“You Have 5 Seconds” – Tony Pearl

“Hello?” The man answered the phone with a hint of annoyance in his voice, secretly dreading that this call would be just like the previous 13 conversations he’s already had this Saturday morning. Conversations that had become all too common since he and his wife had decided to sell their house on their own.

When the voice on the other end of the line immediately replied, the man could tell that the voice was reading a script as he heard, “Hello, sir. Are you the owner of 3451 Maple Leaf Lane? I see that you’re selling your house on your own, and I’d like to tell you about the many wonderful benefits of listing your house with a Realtor! Is this something you’ve considered doing?”

The man was getting tired of this crap. He sighed deeply before delivering what had become his standard reply, “No, my wife and I are selling this house on our own. We don’t need the help of an agent yet. Thank you for calling, and good-bye.”

With a tinge of guilt, he hung up the phone without waiting for a reply. The man knew that if he had waited for the other person to say something, it would eventually end the same way that all those other calls had ended, because all these callers sounded exactly the same. They all said the same thing. And it was getting annoying. If only someone who truly knew what they were doing would call. A real buyer for a change…

Ok, I’m Going To Start Counting!

“One, two, three…”

        Relax, this isn’t your mom talking, and you’re not 4 years old anymore.

        In this article, you’re going to learn how to make a powerful first impression on anyone you’re talking to when you talk to them on the phone. And I’m going to show you HOW to do this within the first FIVE seconds of talking to them. By the time you’re done reading this, you’ll know how to separate yourself from everyone else, get people’s attention, make a lasting & powerful impression, and use that to your advantage.

        So if you’re tired of sucking when you talk to people. If you’re tired of getting hung up on. And if you’re just plain ol’ TIRED of hearing the word “No!” Then pay attention here, because this is going to CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Yes, for the better.

Ready? Let’s do it!

Did You Know…?

        Did you know that various studies have shown that people make snap judgements about you within five seconds of you opening your mouth? And it’s actually much shorter than that when they see you. In a moment, I’ll show you how to use that fact to your advantage. But for now, it’s important that you just know this.

Before You Even Open Your Mouth

        Let me ask you an important question: Are you prepared? Before you call or call on someone, do you know what you’re going to say? Do you know HOW you’re going to say it? Or do you just plan on winging it?

        If you think you’re going to make a powerful first impression on someone without being prepared, you might be right! But chances are, that impression is going to be a negative one. And you don’t want that. So before you even open your mouth, you should first consider having a powerful, proven SCRIPT in front of you – especially if you’re just starting out. Only AFTER you’ve been doing this a while & are fully unconsciously competent should you even consider not using a script. That’s probably going to take a while, so… just use one, ok?

        But having a script is NOT enough! Have you practiced it so that you don’t SOUND like you’re reading a script? If not, then you should know what to do. But just to be crystal clear here, I’ll say it anyway: PRACTICE reading your script. Out loud. With someone else. Role play.

        Just like an actor practices reading his lines so it sounds like he’s just talking naturally, THAT’S what you should do with a good script. Rehearse it to make it your own, because it’s vitally important that you sound as natural as when you talk.

Let’s Take It A Step Further

        Assuming that you’ve already practiced at least the introduction part of your script, let’s give it a vital boost. The next important thing you’ll need to do is give your voice a shot of ENERGY! The easiest way to do this is to STAND UP as you talk. This will naturally help tremendously. It’s so important to have some enthusiasm in your voice, because nobody likes talking to someone who’s about to put them to sleep. …Unless they’re paying a hypnotist, and that’s not what we’re doing here.

The Ingredients of This Recipe

        Just like cooking anything tasty requires that you have the right ingredients, there are a few qualities of your voice that you’ll need to cultivate in order to have maximum effectiveness. If you fall short in any of these categories, it drastically reduces your chance of success here.

These Essential Qualities Are:

• You’ve got to be as SHARP as a Ginsu knife!
  If you sound stupid or lack confidence, you’re done with most people.
• You’ve got to have enthusiasm! Don’t be boring, dull, or sleepy.
  If you don’t have energy, don’t expect to get good results.
• You’ve got to be perceived as an Expert. An Authority at what you do.
  Nobody wants to deal with someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

The Main Idea

The Main Idea here is that you have GOT to SOUND like someone who is worthwhile for them to talk to, and that needs to be done within the first FIVE seconds of you starting to speak.  Quite simply, you’ve got to come across as someone who is competent enough to HELP the other person accomplish their goals, solve their problems, and take away their pain.

This is probably one of the main reasons why so many people get shut down so quickly on the phone. A close second is because they either don’t have a qualified prospect (whether it’s timing or just not a good fit) or they don’t know how to properly present their solutions.

