A new trend in sales calls has made one blogger stop and take notice (and not in a good way). Sales professional Kelley Robertson recently tackled the issue of casual sales calls on his blog, and he writes that this new casual tone can come across as blasé and unprofessional to the person on the other end of the call.
“People are behaving too casual,” he writes. “During several [sales] calls it appeared that the callers were trying to be, or act casual, perhaps to better connect with me or to be perceived as a non-sales person. This ‘new’ approach to make the sales process more casual and friendly may sound good in theory; however I take issue with it and think that it is very dangerous for the sales profession regardless of who your target market is.”
Robertson makes an excellent point, being more laid-back may seem like a good idea, but in actuality, could give a bad first impression. Overly casual salespeople may come across as unprofessional, unfocused, and not trustworthy. Instead, wait until you and the prospect are more familiar with one another before you drop the formality.
Wednesday, Feb 3, 2010
Jessica Helinski