You can’t be in sales without the occasional rude prospect hanging up on you. It reflects poorly on them and their company. But what about you? Do you live in a glass house on this subject? After having been hung up on himself, Bill sat down and shared his thoughts in this week’s Short Attention Span Sales Tip…
Telemarketers are almost universally loathed (my mom used to forbid us using any derivative of the word, “hate”, but she didn’t say anything about “loathed.”) If we are fooled by their local calling number trickery and pick up, most of us in the call quickly, unceremoniously, and often rudely.
Salespeople face the same treatment.
As hard as it is to get someone on the phone, occasionally it happens. The vast majority of the time, it’s at least a decent exchange. But occasionally, we get the telemarketer-treatment and our sales pitch is interrupted with a quick click.
What does that say about that client? Is that really someone you want to do business with? They have the right to end the call, but did it really need to be so unprofessional? No question, it reflects poorly on the company they work for.
And to think, you could have done great things together. But…
What about you? What about your company? How do you handle incoming calls from salespeople? Are you polite or abrupt? What about the others at your company?
The Hall of Fame of kindness includes at least one company in my past, Victor Graphics. A sign hung in their lobby which read, in part, “Salespeople, thank you for coming! We welcome you.” Company president Tom Hicks firmly believed in the value outside salespeople brought him and did everything he could to encourage their input. Tom, you are a man among men in this category!
To the rest of us, and especially to the gentleman who hung up on me recently (and to whom I dedicate this sales tip), remember that you are a representative of not only your company but your profession. Company presidents, be like Tom. Spread the message that vendors’ salespeople are to be treated as valued assets, not necessary evils. To deny them (especially to be rude) turns away possible greatness that you could’ve done together.
You would have earned the wrath of my mother, too.
