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SI Review
Effective Sales
Techniques for Staffing
What's different about selling staffing? Selling
is selling is selling. If you can sell steel bridges, you can also
sell staffing service. But staffing salespeople have two problems:
First, it's really important to speak in terms of the benefit--what's
important to the client--instead of features. Salespeople assume
that it's difficult to tell clients what is in it for them, but
it isn't. They just don't know how to position the benefit statement.
Second, the industry is a little slow on picking up the tremendous
opportunity there is in placing their first call to the top executive
rather than someone lower down. Most of them are taught to call
at the VP or HR level. They're talking to people who can't say "Yes"
in the first place. If a competitor talks to the top executive,
and your salesperson talks to someone lover in the organization,
the competitor will get the business. Salespeople tend to start
lower, but they don't need to do that. They're talented people.
Executives need to hear what we have to say.
Often, salespeople forget the purpose of the call. The purpose is
not to sell to the person who answers the phone; it is to schedule
an appointment to meet with the top executive in person. Roger Ailes'
book, You Are the Message says that 55% of communication is nonverbal.
Salespeople need to be there to get the feedback they can only get
face to face.
Some salespeople make the mistake of using the wrong language. They're
still in the charm mode, which translates on the phone as being
chatty and using such social fluff as "Hi, how 'ya doing'?" This
approach broadcasts that you don't belong at the executive level.
What you should be doing is saying politely, "Sally, my name is
Leslie. I'm calling to schedule an appointment on Mr. X's calendar
to talk about. . ."
At the same time, don't treat the assistant as a decision-maker--don't
ask him/her for permission (Do you think I could schedule an appointment
with Mr. X?") but state what you want: "This is Leslie. I'm calling
to (insert benefit statement, such as 'to see whether we can save
your company 20% of your workforce expenses') and I'd like to make
an appointment with Mr. X. What is a better day for him, Monday
or Wednesday?"
Likewise, when you make your presentation to the decision-maker,
highlight benefits not features. Tell prospects what's in it for
them--"You can save up to 20% of your workforce expenses."
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