5 Ways to Sound More Natural on the Phone

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5 Ways to Sound More Natural on the Phone

Written by Mike Brooks

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Cold Calling That Builds Great Relationships

Most of us dislike putting on our “salesperson persona” when we make cold calls. We think it’s needed, however, because we’ve been trained to make the sale. And yet we’re interacting with a live, breathing person without having any real connection to him or her. It often feels fake, and it often is.

Sometimes the finest solutions are the simplest. Focusing on relationships when making cold calls is one of them. It keeps us genuine, and eliminates our dread of making cold calls. We’re real people talking about real things. We’re interested in the conversation, and it shows.

This artificial role puts a great stress on us, and sabotages our cold calling conversations. When we aren’t genuine, it’s a red flag to the other person that we have a sales agenda. This puts nearly everyone “on guard.” They’ve never met us and are wary of possibly being manipulated.

Have you ever noticed that most cold calls break down the moment we try to “move” things along towards a sale? It’s as if we’re getting ready for battle, and the tension pushes us along.

But the person we’ve called doesn’t know us. The momentum we’re trying to impose puts him or her in a defensive position. They’re protecting themselves from a potential “intruder” who might have a self-serving agenda.

So how can we to shift into something more positive? We begin by focusing on the relationship rather than salesmanship. We call with the anticipation of meeting someone new, and looking forward to a pleasant conversation to find out whether we can be of service. This mindset is subtle but powerfully felt by the other person.

Building relationships humanize our cold calling conversations -- and ourselves. We are less artificial. Cold calling conversations become more natural. And people tend to respond with more warmth and interest.

The point is not to use the “technique of building relationship” to improve sales. That’s having a hidden agenda rather than a relationship. Our goal is to see if we can provide something that will benefit the other person. If it doesn’t, then we prefer not to continue interrupting their day. That’s a real relationship, even if brief.

When we’re being real people treating others as real people, the difference is amazing. Both people are both more at ease. We anticipate talking with someone who may possibly have an interest in what we have to offer. And if they don’t, we’ve enjoyed our time with him or her.

When others feel this relaxed mindset from you, they are much more likely to welcome you into their day. But if you rigidly follow a script or launch into a mini-presentation, then your call is immediately pegged as something initiated primarily for your own gain. And that puts most people into resistance.

Here are 8 keys to building relationships in cold calling:

Focus on the other person’s needs rather than on securing a sale
Surrender to the outcome of your cold call so you can connect with your potential client at a human level
View the human connection as an exciting journey in which you encounter new and interesting people
Speak graciously and naturally as you would with any new acquaintance
Remember it’s about how you come across, not about how many people you call
Allow the conversation to evolve naturally
Invite both of you to decide together whether it’s worth your time to pursue the conversation further
Use phrases that are non-aggressive yet very effective

So try this. Practice shifting your mental focus from salesmanship into a place of relationship. You’ll find that your genuine enjoyment of the conversation rubs off on the other person. They’ll be less defensive and more likely to share with you truthfully.

One of the best ways to build relationship is by using phrases that carry the human element very well. Start out by asking, “Hi, could you help me out for a minute?” The most common response will be, “Sure. What do you need?”

Your next question might be to ask whether they are open to the idea of looking at different ways to, for example, reduce their expenses. Most of the time the reply will be something like, “Well, sure, what kinds of expenses are you talking about?”

Now you are able to open the conversation between the two of you and build an initial relationship. It’s easy and comfortable to continue from there.

When you do this, you’ll experience so much success and satisfaction that it will really change the way you do business. And it will bring sales success beyond your imagination.

I don’t know about you but I can always tell when a telemarketer is cold calling me. From the moment they begin speaking, “Hi is that Mr. Brooks?”, to the way they fumble through their scripts, I have them pegged before they get past their first sentence. And like I’m sure it is with you, too, I am immediately not interested.

If what you sell for a living means you have to pick up the phone – either to set appointments, call prospects back, return calls to clients, etc., then you have to learn how to sound natural and how to avoid putting your prospects, gatekeepers, assistants, etc., on notice that you’re trying to sell something.

