Expert Advice - Turning Calls into Customers

The following recording is the property of Yellowbook and has been created with the express purpose of helping our advertisers effectively handle the calls we generate for them.

The most important conversation you’ll ever have with a customer is the first one... and more than likely, that conversation will be by telephone. The purpose of this recording is to teach you techniques that can sharpen your telephone skills and help you turn more of your calls into customers.

A wise person once said, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity". Every time someone calls your business as a result of your advertising, you have an opportunity to turn that call into a customer. How can you best prepare to meet those opportunities? For starters, give the caller your undivided attention. Don't try to multi-task when answering the phone. Turn away from whatever work you're doing and focus on what they're saying. Make sure whatever forms, reference materials and price lists you'll need are within easy reach. And finally, have a pad of paper nearby so you can take notes throughout the conversation.

When you answer the telephone, you’re the voice of the company. You represent everything your company stands for and as far as the first-time caller is concerned, you ARE the company. What you say is vitally important but so is the way you say it.

Here are some guidelines on improving your telephone voice:

The first area to focus on is your Rate of Speech.

How many times have you had to play back a voicemail message to understand what the caller said or to decipher the phone number they quickly rattled off?

In a face-to-face conversation, the other person can see your facial expressions and read your body language but over the phone, the listener doesn’t have the benefit of those visual cues. Speaking more slowly when on the phone will help the caller understand and comprehend every word you’re saying... and it will allow you to control the flow of the conversation and add emphasis in all the right places.

The other important factor in perfecting your telephone voice is using the proper Vocal inflection. When you read a story to a child, you probably alter the sound of your voice to make the story more interesting. This is known as vocal inflection and when it's missing from your conversation, your voice sounds monotone and you come across as bored and uninterested. Use vocal inflection in your phone conversations to make them interesting and to drive home specific points. Here's a good exercise for improving your vocal tone: Take a simple statement about your business and first say it in a monotone voice.

• [spoken in a monotone voice]

  "If you're not satisfied, we'll give you your money back, no questions asked."

• Next, take that same sentence and say it with an extremely exaggerated vocal inflection.

• [spoken with inflection that's somewhat over the top]

  "If you're not satisfied, we'll give you your money back, no questions asked."

• Now, try to say it somewhere between the two.

• [Spoken with the ideal vocal inflection]

  "If you're not satisfied, we'll give you your money back, no questions asked."

• Can you hear how powerful your words sound when spoken with the right vocal inflection?

  Remember, sometimes it’s not so much what you say... as it is how you say it.

Ideally, you should answer your phone on the second or third ring. This will give you enough time to both physically and mentally prepare for handling the call. Relax, take a breath and think about what you’re going to say. If you DON'T answer your phone and instead let their call go to voice mail or to an answering service, there's a good chance they'll hang up and call someone else who DOES answer their phone. Remember, people who call as a result of your Yellowbook advertising are motivated buyers who are ready to do business now, not later.

Of course, there will be busy situations where you can’t get to the phone on the second or third ring. If you get to the phone before the caller has hung up, thank them for being so patient and proceed with your regular telephone greeting. If the call HAS gone to voicemail, call them back immediately before they have a chance to call one of your competitors. They'll appreciate that their call was important to you and that you made the effort to call back quickly in order to help them.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and the first impression you make on a caller is with your telephone greeting. The ideal greeting should be pleasant, sincere, and brief and can be broken down into four simple parts:

The first part is your Initial Greeting, where you thank them for calling or wish them a good morning, good afternoon, etc.

Next, announce your company's name so the caller knows that they've reached the correct number.

After your company's name, give the caller your name, which will help personalize the call and let them know who they’re dealing with in case they need to call back later.

The final part of your telephone greeting is your offer of assistance, which is stated in the form of a question and expresses to the caller your desire to help them.

Remember: Initial Greeting... Company Name... Your Name... Offer of Assistance.

Now let's put them all together and listen to a few telephone greeting examples...

