Annoy – (verb) to disturb or irritate, especially by repeated acts. The last thing any salesperson wants to do is to annoy a potential client, but that is often what they do by not following the rules of basic salesmanship. The sales presentation should consist of an opening, the product presentation, the summary and the close. The initial call becomes annoying when the salesperson isn’t prepared, disrespecting the time of the prospect, when they obviously haven’t researched the prospect’s needs and they become too pushy when trying to close. It is alright to offer alternatives as part of the close, but not to ignore the client’s signals to end the pitch.

 

Professional follow-up is expected, but the salesperson becomes an annoyance when they don’t have a specific reason for the call, “just checking in,” or they call too often. It should be established in the initial interview, when the prospective client is amenable to follow-up calls. The salesperson should develop a plan of follow-up based upon the information they receive from the client regarding them making decision on the rep’s presentation. The follow-up calls should have a specific purpose; updating the client on changes in the product offering, news on other applications of the products or new clients with a similar profile to the client and how they are applying the product to their needs.

 

What prospective clients consider annoying:

·        Too frequent callbacks

·        The rep isn’t considerate of the client’s time and interests

·        The rep doesn’t listen or is unresponsive

·        The rep doesn’t have sufficient product knowledge

·        The rep keeps calling an uninterested prospect

·        The rep’s attitude is “just trying to sell something.”

·        The rep doesn’t take “no” for an answer

 

A smart, experienced salesperson will avoid all of the above and will learn from negative sales experiences. A good sales plan will be developed in which the client’s needs are learned, evaluated and appropriate solutions are developed. Make the presentation direct and to-the-point. Have sufficient sales aids to emphasize the points of interest for the client. Offer options and alternatives that may interest the prospective client, then ask for the business. Leave a written proposal for the prospect’s evaluation. Get a timetable for the decision, then follow-up professionally and appropriately.