10 Tips for Telephone Success

The telephone is an often under-appreciated and much maligned piece of office equipment. Have you stopped to consider how much business you conduct over the telephone? These 10 tips will help you improve your telephone presence and presentations.

1. You are the "Manager of First Impressions" for your business. Whenever you pick up the telephone, put a smile on your face first. It will enhance your vocal quality and you will sound pleasant and relaxed.

2. Listen attentively to the person you are speaking with. Recall why your dog is such a good listener: listen actively and in the moment. Multi-tasking is the enemy of effective listening.

3. Let other people talk! Make sure your caller has completely finished speaking before responding. Remember: sometimes they aren't done talking; they are just coming up for air.

4. Use open-ended questions to get people to speak more freely. You should always talk less than the person you have called. It makes others feel more comfortable, particularly if you are asking them to make a decision. The more they talk, the easier it is for them to "buy into" what you are proposing.

5. To create affinity with your callers, speed up or slow down your speaking voice to better match theirs. They won't realize why they feel comfortable, they just will.

6. Use your words for best results. Keep in mind you can phrase anything positively, negatively or neutrally. Phrasing your words positively will help you get better results more easily.

7. Voice mail can be your friend. Avoid leaving voice mail messages but if you must, think of it as a 30 second commercial on a highly rated radio program. You have the opportunity to get your message into the "ears" of your most desired audience. Your message should reflect this.

8. Plan your telephone presentations in advance. Think out all the various scenarios you might be faced with and write it out. This is called pre-call planning.

9. Tape yourself for self-improvement. Listen to yourself carefully and decide what areas you want to improve.

10. Make an action plan. Focus on only one area at a time. When you feel comfortable, move to your next area and repeat.

We use the telephone as our primary form of personal communication. People who are good with this medium increase their opportunities for success.

Jo Ann Kirby is president of KRG Communications Group. She has 20 years experience in sales, telephone sales and sales management and an extensive background in training and development. Her background also includes extensive b2b telesales management experience. Jo Ann has been published in The Toastmaster, NAPPS Network and Commerce magazines. More can be found at http://www.krgcommunications.com

---

K.A.R.M.A. of Phone Prospecting

Do you ever wake up on the wrong side of... Read More

Overcoming Objections Over the Telephone

In sales, one of the things you will be doing... Read More

What Level Of Telephone Sales And Customer Service Do You Provide?

Using the telephone as an effective sales and customer service... Read More

How To Know Youre On A Winner

The catchword today for business is flexibility.With changes in suppliers,... Read More

Telephone Sales Basics for Start-ups

Everyone picks up the telephone to do business. Yet the... Read More

Closing That Big Sale With Conference Calling

So you're in business. Whether it is micro, small, medium,... Read More

High Phone Bills Can Affect More Than Your Expenses

I got a phone call today from a gentleman in... Read More

How to Make Sales with Noisy Kids in the House

Kids play hard, and sometimes that means they play really... Read More

4 1/2 Steps for Doubling Your B2B Appointments

Cold calling. Most people hate to do it and there... Read More

Sales Therapy 101: Breaking Your Fear of Cold Calling

Almost every day, visitors to my Unlock The Game? website... Read More

3 Simple Rules For Your Next Sales Call

The other day I received a call from a telemarketer... Read More

Telsales Just Got Easier!

Your sales structure for outbound calls can be summarised using... Read More

Cold Calling Does Not Generate Sales Leads

It is a fact of life for most new sales... Read More

How To Be A Cold Calling Superstar!

Our emotions and feelings are changing all of the time... Read More

10 Tips for Telephone Success

The telephone is an often under-appreciated and much maligned piece... Read More

Telemarketers May Have Ruined Everything

I had to really look at things a little different... Read More

Generating Leads Through Telemarketing

Telemarketing is one of the most common ways that a... Read More

Sales Call Success - Turbo Charge Your Sales Calls

Do you want to be a sales champion? There are... Read More

Choosing a Phone Dialer that Works

If you own or operate an outbound call center, you've... Read More

Get Instant Rapport On Sales Cold Calls

Immediately establish rapport on cold-calls by matching your prospect's voice... Read More

Conference Calling Evolved

Originally the conference call was limited to businesses paying exorbitant... Read More

The Cold Calling Conspiracy

A consipiracy exists in the world of selling. A cold... Read More

Control Your Sales Calls From The Start

Sales calls that you control are what all salespeople want.... Read More

7 Ways to Jump Start Your Cold Calls

Cold calling has to be one of the most feared... Read More

Cold Calling for Introverts

In her book, The Introvert Advantage, Marty Olsen Laney talks... Read More

Telesales

HEADSETS & TELEPHONESThe equipment your personnel use is important. Don't... Read More

How To Get Your Phone Call Returned

When selling your product face to face with a customer,... Read More

Predictive Dialers - Human Interaction Maximized

Predictive dialers are many steps removed from their predessors, the... Read More

Stop Selling and Make More Sales

A few months ago I spent time training some telephone... Read More

Phone Tips To Get Things Done: Professional Phone Skills

It happens all the time, you hear someone over the... Read More

Proven Two Minutes Magic Exercise to Conquer the Fear of Phone

I got a confession to make! The little communication device... Read More

Feel the Fear

It sometimes surprises people when I tell them I get... Read More

Telemarketing Tips for Direct Sales Success

Unfortunately, the DNC legislation has many small businesses that use... Read More