• “Thanks for calling Green Tree Landscaping. This is Tom. What can I do for you today?”
• “Hi! This is Uptown Pet Supply. I'm Kathy- how may I help you today?”
• “Good morning, Century Printing Company. My name’s Steve, how may I serve you today?”

That's all there is to it- brief, pleasant, and most of all... sincere. THAT'S the ideal telephone greeting.

Once the caller gives you the reason for their call, your reply should always include asking them for their name. Once they give it to you, write it down. If it’s an unusual name, make sure you’re pronouncing it correctly and write it down phonetically. People do love hearing their own name so use it often but be careful not to overdo it or else you might come across as insincere. That being said, there are two times when you should always use their name: immediately after they give it to you and whenever you start talking about money. Here are some examples of both instances:

• Merchant:"Good afternoon, Inland Auto Repair. This is Mike Martin. How may we be of service?"
• Caller: "Hi. I have a Nissan Maxima and the brakes are making a really loud noise."
• Merchant: "Well, brake repairs are one of our specialties. Who's calling, please?"
• Caller: "This is Jane. Jane Veener"
• Merchant: "Was that Veener? Did I say it right?"
• Caller: "Yes, that's right."
• Merchant: "Well, Miss Veener, what year Maxima do you have?"
• Caller: "I think it might be a 2004..."
• Caller: "How much does an air compressor that size cost?"
• Merchant: "Well, John, the standard workshop compressor starts at $1200. What are some of the things you plan on using your compressor for?"

A universal truth about human behavior is that people are a thousand times more interested in themselves than they are in anyone else. When a potential customer is looking at your Yellowbook advertisement, they're asking themselves, "What can you do for ME? Can you satisfy MY needs?" When they call your business, their number one concern is THEIR problem and what you can do to help THEM. With that in mind, limit the amount of time you spend talking about yourself and instead, encourage the caller to tell you about themselves. An easy way to do this is to avoid using words like "I", "My" and "Me" and look for opportunities to use words like 'You" and "Your". Listen to these two examples and notice how often the words "I", "My" and "Me" are used:

• (ring)
• Merchant: "Good afternoon, West Side Jewelry. I’m Jack. What can I do for you?"
• Potential Customer: "Yes, I’m looking for a nice gift for someone special. I was wondering if you carried wristwatches."
• Merchant: "Well, I've got lots of really nice wristwatches in stock. In fact, I just got in a women's Rolex watch with a brushed gold finish. My wife thinks it's a beautiful watch and I have to agree with her- it's stunning."
• Potential Customer: "I'm sure it is but I'm looking for an Omega wristwatch. It's my anniversary present for my husband."
• Merchant: "Oh, I'm a big fan of Omegas. I have an Omega at home that I wear on occasion and I really love it. My father gave it to me years ago, but not for my anniversary. I got it for my birthday. It was his old Seamaster diving watch and since I always admired it, he wanted me to have it for my collection. Boy was I surprised!"
• Potential Customer: "I bet you were. Well, I'd like to surprise my husband, too. Do you have any men's Omega Seamasters in stock?"
• Merchant: "Well, no, actually I don't. I try not to overstock my store so I keep a close eye on my inventory. But I can have one for you in about three days. Would you like me to add on a Seamaster when I place my order?"
• Potential Customer: "Well, let me think about it and I'll call you back."

In that one-minute conversation, the words "You" and "Your" were used only seven times but the words "I", "My", and "Me" were used 38 times! It just goes to show you that our natural tendency is to want to talk about ourselves instead of others. Now let's hear how the same conversation sounds when the store owner substitutes "You" and "Your" for "I", "My", and "Me":

