The Seven Golden Rules for Effective Telephone Sales and Service

Telephone sales and customer service can be a very enjoyable, rewarding and profitable career.

Once you've learned everything you need to know about your product, your company and its target markets, all you need to do to succeed is put these "Seven Golden Rules" into action:

Smile When You Talk On the Phone

Smiles are as contagious over the phone as they are in person. Sometimes even more so.

People can see and hear your smile over the phome. That's why a pleasant, friendly and professional voice helps set the stage for a positive and productive sales or service call.

A smile can also soothe the savage beast. Angry customers calling with complaints are usually calmer, saner and more rational when they hear a friendly smile over the phone.

Think and Speak Positive

Positive thoughts and words are powerful ... and just as contagious as smiles.

Think and communicative positive ideas and you can accomplish anything over the phone.

A positive attitude creates confidence, trust and hope in customers. It calms their fears, relaxes them and makes them very receptive to what you and your company can do for them.

The world is a very negative place. We're surrounded by negative thoughts, attitudes, words and actions wherever we turn. Always remember prospects and customers are looking to you for positive ways to satisfy their needs or solve their problems. Don't disappoint them or yourself. Spread your positivity and let it grow.

Remember Customers Are People Too

Always keep in mind that the customers on the other end of the phone are far more than account numbers or faceless corporate clients ... they're real people just like you ... with emotions and feelings ... and real hopes, needs,and problems too.

Identifying with customers and empathizing with their situations customers on a very human level opens the door to making more sales and providing superb customer service. Isn't this the way you want sales people to treat you too?

Put Yourself In Your Customers' Place

You're a customer too ... so you know what the customer is going through.

In fact, you've probably been in the same or a similar situation as the person on the phone. Remember how you felt and how you expected to be treated. Put yourself in the their shoes and treat them as you expect to be treated. It's the old golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them to unto you". It works in life and in telephone sales and service too.

Listen and Learn

Great people throughout history have always said that the wiser they became, the more they realized they still had to learn.

Listening carefully to the person on the other end of the phone broadens your horizons and perspectives. Try it. You'll soon discover you're learning things about the customer, your company and its products, the industry and about yourself that you never knew before. What you learn will help you provide a higher level of customer service, sell more and find your job more interesting, satisfying and rewarding.

Remember You're Networking Too.

You never know who is on the other end of the phone and what's in store. So always be engaging, friendly, positive and professional and put your best foot forward.

A great deal more than you think could be riding on every call. Who knows ... the person on the other end may become your best customer, a future business partner or associate, your future boss, or even a lifelong companion or friend.

Make the best impression on every call. Use each call to add to your business network. You'll sell more, provide better service and open the doors to countless new opportunities.

Telephone Skills are Transferable

Effective telephone sales and customer service are essential to success whether you're just out of school or an experienced sales or service professional.

Even if your career objective is to become CEO of a major corporation, creative director at a top advertising agency or to run your own business, the telephone skills you develop are "fully transferable" and can help you achieve your goal.

Start applying these "seven golden rules" and they'll soon become second nature. You'll never know how far they'll take you until you try them.