mail and email. Just ask the question: “When would be the best time for us to speak again?” Then, schedule an appointment. If you’re sending information via mail or email, ask when they’d like you to follow up. Maybe they need a week to review the information. Maybe they need a day. You’ll never know if you don’t ask the question.

Do what you say you’re going to do. No matter what you promise, you need to honor the commitment and do it in the time frame you to which you committed. If there’s a delay, and you can’t do something, let the customer know. The worst thing you can do is have someone expecting something from you, and you don’t deliver. All it takes is a phone call to say there was some type of delay. It’s better to be honest than to have someone think you didn’t follow through on a commitment. Trust i

1) Stop emailing and pick up the phone.

It’s so much easier to communicate through email. It’s quick. It’s easy. Goes right to your customers Inbox.

Guess what it doesn’t do?

 It doesn’t help you create any value for your product or service
 It doesn’t help you connect with a prospect.
 It doesn’t create any ‘like ability’ between you and a potential customer.

It’s a lot easier to ignore someone who you only communicate with through email. It’s a lot harder to ignore someone who you’ve gotten to know. You only get to know people by talking to them. By taking an interest in them and their business. Those are the ways you begin to create a personal connection. The type of connection that leads to a long term customer relationship.

Email is fine for communicating information. But email can’t show someone your passion, your sense of humor, the commitment you bring to your work. It’s only when you’re speaking with someone that these things come through. I’ve had many conversations start out with, ‘I’ve got 5 minutes’, and end up with a commitment to move forward with a proposal I presented. The ‘5 minutes’ turns into 60. You’ll never do that in email. Writing as a primary form of communication shows you’re polite and courteous, but that’s about it.

If you don’t like talking on the phone, write out a question or two ahead of time. This will give you a comfort level that you have something to ask if you get a little flustered. The more you talk, the easier it will get.

If you want long term relationships, you must develop some sales skills that allow you to speak with people and create rapport.

2) STOP talking about yourself. No one is interested in YOU…only what YOU CAN DO FOR THEM.

You’re probably thinking, ‘How am I supposed to let anyone know what I have to offer, if I don’t talk about myself or my product/service’? It’s quite simple. Once you find out what your prospect has a need for, you’ll be able to match your product or service to that need. If they don’t have a problem (need), it doesn’t really matter what great features and benefits the product might have.

It’s natural for most people to want to talk—especially if you’re nervous. What better way to fill ‘dead air’ than with all the great ideas you might have? Those ideas are only great if the prospect perceives them to be great. Imagine you’re shopping for a new car. Do you care about gas mileage when gas is only $1.19 a gallon? Probably not. When gas is $3.19, you care a lot more about gas mileage. Imagine 3 years ago, a car salesman trying to convince you that a hybrid car was the best way to go? You’d have thought they were crazy. Nobody was talking about hybrid cars when gas was cheap.

That’s why it’s imperative for you to know what’s going on in your customers world. Not only will they appreciate that you asked, but they’ll also give you the information you need. Information that should lead to you being able to have a conversation with them about what you can do for them. That’s what it’s all about.

3) Make an appointment for the appropriate follow up before you hang up the phone.

If you don’t arrange the next meeting before you end this communication, you’ll be chasing people down through voice mail and email. Just ask the question: “When would be the best time for us to speak again?” Then, schedule an appointment. If you’re sending information via mail or email, ask when they’d like you to follow up. Maybe they need a week to review the information. Maybe they need a day. You’ll never know if you don’t ask the question.

Do what you say you’re going to do. No matter what you promise, you need to honor the commitment and do it in the time frame you to which you committed. If there’s a delay, and you can’t do something, let the customer know. The worst thing you can do is have someone expecting something from you, and you don’t deliver. All it takes is a phone call to say there was some type of delay. It’s better to be honest than to have someone think you didn’t follow through on a commitment. Trust is

ng information. But email can’t show someone your passion, your sense of humor, the commitment you bring to your work. It’s only when you’re speaking with someone that these things come through. I’ve had many conversations start out with, ‘I’ve got 5 minutes’, and end up with a commitment to move forward with a proposal I presented. The ‘5 minutes’ turns into 60. You’ll never do that in email. Writing as a primary form of communication shows you’re polite and courteous, but that’s about it.

If you don’t like talking on the phone, write out a question or two ahead of time. This will give you a comfort level that you have something to ask if you get a little flustered. The more you talk, the easier it will get.

If you want long term relationships, you must develop some sales skills that allow you to speak with people and create rapport.

2) STOP talking about yourself. No one is interested in YOU…only what YOU CAN DO FOR THEM.

You’re probably thinking, ‘How am I supposed to let anyone know what I have to offer, if I don’t talk about myself or my product/service’? It’s quite simple. Once you find out what your prospect has a need for, you’ll be able to match your product or service to that need. If they don’t have a problem (need), it doesn’t really matter what great features and benefits the product might have.

It’s natural for most people to want to talk—especially if you’re nervous. What better way to fill ‘dead air’ than with all the great ideas you might have? Those ideas are only great if the prospect perceives them to be great. Imagine you’re shopping for a new car. Do you care about gas mileage when gas is only $1.19 a gallon? Probably not. When gas is $3.19, you care a lot more about gas mileage. Imagine 3 years ago, a car salesman trying to convince you that a hybrid car was the best way to go? You’d have thought they were crazy. Nobody was talking about hybrid cars when gas was cheap.

