Sell on every call

I was in the field with a rep who was responding to a phone in lead. The customer, a new florist shop, had called in to place "a grand opening ad." The rep went in sure of a sale so he decided to coast. After introducing himself he launched in to a discussion of what type of an ad they wanted and what they wanted to say. He bypassed the discovery phase of the call and asked no questions about their business. I believe this is bad practice as the call did not teach him anything about the customer's goals or plans. He also did nothing to build his relationship with the customer. He was functioning as an order taker rather than as a consultant. A good salesperson sells on every call. A good sales call leave the sales person and the prospect with a better understanding of what the other has to offer and builds their relationship. A "Kiss Me" lead is tempting but can lead to a quick sale instead of a long term business relationship.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch