Phone Selling to Blue’s and Yellow’s
In Part I we determined there were two functions to master in order to successfully navigate prospect temperaments and behaviors over the phone. The first is to learn to identify which temperament you are speaking with, and the second is to mirror the behavior you are “hearing”, since people tend to buy from people they like…and they tend to like people that are like them.
Let me remind you also about mirroring. I don’t mean mimicking everything they say using the same voice tone or tempo. I used the word chameleon in the title of the posts, because these creatures simply blend with the background where they find themselves. By understanding traits of one’s temperament, you can couch your selling conversation in light of these traits so that you are pitching it like they like catching it. It’s the best way to lower the invisible wall that exists between buyers and sellers.
Now let’s continue with our unpacking of the two introverted behavior types.
Blue Buyers
I use Blue to describe these callers because, they seem to always remain cool and unemotional. They take their time when purchasing, and are prone to be slow to make decisions. On top of that they are security conscious about everything they do.
Identifying a Blue:
They are personal, but more so in a reserved, business-friendly manner. Typically they are soft-spoken and it will take time to gain their trust, which will be a challenge during short phone calls. Be prepared for them to be unhurried and wary of the unknown, along with remaining even-tempered.
Selling to a Blue:
The most important thing to remember about Blue’s is that they are much more comfortable with the tried and tested than the new and improved. So it won’t help you to excitedly yammer about your latest and greatest offering. What will help is your stressing multiple benefits with each feature you discuss. Nobody wants to be pushed, but everybody wants to be led, so don‘t push for a decision as they might agree to buy, but then cancel after you get out of their ear. Allot time for discussion with a spouse or significant other, in order to create a secure sale.
Mirroring Phone Conversation Snippet:
“Mrs. Klotz, I want you to understand from the outset that I’m not here to try to force a quick decision about anything, but rather to provide you with the information you need to feel comfortable that my company could be the right one to solve the issue you are calling about. I won’t be happy until you are. To insure that occurs, I am prepared to listen to your concerns, offer suggestions, and answer every question; regardless how long that takes.”
Yellow Buyers
This color was chosen to represent these buyers because typically Yellow means caution. Callers with this temperament are analytical and unemotional, perfectionists who are very deliberate.
Identifying a Yellow:
Prepare to hear a monotone voice asking lots of why questions. It’s not unusual for Yellow’s to clam up at times during the call as they think about what’s been discussed, due to being fearful of making a bad decision. Their voice will sound controlled during the call and they will be slow to a decision, which will revolve around facts and figures.
Selling to a Yellow:
For best results, take on the posture of problem solver and maintain control of your emotions. Don’t try to get personal and eagerly offer plenty of facts and figures, while giving them ample time to formulate their decision. Share good long-term value and return on investment with them, remembering they will always lean toward high quality.
Mirroring Phone Conversation Snippet:
“Dr. Anal, I’m looking forward to providing you with all the information you need to make an educated decision as a result of our phone time together today. You seem like the type of person who values credibility and accuracy so I will put my company’s 100 years of experience to work to help you find a high quality solution that will guarantee you an above average return on investment.”
If you will apply the ideas and suggestions covered in these last two posts, your phone selling job will become much less frustrating and your sales productivity will begin to move upward. Try it, you’ll like it.
I wish I could “say it ain’t so” but I’ve observed over the last 42 years in the selling universe that managers put virtually all their training time into emphasizing sales presentation improvement, better articulation of feature and benefits, and stronger closing techniques. They would be much better off spending their training time teaching common sense communication skills. Take a look here to discover a couple of tools that will help you do just that…very inexpensively.
©2014 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC
