TELEPHONE TIPS FOR THE FAINT OF HEART by Mitch Axelrod The telephone is one of the most powerful business tools ever created. Yet, so many people under-utilize this incredible invention. Are you making the best use of one of the most potent weapons in your arsenal? In today's world, with tele-marketing everywhere, few things scare off people and prospects more than the sound of a salesperson on the line. Just the sense that they are being prospected or solicited is enough to make them irate and ornery. What's tougher is that it takes an average of six calls to make one contact. Persistence is a must if you are using this communication medium. It is more important than ever for you to become particularly skilled when using Alexander Bell's invention. Why? People are almost always busy whenever someone calls. What's more, they are usually short on time, in a hurry or watching their favorite sitcom for the zillionth time. Whatever it is their doing when you called, YOU ARE AN INTERRUPTION. Many people resent the intrusion. How do you get through their filters and screens, and penetrate the protective wall they use to keep bad things and tele-prospectors out? First and foremost, you must realize that if you don't get their attention in the first ten seconds, the game is over. If I called you right now and said, "Your house is burning, get out!" chances are good I'd have your undivided attention and you will not only hear what I say, you will act on it immediately. Unfortunately, most things in life (and especially phone calls) are not as attention-grabbing nor have the same urgency. That means you must be compelling, provocative, appealing, disturbing, inspiring or conversational in the first 30 seconds, in order to break my pre- occupation and get my attention. How can you do this? Here are a few suggestions. Make a powerful statement. "Nancy, I just can't believe how incredibly wonderful I feel today. I just had to call someone and share it with them."Or, "I'm so excited that I got a special bonus check in the mail today."Make a statement that either evokes interest, support or curiosity. Make a benefit statement. "I found a way to add $500 ($1,000, $2,000) passive income each month.""I have more peace of mind and feel healthier than I've been in years."You can follow up any statement with a question like, "Would you like to know why?" or "Would you like me to tell you more?" The bolder, more impactful and personal the declaration, the more of the other person's attention you will gain. This is also an effective way to create conversation. You pick the topic, cause or issue. Then you launch. Ask a probing question. "What one thing frustrates you most about your current work?""How interested would you be in finding out about a product that has improved the health of thousands of people?" "Have you heard about ... or seen the new information available on ... or read the article about what's happening to..." You can ask a direct question like, "Are you interested in earning any additional income, passively, part-time?""Do you know what happens to your household products that are not bio-degradable?" Questions are very powerful tools because they get a person talking about himself and what's important to him. In fact, "What's really important or precious to you?" is an excellent question because it focuses her on what she want, and guides you in matching your opportunity to what she values. You've got to qualify your prospect. Your time is most precious, and you want to spend more of it with interested prospects, people who truly have something to gain by listening to you. Questions help you understand what might motivate a person to listen, meet with you and ultimately join your organization. By the way, "Have you heard about the five most powerful ways to get someone's undivided attention and interest on the telephone?"Get the idea? Reciprocity. People have a very strong and often unconscious need to reciprocate. Giving before you get is a great way to engage the human drive for reciprocity. This is not about giving to make someone feel guilty, so they grant you time out of a sense of obligation. Giving something of value is the key. Always give value. Here's an example. We know that people process information very differently. Yet, we often give information according to how we prefer it delivered. If we like to read, we tend to give people things to read. If we like tapes, we send tapes. You can increase the impact of your message when you know if a person prefers to read, look, listen or some combination of the three. If you ask, "How do you prefer to get your information?" the person will tell you. This simple but powerful question, elicits important information about your prospect. You'll know whether to mail, use audio, video or written material to best interest them. Find this out, and you will advance more telephone calls into appointments. This also gives you something specific to talk about when you call. Here's a few questions to ask: "What was the most important idea you learned?" or "What one thing did you hear that can help you get what you want most?" or "How might what you read improve your life or your income?" or "How can you see yourself making that work for you?" Give people information, ideas and helpful hints that are important to them. After all, we tend to value what's important to us, and feel neutral toward most everything else. If you find out what your prospect really wants, and then provide them a way to get it (or avoid it), you earn their trust and further your relationship. Ask them what ideas, information or advice would be of value to them, and you will be in the game every time. Third Party Endorsement This is an especially effective and useful way to gain someone's attention and keep it. What might happen if you opened all of your phone conversations with, "Hello Mitch, your friend Bob asked me give you a call. Can we speak for a minute?" If you want to find out, ask five people this week to give you the names of a friend. Then call the friend. Just to chat. Use the phrase above, and see what develops. This will be a revealing and liberating experiment. You will discover how easy it really is to get someone to take your call, give you total attention and actually listen to what you say. Why so easy? Third party endorsement. If you could do this all day long in your business, you would become wealthy in record time. People who are most successful usually have other people pave the way. Satisfied customers telling other people is still the best possible advertising of all. When you use someone else's credibility and commitment, you open more doors. And there isn't a person you couldn't reach with the right kind of introduction or third party endorsement. Identify five of the most influential, prestigious and well-connected people you know who believe in you and what you're doing. Ask them to endorse you to some of their key centers of influence. Remember, big doors of opportunity swing on little hinges. One Final Point The real purpose of the telephone is to gain someone's attention, offer them something of value, qualify their real level of interest and set an appointment to meet. This is a very cost-effective communication medium to use. It saves time and effort, furthers relationships and gives you the chance to contact large numbers of people in a short amount of time. Try your best to combine the phone with the mails, sending out information and education that help people make smart choices. Develop your telephone skills. They will serve you in every aspect of your life. Mitchell Axelrod, CFP is a nationally recognized expert, consultant and sought after speaker on training and client acquisition. He has given more than 1,500 training workshops, seminars and lectures to tens of thousands of insurance, banking and brokerage professionals and financial executives from 20 countries. America's largest financial services organizations, including MONY, Met Life, Prudential, John Hancock, Paine Webber, Republic National Bank, Citibank and dozens more have tapped Mitch's expertise and are using his training strategies, methods, principles and approaches to increase sales and profit. FREE SPECIAL REPORT How to Bring Your Highest and Best Value to the MarketPlace, and Increase Your Income for Years to Come... Scientifically! How to apply the science of axiology to increase your market-ability and value-ability with the steadiness and pinpoint precision of a expert marksman hitting a bullseye. This report explains how we can tap our greatest strengths, increase our market value, add thousands of dollars to our income, and re-energize our livelihood and life. Click the link - http://axelrodlearning.com/careersuccess.htm to learn more about the only tool on the planet that combines the mathematics of calculus and the science of value logic to measure our personal values as a thermometer registers temperature. To read a few of the thousands of personal stories of how people benefit using the Value Profile, go to - http://axelrodlearning.com/valueprofiler/page2a.htm. Copyright 1998 by Mitchell Axelrod - All rights reserved.