Beware of the Robo Salesperson

"I don't know what I just witnessed," my manager declared to me as I hung up from a sales call. "What happened to you, Brian?"

Even though it was more than 10 years ago, I will never forget that question. The admonition in his voice surprised me. "What do you mean?" I asked, a little stunned. (After all, I recently I attended a training session on probing skills and my call contained lots of probing questions. I asked qualifying questions, situational questions, impact questions--everything I had just learned. It was a perfect sales call, or so I thought.

So what was the problem? We replied, "You sounded like you were on automatic pilot. I thought I was listening to Robo Salesman]" He went on to tell me that my probes, which I thought were well-timed, appropriate responses, came across as mechanical reactions. "You're a good salesperson, Brian," he explained, "because you have an ability to gain a prospect's respect. There's sincerity in your voice, so people trust you. But in that last call, you sounded like a machine. I don't know about you, but the last thing I ever purchased from a machine was a can of soda." When I lost the sale, I discovered he was right.

What Is A Robo Salesperson?

All of us, at one time or another, have probably run into a Robo Salesperson. They are very easy to detect, for they live for the "probe": asking question after perfectly timed question. giving their prospects an unwanted lesson in "Probing 101." If you say "A," the Robo Salesperson will ask "B." If you counter with "C," you can count on being asked "D." Obsessed with questioning and probing, these salespeople:

* Forget to be themselves,

* Plan their next question instead of listening,

* Lack sincerity,

* Respond inappropriately,

* Sound "sales-y,"

* Miss opportunities to build relationships,

* Depend on the ABC approach and can't think on their feet.

This behavior can adversely affect their ability to make sales. Why? Because Robo Salespeople focus on their questions instead of their prospects' needs. I am not discouraging anyone from learning probing skills; when used correctly, they are essential to building profitable relationships with your prospects. (Relationships are the cornerstone of any sale. People buy from people they like and trust.) The danger lies in focusing on the probe as the only means of creating a relationship. It is a mistake all Robo Salespeople make.

What Causes "Robo" Behavior?

Robo Salesperson symptoms happen for one of three reasons:

* Fervor,

* Fear,

* Folly.

Fervor: Robo behavior is most likely to occur in those who are new to probing skills. Whether they have completed the requisite one-day course, finished the book or listened to the audio tape series, they are so excited to use their new skills that they become blindsided. In my case, my excitement overpowered my basic selling style. I forgot to be myself, alienated my prospect and lost the sale. I learned my lesson because it hit me in the wallet. Fortunately (as in my experience), the majority of Robo Salespeople fall into this category and their fervent behavior corrects itself after a few eye-opening experiences. Unfortunately, it's an expensive lesson to learn.

Fear: The fear-motivated Robo Salesperson is not confident in his or her natural ability to connect with a prospect. He or she will use the script as a crutch and does not recover well if someone throws them for a loop.

For example, a month ago, I was training a telemarketer who was responsible for selling a select service for his employer. The nature of the service demanded that all sales leads be well qualified. The telemarketer went through great pains to compose his probing questions; his sales, however, were not quite as impressive as his script. We recorded some of his sales calls to pinpoint the problem. The tapes revealed he had a Robo sales style that constantly turned away prospects. On one call, the telemarketer was so into his probing questions that he did not listen, and instead responded to a witty comment his prospect made by saying, "Uh-huh. That's great. Can you tell me...." He lost the sale right there by missing the opportunity to laugh with his prospect. Laughter is a great way to build a relationship and he missed his chance to gain rapport.

Folly: These Robo Salespeople make the mistake of thinking that all probing questions are universal. (The book, the tape, or the seminar leader said these questions work, so why not use them with everyone?) The result is a cookiecutter style that leads to inappropriate probing, ineffective listening, offended prospects, and missed opportunities. Consider this example as told by an office worker who received a call from a major long-distance carrier.

"The telemarketing sales representative (TSR) asked me if I'd be interested in her company's money-saving services. I explained to her that the president of the company preferred our current long-distance carrier and was reluctant to switch. The TSR immediately asked, 'So you're not interested in saving money?' Did she even listen? I told her my boss made the decision on which carrier to use, so why push the issue with me? Had she asked why my boss felt strongly about the other company, I would have gladly shared that information with her (which may have helped her better present to the company as well as other prospects). The response she used closed our company's door on her--and her company--for good."(1)

The Consequences Of Robo Behavior

What all three Robo styles have in common is an inappropriate focus. They focus on the questions ("What am I going to ask?") instead of the answers ("What does the prospect need?"). This attitude is deadly in a sales situation because it causes anyone to sound "sales-y." Columnist and author Jeffrey Gitomer cites in his book, The Sales Bible, that one of the new rules of sales is "never to get caught selling." A Robo style of probing gets you caught. Furthermore, telesales and telemarketing representatives need to be especially aware of their behavior because prospects do not have any visual cues (such as body language or eye contact) to determine sincerity. Telemarketers are judged on only two things: what they say and how they say it. If you sound like a machine, you will lose your prospect's attention and respect. Unless you're selling candy bars or cans of soda, no one wants to buy from a machine]

Preventing Robo Salesperson Symptoms

To prevent Robo Salesperson symptoms, probing must be artistically combined with relationship building and listening skills. For most people in sales, this means combining newly acquired probing skills with the elements of their personality that led them to a sales career. Those good people skills should continue to be fostered and rewarded as they expand their repertoire of selling techniques. This balance creates a prospect-centered atmosphere and is less likely to breed Robo behavior.

It's important to begin with a clean slate. Every prospect is different. Do not assume everyone's needs are the same. The prospect you call today has different challenges and problems than the one you called yesterday. Clear your mind, pay attention and follow these guidelines:

* Listen] You have two ears and one mouth. This is a reminder that you should listen twice as much as you speak.

* What I'm hearing is....Clarify what you have heard using reflective listening. That is, occasionally repeat back what the prospects say to avoid misunderstanding.

* Welcome short silences. Silence can be good. When you ask questions using your newly developed probing skills, you will find prospects need to think for a moment before answering. Their silence means they are thinking, so the information you receive will be invaluable.

* Give them your full attention. Be genuinely interested in people. If you encourage others to talk about themselves, you can spend less time worrying about connecting. You will find that the more interested you behave, the more interesting people become.

* Flash those pearly whites] Even though nobody sees you, smile while you talk. You will be amazed how it adds warmth to your words. Put up a mirror at your station with a smile drawn on it to remind yourself.

* Tune in. Ask questions with others' interests in mind. People buy for their reasons, not yours. Tune into radio station WIIFM. (Prospects always need to know What's In It For Me).

1 Call center managers should be very attentive to scripts. Poorly written scripts are dangerous and can create armies of Robo Salespeople.

Brian J. Geery is sales consultant and president of Results Consulting Group, located in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts, a provider of customized skill development programs, telesales training and interim sales, management. Brian has more than 10 years' management experience in sales, telesales and telemarketing, and currently teaches a course in telemarketing at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Copyright Technology Marketing Corporation Nov 1995
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