"Wow! Your phone message is just too happy!" "You've got way too much energy." "How do you stay so upbeat?" These are just some of the comments I get about my voice mail message and my technique for answering the phone. Many times I answer personally and the person on the other end of the line starts to leave a message. They think I'm the voice mail. Hahaha I tell them I answer that way so if I don*t like them I can say "beep" and hang up.
You can't catch me answering the phone poorly. If I feel bad, I still answer the phone in an upbeat manner which sometimes knocks me out of my bad mood. If I feel so bad that I just can't rise to the occasion, then I DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE. It's all part of walking your talk, or I guess in this case you would call it "talking your talk." If I profess to be able to create excitement in the client's organization and I can*t even do it in my own, I've lost a considerable amount of credibility. My interns aren't even allowed to answer the phone until they can absolutely prove that they won't hurt my reputation of being upbeat and exciting.
Listen to your own voice mail message. Is it as enthusiastic as it could be? Does it convey the personality you are selling to the client? How about the way you answer the phone? Would you be proud if I called you and critiqued your technique?
You can sell a ton of products and services just because of the way you act on the telephone. Be a little phony if you're not feeling great, but push yourself toward enthusiasm. Potential clients don't want to hire a dud.
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Sunday, December 7, 2008
Public Speaking: Be A Little Phony On The Phone
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Quick Tips To Becoming A Great Public Speaker ...
Imagine a fancy hotel ballroom brimming with people. Hear the buzz of an audience anticipating a great speech. The speaker arrives and gives a technically competent speech.
The content is perfect but the delivery is plain. There is no fire in the speaker's belly. No conviction in their voice. The speaker lacks passion. Music is not just someone hitting piano keys in the right order. It is the soaring passion of playing music as an expression of the soul.
Think of the greatest speakers you have heard. They may not have been technically perfect, but they had passion.
Why is passion important?
If you do sales presentations, have a passion for your product. At my sales training seminars, I do an exercise where I role-play as a skeptical customer. The salesperson has to convince me why their product is the best.
The salesperson with the most passion - the most conviction - can persuade me to buy. After all, if you don't believe in your product, how can your clients? If you do marketing presentations, have a passion to persuade your listeners. If you do training, do it with the enthusiasm of someone committed to help people grow.
Here are three questions to help you discover your passion:
1. What subject do I love so passionately, I would speak about it for free?
2. What topic do I talk to friends and family members about?
3. Why is it vital for ME to be the one to deliver this message?
These questions focus on the passion that is INSIDE of us. If you fail to be passionate about your message, you cheat your audience. You also deprive yourself of the enthusiasm of feeling truly committed to your life's work.
Finding that perfect topic is like finding the love of your life. It may take time and a few false starts but it is well worth it. Unleash the passion!
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