Learn in 8 steps how to make an effective sales call

Every sales call gets you closer to convert your prospect into a customer. So, before making any sales call, it will be great if you have prepared a checklist that helps you stay to the point and perform the sales call without any hassle. 

63% of sales leads say that virtual meetings with customers are equally effective as the ones you meet in person. This indicates the importance of a single sales call in a sales process. Moreover, with the change that this pandemic has brought, people are no longer interested in conducting meetings in person. 

Hence, if you’re a sales rep looking for more prospects, you need to ace the sales call! And I’m here to make your task easier by providing a checklist that you can refer to, so you can turn every call into an effective sales call. 

8 Simple steps to an effective sales call for every sales rep

If you want to make a lasting impression on your prospect via sales call, then you need to implement these 8 steps in your calling strategy!

1. Do thorough research work

The key to making an effective sales call is the research work and effort you put in before making the call. This step will direct you to the path of a successful sales call and help you get started in a familiar manner. Before getting on any sales call, ask yourself these questions –  

• What is your prospect’s company about? 
• What are their pain points? 
• What are your prospect’s pain points? 
• Their interests on various topics. 
• Who are their competitors? 

Studying these points will help you gain insights into your prospect’s requirements so you can provide personalized so 

2. Prepare your agenda 

Your value proposition is what will attract the prospect, so you need to ensure that it’s solid and doesn’t contain any errors. Be clear in what you want to convey so later on there’s no confusion between any parties.  

Before hopping on the call, you must know the key points that you need to discuss with the prospects, any follow-up questions that you need to ask, or any resource supporting your claim. 

3. Qualify the prospect 

For converting your prospect into a customer, you can’t simply jump to the presentation. You need to ask them certain questions first and find out whether you can qualify the prospect as your potential customer or not.  

Therefore, you need to find out these things before you convey your value proposition –  

• What’s the process your prospect goes through before making a decision? 
• How badly do they need your product/service? 
• Does their allocated funds are at par with what they’re asking? 
• What’s their time frame? 
• Finding out the reason why they’re switching to your company. 

Asking these simple questions will help you focus on the prospect and their needs and eliminate the guesswork. 

4. It’s the presentation time 

And here comes the most important step in your sales call – the ultimate presentation! This is where you need to pay extra heed to the prospects and follow tips to make an impressive presentation. Ensure that your value proposition is succinct and to the point. 

Since it’s a phone call, you have to make sure that you stay true to the agenda, because your prospect will only be hearing your voice, so I suggest that you avoid any sarcastic or witty remarks that you normally include when talking to the prospect in person as your tone may get misjudged. 

5. Handle objections and queries like a pro 

This goes without saying; when you put forward your value proposition, there will be plenty of follow-up questions, and sometimes even objections to certain aspects of the proposition.  

This is where you need to prepare yourself and don’t get tangled up; remain composed and provide an answer for every follow-up question. Moreover, if the prospect has any objections (because a sales call doesn’t always go right), see that you ask which specific point they have an issue with and whether you can help them resolve it. 

For instance, if you have a CRM software with all the basic features, but your prospect wants a scheduler or live chatbox as well. In such scenarios, you can enlighten your prospect about possible integrations that they can do to use your CRM software along with other features. 

6. Take notes 

Taking notes during a sales call is highly crucial. What if you had a discussion with a prospect, they agreed to your value proposition, but they had some doubts and wanted to schedule another call? 

In such a situation, if you have notes from the meeting, you can refer to them and come up with points that can help your prospect in decision-making. Moreover, if taking notes is too hectic during a call, you can also use the call recording feature so you can later listen to the entire conversation. 

7. Map out the next stage before ending the call 

You and your prospect are on the same page, now what? 

You need to take this further so you can get the prospect closer to the last stage of the sales process. 

Now, what you can do is when you’re about to end the call, you can provide them with options to take this deal to the next level. 

Are they satisfied with your value proposition? Great! Then schedule a meeting/call for closing the deal. 

Is your prospect still on the edge about making a decision? Schedule a free demo or share important resources that will help them. 

When you get the next appointment, it will be apparent that the prospect is intrigued and more likely to purchase from you. Moreover, this step also helps you avoid the dead-end where you can’t schedule any further activity during a sales call and then have to reach out again to the prospect.  

So, never forget this step if you want to have an effective sales call. 

8. Close your sales call 

Now that you’ve ticked off everything from the list, it’s time to end the sales call. 

But wait! 

Don’t do that before asking your prospect’s input or feedback. 

Even if your sales call went smooth and the prospect agreed to take the deal further, it’s important to ask them for feedback. This shows that you value their opinion and are ready to consider it. 

Sales reps often forget this part as if it’s not essential for closing the deal, but if you ask me, it’s non-negotiable if you want to build a lasting customer relationship. 

It’s not just about having an effective sales call; it’s about making the customer feel valued. 

Conclusion 

By following these steps, you won’t have to worry about making an effective sales call; it’ll automatically work in your favor. Moreover, having a checklist while conducting a sales call helps sales reps to streamline their process. 

Without a defined process for an effective sales call, you’re more likely to miss out on important points and lose your prospects.  

And you certainly don’t want that, do you? 

So, refer to these steps and ace every sales call you make!