Make Successful Sales Calls

Learning Objectives 

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Understand the components of a great sales call.
  
• Create a plan for success during a sales call.
  

Prepare to Engage Prospects

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 to conduct a great sales call.

Set 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 unaware. This agenda should align with expectations set at the end of the discovery call and be as straightforward as possible.

Here is what a typical sales agenda might look like.

• Welcome: Greet and review the prospect’s situation.
  
• Agenda: Outline the meeting.
  
• Review prospect needs: Confirm pain points.
  
• Product overview: Introduce product features and functions.
  
• Product solutions: Explain how your product addresses pain points.
  
• Demo: Showcase product and highlight problem-solving features.
  
• Questions: Offer additional information (as needed) and address objections.
  
• Next steps: Outline action items and a timeline for closing the deal.
  

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.

Build Rapport with Your Prospects

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. That said, don’t waste prospects’ time chatting for too long. Keep the greeting to just a few minutes, then move on.

Listen Actively

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. Stay interested and ask questions if necessary. This requires more listening than talking; a 60/40 listen-talk ratio is often favored by sales experts.

Make the Sales Call

Once you’ve sketched out your agenda for your discussion with your prospect and practiced your approach, you’re ready to make the call. Here are some suggestions for during and after the call to maximize your chances of success.

Record and Review Your Call.

According to a 2021 Salesforce survey, only 32% of sales reps say they receive excellent training or coaching 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 video conferencing 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 analyze 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.

Identify Changes 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.

Reiterate Prospect Pain Points

This accomplishes two key things. It shows that you listened and are putting their needs front and center, and it sets the stage for presenting your product solution.

Highlight Product Value, Not Features

As you work through your sales pitch, lean heavily on language that favors 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. Always connect your solutions to your product.

Let’s say you sell travel insurance. You’re talking to a prospect about purchasing insurance for an upcoming trip to Europe. Reference the peace your prospect would feel knowing their investment in plane tickets and hotel reservations are fully refundable if their destination city shuts down due to inclement weather. Even better, let them know about special discounts or gifts they would enjoy with the purchase of an insurance plan. Pain removed, peace of mind gained.

Reference Your Differentiators

Most products have multiple competitors in the market. While you make a compelling case for solving your prospect’s problems, competing products frequently offer similar solutions. To avoid being outdone, research your competitors in advance and articulate differentiators that clearly elevate your product.

If a prospect mentions a specific competitor, respond with a question: “Can that competitor offer the full breadth of your product’s features?” This nudges the prospect to articulate your product’s value for themselves.

Respond to Objections with Thoughtful Questions

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, but to fully understand the prospect’s concerns.

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. Can you help me understand why the contract length is a problem for you?

Prospect: I just worry our needs will change in three, 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: Exactly.

Rep: That aside, is there any other reason holding you back from working together? 

Prospect: 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: That would help a lot. So tell me about these other options…

Balance Statistics with Stories

When prospects ask about the effectiveness of your product, it’s common to respond with hard numbers. These can be compelling, but they can also lead to glassy-eyed stares.

As an alternative, consider using stories to grab attention and secure buy-in. As you’re talking, ask your prospect about the business challenges they’re facing. Do they tell a full story? How quantitative do they get in their reasoning? Work to mirror your prospect—people tend to speak how they like being spoken to. For example, if you find that your decision maker is analytical in nature, they’re likely to value clear-cut statistics that validate your product as the best solution to their problem. Keep this in mind and use relevant metrics to support your compelling stories.

Leave with a Yes

One of the biggest mistakes new sales reps make is to leave 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, 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. Sounds good?”
  

If a prospect hesitates, explain the cost in time, money, and labor if they wait to make a purchase decision. When they recognize the consequences of waiting, it’s easier to secure a yes.

Close with Next Steps

After you receive your yes, clearly outline what next steps will happen after the call. This includes action items for you, the prospect, and any other decision makers or stakeholders, and clear deadlines for each action item. Ask for agreement to this schedule, and then follow up with an email summarizing your call. With a clearly outlined task list, closing a deal becomes simply a matter of keeping the prospect on schedule.

Including these items into your sales calls will help you to be successful when talking with your prospects.

Resources

• Salesforce Blog: How a Simple Change in Sales Language Affects Your Bottom Line
• Salesforce: Einstein Conversation Insights
• Salesforce Blog: How to Close Sales Like an Absolute Pro
• External Link: Marketers, Calculate Your Talk-Listen Ratio