8: Phone Mastery
The author suggests that the telephone is the channel through which most salesmen communicate with clients, and as such it is very important to pay attention to the way in which you use it. He notes that the majority of salespeople "just don't' get how mighty the phone really is."
(EN: I do wonder if this is changing - just as the phone replaced face-to-face meetings and dropping by offices unannounced, so has e-mail largely replaced the telephone for many offices. I could be that the author is offering advice on a channel that is fading from use, but I expect it's worth noting all the same because the telephone isn't gone yet, and some of the principles may carry over to newer communication channels.)
Fundamentals
Before beginning a phone call, know what you mean to accomplish by it and have that objective clearly in mind. Have a "script" ready, not necessarily something that will be read point-for-point, but an outline of the items you intend to discuss and supporting materials for them.
Place a mirror near the phone - while the other party cannot see you, your facial expressions and posture will affect your voice quality, and the other person will pick up on that in your voice. Also, remember to hydrate. The author suggests plain water, as acidic and sugary drinks will detract from your speaking ability.
Another bit of random advice is to stand when you're on the phone. Sitting down compresses the diaphragm and decreases the power of your voice. It also gives you a sense of urgency to be on your feet rather than relaxing in your chair.
When the telephone rings, people have three very specific "fears" that you should be well aware of: first, that the caller is trying to sell them something; second, that the caller is going to waste their time; and third, that the person is going to be a poor communicator - they will be unprepared, disrespectful, and difficult to deal with.
He further suggests that salesmen take control (or lose it) within the first three seconds. His own approach is to be succinct in stating his intentions at the beginning of the call, right after giving his name and company, to acknowledge "I'm really busy right now and I know you are you, but do you have a quick second?" This communicates a credible intention that you will be brief and to-the-point - it's a promise you should keep.
At the same time, do not be too meek. Some salesmen, in trying to be pleasant, come across as weak. There is a line to be drawn between being pleasant and being submissive. The former is necessary, the latter is counterproductive.
Another tip is to "tell instead of ask." When you ask a question, you lose control of the conversation, and give the prospect the ability to put you off-guard, which may take the conversation off the rails.
If the client gets the sense you are anxious or uncertain, they will be anxious or uncertain - and that kills deals. The way to overcome this is to be certain - to study your product, to learn about the customer, and to be prepared.
It's also valuable to record your calls and listen afterward when you can pay greater attention, making notes of things that can stand improvement.
Getting the Prospect to Return a Call
When you encounter voice mail, leave a message. The goal of the message is to get a call back from the prospect. Hounding prospects will not work - leaving several messages makes you seem desperate, and will only serve to annoy people into ignoring your calls.
The author suggests leaving your name. company and a number to reach you - and nothing more. Some would suggest this isn't enough information for them to call you back, but the author suggests it's been an effective approach for him - and some of his students who used to leave longer messages reported that their call-back rate doubled when the switched to the shorter form.
A secondary message, which is sent after a customer calls you, should acknowledge a question or issue but not address it or answer it. Give your name and company, remind them of their question, indicate you have an answer, then leave your number.
If you say that you will call them back, they will not return the call on their own.
It's also appropriate, though optional, to give them a instructions on when to return the call - but don't just give them a range ("any day between two and four"), give them a specific date ("this Tuesday or Wednesday between two and four"). This gives them a sense that they need to act soon, and it gives you a specific date after which you can decide whether to continue to chase them or write them off.
Rate of speech on the phone is also important, especially when leaving a message, as you need them to write down details in order to return the call.
The time of day that you call can also influence the likelihood of a callback. 7 am to 9 am is the best time slot, with 4 pm to 6pm being the second best, as most people are either "gearing up" or "winding down" during these time slots - you are less likely to catch them at a "bad time" and it's even less likely other salesmen (especially those who are more interested in keeping regular hours) call at these hours. Make sure you consider the client's time zone, rather than your own.
Realistically, most prospects will not return your calls - you are faced with a choice of constantly hounding them to get them to call you back (which is unwise, and not a productive use of your time) or simply dropping the prospect and writing off the sale (which is also undesirable). Rather than pestering them, the author suggests being innovative way to remind them of your call.
