Who’s afraid of the big bad phone call? - Human Experience

Making phone calls is sooooo 2004.

I mean, who actually picks up the phone and calls someone without having pre-organised time to meet?!?

Me.

I do.

I pick up the phone and make phone calls every day. And I can promise you, it’s no big bad wolf!

Picking up the phone and making calls is super beneficial to me and my business. I’d go so far as to say it’s a point of difference.

Let me give you an example. Last week, I called a prospective client who I had not heard back by email for over two months. I don’t take offence to that; people are busy, and everyone has a lot going on. This prospective client had previously been engaged and very responsive, but two months ago, they went quiet.

Three months ago, we had a meeting with his management team that went really well. I had sent off a proposal, and they had replied back with a couple of questions. I answered them, and they informed me they would come back to me next week. That was the last email I received. I’ve since followed up via email three times in two months. I’m careful not to hound people, but at the same time, I’m conscious that sometimes a prompt is what’s needed when there are literally countless priorities on people’s plates.

I had a note in my CRM to pick up the phone and call this client last Thursday. And so I did. The phone call went really well. My prospective client told me he had just hired a new Head of Operations, so he had been distracted onboarding them. He mentioned they had been speaking about mystery shopping and that he had wanted to reconnect with me and start the conversation back up with his new Head of Operations. We then booked a time to meet later this week.

Picking up the phone and calling a prospective client or an existing client is not my first option. As mentioned, I don’t hound people, and I’m careful not to overcommunicate. But when I have not been able to get in touch with someone via email, I’m never scared to pick up the phone.

I’m conscious that people now don’t receive many unprompted calls, so I’m always careful to introduce myself slowly with some context. “Hi {name}, it’s Nic McClanachan from Human Experience; we were talking about a mystery shopping program a few months back…”

I often stand up with good posture and make sure I’m smiling before I call. I’m friendly, but don’t keep them on the line for long. If I get voicemail, I always leave a quick message.

In my anecdotal experience, 30% of the time people pick up. And when they do, 80% of the time I get a positive next step.

How do you feel about picking up the phone?

How does your team feel about picking up the phone?

I recognise it’s a skill, but it’s a skill that can be learnt – the muscle just needs to be worked.

My wife’s dad used to say in his 40s, “I’m so far out that I’m in again.”

My spin on this is that I like to think I’m so out of fashion when I make phone calls; it’s actually giving me an in!

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Human Experience acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
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