The other day I was talking to the operator of a successful business and asked him how he and his fellow franchisees win customers. He mentioned 10 ways: networks, referrals and advertising are among them.
But one, he said, beats the rest: selling over the phone.
Entrepreneurs making calls outperform their peers by a wide margin, he said, noting that he is the best in the franchise system.
Why don’t more experienced businesspeople emulate this fellow, using their social skills to meet and greet potential customers over the phone? There are many reasons:
1. They are afraid of rejection in real time.
2. They believe that the phone is a contaminated tool.
3. They have a low tolerance for frustration.
4. They think there has to be an easier way!
5. They think they feel bad.
6. They believe that calling on the phone lacks dignity.
7. They believe their target market is inundated with calls.
8. They don’t have a manageable database.
9. They lack an effective telephone presentation.
10. They lack good telephone training.
If you look at this list, at least half of the items result from psychological factors. Many people are reluctant to phone because they beat themselves up unnecessarily and disappear in the middle. That’s what items 1-7 are about: Negative Beliefs and Judgments.
Instead of focusing on themselves, entrepreneurs should pay attention to the last three elements: managing their database, designing an effective phone presentation, and getting good coaching and training. Address these challenges and the first seven impediments will be gone or drastically minimized.
Let’s review these items briefly and put them in proper perspective.
1. They are afraid of rejection in real time.
Most of us are silently and indirectly rejected. If we send out a million resumes, most of them will end up in the trash, but we don’t feel that pain directly. It also doesn’t hurt if we mail out so many business brochures, all of which meet the same fate. But when we empower someone to say a resounding no, right into our ear, it feels threatening. Rejection is usually not about us; at most, it is about our offer, our value proposition and how we have communicated it. Therefore, there is no reason to take it personally. Focus on the real challenge: fix your message and how you’re delivering it. (For a more complete discussion, see my article, “Thanks for the Rejection!”)
2. They believe that the phone is a contaminated tool.
As consumers, many of us have been bombarded by calls that have had little value. For years, it made economic sense for giant call centers to spray and pray. Now, with the ubiquity of answering machines, caller ID, and effective anti-telemarketing legislation, these calls have been declining, but our negative attitude toward them persists. The telephone, as a medium, is alive and kicking. We need to work on developing the message and the messenger.
3. They have a low tolerance for frustration.
There is a math to success in prospecting and selling. If you make fifty calls, you will probably find ten people who will express some interest and will be worth seeking out. After you send them information and follow up, three may still be interested, and of these, you may close one or two.
I’m just using these numbers as an example, because they indicate that fifty attempts can give you one success. Let me tell you one of my favorite war stories about a guy who did a lot worse than this.
A client of mine based in Houston sells investments to institutions like universities and big banks. One of your commission salespeople worked from January to October without making a sale. He literally made millions and thousands of calls, to no avail.
All the other vendors were making at least some money, and some were doing very well, but he hit, left and right.
Then, in November, he received his first order of the year. It was so big that he made him a millionaire, on the spot.
He had a high tolerance for frustration, which is a trait worth developing! (For a fuller discussion, check out my audio seminar: “The Law of Large Numbers: How to Make Success Inevitable,” posted by Nightingale-Conant.)
4. They think there has to be an easier way!
The other night, at a meeting of business professionals, I was discussing marketing with a consultant. She smiled that he landed a client four years after initially meeting him at a mixer. Networking is his favorite way of doing business.
I agree, networking can be nice, but it’s too unpredictable. Waiting for the phone to ring seems easy. In my experience, it’s harder than proactively selling someone, which allows for much more control and instant feedback.
5. They think they feel bad on the phone.
It is true that when you listen to certain people on the phone, there is much less than meets the eye. Their voices may be inherently unpleasant, shrill, or scratchy, or their articulation may be faulty.
But most people don’t suffer from these ailments, and even non-radio announcer voices can be improved through training, while others can be improved with medical help.
(6) They believe that telephoning lacks dignity.
Some aristocratic businessmen feel that phoning is too below their social standing to be allowed to do so. They equate it to begging.
All I can say is that the dignity of calling is equal to the dignity you give it. If it sounds impressive and believable, you’ll usually get a fair shake.
(7) They believe their target market is inundated with calls.
I have been in business for over twenty years, and the cold calls I receive today are significantly lower than ever. I suspect that fewer people are making business-to-business calls, if only because they don’t know how to penetrate voicemail systems and call detection.
(8) They do not have a manageable database.
Calling is not just about dialing and smiling. It’s about organizing yourself to call and being able to capture information about the calls you’ve made.
The first challenge is to get a good list of prospects. Once you have that, you need to load it into one of the many inexpensive database programs offered by software vendors.
By tackling these tasks, you’ll be able to be productive and won’t have the time or interest to wallow in your rejection rate. You can measure and improve it.
(9) They lack an effective telephone presentation.
You need to write or hire a professional to write a good script.
No matter how simplistic, you need to know exactly what you’re going to say to pass the screening, leave an engaging voicemail message, greet a human in real time, present yourself believably, set your basic offer. , to gain engagement from the listener, to confirm the progress you made on the call, and to identify the next step to take.
Without a script, you’ll ramble, appear disorganized, reverse the order of what you say, and hopelessly shift your conversation from one contact to another. That way, you won’t know what’s working, what’s wrong, and what you need to change.
A script shouldn’t sound forced or canned, and it should make yours seem
fresh and spontaneous. But when you do, it will serve you very well.
(10) They lack good telephone training.
I had the luxury of being coached by my father, who was excellent at making cold calls to build his advertising, radio, and television businesses. He called me from home and I listened, fascinated by his ability to adapt to different people.
In college, I worked as a full-time collector for a finance company and later became a top salesman and manager for Time-Life Books. Then, with a Ph.D. in Communications, I began training others as a consultant.
I’ve found that some people are “natural” on the phone, but they’re rare. Most need to be coached and trained to develop their skills.
But once they have them, they feel the same way I do: I could land anywhere in the world where I speak the language, pick up the phone, and prosper.
It’s always the right time to reach and sell someone®!
Gary S. Goodman, MD
President, Customersatisfaction.com