A 10 minute read providing guidance on: Who to call. When to call. What to say. How to say it. After reading you’ll feel more confident in being up to pick up the phone and then… ‘just do it.
Allow me to tell you a little story…
Once upon a time the phone was the king of sales.
But then email arrived as a cheaper and more accessible resource and took its place on the mantel.
Until we switched our attention off and spam filters on.
Next, search engines and social media waded in. Cheap ads served to masses of viewers were the order of the day.
But now they are expensive and largely ignored.
So where to next?
Well, in a world where we crave connection more than ever, the phone is once again becoming the medium of choice for smart business owners and sales people.
Actually talking to someone is an opportunity to stand out from the crowd and make real connections.
And best of all, almost no one else is using it!
So, what's old is new (again) and the phone is back baby!
But that doesn’t mean that getting sales by phone is easy.
In fact, it’s as tough as ever – unless you have a plan and know what you are doing.
So here, I'm going to share four top tips to help you be more effective when you are on the phone.
#1 KNOW WHO YOU ARE CALLING
The easiest way to fail in a phone call is to invest your time and energy in calling the wrong prospects, because
There is a far lower chance they will buy
If they do, they won’t be good clients
It’s demoralising and a time waster
So to combat this, get crystal clear on who you want to speak with.
Really think about;
· Who is a good fit for your business.
· Which clients are most profitable.
· Who you want (and will enjoy) working with.
· Who you can provide the most value to.
If you don’t have one already, capture all this information in a buyer persona. If you’re selling within medium to large organisations, you may have a few here.
Next, create an ideal client list.
Go through your LinkedIn network (it can help you think about what types of clients you do want to be working with).
And don’t forget to go through your existing network. There may be ideal clients you can re-connect with, or acquaintances who have changed companies or roles.
Focus your energy on your ideal client list.
#2 WHEN SHOULD YOU CALL
Firstly, remember people buy from people they know, like and trust.
Put yourself in your prospects shoes...
If someone calls you out of the blue, who you have never heard from, what are the chances you will buy?
Even if you absolutely needed their product, the chances are slim at best.
So don’t expect a sale on the first call.
Take the pressure off yourself.
You are looking to build a relationship, which takes time.
Your first call should be about getting something small. Ideally about providing value in some way, showing relevance and establishing a connection.
Create a sales cadence
We typically expect 7 to 12 personalised touch points over one to three months before you can determine if an individual is interested or not interested.
The goal is to get a definitive ‘yes’ or ‘no’ after that time.
Everyone knows someone who has contacted you too much. Don’t be them… but saying that it is a fine balance.
So even if you have a plan in place, the sequence can be based on the individual and what they might respond best to - what vibe they're giving back to you. So when we say put a sequence in place it's important to also follow your gut.
Get a CRM
As you start to contact and feed more prospects into your sales cadence, you can quickly lose track of where you are at with each.
This is where a CRM (Customer Relationship Management tool) comes into its element.
Unlike working in excel spreadsheets or your calendar, a good CRM will keep all your prospect and customer data in a dedicated platform, allow you to store notes, critical information and set tasks (with reminders) for following up.
It is critical to helping you stay organised and working with excel spreadsheets and your calendar just won’t cut it.
Personally, I see the best results when the same CRM is used for both potential and existing clients.
It will also give you really good visibility over your whole pipeline, and what sort of outcomes you’re going to see from the work you’re putting in.
#3 WHAT TO SAY
Start with a structure
Now, let’s tackle the elephant in the room: picking up the phone can be nerve-wracking.
It takes courage to call a stranger.
And if, when someone answers, you suddenly find yourself tongue-twisted, you’ve forgotten what you are going to say and start mumbling something or other whilst you sweat profusely, you’re not alone.
But that was then and this is now.
You are going to start making calls with confidence,setting yourself up for success!
Firstly, create a call structure to fall back on.
Have a few prompts.
You can’t prepare for every eventuality, and that’s OK! What you can do is create a structure that covers the key points, that keeps you on track, and that you can fall back on when you lose focus.
It can be useful to refer to a 50:50 rule (one that we often lean on). which essentially means plan 50% of what you’re going to say, with full awareness that 50% of the call will be led by the prospect.
Finally, write it down and rehearse it. Even get a colleague or friend to practise calls with you.
Test and refine until you’re happy.
Write down their name
Make sure you write down your prospects name before you call.
