Do you ask if it's a good time to talk?

If you ask it, you risk them saying no as it is easy. If you want success, you have to assume they have time to listen or they will tell you otherwise.

I say ' am I catching you at a good time' .....

but its more or less worded as a formality then a genuine question

if they`re not going to listen, then I think it's pointless to pitch them... I'd rather find somebody who is at least minimally receptive...

You do not want to try to push people into a conversation who are not available to talk.

Many people answer the phone even though they can't actually talk right now.

I ask if it's a bad time to talk, because it's counter-intuitive, and gets them out of what they are doing and onto the call if they are available...which is the outcome I want.

Assuming people are free to talk to you is a bad idea.

If you push your way into talking, you will get a lot more friction and cause a lot of animosity towards you. You'll get tired of calling and quit. Take the path of least resistance instead.

Too many people do one monster calling session. They call for 6 or 8 hours and exhaust themselves trying to get sales. They dial a number once and then treat it as if it is dead. It is not dead. To be successful in calling, you have to dial consistently. Not being able to talk to someone today is no big deal--just a need to reschedule.

However, most people are so screwed up about the reality of making calls that they'll never understand the correct mentality you need to approach it.

Hint: After they respond to my question of whether it's a bad time to talk or not, and it isn't, then I set up a quick agreement to let me briefly explain why I called...and find out whether it's something they want to talk about or not.

Ask them most every time, few say no , those that do always allow a reschedule and all have been available when I recall.

I ask this way: "Do you have two minutes for me?"

So they've agreed to two minutes. In those two minutes if what I say interests them, they'll stay on the phone much longer.

When you don't ask, then they can (and will) blow you off within thirty seconds with "now's not a good time to speak."

If someone calls me and asked "is now a good time to talk?" my brain would immediately think, "here's your chance. Say no and get out now."

Jason, you're talking about having their feelings anchored or associated emotionally with the person calling. So if indeed they're having a bad time and you call, it wouldn't matter what words you say because that attachment could be formed regardless what's said.

(though the wording in asking "Is this a bad time to call?" is a negative expression psychologists would tell you is more likely to have the recipient look for the reasons it indeed is a bad time to call opposed to asking a positive question. It's the difference between saying, "looks like rain, doesn't it?" vs. "looks like the sun's going to come out, doesn't it?")

The fact is most people go through their days without major upsetting emergencies. And if they are to experience an emergency out of all the time in the day it could happen - odds dictate it wouldn't be the moment you happen to call. So when they tell you it's a bad time... could be just them blowing the caller off more times than not.

So, I'd rather not open that way. I'd rather ask for a two minute commitment and obtain it or not. Because I'd rather have them say no to speaking up front at the top of the call, rather than be in the sales process and then lose the momentum being told they have to get off the phone. That's like having the prospect on the hook and at that moment of truth just about to get the deal their kid comes running in crying with a boo boo.

I almost never ask upfront unless they come in huffing and puffing (either for breath or with attitude) or if there is yelling and such going on when they come on.

I assume that if they will listen for just a few seconds then
they are interested in what Im saying, the opening "headline" is set up that way.

Because Im asking questions in my approach that they have to answer for me to continue, I can then SENSE whether they want to talk.

Then I can tell if they are listening just to be polite or if they REALLY do want to hear what I have to say.

For me mentally it is BS and weak to ask if its a good time, OF COURSE its a good time because you are listening and you WANT to know more else you would just tell me so or I will pick it up in your voice very quickly.

One other thing is that I noticed how people reacted in the past when I asked if this was a good time, and it was like that question gave them a chance to put up a "salesman shield" similar , but not quite as strong as asking "How are you?".

I agree with always asking.

You can always judge by their tone as well.

For example, if they sound like they're flustered or in a hurry, you could always say "sounds like I caught you at a busy time, is there a better time to call?"

If they say "no, now is fine" then you've got permission for a decent conversation.

It's a must don't you think? It is the most polite thing to ask and this is the best way to start the conversation. Like what Panter said, there is no point in speaking with someone who is only half listening to you. Although asking this question might get you a number of No, it is part of calling.

Great discussion with LOTS of fantastic content.

By asking if they have a few minutes for a call, this provides them with the option of taking your call or not. It also conveys appreciation and consideration for their valuable time, and if they are truly busy they will be more likely to respond with an alternate time to call. I put myself in the other person's shoes which gives me a whole new perspective and rarely leads me wrong.

Very different from the "hard seller" who pesters you no matter what you say. For myself, this brings an automatic NO to mind despite what he has to sell.

I like to ask if it is a good time to talk because it is a courtesy people respond well to.

It is not like I ask this question 100% of the time, but it is used fairly often.

I know it works well as an ice breaker too.

LLS

Assuming you're phoning them to truly help them long term, starting off by checking if you've called at a good or not so good time sets the tone for your whole relationship from then on, if they say it's not a good time and you call them back, they'll say thanks when you do and realise you're more than a salesperson , realise you are there for them not for yourself, if it is a good time, they'll appreciate that you cared enough to ask.
Only the real losers that you don't want to have as clients will be the ones that always say it's a bad time, part pre qualification made super simple.

I'm going to try it. I'm always up to trying different sales techniques to see if they'll benefit me. Here's the thing though, I sell telemarketed leads. I ask `I was wondering if your agency uses telemarketed leads at all` so when would I incorporate the `is it a good time to talk? After they say yes?

I don't really see the benefit in using it before because the majority of the time the agent is not the one answering the phone.

It's a good way to start a conversation. it a times it works for me. It would be better to know first if the person is ready to talk to you or not and if they say "yes" then i would start building a friendly conversation then slowly creating a rapport.

