It is rare for appraisers to meet potential or existing clients face-to-face. As technology dominates the business world, most, if not all, orders are obtained through email or phone. It is essential for appraisers to have a professional phone presence. Today I am going to give you three tips for sounding professional on the phone.
First, don’t mix business and pleasure. I strongly encourage you to keep your business number separate from your personal number. There is a better chance of you sounding unprofessional on a cell phone due mainly to background noise. Additionally, if you use the same phone for business as you do with friends and family you run the risk of sounding unprofessional simply out of bad habit.
Second, hire a professional to answer your phones. I am guessing a lot of your day is spent in appraisal inspections. It is disrespectful to the borrower to be on the phone during a home observation, but it is also unprofessional to ignore your phone during business hours. If you hire a professional to answer your phones then all of your calls will be answered, it will be from a quiet office environment, and your employee will likely do a lot better job than you would which makes you and your company look good.
Third, get a quality phone system. I have written about this before, but I strongly suggest investing in a VOIP system. Although it typically costs slightly more than a regular service provider, the benefits greatly outweigh the cost. You can easily customize the system, record calls, and provide a more professional sounding atmosphere. Furthermore, most VOIP systems allow you to make calls in a pinch from your smartphone using their app (and thus, the office caller ID).
Ultimately, the interaction your clients have with you over the phone gives them the impression of you and your appraisal business. They will be more inclined to trust you and send more business your way if you give them a professional impression.
For more information on this subject, please listen to The Appraiser Coach Podcast Episode:
