How do you answer the phone?

In my business by phone activities, I hear so many people answer the phone as though they’re not even there!

“Hello...this is John speaking.”

“You’re speaking to Elizabeth.”

Blimey! Have you ever thought about how that sounds? It’s like a third person answering and it’s not very personal or conducive to conversation, either.

The great Allan Pease has the answer. Allan says, when you answer the phone the idea is to create an environment for communication between two people. If you don’t want to communicate well, why answer that ringing demon in the first place?

So, Allan’s tip when you answer the phone is to just say....

“Hello... this is Matthew.”

The difference it makes will amaze you. Try it and you will soon hear people respond totally differently in the first 30 seconds of your call.

Then I get this one on answer phones and message services all the time:

“Hello. You’ve reached Peter at XYZ.”

NO! I haven’t! I’ve got his answer phone service for heaven’s sake. He’s not there!

Does it make a difference? You betcha it does. You only get one chance to make a first impression. BTW, that goes for everyone who calls you at any time, from clients to prospects to in-house teams.

Please, please, if you’re composing an answer phone message, be natural and be gentle.

“Thank you for calling my answer phone service, this is Matthew and while I can’t take your call right now it is important to me so please leave a message and any details you think might help and I promise you.. I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Many thanks.”

Not only will you get fewer hang-ups (which hang-ups means more business opportunity), you will get warm responses from people when you re-call.

Give it a go. That is unless no one hangs up when they listen to your answer phone, all your calls start well and you have enough business coming in not to worry about how you answer the phone.

The formula for crafting winning scripts

Yesterday I was lucky enough to present an EMA telephone sales skills course in Auckland. I was able to share ideas and proven techniques for successful business-by-phone with a really nice group of sales professionals from a wide range of industries and across the age spectrum, too.

There were both dedicated business-by-phone reps and field sales reps on the course and the main focus was to either secure sales during the call or set appointments for in-person visits.

During a Q&A session a member of the group asked me, “Which one element makes a telephone script successful?” Now that’s an interesting question!

We decided to explore this in detail and came up with several key points.

• A successful telephone presentation comprises a series of “hot-buttons” delivered in the right sequence that arouses the prospect’s interest and qualifies their need and suitability, to successfully “close” your product or service, or the appointment.

• You can make a great introduction, a brilliant presentation and “fluff” the close and you’ll get NOTHING!

• You can’t even make a good presentation or a brilliant close if your intro doesn’t get you in the door!

• Your intro works but the presentation doesn't qualify and identify need, so the brilliant close won't work either!

• If you can't make the presentation to the right prospect, it doesn't matter how good your script is, it will fail!

Seem obvious? Well maybe to you, but many of the first-time clients and callers I visit show me their scripts which lack one or all of the crucial fundamentals listed above.

No one element makes for a successful telephone presentation. It’s a combination and crafted blend of several key components delivered with skill, technique and knowledge to create the ideal selling environment.

Add the fact that it takes little or no skill to read a script, the skill is to seem not to! And you have the formula for creating winning scripts.

Matthew Mewse
The Telephone Man
Business by phone specialist
Ph: 03 482 1364
Mobile: 027 616 3272
Skype: uktelephoneman
Email: matthew@telephoneman.co.nz
Web: www.telephoneman.co.nz
Web: www.telephoneman.org.uk
LinkedIn: http://nz.linkedin.com/in/matthewmewse
Twitter: http://twitter.com/fonepower

After the phone call

Check List for Building Winning Proposals

Sometimes, when we make a fantastic phone presentation, when we’ve qualified the prospect’s needs, we managed to successfully identify their main areas of interest and, even when we’ve closed the call properly ...

there will still come a genuine request from your prospect for a proposal in writing.

Sometimes this is to help the prospect in the decision-making process. Others may want to work through the

issues with the rest of their team, they might even want to take a proposal to the weekly meeting as part of their brief, while some people just prefer to have the clarity a written proposal can provide to confirm the deal.

Whatever the reasons, you need to make sure your written proposal reflects your skills on the phone and is a “user friendly” document for your prospect to work through. Here are some ideas and a check list that help build written proposals that really get the job done!

What problems are you going to solve?

· Show you understand the different elements of the situation or problem.

· Define the problem from their viewpoint.

· Seek to explain the needs from your prospect’s point of view.

· Understand their priorities: it might not always be a dollar     decision!

How are you going to solve it?

· Prove that your plan, service, product or methods are feasible.

· Show that a solution is possible in the time frame available.

What exactly will you provide?

· Specify in exact detail the products/services you seek to provide.

· It’s almost like writing an inventory.

Can you deliver what you promise?

· Show you have both the knowledge and resources to do what you say you will.

· Give examples of previous work in this area and the qualifications/ability of your team.

What benefits can you offer?

· Specify what makes you stand out from what the rest of the crowd who may also be pitching.

· For everything you’re offering the prospect, show clearly the benefits of each feature.

· Discuss the benefits – direct and indirect – that you will provide – when they purchase.

When will you complete the work?

· Provide a schedule that shows when each phase of the service, product, delivery etc will be completed.

· A time line is always important!

How much will you charge?

· Provide a detailed budget which includes costs for materials, salaries and overheads.

General considerations:

Use language appropriate to your audience, watch for technical jargon.If the proposal is long, write a one-page cover (summary) letter: Catch the reader’s attention early and summarise three main benefits. Discuss each benefit in the same order as the first paragraph. Deal with any objections the reader may have raised during your call. You could also, in closing, briefly mention other fringe benefits and … always ask for your proposal to

be viewed, decided upon or approved in a timeframe. Make sure you give the prospect good reason to act promptly. Always give your proposal a title!

Works for me and so many of the business by phone professionals I work with.

Have a brilliant sales week

Matthew Mewse

The Telephone Man

Business by phone specialist

Ph: 03 482 1364

Mobile: 027 616 3272

Skype: uktelephoneman

Email: matthew@telephoneman.co.nz

Web: www.telephoneman.co.nz

Web: www.telephoneman.org.uk

LinkedIn: http://nz.linkedin.com/in/matthewmewse

Twitter: http://twitter.com/fonepower

Welcome to Better Business By Phone

If you use the phone in business, if you want to hear the word “YES” more often… then this is the blog for you!