Dec. 8, 2021

Listening for Noises

Listening for Noises

Listen closely when you are on calls. Background noises, sound effects, and names can all be clues used to understand your potential customer better and build rapport. I have my coaching students go through a training where they listen to sound...

Listen closely when you are on calls. Background noises, sound effects, and names can all be clues used to understand your potential customer better and build rapport. I have my coaching students go through a training where they listen to sound effects. These sounds offer subtle clues that can help make a sale or land a positive review. 

93% of communication on the phone is tone and tempo. What are the background noises? Is the person on the other line talking fast or talking slow? In this episode, we go through some recorded calls and what to listen for and what to do with this information. I also talk about how important it is for incoming calls to customer service representatives to be sound effect free.

Our motto is that being listened to and being loved are so close together that people can’t tell the difference. I hope this episode helps you improve your inbound and outbound phone listening skills. If you found this episode helpful, let us know or share it with a friend. 

Episode Highlights: 

[01:40] When making cold calls listen closely. Here's a call where we learn the customer's dog's name. 

[02:23] With a pattern interrupt we say things that people aren't expecting. Get in the habit of listening closely for opportunities to bond and create rapport. 

[03:30] A call where the customer service rep is humming and whistling while taking an order.

[04:15] Here's a call where the rep laughs when the guy says he still lives with his parents. Customer care teams need to be reminded to avoid the sound effects. 

[05:26] An example of a cold call where the potential customer is going through a drive through. 

[07:31] Being listened to and being loved are so close together that people can't tell the difference.

[07:50] You can have opportunities to bond on calls when you listen for clues about what your potential customer is up to. 

[10:45] An example of one of my students listening. The husband includes the wife. This is an opportunity to connect with the wife too.

[12:52]  Ask your customers for email addresses. 81% of leads aren't followed up on.

[13:01] Things to remember: 1. No sound effects when taking inbound calls. 2. Listen for sound effects on outbound calls.

[14:06] 93% of communication is tone and tempo.

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