And the way you do that is by learning how to sound like you’re not selling anything, and you do that by learning how to disarm prospects, sound natural yet professional, and how to be friendly without being phony. Use these 5 techniques to not only sound natural on the phone, but to also close more business:

#1 – Always use the prospect’s first name. I know that there are two schools of thought on this, one being that you should show respect for someone you don’t know and so use either Mr. or Mrs., but I don’t agree. I think you can show respect for someone by being courteous and professional, and I think you’re going to make a lot more progress if you use a person’s first name. Here are the two reasons to do so:

a. First, by using a person’s first name you aren’t immediately signaling that you’re a sales person! I mean how do you feel when someone you don’t know calls you and addresses you by “Mr.” or “Mrs.”? Also, when you use a person’s first name, you are starting the call equal, without giving them all the power.

b. Second, everyone likes the sound of their own name. In fact, psychologists have found that everyone’s favorite word is their first name! By starting with that you are immediately making a connection, and a personal one at that.

#2 – Be polite. You’d be surprised by how many sales reps still try to trick or get around gatekeepers and assistants, and how many are even rude in doing so. Always, always use please and thank you when speaking with anyone over the phone (or in person for that matter).

Words like “please” and “thank you” go a long way when trying to make a connection with a prospect, and they work especially well when you’re trying to get through to a prospect as well. Examine your current scripts now and do all you can to insert the proper courtesies wherever you can.

#3 – Be brief. Most reps go into pitch mode the moment they reach their prospect that it’s no surprise they can’t wait to get them off the phone. I review scripts all the time that essentially read the company’s brochure to the prospect the moment they reach them.

You can turn that around and sound so much better by briefly delivering your presentation and checking in with your prospect. Try things like:

a. Briefly, (prospect), the reason I’m calling is that we’ve been working with many companies like yours, and I just wanted to see if we can help you as well. Can I ask you just a couple of questions to see if we’d be a fit for you as well?

b. (Prospect), you probably get a lot of calls like these, so I’ll be brief. I’ll just ask you a couple of quick questions and if I think we can save you between 15 to 20% I’ll let you know and, if not, we’ll part friends, is that OK?

Get the idea?

#4 – Make a connection. This is one of the easiest of all and it’s a great way to get your prospect talking. All you do is find something that you know is affecting your other clients (like new laws in their industry), and ask how it’s affecting them as well. Try:

a. “You know (prospect) a lot of my clients have told me of the changes they’re having to make because of (the new law), how is that affecting you?”

b. “(Prospect) what are you planning to feature at the September trade show?”

By addressing something that they are dealing with now, you can instantly make a connection and get valuable information. Warning: you have to fit this in after you’ve established rapport, and you have to address something that is relevant to them.

#5 – Listen more. This may not sound like a way to sound natural on the phone, but believe me, it’s probably the most important of all. First of all, most sales reps are so busy talking that their prospect has turned off long ago. They are just waiting for an appropriate pause to get rid of them.

By listening you actually create space for your prospect to speak (and to think), and because of that you are allowing the conversation to flow. When the prospect has a chance to get their thoughts and feedback out, they feel comfortable with you. And that is the best way for the conversation to unfold naturally. Hit your mute button after you ask a question and count three 1000’s to see how well it works.

There you have it - five easy ways to sound more natural on the phone.The good news is that they are easy to implement, and, once you do, you’ll make more connections and you’ll close more business. Try them today!

Want to learn more about selling over the phone? Check out all of Mike Brooks' resources. Click here.

Mike Brooks
		About the author:
		With over 20 years of inside sales closing experience, Mike Brooks has been billed nationwide as Mr. Inside Sales. Once a bottom 80% producer, Mike learned and perfected the skills of Top 20% producers and became the number one sales rep out of 5 Southern California branch offices. Author of the hot new book,The Real Secrets of the Top 20: How To Double Your Income Selling Over the Phone, Mike's proven techniques, strategies and skills are used successfully by companies in industries such as securities sales, high-tech sales, pharmaceuticals, equipment leasing and other business to business applications. Mike combines proven, current tactics and skills with personal experience to provide a motivational and practical presentation. .