We humans are a funny breed. We whine and complain about being lonely and neglected in this increasingly impersonal world. Yet we have insatiable cravings for automated, instant processes and services. We want what we want, when we want it, without having to talk to anyone or answer any questions. Right?
Successful Internet business owners are perfectly aware of the paradox and have prospecting/selling systems that cleverly meld the need for both human interaction and automated function. No matter how automated your online business may be, adding that ounce of human touch is sure to increase sales and signups by huge margins.
As much as we were hoping to be rid of it, the telephone just might be your best friend when it comes to building human relationships with prospects. That's right. Just when you thought you had automated yourself past the need for a telephone, you find yourself needing it more than ever. The following 5 tips and power phrases will help you use the phone as nothing more than another tool for automating business. Do not use the phone to sell. Let the phone be your semi-automated income generator.
1) Presenting Yourself on the Phone
When approaching your prospect on the phone for the first time, they must immediately sense your positive energy and desire more of it. If not, they will quickly be rid of you. Avoid the monotone telemarketer voice that is flat and devoid of life. Your voice must convey sustained enthusiasm (as opposed to over the top insanity) as well as a measure of genuine concern. This takes practice. Start by noticing how others talk to you on the phone. Learn from the telephone voices that are able to hold you on the line. Also, you are the best at being yourself, so there's no need to try to imitate other people that you may consider successful at telephone prospecting. Let your own personality and traits come through rather than trying to put on a false front.
2) Find Out Their Interest Level
The first goal of your interview with the prospect is to learn their interest level. This will allow you to weed out the tire kickers from the serious money makers right from the start. Try this line with your prospect: "I see you are interested in starting an internet business and making money from home. Is that still true?" This powerful phrase does two important things for you. First, it lets the prospect know that you are already aware that they have taken some kind of action to express their interest. Second, because they know you have this information about them, it's difficult for them to turn you away or deny their interest.
3) Take Control of the Conversation
At this point the prospect may try to rush you to your point and impatiently demand a 3-word description of what you're offering. Take a breath and try these key phrases in any combination that works well for you: "Well, let me tell you how I work. First, I need to know if you're serious about making money online from home so that we don't waste each others' time. If you are serious, I've got something absolutely phenomenal to share with you. If not, then that's okay and we still part friends."
This is powerful! It let's you take control of the conversation and conveys that you will lead them through the information gathering process with your professional expertise. However, it also removes the pressure by providing an out for the prospect. Yet at the same time, the prospect intuitively wants to prove him/herself as a "serious" candidate. I mean really! Who doesn't want to make serious money online from home? You are now in a position to explain what the prospect must do next to become more informed about your offer. This is when you use your phone to "automate" the sales process and refer them back to your site to take appropriate action. Perhaps you need them to watch an online presentation, submit a form, review a product, take a survey, etc.
4) Get the Prospect to your Site Immediately
Like I said, we want the phone to be a part of our automated system. We do not want to use the phone to sell. While you've got them on the phone, ask if they can simultaneously be on online. Most prospects can. Direct them to your site and show them the information they need to absorb.
5) Call them Right Back!
Now, you can hang on the line while they watch, but I prefer to give them a few minutes and schedule a call back within the next 10-15 minutes to get their reaction. This removes some of the pressure and again lets their defenses down. When you've got them back on the line for the second time DO NOT TRY TO SELL. Let your automated system do the selling. Remember, you're there just to add the human touch. You can even try this line, "Look, Bob. I'm not here to sell you or close you on this. I'm not going to ask you to put down any money or sign any forms. I just want you to get fully informed because I'm convinced that this is the best (name your product) on the market and I'm confident you will think so too. And if you're serious about using this opportunity to make money online from home then I'm sure we'll have a long and prosperous business relationship. So here's what I need you to do now." Again, you're in a position to redirect them to the final stage of action that will bring them closer the sale. Refer them back to the site for this final action.
In my case, all I have to do is direct them to a call back request form where they submit some details. One of our team leaders follows up with my prospect all the way through to closing. The professional sales team does all the work for me and then notifies me when I have money coming in! Talk about the perfect blend of automated sales and human relationships!
Bonus Tip: If you're still not convinced that the phone can be your semi-automated friend, then consider adding a live chat feature to your web page. This allows your visitors to contact you with questions while they are still at your site! That is extremely powerful and instantly adds a human touch to the sales process. Most live chat features also allow you to be proactive and approach a browsing visitor with a friendly, "Hello there. Let me know if you have questions!" Currently, zazachat.com is offering FREE live chat services for any website while they are beta testing, so give them a try. The only negative to this approach is your required presence at the computer to make it effective. If your chat feature is consistently "offline" then visitors will possibly feel neglected or even conned.
In summary, remember that while your business may be fully automated and can generate sales without your personal touch, using the phone to add that ounce of human contact can greatly increase your profits! Your goal is not to sell them on the phone, but to enhance your automated system's performance by referring them back to your site and encouraging them to take action. For tips on automating any online business with a top notch marketing portal that allows for up to 7 streams of income visit www.bringthebucks.com
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