TELEPHONE BASICS 101 1. Break old Patterns: If cold calling has not produced results and you continue to do what you’ve been doing, then you’ll continue to do what you’ve been doing. So why do you do it? Because old patterns are difficult to break. But to be successful, you’ll need to break them. Don’t be afraid of cold calling. Cold calling generates leads and can be an important part of your business plan. Here’s an example: my research revealed the name of an accountant who represented the owner of a property for which I had a buyer. During my first call, we talked for over half an hour. I discovered that he had received erroneous rental values regarding the development of new retail space. His listing agent was not performing. We discussed his situation at length and I advised him on the correct course of action. Not only did he satisfy my original request but we discussed two other properties that his group was thinking of selling. 2. The Process: Successful presentations take a prospect though a number of logical steps to the close. You maintain control, establish rapport, handle objections, create desire and close. Good telephone presentations follow the same methodology. Don’t worry about the results. The results will come. You need to focus on the process, what you are attempting to accomplish and how you’re going to achieve a successful result. Steps 3-10 will help you get there. 3. Attention: You need to capture your prospect’s attention in the first 20 seconds. Twenty seconds is longer than you think. With stopwatch in hand, open a book, any page, and start to read. Longer than you thought, isn’t it? The point is, that if you cannot capture your prospect’s attention quickly, s/he will stop listening. And if they’re not listening, you’ve already lost the call. The following is too strong for our purpose, but let’s take it to the extreme to make the point. “ I need to talk to you about a matter which will require your immediate attention.” A friend had an urgent matter that had to be resolved immediately. An apartment building had installed two diesel generators outside the building as a result of a power failure while repairs were being completed. The fumes were noxious and toxic. He had called the city to no avail. I told him to call his area councilor and use the “immediate attention” method. His call was returned immediately. However, for our purposes, we need a softer, more permission-based approach. Once you’ve introduced yourself, follow with something like this. “I would ask for just a moment of your time to describe the purpose of my call. I believe you’ll be quite interested and perhaps we can talk a bit.” Don’t wait for a response. Assume the answer is “yes” and continue immediately; or ”you probably talk to a lot of people and I wont waste your time. I need just a moment to…. 4. Purpose: Define your purpose. Making an introductory call just to introduce yourself is at best weak and accomplishes very little. They meet and talk to people every day. So what? What makes you unique or different is what matters. They need to feel that your call could satisfy an immediate or future need The whole point is that you need to capture their interest and maintain it. 5. Control: Once you’ve gained their attention, you must control the call and maintain it to be successful. There are good interruptions and ones that digress too much. Deal with the good ones and get back on track. Otherwise, these digressions will take you too far off topic and you’ll lose control. As you gain more experience, you will be able to control these digressions and use them to your advantage because these digressions will contain clues about your prospect. (See Step 8 for more clarification.) Engage you prospect and listen. Questions and interruptions indicate that that your prospect is interested but you must decide which to address and those that you will want to put aside for the moment. You need to stay in control. If not your call will become too fragmented and you won’t be able to cover your points in logical sequence. The following are a few examples; Draft a few of your own; “That’s a valid concern John and I agree, but I’m coming to that in just a moment.” “Good point John. You make a lot of sense, but here’s what I propose we do…..” “I understand, but I just want to finish my point regarding…..and I’ll get right back to that.” “Too many people talk a lot but can’t deliver .When you know more about me and my company, you’ll discover that I can deliver. So here”s what I propose we do….” “Of course I’ll cover that all off in an email to you. 6. Listen More: Successful individuals understand the importance of listening without interruption; that listening is often more important than talking. Good negotiators listen more and talk later. So listen carefully making notes. Address their concerns or questions, then get back on point. Don't be afraid of questions. They indicate level of interest and what you need to know to complete a successful call. Too often we anticipate what the other party is about to say and interrupt. Don’t. Just listen. 7. Credibility: It’s much easier to satisfy credibility when you are face-to-face. You have several presentation tools to use. The telephone is quite different. Your tools include your voice, tone, attitude, and the content of your message. You must exhibit a confident and experienced tone. Although the content of your call is important, it’s equally important how you say it. Remember, that your prospect is going to make an immediate impression about you. Some people just seem to have a natural talent that is immediately receptive and engaging. Others have to work at it But it’s certainly a talent that you can learn. Setting a mirror in front of you may help.Tell your prospect a little about yourself, your company, your level of experience and what you can do for them. What sets you apart? Your prospect needs to feel that this call could deliver a present or future benefit; the very reason that they will want to continue. Your credibility is critical. Think before you speak. Don’t guess. If you aren’t certain about something, you’ll research the subject and get back to them. “Let me do some digging and I’ll get right back to you.” If you don’t establish credibility, or lose it once established, it’s almost impossible to recover. Wherever possible, research your prospect and their company prior to your call 8. Establish Rapport: Initially, there is only a weak thread linking you and your prospect. Over time, you’ll need to build upon that link so it vibrates with strength .Your first call is only the beginning of this process, With practice you’ll start to feel more relaxed and confident. You wll be able to digress a little and engage your prospect on a more personal level. Your conversation may reveal that s/he is at the cottage on weekends, plays golf or takes the kids to hockey practice. Look for those cues. TheyÕre an opportunity to strengthen your communication link through mutual interests or common ground. ItÕs all about building relationships over time. DonÕt digress too much because your prospectÕs time may not permit it. Your job is just to develop and build upon the relationship. 9. Follow Up: Do so immediately, thanking them for their time. Include your biography, web site, links, an article or research that might be specific to your conversation. Be brief. Nobody wants to read a 500-word email message, Log your calls, make notes, and review prior to your next call. Until you establish a relationship, donÕt rely on email. Use the telephone .Save emails for follow up. Your prospective client needs to get a feeling for you the person. The only way you can accomplish this is either in person or on the phone. 10 Re-Evaluate: Successful salespeople audit their methodology and implement changes where necessary. And so must you. LetÕs say youÕve decided to make seven net calls per day, five days per week. Net means seven contacts to which you gave a full presentation. You may need to call 20 to net seven. At the end of the first month, how many real potential leads did you generate? If you are pleased with the results, carry on. if not, you need to re-evaluate and make changes. Remember, if you continue to do what youÕve been doing, then youÕll continue to do what youÕve been doing, Perhaps your introduction is weak. Do you talk too much? Is your content substantive enough? Is the conversation one-sided? Is your prospect getting involved enough? Do they perceive an immediate or future benefit? If not, maybe theyÕre not interested. You havenÕt created enough desire. Or quite frankly they just have no interest at this time which is perfectly OK. DonÕt worry about it. One of the most important words in your telephone vocabulary should be Ònext callÓ. Get someone with more telephone experience to critique a few of your calls. But donÕt beat yourself up. Just keep going. The results will come. Each call you make brings you closer to a real lead that you can convert to a deal. Now go ahead. Make your next call! Paul Levine, Broker |
COMMERCIAL ADVISORS INC.