Keep these phone sales tips in mind the next time you pick up!
Whether you’re making cold calls, contacting new leads or simply answering your phone when it rings, be prepared to make it your most important sales conversation every time.
Follow these eight phone sales tips to ensure you’re presenting your leads and customers with your best sales self.
1. Consider location and distractions before picking up the phone
Make sure you are in an environment conducive to making or receiving important phone calls. It should be free of background noise and other distractions, such as e-mail and cell phones. If the listener senses you are distracted, they will feel the call is a waste of their time and not take you seriously in return.
If you can’t miss a call, but are in a loud location, ask for one moment from your caller, mute the line, and find a quieter location before you continue to talk business.
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2. Create a plan of what you’d like to discuss on the call
If you’re looking for phone sales tips, remember to always be prepared. Never blindly begin a phone call. Always predetermine the purpose of the call and have a structured plan of what you want to say. It’s true that phone calls don’t always go as planned, but having a general idea of what you want to cover will help the conversation flow smoothly.
3. Try not be caught off guard by practicing sales objections
Even with the best laid plans, sometimes you have to think on your feet in sales. Remember, you only have one first impression with each client. You never know what reasons a potential customer may have for turning down your sales pitch. Role playing with mock sales calls during team meetings is a great activity to help you and your colleagues prepare for phone sales.
4. Keep your confidence level up
Know your product inside and out. One downfall of telephone sales is that you do not have an opportunity to do face-to-face presentations or demonstrations. You are only able to use your words and tone to paint a picture of the product or revices you’re selling, and somehow that must be enough to relay its benefits to the prospective buyer. Be able to answer any questions confidently and precisely. If you sound unsure about anything, your customer will immediately feel unsure as well.
5. Know (or find out) your weaknesses
Even if you’re extremely confident during routine sales calls, it’s important to know and work on your weaknesses. None of these phone sales tips can help you if you aren’t actively trying to be a better salesperson. Try recording and listening to your own sales phone calls. It’s a great way to critique yourself, making notes of things you could have done differently to make the call better. Implement these improvements in future calls. Another option is to have an outside party listen to your calls and give their input. Outsiders often hear or notice things you may not pick up on.
6. Get personal with your customers
People love to hear their name. Use first names as often as possible. A good rule of thumb to go by is to use the listener’s name three times in a conversation. It’s usually a good idea to have the name written down in front of you to prevent you from using the wrong name later in the conversation. Using a CRM program like Blitz, especially one that is integrated with Sales Dialers or Call Fire, makes this significant tool very simple. When you receive an incoming call, the caller’s name and all notes you’ve taken on them will appear on your screen.
7. Do your research on each person you speak to
Another way to personalize conversations is to know background information about who you are talking to on the other line. Social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are good places to do some research if you don’t have a referrer who’s brain you can pick. You might find you have something in common, which can help your sales pitch move with positive momentum.
8. Telephone sales is a numbers game
Telephone sales, like all sales, is a game of numbers. The more people you reach out to, the higher chance you have of being successful. Do whatever you can to generate leads and contact as many people as possible; it will pay off in the long run. Don’t let a slump discourage you.
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While you’re practicing these phone sales tips, we could be be automating your processes, like assigning your sales staff new leads. Take a chance on us with a FREE 30-day trial of Blitz lead management and sales automation software.
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