He refers to the "pink slip," an HTML template based on the "missed call" memo sold in office supply stores (a small, pink form), which he mentioned in a previous chapter. He also suggests having a full-page version, completing it by hand, and sending it by fax. The fax is not as ubiquitous as it once was, and a handwritten not gets more attention, so it can be effective as an attention-getter.
He also mentions the cell phone, especially text messaging, as a way to create a (false) sense of urgency. Because instant messages are short, you can get away with sending a note that says "call me right away" along with a number - the mark, not knowing who the message is from and getting a sense of urgency, will return the call. The author suggests this works 20% to 40% of the time.
The author also suggests that you may have some response if you threaten - very carefully - to close a client's file unless they hear back from you. You might use language such as "Call me back and let me know if you would like me to close your file." This is absolutely a last resort: you cannot threaten to close a file and then re-contact them.
He has been asked by some whether a salesman should even bother to leave a message - given that prospects often do not return calls, it seems it would be better not to leave a message but try again at a later time. There is no stock answer: if you have a large volume of leads to work, or there is a small margin of profit on sales, then it makes less financial sense to invest the time in repeated attempts to reach a given prospect.
Other Tips
A sales call is not an end in itself: you are not "done" with the client at the end. You generally have some follow-up work to do. Following up immediately shows that you are attentive to the prospect and ensures the call is fresh in their mind.
Gatekeepers are important and should be carefully managed. You should not "pitch" your product to the gatekeeper - they do not have input into the buying process and will not champion your cause. They only decision they will make is whether to put your call through. You will need to be polite and respectful, but don't pitch them. The author mentions a practice of sending a small gift to the gatekeeper, without a return address, then mentioning it when he calls to make it clear the gift was from him. (EN: it seems a bit shady to do this, but it's his experience that it works.)
Also, consider your own voicemail greeting. You want it sound enthusiastic and sincere, not the deadpan drone of a "standard" recording that tells the company, name, and number. The author suggests an example in which the script included a brief pitch ("Last year, we (state a benefit) for clients, and you could be the next to (benefit)"). (EN: This seems a bit corny, and one important bit the author doesn't mention is to be brief - you don't want an interest prospect to hang up before leaving a message - and it's probably important to change it periodically so people who call frequently don't become annoyed by repetition.)
"Cold calling" gets less respect than it deserves, generally because cold-calling is assigned to the very bottom rungs of salesmen: the telemarketer, who calls people in large numbers to make a small commission on the occasional sale. It's a tough and unpleasant job, but in many companies it's the entry level for salesmen, and they must excel at it before moving on the handle more profitable leads.
However, even experienced salesmen must occasionally recourse to cold-calling when they need to drum up business - the alternative is to idly wait for marketing to hand you a deck of better leads, while earning no commissions. The author suggests that it's good practice is selling, especially if you make a point of trying to win sales, not merely to make calls. And to graduate from the cold-calling pool to the higher ranks of salesmen, you have to demonstrate not that you can process volumes (though many telemarketers are assessed by calls per hour), but that you can bring in business.
The author suggests setting aside time for cold-calling earlier in the day (it should not be something to do at the end of the day, when you're killing time and running down the clock), using a headset to leave your hands free so you can take notes during the call, focusing specifically on the task. Consider the canned script to be a guide to the conversation, rather than something you read over the phone.
Ultimately, do not treat your cold calls as different or less important than any other customer communication. It is a critical "first impression" with any new client you bring in through cold calling, and even if you don't make the sale, it is an encounter that may stick in their memory.'
Coaching and Leading
Especially for telemarketing, few companies provide much in the way of training. A new employee is handed a script, given a brief pep-talk, and turned loose on the phones. It is detrimental to success as well as the image of the company when a poorly-managed sales rep places a call to a prospective client, and it merits closer attention. Simply chastising or praising "the numbers" is not sufficient - a manager must coach and teach to empower his people to do better, even if they are already doing well.
Primarily, get out of the office and onto the floor. The author strongly advocates Y-cording - patching into calls to listen in without participating in the conversation. His approach is to use a flip-chart with columns for "awesome," "greater," and "needs work," and jots down notes. In 20 to 30 minutes, he will generally fill the sheet. This provides detailed feedback the salesman can act upon to improve his performance.
This is more effective than simply sitting in an office, listening to recorded calls, and providing guidance later (and focusing only on the negative) and it creates a higher level of morale.