I was having a conversation with a couple of prospects the other day. The afternoon sunlight cascaded through their ground floor conference room, but it was the only source of illumination in the place. Otherwise, we could have been in a cave, tens of thousands of years agothis is how primitive the conversation was. After I assessed the lack of quality in the script theyre using for handling inbound sales prospects, one of them snapped: I can get anybody to write a script! Of course, thats exactly what you did. You got just anybody to write the current version, and thats why: (1) It is not producing results, enough conversions of inquiries to appointments; (2) Your people arent using it, because it doesnt flow, like natural conversation; and (3) Youre shopping for professional help, right now. If the script was good, or you were effective at putting it to work, and managing your folks so they performed it consistently and well, I wouldnt be sitting here, right? Before you get the idea that all my prospects are stupid, let me say quite clearly, they arent. Usually, theyre quite successful, and their problem isnt intelligence. Its DISRESPECT. As my professor, famed management guru Peter F. Drucker said: We wont succeed in any area that we dont respect. Frame these words! Most people disrespect customer service, telemarketing, and sales work; largely, because they dont understand it, and they think its easy, entailing not true ability, but a knack. Unfortunately, there isnt a school that you can attend that will teach respect. This is supposed to happen in ones upbringing, along with its behavioral manifestation: good manners. As long as people disrespect the work Ive described above, theyll be powerless to improve it. |