Smile and Dial . . . but watch out for phrases that put a glitch in your across-the-wire sales pitch.

Since sitting down to write this article, I've alreadyreceived two phone calls from telemarketers. One asked if she wasspeaking to the owner of the house ("Yes," I thought,"but you won't be speaking to him for long"). Theother assured me he wasn't trying to sell me anything--which,of course, he was. Although I'm not a particularly tough sell,neither salesperson got the order.

With a rejection rate of close to 85 percent, it's no wonderthat even sales pros hate selling over the phone. Still,telemarketers and others required to sell by phone can make iteasier on themselves--and those they're calling--if theycarefully choose their words. "Selecting the right phrase canmean the difference between coming across as helpful orobnoxious--even if you're basically saying the samething," says Sandy Herman, director of marketing at TranscomUSA Inc., a Carmel, Indiana, teleservices company. "And a lotof it is common sense."

The following phrases are those your sales staff should avoidwhen selling your products or services via telephone:

• "How are you this evening?" If answeredhonestly, the person will probably say "Fine, until youcalled." Besides, what will you say if the individual says"Not well"? Are you then going to make the transitioninto a discussion regarding his or her well-being? Will it reallychange the outcome of the call? Make it easy on yourself and theperson on the other end of the line: Don't ask. Of course, youshould be polite, but get to the point. Don't waste their timeor yours. The quicker you spark the individual's interest bystating what you have to offer, the quicker you go from anannoyance to a call the person is glad to have received.

• "Is this a good time to talk?" The answeryou're most likely to get, of course, is no. This question alsoleaves the person on the other end in the dark about you and yourbusiness. Instead, tell the prospect what you do, and quicklyexplain the benefits to the individual, or his or her business. Asyou're doing so, stay away from phrases such as "Would youlike to save some money?" Not only is the answer obvious, butthe question will immediately make the person suspicious. It'sa cheesy come-on and the sales equivalent of approaching someone ata bar and saying "Don't I know you fromsomewhere?"

• "Hold on." Should you need the person to hold,avoid using this phrase. "It sounds too informal," saysHerman. "It's not professional and assumes a personalrelationship that you probably don't have with the individualyou called." Instead, she suggests saying "I can get thatinformation for you."

• "I can't." Don't tell a prospect orcustomer something can't be done. Instead, offer them a seriesof options. Tell them what you can do for them. "You'regiving them choices," says Herman. "You're not justsaying no to them, and you're giving them some control of thesituation."

• "But . . . " As with"can't," it's negative and can make the prospector client defensive. Try substituting "and" for"but" to smooth the statement: "We can ship itovernight, and I'll have to add a $25 delivery fee" vs."We can ship it overnight, but it will cost you an extra$25."

• "I don't know." Say "I can findout." It's more positive and proactive, and makes yousound like you care.

• "The only thing we cando . . . " This statement is not onlyconfrontational, but it will likely illicit a defensive reaction.You're not giving the client any options. In this situation,Herman suggests you say "The best optionis . . . " This makes the person feel likehe or she has a choice and gives the individual a sense of power.When using this phrase, you're honestly advising the person,rather than saying "Here's your choice. Take it or leaveit."

Bill Kelley is an Arcadia, California, business writer andformer editor of Sales and Marketing Managementmagazine.

Contact SourcesTranscom USA Inc., (888) 408-7267,http://www.transcomusa.com