• (ring)
• Merchant: "Good afternoon, West Side Jewelry. This is Jack. How may we help you?"
• Potential Customer: "Yes, I'm looking for a nice gift for someone special. I was wondering if you carried wristwatches."
• Merchant: "We have quite a selection of wristwatches in stock including a stunning women's Rolex with a brushed gold finish. Who's calling please?"
• Potential Customer: "Oh... this is Karen Hawkins"
• Merchant: "Karen, what kind of wristwatch were you looking for?"
• Potential Customer: "Actually, I'm looking for an Omega watch. It's my anniversary present for my husband."
• Merchant: "Well, congratulations on your anniversary, Karen! You certainly have good taste in watches. Omega is top of the line when it comes to timepieces. In fact, Omega was the watch NASA chose for the astronauts to wear to the moon and back. Has your husband ever owned an Omega before?"
• Potential Customer: "No, but he likes to go scuba diving and I heard Omega has really good diving watches."
• Merchant: "You're talking about the Omega Seamaster and you're right, Karen, it's by far the best dive watch money can buy. Boy, your husband is going to be thrilled when he opens that gift! How soon is your anniversary?"
• Potential Customer: "It's just over a week away so I'm in a bit of a hurry. Do you have them in stock?"
• Merchant: "Well, we just sold our last one a day or so ago but we have a new shipment from Omega due in this Friday. That will give you plenty of time to pick it up before your anniversary. And if you'd like, Karen, you can have it gift wrapped here free of charge. Since there are only two Seamasters in that shipment, would you like us to reserve one of them for your husband's gift?"
• Potential Customer: "Oh, yes, please set one aside. Thank you. I'll be in on Friday."

Did you notice how different the outcome was when Jack substituted "You" and "Your" for "I", "Me" and "My"? Work on turning the focus of your conversations away from yourself and onto your prospective customers. When you do, you'll notice an immediate change in their attitude toward you.

People who call you on the phone don't want to buy your product or service- what they really want is to solve a problem or fill a need that they have. With that in mind, think about your products or services in terms of the needs they can satisfy. For instance, you might service air conditioners but in reality, you satisfy the need for a cool and comfortable home. You might sell flowers but in reality, you satisfy the need for a thoughtful birthday gift. Take a sheet of paper and across the top write, "People who need..." and then list the needs that your product or service fulfills.

For example, a limousine service might list:

• "People who need... convenient airport pickup and delivery"
• "People who need... to feel like a king & queen on their wedding day"
• "People who need... a safe, fun and fancy round-trip ride to their big event"

Once you determine the needs that your company's product or service can satisfy, with skillful questioning, you can uncover the caller's needs... and if there's a match, you're well on your way to acquiring a new customer.

When handling a call, just about everything you say should end with a question. There are several reasons for this.

First, by asking questions, you encourage the caller to talk. And the more they talk, the more comfortable they'll feel with you.

Asking questions also allows you to acquire information from the caller about exactly what it is they need or want.

And finally, when you're asking the questions, you're in control of the conversation... and can steer it toward your ultimate goal, which is acquiring a new customer.

Questions can be either open-ended or closed. An open-ended question requires more than a one-word answer, so it gets the caller to open up and elaborate on a subject. This can be very helpful when trying to uncover their needs or their buying motives. If they happen to give a brief answer to your open-ended question, simply say, "Tell me more about that" and then be quiet and listen.

Unlike open-end questions, a closed-end question calls for a brief, single-word response... such as a "yes" or a "no". Since they don’t allow the caller to elaborate, the time to use closed-end questions is when you want to steer the conversation in a particular direction... or when you want the caller to commit to or make a decision about something.

• Listen to the following questions and try to determine which are open-ended and which are closed:
• • "Have you ever been to Phoenix?"
  • "Why is the Southwest your favorite vacation spot?"
  • "How many square feet is your back yard?"
  • "How do plan on using your back yard?"
  • "Do you prefer red or blue?"
  • "Why do you like the color blue?"

It was pretty easy to tell the difference, wasn't it? Remember, choose the type of questions best serve your needs. When you want the caller to open up and reveal information to you, ask open-ended questions. When you want specifics and don't need a lot of information, ask closed-end questions.

