As we continue our conversation around growing a list, we take it offline for this episode and discuss using the phone to add subscribers. You’ve already got potential subscribers on the phone, why not take a moment and ask them to join your list?

00:23 Andy Shore: Welcome back everybody, we’re continuing our conversation on how to grow your list and today we’re focusing on the phone. You may do phone customer support, maybe phone sales, but you’re talking to people on the phone. Why not turn those people into email subscribers, right?

00:40 Daniel Miller: Exactly. And, you know, the phone is becoming, in a way, I don’t wanna call it outdated, but it is a tool that less and less people like to use. Nobody wants to have to get on the phone and go through the automated system, and so forth. But at the end of the day, it is a great opportunity when somebody is on the phone with you to have that opportunity to ask for their email. The perfect scenario… Well, some of the perfect scenarios are if somebody… If you’re having to follow up with somebody, specifically for a support call, just to ensure that the quality control has gone through, it’s a perfect opportunity to ask for their email address to send them future updates in regards to product improvements and so forth. So any time that you’re on a phone number if you’re using a CRM, you should definitely have your customers’ profile open and ensure that all of your, I guess, needed fields are all filled out. So yeah, phone calls are the perfect chance to kind of fill in those gaps.

01:39 AS: I think that’s a good point. You know, we use the dirty M word here, but Millennials don’t necessarily like being on the phone and it’s possible if they’re calling you, it was the last resort. But you get the email there, and you can follow up there. You may be connecting with them in a way they’re more comfortable and they’re willing to continue that conversation. Like [01:56] ____ was saying, with quality control, how many times have you’ve been on a support call only to get a follow-up email? “How did we do? Give us feedback,” or, “Leave a review on our site,” or, “We wanna make sure the problem you called in for is solved, let us follow up with you and let you know that that ticket has been solved when it is.” So that’s a great opportunity. And like we’re saying, it keeps them in touch. It may not be the only time you talk to them because you can follow up with additional emails, even if it’s the monthly newsletter or if it’s an automated journey that’s aimed at turning them into a customer or a repeat customer, it’s gonna keep in touch and make sure that you’re always the first business they think of when they need your goods or services and they’re there on the phone, right?

02:37 DM: Exactly, and the cool thing about having a phone communication as well, we’ve been talking throughout the episodes so far, don’t rely on one channel of communication, you need multiple ones. So if you have their email you may wanna try to obtain their phone number, not to bother them every other day, but guess what? If you notice that you sent out a few emails and they stop opening them, and then you start sending out more emails and they start bouncing it may trigger something in your CRM to automatically call that person and ensure that you still have the right email address. Stats have shown that people tend to change their emails around every two years. The reason being, most likely, it’s because they changed jobs and so forth. So it’s just common that people change their email and having another line of communication is an excellent way to follow up with them to ensure that you can still retain that contact and communication.

03:27 AS: Yeah, so hopefully we’ve sold you on using your phone lines to grow your list. Let’s talk a little bit about how to do that. And I know this is gonna sound amazing and totally ground-breaking, but just ask.

03:39 DM: Yeah.

[laughter]

03:41 DM: It sounds ridiculous. Funny enough, there’s actually a really good book by Ryan Levesque, Ask. And I never really understood what just asking meant until I read that book and he lays it out really, really well. There’s really complicated concepts that we try to figure out, like, “How do we identify core customers?” Or, “How do we identify what our customers really want?” And really just asking is the secret there. On how to ask, as we’ve been saying, the right opportunity, the right time and really following a conversation that flows is essential. If right in the middle of a support call with an angry customer, you ask for their email to follow up on new features and products, they’re gonna tell you to go where the sun don’t shine.

[laughter]

04:21 DM: Beyond that, what you want to try to do is always make sure that it’s a fluid and you’re building a business relationship. So when you ask, make sure that it’s in a timely manner that makes sense and in a conversation that makes sense as well.

04:33 AS: Yeah, it could always be one of those, “Hey, before I let you go, do you mind if I ask if we get your email address so that we can follow up with you for review purposes, to check back in and make sure your problem was solved, or really just to stay in touch?” Any of those ways, asking is gonna do it. There is this stat out there that I don’t wanna erroneously say the number out, so look it up, but I think it was definitely in the vast majority of people will willingly subscribe just when you ask. So have that script or elevator pitch ready, if you need it, but just saying it right at the end of the conversation will work more times than not.

05:08 DM: Most definitely. And a pro tip, I believe, I can’t remember what book I read this in, but follow the rules of the five yeses, especially on a phone. Ask certain questions that the other person on the line will immediately say yes to very easy questions like I don’t know, let’s say there was a support problem, it was fixed. “Hey, was your problem fixed?” “Absolutely.” “Did we do it in a timely matter?” “Yes, you certainly did.” “Awesome, how is the support person?” “They were great.” “Oh, you know what… ” There, you’re going through a line of success and you’re building a relationship of yeses, once there, you can easily get to that final… And then you’re like, “Hey, to stay in contact, to keep you updated, and to make sure we don’t have to be on the phone, do you mind if I just get your email and that way we can send you updates?” That way, boom. You’ve got now their email address. It was right in the conversation. And yeah, everyone’s happy.

06:02 AS: Yeah, that wraps up or talk about growing your list with the phone. Catch us next time where we continue our conversation on growing your list. Thanks, everybody.