When you can’t meet in person, use these rules to build rapport and communicate more clearly.
The telephone has been in existence for 136 years, but the way some people use it, you’d think it was invented yesterday.
With business travel at an all-time low, there is simply no skill more important to business success (especially in sales) than the ability to build rapport during a telephone conversation. When you can’t shake hands or look somebody in the eye, your voice (and your voice alone) must be able to communicate “I am capable and trustworthy.”
Unfortunately, many people in business have no idea that they sound like idiots, hustlers or robots when they’re talking on the phone. They talk too fast, they mumble, they blather, they make remarks that would only make sense with an accompanying hand gesture.
It’s crazy. You wouldn’t believe the stuff I’ve heard. And that’s just the negative, sales-killing stuff. Very few people use their voice and word choice actively to create a better connection with the person at the other end of the line.
…to read this article in full, visit leading US small business resource, Inc.
