Do You Hear What I Hear? Analyzing Telephone Sales Communication

Do You Hear What I Hear? Analyzing Telephone Sales Communication

When you make a telephone call to a business, are you focusing only on the message?  Try also noticing how it is said, from the emotions to the clarity, as well as the sales techniques (if any). You'll get a lot more out of the experience.For example, if you are shopping for a product or service provided by various competitors, analyze each salesperson's performance after the call. Where you able to understand the name of the company and the person to whom you were talking, or was it spoken too fast? Did the person answer your questions clearly? Did he have all the information needed to easily access your account and information about the product or service?  How well were your objections, if any,  handled? If the salesperson realized you were probably not going to buy the product or service, did he proactively let you know that you would be welcome to return in the future?One big difference between a positive and a negative experience is sales and telephone skill training. Such training pays off - handsomely!

Business Speech Improvement can help with telephone assessments, calling  companies in the USA,  posing as a customer and analyzing the results. We also provide intensive training in American English pronunciation, general diction, executive communication skills, understanding non-native callers more easily on the telephone, and more! We even offer a no-cost e-newsletter with great communication tips; to subscribe, click here.

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What is your outgoing voice message saying about you?

When a prospective customer, client, friend or someone else calls your business or personal phone, he may hear your outgoing voice message. What impressions are others getting of you after hearing this?

Today I called a luxury hotel and heard the outgoing message of the director of a department. The message was very fast and I had to listen very carefully to understand the person's pronunciation.
The message included the date the person recorded it, as in "Today is ____. I am in the office today." The problem was that the this was not the date I was calling on, so the message had not been updated.

The impression I got was of someone who speaks fast and may not pay attention to details, such as the date or his speech. I wondered if he would pay attention to his department's business details.

When recording an outgoing message, say your name slowly and carefully. Your prospective customer may be in a noisy setting, or may need to remember it so he can write it down. If you leave a telephone number on any phone message, say it only as fast as you can write it (in the air, if needed). Your listener may be writing it down - and if it is clear, he may only need to do it once. 

Put only the essential information in the outgoing message, so you have time to speak clearly.  If you record a new message daily, do that first thing in the morning. If you leave an outgoing message promising to return calls quickly, keep your promise!

If you have speech difficulties, get help for them, whether they are a strong accent, a communication impairment, or something else.  Your speech gives an image of you and your organization. Speech help these days can come in the form of individual or small group coaching, online coaching, an e-book, an mp3 file, or other options.

Business Speech Improvement (www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com) provides intensive coaching, small group seminars and e-books on diction, accent modification, presentation skills, communication strategies for leadership development, and more! 

Tips on understanding different dialects over the telephone

Here's a common scenario: someone calls you on the telephone and has a strong regional or foreign accent. You want to have a conversation, but his or her speech is hard to understand. Here are some ways to improve the communication. First, speak slightly slower yourself. This will subconsciously cue the other person to slow down, which gives you time to figure out what he or she said. Second, tell the other person if there is a specific word that you did not understand. For example, "What was the word you said after ___?" If you still do not understand, ask him to use another word for the confusing word. Another option is to ask for the word to be spelled, with key words, such as "b as in boy". If you get many calls that are hard to understand, on your outgoing message you can speak slowly yourself and give out your e-mail address. Some callers may be very relieved to get it! If nothing else works, ask for the message to be texted or e-mailed! Business Speech Improvement provides intensive coaching in verbal skills. Specialties include American English Pronunciation for Non-native Professionals, helping people learn ways to reduce their rate of speech, communication coaching for leadership development, and more.

How to Leave Clearer Telephone Messages

Do you worry that your telephone messages are not reflecting your professionalism and may be hard to understand?

Start by saying your name clearly, and spelling it with keywords if you are not known to the listener. For example, say "Smith - S as in Sam, M as in Mary," etc. Many letters can be easily misunderstood on the telephone, so keywords are helpful. Say your telephone number slowly, so the listener can write it down. Give the message clearly, possibly starting with the major benefit or essential point. For example, "Please confirm you can come to the sales meeting at 3:00 today in the conference room so you will know the team's new sales strategy and your role in it." Then end by giving your phone number again.

Individual speech coaching, and group seminars in sales and executive communication are available from Business Speech Improvement, www.http://businessspeechimprovement.com/enabler/scripts/category.pl?Classes .

How's your "hello"?

When you answer the telephone at work with a simple "hello", what information about your emotional status are you inadvertently giving your caller? If the caller listens carefully, does he hear a brusqueness, a cheeriness, exhaustion, boredom, or some other emotion? When you call others, do you listen specifically for this information? If so, it can help you determine what to say next.

Sales and executive communication skills are addressed in both small group classes and individual speech coaching provided by Business Speech Improvement. You'll learn how to present a more professional front, as well as how to modify a sales presentation based on the other person' greeting. For more details on classes, visit http://businessspeechimprovement.com/enabler/scripts/category.pl?Classes