Okay, one of the things I say time and time again is: ANSWER THE PHONE!
Why?
Because you will do more deals when you answer the phone live. And because you’ll likely lose deals if you don’t.
So, a question came into my podcast hotline about this, and it’s a valid question:
This caller wanted to know how he’s supposed to answer every call live when both he and his partner still work full time and have a family and busy lives…
Totally understandable.
Good news—there are options.
So, while I do believe that your #1 option is for you to always, ALWAYS answer the phone live…
If it can’t be you, it doesn’t have to be.
Option #2: Hire a local assistant. (Maybe friends or family are interested in doing this. Or place an ad on Craigslist, perhaps a stay-at-home mom would want to do this or a disabled veteran. Pay them minimum wage and give ‘em a bonus for every call that turns into a deal.)
Option #3: Hire a virtual assistant. (Mine is in the Philippines, and she answers the calls through Skype. She speaks excellent English, and I pay her $10/hour.)
Option #4: Enlist a call center. (Like PatLive, for example. Now, it’s not as good as having the same dedicated person answer every time, but it’s better than nothing.)
Option #5: I don’t love this idea, but as a coach, I do want to provide you all the options that are out there. You could have the call go to voicemail, and then you figure out how to quickly call them right back.
Remember… the key is to do what your competition is not doing—answering calls with a live person.
Answering the calls live is sooo important… so do it or have it done!
