Say It Like You Mean It: On the Phone

[Ellen Dunnigan]

Remember: when selling by phone, 84% of the message is conveyed by the quality of the voice and the intelligibility of the speech. Pitch, tone, inflection, and pronunciation matter!

The customer uses “Credibility Detectors”. These sensors in the brain are activated by tone of voice and body language; not words. They give us important information about the speaker’s sincerity, integrity, and emotional intelligence (EQ). Some people equate this to the “gut-level hunch” we often sense.

HOW you say your message makes all the difference. And there is an art to this. Before you head off to that next big call, think about the feeling you want to leave with your customer; the emotion you want to share. For example, consider that you might want to start with a warm, friendly message and follow up with a confident, powerful, or influential message.

Each feeling you want to convey can be portrayed by:
descriptive word
mental picture or image
matching body language

Speak like the person is in the room with you, and you'll find yourself being more personable and, therefore, more believable.