Whether your role is about managing customers or you’re employed as an appointment setter, first impressions matter. Though it may be a cliché, it’s true that you only have one chance to make a first impression. As well as getting your sales process off to a good start, a positive first impression will lay the foundation for a rewarding long term business relationship.
First impressions
Though first impressions take just seven seconds to form, their impact can be very long lasting. Come across as pushy, bored or, untrustworthy, and your brand’s reputation could be in tatters before you’ve even started your pitch. Come across as likeable, professional and knowledgeable on the other hand and your call could be on track for success from the start. Business publisher Forbes.com say you should speak slowly and clearly. When you start talking to someone for the first time, don’t worry about conveying lots of information as quickly as possible — while this may seem like a fast way to impress others, it can overwhelm them. Instead, speak slowly and clearly: It will make you seem more articulate and intelligent, and it will give your listener more time to digest what you’re saying. Speaking slowly and deliberately is also a sign of confidence, which is indispensable in making a good first impression.
And watch your posture: Keeping good posture, with your shoulders back and your head held high, makes you seem more confident and powerful to other people, strengthening your first impression. It may also increase your own feelings of confidence, giving you more power in your interactions.
These skills are as relevant to the appointment setter by phone as they are when you meet face to face, maybe even more so, since you have fewer senses with which to capture and keep the right kind of attention.
Making a good first impression
Recovering from a bad first impression can be difficult at the best of times. For the appointment setter trying to win face time, they will need to work all the harder to impress a decision maker well enough to warrant their time in a meeting. This means it’s essential for salespeople to make a good first impression if they want to hit their goals.
Though there are no hard and fast rules for making a good first impression, there are techniques you can use to start calls off on the right foot. As we’ve said before, it’s important to smile as you dial, this gives your voice a more engaging tone and puts you in a more positive frame of mind.
Another popular technique used by the successful appointment setter is positive visualisation. By thinking about a person and visualising a face an appointment setter will be able to engage with the contact on a more human level, cutting out some of the unnecessary awkwardness or formality that can sometimes happen in a cold call designed to generate appointments. At Blue Donkey we encourage our telemarketers to get excited about the product or service they’re promoting by helping them focus on its competitive benefits before they pick up the phone. This enthusiasm will come across in the call, helping to create a great first impression and successful outcomes.
Improving your technique
By continually working to improve the quality of the first impressions you and your team make, you can help your sales department to achieve its goals and create positive relationships with the companies you contact. If you need help developing your telemarketing techniques, or if you think there’s more your team could learn from us, get in touch with Blue Donkey today.