HARDISON’S TIPS – MAY 12, 2021 – PHONE SALES SKILLS (PART THREE)
Step 3: Tone
In phone sales, you have to be mindful of your tone. This is a soft sales skill that’s vital to your success.
When teaching coaching callers how to sell over the phone, this lesson almost always elicits the same response: “Oh, so you want me to sound fake?!”
My reply? “No, not to sound fake, but to sound genuine and upbeat.”
When you’re selling over the phone, people will immediately sniff out when you are being “salesy.” Don’t be that person. Be yourself, and people on the other end will genuinely appreciate it.
Tonality plays such a key role in selling over the phone because your voice is your biggest asset. The person on the other end of that line has no more information to understand your message than what is coming out of their phone’s earpiece or speaker.
There’s a tone that communicates firmness — such as when you are asking for the business or firming up an appointment. There’s a tone that communicates, “Tell me more,” when you are in the discovery phase. There’s also a tone for expressing concern when you’ve caught someone at a bad time.
You need all of these.
What I’ve found in my selling career is that maintaining a genuine, authentic, and enthusiastic tone makes you more relatable.
One of the best compliments I ever received was from a prospect who praised me for having a conversation with him and not just “selling the product.” He had mentioned he usually ignores most numbers he doesn’t know, because over the phone, salespeople have a hardened, take-it-or-leave-it perspective. I truly love having conversations, so I make the most of every one I can.
5 Phone Sales Tips
With the right mindset established, it’s time to get into the weeds. These 5 phone sales tips have been essential to my success as an SDR. Incorporate them into your sales process and see how it goes.
1. Don’t Call the Prospect Back at the Same Time
Many SDRs get this phone sales tactic wrong.
Prospects, like us, are creatures of habit. Each day, they go to work, take lunch, leave, etc. — usually at the same times. Because of these routines, they’re also quick to identify the things that happen on a routine basis.
Like getting a robocall from the same number every time they’re ready to take their break. After a while, they begin to expect it.
That being the case, if you call the prospect every Tuesday at noon, it is going to become clear to them, and they will avoid you.
Fortunately, the solution to this problem is easy. Just randomize your calling so it’s harder to be screened.
This mixes up your day, which can be pleasant. It can also help your numbers. If you become too routine-driven, you’ll start avoiding making that call and you’ll eventually see lower numbers because you’re disqualifying prospects simply because they’re not answering your calls.
Don’t make this mistake. Vary the times you reach out to a prospect to ensure you get through.
