7. Successful sellers understand that every inside sales
conversation with a sales prospect must conclude by
obtaining a commitment that moves the sales cycle
forward. to the next step
8. I know that already!
So why doesn't every inside seller ask
for a commitment at the end of the
call?
9. Sometimes …Fear of being
rejected
• -Poor qualification.
which can be caused by…
• Leading to lack of focus on prospect’s priorities.
• Resulting in no feedback from the prospect
• With the seller proposing to send a generic
presentation / document that the prospect hasn’t asked
for or agreed to do anything with. *Sometimes with some
high level non specific comment about following up
thrown in!
• The prospect concludes with a socially polite comment
that the seller takes as a commitment.
10. For Example: “So Gerry, that’s what the new
next offering looks like – I am going to mail
it to you now. I will touch base with you in
two weeks?”
‘That sounds
okay’.
But often what follows is
a)The prospect is not available for next call.
b)The prospect has’not done anything with the presentation you forwarded
c)The next call ends being a re-run of the previous one
11. And Sometimes there is no commitment …..
…. becausethe seller has not planned their desired call
outcomes in advance ……..…… and just end up in the wrong
place!
12. So here are some ideas to help you get
mutually agreed commitments at the end of
your call
13. 1
Get your call strategy right!
Nobody should be allowed off your phone
unless you know what will happen next
14. Nobody gets literature or documentation unless I know
what they will next do as a result of receiving it
2
15. Always ask for a commitment to move
the call forward to the next step
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take
– W, Gretzky
3
16. Remember
Once you the prospects hangs
up you have lost your
opportunity to directly
influence their thinking
17. What does a good commitment look like?
A clear statement of intent from the prospect .. Including
1. Clarification of where they think you are at the moment.
2. Direction of what they will do between now and the next time you talk.
3. The output they will bring to the next conversation inclusive of buy in
from various members of their decision making team (if required)
4. A specific time and date for next steps.
5. And sometimes contingent commitments where you have verbally
discussed issues but the prospect wants to ‘see it’ in writing.
18. Or put it another way ... They verbally commit
• To move to the next stage
• That your company option is the one the want to
move forward with
• What they steps they will complete between now
and next call
• Who else they need to influence / get involved
between now and the next call
• What you can expect from them on the next call
20. Tip 1: Link it to the
prospect’s feedback
“Based on what you are
saying, it sounds like the
next logical step will be to
get a demo in your office
before month end . What
do you think?’
21. Contingent Commitment
“So what you are saying is
that you like the concept and
price in principle but you
need to see it in writing. So
yes I will be delighted to
send you on a high level
outline in writing. Can I ask
if the document is to your
liking what will happen
then?”
22. Moving higher in the
decision making unit
“Great John, before our call
next Tuesday you’ll have
spoken with your Finance
Director. What will you be
recommending to her?”
23. Key points remember
• Commitments need to be direct and explicit
• You are entitled to ask for one so you should
• Always link it to prospects priorities
• Assign homework between now and next meeting
• Never send documentation without getting contingent
commitments in advance of sending them
• Plan your desired call outcomes
• Focus on movement of every call to its furthest point
24. “A person’s greatness lies in their ability to
challenge their own thinking”
www.evolve.ie
davemalonesalescoach
