Casual is not unprofessional or unprepared. An important component of sales is to relate to the prospect in a way that puts them at ease so that they can concentrate on your message. Managing personality characteristics is an essential part of world class selling. Talking business speak to a casual contact or casual to a detailed oriented person will likely yield poor results.

This article is spot on. For first time prospect calls, it's critical that you deliver a value to that prospect within the first 10 seconds. Otherwise, you're wasting the thing of most value to him/her, time. Always deliver some type of value proposition within the first three sentences. Then, he/she knows what you are selling and/or what you propose to do by delivering a "my product can save you/cut costs/increase visibility/etc." so you both get right to the point. 
 
 
 
If this is a business relationship that has moved to this type of "casual" level, then it's fine. However, don't take it over the edge.

@Dan, not sure you followed my intent. This post refers to being casual and unprepared as it relates to a cold/introductory call. I understand and agree with your point that your delivery has to mirror the relationship you have with the buyer but as they say “You only have one chance to make a first impression” and on a first call, professional outweighs casual by far and leaves a positive lasting impression.

Dan, when this salesperson called me his tone was far too casual for my liking. He made the fatal mistake of trying to be my friend by attempting to speak more casually. However, because this was an initial call it backfired because I expect a higher degree of professionalism from a sales person, especially on a first call. I suggest that corporate decision makers expect the same as well.

I have to agree with Mr Tyre. I have been doing inside sales for almost 16 years now and the more relaxed on the phone I am with the prospect, the more appointments I make. The key to sales is listening. If the prospect sounds rushed, then I'll get to the point. If the prospect is relaxed and has some time to spend with me then, I'll be light and get to the questions that really need to be asked and take my time to really listen to the prospects needs. To me that is professional. I create interest and the representatives I book for create value. Not all CEO's, VP's Directors etc. are the same. Listen to them and they'll tell you how to sell them. You just need to pay attention. By doing this, I have been able to double and triple my quota monthly.

@NA. You just proved Cindy's point. Look at your comment, you referred to Dan (and I can call him Dan because I know him) as Mr. Tyre. Very professional and not casual.  
 
You make good points in your comment about setting the pace of your conversation to match that of your prospect. But, I am sure you also match their tone as well. Kelly was put off by the casual tone used with him so his seller shot themselves in the foot. 
 
Pace, tone, language, grammar...the more we move to selling via the phone and web the more these components become integral to effective communication and the more we need to invest in coaching our reps to understand their value.

My wife and I pulled into a Dunkin' Donuts drive-through on Sunday morning. When we got to the window, as soon as the woman giving us our order opened the door, I said, "Good morning, how are you?" Her response? "Eh - not so good." Talk about uncomfrotable; you think I want to go through that drive-through again? 
 
I know I'm using a B2C example here, but it just goes to show that professionalism trickles down from the top. John Maxwell always said that, "everything rises and falls on leadership," and I'm going to say that goes the same for a casual sales attitude. Had her boss coached her appropriately, my guess is that my experience (and possibly dozens more that morning) may have been better. 
 
I don't know - does that make sense? 
 
Thanks for the post!

Chris, 
 
 
 
I hear you. I once went into a battery store and when I asked the "clerk" how his day was going he launched into a diatribe about the amount of work he had to do, the problems, etc. I haven't been back since!

The absolute worst thing for a sales person to have to go through is to be trained by such tactics as people listening in on calls and then stopping afterward to review the call. Any company that comes close to doing that to my inside sales staff will not be back. 
If a person doesn't make it through an interview or some sort of formal introduction thing into a company, then that person should not be on the phone. 
If a company wears jeans ( except those facing the customer), then the person interviewing should feel free to come to their interview in jeans, just as casual as anyone else. 
I've sold so much in my life by being just myself,... sure, I might have missed an opportunity to ask another question or ask for a referral, though if I'm having a decent conversation with someone, those things are going to naturally shake out of me and the way I talk to people on the phone. Thinking you can train some ( without being a robot) on the phone with a script is the worst thing I've ever heard. 
Listen to Geoffrey Gitomer, don't hire consultants

@Kurmudgeon (sp?) You got that right. LOL 
 
BTW its Jeffrey Gitomer.

Good for you on the correction - I diplomatically and sincerely do appreciate and deserve that note. 
I wasn't trying to bash your company by any means. 
The least effective thing I've ever seen with inside sales is anyone, supervisor, consultant or whomever plug into a call and then analyzing after every call or every 3 or 5 or whatever. 
The least effective way of motivating and getting results from my team. 
We are cashing checks ( big ones ), and it's because everyone is allowed an appropriate amount of latitude. Do we make mistakes ? , surely. Do we forget to ask for referrals ?,.. absolutely. However, my reps. understand the power of nurturing, and the notion of making impact within 10 or 25 or however many seconds is simply not true anymore. The largest sales I've ( and my group) have ever made have been from building relationships over 3 - 6 months and longer. We are in software sales, so we have plenty of margin, with minimum performance expectations for the reps. , so there is a level of measurement. 
If my reps. hit their number early in the day, they can go home,... not to be complacent, because time and complacency kill deals,... but, if you treat a rep. with dignity and respect and don't make them into robots on the phone, they are far, far better served and positioned for success. Way too many consultants out there, some who deserve all of what they make, get paid way too much money for their value-add. Of course, the same is true in athletics,... supply / demand dictates their pay. 
 
Mr. Gitomer makes $500k gross profit sitting at his desk at nights ( with his cat on his desk with him) just overseeing webinars, material he has created and gets out to the masses. That is just webinar revenue. His other $15M comes from his books and seminars. 
 
No way will my group ever read by script,

and, Neibold, that $500K is when he has his feet up and is only in his underwear garnents, being HIMSELF, at his desk.

We have an hour shut down ( not lunch time) where the office goes quiet and there is nothing to be done but to 'think'...., modeled after the 3M company. They 'think' about THEIR business, because at the end of the day, they are just renting the facilities ( ie. real estate at work,... phones, desk, etc,,,,,), they pay for their rent in various ways, and they ultimately create their own destiny ( and hence, pay). 
Also, we encourage people to think way outside the box and take people to games, write thank you notes, entertain in whatever way makes business sense,.. any my highest paid reps. @ $400 k ( last year) were the ones who worked their team ( assistants, people they actually outsourced cold calling to, like companies specializing in qualifying and making appts,.... and there is a minimum level of qualification ( i.e. size of company, overall revenue, total IT spend per anum, etc,....), and these guys are making the most ching for their chang.

Much depends on what you are selling to whom. 
some products allow for casual - others are strictly serious business. 
In both cases the main job of the salesman is to <a href:"http://bit.ly/5hF1Fd">take away fear and risk for the buyer - plus building trust. 
If you are best when you are casual then be casual. 
If you eed to be business like, then do it business like. 

First, it is your best choice, I like it very much and hope. 
 
 
 
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