The Value of Conference Calling in the New Economy
Posted by Kathleen S on Thu, Jul 02, 2009 @ 09:24 AM
Toll free audio conferencing is a must-have for your small business. One only needs to run through the steps in a sales cycle to see the benefit of audio conferencing services. The sales cycle involves the time that passes between initiation of the sales process and the conclusion of a sale.
The first step in the sales cycle, prospecting for leads is the part that takes up the majority of sales time for most businesses. Once you have targeted your prospects, you can set up an appointment to assess the client's needs. Next, you need to plan your trip, book the flight and hotel stay. Already, you have place a significant amount of resources in time in generating a lead that may or may not result in a sale.
Instead of packing your bags and running off to another part of the country, you can save time and money by conducting your initial meeting by toll free audio conferencing. Your audio conference will allow you to qualify the lead. This means ensuring the product or service is appropriate and that the customer and that the customer can pay for the service.
Presentation is the next step in the sales cycle. Too many salespeople overemphasize the need for slick materials and pitches. An effective salesperson does not pitch at all, but questions the prospect on their needs and shows the value of the product or service, plus how it can solve the prospect's problems. The prospect will not a buy any product unless a specific need has been demonstrated. Audio conferencing is an effective way to have this type of conversation without wasting your time or than of your potential client.
Concerns and objections will be raised by the prospect and these can be addressed through toll free audio conferencing as well. By using toll free audio conferencing, there is no pressure to go through this step at your first meeting. This puts both the salesperson and the prospect at ease, resulting in a greater chance of a sale.
Closing the sale is the final step in the sales cycle. In many cases this can be accomplished in the same meeting when objections are raised. Other times, the prospect will want more time to assess the product. If your presentation was done properly, this delay will not be needed. Most customers have already made the decision to buy before they raise objections.