Use Your Sell Phone to Increase Sales

There are many cases in book marketing where you have to call people to persuade them to accept a position in your favor. This could be with a publisher, agent, or a distributor. And you can use the phone for performing research, arranging media interviews, following up, networking and prospecting.

Perhaps the most productive use of the telephone is for contacting potential buyers. Only about half of sales opportunities are found in bookstores. You may be able to sell more books if you seek buyers in special-sales markets. But many of these purchasers, such as those in corporations, do not buy books through distributors, but directly from you. It is up to you to contact, persuade and close the sale with them. There are techniques you can use to improve your telephone-communication skills, and perhaps sell more books more quickly.

* It’s normal to be apprehensive. Most people approach telephoning anxiously. But the more calls you make, the easier they will become. You’ll find most people will be polite and sympathetic. Just sit down, start calling, and soon you will feel more comfortable doing it.

* Do not call your best contacts first. Practice telephoning some of your less-important prospects initially. Work out the kinks and familiarize yourself with the questions and comments people will have for you. Wait until you improve before calling your top prospects.

* Allocate time for different types of calls every day. As you plan your week block out time each day for making telephone calls. Further sub-divide it into prospecting, sales, networking and follow-up calls.

* Prepare for each call. It is very important to get your prospects’ complete and immediate attention, and give them some reason to listen to what you have to say. To do this effectively, learn something about them. Do not come across as if you are saying, “I was randomly dialing the telephone and got you. Do you need any books today?”

* Do not try to sell on the first call you make to a major prospect. Your objective should be to arrange a personal meeting with the ultimate decision-maker.

* Set an objective for each call. Before you begin calling people, you should have a definite sense of what you want to accomplish. Set a target for the number of calls you will make and for the results you anticipate for each.

A script can improve your performance.

Actors and actresses use a script to make sure their performance is precise, and capable of being reproduced regularly. Professional speakers use scripts to make sure their speeches are presented smoothly and completely. You too should use a script to make your telephone prospecting more effective and efficient.

A script is not a detailed document you read word-for-word to your prospect, eliminating the spontaneity and charisma you must project on the telephone. Instead, it should be an outline providing consistency, security and momentum to your calling efforts.

Consistency. Telephone calls are rarely identical to one another, and your presentation should be tailored to the specific needs of each prospect. But the sequence in which you present your information should be consistent on every call. For example, you should begin with an attention-getting introduction and move on to a compelling and concise presentation, culminating in a request for an interview. Although the words you use on any one call may or may not be similar to another, a script makes sure that you move from step to step, methodically.

* Security. A script should contain the general questions you want to ask a person, as well as the major points you should communicate. It will keep your conversation proceeding in orderly fashion toward its proper conclusion. If you begin to lose track of your thoughts, your script will keep you moving ahead. You won’t have unwanted periods of awkward silence as you search for the proper words to use.

* Momentum. If you are having success with your telephone activities, a script will help you continue on a roll. On the other hand, you must bounce back quickly from a particularly negative discussion. A script will keep you on track and motivated to make the next call.

Use your script and advance toward your objective methodically. You can do so by including several basic categories of information in it:

1) The prospect’s name. Leave room at the top of your script to pencil-in the name of each person as you call him or her. Write the correct spelling of the target’s name in your records, but write it phonetically on your script. It’s important to use the listener’s name regularly, and it could cause ill will if you mispronounce it.

2) A list of opening statements. Specify different ways to get the listener’s attention under a variety of conditions. That way you can choose the most appropriate one for each situation.

Getting through to your prospect.

The first person you will speak to, particularly in a corporate setting, may be the receptionist of the company. You should always be courteous in your telephone conversations, and this is no exception. If you know the department head’s name, simply say, “Is Mr. Thompson still the Vice President of Marketing? May I speak with him (or ask for the person who took his place)?”

In many cases you will be asked to leave a voice-mail message. The message you leave is the determining factor in whether or not you receive a return call. The most important thing you can do is o give the person a reason to call you. Do not leave a message about your book, but what your book can do for the prospect.

Repeat your name and phone number twice, enunciating carefully each time. Use only two or three sentences, describing the reason it will benefit the recipient to return your call, when it is a good time to call you, and your contact information

Getting the prospective buyer to talk with you.

When your prospects answer the telephone, you must get their immediate attention and give them a reason to stop what they are doing and listen to you. You are interrupting them, and you may find them in a variety of circumstances. First, give them a reason either to listen to you now or at another time when they are inclined to do so under more favorable conditions. Begin with a statement that will get their immediate positive attention followed by a question that checks their availability to continue now. Follow these guidelines in your introductory remarks:

Be precise. Immediately tell your prospects who you are and why you are calling. Give an indication of how much time the call will take. Ask if they have a moment now to discuss your proposition. They may be willing to continue (especially if a mutual friend asked you to call, or if they see the benefit of listening to your proposition), but may not have the time to do so at this time.

Be businesslike. Project friendliness but get down to business quickly. If you talk about the weather until your prospects say, “I’m really busy now. What’s your point?” you have probably succeeded in aggravating them past the point where they will be amenable to your proposal.

Be persuasive. Speak from the perspective of the person to whom you are talking. If you start by saying that you really have to sell your books because you need money, you aren’t giving them enough of a reason to listen longer. Think about their needs. Do they want increased profits? Perhaps satisfied customers? How can your books help them reach their goals?

Make your presentation.

Once you have your prospect’s attention and permission to proceed, move immediately into your presentation. Follow up on your opening statement with a comment enticing the listener to invite you to come in for a personal meeting. Remember, that is your goal. You shouldn’t tell your entire story now, but only enough to whet your prospect’s appetite.

Offer a “hook” to get the listeners involved. This is either a statement or question that involves them in what you have to say. A statement should respond to their unspoken concern: “OK. Now you have my attention. Tell me what you have to say, and you had better make it worthwhile.” Begin by making a connection between their needs and what the content in your book can do for their companies.

Use your telephone effectively and you can sell more books to more people in less time. Prepare for your calls and treat people professionally. Don’t push your agenda, but tie the content of your book to the solution of their problems, and you won’t miss your calling.

Brian Jud is author of Beyond the Bookstore (a Publishers Weekly book) and The Marketing Planning CD-ROM describing how to sell more books profitably to special-sales buyers. Brian is the creator of the Special-Sales Profit Center, used by R. R. Bowker to sell publishers’ books. Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or visit www.bookmarketing.com.

Brian Jud is author of Beyond the Bookstore (a Publishers Weekly book) and The Marketing Planning CD-ROM describing new ways to sell more books profitably to special-sales buyers. He is editor of the Book Marketing Matters special-sales newsletter, and creator of the Book Market Map directories for special sales. Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or visit http://www.bookmarketing.com

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