Your New Voice for Selling Over the Phone

Speaking on the phone is a skill/craft to be learned in sales. Even in the age of virtual selling, it’s imperative to understand techniques for successful selling over the phone. Start by understanding your voice and stay aware as you speak with your customers.

Voice Qualities for Selling Over the Phone

Tone & Inflection:

• Speak Naturally. However, if you have a deep or high pitch/tone in your voice that’s hard to understand, you’ll need to strengthen your phone voice.
• Show excitement with energy words when appropriate: Fantastic, Great, Awesome.
• Upskilling your tone will take the telemarketer and/or peddler out of your voice.
• People can hear you smile.
• Using a professional tone, energy words and inflection in your voice will make all the difference.

Speed:

• Talk too fast? SLOW DOWN.
• Do not try to squeeze your words in. Wait.
• Don’t mumble: In person, people can read lips; on the phone it just sounds muffled. 

Articulation:

• Watch your UMs and UH-HUHs. While that works in person, it can be a distraction on the phone.
• Speak the full words and do not rush through them.
• Enhance your voice quality. Do not slouch in your chair, sit upright.

Pro Tip for Selling Over the Phone: Get Customers to Talk with Questions Like These:

• Why do you say that?
• What impact is that having?
• How so?
• What steps have you taken?
• That is interesting. Tell me more….
• Help me to understand