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Telephone Tips When
Contacting Customers
Never ask if it’s a good
time to talk. This gives the other person a perfect excuse to end the
call. If you are unsure the person has time to talk then state up front
this phone call will only take 3 minutes. When you give the person an
exact time be sure you time the call. After the allotted time, tell the
customer you’re at the end and ask them if they would like to continue or
reschedule. Using this practice allows you to demonstrate how much you
respect their time.
Ask questions. People will never hang up on themselves.
Use the person’s name at least 3 times in every phone call. Who doesn’t
like to hear their name said?
When greeting people on the telephone, avoid using their last name. It
makes the call seem too formal. Your objective should be to have a casual
conversation, in the same way you would talk to a good friend.
Use visually descriptive words to help paint a picture of what you’re
saying. A phone conversation doesn’t have to be boring and stale.
When starting a new telephone conversation, always give your first
and last name. Never assume the person you’re talking to is going to
recognize your voice or think you’re the only one with your first name.
Watch your facial expressions by placing a mirror in front of you when you
talk. It’s amazing how they come through over the phone.
Add energy to your phone calls by standing up. Nobody likes talking to a
“blah” person. People who have good posture tend to come across more
enthusiastic than those who don’t.
When you end a conversation, always summarize it in the same way you would
end a live meeting. By doing so, you can prevent misinterpretation of your
discussion.
Always allow the other person to have the final comment or question. Just
because you’ve asked all your questions doesn’t mean the other person has
asked all of his.
Avoid negotiating over the phone, use it as a means to introduce
information and to follow up or confirm information. It’s impossible to
truly read body language over the phone and thus you lose a major
negotiating tool. A phone call however can be an excellent way to
introduce a new idea you would like to receive some feedback on. Many
times it will allow feedback to be gained in a less threatening manner
than if it were to occur in a traditional sales call.
Never use a speaker phone with a customer even if they say it is fine with
them. Speaker phones add to the perception the conversation is not
important enough to capture 100% of the person’s attention. (Only
exception of course is if there is a group involved.)
Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter” is a sales expert who speaks to thousands
each year on how to increase their sales profitability. You can receive a
free sales tip each week via email by contacting “The Sales Hunter” at
www.TheSalesHunter.com |
