7 tips for selling to clients on the phone
April 1, 2008
1. Above all, remember that visual communication is lost over the phone. To compensate, oral skills and listening habits must improve.
2. Your lips should be half an inch from the telephone mouthpiece for maximum effectiveness. Speak directly into the transmitter and pronounce words clearly and carefully. Use simple language and avoid technical terms and slang.
3. On the phone people have a tendency to copy the tone of the other person. Your voice should say, “I am friendly, understanding, and competent.” As unconventional as it may sound, one way of doing this is to smile into the telephone. People will note the difference in vocal intonation.
4. Be aware of your rate of speech, talking too fast creates misunderstanding and mistrust. Too slow encourages daydreaming and makes you sound boring and unenthusiastic. Experts feel that 140 words per minute is just about the right pace.
5. Use plenty of variation in your voice— people like talking to people, not machines.
6. Let the customer know you are listening by interjecting “yes,” “uh huh,” “I see,” etc.
7. Make sure your voice is neither too low nor too high pitched.
About the Author: Bob Cain
Some 30 years ago Bob Cain went to a no-money-down seminar and got the notion that owning rental property would be just the best idea there is for making money. He bought some. Trouble was, what he learned at the seminar didn’t tell him how to make money on his rental property. He went looking for help in the form of a magazine or newsletter about the business. He couldn't find any.
Always ready to jump at a great idea, he decided he could put his speaking and writing skills to work and perform a valuable service for other investors who needed more information about property management. So Bob ferreted out the secrets, tricks and techniques of property management wherever he found them; then he passed them along to other landlords.
For over 25 years now, Bob has been publishing information, giving speeches, putting on seminars and workshops, and consulting for landlords on how to buy, rent and manage property more effectively.