That’s why it’s imperative for you to know what’s going on in your customers world. Not only will they appreciate that you asked, but they’ll also give you the information you need. Information that should lead to you being able to have a conversation with them about what you can do for them. That’s what it’s all about.

3) Make an appointment for the appropriate follow up before you hang up the phone.

If you don’t arrange the next meeting before you end this communication, you’ll be chasing people down through voice mail and email. Just ask the question: “When would be the best time for us to speak again?” Then, schedule an appointment. If you’re sending information via mail or email, ask when they’d like you to follow up. Maybe they need a week to review the information. Maybe they need a day. You’ll never know if you don’t ask the question.

Do what you say you’re going to do. No matter what you promise, you need to honor the commitment and do it in the time frame you to which you committed. If there’s a delay, and you can’t do something, let the customer know. The worst thing you can do is have someone expecting something from you, and you don’t deliver. All it takes is a phone call to say there was some type of delay. It’s better to be honest than to have someone think you didn’t follow through on a commitment. Trust i

people and create rapport.

2) STOP talking about yourself. No one is interested in YOU…only what YOU CAN DO FOR THEM.

You’re probably thinking, ‘How am I supposed to let anyone know what I have to offer, if I don’t talk about myself or my product/service’? It’s quite simple. Once you find out what your prospect has a need for, you’ll be able to match your product or service to that need. If they don’t have a problem (need), it doesn’t really matter what great features and benefits the product might have.

It’s natural for most people to want to talk—especially if you’re nervous. What better way to fill ‘dead air’ than with all the great ideas you might have? Those ideas are only great if the prospect perceives them to be great. Imagine you’re shopping for a new car. Do you care about gas mileage when gas is only $1.19 a gallon? Probably not. When gas is $3.19, you care a lot more about gas mileage. Imagine 3 years ago, a car salesman trying to convince you that a hybrid car was the best way to go? You’d have thought they were crazy. Nobody was talking about hybrid cars when gas was cheap.

That’s why it’s imperative for you to know what’s going on in your customers world. Not only will they appreciate that you asked, but they’ll also give you the information you need. Information that should lead to you being able to have a conversation with them about what you can do for them. That’s what it’s all about.

3) Make an appointment for the appropriate follow up before you hang up the phone.

If you don’t arrange the next meeting before you end this communication, you’ll be chasing people down through voice mail and email. Just ask the question: “When would be the best time for us to speak again?” Then, schedule an appointment. If you’re sending information via mail or email, ask when they’d like you to follow up. Maybe they need a week to review the information. Maybe they need a day. You’ll never know if you don’t ask the question.

Do what you say you’re going to do. No matter what you promise, you need to honor the commitment and do it in the time frame you to which you committed. If there’s a delay, and you can’t do something, let the customer know. The worst thing you can do is have someone expecting something from you, and you don’t deliver. All it takes is a phone call to say there was some type of delay. It’s better to be honest than to have someone think you didn’t follow through on a commitment. Trust i

s is only $1.19 a gallon? Probably not. When gas is $3.19, you care a lot more about gas mileage. Imagine 3 years ago, a car salesman trying to convince you that a hybrid car was the best way to go? You’d have thought they were crazy. Nobody was talking about hybrid cars when gas was cheap.

That’s why it’s imperative for you to know what’s going on in your customers world. Not only will they appreciate that you asked, but they’ll also give you the information you need. Information that should lead to you being able to have a conversation with them about what you can do for them. That’s what it’s all about.

3) Make an appointment for the appropriate follow up before you hang up the phone.

If you don’t arrange the next meeting before you end this communication, you’ll be chasing people down through voice mail and email. Just ask the question: “When would be the best time for us to speak again?” Then, schedule an appointment. If you’re sending information via mail or email, ask when they’d like you to follow up. Maybe they need a week to review the information. Maybe they need a day. You’ll never know if you don’t ask the question.

Do what you say you’re going to do. No matter what you promise, you need to honor the commitment and do it in the time frame you to which you committed. If there’s a delay, and you can’t do something, let the customer know. The worst thing you can do is have someone expecting something from you, and you don’t deliver. All it takes is a phone call to say there was some type of delay. It’s better to be honest than to have someone think you didn’t follow through on a commitment. Trust i

mail and email. Just ask the question: “When would be the best time for us to speak again?” Then, schedule an appointment. If you’re sending information via mail or email, ask when they’d like you to follow up. Maybe they need a week to review the information. Maybe they need a day. You’ll never know if you don’t ask the question.

Do what you say you’re going to do. No matter what you promise, you need to honor the commitment and do it in the time frame you to which you committed. If there’s a delay, and you can’t do something, let the customer know. The worst thing you can do is have someone expecting something from you, and you don’t deliver. All it takes is a phone call to say there was some type of delay. It’s better to be honest than to have someone think you didn’t follow through on a commitment. Trust is established though your actions. If you lose credibility with a potential prospect, how can you get it back? It’s difficult. Your value has dropped, so the price you can command will drop with it.

I’ve spent the last 21 years talking to customers. They all have a few things in common. They want to be listened to and they want to like the people they choose to do business with. In the era of auto responders and spam, wouldn’t your business grow faster and have higher profitability if you stopped emailing and picked up the phone? Talking to people isn’t something you should fear, but something you should look forward to.

It’s only when you’re able to develop effective communication skills that you’ll be able to convey the passion you have for your product or service. It’s that passion that will bring in new business. Not email.