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People use their optimum voices automatically when they are relaxed, satisfied
and self-confident i.e. when one is psychologically and physically fit. In moments
such as these, our voices can be found at the bottom end of our personal voice
spectrum. Regrettably, there are many situations at the office which falsify our
natural voices and rob them of their positive characters. Moods, problems and
stress deform our voices and leave them sounding monotonous, pressed,
unfavourable and unnatural. Tip: one should try to use the lower end of the voice
spectrum as much as possible as deeper voices convey competence, harmony
and calmness. Voices always sound ³higher´ on the telephone than they normally
do.



If one were to speak in the same pitch all the time, the person listening would
begin to fall asleep. Who has ever watched how multi-faceted the Italians are
when they communicate? They not only have well-developed gestures and facial
expressions but the pitch of their voices also varies from high to low in a pleasant
rhythm. They have perfect voice modulation. Tip: by raising and lowering
(modulating) the voice and through small pauses, one can make voices much
clearer, indicate the direction being taken and emphasise certain information.
This is particularly important over the phone, where there is no non-verbal
communication!

 


 

Those who speak too quickly over the phone risk causing misunderstandings.
Those, on the other hand, who speak too slowly will come across as boring, not
very convincing and lacking in commitment. Faster speakers are generally
deemed to be more intelligent and competent. What should one do? Example: if
a Formula 1 car from A can do 300 km/h and that from B only 230 km/h, B is
clearly too slow. However, if B drove 230 km/h on a motorway, where the limit is
100 km/h, he would be much too fast.Fast and slow is therefore relative. Tip:
one should always adjust oneself to the speed at which the other person is
speaking. Slow speakers will otherwise by ³bowled over´. You should also show
fast speakers that you can give as good as you get. If the other person speaks
much more slowly than you do, this could be compensate by pauses between
speaking. If he speaks much faster, one could encourage him to slow down by
asking numerous questions (feedback). By the way, you can speed up when
speaking about certain subjects if you want to stimulate enthusiasm and interest
in the other person.
r

If one speaks too quietly, one seems insecure, sceptical and lacking in self-
confidence. Very quiet voices on the phone appear unclear - the telephone tends
to falsify and/or cover up information. Speaking too loudly makes one seem
aggressive. Tip: find your own volume somewhere in-between and adjust
somewhat to the volume of the other person. However, this is not necessary in
the case of angry, shouting customers. This is where demonstrative calmness is
required!

 

Local regions often have prejudices about certain other dialects. In the worst
case, a dialect can distance the other person instead of creating understanding.
Tip: where possible, avoid using your dialect at work. However, letting your
dialect just colour your speech, so that understanding is not affected, is still
acceptable.

Dialect terminology should be avoided.

One should pay attention to articulation and make sure one speaks clearly. This
is particularly important over the phone, where various other factors can
influence the quality of the transmitted speech. We recommend: speaking each
syllable clearly. Example: Where dya go? (=> did you go! ) Can ya gimme? (=>
Can you give me) Speak clearly.



 
Relax both inside and externally before telephoning. It is important to keep your
upper body upright. This enables the air to flow more freely and increases the
resonance. One gets a a stronger and deeper voice and can also breathe more
deeply. This reduces nervousness and positively influences the tone of the voice.




Choice of words:

One should try and speak on the same experience level as the person receiving
the call (3. communication hurdle). That especially to the choice of words.

Tip: specialist terms should only be used if the other person knows them. If
unsure, question and/or explain where necessary.
Verbalising non-verbal communication:

Non-verbal communication is lost over the phone. About 2/3 of communication

is non-verbal at a personal meeting. However, over the phone one can express

this non-verbal communication in words (verbalise) and therefore improve

communication:

1.) Longer pauses on the phone could signalise that one is either not listening or
that contact has been interrupted. Just as in a personal meeting, hold the other
person¶s attention with words such as: mmh, yes, aha, I see, oh, etc. One gives
the other person the feeling that one is concentrating on what he says and is
taking him seriously!

2.) Speak punctuation out loud (full stop, comma, !, ?).

3.) Speak out loud feelings/ impressions which you would normally signal
through gestures or facial expressions: ³...I¶m glad to hear that ...´; ³...I have the
feeling, that ...´ ; ³...You are giving me the impression, that ...´ ; ³...I am decidedly
against.´ ; etc.

Sentence construction:

The main aim of communication is to be understood. Tip: Keep your sentences

short. Frequently place a full stop mentally. Include only one thought per

Sentence. Avoid encapsulated sentences. Avoid expletive words: be shorter,

briefer and more precise.

YOU Perspective:

³I would like you to ... I still need ... I want you to ... We need you to ... the

credit dept. wants you to ...´ . One soon fall prey to the ³I´ virus. I/WE

expressions are used much too often. Subsequently, one places oneself (and

not the customer) in the centre of attention. In almost all cases, it is easy to
adjust the sentences so that the YOU (or the customer) dominates. The

customer feels as if he (even unconsciously) has been placed in the

foreground. Quick rule: 5 YOUs : 1 I.

