Business Resources
Back to Basics: Keep Focused on your Prospects by Focusing your Telephone Conversations
By Denise Clancy, President, Teledirect Partners, TCI Member
Whether your business is humming, falling prey to the economy, or holding its own, your telephone contact plan can always benefit from a review and refresher. Script the call
Have you ever been at a loss for the right words when a prospective client answers the phone or stumble over your words when you get a gatekeeper or the inevitable voicemail? Then writing a simple script is one way to prepare you for the calls and present yourself professionally and confidently. Scripting delivers a professional message every time.
TeleTip: Once your have a script you like, rehearse. If you do not have the luxury of rehearsing with a partner, stand in front of a mirror and read the script out loud.
Anticipate the Questions and Objections
Write down the questions you expect to be asked and then write out the answers. Start with responses to the common responses of ‘No Interest’, ‘Don’t need/don’t want’, ‘I do not have time now’, and ‘We do not have the budget to spend [on your offer]’. Your next step is to prepare responses to questions about your products & services, your company, and the questions related to the prospect’s unique needs and interests.
TeleTip: Be sure to prepare for questions about your competition.
Get organized and set the stage
One of the surest ways to interrupt a quality conversation is to drop the call. To conduct professional telephone correspondence, it is important to use the right tools, both the telephone and the telephone line. Using a landline and a headset will add quality to the conversations. Set aside a block of time to make calls, 2-3 hours each week or one day every other week. This will allow you to get into a rhythm and to clearly see results.
TeleTip: Set a dial goal for yourself and reward yourself for reaching your calling goals. Don’t forget to take a few stretch breaks! Flex your voicebox before the call
Before you pick up the phone to make your first call, flex your voice a bit by doing a few vocal exercises. The easiest exercises are singing ‘Do-Re-Mi’ or a favorite children’s song. Get your voice going and get your blood circulating.
TeleTip: Stand up while you call if it will bring more energy to your conversation.
Use Voicemail to your advantage
A recent study revealed that approximately 75% of all telephone calls terminate in voicemail. Be sure to use this to your advantage. Your first voicemail message to a new prospect should tweak the interest of the prospect by offering information or a solution that is relevant to the prospect. Limit your voicemail message to 45 seconds, include an industry pain point or issue, and describe the solution you offer. Don’t forget to use the prospects name once or twice in the message.
TeleTip: Be sure to leave your name and number at the beginning of the call. At the close, state your name and number twice, slowly, before you close the call.
Plan for follow up
Every call includes a follow up so be sure to have your calendar near by in order to record any commitments you made to the prospect (or in your voicemail message). You will likely want to send every contact a follow up email that provides a recap of the call, an offer and/or a link (whitepaper, article, etc), and your contact information. Prepare this email in advance of your call campaign so that it is ready to send as soon as you close the call.
TeleTip: If you anticipate more than one conclusion to the call, prepare a separate email template for each ending type.
Final Thoughts
It is often said that ‘practice makes perfect’ and making prospect calls is no exception. The more calls you make, the more comfortable and competent you will become. If, in the end, a review of your telephone contact strategy leaves you with the firm conviction that you really do not want to make the calls yourself, don’t eliminate telephone calls from your Marketing toolkit. Consider hiring a professional to conduct the initial telephone calls. You can pick up the prospect conversation once a connection has been made.
“An amazing invention - but who would ever want to use one?”
Comment by Rutherford B. Hayes,
Denise Clancey is President of Teledirect Partners (www.teledirectpartners.com) and the founder of the Telesales Forum. She works with companies to launch, rejuvenate, or reengineer their telephone sales and customer service organizations. Contact Denise at 617.973.6667 or dclancey@teledirectpartners.com.
