Utilizing a Phone Script

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) are the life blood of any successful company and should be developed for every process in your business. In this article we are going to look at what is typically the very first business interaction with the client- the initial phone call.

Just like a script for a Broadway show your company's "phone script" should have an opening, a plot and an ending. It should engage the audience (client) and ultimately produce a desired result.

The purpose of a phone script is threefold:

1. To make sure that everyone who answers the phone does it correctly and consistently.

2. To obtain correct contact and project information to determine the next step in the process.

3. To evaluate the quality of your calls based on the information you obtain.

How the initial phone call is handled and the way your customer feels during those first few minutes is going to set the tone for the rest of your business relationship with them.

Does it sound like there is a lot riding on this call? There most certainly is.

Most of the time the initial phone call is the first interaction that a client will have with your company - what first impression are you making? Do you make the customer feel comfortable and at ease or rushed and unwanted?

To be successful, you need to create a phone script that is easy to follow yet doesn't sound scripted.

You should control the conversation, get the information you want and determine what the next step of the process will be. This has to be done both pleasantly and efficiently without sounding like Wall-E or a CSI detective.

The first thing you need to do is have a proper greeting like, "Good morning, this is Landworks Inc., my name is Terry, how may I help you?"

After the client responds, you need to get their complete information. This includes:

• Full names of both husband and wife- ask them for the proper spelling.
  
• Complete street name, spelled out including, road, drive, court etc. Also get a cross street just in case it is a new street.
  
• Zip code
  
• Phone numbers- get all three - home, work and cell.
  
• Email address
  

These days, asking for an email address is like asking for their home address and truthfully it is one of the smartest things a company can do. You can confirm appointments via email, send proposals and change orders and you can send out monthly newsletters or advertisements to keep your company on your customers mind. And it costs next to nothing.

You can .download the form I use to collect the prospect's information- Chris H.

Also, make sure that you ask the client how they heard about your company. This is very important information that you must really keep track of.

As a salesperson I want to know if this lead is from the yellow pages, an expensive glossy magazine or if it is a referral. As a business owner I want to know where my advertising dollars are working most effectively so I can budget accordingly.

Once you have all of the client's contact information the rest of the phone script should be about the work itself.

Just ask the customer to describe, in their own words, what type of work they would like to have done and then make sure you write down the exact words that the customer uses.

After a short time you will begin to recognize what key words and phrases people use that will help you determine what type of customer they are and what type of project they have.

Now, after you have all of the information that you need, and before you hang up, just recap the time, date and location of the appointment and ask the client,"Is there anything else I can help you with today?" If they say no, finish with, "Thank you for calling and have a nice day."

On the surface this all seems so very basic, and it truly is. However, I cannot impress upon you enough how much work and how much money is lost by not developing and following these simple procedures.