DO’S AND DON'TS @ SCALEMILL

DON'TS

1. Do not act like a call center agent: You are a consultant!

2. Do not be cheesy, pushy or sing-songy: The typical image of the call center agent is exactly what we do
not want.

3. Do not make a fake accent: Never make a fake accent. Instead focus on improving your natural
pronunciation!

4. Do not say ‘sir’ or ‘madam’ or ‘mister’ or ‘miss’: Use first names only! You need to position yourself as
an equal to the person you are calling!

5. Do not ask “how are you doing today?”: This is typical call center agent behavior, which we want to
avoid!

6. Do not cut off the customer: Let them finish their sentence and then respond, do not cut them off when
they are talking!

7. Do not repeat things: There is no point saying the same thing again and again, if you have said
something once, it is enough.

8. Do not lie or make false promises: No one likes to attend a meeting or use a product just to find out that
the promised features are not available.

9. Do not be desperate: Begging someone, stalking them, chasing them or constantly following up with
them will not work, it only makes you look desperate - which is not the image you want to have!

10. Do not follow up without a reason: “Just wanted to follow up…” are the worst five words you can say
because they make you look desperate. When you are following up, offer something valuable.

11. Do not pitch the gatekeeper: Pitching someone who is not the decision-maker is a waste of energy
because they have no authority to decide. Moreover, gatekeepers are trained to say no.
DO’S

12. Have a plan: Every call, email or message needs to have some sort of plan or structure. Don’t just wing
it, follow the structure so you can stay in control of the conversation.

13. Be positive and smile: Rejection is part of the game so try to stay positive! Your attitude will shine
through the phone and get you better results :)

14. Focus on benefits: Instead of talking about the features of the product, start selling benefits the
customer will get and the value it will add to their business!

15. KISS: Keep It Short and Simple. The simplest solution is almost always the right solution! Keep things
easy by thinking in simple terms and talking using simple words.

16. Talk slow, talk clearly: It is natural to talk fast when you are excited, control this and reduce your speed
by at least 50 percent. This will help you communicate clearly.

17. Ask questions: This is the most important point on the list. Please always ask questions, this gets the
customer to open up and helps you control the conversation.

18. Use the answers to your advantage: Use the information to build a dialogue with the customer! Do not
just ignore their answers.

19. Listen, listen, and listen: Often a customer will ask a question about X but we will reply about Y, please
do not do this! Listening is more important than talking ;)

20. Be curious: Nothing can replace curiosity. Try to imagine the goals/problems/agenda of the person you
are speaking to and talk to them accordingly.

21. Have empathy: Put yourself in the shoes of the customer (example: if someone has Covid don’t directly
ask them for an appointment, wish them good health first!)

22. Have a neutral tone: Having a calm tone is better than sounding too excited and helps you form a good
impression.

23. Use numbers: Use a number/figure/statistic in every single call, email or message! This gives you
credibility.

24. Be relevant: If you are calling a t-shirt producer then talk about clothes, if you are calling a hotel give
examples of other hotels, if you are calling an online store do not give examples of restaurants.

25. Strong introduction: Indicate that you are calling to help! For example: “I’m calling from ABC, we're the
ones that help employees avoid payday loans” or “I’m calling from XYZ, we help connect
manufacturers with buyers from North America and Europe”.
 26. Proactively suggest date and time: Always suggest a fixed date and time yourself to follow up. Do not
leave it up to the customer.

27. Create urgency: Whether you are scheduling an appointment or a follow-up or anything else, propose a
time for the next day or the day after that - not a week later!

28. Be ready: Always be prepared for a positive outcome. If the customer agrees for an appointment you
should know what to do next. Often in calls a lot of time is wasted because you are not ready and need
to check calendars and timezones. Use an app for this or just Google it while on call!

29. Start with English: If you are assigned to a market where English is not preferred, please always start
the conversation in English and only if the customer wants, switch to a different language.

30. Write things down: Take notes while you are talking to another person or when you are in a meeting.
Relying on your memory will not work because no one can remember so many conversations!

31. Use mirroring: This simply means if someone is talking a certain way, talk to them in that way. If they
are using certain words/terms, use those terms as well.

32. Respect: Be respectful in all your communication with customers. If a prospect is being disrespectful in
any way just be patient and politely end the call. Do not get into arguments.

33. Be prepared for “send me an email”: this is just a polite way of getting you off the phone. Be prepared
for this objection and have a few points in mind about what you will say when you hear it!

Written communication

34. Be casual: Be casual in your communication by using less formal language. For example, instead of
writing “Dear Concern” just write “Hi” or instead of writing “I did not take” write “Didn’t take”...

35. KISS: Again, keep it short and simple. No one has the time to read long emails/messages. Emails
should be under 100 words and LinkedIn messages should be under 50 words.

36. Grammar: Check the grammar of every email or message you send out before hitting send. Use tools
like Grammarly or Google Docs to identify mistakes and fix them!

37. Formatting: Take care of formatting when you copy paste. Instead of directly pasting, use Ctrl + Shift +
V to remove formatting or right click and choose “Paste without formatting”.

38. Double-check: Re-check your message or email before you send it. Spelling and grammar checkers
are lifesavers, but they are not foolproof. Double-check what you have written!

Words

39. “Wednesday” pronunciation: It’s pronounced “Wensday” NOT “Wed-nes-day” (no d sound)!
 40. “Willing” does not mean “want”: Instead of saying “my director is willing to have a call…” say “my
director wants to have a call”

41. There is no such thing as “12” am or “12 pm”. It is 12 noon or 12 midnight.

Scheduling best practices

42. Calendar invite: always send a calendar invite for the exact date and time the appointment is
scheduled. Ensure relevant people are added to the invite.

43. Reminder calls: always give a reminder call (or email or message) on the day of the appointment. If
there are any changes, inform everyone who is on the invite.