Questions and Imagination!

I receive Jeffrey Gitomer's Caffeine Jolt newsletter every week in my email. This week there were two items in Jeffrey's latest article that I thought were very good to pass along. They concern answering questions effectively and using your imagination to connect with potential customers. 
Read the entire article here. 

ON QUESTIONS:
When someone asks you a question, ask yourself, “Why are they asking this, and what does this mean in terms of this person moving toward a purchase?”

There's a motive behind every question a prospect asks. And that motive is the sales driver. In reality they're thinking to themselves, if this function works, I can increase my sales. That's the motive, not the function.

For example, they may ask you, “Can this function take place?” If you answer, “Yes,” then you've gone right past sale. If you answer yes and then ask, “What will this function lead to?” or “What makes this function important to you?” you will then uncover the real buying motive. In sales this is known as the hot button. The reality is, it's your money.

ON IMAGINATION AND WOW!:
Salespeople are missing huge opportunities for engagement and opportunities to gain response from customers by not being imaginative or creative in their communications.

• Show me a sales script, and I'll show you a boring message.
• Show me a slide deck prepared by marketing, and I'll show you a boring message.
• Show me an email prepared by a salesperson, and I'll show you a boring message.

Where’s the value? Show me the value. Where's the WOW? Show me the WOW! If you show me WOW and value, I will respond, I will engage, I will connect, and I will buy.

'Follow Me' The Flexibility Of Your Private Ring Group

One of the most popular features on new IP-PBXs is the 'Find Me, Follow Me' feature. Many employees today are in and out of the office at different times of the day, often unscheduled, and this calls for high flexibility in call routing. The 'Follow Me' feature provides this flexibility.

Traditionally, when a caller was transferred to your extension, or when calls came directly to your extension with a direct phone number, you either answered the call in a specified time or it went to voice-mail. With the 'Follow Me' feature, the extension can be paired with other extensions, cell phones or even with phone numbers at other locations.

Follow Me

In the example below you can see that the first two devices to be called are the office extension and the cell phone. When a calls comes into extension 2209, the extension and the programmed cell phone both ring at the same time for 3 rings. Then as designated by priority 2, the call then rolls to the home phone for 2 rings and then the caller would go to the extension voice-mail. The system then can be programmed to send that voice-mail to your email account where you can listen to it on your cell phone, tablet, laptop or PC.

This flexible option allows users to customize a ring pattern that best suits their everyday needs. Someone who is in the office most of the day may want to ring their extension first for several rings and then try their cell phone, for example. Someone who is in and out all day can ring both at once, etc. This setting can also be changed on the fly from a smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC.

Other Forwarding Options

For those who may be on vacation or out of the office for an extended period of time with limited access to office VM, they may want to have all of their calls go straight to their cell phone and then have voice-mails go to their cell phones. This is where traditional forwarding comes into play. The user would go in and direct forward all of their calls directly to their cell phone number, and if the call is not answered the cell phone voice-mail would answer. This gives the user flexibility as to where they want to receive their voice-mails.

Cell Phone Transfers

On IP-PBX systems such as the IPitomy IP-PBX, users can transfer calls they receive on 'Follow Me' to any extension on the system by dialing a code and then the extension. For example Susan has her 'Follow Me' set up to ring her desk phone, and then her cell phone. She receives a call while she is out to lunch and finds she needs to transfer the call to Paul who is back in the office at extension 2201, Susan simply dials ##2201 and the call is transferred over to Paul's extension.

Today's VoIP technology offers more flexibility than ever. No matter where you may be you can always get your calls and your voice-mail messages!

Author: Matthew Bellisario

Matt has over 23 years in the communications industry. Starting off in the US Coast Guard, he acquired the skills necessary to be successful as a senior technician in the telecommunications and wireless world. Now Matt has moved on to another side of the industry which includes sales, marketing and product training. Some of his recent accomplishments include publishing professional white papers, newsletters, sales articles, and producing training and marketing videos.