According to Microsoft 2015 research, the attention span of an average person is a little over 8 seconds. This means that you need to capture the client’s attention with the initial communication, encouraging them to continue listening and resist hanging up.
80% of the sales you lose are mishandled in the first moments of the call. What we say in those first sentences is more important than any other step in the sale.
In an ordinary conversation, to capture somebody’s attention, you can use facial expressions, visual effects, touch, etc. However, during a phone call, you have only your voice and information to work with.
Below we gathered several pieces of advice from successful telemarketing and telesales agents on outbound calling strategy. These tips work for them and hopefully will help you to be more successful with outbound calling.
Address a client by name
People love hearing their own names. It gives them a sense of familiarity. By addressing the client by name, you automatically capture his or her attention and loyalty. Use the client’s name not only at the beginning but at least 3 times during the conversation.
Introduce yourself
Tell the client what company you represent to make them understand the reason for the call. If the company name may sound unfamiliar, explain what your company does and how it might be relevant to the client.
Explain call purpose
Tell the client why you are calling and how your call will be important to his or her business. Be clear and use short sentences. Explain what steps are required on the customer’s part. Ask to confirm the order, recite back information or addresses, etc. Answering who, what, and why questions at the beginning of the call are the best way to win more time for conversation.
Be nice
Be cheerful, enthusiastic and confident in your speech. Think of how you can make the client benefit from your call, what issues you can help him to solve, etc. Explain this clearly.
Learn to listen
When the client starts talking during the call, the best thing you can do is not interrupt, and listen. Either the client answers your question or lists some objections. When the client gets interrupted, they tend to get frustrated and form a negative attitude toward you. A negative attitude kills a deal.
Capturing attention via phone in 8 seconds is a tough goal but we are sure you can reach it. It simply requires some outbound calling skills and a good idea of what to start with. To be more confident, include introductory phrases into the script, offered by outbound calling solutions.
Use a powerful Lead Management System and Predictive Dialer to think about the deal, not about dialing.
Use this advice to earn the client’s attention and keep it. Good luck!
