- When prospecting by phone, it is not just what you say-it’s how you say it. To achieve the maximum effect with your delivery, you will want to practice what you will say and practice different ways of saying it. Do this until you come up with the way that you think is most effective and will give you the result you want.
- Speak about your business or product/service as often as you can in “real life.” You must get used to just talking about what you are doing. That skill will translate to the telephone.
- Use a tape recorder and tape yourself; listen to what you sound like. Do you sound like someone you would like to be having a conversation with? Listen closely to the tape, and evaluate what you hear. Listen for warmth and passion in your voice. Do you sound interesting? Convincing? Confident? Is your speech clear, professional and pleasant? How is the rhythm and pacing of your speech? Do you sound angry, tired, tentative or bored? Is your speaking voice nasal, a monotone or singsong? Do you speak too fast or too slow? Do you mumble? Remember, as you listen to the tape, that you hear yourself differently than do others. By listening to your taped voice, you will hear yourself as others hear you.
- Ask a few friends or colleagues to listen to the tape of your script. Ask them to evaluate it by the following criteria: Listen for warmth and passion in your voice. Do you sound interesting? Convincing? Confident? Is your speech clear, professional and pleasant? How is the rhythm and pacing of your speech? Do you sound angry, tired, tentative or bored? Is your speaking voice nasal, a monotone or singsong? Do you speak too fast or too slow? Do you mumble? Compare your friends’ or colleagues’ evaluations with your own. This way, you will know how others perceive you. It may be different from your self-perception. Work on improving what you may need to improve. Try to work on just one element at a time. Otherwise, it can be overwhelming.
This article was published by Wendy Weiss:
http://wendyweiss.com
+ Ravi Peal-Shankar
{ 0 comments… add one now }