This headline could have more simply read, "What everybody ought to know about selling over the phone", because that's what I want to talk about here. But if we want to get to the core of why selling over the phone is more difficult, that headline hits the nail on the head: On the phone, you lose the benefit of non-verbal communication.
What do I mean by non-verbal communication? I'm talking about all of the communication that takes place between people without words. It's about the way we look at someone when we speak, the tone of our voice, our body language. Are you up, positive, open, interested? Or are you down, soft, shy or self-conscious? This all contributes towards the impression that people form about us and what we are trying to express, both explicitly and implicitly.
The other week I came across I'm not very good at cold-calling. Help! on the SmartCompany website, from Trent Leyshan. In the column, Trent argues that when making a cold call, you must 'buy-in' rather than 'sell-in'. In other words, you must take a "genuine interest in [the customer] and their best interest." What especially caught my eye in the piece was this line early on, as he sets up his argument:
In fact, over 50% of communication is achieved via non-verbal cues. That means most cold-callers, even the really good ones, are still limited by these phone related challenges.
Trent is absolutely right. But I'd argue that the 50% number he cites is too conservative; I'd put it up to 80%!
So cold callers are burdened with the challenging task of making the best of the remaining 20% of communication faculties they still have at their disposal. And mind you, that 20% isn't just in the words, but also in the intonation of the words. All of a sudden, the actual words that you've carefully scripted and rehearsed account for maybe 7% to 10% of what you could be communicating in a normal, face-to-face interaction! The way you speak – the tone of your voice, your delivery, even grunts of acknowledgement as you listen to the customer – is just as valuable.
Needless to say, this leaves little margin for error when communicating (aka selling) over the phone. However done correctly, the sense of respect and sincerity that you'll project – that you have that "genuine interest in the customer and their best interest" – will hugely impact whether the customer will trust you, choose to engage with you and decide to make a purchase.
The next time you pick up the phone – and this is not just limited to new prospects, it can be anyone, even your mother! – think not only about what you're going to say but how you're going to say it. Because getting the latter right is just as important (if not more) as choosing the right words. Then you can start turning cold calls into hot knocks!