Regardless of what type of questions are being asked, whoever is doing the asking is the one who has control. So what do you do when a caller asks you a question? Since you want to maintain control of the conversation, try to answer their question with another question. For instance, if they ask “What brands of bikes do you carry?” you might respond by saying, “We carry quite a few brands- what brand did you have in mind?” The real benefit of answering a question with a question is it keeps you from making assumptions and jumping to conclusions.

• Listen to how differently the caller's question is answered in the following two examples:
• • Caller:"Is that model motorcycle fast?"
  • Merchant:"Fast? You bet! This baby will take off like a rocket!"
  • Caller:"Hmm...I don't want something that my son can get hurt on. Well, thanks anyway."
  • 
    Caller:"Is that model motorcycle fast?"
  • Merchant: "Do you want a fast motorcycle?"
  • Caller: "Not really. I don't want something that my son can get hurt on."
  • Merchant: "Well, this model does have a big engine, but it's actually a lot safer than the smaller bikes due to its weight advantage. Plus, it has a lot of built-in safety features to make it a safe ride. That sounds like what you're looking for, doesn't it?"

Notice how asking one simple question gave the merchant in scenario #2 the ability to offer the caller exactly what they were looking for- a safe motorcycle for their son. Meanwhile, the merchant in scenario #1 painted himself into a corner by jumping to a conclusion and will have a hard time convincing the caller that his motorcycle isn't dangerously fast.

There's a big difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is something that simply happens when your ears perceive sound. Listening, however, requires a conscious choice on your part to concentrate on what is being said and to process the words and sentences to gain understanding. The most important thing you can do after asking a caller a question is to sit back and listen. Don't interrupt them, don't talk over them, and don't try to finish their sentences for them. Just be patient and listen. Remember, you learn nothing when you're talking- it's when you're listening that you're learning. Listening carefully to callers makes them feel important and it shows them that you really care. But more importantly, it allows you to uncover their needs and determine their buying motives. Be careful not to speak too soon- if a caller takes a long pause it doesn't necessarily mean they're finished saying everything they want to say. Don’t be completely silent either. Instead, use interjections such as "I see" or "Uh huh" along the way to make sure they know you’re still on the line and that you’re following everything they’re saying. Finally, be sure to take notes on the important details, especially on the needs that you uncover.

Every industry, profession and trade organization has its own special terms that are used within the group as a quick and efficient means of communication. Unfortunately, to those outside the group, this technical jargon may come across as pretentious, confusing, and maybe even a bit intimidating. Rather than risk confusing a potential customer with your industry buzz-words, make sure that everything you say to them is in layman's terms. If you must use a technical term, define what it means using vocabulary they can understand. Another way to make sure you are clearly understood is to use word pictures and similes. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things by using the words "like" or "as". For instance, "It's as hard as a rock." Or "She eats like a pig." Or "He's as strong as an ox." The benefit of using similes over the phone is that they help is that they help the caller form a clear mental picture of whatever you are describing. Listen to the following examples and see the pictures they paint in your mind's eye.

• "Once our alarm system is installed, it will be like having an armed guard patrolling your house."
• "They are so comfortable, you’ll feel like you are wearing pillows instead of shoes."
• "This air conditioner can get your house so cool that you’ll feel like you are working in an igloo."
• "It makes your lawn look like a thick, green carpet."
• "When our mechanics work on your car, it’s like having a skilled surgeon under your hood."

Effective, isn't it? Just be sure to avoid overuse of similes or you'll sound corny and predictable. Practice this phone technique in your phone conversations and you'll soon learn that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Sometimes, without realizing it, the words we use when we're engaged in a sales transaction convey a negative message to the buyer at a subconscious level. For example, what comes to mind when you think about "signing a contract"?

... Perhaps you're thinking if you sign a contract now and down the road you realize you've made a mistake, it'll be too late and you'll be stuck.

... Or that maybe that you should think about the transaction for a while before you legally obligate yourself.

Whatever comes to mind, it probably doesn't leave you with a positive feeling.

Now, contrast "signing a contract" with "approving an agreement". Although they essentially mean the same thing, "approving an agreement" carries a much more positive undertone. It conveys the feeling that you approve, that you agree, and that both you and the other party are on the same page.

