Smiling And Dialing

The telephone is a much misunderstood, maligned and misused marketing and sales tool. Surveys have shown that over 50% of telephone efforts fail. The telephone's poor image stems from the abuse it receives when salespeople plague small and medium-sized businesses on a daily basis. These organizations receive calls for paper at a discount, toner for the copier, quotes on health insurance, etc. Even after individuals leave the office and get home, they are inundated with calls for credit card sales, dining out clubs, and why you need to give to one of our 76 local charities. This has created a very defensive population in North America that feels as though the
telephone has become an intrusion.

During my platform presentations on the topic, I reiterate that the primary reasons for failure of the telephone as an effective marketing tool are twofold:

· The selection of a task that is beyond the power of the telephone to accomplish.
· The lack or improper structuring of the offer and inadequate training of yourself or those supporting you.

As to the first point, I would suggest you recognize that the task of the telephone is to establish customer contact and to schedule appointments or briefings. It is not the telephone's task to sell
a product. Further, a great deal of effort is spent in pre-assessing prospects on the telephone. This is usually counter-productive, as true qualification and needs assessment can only take place after a relationship is established. The result of using the telephone to pre-assess often is the individual becomes convinced that they do not need to meet with you.

As to point number two, here are some psychological points that the customer is contemplating when you are calling them. Being pro-active towards these points will make a significant difference for you with your telephone efforts.

1. The customer sees the telephone as an interruption, so smile and be friendly. 64% of the population says that the positive, enthusiastic fervor of the individual calling them on the telephone is the number one reason that they make an appointment with that individual.

2. People today expect high pressure and are defensive. It is vital that you watch your speed of speaking and tone of voice. If you speak too fast, the prospect will feel a sense of pressure. This pressure also makes them feel that they don't really matter, and that you're not
concerned about knowing them or building a relationship with them - - you're simply trying to sell them something. If you speak only slightly faster than the prospect, they feel as though you know what you're talking about and have a high degree of intelligence. As to your tone of voice, be sensitive to the fact that if your tone of voice is hard the customer perceives you as someone who has no empathy.

3. People want you to talk to them - - not at them. Because this psychological need is so important to your prospects, it is essential that you let them know that you know them. The easiest way to do this is to use their name often. If they are unknown to you, use their last name until such time as there is a rapport and a conversational relationship established. Speak about their specific business or situation as it is known to you, such as the area in which they live or organizations to which they belong. Speak their language as opposed to addressing them as small business owners or homeowners.

4. People feel pressured to listen. There is a sense of courtesy and ethics that says if someone calls you on the phone, it is rude to hang up. At the same time, there is a battle going on in the prospect's mind ­ should they simply hang up? Make them feel good about listening to
you by using low tones. And whenever they speak, using words such as "surely" and telling them you appreciate that they are taking time with you at that moment to hear about how you will be able to help them maximize their investments and reduce their risk.

5. People need reasons to proceed in the conversation. It is essential today that you give them specific benefits to meet with you ­ small blurbs that build value. Speaking about how good you are, how long the company has been in business or how great your products are gives them no reason to proceed in the conversation. They must have a sense that they are receiving from you something they need so that they can make a quality decision about scheduling an appointment with you.