Sales leaders are always looking for new and innovative ways to help their sales reps close more deals. One way that they can do this is by using call recordings in combination with using challenger sales questions.
Call recordings can be used to help sales reps identify areas where they need improvement and then work on fixing those areas. Additionally, call recordings can also be used to help sales reps learn from their mistakes and become better at selling.
Using Call Recordings To Masterfully Coach Your Sales Reps
Voice recording your sales calls can provide a treasure trove of valuable information to help you coach your reps and improve your sales strategy.
Although some managers are hesitant to use call recording because they fear it will make their employees uncomfortable, most reps understand that the recordings are meant to help them improve and succeed.
1. Consider The Legal And Ethical Implications Involved
The legality of recording conversations can vary, so it is important to be aware of the specific rules regarding consent in your area. Many experts recommend that salespeople should inform their prospects that a call is being recorded, as this is considered to be good ethical practice.
Customers often appreciate sales reps who want to focus on their conversation, rather than taking copious notes. Therefore, asking for permission shows that the salesperson is dedicated to providing the best possible service.
2. Find And Correct Any Listening Gaps
Active listening is one of the most important skills for sales professionals to master, and prospects usually know when a salesperson is going ahead with their agenda instead of staying focused on the conversation.
Recordings demonstrating where your sales reps are lacking in active listening will be extremely beneficial in their training. By providing this type of training, your sales reps will be able to improve their active listening skills and close more deals as a result.
3. Build A Foundation For A Solid Training Program By Drawing On Real-world Examples
By providing new sales reps with relevant information about your specific company and customers, you can help them get a sense of the common hurdles they face when speaking with prospects. This will give them a better understanding of how to handle sales calls, and what to expect from customers.
These recordings will help new sales reps to gain an understanding of your company and customers, so they can relate to prospects more easily.
Once you have trained your sales reps with the help of all recordings, you should take a look at training them on how to use challenger sales questions.
Coaching Your Sales Reps On Challenger Sales Questions
Challenger Selling understands the importance of shifting the focus onto different types of questions that cut to the heart of the customer issue and lead to a true value-add conversation.
The Four Types of Challenger Sales Questions
These are the powerful questions you’ll frequently see Challengers asking their prospective customers:
1. Mobilizer Identification
Stakeholders generally fall into one of three categories when it comes to their likelihood of influencing the purchase decision:
-Mobilizers
-Talkers
-Blockers
As a salesperson, it’s most effective to speak to Mobilizers, customers who are more likely to drive the purchase decision, therefore it’s important to quickly ask the right questions to diagnose each stakeholder so that you can spend your time more effectively with them.
2. Commercially Insightful Verifiers
An impactful customer message designed specifically for the stakeholder you’re meeting with is of utmost importance. These messages are built on problems, called reframes, which the stakeholder may or may not be aware of.
During the pitch, it’s crucial to verify that the insight is reflective of their reality. You want to give the stakeholder the chance to confirm what their version of that reframe looks like.
3. Buying Journey Verifiers
The buying journey helps sellers understand where in the process the customer is.
Asking questions such as “What are you currently doing about this issue” can give you an understanding of how far along the buying process the customer is. This will help you better position your sales tactics to ensure a successful close.
4. The Powerful Request
As we’re able to deliver impactfully, tailored messages with our Commercial Insights, it’s important to understand how engaged our prospect or customer is.
Some stakeholders may appear as though they’re ready to move forward but afterwards can end up slipping through the cracks.
To avoid wasting time, Challengers combat this dynamic by using Powerful Requests: and asks of the customer that will indicate to the seller whether they’re serious about moving forward.