Here are some other examples of negative versus positive words:

• Instead of "Deal", say "Opportunity"
• Instead of "Buy", say "Own"
• Instead of "Cost", say "Investment"

Look for additional words you may be using that could be replaced with a more positive alternative.

Once you've uncovered all of the prospective customer's needs, and your product or service fills those needs, the only thing standing between you and a sale are objections. It's important to understand that when a prospect objects to your recommendation, it doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t want to buy from you. Oftentimes an objection is a signal that they DO want to buy- they just don't feel comfortable enough yet to move forward... and their objection usually reveals the reason why. Usually, but not always. Sometimes the objection they give could just be a smokescreen that hides the real objection, so it's vital that you to probe deeper to uncover it.

If you're sure you've uncovered the true objection, before trying to overcome it, pause and count to ten. This will prevent you from coming across as defensive and it gives you time to compose your thoughts. But more importantly, it gives the caller an opportunity to say more... even if they didn't intend to. It may even lead to them talking themselves into buying. Listen to the following example and pay particular attention to how effective it can be to pause, even if just for a few seconds:

• Merchant: ".... so to take care of both chimneys, you'll only be investing about $300."
• Caller: "$300, huh? Well, let me think about it".
• (ten second pause)
• Merchant: "Okay. You know, Bob, we covered a lot here today: the five-point safety inspection, the gas log hook-up and the chimney cleaning itself. What part of the package did you want to think about?"
• Caller: "Well... I just don't know if that inspection is worth the money. I mean, the house isn't that old...
• (ten second pause)
• Caller: "...but I guess my wife would feel more comfortable if she knew that the chimneys were safe. Let's go ahead and do it."
• Merchant: "That's a wise decision, Bob. You know, we've got a crew in your area this Thursday and..."

Did you see how that simple pause gave the caller the opportunity to convince himself to move forward? Also, did you notice how the merchant uncovered the real objection by simply asking the caller what it was they wanted to think about.

One of the best things about objections is that you've probably already heard every objection that anyone's likely to throw at you... and with a little homework you can be prepared to address them. Make a list of all the objections you can think of that you've heard in your business and then write down the way you could respond to each of them.

The ultimate goal of handling a call with a prospective customer is to either close the sale over the phone or to set an appointment with them to close the sale face to face. Your conversation should always be heading towards this goal because if it's not, you'll be wasting both your time and the caller's. The only way to do this is to ask the prospective customer to buy from you. If you've given prospect the information they need to make a buying decision, assume they're ready and simply say, "How about we go ahead and get that order taken care of?" or "Let's go ahead and lock in your reservation date..." Another method is to avoid putting the prospect in a position where they have to choose between either buying or not buying. Instead, give them a choice between two options, where choosing either results in a sale. For instance:

• "I could squeeze you in on Wednesday at 3PM or possibly tomorrow at noon. Which would you prefer?"
• or
• "Would you like to put this on a credit card or shall we just invoice you?"

Remember, sometimes a gentle push from you might be all that's needed to turn them into a new customer.

Now that you know the techniques that can turn calls into customers, here's the best way to put them to work at your company:

• First, track your phone results to determine how many calls it currently takes to get one customer. This will give you a starting point to measure improvements going forward
• Secondly, compare the techniques you've just learned to the way your phone calls are presently being handled and make a note of any areas that need improvement.
• Third, meet with the employees that answer your phone and stress to them how important incoming calls are to the success of your business.
• Fourth, share this training with them, pointing out the specific sections that address the areas you uncovered that need improvement.
• Fifth, follow up to make sure they are using these techniques on a consistent basis.
• Sixth, measure the improvement in your phone results and share them with your employees to reinforce the value of using effective phone techniques.
• Seventh, have periodic refresher training until these techniques become second-nature.
• And eighth, remember to train new employees on these techniques as well.

Your Yellowbook media consultant is eager to help you with any questions you may have about this information and can show you proven methods for tracking the response your advertising generates.