Hey, good morning! Rich here with Summit Life Group. Today, I want to talk about one of the most important parts of a sales call: the very beginning. I don’t care what you’re selling—especially if you’re selling over the phone—the first few seconds of your call are the most crucial. You’ve probably heard this before: tonality is key. In fact, it’s more important than the words you’re actually saying. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it. People make an assessment about you within the first few seconds of hearing your voice, so mastering this part of the call is essential.
Main Content:
Yes, there’s a lot to learn in a sales call, but if you don’t get the opening right—if you don’t nail your tonality—none of the other parts will matter. You won’t even get the chance to show your skills later in the conversation.
Tonality Tip:
Here’s a tip: Be aware of your tonality throughout the day. You might think you’re doing great, but are you consistently executing that tone on every sales call? What often happens to agents is they carry over emotions from previous calls. Maybe they just got some bad news, or the last call didn’t go well, and now they’re frustrated. That negativity can seep into the next call, even though the new client has nothing to do with the previous one.
It’s so important to reset and show up fresh for every call. If you’re not careful, that negative energy can affect your tonality and hurt your chances of success on future calls.
The Smile Factor:
One of the things we talk about a lot in tele sales is the power of smiling. Believe it or not, when you smile, it really comes through the phone—people can feel it! I’ve seen agents put sticky notes on their computer screens or desks to remind themselves to smile. But one of our agents recently shared an even better idea: he placed a mirror right below his monitor so he can actually see himself when speaking.
This mirror serves as a constant reminder to check his facial expressions. Am I smiling? Am I angry? Am I frustrated? It’s easy to forget, but if you’re frustrated, I promise you—it’s coming through in your tone, and it could be costing you sales.
Conclusion:
So, just a quick tip: Remember that the most important part of a sales call, especially in tele sales, is the very beginning. Yes, there’s a lot to learn, but mastering your tonality right from the start will set you up for success.
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Make it a great day!
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