Did you know, smiling during your phone calls will help make your potential leads feel more comfortable?
When you make that call for a prospective lead, it can feel like there’s much pressure to execute a perfect phone call. Yet by planning a successful sales call will lead to building a lasting relationship with that prospective lead.
With these 8 sales call tips, you can soon call yourself a master in professional phone etiquette.
1. Know your agenda
Before sitting down with your call list, set up talking points to ensure a smooth conversation stays on the mark and does not divert from the reason behind the call.
Don’t be afraid to read out the agenda after saying your greetings – as both the prospect and your time is valuable, so don’t be afraid to go straight to the point.
You should have already gathered some preliminary information on the person you’ll be speaking to with an agenda. If you have a comprehensive CRM like HubSpot, all information will be right at your fingertips, and your agenda should be easy to set up.
Even if you know what the prospect is looking for, always be prepared to take the conversation somewhere else – listen to what they have to say and then guide them towards a solution you can hopefully provide.
2. Allow the lead space to talk
While you are tempted to start your prepared speech or pitch when you start calling, hold on to your horses, don’t be one of those Bond villains and start monologing.
If you don’t listen or allow the lead to say a few words, they will tune you out and hang up because of the lack of information and relevancy during the few minutes of the phone call.
How to avoid this?
- Firstly, ask the lead what their expectation from this conversation are.
- Secondly, you answer by telling them you will performing your best to assist them in their inquires.
- Lastly, you’ll know what kind of conversation to have with them on their lead’s journey.
While your main goal should be to convert a prospective lead into a qualified one, you must allow them to steer the conversation.
Your agenda should help keep things from going completely off the rails, but listening to a prospect and letting them steer the conservation is a great way in establishing a rapport based on respect and trust.
3. Build a relationship
We humans enjoy a sense of connection with strangers – an understanding of sorts. And to understand your potential leads is to build a rapport with them right during your phone call.
Use those first few minutes to get to know who you’re speaking with by using familiar tactics like:
- Address them by their first name – “Hello, Mr Peter?” “Am I speaking to Miss Venice?”
- Using a simple name to establish familiarity – “This is Jane calling from Company 101″, I’m Diane from Company Y.”
- Have simple icebreakers to ensure your leads are comfortable – “I hope you are having a good day ahead.” “I hope I am not disturbing you.”
Remember, calling potential leads is most effective when you personalized the conservation. When you express a genuine interest in someone, you showcase a human is chatting with them and not a mindless selling machine.
Read more on how to cultivate success;
▶️ Top 8 lead conversion tips for a successful property negotiator
▶️ 6 Soft Skills Every Real Estate Agent Should Have | Part 1
▶️ 5 Soft Skills Every Real Estate Agent Should Have | Part 2
4. Use simple language
People enjoy simple things, and that applies to how you talk to others too. There’s no need to prove yourself with fancy wording or an impressive vocabulary if you’re on the phone.
Instead, let your experience show itself through your accessibility – remind yourself, you are here to help them become the bigger picture. Starting with complicated speech will only confuse people or annoy them, destroying any relationship chance.
Try focusing on simple language – fit yourself in their shoes and meet them at their level.
5. Don’t panic if you don’t have the answers
Trying to solve problems you don’t have solutions for is a recipe for disaster – like chocolate cake without the chocolate. Sounds terrible, no?
As much as you may think you know how to make a sales call, there’s always a chance that the potential lead on the other end will ask questions that you don’t have the answers to.
Rather than dancing around the question, ask to place them on a brief hold or redirect them towards a relevant internal resource that may help them.
6. Ask follow-up questions
Do not forget to ask follow-up questions to the things your lead has mentioned during your phone conservation.
Not only does this ensure that you understand exactly what it is they’re expressing, but it also shows that you’re actively listening to what they have to say and want to help them clarify their own message in the process.
This will prove vital as you outline who your prospect is and what their priorities are. The more you know them, and the more they know themselves, the better equipped you’ll be to help them on their way.
7. Don’t forget to smile!
Did you know, smiling during your phone calls will help make your potential leads feel more comfortable?
Input gestures and expressions will show in your tone of voice, so use them, and use them often.
View the phone call as the same conversation you might have with a person face-to-face and treating it with a less robotic voice; the more relaxed the lead will feel.
Show them that you’re a person, just like them. Don’t be afraid of hand gestures and facial expressions.
8. Ending a call
A good sales call that ends on a rushed or clumsy note will leave an unpleasant taste in the prospect’s mouth, so it’s important to end things as high a note as possible. The best sales call tips for closing a phone call involves three steps: Summarize the conversation, let them know what comes next, and see if there’s more you can help with.
- Summarize the conversation
- What comes next?
- Is there more you can help with?
This is customary and necessary because it covers the rest of your bases and makes sure that your lead hangs up the phone feeling satisfied and educated by their experience and one step closer to purchasing with you.
With the right attitude, mindset and training, your lead calling days have only just begun.
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