The goal of taking an information call is to set an appointment. I believe giving prices over the phone is counter- productive to setting the appointment. I realized this early in my career selling memberships. Whenever I gave the caller the prices they would say,”Thanks, I’ll call you back if I’m interested.” It’s a standard with me not to give prices over the phone. However, we don’t want to alienate the caller, we want the appointment.
3 STEPS TO STAY IN CONTROL
One of the best ways to be effective in setting appointments with phone-ins, is to expect the caller to ask, ” How much is it to join your club?” If you expect this to happen (and it will) then there is nothing to worry about. First, lets look at why the consumer asks this question right up front. Most consumers that call for information have never had a health club membership. They have little or no experience purchasing a membership, so it is completely natural for them to ask this question.
1. Stay calm. Don’t let this question throw you into a tailspin.
2. Don’t sound like you’re reading from a script. Be natural and friendly.
3. You will need to control the flow of the call by asking all the questions. Remember, whoever is asking the questions is in control.
PRICE DEFLECTIONS
You: Thanks for calling how may I help you?
Caller: Yes, I’d like to get some information on joining your club, how much is it to join?
You: My name is Jim Martin, I’m the Membership Director and whom am I speaking with please?
Caller: This is John Smith.
You: Thanks for calling John, how did you hear about us?
Caller: A friend of mine is a member there.
You: And what are you looking for in a club, John?
Caller: Cardio equipment and strength training equipment.
You: Great…we have (and give a brief explanation of the services they are interested in).
Caller: Can you give me an idea how much it is to join?
You: Most of the clubs in the area are competitively priced, however, let me give you a few options that prospective members have in acquiring information about joining our club…
The first option would be to come down to the club and take a tour with me. At the end of the tour if it’s a good fit, we can sit down and go over all of the membership options at that time to help you decide which membership would be best for you. Then we can either get you started on your membership, or you can take the information home with you and get back to me if you’d like to join.
(Don’t hesitate go right into second option) The second option would be to come down to the club take the tour with me and at the end of the tour I’ll offer you the opportunity to try the club out for (you select the amount of trial time) one week with no obligation. During that week, I’ll offer to set you up on appointments with our trainers who will give you supervised workout orientations to help you feel comfortable and confident on the equipment. A lot of prospective members find that this is a comfortable way to make an informed decision about purchasing a membership. Which option do you feel would be best for you John?
Note: If your caller is not pressing you for membership prices you may not need to use the trial membership option. If that is the case, go right into setting the appointment without offering a trial membership. If they are consistently pressing you for prices, the trial membership option works extremely well in deflecting them off the price issue.
Another deflection is:
You: John, would you join a club over the phone without seeing it first?
Caller: No.
You: Of course not, and my reason for setting an appointment with you to see the club is to help you make an informed decision on whether our club is right for you. So in coming down to see the club would you be more apt to come in after work or during the day?
Another price deflection:
You: What monthly investment have you decided would be comfortable for you to set aside for a club membership?
Caller: $40 per month.
You: Great! We have a plan that’s in that ballpark. Why don’t we set an appointment for you to see the club or try it out? Would tomorrow afternoon be good or is the evening better for you?
Your goal should be to have a 70% info-call set percentage! The best way to train your sales reps to be effective on the phone is to roll-play with them. It’s uncomfortable for them at first, but you will find it to be very revealing and effective.
Jim Martin is the President of Powerful Promotions. He can be contacted at 877.822.5577, or visitwww.powerfulpromotions.com.