Sales are all about communication, which means that your ability to close sales and achieve your goals depends on how well you communicate with your customers over the phone.
However, communicating effectively over the phone requires a specific set of skills that many salespeople aren’t fully equipped with and even if they are, learning how to utilize these skills can make all the difference between closing the deal and losing it on the phone.
To help you learn how to close sales on the phone, here are six keys to remember.
How To Close Sales On A Phone Call?
1) Always Have An Elevator Pitch Ready
An elevator pitch is your 30-second spiel that explains what you do and why it matters. If you find yourself in an elevator with a prospective customer, employee, or investor, you don’t want to have to think about what to say nor do you want to bore them with a long explanation.
This short summary should highlight your value proposition and key selling points in an attention-grabbing way that gets people excited about what you’re doing and why they should be excited too.
2) Do Your Research Before Calling
Before you pick up that phone to talk to a prospect, make sure you’ve done your homework. Learn as much as you can about who they are and what they do, including what products or services they currently use in their business.
Your research will help you build a rapport with them more quickly, and more importantly, it will help convince them that you understand their needs better than anyone else. A little preparation before your first call goes a long way toward closing a deal on the phone.
3) Ask Open Questions
When talking to a potential customer on the phone, focus on asking open-ended questions. Closed questions can often feel like an interrogation and put your prospect on edge but open-ended questions will help you gauge where they’re at in their decision-making process.
Ultimately, these conversations are about selling more than anything else, so what you want to do is encourage them to open up and share as much information with you as possible.
4) Know What You Want From The Call/Caller
If you’re in sales, know what you want to accomplish from a phone call. If it’s making a sale, then your objective is selling. If it’s prospecting, then your objective is qualifying leads.
If it’s learning something new, then your objective is getting information. By knowing what you want out of every conversation and staying focused on that goal during every call or talk, you will be more successful at achieving those goals.
5) Build Rapport With Your Client
When you’re speaking with a client, it’s crucial to establish a rapport and build trust. You want your clients to trust that you have their best interests in mind, that you understand their concerns, and that you can take care of them.
Your ability to build rapport will depend on whether or not you know your client prior to talking to them on the phone.
6) If A Prospect Says I’m Not Interested, Try Another Approach
If you sense your prospect might be interested, but not quite ready to buy yet, then don’t push harder! Use active listening to try and find a different angle that appeals to them. If they are busy and say they will call you back, leave them a voicemail and tell them when you’re available again.
Then move on to other prospects. You could also try offering a free consultation, or sending over a few valuable articles that may get their attention.
Conclusion
Close sales deals on the phone all of the time. If you’re not, it’s time to start. Having a phone conversation with someone who says yes is one of life’s sweetest things but getting to that point will likely require some persistence and patience. What follows are six keys that can help you close sales on the phone. Use them wisely!