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There is nothing entirely as personal and as fast as a phone call, which is why
customers still prefer to call, despite having other options such as social media or
support chats. Customers prefer speaking to a live person as opposed to an
automated program, and the instantaneous nature of phone calls also save customers
from waiting for hours for an email. As phone calls are essential to businesses and
sales, phone call etiquette is just as important to companies and their sales
representatives. Losing a client on the telephone is easy, but how can businesses
effectively gain clients through telephone sales? The answer is more straightforward
than most people think. How to sell over the phone? Follow these 10 tips presenting
proven and well-performing telephone selling techniques over the phone.
Legacy techniques on how to sell a product to a customer over the phone are not as efficient and
powerful as they used to be. Consumer behavior is now influenced by many factors long before the
purchase or even before an initial conversation with a salesperson.
Let’s say you are wondering how to sell a phone to a customer – examples are available right away.
You just have to Google a phrase „How to sell a cell phone to a customer” and you get about
2,390,000,000 results in 0.59 seconds (yeah, I’ve just checked it).
And exactly the same possibility is available for your potential customer – they can do research
before your call and get prepared.
With information increasingly available on the Internet, one click is all it takes for anyone to know
everything they need to know about a product or service at the very moment a salesperson is simply
reading from their script (aka robot-salesman). Or a potential buyer can, as mentioned above, read
about your company or its offering even before they hop on a call with you.
In this way, so-called cold calls are becoming less efficient, as people are not interested in
wasting time on the phone with someone they have never heard of. Instead you should look for
ways to encourage your website visitors, i.e., potential clients, to reach out to you
Here are some techniques to make your processes smarter and boost sales by phone. Keep reading
to get to know a few new tips to make your processes of selling over the phone smarter and boost
your sales.
MAY BE INTERESTING FOR YOU: 12 Ways To Increase The Number of Calls from Potential Customers
What is the objective of a particular call? Is it to introduce the company? To talk about the product?
Are you finalizing a sale?
In each case, centralize your script around the objective. Focusing on the task will allow sales
representatives sound professional and knowledgeable.
Understanding the topic also minimizes discussion outside the subject, allowing for an efficient and
effective phone call. That’s one of the major telephone selling techniques.
First and foremost, rehearsed lines tend to come off as being stiff and unnatural.
As mentioned above, one of the reasons customers choose to call is to speak to a live person. By
following a rehearsed script, the sales representative effectively negates this effect and may lose the
customer’s interest.
Second, due to the unpredictable nature of the customer’s questions, it is impossible for the
conversation to follow the exact order of the script.
It is better to have a few points of reference written down as opposed to lines of speech. Refer to the
script to stay on track, but don’t rely on it. How to sell a product over the phone – example is simple:
be yourself, act as a human being, not a robot.
3. Kno Your Audience
Who exactly is on the other end of the phone? Before the call, read the customer and their
company’s name out loud.
It is insulting to the customer and humiliating to the sales representative. First impressions are
important, so the last thing that businesses should want is an awkward scenario ten seconds into the
phone call.
To ensure that the whole process goes by smoothly, have the customer’s name and business
somewhere in sight, in case your mind draws a blank in the middle of the conversation.
LEARN MORE 9 Ways On How To Prepare for a Demo Call That Wins
Sometimes, the person who picks up the phone or even initiates a sales call is not the intended
target, but a secretary or receptionist.
Treat the gatekeeper with the same level of respect as the customer.
They might be more critical in their role of filtering out unwanted calls or simply judging salespeople
they are about to connect with their boss. Be polite but assertive in your approach. It is undesirable
for companies to have a hostile relationship with the gatekeeper. How to sell over the phone? Beware
of the gatekeeper!
5.Your Voice
As the two parties cannot see each other, their voices become the most personal connection in the
conversation.
Tone and speed are two of the most critical indicator of a person’s feelings, as nerves will raise
both the pitch and speed at which people usually speak.
both the pitch and speed at which people usually speak.
