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In some cases, the salesman is confronted with the prob- lem of contacting groups of people before the sale is finally consummated. Sometimes these groups may live in different cities, and to see all of them would entail considerable ex- pense and consume much time. In cases of this nature, the telephone may be used most efficiently. The salesman can make definite appointments, or he can interest each party in the sale by telephone. In any case, he should confirm the telephone conversation in writing. Regardless of the sug- gestion followed, intelligent use of the telephone will com- plete the sale more quickly and more efficiently. Then, too, it always adds to the prestige and dignity of the salesman to make an appointment by telephone. It shows that he is put- ting a value on his own time and is respecting the prospect by not "butting in" at an inopportune time. The salesman who uses the telephone in making appointments is more likely to get the business than the salesman who does not. Some time ago, I was discussing this idea of "telephone appointments" with one of Philadelphia's outstanding execu- tives. He gave me an interesting example of why a salesman should use the telephone to make appointments. This Phila- delphia executive was in Texas calling on one of his key salesmen. It seems that his salesman was working on a sale 130 HOW TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS that required him to see a number of people. One of the men on whom the sale depended lived in Austin, Texas, which happened to be 250 miles away. The executive from Philadelphia suggested to the salesman that he call the Austin man on the telephone. The salesman refused to tele- phone, but agreed to see him in person. When the salesman arrived in Austin, he found that the man had been called out of town. Five hundred miles of travel, many gallons of gaso- line wasted, valuable hours of selling time lost, and many ounces of energy burned up—for what? All his efforts had gone with the wind. By taking a minute or two to use the telephone, the salesman could have saved all this time, money, and energy. Better still, he could have used them to secure one or two more orders. Shakespeare so aptly said: "Lord! What fools these mortals be." In the above case, the executive used his head, the salesman did not. The moment a salesman begins to use his head he begins to get ahead. A definite appointment adds to the salesman's dignity and prestige and gives him more confidence with which to sell his product. By all means, use your head by using the tele- phone to help you make an appointment. |
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