Article Making Business Calls With Confidence!

By Laurie Smale

In my role as a speaking coach, a business person once confided that they were about to make a very important call to a potential business partner in Germany and was really worried about saying the wrong thing during the conversation and undoing all of their hard work.

Once-In-a-lifetime Opportunity

“I really want to form this partnership and get things moving as soon as possible,” they confided.

“This will be the first time I’ll be speaking to them – and my first time making such a call!”

They added that they had been working on this project online for quite a while and didn’t want one wayward call to ruin this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I also learnt that they had received a positive response three eeks prior to this for the extensive work done so far but had heard nothing since then.

So a lot depended on this one call.

They were desperate for help: “I’d really appreciate some tips on how to get this right” they implored.

After some careful thought I offered them the following:

It’s obvious these people are aware you have been working on this project for quite a while. By now they know you are trustworthy and that you know your stuff, that’s why they sent you a positive response three weeks ago!

But the Germans are known for being very methodical and doing everything like ‘clockwork’ and checking things over many times. You have to be aware of this too.

So be patient.

It’s probably a very safe thing that they go about things in such a meticulous way.

Genuinely Interested

That said, when you get to know them, they are very friendly and approachable. The important thing to keep in mind is you DID get a positive response so this tells us they are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

Keep in mind also that your agenda of ASAP might not be theirs, but once they are satisfied that all the ‘Ts’ are crossed and all the ‘Is’ are dotted they’ll probably be amenable to moving forward.

So now to this important call: You told me that this is your first time making an overseas call such as this. But as an Australian business entrepreneur, you can’t tell me you’ve never made some other important business call here or elsewhere overseas!

It really is just another one of these important business contacts where you have to be a friendly, agreeable person and talk in the interests of others.

Seek Out The Key Decision Maker

It’s most important you organise things so you speak to the actual decision maker involved and not some person of lesser authority, ignorant to the specifics of the situation. This individual could inadvertently torpedo the whole thing.

The central thing here is for you to make personal contact with this key person so they are reassured by your friendly voice.

Try and break the ice with some interesting comment on something that’s of current interest in Germany (do a quick search to find out the latest).

Then you could slip into the reason why you called with something like: “The main reason for the call following your positive response to our possible partnership a month ago… was what the current status of our discussion is and if there was anything else you needed to know?”

At this point don’t say anything else. Just let them talk.

Above all, don’t see yourself as inferior to this key person in any way.

Know your own self-worth in what you have to offer as an expert in your field and how you both stand to benefit from any future partnership and the unique things you have to offer.

The whole purpose of the call is to touch base, make human contact, and keep things ticking along.

All the while keeping in mind that German folk love to double-check everything. But when they make a decision they go for it.

Address Their Concerns

As a general rule, Germans speak good English and get by quite well. All you have to do is focus on one or two open-ended questions to bring out any concerns they may have. Then let the conversation go where it wants as you explore common ground and answer any questions that crop up.

And don’t be daunted by all this for they’ll probably appreciate the fact you personally contacted them for these decisions are not easy for them either!

After reflecting on these comments for a couple of days, my client plucked up the courage and made that all-important business call.

They told me, “I can’t believe how smoothly everything went.”

Their potential business partner even ventured that they go the next step!

They discovered that the one vital ingredient that had been missing until then was them and this key person talking to one another as warm human beings.

And the only way he could make this happen was to press the button and make that call.

Some wise person once said “Often our greatest fear is the fear of fear itself”.

So reflect on your version of the above ideas then switch on your device and make the call!

Let’s summarise the essence of all this in six simple steps

Give careful thought to the key purpose of your approach and the message you want to get across. Keep the main reason for the call simple and clear.
Make sure everything you say is couched in some benefit for the recipient.
Before the call be aware of who these people are, their philosophy, and the way they go about things.
Reflect on what they might be thinking about your motive for contacting them. Does this sit comfortably with their interests?
Know your own self-worth and why you’ve earned the right to be the helpful expert you are. No one wants to do business with a wishy-washy person unsure of themselves!
Always strive to be friendly and agreeable.

ARTICLE // Making Business Calls With Confidence!

By Laurie Smale, Author 🎤

Have you ever wondered how to handle a call with a potential business partner overseas? Do you know what to prepare beforehand?

Read this article on ‘Making Business Calls With Confidence!’ to learn more.

https://lauriesmale.com/blog/article-making-business-calls-with-confidence

All of my practical coaching wisdom is in my three books available at https://lauriesmale.com/books

#lauriesmale #article #businesscalls

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