Over this weekend, one of my followers on Twitter asked if there were a way to cure phone phobia. She had been struggling to overcome the fear of using the telephone in business.
The only advice I could offer her was: Calling a stranger on the telephone is like asking a stranger for directions during a journey when you’re unsure of how to reach your destination.
Having sent that message out on Twitter, a handful of people replied or sent me a direct message saying that they liked the analogy and could relate to it.
It seems that as the recession has deepened, there’s been a greater degree of polarisation in the way that people approach telemarketing and cold calling as a means of getting themselves in front of potential clients, suppliers and vendors with whom they can make agreements and conduct business. One the one hand, there are those who believe the telephone is the work of the devil, and take a “holier than thou” attitude to anyone who has the audacity to interrupt their day (business is full of those anyway, isn’t it?), and there are those that recognise that it’s a way of getting answers from decision makers, often without the need to meet in person, swallow up more time and incur the cost of travel.
Motivation: A Motive to Action. We have to acquire it, develop it, demonstrate it and even write letters based on it when applying for jobs, but how many of us truly realise and believe that motivation is a two-way street? It really has to come from within as well as from external stimuli.
Today’s Article celebrates being different and taking pride in it. After all, if you’re no different from your peers and competitors, how will anyone be able to tell you apart?
Injecting some soul into proceedings, the title refers to a song by James Brown. Written at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement in 1968, it also reminded me of the roots of another date in the calendar: March 17th.
I know this is a telemarketing subject guaranteed to generate discussion whenever results suffer due to a lack of access to decision makers. It’s also why those who’ve had success in dealing with gatekeepers continue to share their experiences on the subject. Here’s my take.
You know how it is: You’re going to call the company, you know your opening statement, you know what you want from the call, you know how to build rapport and you know your product or service pretty well, so there’s no reason not to be confident, right?
Not necessarily. Sometimes it can depend on whether or not you know names. That could be the person’s name, the company name or the name of the street they operate their business from.
I can’t call, I won’t call, I don’t have the time,
I’m scared of rejection, I’m sure it’s a crime
To interrupt someone when they are at work,
And ask them a question, they’ll just go berserk!
Where will all the new clients come from I wonder,
If I use the phone I just know that I’ll blunder
My way through the call, make a poor first impression
But if no-one does, will we beat the recession?
A veteran of telephone-based business development since 1994, Shaun has taught others to use the telephone successfully in business and continues to refine and practice what he preaches.
