Sell Better Over the Phone with these 10 tips
When was the last time you brushed up on the fundamentals? Here's a quick refresher that anyone can use to start making better sales calls, right now.
Contents at a Glance
- 1. Use a Worksheet to Make it Easy to Reach Your Daily Goal.
- 2. End with "Thank You" to Slide Past the Screener
- 3. "Am I catching you at a good time?"
1. Use a Worksheet to Make it Easy to Reach Your Daily Goal.
If you're shooting for 50 calls, print out a page with the numbers 1 to 50 printed on it. Write the name of each lead you call next to the number as you go through your hit list. Having this framework is infinitely more motivating than mere computer input or numbering and recording your calls on a page (or not even that) as you go along.
2. End with "Thank You" to Slide Past the Screener
Good morning, this is John LaRocca calling for Veronica, thank you.
A simple example of assuming the close, and so few salespeople do it that it catches screeners off-guard. They'll put you through before they realize what's happened. This alone will give a big fat boost your connection frequency.
A simple example of assuming the close, and so few salespeople do it that it catches screeners off-guard. They'll put you through before they realize what's happened. This alone will give a big fat boost your connection frequency.
3. "Am I catching you at a good time?"
Nobody wants to be steamrolled by a cold caller when they have the big report due in 7 minutes. The best response you'll hear is, "Sure, what's up?" followed by "Maybe...cut to the chase." When you hear either of these, you can relax and ask your hard-hitting intro question, knowing that you have your prospect's full attention.
This also turns demoralizing slam-hangups into a courteous "No, not right now," because at least you had the respect to ask.
This also turns demoralizing slam-hangups into a courteous "No, not right now," because at least you had the respect to ask.
4. Equal Corporate Stature
If you're calling CEO's, you better sound like a CEO.
If you haven't read it yet, get Selling To VITO (The Very Important Top Officer). If you've read it, read it again. (Yes, this is my affiliate link.)
If you haven't read it yet, get Selling To VITO (The Very Important Top Officer). If you've read it, read it again. (Yes, this is my affiliate link.)
5. Have a Hard-hitting Question that Addresses Your Prospect's Specific Area of Accountability.
A personal example: I get a lot of cold calls that start with "Hi, how are you?" followed by a speech. Listening to a bad sales speech isn't my responsibility.
But if someone calls, doesn't waste time and asks which is harder for me: making the number or forecasting sales, I'm interested. Both of these are my *direct responsibilities*, and I might have a use for anything that helps me do either one better.
But if someone calls, doesn't waste time and asks which is harder for me: making the number or forecasting sales, I'm interested. Both of these are my *direct responsibilities*, and I might have a use for anything that helps me do either one better.
6. Find a Way to Make Long-Range Follow-ups
It's sad to say, but despite entire forests ripped down to drill this point in sales book after sales book, most salespeople STILL don't follow-up well.
A CRM program is the obvious choice for setting yourself apart. Someone could say, "Give me a call in ten years and 3 months," and with CRM you can set it and forget it, until the reminder automatically pops up on the scheduled day.
And because CRM lets you link your previous call notes with the automatic reminder, you'll be up to speed when you call back, making your prospect think you have a photographic memory and ESP.
"Hi Veronica, this is John LaRocca...when we spoke back in January, you mentioned you were going to start looking at jet propelled scooters in November..."
Or maybe your prospect will just think you have the highest level of professionalism of any salesperson they've talked to this year, and will be that much more open to working with you.
A CRM program is the obvious choice for setting yourself apart. Someone could say, "Give me a call in ten years and 3 months," and with CRM you can set it and forget it, until the reminder automatically pops up on the scheduled day.
And because CRM lets you link your previous call notes with the automatic reminder, you'll be up to speed when you call back, making your prospect think you have a photographic memory and ESP.
"Hi Veronica, this is John LaRocca...when we spoke back in January, you mentioned you were going to start looking at jet propelled scooters in November..."
Or maybe your prospect will just think you have the highest level of professionalism of any salesperson they've talked to this year, and will be that much more open to working with you.
7. Track Your Stats in Baseball Fanatic Detail
Another area where CRM makes things so much easier. Experiment with your time of day, screener technique, your opening question, your benefits, your lead sources, you name it.
And don't just look at your close rates, but look at bumping up the factors that enable a close. Connection frequency and follow-up appointment percentage are great predictors of your overall success.
Does simply wearing a tie at your desk increase your connection frequency? You won't know until you run the numbers.
And don't just look at your close rates, but look at bumping up the factors that enable a close. Connection frequency and follow-up appointment percentage are great predictors of your overall success.
Does simply wearing a tie at your desk increase your connection frequency? You won't know until you run the numbers.
8. Off Hours are When It's On
Again--it's been said before but is rarely put into practice. When you're trying to get through to true decisionmakers (and who else would you want to be calling anyway?), between 7am and 9am, and from 5pm to 7pm or later is your best bet. Their sweating while their assistants are slurping oatmeal or happy hour beers.
Also, never underestimate the power of the brief 11:30pm email to a lead you have yet to crack. Often it will result in an immediate reply, and an increase in your professional credibility to boot.
Also, never underestimate the power of the brief 11:30pm email to a lead you have yet to crack. Often it will result in an immediate reply, and an increase in your professional credibility to boot.
9. Record Your Conversations
Especially easy if you're using Skype. Even if you just record your end of the call, you'll be much more aware of your um's, awkward pauses, blurts, hackneyed cliches and talking speed. All of which remain areas for constant improvement.
10. Close Whenever You See an Opening
No matter how many great questions you have on a cheat sheet on your desk, if you hear anything that suggests you and your lead are a good fit, take it to the next level and close (then shut up!). You might have to close two, three, or four more times on the call before you succeed, but how will you ever get to four if you wait ten minutes to get to one?Thanks for reading. Keep your eye on the goal and stay on track!
Books that Have Helped Me the Most
Selling To VITO
(The Very Important Top Officer)
Selling to V.I.T.O. -- Your Master Key to the Executive Suite. Get into new accounts at the top. Catapult yourself out of time-consuming logjams--and into the CEO's office. Increase the size of every sale.
This was my first book on telephone sales and is still the one with the best, most fundamental techniques. PACKED with money-making tips that you can put to work fast. A good breakfast table book.
Affiliate links, again. Thanks for your support.
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