Telephone sales techniques: Preparing for calls to prospective clients

The telephone is a communication vehicle where you only have one chance to make a first impression and like many aspects of the business development process, preparation can dramatically enhance your telephone sales techniques.

Here are some points you might like to consider before your next call.

Physical location

Ensure that your physical location is conducive to having a productive conversation. Ideally you want a quiet location with no background noise or interruptions.

Frame of mind

A positive frame of mind is essential. If you are not in the right frame of mind, hold that call.

A useful telephone sales technique for getting into a positive state is to remember a previous phone call that went well and to re-associate with the positive feelings of that experience.

Also "visualise" your next call; feel, hear and see yourself speaking in a confident, friendly, engaging, professional and assertive manner with the prospect responding positively to you.

Clear objectives

Be clear on the objective of your phone call. If you are providing a service or solution requiring a degree of financial commitment, it is unlikely that the prospect will buy on the phone, so the objective of the call is to get a meeting. Once a meeting has been agreed, end the call and start preparing for the meeting.

Research

Ensure that you have undertaken enough prospect research to help you have a meaningful conversation.

Structure

Ensure that you have planned the key elements of your call, which should include informing them of the purpose of your call, creating interest of what's in it for them and outlining what you want next.

Objections

Think through their potential objections and your response.

Pen and paper at the ready!

Have pen and paper ready to capture the key points of the conservation - avoid the "what was that other point they said was important?" thought to yourself after the call.

Practice the call

Role play calls with a fellow soloist; this might give you an insight on how to improve your telephone sales technique in the real call.

Good luck!

Richard Woodward works with people who want to attract more business and improve performance. His key focus is ensuring effectiveness in marketing, business development and presentation.

3 comments | Add your own

Good sensible advice on how to prepare well and overcome the dreaded procrastination problems. I find that the more I prepare to successfully phone prospective clients the more comfortable the outcome and the more fun it is. A happy, productive positive cycle develops. Jenny Goodwin from Queanbeyan
Preperation, research and structure are absolutely critical to phone based selling or lead generation. If it can be complemented or blended by internet marketing, the results are manifold. www.searchenginerankings.com.au describes this process in great detail. Anup Batra from Melbourne, Australia
Richard, great advice. My company runs a B2B lead generation service (www.rede.net.au) and we've found a process which converts about 1 in 6 of cold-calls to qualified sales appointments. I'd like to add to your advice with: a) Make sure your list contains only companies that you CAN sell to; b) Tell the person what you'd like to do, "I'm calling to book a 30 minute chat with your managing director because I have assisted companies like your grow (or whatever) by X%; c) Remind yourself that you are a business leader and peer to the person you're calling and as such have something valuable to offer - they actually want your service, but don't know enough about it to ask for it. That's what the call is for; d) Continue to work to times, "If I send you some information I'll call you in 2 days at this time to follow up and book that chat. Can we pencil something in so I know you're available?". Ashley Neale from Melbourne

3 comments | Add your own

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