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Is
There Anybody Out There?
Article 6
More and more, salespeople do not return their phone calls. In most cases, this costs both them and their company money. I don’t know if they feel as though they have all the business than they need, maybe they are playing psychological games or if they are just plain incompetent. Regardless of the answer, when you don’t return calls, it is rude and sends a negative message to your caller. The way you handle calls projects a subtle bit of information about your competency or your attitude toward the current or possible relationship. For instance,
I recently called twelve companies to do a major printing job for me.
Only two returned my call. One called the same day; the other called three
days later. In another example, I called three different companies to
order parts for a garage door. None of the companies returned my call.
Consequently, I ended up buying a new door opener from their competitor.
Taking Calls: I have been in sales offices many times and have heard salespeople tell the receptionist to tell the caller they are not in or they are in a meeting when it isn’t the truth. Many times the salesperson doesn’t even know who the person is. How do I know, I ask. I have seen salespeople sitting around chit-chatting and electing not to take calls. They later, leave and don’t return them prior to their departure. Studies show that 70% of all calls are viewed as an interruption. However, when you are in sales, the interruption is what puts food on your table. A customer or prospect is not an interruption of your work. He is the purpose of it. You are not doing him a favor by taking or returning the call. He is doing you a favor by giving you the opportunity to do so. He could become your next buyer. I have seen
salespeople use voice mail to screen calls. If they don’t recognize
the name, they don’t take the call right then. Some reps think they
are so important, they don’t have time to return calls to anyone
who is not a major client and will delegate the call to an assistant if
they have one. Sometimes the assistant will tell you they will check to
see if the salesperson is in and you know many times they are just finding
out whether the person wants to take your call. When the reply comes back,
“They The other issue is, will you interrupt what you are doing to take a call. Worse yet, is when the person tells you they can’t take your call but will get back to you at a particular time and don’t call back when they say they will. What message does that send? What impact could that have on the callers decision to do business with that person or company? Returning Calls: Some people just never seem to return calls. Others will return calls well outside the normal business hours or on weekends. They rarely expect anyone to receive the call. The message they are sending is that they really have no intentions of talking to you. Some people think not returning calls implies they are in a position of power and status and many people don’t expect returned calls from people who are in such a position. Some people think not returning calls indicates they are busy and people prefer to do business with busy people. I personally disagree. I want to do business with someone I can depend on and who is responsive. A question a caller may ask themselves when you don’t return calls promptly is this. If the salesperson can’t return my call when I am trying to give him my business, what kind of service can I expect once he gets my money? The message that you are non-responsive and unreliable has already been transmitted. Are you guilty
of any of these examples? If you are, you might want to rethink how you
handle calls in the future. Remember, there is nothing more important
than a prospect or client. Unless you take the call or return it, you
will never know what opportunity you could have had. I learned a long
time ago, you never know what an immediately returned call can do for
your business, unless you pick up the phone and call the person back.
It might even turn out to be your biggest opportunity of the year. There
is only one legitimate reason for not returning calls if you are a professional.
You are dead! Otherwise, you can I call on top executives all the time. My most favorable impression of one CEO occurred when I heard a voice mail indicating the executive was out of town. Five minutes later, I received a call from him. The voice mail I had left him had activated his pager, and he called me from the airport on his cell phone. That is impressive and someone I would want to do business with. Perception! Problem: Salespeople not returning calls. Solution: Be responsive, return all calls promptly. Results: You will be perceived as responsive, supportive and on top of your job. You will be more likely to get their business rather than a competitor.
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By
Terry Booton, President