As it does in most fields of endeavor today, a rapidly evolving technology impacts the lives of independent manufacturers’ representatives — especially when it comes to preparing for sales calls. The typical sales call remains the lifeblood of any agency’s operation. That’s why the adage “Failing to plan is planning to fail” is so important. It’s critical to integrate the positive contributions that technology makes to sales call preparation. Whether it’s navigating through contacts on LinkedIn, ensuring the right CRM program is in place, or mining a wealth of information that can be found on the Internet, technology can serve as a salesperson’s best friend.

The three new members of MANA’s Board of Directors who are profiled elsewhere on these pages of Agency Sales, agree on the value of technology when it comes to getting ready for that all-important sales call.

Ed Juline points to the ease with which he can learn more about principals and customers than the competition prior to a sales call. Juline, Mexico Representation, Guadalajara, Mexico, maintains that with all the information that is available on the Internet, “You can slice the information you find in any number of ways. For instance, before any sales call, I usually pop on LinkedIn to learn where someone went to college or what their work history is. There’s nothing like being able to access someone’s resume five minutes before a call or being able to get the information you need so you can comment on how well Michigan State played last weekend to help you with the sales call.

Similar to Juline, John Davis, Paul Davis Automation, Chardon, Ohio, explains that “While I don’t necessarily do this for every sales call, there’s nothing better with major calls than to be able to use the Internet to search for some commonalities with the person I’m calling on. In addition, I usually visit a company website or read news about an individual or company before I call on them.”

While Stephen Fowler, Process Equipment Resources & Consulting, Bridgewater, New Jersey, also touts the many benefits of technology — specifically the Internet — when it comes to preparing for sales calls, he continues to emphasize that relationships are key to the rep’s sales efforts. According to Fowler, “The Internet has done a tremendous job of diminishing the sense of paranoia that agents and manufacturers have had about the other having information that they’re not willing to share. Now all the information about everyone and everyone’s company is right there on the Internet.

“At the same time technology has allowed the customer to know all they need to know about the products that you represent. That provides the rep with the opportunity to be much more than just a seller of products. Now, armed with a knowledge of the customer and his needs and wants, they can operate as solutions providers. You’re not selling a product, you’re selling profitability and efficiency.”

Putting Information to Use

If it’s a given that there’s plenty of information to be had concerning existing and potential customers, the question to be answered is how best to put it all together to make the best use of it. Perhaps it’s best to fall back on the time-honored practice of digging through all of it and sorting out only that which will be directly valuable in a sales presentation. Once done, then organize what you have in order of importance. When a sense of organization develops — and it certainly will — put that information in the form of an outline that logically leads from one set of acts to another. It’s key to keep in mind that these facts have to be of importance to the customer. It must contain information they will pay attention to and react to.

Once completed, the outline you create should provide the answers to a number of questions that ought to be answered prior to calling on a customer. For instance:

• Does the outline tell you anything you didn’t previously know about the customer and his needs/wants?
• Does it pinpoint ways that you can anticipate the wants and needs of your prospects?
• Have you identified customer problems that can be solved by the products that you represent?
• Are there any warning signals to watch out for?
• And perhaps finally, can you anticipate a competitor’s reaction to the presentation that you’re about to make?

Identifying Objectives

The real positive for all of this before-hand work is that it allows you to identify your prospect’s objectives thereby placing you in the best position to make the sale. Or, if failing in that effort, it may allow you to at least lay the foundation for a business relationship that may pay off in the future.

As the pre-call picture gains a bit more focus, it will become much easier to achieve stated goals. Remember making the sale is the ultimate goal, but it’s the number of opportunities you have to gain knowledge about the customer that will allow you to reach that goal.

At the same time, if your sale is one that is going to take several calls, the ability to have a series of clearly defined objectives provides you with a measuring stick with which to gauge your progress. Understandably, it can be very frustrating to have to make call after call and really not know whether you’re making headway or not.

When it comes to most sales calls, you usually have opportunities to accomplish a number of tasks. As an example, it may become apparent early on during your first call that a sale isn’t going to be possible with that one call. Once you become aware of this, it’s possible to plan step-by-step objectives that will be needed during the course of future calls in order to make the sale. Many agents maintain that you should have, in addition to your individual call objectives, several fallback goals that will continue to move the sale forward.

Fallback Positions

Considering some fallback positions you might look at if you fail to achieve your primary goal — closing the sale — your fallback objective might very well be to get another appointment in order to try again. But the question must be asked: Is this going to be a cost-effective approach?

How about another fallback position that calls for you just to stay in the running, or one where you use your time with the customer to probe for a competitor’s approach to the order? And then there’s always the possibility that you’ll identify the fact that the customer is simply wasting your time and looking to gain intel from you all the while planning to place the order elsewhere.

The fact remains, however, that putting major and fallback objects on paper (or on your computer/tablet) is much more than a simple exercise. Completing this process can help you clarify your thinking about the prospect in both short- and long-term planning. And, the written record is something you can refer back to as your sales effort moves forward.

Is It Worth It?

Sure, this is all a lot of work, but is it worth it? That can only be answered by acknowledging whether the sale is worth it. But, keep in mind that once you get into this type of planning mode, it becomes second nature and chances are you’ll notice that your efforts on behalf of one product, one line or one principal, will ultimately bear fruit for some of your other lines. Because agencies function best when they carry related, but non-competitive products, a lot of the pre-sales-call information you gather will be applicable to the sale of other principals’ products.

The final steps in this process are those that are taken after you have gathered information, sorted it, thrown out that which wasn’t relevant and kept that which is. The final steps are taken just before you make your call. In a sense, the final step is a rehearsal. You may do it alone, but it can be a lot more effective if you do it in a role-playing mode with another person.

---

More …

In addition to the already stated benefits that technology and the Internet provide when it comes to learning about customers, a few additional sources of information that can be used to prepare for a strong prospect call include:

• Information From Other Salespeople — Don’t underestimate the value of checking with other agents who sell non-competitive products to the prospect for tips on how to structure a sales-call strategy.
• Previous Agency Information — If an agency has been conducting business with the prospect in the past, check the files and speak with others who may have made calls on the individual.
• Personal Observations — Whether yours or others’ past experience can pay off in the future.
• Complaint File — Pay special attention to how past complaints have been addressed and whether they were solved to the customer’s satisfaction.
• Published Information — Naturally the Internet has made this process much easier, but also check out information that may have been published about a company in industry magazines and trade journals.

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].