Phone skills

Never learned that formally, but have figured it out. Also have had it applied on me successfully, although I hate to admit it. My first I/T job was working in a tech support desk that I later managed for a few years. We weren't selling anything, so our skills were more focused on taking control of difficult conversations. There is a remarkable amount of cross-over with that and negotiation.

My usual answer to "Who will be the driver?" when it's me is: "The cheapest one on payroll." I usually don't have to explain that, and it personalizes the conversation which gives you leverage. You become less of "just another caller" and more of a real person. Real people are more difficult to turn down.

Once in a while, I'll sense that the broker has been taking/making a lot of calls and is falling into a scripted cadence. Break it to your benefit. At an appropriate place take a side track. "Are you the only one working past lunch today?" "Going anywhere for the holiday?" Whatever fits the moment. Make yourself less of another voice yammering in their ear and more of a real person. Beware, when they get started, those brokers can be longer talkers than the loneliest driver you ever encountered. You may be the first caller of the day that they weren't having to be fully on-guard with. Be prepared to steer the discussion back on track if you're pressed on time.

When you identify yourself as being the driver, you also qualify yourself as someone that has an even greater interest and responsibility with the success of the load. That tends to lead to greater control in the negotiation and working relationship. Most brokers work in an office and have a supervisor or manager. When you identify yourself as "The Boss" it changes your dynamic with them. You're no longer just a peer. Of course that being in addition to the short communication path you mention, which is also appealing.

It's part of "know what you're doing theater." You can be the most clueless person in the world. If you put yourself out there as qualified and just act like you know what you're doing, 99% of the people you speak with will buy it.

 

Depending on the person who answers the phone, I've asked for an outrageous number before, I am talking, $5000 on a 600 mile run, it always catches them off guard, and they always give a small pause because they are trying to figure out if I am serious or not, when they give the puzzled "we don't have that much in it" I come back with yea, probably not, but that is going to make what I really want look reasonable, and they laugh with relief, and we go from there, it shakes up their routine, and makes them think, but also gives them a good laugh, I haven't analyzed how often I get what I want after I do that yet, but it's always interesting to hear the different responses.

 

That right there is AWESOME. I know a few of my regulars that will just about choke on that LOL. Can't wait!

 

And they wear $6 sweat pants because you weaseled them out of a fair rate. They might look at you pretty much like your avatar wearing gold chains and 10 rings and an extreme love a money to the point the last time you masturbated you had a $1 bill in your hand. Oh George! I love you!

Sorry I couldn't resist that joke!


Professionalism and smooth talking goes a long way. Anger just makes everyone mad to the point of unclear thinking. It's not much different than buying or selling a car. One goes high and the other goes low and you meet in the middle and everyone is happy.

 

@ red & sjmay, what you both said about snapping them out of their cadence is exactly right. They do go into kind of a zombie mode and if you are looking to make a deal or make an impression you have to find some way to snap them out of it with a question or a little joke or something. Interrupting or redirecting is a very powerful phone skill if you can do it right. Sometimes I have had luck interrupting in the middle of the description of the load I'll just say, "It's fine, it's fine, as long as it's under 44,000 lbs I can haul it for $XXXX no problems, I can be there as soon as we get a carrier agreement." One of my favorite sales lines is, "I'm not afraid to make a quick decision, do we have a deal ?"

I mean, you can get into a lot of psychology with it, but usually the dimwit on the other end of the line has only a little window to work with and you're gonna find their top dollar pretty quickly.

Something else I do is if someone is trying to talk 200mph, I'll say something like, "Jim, Jim !! Hey, I'm sorry but my hearing isn't very good. I really need you to talk slowly and clearly. I guess I'm just a little slow between the ears, give me a break would ya ?" This is partly true, my hearing isn't great and I do have a hard time hearing when they talk too fast. But it also is a way to take them off their game as well. If I can't get them to slow down, I just interrupt again, "Jim, hey Jim. Sorry to interrupt but I really can't understand what you're saying. Look, I'm gonna need $XXXX on this load, can you do that ?"

 

Lots of good stuff in this thread. Funny how everything is psychology and people are predictable.

 

I have brokers that I know their wife and kids name and what kind of car they drive. I have made friend with with a few. And after being out for a little over three months with a broken leg funds was low and one advanced me the full pay of a load before I even picked it up because he knew what I was going through

 

this is a great read for me getting ready to lease on with L/S good pointers. Not a newbee as far as o/o but new to brokers and agents. wish me luck. LOL