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by Kendall
SummerHawk
Fuel
for your business
Picking up the telephone and making a call to a stranger ranks as one of the greatest fears an entrepreneur has. Typically, you:
- feel like you are “bugging” the person you are calling;
- don't want to sound “salesy”;
- fear rejection.
The real problem is seeing the telephone call as an obstacle to building rapport and relationship. That mindset is one I can't disagree with because it's true. True, that is, unless you use “permission” from the very start of the conversation, and continue using it until the very end.
Three
top mistakes
Think for a moment about the phone calls we all dislike receiving. The caller makes the mistake of:
- talking too fast —
as if he or she wants to set a new land speed record for speaking;
- launching into the pitch before even knowing
what your need or interest is;
- asking that seemingly innocent question (you know the one) that is supposed build rapport but is really a rapport breaker,
“How are you
today?”
The Key
is to use a
“Permission”
approach
Using permission:
- means you don't have to sell;
- sets a tone of respect for the person answering the phone that they hear and feel immediately;
- makes you memorable.
The foundation principle to the permission approach is this:
“It's Not About You, It’s About
Them.” Permission techniques are really very simple. It's the results that are revolutionary.
What
is the purpose of
your call?
Let's say you want to make a first-time call to a company to research the possibility of corporate coaching. When you make the call, the first thing you do is say your name, your company name, and then state the purpose of your call.
The purpose of your call isn't to get hired. Yes, I know, that would be great
— but it isn't realistic. The purpose of your call is to gather information. What would you like to know? What are the symptoms the company might be experiencing that relate to the coaching you do? Once you have the answers to these two questions, you can create a benefit-rich purpose statement for your phone call. Here is an example to get you started:
“I'm Sue Jones with Extraordinary Results Corporate Coaching. The reason I am calling is to find out if your company is experiencing conflicts in the work place. Or if you are having problems with communication skills between
employees.”
If you are not sure with whom you need to speak, ask
“Can you suggest with whom I should
talk?”
Use
permission to
capture and keep
attention
After you state the purpose of your call, you can ask a simple, elegant permission question that is ultimately respectful to the person you are calling. The question is,
“Is this a good time to
talk?”
What happens if you hear a weak or half-hearted
“yes"? Don't accept it.
Ask “Are you sure?” — because if it’s not,
you can then ask if they would like to call you back, or have you call them back.
Did you notice what it is you are not asking — the dreaded telemarketer's stock question, “How are you today?” You are also not launching into a sales pitch.
Why
permission works
Permission works because it sends a clear message that the other person is in control of what happens. Every time you ask a permission question you are sending a signal that you respect the other person’s time and input.
Read
Fuel
cells for two quick permission-building tips!
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Fuel
cells
Quick
tip #1
What is the best way to make it easy for someone to start talking?
Ask questions — but not just any questions. Your questions need to uncover the heart of the problem for the other person. Why? Symptoms sell. I call these
“Precision
Questions.”
There are many Precision Questions you can use. My favorite is the magic question,
“So tell me…”
For example:
- “So tell me about the difficulties between your team
members?”
- “So tell me one thing that's holding you back from what you really
want?”
Quick
tip #2
You are either asking a question or summarizing what the other person has said. Sometimes the question is asking permission. For example:
“May I take a moment to tell you how coaching with me
works?”
Be prepared to give a 45 second description of what you do, using strong benefit language. You can't get away with only listing features. You have to combine features with benefits.
For example:
- “I offer between session email support (feature) so you can get your questions answered, or share a win, or check in whenever you want to
(benefit).”
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Fuel
for your soul
Consider
these words of
wisdom:
“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.”
– Wayne Gretzky
“Being listened to is the next best thing to being loved.”
– Unknown
“May the beauty we love be what we do,
there are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”
– Rumi
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