See exactly what causes cold callers to fail before
they even have a chance of success, AND what you should
do instead. 
Don’t Ask if You May Ask, Just ASK
By Art Sobczak on Dec 8, 2008 in Questioning, Sales Vocabulary, Telephone Voice
On the phone, what might seem like tiny nuances in speech can be major hindrances. Think about it, because of the absence of visual communication, the listeners complete perception of you is based on the words you use, and the way you deliver them.
A habit that some people have is prefacing their questions with “May I ask…”, as in “May I ask how many locations you have?”
When you analyze it, this is a waste of words and also implies that the inquirer is tentative and lacks confidence in asking for the information.
Those who are guilty might argue that they don’t want to appear pushy with their questions.
Nonsense.
As long as you’ve piqued their curiosity with your opening and hinted at the value you might be able to deliver you’ve earned the right to ask for information.
Plus, you can make your questions sound non-threatening with your tone of voice. Why not simply say, “How many locations do you have?” in a sincere tone of voice?
Oh, here’s another related offense: simply asking if you may ask a question. Such as, “May I ask you a few questions about your organization?”
If you say this, you just did ask a question!
The problem here is that their thinking now focuses on whether or not they want to answer any questions. However, contrast that with, “Tell me about how your organization is structured by region.”
Now they aren’t debating as to whether or not they want to answer your questions. They’re thinking about the answer to your request. That’s why questions are so powerful. They prompt the person to think about precisely what you ask them.
3 Comment(s)
By Barbe Seal on Dec 8, 2008 | Reply
The personal touch is important. I am just recetly back in resale real estate after 18 years selling new homes for the builder. For the last 7 years I have been selling in a golf course community. I also live there. This is my “farm area”. My first project was to get the name and addresses of all of the people in the community, about 45% that I had personally sold to. In the entire community there are about 610 homes at this time. It has taken me a couple of months, but each person has received a hand written postcard from me. Some of these people I can remember and they have received a very personal note. The reaction is great! I have had people stop me in the grocery store and tell me that they recognize me from my card and have kept that card for future reference. Others have called me to tell me that they don’t need my services yet but will probably in the future. Or they have called me to just let me know that they received my card. I have had 2 referrals so far and one request for a listing presentation.
This is just a start. There will not always be a hand written note, but about every 3 months everyone will receive a card and every 6 months I hope to be able to hand write a note on each.
I design these cards myself. You can purchae all sorts of marketing material, but what sets a person apart is that personal touch. That is what people remember!
By Tracy on Dec 8, 2008 | Reply
Hi,Art,I’m tracy from China doing foreign trade with europeans. I’m a greenhand in the telesales field. What you shared in your blog help me a lot.Thanks! I am now doing the same thing in your article. I mean i tend to ask in the way like “May I ask…..”. I thought it’s a kind of politeness before. Now,i realize the problem, and will change this later. Asking the questions in a sincere voice is better.
By Dave Moore on Dec 10, 2008 | Reply
Hi Art
Further to this is another classic waste of words…
I was walking along the street the other day and outside of a store was a girl offering discounts on a skin treatments and makeovers (like I need one of those!) and she said to me “Can I ask you a question?”
Naturally I replied “You just did, hun, you just did!” and carried on walking..
Best regards
Dave