Telephone Sales Training – Part 1
INTRODUCTION
The material provided can provide useful information as back up to any telephone sales training received or for useful background training that you may attend in the U.K. It can also be a very useful stand alone resource that can be used for those not attending a telephone sales training course.
The material has been developed over many years of experience in the field of telesales and developing telesales training on our open courses and by delivering in-house telesales training.
This material aims at perfecting your skills in telephone communications with clients, and at increasing your chances of success in sales.
The material contains over 200 tips and recommendations. Please check whether the suggestions are possible at your place of work and if so, that they are applied.
Copyright Spearhead Training Limited & Norbert Muller Gmbh
Eliminated disturbances
The art of conducting a good telephone conversation is a difficult one. You have to rely solely on your listening skills. You do not see the client, nor what they are doing. You cannot see their surroundings, their office or desk. You cannot interpret from their facial expressions what they mean.
The client is unable to see you. You have no way of impressing them using facial expressions or your appearance. You cannot consolidate what you are saying with gestures. Nor can you clarify what you are saying with test samples, diagrams or photos. You can only make yourself understood with words. The telephone does not perfectly reproduce the human voice, many subtle tones are lost.
As a result, it is important to concentrate fully when conducting a telephone conversation. Consequently, your first task when attempting to conduct a conversation successfully is to eliminate as many disturbances as possible.
Close the windows
It is not just a question of blocking out noise from outside. The window shuts you off psychologically from the outside world and allows you to concentrate on the voice on the other end of the line. You can open the window again to ensure adequate ventilation when the telephone is not in use.
Close the door
Noise coming from the neighbouring room is more disturbing than the noise from the street (which is possibly twice as loud) because it concerns you – you know the people who are talking, you are interested in them and in what they have to say and they may even be talking about you.
Try to get hold of a “Do not Disturb” sign which you can hang outside your door or display on your desk when conducting important telephone conversations.
Keep visitors away
Your secretary, or a colleague whose desk is near yours should turn visitors away whilst you are engaged in an important conversation. Visitors from out of town will just have to be patient. One of your colleagues can leave a note and you can get in touch with them later.Make sure that reception does not interrupt your call to ask how long you will be or to inform you that you have another caller on another line. The receptionist should take a note of the caller’s name and number so that you can call the other client back when you have time.
Regulating the lighting
The light strength you are looking for is between 500 and 1000 amps. Too little light, dark shadows or flickering lights make you tired and diminish concentration. Correct any irregularities straight away.Regulate the room temperature
The right temperature is between 18 and 22 degrees celsius, according to individual taste. Concentration is diminished if the room is too warm, turn down the heating -–do not maintain the room temperature and open the window (save energy!). Insulate any windows that are draughty.Regulate the ventilation and humidity
Stale air makes you tired. Open the window for a short period of time, but as wide open as possible, so that the air can be regenerated without the walls and furniture cooling down. Possibly open the doors as well, so that the air humidity can level off. A hygrometer is a useful instrument for regulating humidity. If the air is too dry, use a humidifier or stand a bowl of water in the room.Keep any items which could be of assistance during the telephone conversation within reach.
If you are not fully electronically equipped, you will need stationary, forms, index cards, price lists, advertising samples, handbooks, calculators, etc. when you make your telephone calls. You must set your place of work in such a way that you can lay your hands on such aids instantaneously. Organise your desk appropriately using shelves, table accessories, etc.Muffle any noise. Show some consideration for colleagues who are working within earshot of you, who also have to concentrate. Put your telephone on soft ring, put office machines on top of documents, close drawers quietly and resist temptation of equating a lot of noise with enthusiasm for the work you are doing.
Avoid doing two things at once such as signing documents, reading, using a calculator, giving instructions, etc. while you are conducting your telephone conversation with a client. Concentrate fully on the client. Any time you may gain by doing two things at once will be too high a price to pay if, in doing so, you miss any indication of the client’s requirements.
Calling at the right time
There are good and bad times to call a company. Your chances of quickly getting hold of the right person are infinitely greater if you call at a favourable time than if you call at a bad time.
The lines are often busy, which means you will have to dial again or wait, and the client will often be impatient because they have been inundated with calls. You are unlikely to be able to make any progress and will not only waste time and energy, but you will also gradually lose your enthusiasm.
