You’ve spent considerable time, effort and yes, money, in an attempt to market your business. You’ve participated in networking groups, run ads in the local newspaper, gone on speaking engagements and you’ve made cold calls. Finally, though your efforts are paying off and the phones are ringing with prospects wanting to purchase your goods and services. 
Now all the hard work is done and you can sit back and relax, right? Wrong. Now is the time to train your sales staff to make the most of those ringing phones and walk-in customers. If you’re a solo-preneur you need to be especially vigilant when you’re marking efforts have paid off and the phones start ringing.
These are the top five mistakes to avoid when business prospects call:
Mistake 1: Not answering the phone. Sure, there will be times when you need to put the phones to voice mail but you need to limit those times. When a prospective client is calling it’s because they have a need that they want met now – don’t let them call the competition because your phone went to voice mail.
Mistake 2: Not returning phone calls. If a prospect leaves you a message you need to return the call as soon as possible – before the end of the business day if possible. Your client called today, they’d like to hear back from you today.
Mistake 3: Putting them on hold for too long. While no one wants to be on hold, there are times it can’t be helped, just make certain it isn’t a long wait. Additionally, while a prospective customer is on hold, use that time wisely by having an on hold message that keeps them interested in your goods and services.
Mistake 4: Not asking them how they heard about you. You need to know which portion of your marketing dollars are bearing fruit – make certain you ask where they found out about you. Also, if they heard about you from a friend or colleague, you want to give that referral a call (or send a thank you gift) for thinking of you.
Mistake 5: Not confirming their information such as name, phone number, etc. Keep an information-gathering notepad by the phone. Always remember to collect the caller’s name, phone number, email and other pertinent information.
In today’s era of instant communication with text messages and emails you need to make certain your telephone etiquette stays ahead of the curve when it comes to not making these common phone mistakes.