So I just wanted to share a funny flub that provides clear evidence supporting my life-long phone phobia. (@aldreth See? I’m afraid of the phone and yet I’m making sales calls by phone. I know where you’re coming from!)
I was leaving a message with a building manager - it was a semi-cold call - and I end it with “nice…” as if to say “nice talking to you”, which of course would sound retarded since I wasn’t talking to him, just leaving a message. In a futile attempt to recover I blurt out, “Uh…I was gonna say nice to speak with you but we didn’t actually speak so…nice leaving a message with you. Uh…anyway, hope to speak with you soon.” LOL. Wow.
If you are dealing with voicemail just say something like “I look forward to hearing back from you” or " I will give a call again/later/tomorrow/during the week bye"
I think its in Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Bible about leaving voicemails that need a call back. "This is Will 123_342-4567, I was calling regarding the building at y address. I understand you are the property manager and i needed to know… click He’ll call you back.-
Well if course that’s what i meant to say! In person I’m actually very well-spoken, but there’s just something about the phone… I turn into a complete moron.
We all have little blunders here and there. When you’re new it hurts more since you really need the work. After a while it doesn’t matter as much so you can just go about your day.
Side note. Old Chinese proverb goes something like, “to those afraid to do something, move over for the ones already doing it.” This line of thought keeps me in sell mode.
It’s best to have a script to follow. I know most folks think it sounds like you’re reading, but it takes a lot of practice.
“Hi Mike! This is Mark McGee with Window Medic. I wanted to let you know that I have your quote ready for the cleaning job. Do me a favor and give me a call at xxx-xxx-xxxx and I we go over the quote and schedule a time for me to come by. My number is xxx-xx-xxxx. Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you.”
I always hand write the script a few times, since you will write it the way you speak, plus it forces you to remember what you want to say. After a couple of hundred times it comes out naturally.
Good suggestion. Funny thing is, as I was typing it I thought, “I wonder if this could offend someone? …nah proly not.” The word has always been so normal to me and I never thought twice about it. I was surprised many years later when I made friends with a family that expressed that they found it very offensive. Another friend of mine who worked with handicapped children for several years also preferred not to use it.
A lesson that’s been becoming clearer to me in recent years is that we often view the world just through our eyes and tend to project our perspective of things onto others. So, something that doesn’t bother us naturally wouldn’t bother others, so we think. Being, in fact, a good intention person, I’ve actually offended lots of people because I assumed they’d see that I had no bad intention with what I said/did. But, alas, that’s just not how it works. The majority of people get offended rather easily and in this world, which tends to be negative, people are always on the defensive and thus can get upset over a word rather than just accepting a thought for what it is.
So, definitely an area I can work on. Thanks for the reminder, @JfromtheD!
Another sales thing for those new to it. Write down the objections that stump you. And if you got around it write that sentence that rebutted the objection. For those you don’t know/can’t figure out, come back and ask. Someone in here has heard it before and in hindsight said next time I’m gonna say this… once you have the answers, make flashcards or some way to memorize them. That way the uncomfortable silence will be in your favor. Just takes skin thickening to not say anything once you’ve asked that closing question.
Oh man, don’t get me started on talking on the phone. I’m currently facing my fears in my career now by having to call customers the night before and after the service if they’re not home, I am getting better I just have to park at a store and call instead calling from home; it also helps that my company is watching my phone records and comparing them to the work orders for the next day lol