Choose Favourable times. These depend to a certain extent on the particular branch of industry concerned. Here are some recommended calling times:
Manufacturing industry 8.30 – 11.00 14.30 – 16.00 Retail trade 8.30 – 10.00 14.30 – 15.30 Wholesale trade 8.00 – 11.00 14.00 – 15.30 Sales representatives 8.00 – 9.30 17.30 – 20.00 Small businesses 7.30 – 9.00 16.00 – 18.00
Observe professional calling times. The marketing report “How to organise telephone sales”, recommends the following times:
Lawyers 8.00 – 9.00 14.00 – 16.30 Pharmacists 8.00 – 9.30 13.00 – 15.00 Architects from about 16.00 Doctors 8.00 – 8.30 12.00 – 14.00 Buyers 8.00 – 9.00 16.00 – 17.00 Managers 11.00 – 13.00 14.00 – 15.00 Private individuals 17.30 – 19.30 Tax consultants 8.00 – 9.00 14.00 – 16.30
Take advantage of favourable days. The above-mentioned marketing report also recommends that you call people who work freelance on Mondays and tax consultants if possible between the tenth and the twentieth of the month.
Ask when is the most convenient time to call. The surest way of knowing when the best time to call is, to ask the client. Note down on the client’s document/index card the best times to call, next to their company telephone number and the individual extension number.
Tell the client when you are most likely to be available and when you are free, and urge them to make a note of this. Future contracts could depend on the client being able to contact you straight away.
Give your client the name of your substitute. Ask the client who you should talk to if they are not available to discuss an urgent matter and make a note of this. Tell the client the name of your substitute should you not be in the office.
Arrange calling times. If possible arrange fixed weekly or monthly calling times with your client. This way, you will not only increase the likelihood of getting through, but you will also add a deeper dimension to your business relationship – your calls will become an “institution” and you will no longer need to substantiate them.
Keep an appointments diary. Make yourself an appointments diary consisting of large pieces of paper with enough room to enter daily appointments. Make a note of appointments as soon as they are arranged, best of all a few weeks or months in advance. Also note down the arranged times.
Keep your appointments. Reliability is a universally respected characteristic of a good salesperson. Unreliable suppliers do not stay in business for long.
Be polite
In his “aphorisms of wisdom”, Alfred Schopenhauer wrote, “just as wax, which is hard and obdurate by nature, can become malleable with a little warmth and can take on any shape or form, so can foolish and hostile people become flexible and obliging when shown a little politeness and friendliness”.
Politeness is even more important when conducting a conversation over the telephone than when meeting someone in person. If you actually see the client with whom you are talking, you can estimate the extent to which slightly less formal behaviour, a joke or a piece of useful information is possible. The danger of you misjudging the situation is reduced. If you have been too familiar, you will notice your mistake by the client’s behaviour and you will be able to rectify the situation with particular friendliness.
The risk of straying from the narrow path of correct behaviour is even greater over the telephone. There is a danger that you will not even notice if a client is slightly annoyed by your manner. Suddenly the conversation will be over and you have no way of correcting your mistake. Your words will remain in the client’s mind and a shadow falls over the business relationship.
Lift the receiver immediately when the telephone rings. Do not pretend to be extremely busy by letting the telephone ring five times before you answer. A ringing phone is distracting and costs both you and your client time. Allowing the phone to ring also blocks the lines. The client is also pleased when they gain the impression that you have been waiting for their call.
Finish any conversation you may be having Some people like to show their own importance by lifting the receiver straight away while continuing a conversation with a colleague, so that the client on the other end of the line overhears. As a result, the client feel they are interrupting something and that their call is not wanted. If this applies to you resolve to drop this bad habit.
State your name clearly when someone phones you. Also state your first name and department or position. Surnames are not commonly used and are not always understandable straight away – the client understands first names and positions straight away. A comprehensible introduction helps to bridge the initial gap.
Enquire after the caller’s name. If you have not caught the caller’s name, you should ask them to spell if for you. This is not impolite but shows you are interested: “Sorry, can I have your name again please?”. Write the name down. In this way you will neither forget it nor mispronounce it in the future.
Summon colleagues immediately. If the client who has phoned you actually wishes to speak to one of your colleagues and you can put them through, summon the colleague concerned immediately. Urge them to come straight away. Do not just call them, put the receiver down and go away. It is possible that your colleague has not understood what is going on and the client is left twiddling their thumbs on the other end.
