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The telephone has gone through an interesting evolution since Alexander
Graham Bell spoke his first words. My parents' generation revered the
telephone as a huge step forward. The Baby Boomers dismissed the phone as an
entitlement for the masses. And today's generation of small-business owners seems to treat technology as a necessary evil: something to be used, abused and sometimes
feared.
Well, feared might be too strong a word. But while assisting small
businesses in developing their marketing plans, it never ceases to amaze me
that so many entrepreneurs don't like making phone calls. Their avoidance is
most noticeable when those calls are of a business-development, marketing or
networking nature.
A few years ago I decided to do a little research to determine why people
are so reluctant to use the telephone as an integral part of their
marketing and networking efforts. What I discovered can be summed up by the
following two statements:
- "I hate making calls. I end up feeling rejected when my calls aren't
returned."
- "Most of the time I reach a voice mail and I find it difficult to connect
with prospects."
As you may have gathered, I have a much different view of the telephone. For me, the phone
is not just a means of communicating. I view it as a lifeline that helps me
connect with my existing and potential clients.
Having said that, I would like to share some techniques that can help those who are leery of phones to capitalize on the telephone technology at their disposal.
Phone Call Realities
Some people think marketing can be done by simply sending letters, faxes and
e-mails. Wrong! Using these methods should form part of an
overall approach to communicating with the marketplace, but those who are truly successful
strive to establish contact on a more personal level.
The telephone conversation (or even a message) is the conduit between any
form of introductory correspondence and the all-important personal
meeting. Your chances of selling your services are significantly enhanced if
you can arrange a face-to-face encounter with a prospect. In the vast
majority of cases, the telephone is the vehicle that will allow you to
orchestrate such a meeting.
If you want your business to prosper and grow, accept the reality that you
must become a skilled telephone communicator.
Voice Mail
Today's telephone technology appears to place hurdles in front of you,
distancing you from the person you want to reach. It was bad enough when you
had to do battle with an overprotective secretary or, heaven forbid, the
central switchboard. Now you are constantly confronted by voice mail.
Some estimate that more than two-thirds of today's business calls magically
disappear into a machine. A machine that records when you called, what you
had to say, the inflection and tone of your voice and your questions.
The person you call can save your words of wisdom and play them back as
often as they want. Even worse, you can be deleted by the touch of a button.
Effective communication is critical to your marketing efforts, so it is
important to understand what you are up against and how you can use the
electronic monsters to your advantage.
Don't let a voice-mail system derail your marketing campaign. Look at the
options you have when a voice mail kicks in. You can:
- Hang up.
- Listen and hang up.
- Listen and press zero for a real person—sure, that'll happen!
- Leave a message.
Instead of immediately leaving a message, try option 2. See what you can
learn before you select options 3 or 4. Here are a few examples of what you
can glean from a recorded message, particularly if you don't already know
the person you are calling:
- In most cases, the voice mail will give you the proper pronunciation of
the person's last name.
- ou will know what first name the person prefers to use. Is it Bill or William,
Pat or Patricia?
- Many people record new messages at least once a day. Such a message might
suggest when the person will likely return to the office.
- Based on the flow of the recorded message, you can usually determine if
the person is a regular user or even a strong advocate of the voice mail
system. If he or she is, you are being given a clear signal that the person
is comfortable with conducting business via recorded messages.
- The message might contain the names and numbers of other people on your
contact's team. Record this data—you may need to revert to these
individuals if your initial contact proves to be too difficult to reach.
By taking the time to listen, you will learn a great deal more about your
potential contact. You might want to listen to the message, hang up, gather
your thoughts and then call back to leave a well-articulated, professional
recording.
Voice mail may not grant you a meeting, but you can use it to effectively to
showcase yourself and your company. When you leave a voice-mail message,
make certain you relay all the following information:
- who you are
- when you phoned
- why you called
- what information you want to impart
- what action you intend to take, if any
- what action you want the recipient to take
- how and when you can best be reached
Take the time to craft your message so it sounds natural, relaxed and
friendly. If you are unsure of yourself, test what you want to say on a tape
recorder or by phoning your own voice mail. Practice will ensure that your
recorded message is crisp and to-the-point. Keep the message length at less than a
minute. You do not want the recipient to reach for the delete button because
you sound like you are going to ramble forever!
Phone and voice-mail systems are indispensable when it comes to
networking and marketing. Don't be afraid to use them, but first, learn how
to use them effectively!
Reg has authored several books, including: From Starting to Marketing… YOUR
OWN CONSULTING BUSINESS. He is currently writing, guest lecturing and
providing consultative marketing support to businesses. See the following Web
site for more details about all his books and lectures.
Ink Ink Publishing & Presentations
#231 - 30 Sierra Morena Landing SW
Calgary, Alberta T3H 5H2 Canada
Reg's Cell: 403-607-4652
Res. Phone: 403-275-4537
Reg's Email: regpirie@telus.net
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