Next up in the Alphabet of Sales, S-T-U. By Nancy Friedman

Next up in the Alphabet of Sales, S-T-U.

Smile. No Telephone Doctor book or article would be complete without the mention of a smile. Like sunshine warms up a summer day, a smile warms up your conversation. It’s a definite expression of friendliness. And yes, you can hear a smile. Tests have proven over and over, when you’re smiling, your enthusiasm comes through. It also affects your tone of voice which is recognized by your caller. And please don’t stop smiling on voicemail. Surveys show that a smiley message is responded to more often than a dull, interesting one. Your choice!

Tone of Voice. There is a mistaken idea that the warmth and friendliness shown in a personal conversation face-to-face is not necessary for business phone calls. As a result, conversations with customers sound dull and lifeless, if not downright unfriendly. Tone of voice and smiling are like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich – they just go together. Don’t leave one without the other.

Understanding Needs. There is no doubt about it, a salesperson will have a much better chance of selling to customers when they understand their needs. The question is: How you get to understanding needs? It’s the old ‘who, what, where, why, and when’ that make for uncovering needs and understanding them. Because a customer’s needs are critically important, it’s important that we uncover and understand them, and basic questions will do. Let the client know that in order for you to meet their needs, it’s important you ask them a few questions. That way the questioning isn’t a surprise and normally accepted as a big help to both parties. In franchising especially, knowing how to ask the right questions is one of the best ways to show interest. And sell!

We’ll finish out the alphabet next month.

Nancy Friedman, the founder and chairman of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a popular keynote customer service speaker at franchise, corporate meetings, and conferences around the country. She is now offering and specializing in VIRTUAL ZOOM programs and her fun WEBINARS. nancyfriedman.com, nancy@telephonedoctor.com, 314-291-1012.