The next target name and title for your new B-team salesperson pops up on his screen. He takes a quick look at the company web site and then punches “dial”. His conversation starts the exact same way his last conversation did. He doesn’t have any context for how your company can help his target, instead using a “One Conversation Fits Most” approach.

How much better would his sales numbers be if he could cater each conversation to the person on the other end of the phone?

1. Research the company as it relates to what you’re selling: It’s not enough to get an overview of the target, for example, understanding that they manufacture and sell lenses. Your team needs to get a quick overview that is relevant to the product that they want to sell. Using recent articles about the company might have tremendous hints for their needs (for example, if they have new management or if they recently opened a new location). In addition, current articles about their industry might point to pain that they’re having that your company can address (for example, if there is a huge market for a new size of lenses and they are going to need to ramp up production). If you can start your conversation with a relevant bridge between what you’re selling and what they need, you are much more likely to engage a sale… than with a generic conversation.

The trouble with a classic elevator speech is that in tele-sales no one has the time or the inclination to hear what you have to say.

Communicating by phone is different than face to face where a suspect or a prospect will grant you a few more moments if only to be courteous. On the phone it is simple and easy for a prospect to terminate the call and that's one of the main reasons why you need an escalator speech.

An escalator speech is an abbreviated version of an elevator speech and it is absolutely vital in the world of B to B tele-sales. Whereas an elevator speech is based on the premise that you present what you do over the time it takes to travel a few floors up an elevator, the escalator speech is based on the premise that you present what you do in the time it takes to travel only one floor.

Change.  Inevitable,  Constant.  Everyone's talking about it.  Social media, the new (2.0) customer, the downsized organization - and how selling strategies need to change to adapt to today's customer.

As sellers, I think we can all agree on a few things, today's customers: 

• Are harder to get on the phone
• Are less likely to respond to email
• Can discover a lot more about us and our solutions than they used to be able to (because we help them)

Oh yeah... one other thing: 

• Our solutions and services are still relevant... helping improve and optimize our prospect's businesses. 

How are some companies able to generate consistently higher margins than their competitors?  Take an organization like Tiffany & Co. jewelers.  The silver, gold, platinum and diamonds are the same as the next jeweler's… right? 

Tiffany & Co. has a "story" that eclipses the product inside.  This story which is based on tradition, quality, workmanship and a superior customer experience is responsible for a premium margin, the highest industry averages of return customer purchases and salespeople that earn more than their peers.  Many other factors contribute to Tiffany & Co.'s success… but the Tiffany & Co. story, represented by that little pale blue box is iconic.  It "is" the brand.  

Want to know the best way to get a prospect to call you back or respond to an email?

Communicate in simple language how your solution helps your prospect: 

• Improve or better execute their business strategy
• Lower the risk of achieving their business strategy
• Solve a problem that is impacting their business strategy