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Lately I’ve been working with a major telecom client with their phone sales team to increase sales. Ironically, the reps were complaining that since all the clients have a “Caller ID” feature, the customers screen their calls and let voice mail pick up. I mentioned that their company was one of the pioneers of this screening feature that becomes a gatekeeper to reaching the customers!
Some interesting questions came up in the session that I’m including
here in this newsletter. See how many of these pertain to you:
Q: “Since my customers are not picking up, how do I leave a message to get a call back?”
A: “First of all, stop multitasking when you call customers! You need to have all of your wits about you to concentrate on your head position, voice, and carefully chosen words to leave a message that compels a call back. Next, leave a brief message including the word ‘need’ and remember to match the customer’s voice tone with inflection.”
Q: “How many times do I call a customer before I start sounding like a
pest?”
A: “Are you a pest or are you persistent? Your customers are busy. How many times do you need to call? As many as necessary to get the
customer on the phone, have a productive call, and get to the next step closer to the close! With some, you need only call once to get a return call, but that customer is an exception. Most often, you’ll need to place multiple calls with a different type of message in each call, to receive a return call back. Statistics show that those who are most persistent, get the bulk of the sales.”
Q: “When is the best time of day to reach a decision maker?”
A: “Try early in the morning and late in the afternoon for a change. Also, call during lunch. In some businesses, their phones may be quieter and the customer may have more time to speak with you then.”
Q: “How do I build relationships with gatekeepers to know when a decision maker is in?”
A: “Build a relationship with the gatekeeper just as you build relationships with the ultimate decision makers. Be friendly, but not obnoxious, ask open-ended questions about the decision makers’ schedule, and wait for an answer. Who knows, you may even get a cell phone number out of the deal! (And if you do, please don’t abuse the privilege in using the number to reach the customer.)”
Q: “Why shouldn’t I ask ‘How are you?’ as an opener? I’ve always done that.”
A: “You’ll want to break yourself of THAT habit. The reason is that every telemarketer who interrupts your dinner uses that line. Every businessperson dislikes a stranger asking that, because he/she knows the caller doesn’t really care. Break yourself of that habit, find a more creative method of opening the call, and watch your calls become more efficient and productive!”
There you go. These were the most often-asked questions from last week’s seminars. Try these ideas and see how your phone sales improve and your stress level decreases. Have some fun with your calls—your customer’s will, too! (c) Renee Walkup, SalesPEAK, 678 587-9911 www.salespeak.com |
