Jim Skamarakas

No matter what you do for a living, effective sales skills on the phone are becoming even more critical in the electronic age. Whether or not your trying to sell an idea to a colleague, prospect or a client, it’s one of the fastest ways in building relationships with someone both today and for tomorrow; therefore, it’s important for your phone calls to project not only an intelligent person, but one who has a positive outlook on who you are and the organization.
To help you polish your telephone skills, we”ve listed below 6 quick tips.

They are:

1. Exude Confidence

When you”re on the phone it is key to maintain your confidence. The other party truly wants to listen to someone who knows what they are talking about and stands behind what they are saying or the product/service they are promoting. Since you are speaking over the phone, you are unable to give a firm handshake and look your client in the eye. Speaking strongly and confidently can have the same positive effect over the phone. Know all there is to know about you”re talking about and you”ll eliminate any anxiety.

2. Clarity and Brevity

People want to hear what you have to offer and how it can directly help them. You often don’t get much time on the phone to give your “pitch”; therefore, make sure that you keep it brief and to the point. If you”re in sales, it may help to prepare a 30 - 90 second script and practice into a recorder until it comes across naturally.

3. Use the Person’s Name

Dale Carnegie said that a person’s name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language. It is beneficial to use your prospective client’s name throughout the conversation. This will not only set a friendly tone, but will also help you in remembering their name for future encounters.

Of course we don”t want to go overboard with this, sprinkle their name in the conversation appropriately.

4. Remain Enthusiastic

It is important to remain enthusiastic throughout the telephone conversation. The other party will pick up on your enthusiasm and will begin to get excited about the project or product also. If we want others to get excited about our project or product we need to be excited too! And if you”re in customer service and dealing with an upset client just remember they are not upset with you, it’s the problem you”re trying to help them solve that’s got them upset.

Don”t forget to remind someone that “you”re on their side” too. It’s a great way to develop an ally.

5. Use Appropriate Humor

You don”t need to be stand up comic but humor can quickly liven up your phone calls if it’s relevant. A little bit of humor can be a positive addition to a conversation or a sales call. It can lighten the mood and create a friendly atmosphere. Be careful that your humor is in good taste, and that it does not detract from the conversation or the sale you”re trying to make.

6. Relax

It is sometimes nerve racking making a phone call to prospective clients or to deliver the “bad news”. Take a deep breath and relax before each call; think of the positive side to the conversation too. This will help keep you fresh and focused during your calls.

Popularity: 2%

Categories: Soapbox
Tags: