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The Power Of The Telephone

These days the telephone - like electricity, water etc - is something we really don't think about that much is it? (monthly bills aside!)
It would be hard to find anyone today without a telephone of some kind - fixed line, mobile, VOIP.

In fact you really can't run a business without a telephone - well maybe some but not too many!!

We think nothing of picking up the phone and calling a friend or relative interstate or overseas or the local retailer whose number we just saw online or on the TV to enquire about some kind of special. The telephone - once such a 'scientific marvel' is now what you might call ubiquitous. 

We've all had years and years of experience using a telephone - in fact I'd say no-one reading this has ever experienced life without a phone.

So why are so many people so bad at using it?

Especially receptionists and business owners!!

The telephone is like a window or door on your business. If the window is dirty or the door is hard to open, what will customers do? Leave... and research shows they do... in droves.

 But you might never know because very few business owners - pet industry or otherwise - actually test their own phone service.

Sure - you dial in to the practice/shop etc... it works...Cheryl answers correctly with your company name and you ask to be put on hold to check it out. 
Chimes, music, radio?... yea works ok... All good right? WRONG!

You see - the fact we are all so comfortable with the phone is the main reason we are all so bad at it. Or at least we fail to see what's bad with it.

There's a saying - "most people forget what they didn't know" - it relates mostly to experts in various fields who talk about things as if everyone else knows as much as they do.

What they forget is that they too - at some stage in their life - didn't know anything about (whatever topic) either.

The same goes for the phone. 

How many times have you been busy at work and answered the phone with... "Yea?.. hello?"... only to eventually realise it's someone who just found you via Yellow Pages, your latest radio/TV/magazine ad or mailbox drop.

So what do you think this potential new client or customer is thinking now? 

Unless you can make up for lost ground in the next few seconds - yes you only have seconds and usually only one chance - then that is a lost opportunity. And depending what business you are in could mean you just lost several thousand dollars in revenue over the next year or two.

Did you see that... 'SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS IN LOST REVENUE'.

DO NOT underestimate the power of the telephone. It's the front door to your business. It is the 'can opener' that allows income to flow.

To find out how to improve incoming call handling and on-hold options check out Kaye Browne's Phone Skills 2.0 here.

Among other things, Phone Skills 2.0+ participants will benefit by:
+ Learning how to approach ‘sales’ in a positive manner
+ Making a fantastic first impression – on every call
+ Projecting professionalism at every point in the your business/client relationship
+ Building rapport and credibility with clients
+ Anticipating and developing appropriate responses to likely objections
+ Disarming objections with proven rebuttals that get the sale back on track
+ Practice how to present options
+ Recognise when a client is ready to say yes! (buy)

MORE READING: Check out our Mystery Shopper Service

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