Winning Conversations: How to Make a Positive First Impression on the Phone
The telephone often represents your first point of contact with potential clients.
As such, this single source of communication can possibly even make the difference between failure and success for you as an insurance agent.
But with the right combination of etiquette, energy and professionalism, you can improve your effectiveness on the phone and turn those first impressions into sales simply by following a few easy guidelines.
Creating Good Vibes
How do people feel when they call your business? Do you portray energy, enthusiasm, respectfulness and professionalism?
If not, it's time to give your phone skills some polish.
To increase your effectiveness, improve your company image, and win customers over the phone, try these proven techniques:
1. Answer calls immediately.
The longer your phone rings, the less important your caller feels and the more concerned he or she becomes.
Answering quickly keeps these feelings in check and portrays you as quick, efficient and businesslike.
Research shows that the likelihood your caller will hang up increases 10 percent with each additional ring after the third. You can't afford this risk, so make it a point to answer right away.
2. Greet callers with warmth and sincerity.
Some of the most important qualities portrayed in a positive first impression include friendliness, openness and genuineness.
Greeting callers with a kind, cheery "Good morning" or a "Good afternoon" only takes a little time, but can make a big impression-especially compared to a recorded, plastic greeting or gruff salutation that makes them feel like you don't want to talk or they're interrupting your day.
3. Speak slowly, clearly and with conviction.
Rushing through a greeting or conversation can make callers think you're busy or stressed; that they're not important to you, or that other things are more important than they are.
So take a deep breath before picking up the phone, and then focus on speaking slowly, enunciating your words clearly, and conveying confidence in yourself and your ability to take care of the caller's needs.
If you have a heavy accent, consider taking accent-reduction classes to help modify your phone voice and make conversations more pleasurable for others.
If anyone believes in their business, it should be you. So talk about your product and service with purpose and confidence, keeping your caller's objectives and needs in mind.
Don't use language that might be unfamiliar, as this may intimidate the caller and make him or her less likely to call back again.
4. Give callers your full attention.
We've all been on the wrong end of a call in which the other person is sending emails, rustling papers or talking to someone else in the background.
Knowing you don't have someone's full attention can be extremely annoying, and it seems rude and unprofessional.
Do your caller a favor and focus completely on him or her during the duration of the call. Don't put your attention on other things by multi-tasking while on the phone-even if you need to get answers to their questions and call them right back in order to do so.
You'll convey to them a sense of importance, and they'll feel like you really care.
5. Avoid interrupting.
Because you don't have visual cues to rely on during phone conversations, carefully avoid interrupting your caller. Interruptions come across much more rudely and severely on the phone than in face-to-face conversation, and make the other person feel you don't value or believe what they're saying.
Wait until it's clear the caller has finished speaking before you respond to what he or she is saying.
6. Tell the truth.
This may seem obvious, but telling the truth is essential if you want to create a trusting environment for potential clients, whether over the phone or in person.
Stretching the truth, or telling a "little white lie" only causes more harm than good, and makes your caller hesitant to trust you again.
Don't embellish your products or service. Just tell the truth confidently, and let the caller decide if your business and products are what they're looking for.
You'll come across much more knowledgeable and professional, and your callers will view you as a trustworthy, reliable source for their insurance needs.
Profiting from Improvements
Leaving callers with a positive first impression is a powerful way to turn conversations into sales-and profits.
So present yourself and your business more effectively over the phone by brushing up on your etiquette, getting energized and conveying professionalism to your callers.
You'll be amazed at the difference it makes!
This information was provided by InsureMe, the leader in online insurance leads for the insurance industry. Since 1993, InsureMe has helped thousands of insurance agents succeed in the insurance business by providing top-quality leads that are both detailed and affordable. For more information on InsureMe leads, please visit our agent Web site at www.agent.insureme.com.
