert?

Do yourself one favor today.  To the first salesperson you speak with who says they had a great conversation with a prospect ask, “Why do you think it was so great?” Listen to the reasons why they think the call was great and you’ll notice that you won’t hear things like, “they had compelling reasons to buy from us” or “they told me about a real problem that we can solve” or “they are completely qualified to do business with us” or “they had trouble answering my questions” or “they loved my questions”.  It is more likely that you’ll hear, “We had a nice conversation” or “We had a lot in common” or “They want a proposal” or “They’re not ready yet but they will be soon”.

Now do me one more favor.  Help them understand the difference between a good sales call and a good conversation.