I have been calling around and realizing that the quality of the salespeople I am talking to really varies. The calls I made recently were to the United States. Most of the companies I called had back offices overseas.
The incompetent rep
One company had a sales representative that couldn’t answer even simple questions — yet, he kept calling me.
The unpolished novice
Another company had a lady who called me. I called her back and she announced her name when she answered the call, but not what company she was calling from, so I had to guess. Not very professional.
Misrepresenting your company
It is common for sales representatives to give misinformation during sales calls which can lead to long term mistrust. If you were lied to in the beginning, why should you trust that company? Other salespeople are evasive which is almost as bad as lying.
A seasoned pro
I spoke with a very seasoned sales person who knew all the answers and had a very extensive technical knowledge. He was someone who inspired trust. You need to understand that clients want someone honest, helpful, and knowledgeable. If you hire minimum wage people to answer the phone, you might be doing more damage than good. If you hire dishonest sales people to answer the phone, you might be damaging your reputation. But, what about hiring a seasoned pro?
Can you afford NOT to have a seasoned pro?
The company with the seasoned salesperson had overseas programmers who had similar qualifications to the other companies, but were able to charge more, and have more rigid terms. Why is this? A lot has to do with how they present themselves. Having a great sales person allows you to charge a lot more. It sets your company apart from the pack. Nobody wants to deal with a band of incompetent losers — people want professionals. The question is, do you have the money to pay for a seasoned professional to represent you on the phone? Or, how much will it cost you NOT to have a seasoned pro answer your phone?
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