Master Phone Skills: Listen, Understand, Connect

Mastering phone communication requires the same skill and charisma as a face-to-face meeting.

Here are the top 3 areas where I’ve seen the best results. Both traits and skills can be mastered.

Listening (skill) isn't just hearing words, it's about understanding the meaning and emotions behind them.

A great salesperson knows the power of curiosity (trait), using it to uncover hidden opportunities and build genuine connections with clients.?

This trait is valuable across all sectors.

They aren't the ones doing all the talking, which means they're interested in balanced communication. Instead, they master the 75/25 rule, allowing the client to speak 75% of the time.?

Being inquisitive (trait), asking good questions (skill), and really listening to the answers sets the stage for a meaningful dialogue.

It's not about pushing your agenda first but about understanding and meeting the client's needs.?

This approach not only builds rapport but also provides invaluable insights into the client's needs and concerns.

“Why do you use that particular platform for advertising your vacancies?”

“What are the two non-negotiable criteria for selecting a training provider?"

Customer service focus is another crucial skill, demonstrating dedication to solving problems and providing value. Here are some key practices:

• Follow through on promises: If you tell a contact you’ll send something, make sure you do it. For example, "I'll get this information to you right after this call."
• Keep your commitments: If you say you’ll call back on a certain day, ensure that you do so. Failing to follow up will leave a negative impression about the reliability of your services. For instance, "I'll give you a call back the first week of September to see how your new starter, Steve, is doing."

It would be great to meet you, so if you want to use this opportunity to ask me anything, discuss issues raised in this article or just fancy a catch up do visit my calendar link here.?https://calendly.com/audreyletschat/virtual-chat

Alternatively feel free to email me:?[email protected]

Here are some of my client recommendations.

Rochelle Seddon – Operations Manager – The Growth Company

When I first started in the Employability sector, many moons ago, I attended Employer Engagement training delivered by Audrey, shaping the way I performed as an advisor.

Therefore, when mobilising a new contract, I reached out to Audrey to deliver Employer Engagement training for the new team.

The one day training course was incredibly interactive, with so much detail and feedback along every part of the day. The team now feel so much more confident with approaching employers and have a clear 'script' to get the best results.

This training was a great investment and as the team grows I will be booking in future sessions.

Thank you so much Audrey!

Heather Hoines, Former UK National Sales Manager - Dechra Pharmaceuticals

Our Country Manager introduced us to Audrey having crossed paths with her training events in his previous company.

Following the national Covid lockdown restrictions, as a field-based sales team, we were looking to up-skill our teams to confidently manage our customers and accounts remotely and continue to effectively build business relationships by phone.

Having set up an initial meeting with Audrey to discuss the challenges we were facing and share our desired training outcomes, Audrey’s positivity, energy and enthusiasm for creating opportunities by phone was infectious.

Having understood our needs, Audrey delivered a bespoke virtual training programme, and the teams were fully engaged from the start. All sessions were highly interactive, helping us to consider new ways of working, and building team confidence with practical skills and techniques that could be implemented and make a difference straight away.

Audrey was without doubt one of the best trainers we have had and came across as professional, approachable, knowledgeable and highly invested in us getting the most from the training.

As a result of this training, further training projects have been developed with our European sales teams with Audrey, and would highly recommend her to other organisations.

Joanna MacLennan – HR Director - Smart Training and Recruitment Limited

I had the pleasure of working with Audrey Bodman recently and as an HR Director within a Training and Development organisation ourselves, we have high standard and expectations when we work with external trainers ourselves, I can say wholeheartedly that Audrey did not disappoint.

Her understanding of our team's training needs was exceptional. Audrey demonstrated a keen ability to grasp the challenges and gaps in our knowledge and skills, and she went above and beyond to create a tailored training day that addressed these areas effectively. Right from the initial consultative call, Audrey probed and asked questions that helped us as a business to uncover areas that could be developed, that we could have missed ourselves. Audrey's dedication to understanding our team's unique requirements was evident from the very beginning.

She took the time to conduct thorough assessments and consultations, ensuring that she gained a comprehensive understanding of our strengths and areas for improvement. This allowed her to develop a training day that was specifically designed to meet our needs. Throughout the training day, Audrey's expertise shone through. Her delivery was engaging, interactive, and highly informative. She used a variety of teaching methods, such as presentations, group activities, and scenarios, to ensure that everyone actively participated and absorbed the material. Audrey's ability to break down complex concepts into easily understandable bite-sized

pieces was truly commendable. No one felt embarrassed or fearful of asking questions or being reluctant to try new approaches. She incorporated real-life examples and scenarios that resonated with our team, making the learning experience more relatable and applicable to our day-to-day work. Her training materials were well-organized, comprehensive, and easy to follow, allowing us to revisit and reinforce our learning even after the training day had ended. Thanks to Audrey's insight and expertise, our team's knowledge and skills have improved and they have more importantly greater confidence in what they are doing. I wholeheartedly recommend Audrey Bodman. She is a true professional who genuinely cares about the growth and development of individuals and teams.

I’m thankful to the person who introduced her to us and hope others will equally say the same from this recommendation.