TEAM CALLS – WHO’S ON FIRST

From Linda Richardson

A salesperson (the generalist who owned the relationship) and a specialist agreed before an important team call that the salesperson would “lead” and the specialist would be in a support role.

When the salesperson “sat back” after opening and left the specialist to handle the call, the specialist felt aggrieved and vowed (without giving feedback) not to support this salesperson again. The salesperson thought the call went well and as planned, and because he got no feedback, he could not understand why the specialist wasn't available for future calls

Team call situations are ripe for confusion and frustration unless the team members agree on a clear call plan.

In the example above, the salesperson agreed who would lead — BUT the word “lead” leaves room for misunderstanding. Leading the call could mean anything from setting the call up, opening, being the MC, and wrapping up at the end to being the one with primary responsibility for the discussion.

Team calling demands a much more specific definition of roles. To ensure that you and your teammate are on the same page, create an agenda. Clearly designate roles, agenda items, times, and transitions.

Let's look at what an agenda might look like:

• Preparation — What is the objective? What are our roles? What parts of the agenda will each lead?
• Opening — Who will open, build rapport (be sure to include team member), and set the stage?
• Need Dialogue(s) — Who will probe for needs?
• Solution Dialogue(s) — Who will position the solution?
• Resolving Objections — Who will deal with which objections?
• Closing — Who will ask for the next step? Who will summarize and wrap up?
• Transition — What and where will the transitions be

For your next team call, decide who's on first as a strategy so your team comes out first!

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Letting the Customer Talk

During a recent roleplaying exercise, the participant playing the salesperson was attempting to sell a product to another participant playing a prospective customer. There was only one problem with how the participant was handling the interaction though—the customer rarely got to speak. And when the customer tried to tell the salesperson what his needs were, he was cut off with a lengthy dissertation of product information and features.

The interesting thing about this particular roleplay was that the salesperson was actually recommending the right product for the customer, but the customer could not see that because:

 He did not have a chance to speak
 He was not being listened to
 He felt that the salesperson did not truly understand his needs because the salesperson resorted to a standard sales pitch about the product instead of a fully customized one.

The main learning point was obvious: in the absence of being listened to and/or understood, customers are much less likely to buy, even when the product is the right fit for them. Customers need to believe that you understand their situation and how the product will help them fulfill a need. It does not matter to the customer if the salesperson has heard this need before—the salesperson has not heard it from THIS customer—and what matters to the customer is an opportunity to talk and share to ensure the salesperson “gets it.” Salespeople need to improve their listening skills and show that they understand what the customer is talking about before earning the right to talk about the product themselves.

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