Phone Phobia

In the multi-media world we live in today we often forget that the good-old-fashion telephone is the best marketing and sales tool we have. Tech may have made access to people easier, and even less ‘scary’ – but as a result the phone call has all but evaporated as a first thought. Even when I need to ask my Mom something I tend to text first!  Crazy!

But tech is constantly changing, shifting, and making it harder to stay up with how to utilize all the gadgets, platforms, algorhythms, and ‘fun-stuff’. The phone has seen changes too – but how it works hasn’t.

• You dial a number.
• They answer (if they don’t, you get to leave a voice mail that clearly says why you are calling and what you would like them to do in return).
• You have a conversation that begins, has substance, has clarity, and ends…with clear next steps. No waiting an hour or two, or a day or two, or a week or two, for the conversation to elicit a response.

Simple – Quick – Easy – More Effective.

So why do many professionals continue to hide behind their keyboard and not pick up the phone?

Three basic possibilities:

1. They selflessly don’t want to get stuck in a long conversation.
2. They assume it is too disruptive to the person they are calling and don’t want to appear desperate or rude.
3. They just don’t know what to say. (which is a result of our daily curation of the perfect words on a page instead of speaking out more spontaneously into the world).

What if I told you that your sales would increase by 50 – 75% if you would simply add phone calls to your sales process…would you be more likely to implement it? Probably!

I can’t guarantee that – but what I CAN guarantee is that you will stick out from your competition as different, and you will remain more at the top of your prospects mind. You can relay more information, emotions, and context in a brief conversation than you ever could with a brief digital blurb. Emojis will never replace vocal expressions.

Human to human conversations without the aid of the QWERTY keyboard are where relationships are formed and deepened, transactions are made, questions are answered quickly, and client loyalty and fan-ship is formed.

Use of the phone is a critical skillset for anyone who relies on others to purchase their products or services. Here are a few thoughts on how to get over your phone-phobia or reluctance:

Know What to Say

Don’t confuse the difference between a SALES call and a CONNECTION call. Every time you pick up the phone doesn’t have to be to close a deal or move it to the next stage. It may just be to give more information, set a time to get together, invite them to something they may enjoy, or give them another resource. More than likely, it is a way for you to better understand them and their needs, helping you to discover their insights, attitudes, beliefs, objections, desires, and gaps that you can possibly help them fill or bridge. 

However, be cognizant to not waste their time (or yours) with a bunch of idle chit-chat with no purpose for the call.  Have a clear intention for the call and let them know what that is fairly early on in the conversation.

• Don’t have a script prepared but have a flow and talking points in mind so that you stay on-task and each participant gets what they need.
• Give them an idea of time upfront as well.
• Have intelligent questions prepared but be flexible on which to ask (listen to the answers and don’t ask another question off your list that doesn’t align – therefore maybe feeling like it came from out of left field).

“Hey (name) just want 2 minutes of your time to (state purpose of call).”

“I saw on LinkedIn that you are working on XYZ project, wanted to personally let you know that I am available to help or answer any questions that might arise as you move forward and that we have a great ABC product/service that we might be able to leverage and help out.”

“Hello (name), this won’t take but a sec, just wanted to ask you a question and get a quick response.”

If it IS a SALES call put them at ease at the beginning – let them know you are there to “see if we are a good fit first” or “find out what is not working for you or what you would like to see improved”. You can even go as far as assuring them that if there is not a good fit, you are not going to try to sell them a square peg for a round hole…but you may be able to offer a suggestion, connection, or direction they can go next.

Sound Your Best

This is key. You want to sound excited to talk to them (but not over-the-top with enthusiasm), and confident. Knowing what to say by being prepared is the first step in that.

You can improve the quality of your sound with two simple things: be in a good mood and breathe!

Before you dial and as it is ringing – stand up – take some deep breaths. This will do a few things – calm your nerves, expand your lungs, and lengthen your vocal cords so you don’t sound strained. Consider having a something in your line of sight that makes you happy – a photo, a landscape, a special something.

Be sure to act like the other person is there in the room with you – this will help you vary your tone, inflection, and pace. If you usually talk with your hands – do that! It will make you feel, and therefore sound, more natural.

Get out from behind the QWERTY and get a faster response!

Your business will grow in direct proportion to the number of personal connections you make – specifically the phone and face-to-face conversations you have. It creates lifetime ties to YOU, not just your product or your service.

The more we make calls the easier and more natural it becomes (remember when you first started trying to text?). The better we get at it the more confident we become, and the more our business will grow. So even if you are awesome at on-line marketing and email marketing, and even if you can text like a machine, you still shouldn’t neglect or hide from the telephone.

Next time you grab your phone: type in those 8-key magic numbers instead of the characters and emojis. It’s ok…dial their number…your clients and contacts want to hear from you!