“Good afternoon, who am I speaking to? ” Do you ever answer the phone in this way? Certainly not, because as a sales professional or manager you know the importance of the way you come across on the phone.
At call there is no possibility to convey body language, your conversation partner bases his or her judgment on a purely linguistic basis. Are you able to make an impression over the phone?
Improve, and the phone makes or breaks your chances
Nowadays, most communication within companies takes place via email. Nevertheless, telephone contact remains of great importance. Certain nuances and details that are difficult to convey via email, or urgent matters that take too long to resolve by email, are often handled over the phone.
Furthermore, the telephone is a more 'compelling' means of communication, making it highly suitable for sales (inbound and outbound). Whether it concerns cold calling or existing customer contact, the way you conduct a phone conversation makes or breaks your chances in the future.
Many factors are of great importance during telephone contact. First, the connection itself, and the background noise. A poor connection or a lot of background noise irritates your conversation partner. Even though you cannot do anything about it, it will partly determine their impression of you.
That also applies to the way you speak. Project calm, above all do not speak quickly, and be very clear in what you have to say.
If agreements need to be made, make sure you regularly provide a brief summary and repeat answers, so that your conversation partner gets the impression that you are listening carefully and have fully understood his or her answers.
All these facets can be learned! Whether it is your tone of voice or the way you introduce yourself (first welcoming, then mentioning your company name, and finally your own name), it is a matter of practice and discipline.
Together, these components determine perhaps 50% of the impression you leave behind.
However, one genuine quality that cannot be learned makes the difference… enthusiasm!
Enthusiasm is the key!
'Wow, I always feel happy when I get you on the phone, you're always so cheerful.' We regularly hear this from clients and business partners. There is nothing more powerful!
In no way can you surpass the goodwill you earn with genuine enthusiasm. Are you always at your best on the phone? You know better than anyone that a phone call can sometimes come across as quite unwelcome.
In those cases, it can be difficult to come across as sincere and friendly. However, this is SO important that we would advise you not to answer the phone for a moment. Just call back later; that will benefit both you and your conversation partner more.
An enthusiastic reaction on the phone can immediately lighten all the negativity of, for example, a bad news conversation. It can also seriously brighten the day of the person on the other end of the line.
Seize this opportunity and show your conversation partner that you have a positive attitude towards the relationship at all times.
Telephone and e-mail reinforce each other
Finally, we want to warn you about a pitfall. Telephone contact is excellent for making decisive decisions. However, what can be annoying is that matters discussed over the phone are rarely put in writing. This is where email comes into play.
Email and telephone communication reinforce each other greatly. Take the time to summarize the conclusions from the phone call in a 'wrap-up' email immediately after the conversation has ended.
This way, ambiguities, which are often detrimental to the progress of a project, can never arise again.
Do you want to fully prepare yourself for telephone communication, so that you only need to bring your own enthusiasm to achieve success? Then the 'telephone skills' training by Kenneth Smit is perfect for you!
Through theory, practice and role-playing, you will learn to deal with many types of challenges during telephone contact.