Phone leads can be troublesome for a number of reasons. While the contact rate proves that they are incredibly successful and undoubtedly good for business, they can be taxing on sales reps. Keeping track of the huge volume of calls that may have to be made every day can be at best disorienting, and, at worst, frustrating. But there are some stress-relieving practices you can get into to keep your day organized and easy-going:
Schedule breaks in your day
Nobody likes to hear a sales rep who sounds stressed, tired, or otherwise exasperated. Perhaps the best way to keep yourself mentally acute is to step away from the phone every so often. The Pomodori Technique recommends 25 minutes of solid, focused work, accompanied by 5 minute breaks, with longer breaks every couple of hours. Of course, these numbers can be tweaked to fit your workplace, but this technique keeps you from the daily call burnout, and your phone leads will appreciate how it helps with the next practice...
Be human
Robocalling is becoming increasingly taboo these days, and even though it’s not written in any laws, the same is true for sales reps who sound like robots. Bringing energy to your calls can mean a big boost in sales, and making sure that you’re providing your prospect with real service instead of a script does the same. The usual advice of the smile-and-dial is great to make you sound approachable, but remember, leads will only really be interested in the call if they know it will help them.
Keep track of your follow-ups
When you’re making dozens of calls every day, it can be hard to remember what obligations you’ve signed up for. Since 80% of phone leads require five follow-up calls, it’s very important to stay on top of your schedule. Set notifications/alarms for your follow up calls. Whether you’re using Google Calendar, a phone calendar, a CRM, or useful tools like Evernote, make sure to set reminders a few minutes before each call so you can keep track of your day.
Reflect on calls
At the end of the day, it’s always worth taking a few minutes to look back on your calls. What phone leads did you call that day? Were there any particularly good or bad calls? What worked, and what didn’t? These are all important questions to answer in order to continually improve your sales potential.