My boss told me to shadow a receptionist for one day and I learned more about clients than 3 years of sales calls

Last Wednesday I sat next to Brenda at the front desk of our office in Austin. She showed me how she sorts incoming calls by who sounds upset before they even mention their issue. I also watched her spot a client's mood just from how they walked through the door. Now I'm changing how I approach every cold call. Has anyone else picked up a weird skill from watching someone in a totally different role?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesley87316d ago

Hard disagree on this one. Watching someone handle upset callers for a day gives you a tiny slice of client personalities, not the full picture. Brenda might be great at reading body language, but that doesn't mean she knows why a client is really calling or what deep problems they're facing. Cold calls are about uncovering needs, not just matching a mood. Most receptionists never hear the actual sales conversations or client objections that happen after the first hello. You learned a neat trick, not a replacement for real sales experience.

wesley87316d ago

Yeah man I gotta be honest I used to think the same way. I figured watching a receptionist was just surface level stuff and real sales came from the trenches. But last month I sat with our front desk girl Maria for an afternoon and saw her pick up on a client's hesitation just from the way they paused before saying their name. That little thing changed how I open calls now because I realized those tiny cues actually tell you a lot about their state of mind before you even pitch anything.