Hello! Hello!
Robert Clements
Crores and crores of business is lost in India because of terrible
‘Hello!’ we hear when someone rings up a business house, store or firm!
Millions of rupees are spent on TV and newspaper advertising with phone
numbers displayed for prospective customer to contact. But when customer
calls number, gruff and grumpy voice greets him at the other end.
We lose business because we don’t smile with our voice! Smile with your
voice! Seems a tall order, doesn’t it? How on earth you ask, can you
smile and talk.
Stand in front of a mirror will you? Just say, “How d’you do?” the way
you normally do. Stop!
Now stretch a nice big huge smile across your face and say the same
words out loud. Aha! There’s a big difference isn’t there? You feel like
reaching across the mirror and patting that friendly fellow in there.
That’s the reaction when you smile with your voice, a difference that
can send you leaping up the ladder of success.
I don’t know what your job is, but most call centers train you to talk
nowadays in a particular fashion, either with British or American
accent; to roll your R’s like Blair or sit lightly on your T’s like
Bush. They tell you to speak in a friendly voice but very rarely tell
you how to get that friendliness into your voice.
Just smile. Nothing more, nothing less!
So maybe you’re not working in a BPO, you’re an executive, a
businessman, whatever. Okay Mr Hotshot you need to make an appointment
to meet Mr Bigger Hotshot. You pick up the phone, dial Mr Bigger
Hotshot’s number and with your best foot forward and tongue firmly in
place tell his secretary who you are.
“Who?” she snarls. You fumble, flounder around for words, and feel
flustered. “Who?” she asks again, and before she can put down the phone,
you squeak out your name to her.
“Mr Bigger Hotshot is busy,” she says and cuts you off. Now, now Mr
Hotshot, lets give it another try. Give the ‘smile in your voice’ theory
a try. Smile as you call. Smile as you dial. Not enough, not enough, yes
that’s it, a nice huge whammy of a smile. Now speak to her, yes that
same hag, that witch who cut you off. Smile into your words. Let her
feel your lips stretching out to bursting point. She’s listening! She
feels your smile, senses your warmth, there’s a feel good factor at work
my friend. You ask for her boss and she puts you through. Just like
that, and if she doesn’t do so at once its because she wants to feel
your smile a few moments more!
A smile in your voice always works; you can make big money and save big
bucks once you cultivate the habit.
Email: bobsbanter@gmail.com
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