Offer assistance. Perhaps the person the client wishes to speak to is not there. In that case, find out when they will be back and convey this information to the caller. Ask if you can be of any assistance – perhaps you can do what is expected of your colleague. Offer to have your colleague return the client’s call. Arrange a time for the return call and make sure that your colleague does indeed call the client back.
Allow the client to finish what they are saying. The client calls you – they have to speak to a colleague of yours and you have to put them through. A common impoliteness in such cases is replying with an abrupt, “I’ll put you through to Mrs. X”. Let the client finish what they have to say. Then say, “Mrs. X deals with that. I’ll just put you through. Please hold the line”.
Take on calls. If the client cannot get in contact with the person they wanted to talk to, you must take on the call. Ask the client what they want. Maybe another colleague who is present in the office at the time can be of assistance. If there is no one who can be of assistance make sure that the colleague concerned returns the client’s call on their return.
Do not leave the client waiting. The client wants you to supply them with some information for which you have to examine documents or do some research. This may take some time. If it is likely to take you more than three minutes, tell the client that you will call them back. If it will probably take less than three minutes, ask the client if they mind waiting ‘two minutes’. Do not just leave the client dangling on the other end.
Address the client by their name several times during your telephone conversation. If the client’s concentration has waned, the sound of their own name will make them sit up and pay attention. Using the client’s name also narrows the distance between you and them and sounds like a compliment to the client.
Smile. If you try and smile while conducting a telephone conversation, your voice will become softer and your words will sound friendly. The client will feel that you are wishing them well. Should the negotiation become difficult and perhaps the client’s tone of voice become sharper, your smile will protect you against careless reactions. Put a mirror in front of you so that you can see your face, until your “telephone smile” has become second nature.
Find ways of linking your present conversation with what the client has previously said:
“You once said to me….” “As you yourself noticed recently…..” “To use your words……” “Three weeks ago you pointed out to me that…”
Such linking phrases have three advantages:
1. You gain the client’s attention. 2. You make the client happy because you show that you took notice of what they say. 3. You underpin the correctness of your line of argument – the client can not refute what you say without contradicting themselves.
Praise. Seek opportunities to praise the client: “I received your new brochure yesterday. I think it’s excellent, especially the choice of pictures…”. Everybody suffers from a lack of recognition. Every piece of praise, every compliment is accepted gratefully.
Avoid being tactless: do not say to your client over the telephone:
“Your greatly mistaken”. “You’re on the wrong track”. “You must surely have known that”. “Now pay attention!” “Let me tell you something”. “I’ve explained it to you enough times”. “Any right-thinking person must surely see that”. “Do you not read the papers?” “Who told you that rubbish?” “You have to admit that, if you’re being honest with yourself”.
Each of these examples indirectly accuses the client of stupidity, inattentiveness, naivete or dishonesty. The list can go on and on. Ask a colleague to occasionally listen in on one of your telephone conversations and to point out any tactlessness.
Get the client’s colleagues on your side. Be just as polite to your client’s colleagues (secretary, assistant, substitute) as you are to the client themselves. Ask them questions, thank them, convey information and give reasons for your call. You need your client’s colleagues. What your client thinks of you, and the company for which you work is considerably influenced by what their colleagues think.
End the conversation on a friendly note. Do not finish the conversation with the usual greeting. Say something friendly on top of that – a note of thanks, congratulations, or a promise: “You’ll see – your exhibition will be a great success.” Your parting words will remain with the client’s mind and they will be satisfied with the conversation.
Speak properly
Your voice over the telephone not only conveys words – it also conveys harmony or disharmony. It conveys melody and rhythm, which makes the conversation either pleasant or unpleasant.
The client usually picks up the quality of your speech subconsciously. They also react to it subconsciously. If you speak properly, the client will be more patient, will respect you more, and you will have less trouble persuading them.
It is worthwhile perfecting your conversation technique and self-expression.
Make sure you are sitting comfortably before you dial the number.Breath deeply. Take a few deep breaths before you place the call. Breath in, right down to your diaphragm. This will relax you, calm you down and free the voice. Do not start to make a telephone call if you are out of breath. ‘Shortness’ of breath contradicts your assurance that you can offer the client ‘long-term’ benefits.
