5 Telephone Tips To Get More Appointments By Phone Without Even Selling

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Reading Time: 2 mins 50 secs

Would It Be Ok If I Told You A Story

There once was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day the farmer’s horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit and offer their condolences. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.

"Perhaps," the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. Again, the neighbors came to visit. "What great luck!" the neighbors exclaimed.

"Perhaps," replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown off. The son broke his leg during the fall. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

"Perhaps," answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by and the son was saved from fighting in a terrible war. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

Again the farmer simply said, “Perhaps.”

The moral of the story:

While we should celebrate our wins, we shouldn’t get too carried away. By the same token, when bad things happen we shouldn’t lose our cool. Good things can lead to bad and vice versa. Business, like life, is a series of ups and downs.

A Bit Of Humour For You

A manager in a large company noticed a new employee one day, and told him to come into his office.

"What is your name?" Asked the manager.

"John," the new guy replied.

The manager scowled and said,

"Look, I don't know what kind of a place you worked in before, but I don't call anyone by their first name! It breeds familiarity and that leads to a breakdown in authority. I refer to my employees by their last name only -- Smith, Jones, Baker -- that's all. I am to be referred to only as Mr. Robertson. Now that we got that straight, what is your last name?"

The new guy sighed and said, "Darling. My name is John Darling."

"Okay... Well then...uh... John... the next thing I want to tell you is..."

5 Telephone Tips That Will Get You More Appointments Now

Everybody knows that the telephone is one of the best ways to get an in-person meeting with a client. While most people try to get what they want through sheer force of will, some people use simple tricks which can landing an in-person meeting quick and painless.

Use these simple telephone tricks to get more clients, more easily - by getting more appointments by phone without even selling.

Telephone Tip #1: Mirroring

“Mirroring” is the technique of matching  the body language of the person you are talking to in order to increase rapport and help them relate to you. In person, this technique can be quite easy. For example, if they lean forward, you lean forward. If they lean back you lean back. If they put their hands behind their head, you… well you get the idea.
So how do you implement this mirroring technique when you can’t see the person you are speaking to over the phone?

One of the ways you can mirror someone on the phone is to match your speaking speed to that of the person you are calling. If they speak quickly then you speed up to match. if they speak slowly, then slow your own pace down and listen more carefully.

Another way is to match your tone of voice to that of the person you are calling. If they are more softly spoken, avoid speaking too  loud as you will make them feel intimidated. Similarly, don’t speak in a  soft and meek manner on the phone if the client has a loud, energetic, booming voice. This could make them feel that they can dominate you in the conversion.

You can learn more about mirroring by watching the video at the bottom of this newsletter.

Telephone Tip #2: Never plan to talk for more than 1 hour

It’s easy to keep talking for hours on end. Some people even use this as a defence mechanism when they are nervous. However, you must remember the purpose of your call, which  is to convert the call into a face-to-face meeting. People are busier than ever, so keep your calls short. Not only does this show respect for their time, but shows that you value yours as well. Besides, you have things to do, like calling more clients!

Telephone Tip #3: Never ask if the caller has time to speak

Asking permission to speak gives the prospective client an easy reason to shut you down. Unless you know the client well, and it's a matter of courtesy, do not ask them if they “have time”. Nobody has time! You need to focus on getting your message across as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Telephone Tip #4: Don’t confirm appointments

It’s tempting to call a prospect before your call to confirm the appointment. Some people feel this helps them come across as diligent and organised. However, you should refrain from calling to confirm an existing appointment. Why? This well meaning gesture makes it easy for your prospect to say “I’m glad you called, can we reschedule this appointment?”

Clients will make sure they turn up to an appointment since it makes them look unprofessional if they were to “no-show.”  However, if hey are going to cancel they will call ahead of time, so don’t make it easier for them by giving them an “out” before your call.

Telephone Tip #5: Track your progress so you can improve your telephone technique

Everybody knows that measuring your progress and recording your results is the best way to improve. Use your script consistently. If you change up the formula it makes the rest of the data irrelevant. Consistency is key. Once you have some statistics from one proven method, “then” you can make a change. Measure if the change improves your call conversion rate. You can only manage what you can measure.

Want to learn more about getting more appointments by phone? Watch this video for more information about how to build rapport by matching a person’s pace when communicating


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToLECS77LBw

 

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