Phone Sales Tips = Phone Interview Skills

Here’s another great article for you from Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter.  They’re great sales tips for you to use when contacting customers over the phone, but I want you to also look at these as great tips you can use in phone interviews for clinical sales, pharma sales, laboratory sales, imaging sales, biotech sales, lab device sales, or any health care sales position.  Think of your position interview the same as you would a sales call–only here, the product you’re selling is you.  You want the customer (the hiring manager) to buy your product (hire you).  Keeping this kind of perspective is extremely effective.

Phone Sales Tips:  Phone Sales Tips When Contacting Customers

Never ask if it’s a wonderful time to talk. This gives the other person a flawless excuse to end the call. If you are unsure if the person has time to talk, then state up front that the phone call will only take THREE minutes. When you give the person an exact time be sure you time the call. After the allotted time, tell the customer you’re at the end and ask them if they would like to continue or reschedule. Using this practice allows you to demonstrate how much you respect their time. Ask musings. People will never hang up on themselves. Use the person’s name at least THREE times in every phone call. Who doesn’t like to hear their name told? When greeting people on the telephone, avoid using their last name. It makes the call seem too formal. Your objective should be to have a casual conversation, in the same way you would talk to a nice friend. Use visually descriptive words to help paint a picture of what you’re saying. A phone conversation doesn’t got to be boring and stale. When starting a new telephone conversation, always give your first and last name. Never assume the person you’re talking to is going to recognize your voice or think you’re the only one with your first name. Watch your facial expressions by placing a mirror in front of you when you talk. It’s excellent how they come through over the phone. Add energy to your phone calls by standing up. Nobody likes talking to a “blah” person. People who have worthy posture tend to come across more enthusiastic than these who don’t. When you end a conversation, always summarize it in the same way you would end a live meeting. By doing so, you can prevent misinterpretation of your discussion. Always allow the other person to have the final comment or question. Just because you’ve asked all your questions doesn’t mean the other person has asked all of his. Avoid negotiating over the phone, use it as a means to introduce information and to follow up or confirm information. It’s impossible to truly read body language over the phone and thus you lose a big negotiating tool. A phone call however can be an excellent way to introduce a new idea you would like to receive some feedback on. Many times it will allow feedback to be gained in a less threatening manner than if it were to occur in a traditional sales call. Never use a speaker phone with a customer even if they say it’s nice with them. Speaker phones add to the perception the conversation is not important enough to capture 100% of the person’s attention. (Only exception of course is if there is a group involved.)

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter”, www.TheSalesHunter.com, © 2007

 

Article courtesy of  Peggy McKee - Owner / Senior Recruiter at the nationally
recognized lab and pharma sales recruiting team of PHC Consulting.
© Copyright 2008 PHC Consulting | All rights reserved

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Phone Sales Tips = Phone Interview Skills