Telesales and outbound calling are among the most common skills in Ghanaian sales adverts. A sales call is short. You have a few seconds to earn the right to a minute, and a minute to earn a next step. The good news is that a simple structure, practised aloud, makes calls much easier.
Before you dial
- Know who you are calling and why they might care. Check your lead list notes.
- Have one clear goal for the call, usually a next step: a meeting, a demo, a visit or permission to send a quote. Closing a big sale on a cold call is rare.
- Stand or sit up straight, smile and have water nearby. People can hear energy.
- Call at sensible times. Avoid early mornings, prayer times you know of, and late evenings.
A simple call structure
- Greet and introduce. "Good morning, is this Mr Alhassan? My name is Rashida, I am calling from a company that sells stock apps to shops."
- Ask permission. "Have I caught you at a bad time?" This sounds odd, but it shows respect, and people often say "No, go ahead."
- Give the reason. One sentence linked to their world: "I am calling because many provision shops in Tamale tell us they lose track of fast selling items."
- Ask a question. "How do you keep track of your stock at the moment?" Then listen.
- "Could I show you how it works in ten minutes on Thursday at your shop?"