Speak at a moderate volume. If you speak too softly, you diminish your powers of persuasion – you come across as unsure of yourself and the client’s concentration starts to wane. Do not speak past the mouthpiece to make your voice sound soft, even though you are speaking loudly. Do not speak too loudly either. Your reputation will plummet if the client can still hear you perfectly well when holding the telephone at arm’s length.
Pay attention to your speed. Fast-talkers appear pushy. If you speak too quickly the client will get the impression that you are trying to prevent them from thinking and contradicting you. Adapt your speed to the degree of difficulty of the information you are conveying – convey difficult information slowly and familiar material more quickly. Do not irritate the client by being too pensive either. For them, time is money. The client normally finds their own speed the most pleasant – you can increase your speed when talking to fast-talkers and slow down when the client speaks slowly.
Lower the pitch of your voice. Deep voices are more pleasant to listen to than high-pitched, shrill voices. Deep voices sound self-assured and trustworthy. Check that your voice is not too high-pitched. If it is, try and lower it.
Modulate. Even a deep voice can be unpleasant to listen to if it is monotonous. Check this assertion by speaking a few sentences in the same deep tone. Bring life to your speech by varying the pitch. Modulate to demonstrate agreement, doubt, joy, disappointment, hope, certainty…etc. A good exercise for practising modulation is to read aloud to children.
Greet the client in a friendly manner. The telephone rings. You answer in your normal voice – polite and calm. The client responds. Your voice becomes higher and faster. “Ah, Mr. Curtis, hello!”. The result is that you give the client the impression that you are glad that they have telephoned. You raise the level of their self-esteem and prestige.
Speak clearly If you articulate carelessly and too quickly, and swallow the ends of your words, the client will spend most of their time trying to fill in the bits that they have not understood – until they have had enough of trying to decipher a secret code. It is better to articulate a bit too clearly than too carelessly. Do not be afraid of speaking too clearly.
Avoid fillers. Fillers (so, ah, um, so to speak, etc.) can creep into the conversation without you noticing it (the speaker rarely notices them). The listener, however, is more aware of them and is distracted by them. Record one of your conversations on tape every month and eliminate any fillers you may have used.
Speak fluently. It is unpleasant for the client to listen to someone speaking at an erratic pace and making slips of the tongue. Listen to yourself on tape. Force yourself to speak fluently in private conversations and allow yourself no jerkiness of speech. Think what you want to say beforehand, not in the middle of a sentence.
Use dialect carefully. Speak in your own accent if the client is also doing so. Speak “proper English” if this is what the client is speaking. Do not try and imitate an accent that is unfamiliar to you. If you do, you will not be endearing yourself to the client – you will only make them suspect that you are not taking them seriously.
Do not hold a monologue. Say three to five sentences and then give the client the opportunity to respond. If you hold a monologue, you run the risk of talking at cross purposes. The client’s concentration will wane if they are not asked to express their own opinion.
Give signals to show that you are still concentrating. If the client has a lot to say, you must certainly let them know that you are still listening: “Yes” – “That’s interesting”, “I see”, “That’s surprising”, etc. The client will not gain a favourable impression of you if they have to keep asking, “Are you still there?”
Avoid using telephone jargon. Avoid the use of colloquial expressions – these only debase the medium of the telephone.
Avoid swearing. Avoid the use of even mild swearwords. These are emphasised on the phone and can offend even when they would be accepted face to face.
Avoid misunderstandings
Misunderstandings create bad business relationships. A sentence which the client misconstrues can be a permanent source of insult to them. An important piece of information that the client does not pick up on can be commercially disadvantageous and give them the impression that they have been neglected. Lack of clarity in the order agreement can lead to incorrect deliveries.
It is much easier for misunderstandings to arise over the telephone than in personal conversations, face to face. In personal conversations it is possible to observe one’s negotiating partner and one also has the aid of written documents and samples. It is only possible to avoid misunderstandings over the telephone if you are constantly aware of the danger.
Al the recommendations that you will find over the next few pages are premised on two basic requirements: that you speak in a comprehensible manner and that you keep a constant check that you both understand what the other is saying.
