Make Every Call Count
Make Every Call Count
industries, there is one thing that stands out as an important
differentiating factor between those who have average success and those who consistently soar. It is not enough to go on appointments, send out fancy packets and pass your card around. You have to be willing to become masterful at using the phone. Review these "quick tips" for making every call count, and see if you are not more masterful the next time you dial.
Psyche Yourself Up
Do not simply locate the number and begin to dial. Visualize the result you want before each call. See the person picking up the phone, saying how glad he or she is to hear from you.
Preplan Your Points to Make
You do not need to script every word you want to say. If you do, you will
sound like those telemarketers who call you during dinner. Instead, jot down key words that remind you of the points you want to make. Keep your desired outcome from the call in mind.
Smile
Some phone experts suggest putting a mirror in front of you so you can see yourself smiling. If you are listening to someone on the phone, you can always tell if the person is smiling; people sound different-better, more inviting.
Ask for Agreement to Talk
Most people hate to be called by someone who starts a spiel as soon as the phone is picked up. Once you reach your party, state your name, why you are calling, and ask if the person has a minute to talk. If the person says no, ask when a good time to call back would be. Make sure you call back at that time. If you do, the person will gladly give you his or her attention.
Acknowledge the Person You are Calling
Personalize your conversation and develop rapport by taking a moment to acknowledge or appreciate something about the person you are speaking to. Say something like, "I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me" or "Thanks for being at the meeting last week" or "It was great to meet you the other week at the conference." Find something to say that is a genuine acknowledgment of the person you have called. This transforms a sales call into a conversation.
Read the Level of Rapport
You want to build rapport with the person you are speaking to. Some people play "Relationship Geography," asking people questions to try and find a person they know in common. This is fine if the person is friendly,
interested and has time to spare. Other people find this intrusive and
frustrating. You have to be able to gauge the level of warmth, interest and enthusiasm of the person and match that level, plus just a bit more. If they seem stoic, be a bit warmer than stoic. If they are enthusiastic, be a bit more enthusiastic.
Be Brief
In order to hold the attention of listeners and keep them engaged, speak in short sentences. Do not use a marketing monologue. Be the kind of person who others will determine they can speak with on the phone for only a few minutes. Most people do not want to "shoot the breeze" during business hours.
Be Benefit-Focused
Whatever you say, it has to matter to your potential customer, and it has to be of benefit to him or her. Think client-centered, rather than
self-centered.
Open-Ended Questions
Ask questions to help you identify how to better serve each potential
customer. Avoid yes or no questions; ask open-ended questions that require an explanation for an answer. For example, instead of asking "How long have you been using product X," ask "What has been the most valuable benefit of using product X?"
Ask Questions that Identify Challenges
Your job is to solve the client's challenges, make the client's life easier,
or make the client's business more profitable. Ask what the biggest problems they are facing in their business are, and figure out how to address those challenges. If you can do that, you will have many loyal customers.
Ask for What You Want
Do not hang up the phone before you ask for what you want. Even if you think you will not get it, ask anyway. You may be pleasantly surprised with the answer. If you do this consistently and you are making enough calls, eventually you will be successful.
Use an Accent to Your Advantage
If you have an accent and have mastered the other tips discussed here, use your accent to your advantage. People with accents sound appealing, and other people like to listen to them. If the people you are calling ask you about your accent, use it as an opportunity to ask them about themselves and build rapport.
Call When You Said You Would
Make sure you call exactly when you said you would. Even though your
potential client may not remember when you said you would call back, by
doing so, you create urgency and trust.
Follow Up Immediately
If you have agreed to send out information or fax over a registration form, do it immediately. This also creates urgency-and if you act with urgency, the potential client may also respond with urgency, allowing you to get your goal sooner.
Track Your Calls
Set a goal for yourself every week and decide how many calls you are going to make. Estimate how long it will take you to make that many calls, and block the time on your schedule. Act as if this time block was an
appointment with a client-the call time you set aside to develop new clients must be viewed as very important.
Pick Up the Receiver
The more you place calls, the easier it gets. The more you place calls, the
better you get. The better you get, the better the results. The only way to get masterful at using the phone is to use the phone and apply these tips to make every call count.
