When it comes to RV sales training everyone agrees that high quality phone skills are critical to long term sales success.
The ability to turn an inbound or follow up phone call into an appointment gives any RV sales pro not only the ability to generate additional sales and income aside from the walk in customer, but also a level of confidence few receive. We also know it is an age old challenge to get salespeople to make the necessary calls and make them in a high quality manner.
Good phone skills come natural only to a few however. Most of us are just not good on the phones and need training and instruction on how to handle the different types of calls and knowing what to say and how to say it. Recently I’ve had some interesting points come up regarding leaving phone messages.
During some of my in dealership phone training classes occasionally a question comes up about something I recommend which is to always leave a message when contacting a customer who doesn’t answer and that sales people should be prepared on what to say should a customer answer or not. My reasoning is simple in that most everyone today has caller id and if you call and don’t leave a message they know it was you, or the dealership, that didn’t bother to leave a message. Putting yourself in the consumers place for a moment, how would that make you feel? My belief would be that most customers would be put off and feel unimportant and that they were just another name on a list of calls the salesperson needed to make today.
Personally, I receive several business related calls in a day and almost daily as well, someone’s business name appears on my caller id as a missed call yet there is no message. Sometimes worse yet there is a lengthy rambling message that makes me go numb and by the time it’s finished I really don’t recall where they started their message. Another challenge is that of salespeople leaving a large number of messages with no return calls at all. There are definite reasons for these challenges but let’s stay on the leaving a message topic for today.
In doing some research for an Advanced Closing course I’m developing, I stumbled upon several articles about the benefits of NOT leaving a message. Some sales people have told me they refuse to leave messages for the simple fact they don’t get calls back. Again I think some, not all, of that has to do with the quality of the message to begin with; i.e. the vague and non-customer driven “I’ve got great news” call etc.
One article I read said; “More than 30 percent of voice mail messages remain unheard for three days or longer, according to uReach Technologies, which designs voice messaging systems for Verizon and other phone companies.” Also according to cell phone companies, very few customers call in to ever check their voice mail messages. I believe this to some degree as many times I cannot leave a message due to someone’s mailbox being full and no longer can accept messages.
So, what do you think? Should we leave phone messages or not? Does it do more harm than good? Do you feel age demographics play a part and should that figure into how we handle the phones in RV sales? Is the new mantra in this high tech age, “At the tone, please don’t leave a message”?
I look forward to your thoughts.
Chuck Morgan
There are basic rules to follow of course when it comes to phone skills and there is no lack of places to find ways to improve those skills. Our Phone Skills for RV Sales Professionals for example, can give you many of the necessary skills to improve on the phone dramatically.
Posted under Phone Skills, rv sales
This post was written by admin on July 26, 2009
Chuck,
This brings up a good point. Phones are critical to the success of any salesperson, whether it be RV, cars, boats and etc.
You’re right, most salespeople are scared to death of the phone, which is exactly why they should try and get good! becomming a phone pro will put them in a league of their own.
Laeving messages is critical. If you take the time to call someone and they don’t answer leave a short descriptive and polite message. Make sure you include your name and state your business. When you leave your call back number, state it clearly and repeat it. Most people “speed through” their phone numbers and the person trying to retreave the message has to play the recording back several times to understand what they said.
Now for the message that will get the person to call back, which is even more imporant. I like to use the “dangling the carrot” approach. You have to create urgency/curiosity and if you do it correctly they will return your call.
I like to leave things like: “Mr. Jones, This is Jeff from XYZ RV Sales and I have some very important information/good news!, please call me back at your earliest convienence. By the way Mr. Jones, you are going to really like what I have to say…You can reach me at 865-877….again that’s 865-877….Thanks again and I’m looking forward to your call back!”
Just my opinion, based on FACT!
Jeff Agans
I HAVE BEEN IN THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS FOR 29 YEARS. WORKING IN THE GARMENT CENTER IN NEW YORK AND WORKING WITH CLIENTS SUCH AS NORDSTROM, MACY’S, DILLARDS, WE WERE ON THE PHONES FROM 8AM TO 7PM MONDAY THRU FRIDAY SOMETIMES SATURDAYS.
IF A CLIENT COMES TO YOUR HOUSE AND YOU SPEND ANYWHERE FRO 30 MINUTES TO 4 HOURS THEN YOU HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO CALL THEM BACK TIL THEY BUY OR DIE. MESSAGES THAT YOU LEAVE SHOULD FIT INTO YOUR OWN PERSONALITY BUT THEY SHOULD NEVER BE SPECIFIC, I.E., NO PAYMENTS, RATES, OR PRICES.
AN EXAMPLE OF MY TENACITY WAS A CLIENT, WHEN I WORKED IN THE GARMENT CENTER, WHO I CALLES EVERY DAY- THREE TIMES A DAY- AND LEFT MESSAGES. THIS WENT ON FOR 7 MONTHS WITHOUT A RETURN CALL. THE BUYER WAS FEMALE AND A FRIEND OF MINE GAVE ME THIS SUGGESTION. I CALLED HER AND HER SECRETARY ASKED ME WHO WAS CALLING, I SAID “THIS IS HER GYNECOLOGIST, SHE IMMEDIATELY PICKED UP THE PHONE AND SAID, ” YES DOCTOR” I SAID I GOTCHA, THIS IS STEVE FROM XXXX. SHE LAUGHED AND TOLD ME THAT WAS A FIRST, MADE AN APPOINTMENT, SHOPPED MY LINE AND A YEAR LATER WE HAD DONE OVER $700,000.00 BUSINESS. I DON’T THINK I WOULD RECCOMMEND THIS TO MY SALESPEOPLE. BUT WE DON’T MAKE MONEY WITHOUT THE ORDER.
LEAVE THAT MESSAGE, IF YOU THINK YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET THE ORDER- YOU WON’T
I have found two different ways to get customers to call back more than just leaving a request to call me.
“Give me a call…..I have some good news for you!”
And if they don’t call back after a couple messages, I leave the message “please give me a courtesy call to let me know you and your family is OK.”
Most time they will call you back and let you know if they are interested or have already bought something.
I agree with Chuck. If a salesman does not leave a message, it is likely to create a bad fealing with the customer. However, the message should not ask the customer to return the call; instead, the message should let the customer know the salesman will try again at a different time.