Your Guide to Phone Sales Training

Why You Need Effective Phone Sales Training

Even with more and more sales being done digitally, phone sales are still an essential part of the sales process. From cold-calling to checking in with an established client, it is crucial for your sales team to have the right phone sales training methods and techniques. 

We know you probably hate cold-calling as much as the next person, but we are here to show you that there are ways to make it easier. With the right phone sales training, cold calls will feel like you are calling up an old friend. 

Phone sales are especially vital for smaller, newer businesses that need to build up their client base. Whether you are a new sales rep or a veteran who needs a refresher, we have compiled a guide of helpful tips for phone sales. 

Phone Calls

We know the term “cold-calling” might make you uncomfortable. The thought of calling strangers and asking them to buy your products is nerve-wracking. Depending on your industry and business, cold-calling and phone sales, in general, are big components of sales success. While online sales techniques may seem more popular than phone calls these days, they play a vital role in prospecting, lead generation, and client retention. Here’s why:

If your sales and marketing teams spend countless hours putting together a marketing campaign for your website, you likely expect a huge amount of sales from the campaign. But, what do you do if it does not perform well? This is where phone calls come in. Take a few minutes and call a few prospects. Tell them about the campaign you just launched. Use this phone call to push a sale and also get valuable feedback from the prospect. Did they see your online campaign? If so, how did they respond to it? 

In an ideal situation, you make a sale and obtain feedback from the customer to use for future campaigns. 

Get the Most out of Your Phone Call

Phone calls accomplish more than just closing a sale. They allow you to build relationships with prospects, and they can also be a training tool for your sales team. Phone calls can be recorded and listened to. If you have a successful sales call, save it for training purposes so your team has an example to work from. 

Phone calls are also great references for calling established clients. Study the conversation and see what worked and what did not work. Take notes and use what you learned on your next call with them. 

B2B Phone Sales

B2B phone sales are especially vital. From startups to Fortune 500 companies, phone sales in the B2B world are the most common way to boost your ROI, that is, if you have the right salespeople and training methods in place. Here are some guidelines to master B2B phone sales:

• Make a sales script: having a script to work with is ideal to make sure your reps are staying on track and moving the call toward the prospect saying “yes”. Scripts also work well for training new reps. Check out this guide for making the perfect sales script.
• Have a plan: Your salespeople should not be calling a prospect without a plan. A script can only go so far. Plan a conversation around the script, plan for different responses, and have rebuttals locked and loaded. 
• The tone of voice: A lot of phone sales are made because of how your rep speaks to a prospect, not what they say. Ensure that your reps are confident, friendly, and conversational. Make the prospect feel like they are just having a conversation. 
• Knowing how to deal with “no”: You are going to hear “no” a lot in cold-calling. Your reps need to know how to respond to that or know when to let the sale go and move on. 
• Do your research: An essential part of B2B phone sales is knowing what the business needs and how your product can help. Before a call, do thorough research on the business so you know exactly how your product fits in. 

Sell Me This Pen

If you have seen the movie “Wolf of Wall Street” starring Leonardo DiCaprio then you will remember this selling technique. In the last scene of the movie, DiCaprio’s character, Jordan Belfort is giving a motivational speech. As he looks around the room, he takes out a pen. He begins going from person to person in the audience, requesting them to “sell me this pen”. As the audience members stumble to think of a sales pitch, he quickly moves on to the next person. 

What does this scene tell us about sales? “Sell me this pen” is actually a trick question that most reps do not know how to answer. When asked the question, most people will jump right into the features of the pen; how it writes, the design of the pen or the quality of the ink. Features do not mean anything unless you know why someone needs the pen. Also, it is a pen. You can usually see most of its features without someone explaining them to you. 

For this technique, start by asking questions. “What do you do for a living?” “How much do you write every day?” “Do you use a pen when you write?” “What type of pen do you normally use?” “What’s most important to you in a pen?” “Do you value functionality over design?” 

The same goes for any item or service. You have to learn about your prospects. What problems do they have and how can your product solve them? After you know these answers, you will have a better sense of how to approach the sale. 

Phone Sales Tips and Tricks

So, how do you become a master of phone sales? While every company and sales rep is different, there are some helpful tips and tricks for boosting your ROI over the phone: 

• Use the person’s name: Sales calls can often seem robotic, scripted, and impersonal. Mentioning the person’s name throughout the call puts the person at ease and elicits a feeling of value and importance. Make sure you are pronouncing the prospect’s name correctly and ask for clarification if you are not sure. 
• Avoid negotiating: A big part of sales negotiation is reading a prospect’s body language and facial expressions. You will not have that on a phone call, so avoid negotiating if possible. 
• Use your words as a visual tool: A knowledgeable salesperson knows exactly how to explain a product, its features, and its benefits. However, it is more difficult to explain those qualities over the phone since the prospect cannot see them. Make sure your vocabulary is descriptive and concise so the prospect understands. 
• Make the call from a quiet place: Avoid making sales calls in your car, outside, or in any busy public place. You do not want distracting background noise interfering with your call, as it appears unprofessional. Make calls from your office or any other quiet space. Doing so will also help you focus on the call. 
• Turn off notifications: If you use your cell phone to make sales calls, silence your notifications while on the call to avoid distractions. You need to be focused on the prospect. 
• Keep records: Do your research. Know the prospect’s pain points and have them written down. Take notes while on the call to use later and record the call for future reference. 

Phone Sales Techniques That Close

As you know, the closing stage is perhaps the most crucial part of the sales process. You and your prospect may have gone back and forth on a few points, or you may be on a brand new call. Whatever the situation, there are proven techniques your salespeople can use to effectively close the sale over the phone. Here are some phone sales techniques that close. 

Establish Goals

Have a goal or purpose for the call. Say something like “so, our goal for today is to get you signed up with Wizard of Sales” or “Today, I’d like to run through what our company does and hear from you about what your needs are”. Setting a purpose is a win-win for both the rep and the prospect. The sales rep will feel more prepared and the prospect will know what to expect in the call. 

Don’t Spend too Much Time on Small Talk

Have you ever been on a call with someone who tends to ramble? It happens to every salesperson at some point. It is vital to know how to steer the conversation toward its purpose, closing the sale. Keep small talk to the first few minutes of the call and then dive into the sale.

Start With Questions

Another technique to get the conversation started is to ask questions. If you have talked to this person before, ask something like “Are we ready to move forward?” or “Do you have any last-minute questions before we get started?” These questions give the prospect a chance to express any concerns, while your salesperson gives the assumption that the sale is already moving forward. 

Optimize Your Phone Sales With Wizard of Sales

Phone sales are still very much alive in the business world. Make sure your sales team has the tools and techniques they need to increase your ROI via phone sales. If your sales team needs an extra boost, contact us at Wizard of Sales today. We work with businesses of all kinds to implement the best sales strategies, training, and recruitment.