Week in and week out we keep hearing the same thing from our customers. Orders are down, business is a wee bit rocky, and fear is a constant presence.
Our philosophy when things get tough is to change. Change is the key to avoiding irrelevance. We also like to say
“No Change. No Change.”
If you make no changes to your approach, do not expect any changes in your results. Now is the time to change.
Easier said than done so let’s give you a couple of things you can do to make that change now.
Two concepts in my training where I consistently get the most pushback from participants are:
1. Our voicemail structure
2. Our process when a person answers your phone call
Why do I get pushback? It’s because our approach to these is different, and it requires people to change.
I often hear people say “Ugh, this is weird!” To which I say, “Embrace the weird!”
I’ll break these down for you.
Beep - Voicemails
The vast majority of people start a voicemail with their name and where they are calling from.
Hi Jennifer, this is Robert Reid calling from Butler Street… DELETE!!
Yep, I just got deleted. Why? Because every voicemail everyone receives starts the same way and we have been conditioned to hit delete when we hear a name and a company we are not familiar with.
Instead, start your voicemail with something they care about first and leave your name and number at the end of the message.
Hello? – The pickup
Someone says “hello?”, what do we typically say next?
Hi, Kevin, this is Robert from Butler Street, do you have a second to chat? NO, GOODBYE!!
Hi, Sam, this is Robert from Butler Street, how are you today? BUSY, LEAVE ME ALONE
With both of those approaches, you have handed the power over to the person answering the phone, and with that power, they will shut you down. Don't do that.
Instead, succinctly disarm them, state the purpose of your call, and then ask them a thought-provoking question. This shows that you are in control, have a goal, and your well-thought-out question tells the other person exactly what to do next, which is to answer your question.
It might sound like this.
Hi Patricia, this is Robert Reid from Butler Street and I know I caught you in the middle of something so I will keep this brief. The purpose of my call is to get 20-30 minutes on your calendar to share how I can help you boost productivity while reducing turnover. Let me ask you this, what are the greatest challenges you face when looking to upskill your team?
Short, sweet, to the point, AND different!!
Make these simple adjustments to your phone activity, and you are headed in the right direction.
If you want to learn more about other great adjustments you can make during times of uncertainty, check out our live, virtual, and eLearning programs, or contact us with the challenges you are facing and how we can help.
Change is uncomfortable but without it, nothing new happens.
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