By Susan Berkley
The title of this article might confuse you. However, a
salesperson wrote to tell me that he and his colleagues experience better
cold calls when they speak in a more "laid back" manner with a lower
energy level. Fascinating!
This salesperson relates, "I seemed to
notice that the more energetic I was, the more the prospect got scared
and put walls up. I guess the message they were getting was, 'Here comes a
salesman.' But when I was more low key they were much more receptive. It
seems like most people want to increase their energy level and talk faster.
I want to do the exact opposite! Any quick tips?"
Sure ! Here are some:
HOW TO TAME A HYPER-ACTIVE SPEAKING STYLE
1. KEEP BODY LANGUAGE TO A MINIMUM
Cut back on gestures. Remain seated. If you
normally wear a headset, try restricting physical movement by working
without it.
2. MAKE SURE YOU ARE PHYSICALLY RELAXED BEFORE MAKING THE
CALL
Image that you just got out of bed. Take a deep breath and center
yourself before speaking. Learn some stretching exercises and do them
once an hour to keep the kinks out of your body.
3. SURROUND YOUR
DESK WITH SOOTHING IMAGES
Beach scenes (no bikini clad women!),
mountains, flowing water. Look at the predominant colors in your office
decor. Neutrals and blues are soothing, red will pump you up.
4. IF
YOU CAN STAND IT, CUT BACK ON THE CAFFEINE
The more caffeine in your
bloodstream, the faster you will tend to speak.
5. PAUSE MORE. AFTER
EACH THOUGHT, COUNT TO 3 BEFORE YOU CONTINUE
Ask lots of questions and
listen for the answer. Most salespeople talk too much. You should be
listening 3 times more than you speak. A pause can feel like an eternity
internally, but a listener will scarcely notice that you stopped speaking
and will appreciate that you gave them a chance to digest your
message.
6. TAPE YOURSELF
The biggest challenge in voice
improvement is that most of us do not hear ourselves as others hear us. A
tape recorder and feedback from a supportive friend can help. Record
yourself doing your sales pitch at your normal speed and then at a slower
rate. Give the tape to a friend and see if they notice a difference between
the two. If you are still too fast, visualize elongating and extending the
space between your words. Pause for a beat or two after each thought. If
you use a script, make marks to remind you to pause at appropriate
places.
Related Articles:
Effective Promotion with the Use of Cold Calls
Cold calls tend to be the least effective form of marketing for consultants. But, if implemented effectively "cold calls" can land you a gig, maybe even your first gig. The trick is to place yourself in the shoes of the prospect on the other end of the line. Anyone can pull it off with a little bit of strategy.
5 Ways to Encourage Impulse Purchases
I just bought six square pieces of spongy fabric for $20 and
walked away happy - "victim" of an impulse purchase. I also came away with
five ideas for increasing sales from impulse purchases. Next
time you evaluate short-term sales and marketing strategies,
think about and apply these five impulse purchase lessons...
3 Mindset Changes To Increase Your Sales And Profits
When thinking about competitive
differentiations for your product don't consider only
the physical aspects of your product. Instead think
of your product as a service. What is the service it
provides? What are the "experiences" it offers to a
customer? The answers to these questions will be more
fruitful in developing your marketing strategy than
just focusing on the physical aspects.
Repetition, The Key To Making More Sales
How often have you purchased a product or service on the
Internet the first time you were exposed to it? Most
marketing experts say that it takes an average of seven
contacts with your prospect before they will buy.
