Many people fear sales careers. Often, you hear people state "I could never be a salesperson". Certainly, it can be a challenging job and can be more challenging if the sale is to be accomplished over the phone. But if you believe in the products you are selling, sales is more about working with people than it is about just selling something. This article will review some tips you can follow to help make your phone sales effective and your business profitable.

Prompt service

When a customer calls to inquire about the product, answer the call in three rings or less. Do not delay in answering a call as a call lost can be a sale lost. Also, be sure that you provide the right information immediately. It's very important that you acquaint yourself with the products you're selling so that you can respond to your customers inquiries quickly. This will increase their confidence in you as a business owner

Effective customer relationship marketing

Schedule all your calls and follow through with the schedule. Have a calendar, a diary, or an Excel spreadsheet where you record the important calls and follow ups to be made for the day. Return any calls left on voice mail or answering machine the SAME DAY and log key points of conversations.

Schedule calls in advance

Making schedules before placing your calls will help in effective planning of your day. This is critical if you are going to have quality phone time with your clients. By scheduling your calls, you can ensure you constantly have a pipeline of calls to make and you can sort your calls based on priority.

Establish great rapport within 5 seconds

There is not much time to establish a rapport over the phone as you cannot use body language to convey your message. It's best, then, to convey your message with a bright and cheerful tone of voice. Once the client stays on the phone for longer than 5 seconds you can go on to satisfy his queries and answer his/her questions. Service with a smile is critical in phone sales. You may want to buy a small mirror to keep on your desk and smile in the mirror before picking up the phone. "Smile and Dial" is a great motto to have.

Be aware of your client’s time

Although in ITV Ventures we provide you with calls from interested clients, do realize that a person who calls must be satisfied about all his/her queries as quickly as possible. Do not be ambiguous or vague in answering calls as this can put off customers and they might not call up again. Your first impression with the customer is critical in closing the sale. Do not take longer than 15 minutes to answer all queries as the client is spending his time and money to make an inquiry about the product. Have value for the customer and their time as this will be rewarding in the long run.

Follow up

Even after making a sale try and follow up with clients to gain credibility and retain customer loyalty. Develop good communication skills and relations with established clients. This way a satisfied client can recommend you to other clients and help you expand your customer base. Referrals from current satisfied customers will be key in building your business.

Be organized

Staying organized helps in all aspects of business and will help you achieve your goals easily. Clients will gain confidence in your approach as you will have ready answers for all questions. At the infancy stages of your business, complete one task at a time to increase productivity and reduce confusion.

Be personal

Use the customer's name throughout the call. Remember to be thankful, courteous and respectful during all calls. Verify the customer's question with them before answering to ensure you understand the question clearly. This helps in making the customer feel comfortable to call again for more inquiries. Be sure to let the customer know that you are there to help them have a pleasant experience. If you commit to returning a call, follow through with the commitment.

Ask solid, open-ended questions

An open ended question will engage the customer in the conversation and help keep the call from feeling like a "sales call". Open-ended questions will also allow you to LISTEN to the customer's needs, giving you up-selling opportunities. When you as a yes or no question, there is nothing to continue to drive the conversation other than additional questions from you. Communicating openly with clients and listening to their needs can help to move the sale more rapidly. The client will get the feeling that you care about their queries and are genuine in your deals.

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