I was interviewing a sales person last week and she made a comment I found very interesting. She said she commonly calls prospects by first dialing *67 so that it masks her caller ID. She said it helps her phone calls get through. I wondered why no one wants to pick up the phone when they know it’s her?
Crazy? No, I’m sure lots of sales people do this. Will she get the job? Never.
Here’s why.
Great sales people don’t have to use *67 because they’re great at adding value. In the first connection or meeting with a prospect they ask questions and listen. They are really good at understanding people’s problems and needs. Then they think night and day about how they can solve those problems. Then they follow up.
Good sales people get past the caller ID filter because their reputation is not that of a ‘salesperson’ it’s that of a ‘consultant.’
There are several sales people I love hearing from because they come with information and advice to help me solve my problems. When I recognize their phone number I pick up the phone. Sure, most of the time they’re selling something, but I know that good advice does not come free and usually they pitch something that’s directly related to the problems I’ve got.
Do you know how many times I pick up the phone when the call comes from ‘anonymous’? None.
I’ve noticed while reading real estate agent reviews that good real estate agents all seem to listen and solve problems. They’re perceived as consultants not ‘sales people.’ If you’ve gone on a listing presentation and you’re not getting called back, and you find yourself constantly using *67 I say stop wasting your time re-think how you approach your business.
In this transparent world we live in the tactics that drive you to use *67 will eventually make you obsolete.
Comments(27)