APPEAL

I wud like to invite people around the globe who belongs to sales stream. As I said this blog is predominantly devoted to the help of new sales professionals, I seek co operation from my friends to share their experiences with us.
Most of the new sales guys commits mistake is the bragging about the product. yeah I did this too. But in the course of time I learned tht customer buys our product not because he likes our product but because he also likes us. Yeah that true. Though the brand plays a big role but its not the brand value which influence HIM to buy our product.
HE is buying because he has some (or more ) trust in us.
So young guys on your next call first introduce yourself and then your company. The product comes later.

DATA BASE

As we start our sales career we come across problems while tracking our own progress. Since we call lot of people daily we lost the track after couple of calls. we even forget what we had commited to whom. We sometime aint able to recall the prospects name either. Yah yah, I too confronted. Though its very common practice still we sometime fail to do so. As this is clear from the table we have to keep everything in record. Dont put burden on ur memory when a little paperwork can do the task. Ok. After each call you ought to fill

your DCR/DSR, (whatever) with every possible information you can extract about and from your customer. While writing his/her address dont forget to mention the landmark which will make your next trip easier. Right! Ask for any other contact no. he/she has. Now the most important part of your record. This section needs utmost attention. Jot down everything in the form of labels that may denote the actual conversation you had with your customer. If you noticed someting special,unusual, unique do mention it . It will help you recalling the meeting. So that you can refer it before next meet.

Once I had gone to see a doctor(not for medication, of course) and during our conversation he told me many a things about his daughther who was studying in Puna. So I infer that this guy to too much adore his daughter. Now you got the point . Not yet! hmmm! First dont forget to mention this in your DCS/DSR. Next , when you see that you are on the verge of losing the sale you ought to bring in her. Great! It worked for me. And I promise it will work for you too.....ABHi

LAGE RAHO

This real life sales story happened when I was a new entrant in insurance industry. I joined ING Vysya Life Insurance as an advisor. In Indian insurance industry an insurance agent is called advisor. This term is actually coined by new corporate players in insurance industry. Otherwise in the era of LIC's monopoly we used to be tagged as 'insurance agent'. Though it may seems cheap title today but this was the realty. now coming back to the story i was telling you. As a beginner i wasnt confident bout myself. To tell you the truth I joined ING because it was offering huge commissions.(hey i wont reveal my commissions)

Initial months were not very good. I was learning day by day. Two months after my joining the company launched a new contest for advisors and sales managers. Our CEO was scheduled to visit us in december and the contest stipulated who ever touched the 1.5 lac of premium before his highness arrival will be privileged to have lunch with HH. Besided he will be honored by HH himself.

So it was great opportunity for me. But i ddnt know how I gonna achieve this big goal. I still remember the preceding days when I lived my life with the dream of being honored by the CEO. But still I was cluless. No prospects. I didnt know who is gonna give me such a big business.

HH was arriving on 20th of December.

So just like other beginners I too was busy calling people and persuading them to buy insurance policy of a rather new company which they said they dont belive about.

well, dont mind if I take you to a little back.
I had been trying to sale insurance(yeah even before i joined ING and was working with a health insurance company). But this guy was very tough not leting me in. so every time we met he promised me for later. but i never gave up and kept trying influence him. but in vein. eventually i took a bold decision and asked him outrightly " Sir, I suppose you aint gonna take my policy in next few years(yeah I litraly said so) so why dont you give me some reffernces. of which he agreed immediatly. He gave me two refrences. whom i never took seriously.

Now coming to our story it was 19th of december and as I was not having any prospect I browsed my diary and came across those refferences. I called them and one of them asked me to see him in the evening. In the evening I met this guy and after one hour of briefing he signed Rs. 50,000 check. now the real twist took place later in the meeting. His friend who was standing beside and was bit puzzled bout what was going on. He asked me whether it was bout some investment plan. I nodded. He asked me come to see him in his office next morning which i did and return with Rs.1,00,000 check.

I touched the mile stone on the last day of the contest and I was honored by our CEO. I had lunch with him.

So the moral of the story is perseverance always pays. The honor boosted my enthuciasm to great extent