DBR 001: Take a mobile call? Think about your goals.

Just because your phone is mobile doesn’t mean your calls should be. The challenges of mobile calls:

• Distinguish between using a cell phone and having a mobile call.
• The specific challenge of using a mobile phone.
• We are tempted to try to gather information when we’re not prepared to do so
• Back in the day, at my house we had a pad and pencil (it was something my granddad made)
• Notice what this means – we expected to get information and knew we needed to record it, so we were prepared
• The purpose of a business phone call is to exchange important information, so you need to capture that information.
• By answering the call, you are committing to receive information. Are you really prepared to do that?
• My client is a realtor – complex information
• Be sure you’re ready, because the worst is to have to call back and say “Tell me the information again”
• well the actual worst is to have to guess and get it wrong
• either way, it means you weren’t listening to your customer the first time.

• So, what happens if you don’t answer?

• Most likely your caller will leave voice mail, or call you again later
• Both are good results, so make this easy for them
• work on your voicemail system
• do reassure them that they’ve reached you (say your name)
• don’t have a long prompt
• don’t make them press any buttons
• try to get rid of the ‘mechanical voice’ – I hate having to wait to start leaving my message
• And make it easy for you
• Try to get a transcript of the recording delivered to you, normally via email
• Make it a habit to wait to check voicemail when you’re ready to capture the information

• Yeah, they will – if its important to them
• And, if they don’t? Then their purpose for getting your attention was quite weak.
• Do you really want to spend a bunch of time talking to someone who doesn’t have an important purpose for calling you?

If you have inbound prospect calls

• People you don’t know who are calling you to find something out
• Deal with that well, and separately
• You need a specific process (and probably a specific number).

Make a great impression on people. Give them your full attention and deal with their information professionally.