7 Best Practices for Excellent Prospecting Phone Calls
By Kristen Stanton
We all know the adage – You only get one chance to make a first impression. That’s why it’s so critical to nail your initial phone call to a new sales prospect at the outset – whether you get them on the phone or are just leaving a voicemail. Studies show that people develop a perception about you within the first 30 seconds of a phone conversation, and their final opinion of you in the last 30 seconds. Here are seven essential best practices that will help you create a positive, long lasting impression with your prospects from the initial phone call.
1. Win Them Over with Your Introduction
Before you make your call, take a deep breath and smile – your voice sounds different when you’re smiling vs. when you’re not. Your tone and voice inflections will create an impression and help the person on the other end understand what you are telling them. Some sales experts even recommend speaking on the exhalation of your breath so your prospect hears the energy in your voice. Another idea is to put a mirror on your desk to remind yourself when you are not smiling at your customers. Especially useful for people who are on the phone all day - a mirror can be a helpful tool.
Remember to always greet your prospect with enthusiasm and by their formal name. Then, identify yourself and the reason for your call. Give your full name and title, the name of your organization, and the reason you’re calling. Stating the reason for your call, and doing so early in the call and doing so succinctly, shows respect for your prospect’s time – assume they are busy people, with no time for idle chit chat: “Hello, Ms. Jones, this is Joe Smith from the Acme Technology Company, and I’m calling today to tell you about…”
1.5 - Leaving a Voice Mail
Leaving a voice mail is as important as your introduction when someone actually answers the phone. You need to win your prospect over at the outset. When leaving a voice mail, take a deep breath and smile, and then greet your prospect with enthusiasm and by their formal name. Next, identify yourself and the reason for your call. Give your full name and title, the name of your organization, and the reason for your call. Telling your prospect the reason for your call is critical. Trying to be mysterious is not the way to get your prospect to call you back!
Always include a next step in your voice mail message. Either, ask your prospect to call you, tell them you’ll call again and at what time, or let them know you’ll email them your contact information.
Now for the part of the message where most people fail at the basics: leaving your contact information. When asking your prospect to call you back, say your full name and the name of your organization twice, say your phone number twice, and say it slowly: “Thank you, Ms. Jones. Again, this is Joe Smith with Acme Technology, Inc. and you can reach me at (888) 123-4567. Again, that number is (888) 123-4567.”
We all know how annoying it is to have to listen to a voice mail over again because the caller said their phone number too fast, or worse, it was unintelligible. That’s a sure fire way to get your prospects to not call you back. So take the time to leave a quality voice mail, or don’t leave one at all.
2. Concentrate on Your Call
This may sound obvious, but in our era of multi-tasking and hyper-media consumption, it’s very easy to get distracted when you’re on the phone. Interesting things pop up on your computer screen, you get calls on your other line, your co-worker stops by, or worse – you’re consuming your morning latte, your lunch, or your afternoon snack. Concentrating on your prospect, the reason for your call, and the conversation at hand can require some self-discipline, but it’s discipline that will pay off for you in the long run.
3. Focus on Your Customer’s Needs
This is another one that may sound obvious, but where sales and marketing people often fail at the basics. So proud of their latest innovative products, business people brag away about how great they are, meanwhile forgetting all about their prospect’s needs. When talking on the phone, visualize who your prospect is and remind yourself that you’re engaged in a two-way conversation. Ask questions and take notes. (Wear a headset if you have to so you can take good notes.) And remember that you’re not just a sales person – you’re a problem solver who is addressing your prospect’s needs.
4. Ask for the Appointment
Many sales people make the mistake of trying to close the sale on the phone, when what they’re actually trying to do is set an appointment with a prospective customer. While many sales do take place over the phone for some businesses, it’s important to keep in mind the main objective of your call – is it to close the sale, or is it to set up a time to meet in person, and then close the sale? If the objective is to set up an appointment, then focus on the details needed to set an appointment. When doing so, provide options vs. a question that only requires a yes or no answer.
This is age-old sales wisdom, but often the most experienced sales people forget to ask open-ended questions.
Wrong way: “Would you like to set up an appointment to discuss this in more detail?” or “Does Tuesday work?”
Right way: “What time works for you to meet? Tuesday or Thursday?”
Once you set the appointment, tell your prospect that you’ll call the day before to confirm it. Saying that you’ll call to confirm shows that you’re a professional and that you expect that both of you will take the appointment seriously.
5. Don’t Forget to Confirm Basic Contact Information
Confirming all of your contact’s information shows professionalism and attention to detail. You may have one phone number for them, but do you know if it’s their work number or their cell phone number? And do you have the all-important email address, and know the best times to call them? People’s information can often change, and to have a strong sales pipeline, you need accurate and thorough contact information for your prospects.
6. Establish Yourself as the Person They'll Want to Do Business With
During your call, always keep in mind that it’s not just about the call – it’s about building a long-term relationship with your prospect. No matter which turn the call takes, never lose your cool, always be polite, and remember that you’re a provider of solutions. On your phone call, you’re not only representing yourself, but the strong backing of your organization, its solid reputation, and its fine products and services. Reinforce your own brand as a professional and your company’s brand while on the phone, and this will invite repeat business and referrals.
7. Close the Call Strong
If your call has been successful, the first 30 seconds established strong rapport with you prospect through your tone and focus. The last 30 seconds should solidify your prospect’s positive opinion about you. Be sure to thank your prospect for their valuable time, review the reason for your call and the problem you are helping to solve, and that you look forward to working with them: “Ms. Jones, it’s been a pleasure talking to you, and I look forward to helping you save time and money/achieve your customer acquisition goals,” etc.
And always remember to say, “Goodbye” at the end of your call. We’ve all experienced the negative feeling of expecting someone to say goodbye, have a great day, etc., and all we hear is click. Don’t do that to your customer! Etiquette dictates that you allow your prospect to hang up first. It’s a basic rule to follow – but following the basics for a successful outbound phone call can help you win customers and repeat business.