The CROC technique is perfect for booking appointments over the phone and for prospecting.
Its simplicity lets you memorize the steps easily and focus on being effective. To learn more, you can also take our online sales course.
The CROC technique
- Contact: first seconds count
- Reason for customer call
- Main objective of the call
- Conclusion of the conversation
Making contact
The first contact is key, because the customer takes about 4 seconds to decide whether or not to continue the call.
To do this, it will evaluate two points:
- Is the caller serious?
- Is the caller friendly?
This assessment is made by voice, so you need to be smiling, natural and warm. You have to do everything you can to avoid being seen as a call center agent who makes one contact after another, out of obligation.
You need to avoid a neutral, uninterested tone, and instead be enthusiastic, trying to show the customer that this is your only call of the day, even if you make 100 in a row. With each call, try to make the customer unique.
Reason for call
In the CROC sales technique, the reason for the call explains why you’re calling. It could be your contact’s situation, the global economic situation, the environment – it all depends on what you’re selling.
Here are a few examples:
- The global economic situation is highly volatile
- Your investments are currently earning low returns
- You spend a lot on heating in these cold weather conditions
- Your car is now 7 years old and must be starting to cost you in repairs.
Purpose of the call
The objective of the call presents your prospect with the benefits he or she will gain from prolonging the conversation and eventually meeting you.
The call objective must have the following qualities:
- Short
- Linked to the reasons for the call
- Stay close to the customer’s motivations with the SONCAS technique: security, pride, novelty, convenience, money, sympathy.
Example:
- I’d like to see how you can secure your investments against the global economy
- I’d like to find out how you can increase your investment income
- I’d like to show you how you can save on energy costs.
- I’d like to introduce you to a new, reliable and environmentally friendly car
Conclusion of the conversation
The purpose of the conclusion is to end the conversation and confirm a commitment to action, such as making an appointment.
- I therefore confirm our meeting at your offices on June 12 at 9am. Thank you and have a nice day.
- I’m sending you an invitation to a videoconference on June 15 at 10am. Thank you and see you soon!
Example of CROC prospecting technique application
- Contact: hello, Mr. Pélisson, that’s perfect, it’s you I wanted to talk to!
- Reason: I’m calling you because the world economy is currently very volatile.
- Objective: I’d like to discuss with you how you can protect your investments and even benefit from the current situation.
- Since you’re interested, I invite you to a videoconference next Tuesday at 2pm. Thank you and have a nice day!
In a nutshell
To make an appointment over the phone, you need to be brief, aim for the appointment, waste no time, be direct, natural and smile. The CROC method is perfect for this. Of course, you need to use a CRM designed for prospecting, such as ActionClient.