Questions from Pre-Call Sales Planning Meetings Matter There is a great opportunity for competitive sales teams to outperform their competitors due to the inconsistent quantity and quality of pre-call sales planning. Why? Because sales representatives who are prepared by being familiar with the answers to crucial pre-call questions from sales planning meetings are more likely to add value, manage objections, and secure the subsequent steps necessary to close the sale.
Buyers Expect More from Sales People According to Forester Research, executive buyers report that less than 25% of salespeople meet their expectations, create value, or get agreement for a next step during their sales meetings Lack of sales preparation is a major factor in the track record. Sadly, executive buyers report that:
The Top 7 Pre-Call Sales Planning Meeting Questions Assuming you can articulate your unique value proposition and have a clear understanding of your target clients, you must, at the very least, be able to respond to the following seven pre-call sales planning questions before meeting with any potential client. Most of this can be discovered with very little research and through internal and external networking.
The Temptation to Avoid at All Costs %E2%80%94 Winging It We believe that less than 30% of sales people meet a buyer%E2%80%99s expectations on sales calls because they repeat the same mistake over and over again They wing it. As a result, they are forced to concentrate on their business, its products, and its solutions rather than their customers and their customers’ customers.
What is Pre-Call Planning for Sales? Why do it?
Why is pre-call planning important?
Pre-call preparation is crucial because it enables the sales team to decide what they want to get out of the conversation with the customer and how to do it. Preparation can produce benefits such as:
What is pre-call planning?
Pre-call planning is a procedure where salespeople create a thorough strategy for interacting with a potential customer before making contact. It mostly occurs in business-to-business exchanges where one company offers another one a good or service in exchange for the latter company making an investment.
Pre-call planning is done by sales teams to gather more details about the buyer and come up with a plan to keep their interest. The procedure can take place at the start of the buyer’s journey when a business generates a lead or near the end when representatives negotiate prices and finally seal the deal.
Tips for forming a pre-call plan
Consider these advice for additional guidelines on creating a pre-call plan:
Build rapport with the lead representative
Consider learning more about the representative who will join you on your call as you research the potential buyer. Once the meeting starts, look for areas where you and the professional have things in common and bring them up. Building a connection with the other person can make the conversation flow more easily and make it memorable, both of which are crucial for you to outperform your competition.
Leave room for spontaneity
While careful planning is important, it’s also crucial to avoid over-preparing for the lead. Pay attention to how you practice your answers and the list of questions you come up with. The representative may perceive your tone as more genuine than scripted and impersonal if you allow for some spontaneity, making the conversation flow more naturally.
Additionally, keep in mind that both parties must contribute actively to the conversation. The buyer might also have a list of questions for you, which could change the course of the conversation. It might be advantageous to be ready to implement your suggestions and the buyer’s guidance.
Keep your resources nearby
Think about assembling your research into a brief report you can use as a source during the call. You can also have a document with pertinent details about your goods. Verify once more that you comprehend your reference materials before you call the representative’s number. For instance, if you want to sell a technology product, you can clarify how it works because the lead might be curious to know that.
Follow up after the call
After your conversation with the representative, get an email ready to send. You can arrange a face-to-face meeting and summarize the main points of the conversation. Also, remember to thank the representative for their time.
How to properly pre-call plan
Create a strategy for your initial discussion with a potential customer by following these steps:
1. Collect information about the prospective buyer
Researching your lead and the market before calling them will help you determine which product or service will benefit them the most. Find out information about their most recent business dealings, such as the investments they have made and the relationships they have had with other businesses. The following three techniques can be used to research potential buyers:
2. Research the buyers competitors
With knowledge of the rival companies, you can discover the difficulties the customer has encountered and offer a product to help them outperform their rivals. When researching the opposition, consider the following questions:
3. Create an objective for the call
Think through your goals for the call with the prospective buyer. You can facilitate a meaningful conversation that is in line with both your interests and the interests of the buyer if you have a clear objective.
If you’re in the early stages of the sales process, for instance, your objective might be to confirm the lead’s interest in your business, so you intend to provide a general description of your products. If you’ve already made headway with the lead, your objective might be to convince them to invest in your business, in which case you’ll need to provide more specific information about your product and the advantages it would have for them.
4. Write a list of questions
Prepare a list of inquiries to ask the prospective buyer in order to gauge interest and direct the conversation. Your inquiries can help you validate judgments you’ve made about the business based on your research, and they can also give you fresh perspective on the intentions of the customer. Make sure your questions are open-ended so the representative will be motivated to elaborate and cover more ground.
5. Anticipate objections to your pitch
Think about any reservations a potential customer might have about buying your product using the results of your research. Suppose the buyer perused your company website before the call. Think about their viewpoint and any inferences they might have drawn after learning more about your services. For instance, it’s possible that they have questions about the costs of your products or aren’t familiar with the companies you’ve previously partnered with.
Prepare how you’ll respond to their objections during the call once you’ve anticipated them. It might be beneficial to be open and honest about the problem and then provide a satisfying resolution to calm the customer and demonstrate your appreciation for their feedback.
Template for pre-call planning
Create a pre-call planning document for your sales team using the following sample:
Name of buyer
[Representatives name], [Position]
[Company name]
Write down your call’s objective and the buying cycle stage in your objective. ].
Possible objections
Key questions to ask
Key questions the buyer may ask
Example for pre-call planning
Make your pre-call preparation for your conversation with a buyer using the template below:
Name of buyer Jenny Gosling, Head of Sales
Greenwood Office Supply
*Objective for the call Ms. Gosling has already expressed interest in contributing to our subscription for computer security. Our goal is to sell Greenwood Office Supply on our premium subscription, which we think is the best option. *.
Possible objections
Key questions to ask
Key questions the buyer may ask
FAQ
What is presale call?
Pre-call planning is the process of conducting research to get ready for a sales call. In many ways, it serves as the cornerstone of your sales strategy because it aids in the development of a strategy for carrying out your objectives. This type of planning takes place before the call.
What is call planning?
To balance a company’s brand, sales, and tactical goals, call planning is an essential step in the commercial operations process.
How does pre-call planning add value?
Sales reps who prepare outperform those who wing it. With pre-call sales planning, you can anticipate, add value, show competency, establish credibility, and treat people with respect. If you don’t adequately prepare, you might never have the opportunity to advance to the next phase of the sales cycle.
What should you prepare before making call call?
- Define Your Goals. Make your objectives clear. …
- Structure the Call. You can keep the conversation under control by making a loose agenda.
- Know Your Value. The truth is that your potential customer is extremely busy.
- Do Your Research. …
- Visualize Success.
