No invention is more feared, perhaps, than the telephone. The same device that links us with family and friends and lets us book appointments for car services and manicures is the object of dread for many when it comes to using it for anything else. As we’re about to see, though, using it for our Freelancer and Entrepreneurial businesses is nothing like being stuck in a call centre.
Well done!—we’re nearly halfway along in our course, and your efforts and determination have brought your dream so much closer. Speaking of closer, and as you’re already gaining a solid grasp of the realities of being a Freelancer and Entrepreneur, we’ll see how to get some direct business in this lesson.
Now, if you’re anything like most people, you’ll tend to imagine the following equation:
Me + Phone + Asking strangers for business = Stress!!!!!
Most of the world has learned to loathe salespeople. They call us up, intruding on our time as they try worming their way into our wallets and purses, giving us a spiel about something we’re suddenly supposed to want or even “need”. Yet, without the drive to explain a need to someone, not much would ever get sold anywhere. Were that so, the world would be a very quiet, colourless and boring place indeed.
You might be worried that this lesson is about pushing you into a call centre. No way—instead, we’ve got some news that will not only relieve you; we’re sure it will excite you. Phoning people to win business comes down to a couple of familiar, big-picture elements. Preparing yourself (by doing your homework on the client, not taking ‘calm down’ pills!) is one. The other is largely down to realising that much of what you need to do with people is what you may well be doing already.
We will carry you over the wall of fear about selling. Ever wanted to know how people make sales calls that win results? Or what goes into a perfect pitch that can bowl over even the most stubborn cynic? It’s an exact science, and we will take you through it, step by step on several possible paths so you can see what goes into a successful call, from the start to the moment you hang up with an appointment in your diary. As we said, it’s a science; you may soon find yourself making it an art that comes naturally. The phone is not your enemy, and nor are the people you’re calling, after all.
References
Hero Image: Author/Copyright holder: Rikke Friis Dam and the Interaction Design Foundation. Copyright terms and licence: : CC BY-NC-ND.