Avoid misunderstandings
Speak in short sentences. Short sentences are less often misunderstood than long sentences. Verbs are easier to understand than nouns and mother tongue expressions are more clearly defined than foreign language terms. The indicative is clearer than the subjunctive. Listen to your taped conversations and check that you are not violating the laws of comprehensibility. Even better – transcribe your taped conversations and cross out the written errors.
Use colloquial language. Speak naturally. Explain facts over the telephone in the same way that you would explain them to a colleague over lunch. Do not try to enhance the importance of your offer by using bombastic, pompous language.
Speak in precise terms. Avoid unclear statements which could be ambiguous. Instead of:
recently say yesterday morning several say four times most say 64% seldom say one in every ten cases over the next few days say by Friday at the least one of our clients say company xyz an acquaintance of yours say Mr. Walter Miller large amounts say five to six tonnes a week
Avoid misunderstandings
Gain the client’s attention by addressing them by name. Before relaying an important piece of information or delivering a decisive line of argument, address the client’s full attention. When the client hears their name they think that you are about to tell them something very important.
Leave a few gaps for the client to understand what you have just said. After you have relayed an important piece of information or delivering a decisive line of argument, pause a moment so that the client can digest what they have just heard. “The pump will reduce your oil consumption by 30%.” This is the right tactic to pursue even if the client does not use the pause you have offered them to consider what you have just said, but uses it to contradict you instead. You could destroy the effect of your best points by continuing to talk.
Hesitate before answering. Do not answer immediately if the client raises an important objection. Pause a moment and say, “Yes”, or “Hmm…”, or (pensively), “That’s a good question”. Your response will make more of an impression if it seems to be the result of careful consideration, rather than a mere routine answer.
Listen carefully. A misunderstanding on your part is just as bad as a misunderstanding on the part of the client. Do not allow your mind to stray from the matter at hand. Watch out for secondary emphasis: A turn of phrase or subordinate clause can suddenly reveal the fact that the client is harbouring totally false expectations.Summarise the various different points of the conversation. “If I can just summarise – we have agreed that we will ...”. Summarise the points on which you have agreed, such as the advantages of the offer which the client has recognised. It is equally useful to summarise the points on which you and the client have not yet managed to reach agreement.
Clarify figures. It is particularly easy (and also particularly dangerous) for misunderstandings to arise when you are dealing with figures. Repeat any figures that you mention and perhaps again in sequence or blocks: “Three – seven – five – one pounds per sample. Thirty-seven –fifty-one.” You can also put your mind at rest by asking the client, “Have you made a note of the price?”
Have names spelt out to you. Get the client to spell any name of people, companies, places, streets, products and foreign language expressions with which you are unfamiliar. Write the name down as it is spelt out to you. It is easier to commit a name to memory if you can see it written down.
Urge the client to respond. After you have relayed an important piece of information or delivered a decisive line of argument, ask the client if they have understood, “Have you made a note of the time?”, or, “Do you understand how it works?”, or, “Do you have any further questions?”. Sometimes the client needs prompting from you to ask any questions – they do not want to appear stupid.
Give a response yourself. Repeat from time to time in your own words what the client has just said, in order to check that you have understood them correctly: “You think we should stop the serial advertisement straight away? Is this correct?” or, “Can we please compare the measurements again that you have just mentioned. I’ve noted down….. is that correct?”
Take notes. Always telephone with a pencil in your hand. Make a note of facts, figures, names, the key words of arguments and written offers, questions, ideas of how to enhance the business relationship, necessary inquires, etc. Do not rely on your memory.
Prepare thoroughly
You have a better chance of exhausting the possibilities of influencing the client if you are properly prepared. If you know that you are well prepared, you pick up the receiver with confidence and can then concentrate all your energies on obtaining the contract.
You need not regret the fact that there is no fixed framework for your business conversations at your place of work, because the conversations are too diverse. Fixed frameworks can also be dangerous since the directness of the conversation can get lost. In this section, you will find tips concerning the individual elements of preparation, the cornerstones of your business calls, from which you can build your conversations, according to different goals and different negotiating partners.
Every good telephone call is a creative work of art.
Prepare thoroughly
Write down the objectives of the call. Before you make the call, write down what goals you want to receive, if you cannot summon these on the computer screen. It is particularly necessary to write down goals if there are more than one, so that you do not forget any of them. The piece of paper with the goals should be placed visibly in front of you: “Make photocopier 2007 available for a 4 week trial order period.” Or “Order a further 20 boxes of XY. Delivery in 7 days. Price XXX.”
