Market research done? Check. Prospects qualified? Check.
Looks like you’re ready to make a sales call.
This isn’t just a quick pitch, however. The most successful sales calls include tailored presentations and focus on building trust with prospects by addressing their unique pain points.
As Sue McEvoy, Head of Sales Australia at FCM Travel, says, "Become educators, not sellers. Buyers now expect more than simply to be sold to. They want a trusted advisor, someone who will inform them of current trends."
To ensure you lead a successful sales call, we’ve curated expert tips and techniques below, including guidance on how to prepare. Ready? Set? Sell!
Wait, what is a sales call?
At its most basic level, a sales call is a conversation between a salesperson and a prospect about the purchase of a product or service. These calls — most often conducted either in-person or via video — involve multiple parts, including initial agenda-setting by the rep, the product pitch, a demo, prospect objections and rep responses, negotiation, and outlining of next steps. Ideally, a rep closes a sales call with a verbal agreement from the prospect to make a purchase.
The sales process includes product and prospect research, prospecting, the sales call and close, and relationship-building.
How do you prepare for a sales call?
In a typical sales process, much of the preparation, including prospect research and qualification, occurs days or weeks before the sales call is even scheduled. The tasks explained below are specific to the call itself.
Set sales call expectations before the actual call.
Before you make the call, determine your prospect’s needs and pain points. This avoids any surprises during the call itself, as you’ve already established alignment with product solutions and set expectations of what’s to come.
This is also an opportunity to tactfully ask who else needs to be involved in the decision-making process before the purchase can be finalised. For larger companies, this often includes legal teams and high-level company executives. Send an advance copy of the contract or a prepared quote so all decision makers can review sales details before the call.
Create a tailored presentation.
In a recent Salesforce study, sales reps reported they often struggle to fully understand their prospects’ needs — in part because they don’t conduct adequate research or hold discovery calls. The result is a generic sales pitch that doesn’t frame the product as a solution to unique prospect problems.
To avoid this, make sure you know each prospect’s needs inside and out. Then create a slide deck or presentation specifically addressing those needs.
Also, keep your prospect’s communication and engagement preferences in mind as you prepare your pitch. Some prefer standard slides while others may enjoy video or interactive content.
Prep a demo.
Talking about your product as a solution only goes so far. To ensure you’re delivering what the prospect needs, consider presenting a video or interactive demo during the sales call. Keep it to no more than 10 minutes and, if needed, prep the person leading the demo so they know to highlight specific features that meet the prospect’s needs.
Determine likely objections and responses.
Expect objections to the sale — even if you’ve done your homework and mapped out the perfect product solution for the prospect. To prepare for this inevitability, outline the sales objections your prospect is likely to have, along with responses. Use this as a reference during the sales call.
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Set a sales call agenda, review quotes and contracts, take notes, and automatically log prospect communication on one platform.
13 tips for making a successful sales call
Veteran sales reps will tell you: There’s no magic formula for the perfect sales call. That said, you can still make sure you’re addressing prospect needs and moving things closer to a sale. The tips below, sourced from sales experts, are a good place to start.
1. Record and review your call.
According to a 2021 Salesforce survey, only 32% of sales reps say they receive excellent training or coaching, including training on sales calls. This results in a lot of missed opportunities and, in some cases, botched deals.
To ensure you have the insights needed to master sales calls, make sure each one is recorded on your phone or videoconferencing platform. When calls are complete, review them. Find objections you might have missed or insights you could have added. Tools like Einstein Conversation Insights can even help you analyse commonly used keywords and your listen/talk ratio. You can also share calls with your manager or colleagues for feedback. Remember: Each call is an opportunity to learn, improve, and boost sales.
2. Start with a friendly greeting — but not too friendly.
Many reps make the mistake of launching into their sales pitch too soon. You want to build rapport and comfort with your prospect, and that starts with a friendly greeting — maybe even chitchat.
Make sure you strike a balance, though. Prospects will quickly see through it if you try to be too chummy. Keep your greetings friendly and a couple of minutes long, and then move on to business.
3. Make sure nothing has changed since the last communication.
Business moves fast, which means change is constant. To be sure you’re not wasting your carefully prepared pitch on a prospect whose needs have shifted, preface your agenda-setting with a simple question: “Has anything changed since the last time we talked?” This allows you to adjust your talking points to meet their needs in the moment or, if needed, reschedule the call so you have time to prepare a new pitch.
4. Set call agenda and expectations.
After confirming that the prospect’s circumstances haven’t significantly changed, spell out the agenda for the call. This may change slightly as the call progresses, but it’s key that you set expectations so the prospect is not caught unawares. This agenda should align with expectations set at the end of the discovery call and be as straightforward as possible.
Share your sales call agenda early so the prospect knows what to expect.
Below is what a typical sales agenda might look like. Some of these items are for your eyes only. The items in bold should be discussed with the prospect.
Welcome: Greet and review prospect’s situation
✅ Welcome: Greet and review prospect’s situation
Agenda: Outline the meeting
✅ Agenda: Outline the meeting
Review prospect needs: Confirm pain points
✅ Review prospect needs: Confirm pain points
Product overview: Introduce product features and functions
✅ Product overview: Introduce product features and functions
Product solutions: Explain how your product addresses pain points
✅ Product solutions: Explain how your product addresses pain points
Demo: Showcase product and highlight problem-solving features
✅ Demo: Showcase product and highlight problem-solving features
Questions: Offer additional information (as needed) and address objections
✅ Questions: Offer additional information (as needed) and address objections
Next steps: Outline action items and a timeline for closing the deal
✅ Next steps: Outline action items and a timeline for closing the deal
5. Reiterate pain points.
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: Reiterate your prospect’s pain points during the call. This accomplishes two key things. It shows that you listened and are putting their needs front and centre, and it sets the stage for presenting your product solution.