If you don’t sound like someone who can do that for them, then guess what? Subconsciously, your prospect may just tune you out and casually disregard you. Or worse – they just won’t respect you enough to want to listen to you.  Either way, you’re toast.

So… How Do We Do That?

        How we accomplish this is actually very simple. But it will require a few things from you. The first thing is that you’ve got to WANT to get better. If you think that you’re already perfect the way you are, you probably aren’t. No offense, but to quote Dr. Phil, “How’s that working out for you so far?”

        The second thing you’ll need is to BELIEVE that you can learn and improve this skill to the point where you’ve got it down cold.

        And finally, you’ve got to put the work in to get great at this. Yes, that means practicing, just as we had mentioned earlier in this article.

        Your goal is simple: Develop your voice and style so that you come across as a sharp, enthusiastic, and credible expert at what you do… someone who is worth listening to. Tighten it up by practicing as much as you can so that you’re able to do this within the first FIVE seconds of talking with someone.

        I know, I know… This might be hard for you to believe you can do this, especially if you’re so used to doing things your way, with your own style. And I get it – it can be hard to change, especially if you have a few years on you. But by now you should be asking yourself a very important question…

“What’s In It For Me If I Do All That?”

        Anytime you want to make a change or do something different in your life, you’ve got to ask yourself that valuable question. After all, why should you put the work in if it’s just not worth it, right?  Fair enough. So I’ll answer that by telling you that developing this skill is SO worth it! Just by being aware of how important this is, you’re already ahead of the game.

As you continue to master this vital skill, you’ll be WAY ahead of the competition. People will want to listen to you more. You’ll gain more credibility, so they’ll believe you as you present your solutions. Deals will be easier to find and negotiate. Life will just get easier AND you’ll have more fun!

What Happens If You DON’T Learn This?

Now that you’ve seen the positive, let’s look at the negative. If you don’t learn and master this skill, what happens? Well…nothing! Nothing will change. You’ll continue to get the same results you’re getting now. Hey, if you’re happy with the way you are, why change, right?

But if you’re ready to step up your game…if you’re ready to stop getting rejected so quickly… if you’re finally ready to start hearing people be interested in what you have to offer, then maybe it’s time you get busy and start leveling UP your skills in this department!

Let’s Try That Call Again

        With all this in mind, let’s go ahead and call that same man from the beginning of this article again. Only this time, we’ll do it the new way, using our freshly-acquired-and-honed superpower that will clearly demonstrate that you’re someone worth talking to…someone who can help them solve their problem of selling their house. Ready? Here we go…

The Phone Call, Revisited…

        “Hello?” The man answered the phone with a noticeable tinge of annoyance in his voice, fearing that this call would be just like the previous 14 conversations he’s already had today. He was beginning to feel that his phone number had a big target spray-painted on it for idiots and time wasters to call him.

        This time, when the voice on the other end of the line began talking, the man could sense that there was something different about this person. Within the first few seconds of the voice talking, the man could feel the energy, confidence, and authority of this person…right through the phone!

The voice spoke, “Hi! Is the house you’re selling at 3451 Maple Leaf Lane still available?”

The man replied, “Yes, it is. How may I help you?”

With enthusiasm and confidence, the voice answered, “Great… I’m really interested! My name is Frank. What’s yours?”

The man replied automatically, “John. Nice to talk to you, Frank.”

Frank (the voice) answered, “The pleasure is mine, John! Are you the owner of the house?”

“Yes, I am!” John exclaimed…

In the back of his mind, John thought to himself that this might FINALLY be the conversation he’s been waiting for. This voice, Frank, really seemed to be on point with how he came across. And although he didn’t know what Frank was able to do yet, he immediately felt very comfortable talking with him, and subconsciously wanted to find a way to work with him!

What Happened?

Within only a few moments, Frank had verified that the house was still available, got to be on a first name basis, and confirmed that he was talking with the right person – the owner!  What’s more, because of the quality of his vocal tonality, preparation for the beginning of this conversation, and overall skill, he was able to make a powerful subconscious impression on John the owner.

Can you see how such a simple foundation like this sets the stage for a MUCH better conversation? And can you see how it’s totally worth your while to level up on this skill?

The only question remaining now is: What are you going to DO about it?

Do you want to have the type of conversation with someone – and get the same results – as the person in the beginning of this article… or the END of this article?

        The choice is yours. All you need to do is follow the simple tips and advice already laid out for you in plain detail in this article. Once you start to improve, your life will never be the same. You’ll see. 🙂

        Remember, all it takes is FIVE seconds – to make a powerful first impression!
Ok, I’m going to start counting again… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…

Until Next Time,

Tony Pearl