The telephone may be your most basic and essential tool, but make sure you are using it to your advantage or it will work against you.
It is very easy to find yourself selling over the phone, but selling is best done in person. Remember that the more time you spend with a client on the phone, the less focus and direction your phone conversation will have. A routine phone exchange can quickly deteriorate into a waste of time for you and for your client.
Each phone conversation must have a goal and an objective. Remember you are on the phone with a client specifically to bring that client and their property into the marketplace.
For example, if the client says they want to wait a couple of weeks before making a decision, ask them to use that time to have their legal documentation prepared. This does not signify a commitment on their part, but it does make the rest of the process go more smoothly should they decide to move forward. This is a great suggestion you can make by phone in less than 2 minutes.
And 2 minutes is the key here: Anything longer and you are in danger of trying to sell over the phone. This is counter-productive. If your conversation needs more than 2 minutes to complete, then make an appointment and spend face time with your client.
Think of it this way: Each phone call is a means to an end, and that end is to get face-to-face with your client. That’s because the best way to move your client forward through the sales cycle is to be present with them. You can’t do that on the phone; you need to be there in person.
It is helpful to have some call-enders ready for those clients who want to sit on the phone and chat with you. A few reliable exits include:
“I know you are busy so I’m going to let you go now.”
“Oh, look, my 2pm appointment has arrived so I need to let you go for now.”
Just make sure that 2nd call-ender is properly timed!
Every call is important, but efficiency is a core trait of every successful agent, and nowhere is that more applicable than time spent on the phone. Exiting a call gracefully may seem arbitrary, but it is a necessary skill. No less important is the skill of asking a few powerful questions that will render you the most pertinent information with the least time and effort. Plus, it never hurts to record your calls so that you can review any details you may have missed. You can also finesse your phone skills by reviewing your calls and improving your approach.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s Coaching Tip, and I look forward to seeing you here again next week.