I think way too many of us use the phone as not only our primary tool, we use it exclusively, as in that’s it, just the phone.

Beyond the phone we have a lot of people who use email and then beyond maybe one other type of “sales tool” that’s about it

That’s a shame!

You have to know by now that you’re limiting your results that way. Right?

I have 3 reasons why you should mix it up and then I’m going to show you how!

1) Everyone has their preferred platform for communication. You do. I do and your prospects definitely do. So if all you’re doing is calling and emailing and meanwhile, they aren’t having that, then you’re limiting yourself.

2) If all you do is call and email (especially if you do that God awful thing where you do them both within seconds of each other) you are most probably boring the sh*t out of your prospects. Why? Because when you don’t get a response and you just keep doing more of the calls and emails;  now you’re conditioning someone to just blow off your attempts to reach them. You’ve become predictable.

3) You aren’t wired to just do one thing all day (two if you count your email). You need the variety of different sales tools instead of just having a phone glued to your ear all day.

You really need to create a “tool shed” so you can create additional options so . . .

Let’s do an exercise . . .

I want you to picture a tool shed with all these shelves and hooks to hang up tools but the shed is pretty damn empty.

Other than a shelf marked “phone calls” and another marked “email” there really isn’t anything else.

Now each of these shelves has a drop down menu with additional options within that category.

For example . . .

Let’s take that shelf that’s marked “phone calls”. There are different types of phone calls right? There are intro calls. There are calls where you are calling someone from your network. Calls where you want to share an idea. Follow up calls after you’ve sent info etc.

What other types of phone calls are there? Think of as many different phone calls as you can.

Sarcasm Alert: This shouldn’t be too hard because that’s all you’ve probably been doing.

The same goes for your emails. There are intro emails, emails where we are sending a resource or helpful tip, Guy Kawasaki and Daniel Pink talk about a 3-5 sentence ultra brief email etc.

What other types of email are there?

Once you do that, you have to get to work filling up the other shelves.

Perhaps we could fill them with things like traditional networking, social networking, snail mail, drop ins and drop offs, referrals, creative door openers, etc.

What other sales tools should we put on those shelves?

Once you fill those shelves, make sure add that that “drop down menu” so you identify as many options as you can within each category.

When I do this exercise with my coaching clients, it’s not uncommon for us to dramatically expand a sales rep’s tools by at least 50+

The best part is that the people who have taken this exercise to heart have seen greater results and feel like they’ve broken that awful feeling of doing the same things day in and day out.

Sometimes we need to change it up folks!

This will help you to do that!

Sales Managers: This might be a good topic for your next sales meeting and something for you to discuss in your “one on one’s”

One more thing . . .

Right about now, all the hardcore cold callers get their panties in a bunch so . . .

I’m not saying you should abandon your phone efforts, I just think your phone calls are lonely and in need of some companionship from other sales efforts!

Did you find value in this post today?

Well this is exactly the type of stuff we’ll be talking about in our online sales course starting April 2nd!

Please click here for more details.

Sales Leaders: Email me for special pricing on 2 or more participants! paul@yoursalesplaybook.com