Answering the Phone – The Key to Sales

Effective website design and a search engine optimized website can bring new prospects to your business.

However, it all goes for naught if you can’t close the sale and transform the prospect to a client.

The first step, and possibly the most crucial one in the selling process, is the simple task of answering the phone. I am convinced that I get a lot of business by the way I answer the phone.

I am not a silver-throated orator or smooth talker, but I do answer the phone.

Many people are surprised that they are not hit with a phone tree from hell. How aggravating is it to wait for 3 minutes before deciding what option you need to press – and then get disconnected?

Another common scenario is someone answers the phone who does not know anything about the service you need.  As consumers, we are often at the mercy of these minor annoyances and irritations. It’s easier to live with them than complain.

So when someone calls MarketPlace-Solutions.com, we personally answer the phone. (Unless it goes to voice mail since we are not always here.) We try to answer a prospect’s questions as thoroughly as possible.

I have often given advice that our service is not what they need and to do something else. I have had 30 minute conversations without making a sale.

However, the people I am talking to appreciate the fact that, although I may be crazy, I know what I am talking about. It’s my business and I’m proud of it. I genuinely want to help the other person. I reviewed how much new business I get from someone who calls as opposed to someone sending an e-mail in the middle of the night.

Although I can’t quantify it exactly, my hunch is that 90% of the new business I have gotten over the past several years started with a phone call, not the e-mail. So what did I do with this insight?

When I redesigned the website, I made sure the phone number (919-848-4332, 919-848-IDEA) was prominent on every page by putting it on the top banner as well as in the footer of every page. Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to do business with a company, but having to search all over the website for contact information.

In today’s tough business environment, simple things like making it easy for prospects to contact you via phone or e-mail can be the difference between getting new clients, or just having someone visit your website.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 12th, 2010 at 7:00 am and is filed under Customer Retention, Internet marketing, Marketing Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.