Use these tips to make sure you have the telesales skills you need to close deals.
Even when you’re qualified for a job with a sales firm, it doesn’t mean you’ve mastered everything you need to know about selling. Telesales skills, in particular, are easy to overlook if you already have the ability to sell through other platforms, such as social media or email.
The reality, however, is that 92% of customer interactions still happen over the phone. So no matter how good a salesperson you may be with other platforms, learning phone-selling skills is still a necessity for anyone to be a top performer.
Here are fifteen tips you can use to improve telesales skills quickly. Some of them will take some practice to perfect, but if you commit to honing these skills, you will almost certainly see the pay-off when the month closes, and that commission check comes through.
Call Logic’s CRM gives you the freedom to focus on developing your skills and closing more deals. Set up a free demo today to learn more about all the great features.
15 Telesales skills that will make you money
1. Practice customer service through role-playing.
Find a colleague, friend, or relative and practice selling to them over the phone. Listen to their feedback on what’s working and what isn’t.
2. Pay attention to your body language.
Smile when you talk. Stand up. Move around. This will help you relax and have a regular conversation.
3. Read books and blogs about phone sales.
There’s lots of literature that can teach you the telesales skills you need to stay competitive. Pick up a few and see how your skills improve.
4. Create templates and scripts.
Calling scripts and follow-up templates will help you stay organized. CRMs like Call Logic can help you create simple scripts you can customize for any occasion.
5. Attend a telesales skills training.
This is a more expensive option, but human-to-human training can be worth the investment of time and money.
6. When you make calls, eliminate distractions.
Background noise, computer apps, and even people in the room can all distract you from the task at hand. Make your calls with as few distractions as possible to enhance productivity.
7. Use a wireless headset.
Give yourself the freedom to move around, take notes, and otherwise use your hands naturally. A wireless headset will help you to focus on honing your other telesales skills.
8. Practice name pronunciation.
There’s no better way to end a sales call at the beginning than by botching the prospect’s name. Practice saying the names in your contact list before you start making calls.
9. Know your product and pitch.
People expect you to be an expert on what you’re selling, so make sure you are! Learning your product and pitch inside out are vital components to telesales skills.
10. Mind your tone of voice.
Another way to kill a call without getting anywhere is to sound bored, annoyed, or otherwise negative. Think positively, make your calls with confidence, and spend your time on the phone thinking about your customer’s needs instead of your bad day.
11. Accurately track prospect information through a CRM.
Call management systems like Call Logic make it easier than ever to store contact information, call notes, emails and follow-up emails, and more. Take advantage of what today’s technology has to offer and use it to enhance your own skill set.
12. Observe yourself.
Practice making mock calls while looking at yourself in the mirror. Would you buy from you? This is also a great way to be more mindful of your body language, which can influence your tone and therefore, your call.
13. Keep contact information near.
Whether or not you use a CRM, make sure you keep your prospect’s contact information in front of you at all times. Making a lot of calls can cause anyone to briefly forget who they’re on the phone with. Stay on your game with this simple tip.
14. Observe a mentor making calls.
In addition to observing yourself, ask a mentor if you can observe them while they make calls. Watch how they move, listen to their tone and the words they use, and don’t forget to take some notes!
15. Measure success by prospect interest, not the close.
Yes, you need a close to make a sale. But thinking of it that way puts a lot of pressure on you. Instead, measure your success by your prospect’s interest. Did they agree to a meeting or a follow-up call? Are they potentially still interested in your product? If so, you’ve had a successful call. Thinking of things this way will boost your confidence, which is likely to leads to closed deals.
Close more sales using Call Logic’s state-of-the-art call management system. Sign up for a free demo and see what we can do for you!