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The Old-Fashioned Telephone Offers a Huge Competitive Advantage to Home-Based Entrepreneurs
Much of your business will be done by phone. As great as e-mail and faxes are, they have their limitations. So does rushing out to do everything in person. Whether you’re selling, placing orders, handling customer complaints, or managing any other type of business activity, the phone is your best ally — that is, if wisely used! Best Times to Call When to call depends on who you’re trying to reach, and what you’re trying to accomplish. Important people are typically hard to reach. The best times to call are first thing in the morning — even before business hours — and after 5:00 p.m. You might have luck on weekends, or even in the evening. Just don’t call their homes! VIP’s will check voice mail or e-mail, and might call you back from home or while traveling. Residential calls should be made when least disruptive, such as during the work day, on a Saturday afternoon, or early evenings between 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. (You might have to check your state for no-call lists). Be Organized! Most telephone disasters stem from one root cause — lack of organization. So before you reach for that phone, be sure you are well-organized. Good organization begins with mental organization. Relax, be confident, get motivated, and focus clearly on what you intend to say. If necessary, jot down some brief reminders. Simplify your job by forgetting unimportant matters, and breaking the effort down into simple subsets. Also, prepare in advance for potential problems you might encounter. Try to anticipate questions or objections that might be raised, and consider how you will respond. You don’t want to be caught off guard. Above all, stay focused on your goal. Whether it’s to make a sale, schedule an appointment, or resolve a dispute, it’s the reason you’re on the phone, and you shouldn’t get off until you’ve accomplished it. The best way to develop composure and mental organization is by practice. When your plan is smooth and clear, ideas and words will flow naturally. Next, organize your physical environment. Remove anything you don’t need, and place needed materials nearby. It might be easier to use your computer than pen and pad. Successful phone work also requires good time management. Spend too much time on the line, and you’ll get less done and annoy the listener. Some good time management tips include: 1) Minimize personal or trivial chat. 2) Get to the point and stick to it. 3) Use no unnecessary words, and make no unnecessary remarks. 4) Speak clearly so you won’t need to repeat yourself. 5) Let trivial matters pass. 6) Keep notes at hand so you can provide quick answers. 7) Keep a clock in plain view. 8) Without being abrupt, press for a close to the sale or conversation.
That said, don’t sacrifice quality for speed! Taking Quick Notes If a phone call is important enough to make or receive, then it’s important enough to take notes. Yet, few things are harder. Always keep a clean notepad and/or an open computer screen in front of you while on the phone. If you’re writing by hand, have extra pens close by — just in case. Also make neatness a habit. Notes are useless if you can’t decipher them. So get in the habit of writing neatly — always! If the other person talks too fast, ask him to slow down or to repeat the remark. Developing your own form of shorthand can be helpful, too. Adopt abbreviations or symbols for certain words. The best way to keep things neat and organized is to develop special forms for special needs. With everything laid out, you’ll need to make fewer notes. You can also purchase tailor-made business forms from online sources, or at office supply stores. The computer is generally the best way to take notes while on the phone since most of us can type faster than we write. Also neatness won’t be a problem, and the information can be stored instantly. If necessary, you can also go online during your call.
