In my last column, I told the story of Mark Williams, who is in sales for a mechanical contractor.
After Al Smith at Acme Tractor Manufacturing Co. left him a message that Acme was planning to install a new paint line and wanted a bid, Mark – knowing perfectly well that not every such call is a live opportunity – got on the phone to Al.
But as Mark ran through the questions he uses with just about every customer so he can winnow out those just going through the motions, Al got impatient and said something like this: “Crimony, are you interested in looking at this thing or not?”
That abrupt response to his grilling caught Mark off balance. He stuttered something about jumping in the car and driving straight on up to look at Al’s “opportunity” – knowing full well that it might just be a big nothing.
Mark’s problem was that Al operated from a very standard customer perspective: thinking anyone in sales would automatically jump at an “opportunity” to bid his opportunity.
When Mark tried to change the game, Al felt interrogated. And he felt like Mark was being ungrateful and unresponsive. And Mark is paying the price.
In the real life situation that this scenario is based on, the only value Mark would bring to Al was making sure Acme met its standard requirement for three bids. Al’s regular contractor did the job, and that’s how it was going to be all along. By going to look the situation over, Mark wasted his own time – and other people’s time in designing and engineering his estimate.
“Could I ask you a few questions before I come out?” didn’t get the job done. What could have?
Here are three ways Mark could have started the conversation. See which will best change Al’s assumption that Mark would simply come on out to Acme – but without alienating Al. That part is absolutely critical.
“Hi Al, this is Mark Williams from XYZ Mechanical, calling you back regarding the paint line expansion. We’re really busy right now and we can’t afford to be spending time engineering and estimating stuff only to learn that someone was just kicking tires or just wanted our design to help them shop the project to our competitors. So before I can agree to take the time and commit the resources to drive to Hartford to look at your project I need to know more about it.”
“Hi Al, Mark Williams calling from XYZ Mechanical. Just giving you a buzz back on the paint line expansion you called about. Love to get together and discuss your thoughts on the project. But before I get in the car and head out to Hartford, I was wondering if you might be able to carve out maybe 5 to 10 minutes of phone time to kind of get me up to speed on what you might be looking for and give me a better understanding of the bigger picture of the project. Do you have the time now or should I give you a buzz back later?”
“Hi Al this is Mark Williams calling from XYZ Mechanical, giving you a buzz back regarding the paint line expansion. First, thanks for thinking of us on this; sounds like the kind of project that could be a good fit for XYZ. However, what I’d like to suggest — before we decide to schedule a visit — is that we maybe carve out 5 or 10 minutes on the phone so that I can step back and get a little better sense of the big picture of the project, where you are in the process, how you’re approaching it, and whatnot, then we can figure out from there what makes the most sense for both of us. Obviously, it might make sense for me to shoot on up to Hartford, but I’m thinking before we both commit to the time involved to do that — and I’m sure you can appreciate where I’m coming from on this — we’d probably benefit from a little more in-depth phone conversation. Does that make sense on your end Al?”
Response #1 certainly changes Al’s assumption. And it’s sure to alienate Al. He can look straight down the phone wire and see that big, honkin’ chip on Mark’s shoulder.
Response #2 has the right intention. It sounds much better than #1. However, while Mark thinks he’s not committing, he hasn’t said enough for Al to hear that message.
Response #3 is the only one that both changes Al’s assumption and does so in a way that garners respect toward Mark.
How? First, he simply takes more time to thoroughly explain what he’s trying to do. Also unlike in Response #2, he doesn’t say, “before I get in the car and head out to Hartford” but instead, “before we decide to schedule a visit.” He’s chosen words to make it very clear he’s not yet making a commitment. And finally, unlike in Response #1, he stays away from words that seem calculated to blow off Al – no carping about “just kicking tires” or “shopping the project to our competitors.” Instead, he frames the matter in Al’s self-interest: “we can figure out from there what makes the most sense for both of us.”
That sort of care doesn’t come by accident. It takes forethought and practice. But that’s time well spent in avoiding needless expense and travel for prospects that were never real to start with.
And that is why the qualifying conversation — done right — is the hardest of all customer interactions.
