Almost all salespeople use the telephone extensively to attract and close sales. From getting sales appointments on the telephone to closing those sales, the telephone is one of a salesperson’s most valuable tools and still many salespeople go about their phone sales without any training and only a few informal tips for increasing telephone sales. Even non-sales employees use the telephone extensively and receive little or no training about using the telephone effectively.

I am not suggesting that owners or managers should sign up for the next thousand dollar telephone sales training course that gets blast-faxed to them but some simple training, instruction, and how-to guides can help employees be more effective and sell more on the phone. I have compiled for you some helpful and effective resources and tips for increasing telephone sales for yourself and/or your business.

Listen carefully to your salespeople, yourself, and the next person who calls you on the phone and you will recognize that there are almost always rough spots that can be trained out. From the personality a person projects on the phone to his voice and professional appeal, there are usually free (and definitely paid) tips and lessons out there to help increase telephone sales.

Tips for Increasing Telephone Sales

While speaking on the telephone:

• Smile when you answer the phone and while speaking as this can be heard through the phone.
• Speak confidently.
• Speak clearly.
• Sit up straight (maintain good posture).
• Keep your head up while speaking to maintain attentiveness.
• Use gestures to make yourself more interesting and lively.
• Share your personality (balance with being professional).
• Don’t be “all business” (see “Share your personality”).
• Stand up while you speak to be more active, alert, and relaxed.

Online Videos, Articles, and Tips for Increasing Telephone Sales

• Podcast from ICS about telephone voice improvement.
• Freelance Writing Success on phone sales - pay special attention to numbers 1, 5, and 6. Seven is EXCELLENT also but slightly off-topic from this discussion.
• Video on listening from Shane Gibson. There are many excellent videos throughout this blog.
• Telesales Products offers an excellent ebook about increasing telephone sales.
• Evan Carmichael’s tips to increase your professional presence on the phone

From Innovative Communication Solutions

Most business people, including customer service and sales representatives, never receive voice training and wonder how they sound on the phone to prospects, customers, business associates and others. Since employees spend 30-50% of their time on the phone each day, it’s critical that telephone users improve how they sound.

Use Your Phone Effectively

You’ve generated sales leads, done your prospecting, checked out the potential client, and know everything there is to know about your products (right?) and now you need only engage your customers and close your sales - by phone. Use the resources here to improve your telephone sales skills to make more money and grow your business. Let me know if I can help you generate more leads online.
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