Four simple methods to handle your outgoing business calls

One of the most frustrating things you could experience as a call agent or business owner is the handling of calls. Every customer has a different reaction to whatever you’re offering to them. Also, you’ll come across rude callers or recipients, as well as those who are a lot easier to communicate with. In both…

Ash Hall
Head of Product

Dec 15, 2020
5 minutes read

One of the most frustrating things you could experience as a call agent or business owner is the handling of calls. Every customer has a different reaction to whatever you’re offering to them. Also, you’ll come across rude callers or recipients, as well as those who are a lot easier to communicate with. In both of these scenarios, however you decide to interact with these potential customers could determine the success of your business.

Apart from building your reputation, learning the art of business calls management will help you gain more information about your customers. So, what’s the best way of handling outgoing calls? Well, there are many companies, such as Call Cowboy, that provide various software programs that can help you manage your calls. However, once you dial the desired number, it’s all about improving your first impression and working on tonal variations.

If you’re wondering how you can combine those skills together, then this article is perfect for you. Read on to find out more!

Consider A Pre-Call Preparation

A business call is not like your normal catch-up calls with friends. It entails crucial information about your company and the customer involved. As such, it’s imperative that you prepare before trying to connect with the other party. During this phase, you ought to send a message to the recipient a few hours or days before the call, letting them know of the meeting.

Once that is sorted, you can go ahead and list a few questions that’ll be asked during the meeting. It's also important to make a brief research on the other party so as to avoid any issues along the way. Finally, be sure to set up your auto dialer to record the conversation so that you can review it later and analyse your performance.

Introduction is Key

The first thing you should always do whenever you’re making a call to your potential customers is to ensure that you introduce yourself and the business. Many people start by just stating the name of their company as soon as the recipient answers the call. For instance, if your initial statement is ‘XYZ Company,’ then it might come out as aggressive and quite unwelcoming to some people.

If you want to get the best of your outgoing calls, then make it a habit to always start by greeting the person on the other end of the call. For instance, you could open with such a statement: “Good afternoon, XYZ Limited, David speaking. How may I help you?”

Doing so ensures the customer feels relaxed and ready to interact with you. That question at the end sends a signal that you’re all ears, and are ready to listen to any problem that the client might have. It’s more like making them feel comfortable in a boardroom before the meeting starts.

Be Direct

Since you are the one making the call, you might be inconveniencing the other person. Therefore, before you even get into the primary conversation, it’d be prudent to ask the customer if they are in a position to speak. If they’re not, then you can offer to call them later rather than trying to convince them to take some time off their work.

However, if they’re ready to listen to you, then it’s important that you hit the nail on the head as quickly as you can. Be precise and cover the relevant topic within a short span of time. This way, you’ll give them enough time to process whatever you’ll explain. If you take long to make a point, then you might not get a well-informed answer as they’ll be in a hurry to get back to their job.

Review The Calls

The reviewing process is divided into two parts. One of them happens before you hang up the call. It’s recommended that you take notes during your conversation with the other party. At the end of the call, go through what you’ve discussed just to get the reassurance that you’re both on the same page. You can also set up another date on which you’ll make a follow-up call.

The second part of this process happens after you’ve hung up the call. The purpose of this step is to compare your objectives with whatever was achieved during the conversation. As earlier stated, you must be clear about the purpose of your call before dialling the number. By reviewing the results of the call, you’ll know where you can make adjustments to grow your business even further.

Conclusion

Handling business calls can be quite tricky, especially if you’re still learning the ropes. However, there are four simple steps that can help you become an expert in this field within no time. First, you have to prepare way before making the call, ask relevant questions during the conversation, and make it as brief as possible. After the conversation, you should always review the discussion to see what was achieved and where you can do better.