Category: Nurturing

Business Website, digital marketing, Google Ads, Lead Generation, Lead Generation for Contractors, Nurturing, Online Appointment Booking, online marketing, Pay Per Click Advertising, service contractor leads

Phone Etiquette Achieves Higher Sales

Diane Lovine

Phone Tips from an Experienced Customer Service Representative

by Devon Osborne

The way you conduct yourself on the phone with potential customers can be the determining factor in whether you get the job or not. Proper phone etiquette may seem straightforward, but it can be easy to slip up and speak to potential customers or business partners as you would speak with a friend. Making an outstanding first impression, in a good way, of course, will help you convert more jobs. 

Dos

  • Answer the phone with a professional greeting. Introduce yourself & your company 
    • Customers want to know whether or not they’ve reached the proper party as soon as possible. Start your conversation off on the right foot with a professional greeting like: “Hi this is [name] with [company], how may I help you?”
  • Return calls quickly
    • Missing calls is something that is bound to happen, but it is important to return calls promptly. A good rule of thumb is to try and respond to missed calls within 24 hours, but the sooner the better! If you have difficulty being available to answer calls, consider hiring a receptionist or using an automated process for responding to missed calls such as this one.
  • Speak clearly
    • Don’t Mumble! You want your customer to be able to hear what you’re saying, don’t you? Speaking clearly and confidently can help avoid unnecessary frustration and build trust with the customer.
  • Listen to what the customer is saying, take notes, & don’t interrupt
    • Why are you answering the call if you’re too busy to actively listen to the customer’s needs? Having a conversation with someone who is not listening is maddening. Agree on a time that you both can speak and call back. 
  • Be kind
    • Would you choose a company to work with if they were rude to you? No. Being kind is an easy thing to do and it goes a long way. Just be nice!
  • Eliminate background noise
    • If you’re in a noisy environment, make it a point to move to a quieter place. 

Don’ts

  • Don’t use unprofessional language
    • This should be a given, but please don’t use unprofessional language like cursing. This is a professional phone call you’re on, so you should act like it. 
  • Don’t make it complicated
    • Asking customers to text you their address or asking them to call YOU back at a more convenient time is off-putting. When you make it complicated for them to get the information they need from you, they will seek it elsewhere.
  • Don’t eat, drink, or chew gum
    •  If you were face to face with the person on the other line, would you do this right into their ears? Hopefully not. Swallow the mouthful of food or drink that’s in your mouth before picking up and take a quick break from eating for the entirety of the call.
  • Don’t use the bathroom
    • If you’re using the bathroom and get a call, please don’t answer the phone. Finish up your business and call the person right back, believe me, they’ll appreciate it. You may think you’re being discreet, but I can promise you that they know.
  • Don’t make promises you can’t keep
    • It is always best to be upfront and honest with potential and current clients. If there are things that you know aren’t possible, or are not entirely sure of, be very clear about that in the beginning. Making false promises with customers never ends well and can land you a negative review.

Lead Management, Nurturing, Uncategorized

How to Capitalize on Email Leads

Diane Lovine

Tips and Tricks for Closing More Email Leads

By Devon Osborne

Email leads are just as valuable as phone leads. In today’s day and age, technology is king. More and more people are turning to the internet to get things done, including fielding quotes from contractors.

Time is of the essence with email leads. It is important to keep a close eye on your inbox so that you can respond to those email leads as soon as possible. One of the biggest complaints we see about email leads is that by the time contractors get back to a prospect, they have already chosen another company. Studies show that 75% of prospective leads will do business with the first company that contacts them back! If you’re not keeping up with your email leads, you are missing out on a large chunk of potential customers.

If you are a one-man show, you likely don’t have the time to sit and watch your inbox throughout the whole day. 55% of companies take at least five days to respond to sales inquiries. However, responding to an email within 5 minutes increases a contractor’s chance of closing the sale by 400%! We have identified a few action items that you can put in place to try and capture these leads as quickly as possible!

Almost everyone carries a smartphone these days. If you have your email on your phone, you can set up notifications to alert you each time you receive a new inquiry. If you always keep up with your text messages, another option is to have email leads forwarded via text. Setting this up is a fairly simple process, you just need to know your mobile phone number and provider.

If you’re getting overwhelmed and feel like you’re already wearing too many hats at your company, there is no shame in hiring some additional help. Having a designated person to handle incoming calls and emails can increase your response time and your bottom line more than you may realize. 

The journey doesn’t end after the first interaction. In addition to being one of the first companies to respond, you’ll also want to touch back in with them regularly. The sales cycle for many industries is not instantaneous. Staying at the top of the mind for your potential customers can help you close even more jobs. Not only is there the possibility of closing new leads that didn’t convert the first time, but you may also re-convert returning customers. Lead nurturing allows you to build trust with your potential clients over time and be at the top of their minds when they are ready to buy.

We understand that the majority of business owners don’t have the time to personally send emails to each and every previous inquiry they’ve received. Instead, wouldn’t it be nice if there were some kind of technology in place to do it for you so you can focus on other aspects of your business? Lucky for you, there is! 

99 Calls is now offering lead nurturing and lead reactivation services. These services allow you to effortlessly and automatically check in with your contacts on a regular basis. Once we gather a bit of information from you, our team will come up with a strategy for your database reactivation.