Sales talk: How to convince every conversation partner

There are two types of self-employed people: Some are born salespeople and love to convince potential customers of their products and services. The others - and that's the vast majority - get a cold shiver down their spine at the mere thought of cold calling. For them, a sales call on the phone is about as pleasant as a root canal at the dentist. If you belong to the second group, we now have good news for you: telephone sales is half as bad, but can even be really fun.

To prove it, today we want to show you a handful of practical tricks. Thanks to them, selling on the phone will be a breeze even for you. Instead of gritting your teeth, you'll be highly motivated to pick up the phone after reading this article. And let's face it, with clenched teeth, the person you're talking to won't understand you anyway. So, get ready for our best-practice tips for successful selling on the phone. Let's go!

Sales talk on the phone: How to make it work!

If the eyes are the mirror of our soul, then our voice is the reflection of our Beliefs. This is true at least in telephone sales. You could also say: Your conversation partner hears whether you are motivated or unmotivated. He notices whether you like to make the call or whether it is an annoying evil for you. And he immediately senses which mindset is driving you.

Let's assume that you find acquisition unpleasant. The person you're talking to recognizes this right away and knows what's going on after just a few sentences. Because even if you express your unwillingness or Uncertainty your voice subconsciously conveys positive or negative messages that your listener immediately recognizes. And what reason would your conversation partner have to buy from someone who doesn't make a relaxed impression, but sounds rather stressed? Actually, there isn't one.

Be a consultant, not a salesman

The fatal thing is that as soon as you pick up the phone with a negative mindset, this is transferred to the person you are talking to within a few seconds. As a result, they also have a negative attitude, which is why you will most likely receive a rejection. This in turn increases the pressure and the next time you call, you start the conversation with an even worse attitude. A vicious spiral that needs to be broken. The solution? Change your mindset!

Don't think of yourself as a salesman who wants to force something on his "victims" at any cost. Think of yourself as a consultant who values his customers and does something good for them by pointing them to a useful new product or service. If you call with this attitude, you'll find yourself in a completely different starting position right away. Ask questions, listen, and find out what your potential customer wants. With this attitude, you increase your chances of success many times over!

The most important thing: the preparation

Your preparation is essential for an effective Telephone acquisition is the be-all and end-all. It is best to create a script and think about exactly which information and arguments you want to use and when. Formulate your statements in writing so that you can fall back on them in case of doubt. Also prepare yourself for possible questions and objections. The better prepared you are, the more confident you will be in the interview.

In the sales pitch: Stay authentic

As is so often the case in life, the magic word is also selling on the phone: "Authenticity"". Stay natural, be yourself. What else helps, we have summarized in 10 quick tips for you:

1. Always be friendly, polite and personable on the phone.
2. Avoid boring phrases that everyone uses. Fall open!
3. When speaking, pay more attention to the "how". The content, i.e. the "what", is only secondary.
4. Arouse the interest of your conversation partner immediately at the beginning of the phone call.
5. Address your potential client by name often.
6. Use short, concise sentences and speak clearly.
7. Pay attention to the reactions of the person you are talking to and respond to them.
8. Adjust the volume, speaking tempo and intonation to those of the other person.
9. Use short pauses in speech to emphasize the effect of individual statements.
10. Refrain from using filler words, negative terms, and sweeping generalizations.

After the sales call

... is before the conversation. That's why you should create a report after every phone call to be able to record what already works well and what you should improve or leave out. Learn from your mistakes, apply new techniques and become an expert step by step. Basically, just do it! After all, you are an entrepreneur, not an underachiever. Don't see yourself as a salesman or even a door-to-door salesman, but as a consultant at eye level who supports his potential customers with good tips and offers. Let's go - pick up the phone and try out our tips in practice! We wish you a lot of fun and good luck.

Our mission at Greator is to help everyone find their way to self-actualization. With the Greator Personality Test you're taking the first step on your journey to finding yourself.