Selling on the Phone

WHAT IS THE BASIC PHILOSOPHY OF PHONE EXPERTS?
PHONE EXPERTS DEAL WITH PEOPLE ON A DAILY BASIS AND KNOW THAT THIS CAN BE CHALLENGING AND STRESSFUL ADVENTURES. They may use the phone to sell, service and maintain clients and customers, solve problems, open up new territories and accounts by cold calling, build rapport, return messages, send messages, and the list of reasons for business phone interactions to continues. To handle people effectively, phone experts are equipped with a strong knowledge of what causes people to be more attentive, more cooperative, and more responsive.  They have become experts of human nature.  They have learned the lesson: that just because they are speaking to people, it does not mean that these people will listen.  Couples know this about each other.  Parents realize this when interacting with their children.  Employers experience this with their employees.  AND YOU know this when dealing with people on the phone.
  
Communication is a working partnership between the speaker (sender of messages) and the listener (receiver of messages and giver of feedback).  The role is interchangeable in speech communications during which the speaker becomes the listener and the listener becomes the speaker in fractions of seconds.  Both partners must do their best to fulfill their respective roles.  Seasoned and effective phone experts know that they cannot control other people without their consent and, once again,  (it’s certainly worth repeating) they focus on those variables that are in their control.

WHAT IS THE BASIC ANATOMY OF THE PHONE CALL?
    
IF WE WERE TO STRETCH THE IMAGINATION AND DRAW A PICTURE OF THE TYPICAL PHONE CALL, THEN THIS ART WORK WOULD LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS:  a car following a road map towards a destination with detours. 
 
Now, let’s concentrate on this car.  Who is in the driver seat?    Phone Experts know they are driving the car, whether they made the call or received an incoming call.  Being the drivers, they know their destinations, i.e., the results (outcomes) they want to attain with this phone interaction.  Examples of their destinations may be:  to collect money, to calm down an irate consumer,  to qualify an prospect,  to get an appointment,  to create good will, etc.  The passenger is the person on the other end of the line.  Phone experts expect their passengers to be reluctant, sometimes resistant, sometimes easy-going, sometimes aggressive, sometimes nice,  sometimes nasty.  Phone experts expect that their phone listeners will act like human beings who have lots of flaws and shortcomings.  They do not fool themselves by hoping typical phone listeners will be ‘willing, ready and able’, to listen and/or comply with their agenda. Experience has taught them a special lesson. 
    
Therefore, while driving, the passenger may tug at the steering wheel (by using objections, or having their gatekeepers speak for them, or presenting their unwilling responses, or talking a nasty tone, etc.)  This tugging may cause the car to swerve to the side of the road and detour from the mapped out course to the desired destination.  What do Phone experts (good drivers) do when the passenger turns the steering wheel?  They take IMMEDIATE CONTROL of the wheel by putting the car back on track.  Phone experts expect detours or tugs at the steering wheel, and yet, act competently to retain and maintain control.
    
Let’s return to you, who are using the phone, that is, you, who are driving the car, the phone.  It is your game plan, your destination.  You need to be a competent ‘driver’ and keep your ‘passenger’ on the right track. 
 
So, what is the basic anatomy of the phone call?  It is composed of purpose,  focus,  knowledge ,  and skill on how to maintain control.   It is also composed of mindfulness – a state of knowing when being and responding in the present, the now.   Remember the metaphor of the car whenever you interact with another person using the phone.  You are always in the driver’s seat maintaining control.