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With business travel at an all-time low, there is no skill more important to business success (especially in sales) than the ability to build rapport during a telephone conversation.
When you can't shake hands or look somebody in the eye, your voice (and your voice alone) must be able to communicate, "I am capable and trustworthy."
Unfortunately, many people in business have no idea that they sound like hustlers or robots when they're talking on the phone. They talk too fast, they mumble, they blather, they make remarks that would only make sense with an accompanying hand gesture.
It needn't be that way. Here are some quick pointers to improve your ability to communicate with your voice alone:
Record some phone conversations (with the other person's agreement) to see if you're doing something annoying – saying "uh ..." in the middle of every sentence, for instance, or slapping a, "you know..." at the end.
Another common error is turning statements into questions by putting a little uptick at the end, thereby decreasing your credibility. Be aware that if you've got a regional accent, people from other regions may have negative preconceptions about you.
All of these problems become much easier to spot on a recording than when they're coming out of your mouth. If you find a weakness, practice and rehearse until it's expunged. If necessary, hire a vocal coach.
Never have a business conversation, especially on the phone, without knowing exactly what you're trying to accomplish. This is also a good idea when meeting face to face or emailing, but it's even more important during a phone call.
There are two reasons for this. First, you may not have the other person's full attention, which means that the purpose of the call might get lost if you're not extremely clear about why you called.
Second, unlike email, a phone conversation is real time, which means you can't craft a message and then edit it before sending it. Since you're "improvising," you'd best know pretty clearly when you want the improvisation to lead.
When in a conversation, most people barely hear what the other person is saying; instead, they're thinking about what they're going to say next. That's a bad move during a phone conversation because nuances are much harder to catch than if you're face to face.
It takes a bit of practice, but what you need to do is suspend your, "what do I say next?" until after the other person is done speaking.
When you pause after the other person has spoken, you're communicating that you've actually listened to what the other person has said and are now thinking about it.
By contrast, if you jump right in immediately with your response (or worse, cut the other person off), you've just communicated that you consider your own thoughts are more important than anything the other person could have said.
This is the flip side of listening to the other person. When in a conversation, most people, as they talk, are thinking about what the other person is going to say next. That almost guarantees you'll communicate poorly.
Instead, listen to your own voice as if you were listening to another person. This takes a little practice, because you must still talk while you're "monitoring" what you're saying.
However, once you've mastered this, you're far more likely to communicate clearly, because you'll hear it when you start sounding "off" and be able to make corrections as necessary.
As you speak, gradually take on the least obvious elements of other person's voice. The key here is to make it subtle, not obvious–lest the changes fall flat or, worse, seem mocking.
For example, if you're talking with somebody with a Mississippi accent, draw out your vowels ever so slightly–but don't cram "y'all" into your normal speaking pattern. Believe it or not, this trick really does build rapport quickly.
Looking for more sales success tips? Check out our free ebook and learn what sales winners do differently.
