Phone sales vs Face-to-Face sales

[juan917]

Any preferences on one over the other? I have always been of the belief that face-to-face is far superior but it requires a large amount of time. I have never done phone sales but am considering giving it a try given how many potential clients can be reached in such a short amount of time

 

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[Get Right]

Let's say we are competitors. We both close 10% of our cold interactions.

You make 10 appointments a day (almost impossible) and garner 1 client.

I make 50-60 calls (fairly easy) and garner 5-6 clients.

Who wins ...and also - who figures out what they do/don't like/respond to first?

 

[RazorCut]

Let's say we are competitors. We both close 10% of our cold interactions.

You make 10 appointments a day (almost impossible) and garner 1 client.

I make 50-60 calls (fairly easy) and garner 5-6 clients.

I see what you are getting at but face to face would/should have a much higher conversion rate than cold calling. Most businesses are vary wary of phone calls as we are bombarded with them day in day out relentlessly.

 

[Tyler Ellison]

I'd say it depends on who your target prospect is.

If you're going for volume on lower-end sales (like under $5,000) then selling over the phone is likely to be more efficient and profitable (especially with pre-qualification), but I've worked with a guy who can close $60,000/year deals over the phone like clockwork and has like 100 active clients - but he's really good over the phone.

If your target prospect is larger businesses, you almost always end up in a face-to-face meeting. That's how the companies with lots of middle-level management spend their time - in meetings that can be as useless as they want. But these deals can be worth many 10s of thousands or even more, so your return on invested time to meet with them is high.

 

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[Get Right]

I see what you are getting at but face to face would/should have a much higher conversion rate than cold calling. Most businesses are vary wary of phone calls as we are bombarded with them day in day out relentlessly.

That hasn't been my experience. My customers appreciate not having time-consuming meetings.

Even if you closed at twice my percentage, I would still win.

 

[juan917]

I'd say it depends on who your target prospect is.

If you're going for volume on lower-end sales (like under $5,000) then selling over the phone is likely to be more efficient and profitable (especially with pre-qualification), but I've worked with a guy who can close $60,000/year deals over the phone like clockwork and has like 100 active clients - but he's really good over the phone.

If your target prospect is larger businesses, you almost always end up in a face-to-face meeting. That's how the companies with lots of middle-level management spend their time - in meetings that can be as useless as they want. But these deals can be worth many 10s of thousands or even more, so your return on invested time to meet with them is high.

Man.. I am playing in the wrong league. What do you need to sell that's worth 5,000? To me that's a lot, 60k deal is out of this world. Really interested in what qualities this person has for you to consider them to be "really good on phone"

 

[RazorCut]

Even if you closed at twice my percentage, I would still win.

You certainly would. My point was just that phone calls are going to convert a hell of a lot lower.

 

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[SmoothFranko]

@

That hasn't been my experience. My customers appreciate not having time-consuming meetings.

Even if you closed at twice my percentage, I would still win.

After working in the Telco industry I can understand this as many people are simply too busy to have to organise time for a F2F meeting. But In my experience some people are better with talking to people F2F rather then over the phone myself included.

 

[healthstatus]

My point was just that phone calls are going to convert a hell of a lot lower.

I would need to look at the whole process, but if you have called to schedule a meeting, then your phone call sale was the meeting, which may or may not close at a higher rate and regardless, you have added an extra step, (phone call to schedule + Meeting + Close vs. Phone call + close).

My lead funnel is setup so that people that are not highly qualified buyers will filter themselves out, by the time I pick up the phone (or more likely they call me) they are foaming at the mouth to sign the deal (my deals are mid 5 figures typically). I may be leaving some deals on the table with this method, but I only have to get my hair cut 2-3 times a year, shave a couple times a week, and wear woot t-shirts most days.

 

[Get Right]

Great point @healthstatus .

Some people just don't like to do sales calls. I'm ok with that

 

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[healthstatus]

Some people just don't like to do sales calls. I'm ok with that

What I am really saying here is that the OP question is seriously flawed. The product, the price, the consumer, the lead qualification process, how do you demonstrate what it does, all have an affect on what is going to be the best sales technique.

 

[rocksolid]

Any preferences on one over the other? I have always been of the belief that face-to-face is far superior but it requires a large amount of time. I have never done phone sales but am considering giving it a try given how many potential clients can be reached in such a short amount of time

Face to face is best for building rapport with somebody. On the other hand I have done a ton of business closing over the phone. It depends on your product.

 

[Thiago Machado]

Check this out

Seems like a good explanation for getting on the phone.

 

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[Get Right]

Check this out

I took that course from Grant. Some good stuff wedged in the advertorial

 

[Thiago Machado]

I took that course from Grant. Some good stuff wedged in the advertorial

Awesome!

How was your experience with it?

I've heard good things about the course.

 

[MKHB]

Any preferences on one over the other? I have always been of the belief that face-to-face is far superior but it requires a large amount of time. I have never done phone sales but am considering giving it a try given how many potential clients can be reached in such a short amount of time

All depends on what your selling. If your selling chat-skis or pounding a penny stock sure...smile and dial - but if your selling to the C-Suite that would necessitate starting some sort of relationship- I find LinkedIn/Company email effective for initial contact. But only after I have provided something of value that would make this person invite some sort of bilateral relationship.

 

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[Get Right]

All depends on what your selling. If your selling chat-skis or pounding a penny stock sure...smile and dial - but if your selling to the C-Suite that would necessitate starting some sort of relationship- I find LinkedIn/Company email effective for initial contact. But only after I have provided something of value that would make this person invite some sort of bilateral relationship.

Example - I sold $14k B2B to a company in TX last week. Never met them, check cleared just fine. Last month same type of sale in Alabama, little higher $. Never met anyone at the company, never got in my car.

It's just not necessary to jump in the car/plane every time. Sure, sometimes it helps but depends on the client not the product.

I'll be quit now, I just don't want you guys to miss out on amazing money on the other end of that phone. Face the fear.

 

[Tyler Ellison]

Man.. I am playing in the wrong league. What do you need to sell that's worth 5,000? To me that's a lot, 60k deal is out of this world. Really interested in what qualities this person has for you to consider them to be "really good on phone"

The person I was specifically referencing in this thread is Kevin Nations. He's a 'coach of coaches' - a highly sought after business & sales trainer. You can put him on a monthly retainer for that much to access all of his training and have additional privileges 1-on-1 and in-person meetings, events, etc. So, it's a B2B model, and it works for a lot of his students. If paying $60,000/year got you the power to generate an additional $200,000, would it be worth it? It is to these people, and it works.

 

[jesseissorude]

The product, the price, the consumer, the lead qualification process, how do you demonstrate what it does, all have an affect on what is going to be the best sales technique.

AGREED! I sell in orders of about $300-1.5k. Those are great for an email pitch and followup phone call.

But, If I was at one of my old jobs selling a hardware/software bundle at a $120k+ install price, then a F2F meeting is pretty much mandatory.

 

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[ZCP]

Anyone doing Skype meetings? Thoughts on conversion. Seems most people would rather talk to you on the phone than Skype or meet face to face.....

 

[Andy Black]

I do a lot of Skype calls. Mostly without the video though, so they are really phone calls. The screenshare functionality is really handy.

 

[axiom]

Check this out

Seems like a good explanation for getting on the phone.

Excellent video. One thing nobody can deny about Cardone is that the dude has hustle.

 

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