Make Every Call Count - To learn more about this author, visit Caterina Rando's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
After years of coaching sales and business people in a wide variety of
industries, there is one thing that stands out as an important
differentiating factor between those who have average success and those who consistently soar. It is not enough to go on appointments, send out fancy packets and pass your card around. You have to be willing to become masterful at using the phone. Review these "quick tips" for making every call count, and see if you are not more masterful the next time you dial.
Psyche Yourself Up
Do not simply locate the number and begin to dial. Visualize the result you want before each call. See the person picking up the phone, saying how glad he or she is to hear from you.
Preplan Your Points to Make
You do not need to script every word you want to say. If you do, you will
sound like those telemarketers who call you during dinner. Instead, jot down key words that remind you of the points you want to make. Keep your desired outcome from the call in mind.
Smile
Some phone experts suggest putting a mirror in front of you so you can see yourself smiling. If you are listening to someone on the phone, you can always tell if the person is smiling; people sound different-better, more inviting.
Ask for Agreement to Talk
Most people hate to be called by someone who starts a spiel as soon as the phone is picked up. Once you reach your party, state your name, why you are calling, and ask if the person has a minute to talk. If the person says no, ask when a good time to call back would be. Make sure you call back at that time. If you do, the person will gladly give you his or her attention.
Acknowledge the Person You are Calling
Personalize your conversation and develop rapport by taking a moment to acknowledge or appreciate something about the person you are speaking to. Say something like, "I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me" or "Thanks for being at the meeting last week" or "It was great to meet you the other week at the conference." Find something to say that is a genuine acknowledgment of the person you have called. This transforms a sales call into a conversation.
Read the Level of Rapport
You want to build rapport with the person you are speaking to. Some people play "Relationship Geography," asking people questions to try and find a person they know in common. This is fine if the person is friendly,
interested and has time to spare. Other people find this intrusive and
frustrating. You have to be able to gauge the level of warmth, interest and enthusiasm of the person and match that level, plus just a bit more. If they seem stoic, be a bit warmer than stoic. If they are enthusiastic, be a bit more enthusiastic.
Be Brief
In order to hold the attention of listeners and keep them engaged, speak in short sentences. Do not use a marketing monologue. Be the kind of person who others will determine they can speak with on the phone for only a few minutes. Most people do not want to "shoot the breeze" during business hours.
Be Benefit-Focused
Whatever you say, it has to matter to your potential customer, and it has to be of benefit to him or her. Think client-centered, rather than
self-centered.
Open-Ended Questions
Ask questions to help you identify how to better serve each potential
customer. Avoid yes or no questions; ask open-ended questions that require an explanation for an answer. For example, instead of asking "How long have you been using product X," ask "What has been the most valuable benefit of using product X?"
Ask Questions that Identify Challenges
Your job is to solve the client's challenges, make the client's life easier,
or make the client's business more profitable. Ask what the biggest problems they are facing in their business are, and figure out how to address those challenges. If you can do that, you will have many loyal customers.
Ask for What You Want
Do not hang up the phone before you ask for what you want. Even if you think you will not get it, ask anyway. You may be pleasantly surprised with the answer. If you do this consistently and you are making enough calls, eventually you will be successful.
Use an Accent to Your Advantage
If you have an accent and have mastered the other tips discussed here, use your accent to your advantage. People with accents sound appealing, and other people like to listen to them. If the people you are calling ask you about your accent, use it as an opportunity to ask them about themselves and build rapport.
Call When You Said You Would
Make sure you call exactly when you said you would. Even though your
potential client may not remember when you said you would call back, by
doing so, you create urgency and trust.
Follow Up Immediately
If you have agreed to send out information or fax over a registration form, do it immediately. This also creates urgency-and if you act with urgency, the potential client may also respond with urgency, allowing you to get your goal sooner.
Track Your Calls
Set a goal for yourself every week and decide how many calls you are going to make. Estimate how long it will take you to make that many calls, and block the time on your schedule. Act as if this time block was an
appointment with a client-the call time you set aside to develop new clients must be viewed as very important.
Pick Up the Receiver
The more you place calls, the easier it gets. The more you place calls, the
better you get. The better you get, the better the results. The only way to get masterful at using the phone is to use the phone and apply these tips to make every call count.
Make Every Call Count - To learn more about this author, visit Caterina Rando's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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