Try to maintain a regular pitch and an above-average speed, as this combination allows sales
representatives to be confident experts of their craft.
In addition to verbal effects, non-verbal cues such as body language also translate well over the
phone.
One technique to keep in mind is to smile when speaking. The customer will not be able to see it,
but they will be able to sense the warmth and enthusiasm in your voice.
Another technique is the use of hand gestures. Like smiling, hand gestures inject more emotion into
one’s words, adding an extra sense of engagement and persuasiveness into the dialogue. So again:
how to sell on the phone? Act natural and be nice!
ALSO READ – 7 Mistakes Salespeople Make In Their Everyday Work and How To Fix Them
7. e Peronal
One reason why customers prefer to call is the human connection aspect.
They want a live person who understands and is capable of solving their problems. That is why
sales representatives should not shy away from using their customers’ names.
Speaking on a first name basis removes barriers and builds rapport between the two parties.
Inserting the customer’s name into every sentence will only make the sales representative look like
the creepy uncle at the dinner table. A salesman-robot hybrid strikes back…
The customer will likely feel violated and is unlikely to do any business with the company.
Instead, speak as though you are talking to a friend. Use their names no more than three times in a
conversation.
It is a subtle, but effective technique to convey that the company is more than just a business, but a
friend that can be counted on in the long run.
If you are looking for an answer to this question: how to sell a phone to a customer – example is also
here: remember that you are speaking to a live person that has a name, things to do and certain
goals to achieve. Treat them with empathy and it will definitely pay off.
goals to achieve. Treat them with empathy and it will definitely pay off.
8. Ak Quetion
The purpose of every product is to satisfy a customer’s need or to solve their problem.
By asking questions, the sales representative – and by extension, the business – can fully
comprehend their customers’ needs and tailor their pitch to fulfill it.
Active listening alone should be enough for any sales representative to gauge the problem at hand,
but thoughtful questions are used to fill the gaps between points for a complete understanding.
The higher the company’s understanding of its customers, the more likely the company can close out
the deal. If you understand your potential buyers you won’t need to spend hours thinking about how
to sell on phone.
Unlike their close ended counterparts, these questions are not designed to elicit a specific response,
but rather to initiate the dialogue and build rapport.
These open-ended questions open the floor to the customer, which is important because they might
reveal new information and improve the business’ operations.
Another benefit of open-ended questions is that it creates value for the customer, who is free to
express his or her thoughts.
Businesses must understand and connect with their customers to be successful, and these questions
satisfy both of those points. Do this and you will rock at telephone selling techniques.
Sales representatives usually have many calls to make, so it is understandable for them to hang up
immediately and move on to another customer, but this is a bad practice.
The customer may have thought of an important piece of information or have another last-minute
question to ask, and hanging up on them would result in a missed opportunity.
In more extreme scenarios, the customer may also mistake this as a sign of rudeness and move on to
another company.
11. end ale Text Meage to Follo Up
There’s an art to follow up sales text messages. The real trick is to not sound too naggy or
overbearing. Since texts are short, sweet, and to the point they can actually work better for sending
sales follow-ups. Follow-up texts can be as simple as a check-in. They’re great ways to ask
questions, create a sense of urgency, or even inform people about a sales promotion.
The best way to send follow-up engagement texts is to schedule your text message and use sales
follow-up text message templates. Just make sure you have permission to text before you start
sending messages.
Wrap up
In sales, every deal matters and it would be foolish to lose a deal for a few extra seconds. I hope this
article answers all your questions and doubts in regard to the topic of how to sell a product to a
customer over the phone.
Looking for an innovative tool that will help you improve the results of selling over the phone? Try
CallPage, a callback solution that helps companies increase the number of sales calls from potential
customers and teaches how to sell on the phone. Order a personalized presentation or test our tool
for free for 14 days!
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