Yellow Pages - the approach needs a change !

byrohankowli

177 followers

6 years ago

There is this one book we have read during initial times. I have scribbled on it too.

And I reached a conclusion-I will NEVER read again.

But, nothing wrong with Yellow pages. It was like a highly efficient search engine during those times.

The Yellow Pages-a fat book filled with names and contact numbers of local businesses of your city.

And when I started my career, this is exactly where I used to call local contacts and pitch them my services.

And it SUCKED big time to get that phone banged on my face.

I was shameless and called hundreds of them offering my services.

"Yeah, call me tomorrow"

"I don't know, maybe tomorrow you can call and check"

"Send me your profile on email"

"You can talk to my assistant"

And you know what the worst part was?

Even though it made me feel like a loser, and made me feel low...

I kept on doing it.

Because I thought it was the only way...

Until,the CLICK happened. And finally I realized it.

THE REAL REASON WHY I WAS BEING REJECTED

It wasn't because what I was selling OR Who was I was selling...

It was because of HOW I was selling.

I realized that I was landing to them as a desperate and needy and someone who made others extremely uncomfortable. I was pushing things down their throat.

Without checking with them first. Yes, you heard me correct.

'WITHOUT CHECKING with them first'

For them- they felt I am invading their privacy. And that's just not okay.

Isn't this lot of salespeople do?

They are always aggressive.

They are always pushing for their products for you to buy

They are always poor in listening to your questions

They are always interested in their daily targets than your needs as a customer or a client

They just don't listen. Isn't it?

And, here I then decided to exactly the opposite.

And MAGIC happened.

I started having conversations with them.

I started asking them questions.

I started showing interest in their needs.

I started adding value to their life.

My content was more of a story. The Pitch came much later.

And when I finally got success with my first few customers/clients it all just went uphill from there.

Suddenly, they were more active in their communication and started referring me to others.

And BOOM. The new approach worked. Now it was a time to duplicate the same to my network.

And BOOM.

More closures. More Sales... More Money

It became easy... as the system was getting set.

Instead of fearing people, I started loving them.

Instead of feeling shy and dejected, I started feeling alive.

Rejections were handled... with no compromising on relationships.

Sounds good?

I call it Value-Added Closings OR VAC. And here's how it works:

Value-Added Closings is what the doctors do.

They listen to the needs, desires and pain points of their patients.

And instead of hard selling a medicine, they 'prescribe' the appropriate medicine.

That's it. Sounds simple right?

Simply, the doctor adds value by prescribing it in a very professional manner.

Its such a powerful selling method; that many times the patient on the receiving end even says:

'Thank you'