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Sales Jazz
"If
at First You Don't Succeed· · · "
Feeling trapped by technology? So are many other
sales professionals. A common complaint is "I leave a lot of voice
mail messages without getting any personal contact. Do you have
any tips for me?"
Yes, work around the voice mail until you make contact with a human!
If I were to list things in life that are annoying, at the top of
the list would be phone tag. I would prefer to make contact the
first time, get a decision, and move on. Voice mail only service
to heighten annoyance.
There are a few ways to circumvent the mechanical devices. Whether
the tape indicates it or not, many systems well reroute the call
to a human being if you press "0". When the operator answers, you
can ask, "I was connected to the executive's voice mail, is the
executive or the executive assistant in today?"
If your prospect is available in person, the operator often knows
the answer or will reroute your call to another human being in the
department who can tell you the whereabouts of your prospect. In
some companies, the operator simply pages the party you want to
speak with, releasing you from the frustration of being trapped
by technology.
You may reach the executive on the first ring if you call between
7:00 and 7:30 in the morning. Many executives are in the office
before the rest of the people begin their day.
Some answer their own phones at that time of the day rather than
defer to a machine.
Use these tips to circumvent voice mail and be relentless in your
pursuit of a human!
Source: Secrets To Scheduling The Executive-Level Sales Call: how to
win over the million-dollar decision-maker,
by Leslie Buterin.
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