Goals and strategies for first phone contact in international sales

In international sales, the goal of making the first call is critical. Having clear goals can help salespeople connect with prospects more effectively and move the sale forward. Here are a few key goals for your first phone call and strategies for implementing them.

Clear customer needs and current situation

The first telephone contact in international sales should have the primary goal of understanding the customer’s product needs. Information can be obtained effectively by asking customers whether they are operating or need to import a certain type of product. For example, you can use the excuse that you need to import a specific product to ask the customer’s front desk about the product. This approach often reveals whether the customer has relevant needs and paves the way for follow-up contact.

Get key information

Communicating with the customer’s sales manager is an important way to obtain information. Through the dialogue with the sales manager, the salesperson can obtain the contact information of the purchasing department to further contact the decision-maker. This strategy is especially suitable for complex international sales environments that require multi-level communication to obtain effective information.

Ensure how information is delivered

As part of the first phone contact, getting permission to email or fax the customer is a necessary step. The salesperson can confirm this by asking if the relevant information can be sent. In order to avoid customers’ resistance to spam, you can ask customers for their email settings in a friendly manner during the communication process to show your concern for the security of customer information.

Pay attention to customer feedback and improvements

During the communication, you can also ask the customer if there are other more effective ways to block spam. If the customer indicates that there are indeed relevant measures, they can express their appreciation for the customer’s IT system; if not, the sales staff can mention that if a good solution is found, they will be recommended to the customer in time. This kind of attention and feedback not only enhances the customer’s sense of trust, but also lays a good foundation for future contacts.

With these strategies, international salespeople can gain clarity on their first phone call and improve their chances of building a good relationship with the customer.