6. Talk about product value, not features.
As you work your way through your sales pitch, lean heavily on language that favours value and problem-solving. How are you attempting to make your prospect’s life easier or better? Be specific and, if possible, show measurable improvements.
Let’s say you sell travel insurance and are talking to a prospect about insuring an upcoming trip to Europe. You can reference the peace of mind your prospect would feel knowing their investment in plane tickets and hotel reservations is fully refundable if their destination city shuts down due to inclement weather. Even better, you can let them know about special discounts or gifts they would enjoy with the purchase of an insurance plan. Pain removed, pleasure gained.
7. Reference your unique differentiator.
Most products have a healthy helping of competitors in the market. While you may make a compelling case for solving your prospect’s problems, competing products frequently offer similar solutions. To avoid being outshone by other companies, research your competitors in advance and articulate differentiators that clearly elevate your product above others.
“Think about what else you could add to a deal to make it bigger and different to your competitors," says James David, Associate Director of Enterprise Sales at Datacom. "This will also broaden the conversation with your customer on aspects they might not have thought of before.”
Know your competitive edge so you can speak to it during the sales call.
8. Use positive language.
What you say matters, but how you say it matters more. This is especially true in sales. In fact, leaning on empathetic, value-based, and positive language is critical to earning prospects’ trust and emotional buy-in. Once these are in place, closing a sale is relatively easy.
For example, instead of using terms like “payment,” which implies debt, use a word like “investment,” which implies ownership and opportunity. Other positive terms like “benefit,” “guarantee,” and “easy” are effective ways of securing buy-in during a sales call.
9. Respond to objections with questions to fully understand each concern.
New sales reps often react defensively when prospects object to a sale — even when the objection is valid. While it’s good to have some responses in the bag to underscore your product’s value, the goal in objection handling is not to fire back with counterpoints.
"The customer doesn't always know what they want. Ask questions and listen," says Charmaine Keegan, Founder, Director and Lead Trainer at Smarter Selling. "Then think about what you can do to help them with their problem."
Here’s an example of how this might play out in a sales call:
Prospect:
I just don’t think I’m ready to buy yet. The contract is pretty long.
Rep:
I hear you, but can you help me understand why the length is a problem for you?
Prospect:
I just worry our needs will change in three months, four months — heck, even a few weeks in. Then we’re stuck with it.
Rep:
So if I understand you right, you're worried that if your needs change — whether it’s a few weeks in or a few months in — you’ll be stuck with what we’ve chosen today. Is that right?
Prospect:
100%.
Rep:
So that aside, is there any other reason holding you back from working together?
Prospect:
Nope, that’s pretty much it.
Rep:
And if that weren’t a concern, you’d feel comfortable moving forward?
Prospect:
Yeah, I think so.
Rep:
I understand. I’ve heard similar concerns from others. But let me put your mind at ease. If you don’t see a use for our product after a few months, we can talk about early cancellation or switch you to a different product that would better suit your needs. Would that work for you?
Prospect:
Yeah, actually that would help a lot. So tell me about these other options …
10. Actively listen.
Sales reps are often dinged for talking too much in sales calls. The goal during these calls is to provide value and solutions for the prospect while making them feel heard. This requires more listening than talking; a 60/40 listen-talk ratio is often favoured by sales experts.
11. Balance statistics with stories.
When prospects ask about the effectiveness of your product, it’s common for reps to respond with stats. These can be compelling, but they can also lead to glassy-eyed stares.
“Know your customers, their industry, their personas and the language they actually speak," says Alyssia Tennant, National Sales & Delivery Director at Simplus. "Bring storytelling into your messaging, this allows you to create messages that resonate, which will speed up the sales cycle.”
There are exceptions, though. If you sense that the person making the final purchasing decision is analytical in nature, make sure to include some clear statistics that support your narrative.
Don't lean on stats alone. Be sure you fold in stories that will resonate with prospects.
12. Don’t leave the call without a “yes.”
One of the biggest mistakes new reps make is leaving sales calls open-ended. Prospects frequently respond to pitches with a casual, “I’ll think about it.” New reps, aiming to please, agree to give them space for deliberation. Inevitably, however, prospects are caught up in other responsibilities and forget about the sale.
To avoid this, close the call with a couple of direct questions/comments:
- “You’ve highlighted X and Y as problems for your business. We’ve just taken a look at the product and how it can solve those problems. Do you agree it’s a good solution for you?”
- “Great. It sounds like we’re on the same page. To take care of your problems ASAP with the solution we’ve discussed, all we need to do is take care of some easy paperwork and we’ll get you onboarded immediately. Sound good?”
If a prospect doesn't commit, make sure they are aware of the cost of inaction. Explain the cost in time, money, and labour if they wait to make a purchase decision. When they recognise the consequences of waiting, securing a “yes” to the sale becomes easier.
13. Close with next steps, including a timeline for follow-up.
After you receive your “yes,” clearly outline what will happen after the call. This includes action items for you, the prospect, and any other decision makers or stakeholders, as well as clear deadlines for each action item. Ask for agreement to this schedule, and then follow up with an email summarising your call. With a clearly outlined task list, closing a deal becomes simply a matter of keeping the prospect on schedule.
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