Answering the Sales Call

Steve Vitrano of WAVE Drowning Detection Systems shares how to stay on task, on time and keep an open mind by answering that sales call.

We know work can feel overwhelming. There are emails, calls and texts from peers and customers that take their rightful spot at the top of your to-do list. It’s understandable why you might get frustrated, annoyed or frazzled when someone you don’t know calls your office or sends you an email. They’re trying to sell you a new product or service but it’s not a good time for you, so you dismiss it.

Guess what? That sales call could be the product your organization needs to make a dramatic impact on your business. Here’s why and how you can manage these inbound opportunities and use them to your advantage.

They may know something you don’t.

Behind most sales and marketing activities is an ever-growing level of intelligence. Sellers are very deliberate when spending their valuable resources, time and money. The sellers have done their research and identified your organization as a potential fit for their product. There was something about you that was worth their investment. This prospecting effort may be as broad as your industry type, size and location, or they may have in-depth information on your organization such as technical or customer needs.

The bottom line is they have identified your organization — and specifically you — for a reason. You might actually benefit from this product by elevating your customer experience and getting an incredible return on investment.

Timing is everything.

Wouldn’t it be great if these sales calls came at the right day and time and align perfectly with your strategic plan? They most likely won’t and that’s okay. One, three or even six months from now you might need or want the information from that seemingly random sales call. A small investment of your time and organizational skills can help you sort through these incoming inquiries and possibly find the next big opportunity that will drive real results for you and your organization.

Here’s a great way to accomplish that. When reading emails from an outside organization, if the product or service at first glance is relevant to your organization, put it in a file for further evaluation. Then, once every week or two, schedule 15 minutes with minimal distractions to review the inquiries you received. Make sure to keep an open mind and look for those diamonds in the rough.

Plan and prepare.

Don’t wait until the third and fourth quarters to do next year’s planning. Start thinking about what you want to do differently next year right now. You can utilize those sales calls, emails and ads you’ve evaluated to help cultivate ideas and start the budgeting and fundraising process. I hope these tips help you to stay on task, on time and to keep an open mind.