Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Your Voice Matters

Have you ever gotten a voice mail from someone where they mumbled, you could barely hear them, or they sounded bored out of their mind? I don't know about you, but I usually delete those without even listening to the whole thing. If they don't care, why should I?

Telesales expert Renee Walkup has some excellent ideas you should keep in mind when selling over the phone.

1. Use humor in your tone and speech.
By smiling and using light-hearted humor, not only will you look friendlier in person, you'll sound more confident and friendly when on the telephone. The reason for this is that your vocal cords actually lift up, when smiling.

2. End your sentences with a confident tone.
If your sentences are well-thought out, you won't end up trailing off at the end of your thoughts. Also, avoid "up-speaking" at the end of your sentences. This is sometimes a regional habit and you'll have more credibility if you can train yourself not to speak up at the end of sentences.

3. Avoid over-explaining.
As business professionals, we know much more than we need to share. That's part of being a professional! However, no one wants to hear the entire chapter and verse of your knowledge. You'll have more strength and credibility if you consider what the listener really needs to know in order to buy-in to your idea or sales presentation.

4. Steer clear of disclaimers.
For example, if you pepper your communication with comments such as, "I may be way off base here, but..." You've lost credibility. Maintain a strong speaking demeanor so that you are positioned as an expert without sounding cocky. Confidence is good. Self-deprecating speech doesn't strengthen your persuasion power.

5. Be diplomatic.
Everyone wants to avoid offending people, so be confident about thoughts, and diplomatic with people. For example, saying: "You are completely wrong", doesn't work as well as: "I have a plan that should solve these challenges."

Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK Inc. and author of "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone."

No comments: