Make Friends with Your Phone

By Nicki Keohohou
Posted Saturday, December 18, 2004

Phone Phobia? Here are a few tips to help get you on the phone so you can call to offer a show, schedule a private appointment, and gather referrals.

·Put yourself in a positive frame of mind before you make the call and transfer your enthusiasm to the person you are calling.

·The first fifteen seconds sets the tone for your entire call. Your most effective introduction is one with professionalism and warmth.

·Be polite and show respect by asking "Is this a good time for you?"

·Everyone wants to feel special, so in the beginning build rapport by offering a sincere compliment or asking about her family or a special interest.

·Use recommended scripts and dialogue provided by your company. They are included in your training material because they have worked well! Set a goal to use the script as is for at least six calls and only after trying it as is change it to suite your personal style.

·Go for it! You made the call - now make the most of the opportunity by offering to:

1) Save them money by mentioning a special offer or suggesting they hold a show/party and earn free products and discounts.

2) Earn additional income by helping them start a home-based business with your company.

3) Share the product or the business opportunity with a friend. Offer a referral incentive for any leads they provide who end up joining your team.

·No matter what the result always ask for a referral by saying, "Who do you know who needs to do some gift holiday shopping or who would like to have some additional cash?"

Set Yourself Up For Success

Every month you have a new opportunity to make a difference in your business. But you can't make a difference if you do not make contact with the lifeline of your success: your customers, hostesses, and people within your circle of influence.

In fact, for many direct selling leaders their success each month is in direct proportion to the time they invest in making customer calls the first few days of the month. Plan time right now to contact EVERY previous customer and hostess.

1)Gather your customer records so you have what you need at your fingertips.

2)Select key dates on which you?d like to hold shows and schedule opportunity interviews.

3)Have the customer service dialogue from your manual where you can reference it.

4)Have product literature and order forms available.

5)Make a list of what you want to share during the call; check to see how they are enjoying their products and make suggestions for the future.

6)Take a moment to review your goals and visualize your success.

7)Pick up the phone and start dialing!

Be persistent! It may take ten calls to get the response you want.

About the Author
This article has been provided by Nikki Keohohou who is a Co-Founder of the Direct Selling Women's Association. The Association offers a community web site where direct sellers enjoy 24-hour access to industry specific information and resources designed to help them successfully manage their business. Discover this one-of-a-kind, all-inclusive business-building resource at (www.mydswa.org) or contact them at info@mydswa.org.