Introduction

In today’s selling environment, the telephone has become the most important selling tool next to a briefcase. For some reason, however, whether in outside or inside sales, very few people have ever had a class, instruction, or formalized training in how to use the telephone effectively to:

• Build immediate rapport

• Generate excitement about business

• Listen carefully for deeper meanings

• Control voice inflection and tone

• Close business consistently over the telephone

More commerce is being conducted now using the telephone. Even when face-to-face selling is involved, it all begins with the telephone call. For this reason, every sales professional in the world should have a phone-selling handbook to generate more sales. Just think about how the realities of doing business have changed.

With the ever-increasing expenses related to travel, more and more companies are bringing salespeople in off the “road” and putting them in front of a telephone. Salespeople who say they are more effective in person are probably right. However, we aren’t likely to get sufficient face time in selling situations if we aren’t effective over the phone first.