New smartphones are released so often it is hard to keep up. Interestingly, one thing we rarely do with our phones is make phone calls. Email, text messaging, and social media have taken the place of the phone in our day-to-day relationships. However, from a sales standpoint, there is no tool more powerful than the phone. Below are four reasons why current technology and habits will never fully replace the power of the phone.
Digital messaging can often become overwhelming
We have all had the experience of logging into our email only to find hundreds of new, unread messages. From newsletters, to upcoming events, to unmissable sales, or client communication, the inbox is jammed full of all sorts of emails asking for something. Amid all the inbox clutter, it can be difficult to stand out, no matter the quality of the email. One way to cut through all the clutter is by calling prospects. Depending on the result of the call, an appropriate follow-up email should be sent, with messaging that resonates with the call result (a request for information vs voicemail vs no answer).
Easy to establish rapport
Marketing teams spend hours crafting the perfect email, social media, and ad messaging. Even after pining over each word, those messages can fail to establish any real connection between organizations and prospects. However, a 15-minute phone call provides a much better opportunity to establish rapport. The act of talking with someone is a more meaningful than sending an email. Human interaction is so rare, it is sure to stand out amongst the competition so make it an opportunity to really connect with your potential client. Talk about a time you visited the town where the prospect was from or recent sporting events. Anything from day-to-day life that can help establish some type of rapport. These types of connections simply cannot be made over email or through social media posts. You will also gain a lot of valuable insights in to how your direct market reacts to your product or service that will have a positive effect on how you are approaching your sales messaging. This makes the phone call a crucial step in nurturing prospective clients through to becoming a customer.
Set phone appointments to move through the sales cycle
The phone is a great tool for moving prospects through the sales cycle. Once a prospect is on the phone, it is clear there is interest. With a solid calling strategy in place, sales reps can ensure each call has an end goal of moving the prospect to the next stage. Set expectations with each phone outreach; first a discovery call, next an exploratory, then a proposal, and so on. No matter the sales process of your organization, use the phone to move the prospect through the journey. If you close a discovery call and the prospect is not interested for whatever reason, it empowers sales to simply move on, knowing an exploratory call is not worth the time. Each call is important since it sets the stage for the next phase of the sales cycle.
Ideal for ongoing support
While lots of companies with high volume support are moving almost exclusively to a ticketing or chat system, by far the best way to address service issues is to have the user on the phone. The massive influx of technology and SaaS offerings, support can be managed almost entirely digitally. But is that the best way to provide customer support? -Would that offer of support delight and be so good that your customers would recommend you to other businesses without human contact? While using all the coolest and newest technologies might feel effective, it often dilutes the process and company branding. Leverage that technology to support your sales efforts but always remember, there is nothing better than getting support from a person.
While the popularity to communicate via digital platforms may have made it easier, it is still the phone that is going to help you identify and target your prospective clients. You will be able to cut through the digital garbage, establish a connection early in the sales process, and properly guide people through your sales process. While a phone call is more time consuming, in the end, it will lead to the greatest sales success because the phone is king.
