“Oh, I forgot to mention…”
by Jeffrey Dobkin
This technique will make your next sales call the easiest phone call you’ll ever have to make.
It’s your “Reason To Call.”
It’s what you DIDN’T tell them in your letter, post card or your last phone conversation becomes important.
Sure, you’re continually mailing your best prospects to get them to call you, or at least that’s the primary objective of the mailing pieces I create for my clients.
And you’re mailing to customers all the time to make sure you keep up your relationship with them, where your calling goals lean towards continually building their confidence and loyalty…
And of course you email customers to get referrals which is always nice. Or, maybe you just want them to remember you when they need a quote or have an insurance or financial question, or whatever your business is.
So, you’re doing everything right, but still… business is slow. And you’re kind of itching to speak with some of your better prospects because you’re good on the phone and you know how to close additional business.
But oh, call reluctance. I know – I have it too. Sometimes calling just sucks. And you need that key element – that one phrase that is pivotal to the campaign, to tie it all together.
You need that one reason to call. Here it is:
“Oh, I forgot to mention…”
Yes, it’s the phrase you can pull out of your trick hat that smoothly and subtly lets you in the door:
“When I sent that quote I forgot to mention…”
“In my last post card I forgot to mention…”
“In my last email I forgot to mention I’ve written a new paper on…”
“I forgot to mention this new product (service, coverage) has come DOWN in price because…”
“In our last conversation I forgot to mention…”
Now you can feel comfortable to call anyone and tell them you left this out of your letter, post card, call, website, ad, seminar. Oh, you’re so sorry – you forgot to mention a key point they need to know right now… and here it is.
Maybe in your rush to get your new newsletter to them, it wasn’t included.
Maybe a recent news story triggered this need (“I saw this story in the news tonight and I thought I’d better call you… because I forgot to mention…”
Maybe a new law created information they need to know right now.
Or maybe in your latest negotiation, your new providers presented information that affects them. And in fact, it just became available (“I was speaking with one of our new providers earlier today and he advised me of a change in your policy — I thought you’d want to know about right away because I forgot to mention this in…”
I write about marketing with letters and post cards all the time. However, the phone is one of the best marketing tools you can use. OK, the phone IS the best marketing tool you can use.
But unless you use the phone in a tightly controlled way it can fast become a burden to you, and an annoyance to clients. By using this key phrase and spacing out calls at only so many per day, it becomes an effective tool to build additional business, relationships and longevity into accounts — without stress.
The “Oh, I forgot to mention…” technique is an incredible tool for a less stressed environment using the telephone.
It’s also great for getting past gatekeepers: simply say the reason you’d like to speak with your customer or prospect is about your last letter to him – something you forgot to mention… and your sure they’ll feel it’s important. Gets you right through. Any questions?
Jeff Dobkin will now take your questions. Seriously, he will! Write him at jeff@dobkin.com Call him at 610-642-1000. Jeff is a funny speaker, yet with an intense message of how to increase response and keep customers longer. And did I mention he’s a damn good copywriter specializing in highly responsive letters, direct-selling printed ads and web content. And he’s a marketing consultant. Dobkin has written 5 books on marketing, 2 on humor and over 300 articles on direct marketing that have appeared in more than 250 magazines. To speak with him or order his books call 610-642-1000.