Why? There is no greater conversation killer than saying their name wrong, or forgetting it entirely.
And make sure you say your own name and where you're calling from clearly and confidently. Remember what you’ve done your research and what you’re about to talk with them about is going to give them value.
Open with something like
‘Hi, this is Kirsten. I'm calling from BDM by the hour and I'm looking to speak to Andy, please.’
Dealing with gatekeepers
IF you find that instead of your ideal prospect you get the secretary, don’t be scared. Once again, it’s about preparation.
Think about what they would usually ask. Typically, they just want to know the reason for the call. So give them the reason!
I’ve heard of all sorts of tricks for dealing with gate-keepers, but for me, success comes down to honesty, and confidence.
And if you don’t get through, be persistent. Build a relationship. If they like you they are far more likely to help you and connect you to the correct person in the end.
Leave a voicemail
If you miss your prospect, leave a voicemail and then be clear that you are going to move to email. Always keep it to under 1 minute.
There are several advantages to this:
It’s empathetic to the prospect: you are not asking them to write down a mobile number or remember to call you back (which 99% of the time they won’t do anyway)
If they hear your voicemail, you are getting a second touch point from the email
If they haven’t checked their voicemail, you are getting at least one touch point
Practise! It’s only a voicemail, but it’s still an opportunity to practise talking clearly and concisely on the phone to someone you don’t know
Ask questions.
Everyone loves speaking about themselves. And people love people that ask them about themselves! Remember your questions need to promote the other person’s answers to fill in 50% of the call.
Remembering that as a buyer, we buy from people who know, like and trust us, ask questions!
The quicker you can get your prospect talking about themselves, the quicker the conversation will warm up. So ask good questions, and start asking them right at the start of the conversation.
Speak clearly and be really to the point.
Leave your industry acronyms at the door – whilst you think they make you sound intelligent, they potentially alienate your prospect. No-one likes to feel stupid!
Instead, use simple and easy to understand language. Imagine you are talking to a 12 year old.
Be clear about what you want
Be very clear about what you want.
Spend some time before the call planning what you want to get out of it.
But whatever it is...
… be sure to ask for it
If you don’t ask, how can you expect the other person to understand what you want?
But remember we want to cultivate this prospect over time, so whatever you are requesting, make it appropriate to their stage in the sales cadence.
For example, if this is your first contact with a prospect, don’t ask for a sale – you are simply setting yourself up for a ‘no’.
Instead ask them for permission to share something you think might be of value to them. Ideally something so valuable they can’t say no!
And increase the size of the ask as you go.
However, they might say ‘No’. So get comfortable hearing it
It's pretty common to have a fear around others saying no.
No one likes rejection.
But remember, a ‘no’ is not an objection, it’s just an obstacle, and you need to face them head on and discuss them with the customer there and then. Don’t let them sit.
Plus, each time you get a no, there are two big positives:
It’s an opportunity to learn and improve your sales process
If it’s just not right for them, you know where you stand. And you have eliminated someone from your pipeline who wasn’t going to buy anyway
#4 HOW TO SAY IT
Be positive and speak with confidence.
People can hear everything through your voice.
The way you feel comes across on the phone.
Think about when someone calls you who is down in the dumps, versus someone who is excited and has great news to share.
You feed off their energy.
So your tone of voice is absolutely critical.
Other tips include standing up while you call (it helps projection) and smiling (again, people on the other end can literally “hear” your smile!).
Also think about the environment that you're sitting in.
I encourage you to try and keep the area clean as well.
I know a lot of people swear by organised chaos, but a clean area minimises distractions allowing you to give the call, and the person on the other end, your full attention.
And if you are really struggling, take a break, and come back to it when you are in a better head space!
‘Just do it’
Even the most highly experienced sales professionals have fears and doubts.
But sometimes you've just got to jump on in there and get started.
And as a little reminder, think of Nike’s ‘just do it’ slogan. When I’m in doubt, ‘just do it’! You’ll be ahead of where you were before.
SO REMEMBER:
What's old is new again.
By picking up the phone and calling someone, you are cutting through the noise, personalising your contact, and setting yourself up for success.
Do your prep, stay positive and make it happen.
Just do it. Stay positive.
You’ll start to feel more comfortable about being on the phone the more you’re on there. So, I hope those tips help you feel more comfortable on the phone and have opened your eyes to what is possible!
Now go out and smash it!