- Your attitude will guide as well as determine your results. Be sure it is positive. Approach this high payoff activity with high expectations.
- Sell with your voice. Don’t “um” or “ah” your prospect to want to hang up. Be prepared and confident. Make the first call of the day to your voice mail; would you buy from you? Would you?
- Voice mail messages must be short. If you can’t say it briefly, don’t say it. Optimal length is 8 to 14 seconds. Remember the 3 B’s. Be Bright. Be Brief. Be Gone.
- Let your prospect know up front you have something valuable to talk about and you will not waste their time.
- Listen to what is going on in the background. If another phone rings or you hear a distraction in the background, politely inquire whether that situation needs to be dealt with and offer to be placed on hold. This shows respect for the other person and is greatly appreciated.
- Turn your smart phone off for 30 minutes and give your mind a rest from the incoming stream of messages. The Harvard Business Review encourages us to take a Grown-Up Recess ~ taking breaks from work help us to be more productive.
- Don’t ask, “Is this a good time?” It never is and you give your prospect an easy out. Instead, be prepared with a question to engage the prospect. Listen. Don’t interrupt. Get commitment for the next step. Pick up the phone.
- Follow up and get right to the point. “Following up to determine next steps…”
- 10 calls before 10 in the morning. After the third or fourth call you will discover you’re enjoying the process; each call is bringing you closer to the sale. Keep up the good work.
- Smile when you answer the phone. The other person can sense your mood by the tone of your voice; they might even be your next customer. Smile. “Hello, this is Mike! Thank you for calling!” It truly is another great day in America!
- Stop emailing and pick up the phone. In an email, it is easy to misread tone and context. Nothing can replace live conversation. How we say things can be as important as what we say.
- End the call once you achieve your objective.
- Hang Up. Don’t get all giddy with this little success and start rambling. Say, “Thank you!” Stop talking. Hang up and Heat Up Your Sales!
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