“If you are going to build your sales career to the fullest, you’ve got to do something that 95% of all salespeople never do. They never deliberately train themselves on how to use their voices more effectively.” – Zig Ziglar, Secrets of Closing the Sale
.
Your telephone salespeople are probably losing your customers in the first 7 seconds of any telephone call.
Have you realized how poor voice could sabotage your sales and the relationship with the customers?
Think about it.
Your telephone salespeople probably speak 8-10 hours a day, countless number of people per hour. In the meantime, to process as many calls as possible, they speak very fast. After some time, they get tired and even bored, and they sound robotic and uninterested. If combined with an improper pronunciation, a prospect could stop listening right from the start.
Unfortunately, how to use voice over the phone for your salespeople is one of the least taught skills. The fact is how your salespeople sound over the phone is crucial to the success of your business, as 93% of the first impression is based on the tone of voice.
Your salespeople can sound engaging, credible and persuasive through proper training and practice.
Here are some common mistakes and tips on how to improve them.
- Talking too fast
In order to work the numbers and deal with as many prospects as possible, most salespeople talk way too fast. The prospects and customers can not even catch up; neither could they feel attended with sufficient attention and concern.
An easy-to-follow and understandable speaking rate is 140-160 words per minute. Slow down the speaking rate by adding strategic pauses and breathing properly. Another strategy is to take notes and repeat back what the prospects have said to make sure your salespeople are listening and show concern to the prospects.
- Monotone
Most telephone salespeople just drone on and on without any emphasis or emotion, which sounds boring and indifferent. To your prospects and customers, they couldn’t feel engaged and cared, and they probably said to themselves, “I’m just another person on the line.” They may even doubt whether their needs will be of any concern or whether their problems will be in good hands and solved.
To sound engaging, confident and concerned, practicing accentuating certain words to drive a particular statement home, as well as keep prospects and customers interest.
- Ahs, Uhs
This is definitely a sales killer especially when your salespeople are asked a question. They come across as unsure and unconfident. Your prospects and customers doubt whether your salespeople know exactly what they are talking about, they lose all the confidence in them and may end up being irritated.
To overcome these ahs and uhs, your salespeople need to be prepared and replace them with pauses. Speak firmly regardless they know the answer and can handle the issue at that moment or not. This is to give the prospects and customers assurance that they are being in good hand and will be taken care of.
If telephone is the blood line of your business, you can not afford letting your salespeople speak with an untrained voice.
