Pick Up the Damn Phone to Get More Clients!

I realize that's a pretty bold title but I am serious about this.

Attempting to build a business only doing things on-line will be like taking that "Slow boat to China"

I know it feels hard. You know it feels hard, but do it anyway.

Most people don't pick up the phone, which is why it is so powerful. It's like most people don't send mail through the post office, which is also more powerful than an email.

The reality is, when you DO get the guts to call someone, you will most likely get a voice mail. So, do you hang up? Do you leave a long message about what you are calling them about?

Here is something I have learned.

Say your name and your business name and say it s l o w l y. I get so many messages where people talk so fast I have no idea who they are or what their business is and I don't like to have listen to messages over and over to understand. When this happens I usually hit 7 for delete.

Say in a sentence or two what you are calling about. Tease them about something you have that you think might be a perfect fit for them. Your message should be no longer than 2 minutes. One minute is best.

Next you want to give them a 'call to action'. You want them to call you back.

Then say your name and business s l o w l y and do the same with your phone number. I would do this twice, especially the phone number. No one likes to go back and have to listen to a message again to get the phone number. And as you know many people leave their phone number at the beginning of the message which means you always have to go back and listen again.

Now, I know you are probably thinking, Kim, this is so simple, everyone does this. And I am here to tell you, no they don't.

Practice, practice, practice this! You want to come across professional, strong and confident.

The chances of someone getting back to you after one call is pretty small so be prepared to have 2 or 3 follow up calls, each different.

You can leave another message after 3 - 5 business days. This helps the likeliness of them calling you back much higher.

Don't wing these calls! You need to have a series of voice messages all written out and practiced. You will feel much better about making the calls and will come across on the phone with much greater confidence. My mother always used to say 'phone voices are very revealing' and she was right.

This is just one small piece of how to increase your clients and fill your groups by picking up the phone but I hope it's enough to get you started. You WILL grow your business if you do this properly!!