Telephone calls from cold callers and potential clients

['chelle]

Ok, I have 2 questions here, so bear with me!

1) My number has appeared in the yellow pages for the first time in the new edition, and you cant half tell! I am getting calls left right and centre from companies wanting to "save me money" on my phone tariff, sell me advertising (some genuine, some not) etc etc. The number they are calling is my mobile, so I can tell them to get stuffed in the privacy of my own home, but I'm going salon based soon, and dont want to be hassled by sales people when I've got clients. How do you deal with sales calls? do you ask them to ring another time? If so, doesnt that just delay the hassle, or do you tell them you're not interested, only to receive another call the next day? I was thinking that if I get any sales calls, I will explain that my business number is for client contact only, and that if they want to address me, they need to send info in the post, end of. What do you think???

2) You know those calls you get from potential clients that simply state "how much do you charge?" How much info do you go into? I dont want to just reel prices off over the phone to hear the inevitable "I'll get back to you", nor do I want to be so vague as to deter a client, but as we all know, its not as simple as having one price, it depends on what you're having done.
My practice until now has been to say "My prices for a full set of enhancements start from £30, £35 for forever french, however would you like to make an appointment for a consultation etc", but I usually just get the "I'll get back to you" (my prices aren't over the top either, its about the local average). So, question 2 is, do you have a way to draw people in with this type of query?

 

[Zingara]

Have a littel look through here....it maybe the answer to some of your problems!

TPS Registration

 

[hippy-chick]

1. You will get loads of calls all the time, just be prepared to tell them you are not interested and get off the phone as quickly as possible.

2. don't take it personally. I've stood for the past 9 weeks at the hairdresser's reception (I'm renting the rooms above) and they get at least 2 calls like that a day. They just tell the enquirer the price, then say, OK thanks bye.

 

[Minipig007]

Ok, I have 2 questions here, so bear with me!

2) You know those calls you get from potential clients that simply state "how much do you charge?" How much info do you go into? I dont want to just reel prices off over the phone to hear the inevitable "I'll get back to you", nor do I want to be so vague as to deter a client, but as we all know, its not as simple as having one price, it depends on what you're having done.
My practice until now has been to say "My prices for a full set of enhancements start from £30, £35 for forever french, however would you like to make an appointment for a consultation etc", but I usually just get the "I'll get back to you" (my prices aren't over the top either, its about the local average). So, question 2 is, do you have a way to draw people in with this type of query?

Ok, for q1, TPS is the best and as this has already been posted, will repsond to Q2.

If someone calls and asks "how mcuh do you charge", and hit back with, "what treatment are you looking for", get the question focused, and open up a dialogue such as "is it for a special occassion or do you have the treatment on a regular basis" blah blah. Not only will this get you the information you need to help the client, but you'll stick in her/his head a lot more because you went the extra mile to ascertain the reason for her call.

Remember, you will always have those people who are just checking out the competition. "mystery customers" and the lark. If you try and pull them into a conversation they'll panic. A potential customer should open up and give you the info you're looking for.

HTH's!

 

['chelle]

Ok, for q1, TPS is the best and as this has already been posted, will repsond to Q2.

If someone calls and asks "how mcuh do you charge", and hit back with, "what treatment are you looking for", get the question focused, and open up a dialogue such as "is it for a special occassion or do you have the treatment on a regular basis" blah blah. Not only will this get you the information you need to help the client, but you'll stick in her/his head a lot more because you went the extra mile to ascertain the reason for her call.

Remember, you will always have those people who are just checking out the competition. "mystery customers" and the lark. If you try and pull them into a conversation they'll panic. A potential customer should open up and give you the info you're looking for.

HTH's!

Marvellous, thanks for that, I like your style!! Must admit, I've mde a couple of "how much do you charge" calls to my immediate competition, but not to undercut them or anything, I just wanted to be aware. Actually, I'm £5 dearer than my nearest competitor salon, but she focuses more on beauty and holistic therapies than nails, so I'm not concerned.

Thanks again for the advice

 

[Sassy Hassy]

The TPS is great, but I find that most companies don't care if you say you're registered with them. I found when I was winding down my business that saying "I'm moving to Spain" got them off the phone real quick!!!! It's worth a try. BTW when you sign up to the Thomson local and YP there should be a box to tick to say you don't want your details added to their contacts database. They make most of their money selling their databases to companies who want your details to pester the hell out of you to buy their products. The reps will never point this out to you for obvious reasons so you need to ask where the box is.

As for the "how much does it cost" I tried to get into dialogue and if I could then I usually got them as a client. But in the end I knew that if this was their opening line then they were probably just phoning around to find the cheapest and I wasn't after that type of client as they are not loyal!

 

[Zingara]

The TPS is great, but I find that most companies don't care if you say you're registered with them.

I usually tell them that if I report them they are liable for up to a £6000 fine - which is actually true. TPS have actually now started fining repeat offenders, which they didn't in the early days, so many compamies just started ignoring it!

Funnily enough I think it was Carphone Warehouse that were one of the worst offenders - constantly calling me to try and get me to switch my phone service over. The ironic thing is that their network is capable of screeeening out registered TPS numbers! I since heard they had been fined but don't know the full story!

The other thing I confess I like to do occasionally is wind people up, especially if they keep bugging me.....often the calls start with a polite 'how are you?'. This is my cue! I start a terrible story of back ache, period pain, financial problems, marital problems, business problems, tell them I don't know how I'm coping...believe me, they get off the phone pretty quick and don't usually call back!:lol:

 

[chantell simone]

The other thing I confess I like to do occasionally is wind people up, especially if they keep bugging me.....often the calls start with a polite 'how are you?'. This is my cue! I start a terrible story of back ache, period pain, financial problems, marital problems, business problems, tell them I don't know how I'm coping...believe me, they get off the phone pretty quick and don't usually call back!:lol:

now that is very funny:lol:

 

[Redz24]

any adverts u place u may want to advertise that u dont want agencies to phone u etc

 

[angel fingers]

any adverts u place u may want to advertise that u dont want agencies to phone u etc

not at the prices yellow pages and news papers charge.

 

[Redz24]

not at the prices yellow pages and news papers charge.

i understand where ur coming from, advertising 10 bathroom showrooms can be costly :lol:

 

[Coppertop]

As above use the TPS and then if you continue to recieve calls take the company name, inform them that you are registered with the TPS and that if you recieve any futher calls from the company that you will be alowing the TPS to deal with them, that usually works, well it did for me anyway :lol:
As for clients calling for prices, i'd ask for an address so that you can send them a full price list and maybe even a voucher, all clients like to feel like they are getting something for a few quid less and they must really be interested to pick up the phone and call you.

 

[Coppertop]

The other thing I confess I like to do occasionally is wind people up, especially if they keep bugging me.....often the calls start with a polite 'how are you?'. This is my cue! I start a terrible story of back ache, period pain, financial problems, marital problems, business problems, tell them I don't know how I'm coping...believe me, they get off the phone pretty quick and don't usually call back!:lol:

LoL my friend used to say can you just hold a moment please and then start playing music down the phone until they got sick and hung up :lol:

 

[Peter Bowen]

I don't mind advertisers calling me - I don't know everything about business and sometimes they have some useful stuff.

If they call me on my mobile or at home and they're obviously reading a script or trying to sell me a phone upgrade I like to ask them to hold for a second and then pass them onto my 6 year old son Corbin. He likes talking on the phone.