phone skills
TRANSCRIPT
Phone Skills
Helpful hints from a former cold caller
What makes an effective call?
Know what your point is and keep it brief
Keep in mind: we are here to help!
Even when asking for paperwork, etc.
Keep notes and use them in conversation
We CANNOT use these helpful hints,
however, before overcoming…..
Call Reluctance
Call reluctance is NOT limited to new or untalented employees!
Call reluctance occurs in successful, goal-motivated, and goal-directed salespeople
Instead of investing 100% of their energy into prospective students, a significant amount of energy is spent coping with some form of sales call reluctance
http://www.salespromagazine.com
Types of call reluctance
Stage Fright
This shows up in “bull pen” calling
This person doesn’t like to feel like they’re
“onstage” when making contact with
prospective students
SOLUTION: Close your door!
(it’s NOT rude!)
Yielder
This person avoids conflict like CRAZY and is
more interested in being liked than producing
results
“Mondays are bad because people are
coming off of the weekend”
“People are getting ready to relax on Fridays
and won’t want to talk”
You’ll run out of days this way!
SOLUTION: Set aside time EACH DAY to call
Social Self-Consciousness
This I.I. is intimidated by people with a
different background, first language or
age
Because they are intimidated it’s harder
to build a referral network
SOLUTION: focus on what needs to be
accomplished in the call, not the barriers
to making it happen
Referral Aversion
This I.I. is afraid of jeopardizing relationships and won’t ask for referrals
SOLUTION: think of asking for a referral as giving a compliment!
“You are a well known, well-liked individual with the power of influence over your peers!”
Role Rejection This is the I.I. who is secretly ashamed of the
sales aspects of their job
This can lead to the scenario of
“Quitting While Succeeding”
SOLUTION: Yes, we are in sales… and that helps the students! BELIEVE in what we’re selling
Keep thinking of Solutions!
Tools of the trade
Keep a notepad on your desk at all times. Use it to write down NAMES and notes.
Use the names you hear!
Bad advice
Ever heard the advice “smile before you
answer the phone”? STOP IT!
Stop it! Anyone can “hear” a forced smile
Instead, take a deep, cleansing breath
before you pick up the phone and think
of your PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT
But Christine, What’s my
mission statement? “We are performers who communicate the mission
of MBC while influencing, empowering and encouraging students to make a purposeful plan for their future.
We are leaders in the industry who ethically provide individual attention and empathy for students and their families.
Our customer service is driven by ethics and knowledge.
Our reward is working in a fun and challenging environment while making a difference in people’s lives.”
This is a mouthful! So…
Make it your own!
Everyone needs to come up with their
own one phrase mission statement that
describes the work they do
Examples of personal mission
statements
I am here to help!
Empower and inform
I care about your options
I am a mover, a shaker and an accounting
major maker!
What is your mission
statement?
Share amongst the group
Use this EVERY TIME YOU PICK UP THE
PHONE
Laminate it to your computer!