Sales calls have a reputation, and let’s face it—it’s not a good one. I can’t even remember how many calls made me want to end the conversation before you could say, “not interested.” It’s not that I don’t value a strong sales pitch; it’s just that too many salespeople consistently make the same mistakes.
If your quota feels insurmountable, it’s time for some tough love. In reality, your sales calls might be falling flat because of a few preventable errors. The good news? You can change things with a little effort and some practical adjustments.
Let me explain: From someone who has witnessed the best—and suffered through the worst—here are four practical steps to improve your sales calls.
Make It Count with the 10-Second Rule
Imagine this: I’ve taken your call rather than letting it go to voicemail, which is rare these days. You have ten seconds to convince me that I made the right decision. Can you do it?
The bottom line is that the first ten seconds are crucial. They’re your opportunity to make me care with a succinct, clear value statement. Consider it your fast-paced elevator pitch. You’re not merely telling me what you do—you’re showing me why it matters.
For example:
“Hi Bob, I’m Thomas from Michael Management Corporation. With our online SAP training, businesses can train more employees faster and for half the price of in-person training.”
Notice what this does? It’s brief, targeted, and addresses important pain points I might actually care about—time, cost, and efficiency.
If you bury me in jargon or struggle to find the right words, guess what? Click. The call’s over. But if you craft an opening statement that speaks directly to my needs, you’ll earn yourself a little more time to make your case.
Conclusion: Get to know your audience, identify their problems, and create an opening that grabs attention.
Put an End to Pitching and Begin Relating
This is an all-too-frequent error: Sales reps start rattling off product features as if they’re reading a grocery list. Spoiler alert: Nobody cares—at least not yet.
Consider it from my perspective. When you talk about features, all I hear is a list of things I don’t immediately understand or need. What I want to know is how your product can solve my problems. That’s where benefits come into the picture.
Take your product’s features and turn them into practical advantages. For example, instead of saying, “Our platform has advanced reporting capabilities,” try saying, “Our platform helps you track your team’s training progress so you can easily identify skill gaps.”
See the difference? The first statement feels like a spec sheet, while the second speaks directly to a challenge I might care about.
Pro tip: Write down your product’s key features and think about how your prospect could benefit from each one. Keep that list handy—but don’t pull it out too early. Timing is everything.
Conclusion: Focus on the prospect instead of the pitch. Benefits sell; features tell.
For Now, Omit the Company Story
Let’s get right to the point: I don’t care about your company’s accolades, history, or stellar customer service during the first few minutes of a sales call. It’s not that these things don’t matter—they do—but not at this stage.
Consider this scenario: You’re drowning in work, you take a call, and the rep starts rambling about how their company was founded in 1995, won the “Best Customer Service Award” last year, and has a 99.9% satisfaction rate. By the time they get to the point, you’re already mentally checked out.
Here’s the reality: That information might sway me later, but at the start of the call, I only care about one thing—how can you help me? When I’m seriously considering your offer, I’ll do my due diligence on your company’s reputation. Until then, focus on solving my problem, not bragging about your achievements.
Conclusion: Save the company story for later. In the early stages of the sales process, it’s all about showing the prospect you understand their needs and have a solution worth their time.
Develop Your Listening Skills
Even though you’ve probably heard it before, it bears repeating: Listening is a sales superpower. Unfortunately, not enough reps use it.
I once had a sales rep talk at me for seven minutes straight without pausing. Seven minutes! That’s enough time to make a coffee, write an email, and brainstorm a better way to spend my time.
If you’re doing all the talking, you’re missing the most critical part of the conversation—your prospect. The key is to ask open-ended questions that get me talking about my challenges, goals, and priorities. Then—and this is crucial—actually listen.
Ask questions like:
• “What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in [area related to your product]?”
• “If you could solve one issue in [your process], what would it be?”
These questions give you insight into what matters most to me. Once you know that, you can adjust your pitch to show how your solution aligns perfectly with my needs.
The lesson: Talk less, listen more. The more you know about your prospect, the easier it is to position your solution as exactly what they’ve been searching for.
Easy Ways to Achieve Sales Success
Improving your sales calls doesn’t require a total makeover—just a focus on the fundamentals. By mastering your opening pitch, shifting from features to benefits, avoiding unnecessary company backstory, and listening intently, you’ll already be ahead of most sales reps.
Remember, every call is an opportunity to build a connection, uncover a need, and offer a solution that truly resonates. Stick to these four steps, and you’ll find that your calls aren’t just more productive—they’re more enjoyable for both you and your prospects.
Follow these tips, and you’ll see your confidence—and your sales numbers—climb. Who knows? You might even make a sales call that someone remembers for all the right reasons.
Cheers,
Thomas Michael
Thomas Michael is the CEO of the Michael Management Corporation, the leading provider of award-winning SAP eLearning training. He moved to bitter cold New York City from sunny San Diego and sometimes wonders how smart that was. Oh, and he’s on a mission to make corporate SAP training fun and effective again.
