Get Clients to Say “Yes” by Improving Your Telephone Skills

Many of the people who attended this year's bootcamp had one primary concern: "How do I get clients?"

Over the next several weeks, we will cover various approaches for getting clients in The Golden Thread. In this week's issue, let's focus on one method: cold calling.

I know the thought of making a dozen or more cold calls a day is about as appealing as getting a root canal. But I've talked with a number of freelancers who swear by it. (The key to all good self-promotion efforts is to stick with it.)

So, let's go over a few things you can do on the phone to increase the odds that your prospects will agree to meet with you or request samples of your writing. At a minimum, they should be willing to let you check back with them in a couple of months.

Let's say you've got a list of names and numbers. What's the first thing you should do before you place your first call?

Visualize success. It sounds hokey, I know, but I've tried it … and it works.

Then, lift your head, sit up tall, smile, and look at yourself in a mirror. All of this gives you energy and helps you project your friendliest, most confident, and most succinct voice.

When you get someone on the phone, don't begin by asking, "How are you?" (This immediately signals that it's a sales call.) And don't just start jabbering away. Remember, your prospect was busy doing something else before you called. Now, you're asking him or her to suddenly switch gears.

Your prospect will be grateful if you keep your conversation brief. So, create a script (15 seconds or less) to keep you focused. Write it out and keep it in front of you. You'll feel more prepared … not to mention a lot less anxious

To make cold calling even easier, prepare additional scripts for the questions and objections you're most likely to get. Common objections might include, "I'm not the right person" or "She's not available right now." Also, be prepared to answer the following questions: "Do you have any samples?" "What have you worked on?" "What are your specialties?"

As you make your way down your list of names and phone numbers, you'll often be transferred to voice mail. Don't be discouraged. In some ways, getting voice mail is better than talking with a real person.

Voice mail gives you an uninterrupted opportunity to make a great first impression.

To accomplish this, prepare a script to use for voice mail messages. You should state your name (very clearly) and your reason for calling, give specific information on how you can be reached, and close with a call to action (e.g., "I'll call back tomorrow"). And, whatever you do, don't forget to follow up!