Prepare a replacement order. So that you will not go away empty handed if the client turns your original offer down, you should prepare a further suggestion for the client. Sometimes this “replacement offer” is not a sale at all, but the arrangement of a visiting appointment, a campaign or the relaying of information. Replacement offers normally have a good chance of success, because the client becomes more willing to compromise after they have already turned down your original offer.
Seek a stand-in negotiating partner. Perhaps the person with whom you wish to speak is not there. What then? Who should you speak to? Is there a stand-in or will you have to call back again when the person you originally wanted to talk to is back? Decide what you are going to do before you make the call.
Work out a negotiation plan. The telesales people of a burglar alarm manufacturer work with the following plan:
Product Advantage of the Possible Line of characteristic client objections argument
Only costs £99 Cheapest burglar Doubt such a Stress money- alarm on the market. cheap device back guarantee. works?
Simple Anyone can install it Perhaps it is still Give exact Installation. with a screwdriver. too complicated. description of installation.
Works with No cables or wires. How can Give description Ultrasound something like of device & how that work? it works.
There are four stages involved in the compilation of such a negotiation plan:
1. A listing of all the product’s/offer’s important characteristics.
2. Consideration of how these characteristics can be portrayed as advantages for the client. Characteristics that cannot be translated into advantages should be removed from the list.Make a list of objections. Write down your client’s objections on the left hand side of a piece of paper. Only pay attention to the actual complaints themselves, not to different formulations of the same objection. Consider how to best counter these objections. Discuss this with colleagues and your sales director. Write down the key words of the best ripostes on the right hand side, opposite the appropriate objection. Then learn the list off by heart (it can’t be that long), so that you have the correct reply in your head and can thus concentrate all your energies on convincing the client of the merits of the contract.
Draw up a comparison sheet. List all key features that are important to clients when deciding on which supplier to choose from and record how each of your key competitors compare.
Now you have an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of your own products in comparison to those of the competition. You can steer the conversation towards those areas where your product is superior and you can check whether the facts are correct if the client praises the competition’s product.
Try and evaluate the client’s requirements. Think what your client’s possible reactions might be to your suggestions. Make a note of these. Consider which of the client’s wishes you are in a position to accept, those you cannot accept, which reductions you can offer and what minimum requirements you must maintain. Consider what consolation prize you can offer the client in the place of concessions, which you turn down. If you do this, you will be less often surprised or trampled underfoot.
Draw up a reference library. The reference library, which should be within reach of the telephone, should contain documents that you are in constant need of when talking with clients and which cannot be summoned onto a computer screen:
Tables, prices, measurements, weights, times, percentages, discounts, all sorts of technical data, etc….), statistics (market data, sales indicators, surveys, details about requirements, turnover, number of inhabitants, etc….) calendar dates, address lists, travel arrangements, rules and regulations, quotable legal information.
The compilation of your reference library should be based on your current requirements. Every document that you are missing during a conversation with a client should be integrated into it.
Concluding technique. The envelopes that you have already been ordered will be delivered at a price of £22. Know your own advertising material: You must be familiar with the prospectus, advertisements, billboards, radio and television commercials used by your company. It is from these advertising channels that the client draws part of their knowledge, expectations, fears and misunderstandings. If you know what the client already knows, you will be aware of what further information the client needs. It is easier to rectify a mistake if you know how it arose in the first place.
Keep up to date. Before you call a client about an important matter, make sure that you have the most recent information concerning this, including the last orders and postal dates, copies of the last letters sent to the client and the most recent information from the sales representatives in charge. Ask the appropriate colleagues if there have been any new developments over the last few days (if you cannot call up the appropriate information onto a computer screen).
Please view parts 2 & 3 for more free information.
If you would like to develop you skills further please visit our open telephone sales training course by clicking on the link. We also run in-company telephone sales courses and you can view the details by clicking on this link - professional sales training.
UK corporate training
|
business training
|
FMCG / retail training
|
management training
|
UK marketing training
sales training courses
|
UK training venues
|
training tutor profiles
|
coaching consultancy
|
tailored training
training material
|
in-house training
|
spearhead training
Site design by Firetop Ltd