Service over Sales - The Telephone Assassin's Approach
By Tiffany Calvert, 08 Dec 2017
How important is telephone etiquette to your sales calls?
Anthony Stears AKA The Telephone Assassin has one mission - to get businesses talking again. In a world led by digital technology the art of conversation and building relationships verbally is eroded daily by the ever-increasing numbers of text messages and emails.
When business relationships are increasingly important to drive sales, we need to define the difference between service and sales and how they work together.
Sales are the "exchange of a commodity for money." Whereas customer service is defined as "the assistance and advice provided by a company to those people who buy or use its products or services." (Google dictionary).
Anthony argues that around 80% of a successful sales call is down to etiquette. The remainder is following a sales structure to lead a productive conversation.
This is broken down further into three simple steps.
- Build Rapport
Perfecting your etiquette.
Anthony's sure-fire tip to begin to build rapport with a new client on the telephone is asking "permission to speak". Your potential clients are busy and don't have time for a sales call. Acknowledge this and ask when a better time to discuss your product or service is.
This simple step will either;
- Give you a small window of time to open a conversation in the present.
- Arrange a time of convenience to discuss so their time will be focused on you
- Identify that you may not be best fit for each other right now.
- Share your Credibility
Everyone loves a success story.
When you have found an appropriate time to talk to your potential client, discuss the clients you already have. If your potential client can identify with your existing client by sharing similar interests, they will be engaged with your offering.
This also links to an important aspect of follow up customer service, asking for a testimonial. A crucial step in the customer service process. If you can identify a link between a client and potential client, this step of the sales process will be significant to demonstrate your credibility."
- Create Urgency
Apply this information to your potential client.
Once you have started to build a relationship and proven that your product or service is worthwhile of their time, apply that to their business. This is your last step of the call and will require you to research and identify a need for your product or service in their business.
Always end with a call to action. This gives you an opportunity to develop on everything you have said. Are you going to arrange a future phone call, send a sample of your product or send a proposal?
Ultimately you will be aiming to achieve a constructive conversation followed by a next step.
Anthony, is a speaker, trainer, and consultant who is bringing traditional methods of business back to life. For more information about Anthony speaking at your next event contact Unique Speaker Bureau UK on 01207 524848 or .
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