Managing Conference Calls

I have to remind myself that this is a “Common Sense” sales blog, and that sometimes people just don’t use common sense.  This article falls under that category – I’m a little surprised that it needs to be written at all.  But I keep running in to this problem so here it goes.

When you host a conference call there are a couple of things to keep in mind.  When I refer to conference calls, I mean  those calls where you send out the 888-number with an access code and expect to have a few customer/prospect attendees along with a few colleagues.  These are becoming increasingly common as companies “go virtual” and more and more selling  situations are phone and web based.

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Here’s a very recent example of how and email from my book worked yet again.  I was conducting a pipeline call with a rep.  He was frustrated that a prospect had gone dark.  After a few great meetings his contact was not returning calls or emails.  I suggested that the rep send an “Are You?” email right then, during our call.  He did and guess what happened?  The prospect emailed him back while we were still on the phone.  This, after weeks of ignoring repeated calls and emails.  That’s why I wrote the book.  The emails work – all the time!  If you have prospects that have “gone dark” – and who hasn’t – the book is for you.  There is also an email for following up on leads, and another for planning killer sales calls.  What are you waiting for?  Those deals won’t wake up on their own!

The book, Click “Send” and Sell!  Three Unconventional Emails with Extraordinary Sales Success  is available at just about every electronic outlet, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony, and Kobo. It’s also available for your iPad at the iTunes store.

No eReader? No problem! Click HERE to download and print the book in any format you want.

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First, make sure to announce yourself as soon as you beep-in.  I was recently on a call where the host arrived and there was about 10-seconds of dead air.  That  was a very uncomfortable feeling for me, and I’m sure the other attendees.  We were sitting there on hold, listening to that aweful music, when we heard the host beep-in and the music stop.  Then . . . . nothing.  When you arrive as the host, greet the already present guests with a “Good afternoon!” or some other greeting letting them know that you have arrived.  Do not allow your presence to be greeted with dead air.

Next, make sure that everyone on the call gets a “Hello, who just joined please?” when they join the call.  Do not yammer on and on about your weather conditions while new guests get ignored.  Yes, you need to keep the dead air at a minimum, but be prepared to break when you hear an arriving guest.  Everyone on the call should be accounted for and as the host that’s your job.

As people arrive, there will be dead air.  Don’t let that be the case.  It’s easy to strike up a conversation on these calls with something like, “Jim, so where are you calling from today?”  That’s always a good conversation starter.  Again, be willing to cut the conversation short when others join, but don’t let your guests sit in silence.  It is just too uncomfortable.

It’s almost inevitable that late comers will beep-in after you have started the call .  That’s to be expected, but you should also find a natural stopping point to say something like, “I think I just heard someone join.  Can you please tell us who you are?”  Chances are very good that it was someone who was invited to the call, but these numbers aren’t particularly confidential, and you never know who just might want to drop in to hear your discussion.  Always ask who just joined to protect you and your customer/prospect.  It’s not rude, so don’t be hesitant to ask.

If the call isn’t too large, take time for each side to introduce themselves, their names, role, and what they hope to accomplish on the call.  This is another great ice breaker that’s easy to get started.  Say something like, “It sounds like we have just about everyone who plans to join.  Before we get started, allow me to introduce myself, and I’d like everyone to do the same from our side.  Karen, we would also like to hear from your team if that’s okay.”  Again ,a simple common courtesy and an extremely important part of your job as a sales rep – you need to know who is on the call, their role, and what they hope to accomplish.  What better way to set the overall tone for the call?

That’s about it.  Common Sense Selling!  Be courteous, keep the dead air to a minimum, greet your callers, and kick off the call with introductions.  Those of us that dial-in to your calls will appreciate your approach!