Before we get to the tips, let’s take a moment to look at why it works this way. The theory goes that people obviously need to know you before they can like you. And they find it easier to trust people that they like. As this trust grows, they find it much easier to not only buy from you, but to have a much higher opinion of you for offering them a solution to their problem. Contrast that to the disdain that a prospect has for a salesperson when they feel like they have been pressured into buying something that they don’t need and you will see why this is so important for long-term customer relationships.
Tip #1 – Join The Prospect’s Team With We Statements
It is always best if a prospect feels like you are on their side. One way that you can do that is to start using “we” statements as soon and as often as possible (just for clarity, we statements include other words like us, let’s, our, etc.). By using statements like “Let’s take a look” or “We can find a way to fix that” puts you on your prospects team, and no longer are you someone that is trying to sell him or her something, but you are someone that is trying to help him or her solve a problem. This is a super simple change to your vocabulary, but it can have a significant impact on how your prospect or customer feels about you.
Tip #2 – Be A Real, Live Human
It’s so easy to try to be “professional” and end up sounding like a robot. Nobody likes or trusts a robot. Be yourself, or if you are controversial and/or curse like a sailor be a cleaned up version of yourself. Find common interests and talk about them. Talk about experiences that you may have in common. Again, you want the prospect to like you and a great way to do that is to find common ground. You can’t do that if you only answer questions and offer tips.
Tip #3 – Remember His or Her Name (And Use It)
I mention this one last because I wanted to end with it. It really makes a difference in how someone feels about you on the phone if they remember your name and use it throughout the conversation. This is totally unnatural for me and I had to train myself to do this over time. I always ask for a name at the beginning of a conversation and then make a note of it somewhere. That way I can refer back to my note once I forget the name. Through this process, I have gotten much better at remembering names and have to refer to my notes less often, but the simple act of writing out the name gives me the confidence to use the prospect’s name even at the end of a conversation.
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