Recognizing "Problem Trigger Words"

When someone contacts you after visiting your website they will often say, "Our issue is that we need to..." If this issue is something you can help solve, most people will jump in with, "let me tell you how we can fix that."

If you were to respond that way, "that would be pitching, in a non-sports sense, as opposed to finding out exactly why she said what she did," says telesales expert Art Sobczak. "And that will give you the reasons why they will buy from you. Plus, then they are selling themselves, which is much better than you trying to sell them."

"Too often sales reps hear what I call "problem trigger words" and then begin puking out a presentation," continues Sobczak. "These words are signs that your prospect/customer has, or perceives, a problem. They might not explain it fully without your prompting."

Listen for:
"We need to ..."
"We're thinking about..."
"We're considering..."
"We're noticing..."
"The challenge is..."
"We're planning on..."
"The problem is..."

"These are all invitations for you to zero in on these areas to root out the specific reasons they will buy from you," says Sobczak.

Follow up with phrases like:
"Tell me more about that..."
"Let's discuss that a little more..."
"What do you think is causing that?"
"What other effects is that having?"

And quantify their pain or problem whenever you can, by asking questions like:
"How long has that been going on?"
"How often does that happen?"
"What is that costing you?"

The keys to success here?

1. Listen as if your livelihood depended on grasping every word that comes from your prospect/customer.

2. Take notes and write down the SPECIFIC terminology they use, so you can repeat it back to them in your questioning, and eventual recommendation.

3. Do NOT jump in with your recommendation until you have fully developed an understanding of their issue. This also carries the benefit of them thinking more about the problem, therefore making them more receptive to your suggestion.

Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone Inc., specializes in one area only: working with business-to-business salespeople--both inside and outside--designing and delivering content-rich programs that participants begin showing results from the very next time they get on the phone. www.BusinessByPhone.com