Today on The Methodology Blog we tell the story of Joe, who has been in phone sales for over a year and has done pretty well for himself. He spends his days pitching a product and setting up appointments for potential customers. All in all, his phone calls appear successful. But are they really? We’ll let you be the judge.

Joe works for a well known contracting business that focuses mainly on window installment and repair. Recently, the company has dabbled in some other projects such as general household maintenance, bathroom remodeling and wood restoration for decks and patios. However, Joe’s mission isn’t to actually sell these services. Instead, his goal is to sell the business as a whole so that callers are convinced and eager enough to accept a free in-home consultation. Essentially, he sells appointments.

Like many companies, Joe has a predetermined dialogue that he has the option to follow. It is below:

SALES SCRIPT

Hello. How are you doing today?

My name is Joe and I am calling from ABC Windows. We are currently doing work in your neighborhood and figured that since we were near you perhaps you’d like to receive a free estimate on some home repair. Have you seen our signs in the neighborhood or seen our commercials on TV?

Well, in case you haven’t, let me give you a quick background on our company . . .

Do you have any work that needs to be done in your house?

If you sign up for a free consultation today, I’ll be able to enter you into a drawing to win at $30,000 home makeover. Can you please confirm the following information: [Home address, home phone, email address]. Regardless of whether you’re able to keep the appointment or not, you’ll still be eligible to win the big prize!

Thank you for making an appointment with us. Someone from customer service will call to confirm with you 48 hours prior to the appointment.

Simply having a sales script makes Joe’s life easier. And in fact, as time progressed and his comfort level rose, Joe began straying a bit from the script to develop more of a personal rapport with the caller on the other end of the line. His personal touch and ability to morph a soliciting phone call into a laid back conversation serves him well since, on average he secures 36 appointments per month (about 1-2 appointments per day).

But is that enough for the company? To understand what happens after Joe finishes a call, we need to look at the overall sales process for ABC Windows. This is part of their sales and marketing funnel.  Below is a diagram that demonstrates a typical month with Joe’s figures:

600 Calls made. 36 Appointments set up.

6% success rate.

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18 Appointments confirmed.

50% success rate.

↓

12 in-home sales made.

66% success rate.

↓

3 sales secured.

25% success rate.

This diagram is not a way to lessen the amount of success that Joe has nor does it deny his ability as a salesman. Instead, it provides a simplistic visual on exactly how ABC Window’s funnel system works. By looking at it this way— appointments made vs. actual sale—it may be easier to determine whether or not the process as a whole is worthwhile.

Take a moment to consider the sales equation. There are many factors beyond those shown above. Based on what you know, what would you recommend to ABC Windows? What would you say to Joe?

Stay tuned for Slaughter Development’s thoughts on this process.

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