I always ask as well. James hit the nail on the head when he said to take the path of least resistance. I find that asking almost relieves a bit of tension. A lot of the time, the person who picks up the phone is almost expecting you to do the typical telemarketer spiel where you don't give them a second to put a word in. Asking them if they have a few minutes to chat often relieves them of that worry and helps them to ease into the conversation with a sense of focus.

As mentioned, it's also a good qualifying method. I don't know about you guys, but it drives me CRAZY when I'm in the middle of a pitch and I'm told that they only have a minute or that they're "really tied up at the moment".

I do because I don't want to be associated with any bad feelings they may be experiencing.

I can't remember the last time I asked if timing was good for me to speak with the decision maker.

What I do the moment they put me through is just thank them giving me their time. I say it this way to establish the pattern of them giving to me.

#1 rule of cold calling...NEVER ASK A YES/NO QUESTION.

Ask questions that require a detailed answer. This isnt an issue of formalities or manners... this is a simple fact of salesmanship...asking yes/no questions before you have engaged the customer in conversation will turn potential buyers into NO's.

this

Interesting thread and great content... I especially liked Phil's twist... "Instead of asking if it's a good time, I say : I bet I caught at a bad time, didn't I ?"

I am going to try this one.

Thanks guys.

Well... there is a compelling reason to ask.

And an unequally strong reason to go rattling on.

So here's a solution. Do both.

Well almost...

Just say "I know you must be extremely busy so I'll be very quick...(and then rattle on and try - although it's never easy - to be concise and get to the point).


Steve



P.S. This is patented by me but let me share it with you...

Whoever you are speaking to unless it's a friend, member of the family or someone you know always, always start the call by saying -

"Thank you so much for taking my call" (they now feel important and who has ever bothered to thank them before?).

So the intro goes -

"Thank you so much for taking my call, I know you must be extremely busy so I'll be very quick..."

We never ask, or recommend that our callers ask. We've found that if people aren't available, they don't take a call...asking them once they are on the phone is a waste of time. Do you answer a call when you are busy? I don't. I check for a message or email or I call someone back when I am free.

Rarely do we get someone that doesn't reschedule a call if they truly are busy. It usually goes like this (while we are in conversation) "I'm in the middle of something right now, it's not a good time" and IMMEDIATELY we say "I understand, how's later this afternoon/tomorrow at 10 am look for you?" It's rare that they don't give you a better time to call back, and that this point, you've had enough dialogue that they remember you. We also get an email address to confirm, or keep contact.

So, in short, no, we never ask. We are calling adults, they don't need to be coddled and if they aren't free, they are able to tell you without you putting it in their head.

I never ask if it's a good time to talk.

My Mentality: People prioritize what holds value for them.
My Pitch : I'd like to talk to you about how I can get you more customers ( Not a verbatim pitch )

If they don't have the time to talk about new business then I don't want to deal with them. Simple as that.

Keep in mind my mindset has been crafted through tons of difficult clients.

I didn't say they blow us off...I said IF they interrupt and say that it's not a good time we set a good time to speak with them, and set that call. Do people blow us off on a CB...of course, it's how cold calling goes, but if you are NI, you're NI and there are other people I can spend my time calling.

Edit: I never ask for XX minutes because you don't know how long a call will take with any customer...if you suggest to them "do you have 2 minutes/10 minutes to talk" at the beginning of the call, and they truly expect it to be 2 minutes...again, you've given them an out and limited yourself in the conversation. Not to mention, some people have more questions than others, and some want more information. Why even introduce the option to get off the call at the beginning of the call?! It's like calling up and saying "Mr. Smith, I'm going to pitch you an idea, and if you are too busy right now, or if you don't like what I've said after 2 minutes I'll let you go..." Why would he even contemplate talking to you if he might not like what you've said? Have confidence, call, pitch, lead, and close. Done.

It is VERY rare that someone says "this isn't a good time" out of the blue once we are talking. I'd say I hear it maybe once a day out of 600 calls or so. If I asked all 600 calls I make if it is a good time...that would be a waste of time.

We start our calls by qualifying them with what we need and leading the call and being conversational. We don't lead the call into an "out" by suggesting they have something better to do than talk with us. It comes from years of calls and just knowing how to handle people on the phone, I've never had someone get upset that I didn't ask if they were busy. In fact, I've had people thank me for getting to the point and knowing how to get the call moving and finished. It's all in your level of confidence how you best handle a call.

If it works the way you do it, then good for you...I was answering the OP's question as to what we do - not stating gospel.

I always ask if it's a good time to talk so I can neutralize the objection and get them interested in hearing from me.

Curiosity defeats preoccupation.

Other times being busy IS a legitimate condition for not going ahead with the call.

It is always better to ask, if the the prospect has enough time to listen to what you have to say. It will save his time and yours too.

You can take a horse to a stream but you can never make him drink water.

Even though I'm aware that a business owner could use this question as an out, I still ask if its a good time to talk. Why? Because it shows the owner that I respect their time.

Furthermore, if they do use it as an opportunity to escape my take is that they probably weren't ready for what I have to offer anyway. This means they're actually doing me the favor by ridding me of the headaches that usually come with fickle minded clients.

I always ask if they have a second when they first get on the call.
"Zig Ziggler" The master 1 thing to always do!

That is common courtesy and proper sales edict!

Otherwise you could be giving the impression that you are not considerate of their time.
And we all know that business owners are very busy and we are their to help them not be a inconvenience to them.
Beside if you are worried about giving them a out , Then that is not a customer that I want to wasting my time and money pitching.