To make things easy, get a phone headset and a noiseless keyboard. Reaching the Right Person A major reason for wasted time on the phone stems from one thing —failure to reach the right person. If you known specifically who you need to reach — who will usually be a decision maker — make sure you talk to that person. If you must settle for second best, make the most of it. Be sure that intermediary clearly understands all the details so he or she will correctly communicate your message to the decision maker. Confirm the details of your conversation by e-mail or fax. If you’re contacting a company, do some preliminary research so you’ll know exactly who to talk to. It’s amazing what you can find on the Internet! If you don’t know specifically, then at least know the sort of person you should reach, such as head of purchasing. Company managers are usually surrounded by “defensive tackles” jobs are to screen out unwelcome callers. Sound like one, and you’ll be treated accordingly. Come across as someone the decision maker needs to talk to, and you’ll probably get results. Also ask the screener for your target by name. In most cases, you will be forwarded. Succinctly identify yourself and the nature of your call. Serious callers who sound “professional” generally get results. Phone Presence Just the tone of your voice can make people either listen, or hang up. People like to deal with winners; convey competence and polish, and you’re half-way home. Also, sharpen your statements to go the heart of your message. Use action verbs to creative active and positive imagery. But do not exaggerate. Be aware that nervousness is emotional, not rational. Realize that the other person is not going to throttle you, and might be more nervous than you. Time and experience tend to iron out bad nerves. The best antidote for bad nerves, by the way, is good preparation. When you’re on top of things, you feel confident and in control. Your listener will sense that instantly. Organization and enthusiasm aside, all will be lost if your phone mate cannot hear or understand you. Indications that the other person didn’t hear or understand you include requests that you repeat yourself, failure to respond to you, or wandering off on a tangent. The problem is you can’t always tell. That’s why you should forge the habit of heading off potential communications problems. Set your phone properly, speak clearly and audibly, and emphasize or repeat things of importance —especially things the listener is not likely to understand. Speak slowly. Nothing loses listeners like fast-talk. Half the time they don’t catch what’s said. The other half, they mistake it for a talker’s insecurity or dishonorable intentions. Also, don’t mumble, grunt, say “uhmm-hmm,” or chew while on the phone. Even if the other person understands you, he’ll probably be annoyed. What’s the best way to polish your phone presence? Ask yourself what bugs you when someone calls you. Then strive to be different. Good Timing Good timing is as important in conversation as it is in throwing a pass, or delivering a punch line. In business relations, it pertains to how much time to spend with a contact, how long you talk, how long you listen, and when to wrap up. People are always “busy” — even when they’re not! Attention spans, moreover, are typically short. A good sense of timing can be developed through experience. One way is by being aware of how much time you spend on a task, and the results you get. Another way is by observing masterful sellers, speakers or others. Note the feedback you get from people. How soon do they become impatient? At what points might they interrupt? Under what circumstances are you getting positive or negative feedback? Long pauses on the other end suggest it’s time to slow down and address the issue. Don’t move too quickly, however. It’s important to consider everyone’s time limits. But you don’t want misunderstandings. Pace yourself according to your needs and the sense you get of your listener. Control the Conversation Some people can dominate a conversation like a lion dominates its den. These folks will slow you down, and steer you off course. To accomplish your goal, you need to control the conversation — without making it too obvious, that is. No perfect rule exists for all situations. But you can often get your say by looking for openings, such as when the other person pauses. Don’t lose that opportunity — move in and keep talking. Unless you do, the talkaholic will regain control. Another indicator for an opening is when your interlocutor repeats himself, or indicates some misunderstanding. The first instance suggests he’s running out of gas and ready to listen. The second indicates that he’s ready to hear some answers. Chatterers are also problematic. Idle gossip might be their way to avoid serious business. Nevertheless, you need to politely steer them toward the business you need to transact. Begin with an understanding that some people are more loquacious than others. At least the person’s talking to you! Upbeat people, moreover, tend to be easier to deal with than the listless type. If you can spare the time, therefore, give them some play so they’ll simmer down, and you won’t offend them. Do that much, and reasonable folks will reciprocate. When it’s time to gain control, don’t be abrupt. Instead, try turning something they’ve said gradually around to what you want to discuss. If that doesn’t work, keep persisting. If all else fails, you’ll have to go straight for the “kill.” “I see what you’re saying Mr. Brill, but I’ve got to talk about this...” Sometimes there’s no gentle way to do it. To maintain control of the dialogue, be concise and stick to their interests. Also make use of provocative questions that will keep the listener focused, and give you the information you need. Should you need to end the call abruptly, state the reason and apologize. Then briefly rehash your understanding of his needs, and promise to get back by a definite time. Then do so! Handling Complaints You will receive complaints by phone. The question is how to handle them. Whether or not the complaint is justified, get on the caller’s side and acknowledge anything that is true. But never point fingers, which will diminish you in his or her eyes. People trust and admire those who take responsibility and acknowledge mistakes. Also demonstrate your empathy by referring to any similar problem you’ve had. “Yes, I can see how that must have cost you time. Something similar happened to me...” Be patient while callers blow off steam. As the Bible puts it, “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” Every volcano cools in time. Take notes so you’ll remember every detail, and respond point for point. Be sure you understand their problems completely before you reply. If you don’t have an answer, admit it and promise to get back with one as soon as possible. But guarantee that the problem won’t be repeated, and explain why. While anyone can make vague promises, people will take you seriously if you offer concrete solutions. Finally, thank them for calling the matter to your attention, and do your utmost to fix it! HBM Christopher J. Bachler is a 20+-year veteran business writer and editor, based in Drexel Hill, PA. |
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