And the Reason for Your Call?

When you call a prospect and the receptionist asks,” May I ask what this is regarding?” or “And the reason for your call?” you might be tempted to say, “Make a sale, collect a residual, and plan for the vacation I deserve.”

Of course, we all want to make sales and usually that is our ultimate goal. But, there are a series of steps along the way, you might call them mini-goals, that are just as important. For instance, you may want to conduct some research on the merchant’s industry or gather data on the company. Or, you might be in the “relationship building” stage and just want to introduce yourself and briefly speak with the prospect. And of course, you may need to qualify the prospect.

Knowing why you are calling a prospect is just as important as the call itself. It allows you to accurately gauge how long the call will last, whom you need to speak with, and what questions to ask. Your preparedness, organization, and respect for the prospect’s time will be evident and perhaps rewarded down the road with a closed sale and signed agreement!

     And by all means, pay attention to any possible cost assistance, such as lead generation, telemarketing, or service provider paid contests. The real value is based on how much do you have to do, how much will the other guy do, and for how long can you expect to be paid.

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