Why do some people always seem poised, confident and ready for everything? Preparation.
Whenever you need to speak with someone, whether in person or through a telephone conversation, it's always a good idea to plan and rehearse beforehand. This is particularly true for sales people and customer service personnel, but is equally important to anyone who needs to achieve an objective or goal.
Many people are uncomfortable with the level of preparation needed to be successful in sales and service positions. For example, it's a good idea to think through all the opposition or even simple concerns that the other party may have. This allows you think up potential responses in advance and rehearse them. Done properly, you won't seem canned. You will however, appear (and are!) prepared. This shows the other party that you care enough about the result to put the effort into planning your conversation. Very few people wing it. Don't feel you need to be one of them.
Few things are decided in one call. Certain actions may require more thought than others. Achieving goals can take several conversations. In sales, it's been said that the fortune is in the follow up. Often the difference between success and failure is the ability to follow up appropriately. Inappropriate follow up falls into two camps: those that don't follow up at all and those that go overboard and follow up too much. You don't want to disappear into the woodwork but neither do you want to find yourself on a list of potential stalkers.
How do you find balance between these two extremes? Take your cues from your customer or prospect. Don't end the call without getting a follow up commitment. Let them know when you'd like to follow up. Listen to their response carefully. If you hear hesitation, ask them about it. "John, I'm sensing some hesitation, is that a bad time to call back or is there something we haven't covered that you're concerned about". Listen again but not just to the words. Listen to the voice, the phrasing and the hesitations. Listen to what he's not saying as well as to what he is.
You should also know the answers to these questions: How important is product/service this to them? What do you know about their situations? If you don't know the answers, ask. And, if you're playing phone tag, continue to call, if your calls are being returned. It's when they're not returned that you want to re-examine the situation.
In sales or service environments, avoid the use of email as a communications short cut unless necessary. As a communication device, it falls short. Email is great for exchanging information but if you want to resolve an issue or discuss a concern, nothing is more effective than a "real time" conversation.
Preparation is an ongoing activity during a call or conversation. Everything you are hearing from the other party helps you to prepare for the next step in your communication transaction. Re-connect with the reasons you do things in the first place. If they are no longer valid, re-evaluate. It may be time for some changes.
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