Example: ³I will give you the KBS on .´ Better: ³You will receive the KBS

from me on...!´

j 

³If we were able to assist you with the limit, we would request that you ...!´ -

Does that sentence sound convincing? NO! Would, could etc. are the

subjunctive. This type of language is unspecific - the speaker doesn¶t commit

himself to anything. One appear unsure of oneself, undecided, weak,

imprecise! Tip: Use the indicative and call a spade a spade! That demonstrates

self-confidence.

Example.:

> NOT: ³We would be very happy, if ...´

INSTEAD: ³We look forward to ...´

> NOT: ³We could ...this financial plan ...´

INSTEAD: ³We can ...this financial plan ...´

> NOT: ³It would be advantageous for you, if...´

INSTEAD: ³It is advantageous for you, to ...´


 

If we want to hide the fact that we have forgotten, lost, mislaid something, we

often fall into the trap of placing our sentences into a type of past tense: ³What

was your name?´ - Are you talking to a dead person? The person still has a

name! The same applies to examples such as: What was the amount? When

was the appointment? How did the KT vote again? Have the courage to use

the present tense. It makes one seem so much more self-confident, more

precise and direct. Use: ³May I have your name? When is the appointment?

How did the KT vote?´

 



It is important, particularly over the phone, that one gives the other person the

feeling one is listening to him and concentrating on what he says. The other

person then feels that he is taken seriously, is important and that one is

interested in really understanding his situation. Active listening is therefore a

key element of good communication (not only) on the phone:

o Interjections as feedback: aha, really, mmh, hm, yes, I see, etc.

o Repetition as feedback: 100,- ¼ ?
o Rephrasing something: you mean that ...(summarising)...
o Questioning: So, if I understand you correctly, ...
o Make notes (e.g. for summarising, ³I¶ll just make a note of that´)
o Remember/note down typical expressions used by the other person, in
order to let them flow into the discussion later (-> finding common
ground!)


The Tips

1. Be absolutely clear why you are making the call, establish in advance what it is
you want to happen, structure the questions around that outcome, remember ±
sell the appointment, not the product!

2. Basic politeness, not false, if you enjoy people, it shows, try to enjoy yourself,
you are a specialist in one of life¶s most noble professions. be courteous, no
matter what¶s going on at the other end, you are the professional, prove it.

3. Keep good records! So many telephone marketers lose the plot because they
just can¶t remember where they are up to with their list, I have done this myself,
re-calling a client I only just spoke to with the same sales pitch! It¶s worth saving
yourself this embarrassment just for the sake of paying attention and making a
few notes in a system, not just a pad you might lose.

4. If you call an automated system, press zero, it is usually a default for

reception, if that doesn¶t work and you are forced to listen to the whole menu of
options, make a note of the option number for the next call so you will save time.

5. Tape the phone to your hand! Well that¶s just metaphorically speaking. The
point is, just start phoning and keep at it, just promise you will do a chunk of an
hour to start, no matter what, it is so easy to do anything but make the calls you
know matter.

6. Always address your prospects by their title, i.e. Mr Jones, using first names
on a cold call can appear to be over-familiar, I have been caught out a couple of
times and learned very early its title first, until rapport is built between you.

7. Listen, Listen, Listen! So many sales people miss this one, on the phone doing
their script and not listening carefully to the response. Missing vital info and
buying signals. Try repeating each word your prospect is saying in your head
very shortly after they have said it. It is a good discipline to make sure you are
using your ears and mouth in the right order.

8. Stay off the radar. Simply getting more chances to be put through to a
prospect by not alerting the gatekeeper to who you are. If the prospect is not
there, just quickly say you¶ll call later thanks, and off you go. I wouldn¶t usually
leave a message until at least a good number of attempts to get through.
>. Be persistent. Try varying your call patterns, call later, call early, call on a
Friday afternoon, don¶t buy in to the myth that there are times of the day not
worth calling, making appointments is like fishing. I have often abandoned a
fishing location, only to see another angler come in exactly the same place and
get a full net! Technique and belief are what matters.

10. Get it out quickly. Prospects hate a drawling delivery, say it quick and keep it
sharp, not too quick, but just at a good pace, get to the point early, ask for what
you want.

11. When speaking avoid filler words like er, erm, y¶know, they are diluting your
delivery and make you sound clumsy. Just be aware of what you are saying and
µkill the fill¶ You will get more appointments.

12. If not now when? Both if your prospect is not available, or if your prospect
has said there is a chance of an appointment, just not yet. Why is now not a good
time? When will be better? Can we pencil that in the diary?

13. Have your diary at the ready, with a good idea of how many appointments
you are going to make. If your diary is not even open in your drawer, you are just
programming yourself to believe you aren¶t going to make any meetings. Have a
positive expectation of the appointments, how many, and when you are going to
schedule them.

14. As Henry Ford Said: ³Whether you think you can, or think you can¶t, you¶re
right either way.´ Think positive, take rejection and learn ± It¶s not personal, enjoy
it, it¶s made you stronger! Develop a formidable mental attitude, read motivational
books.

15. When you close on an appointment, confirm the details carefully, get the date
right, confirm by email, offer that if the prospect wishes to make any changes,
they can feel free to. It will demonstrate you are a professional, and not make the
prospect feel trapped and closed on.