For people who have never worked in sales, it is a common misconception that inbound calls are almost certain to result in a new buyer or customer. When people make a call to a company, they are trying to understand what it offers and how it can be useful to them personally. That is why in an inbound call you need to be just as aware of how you’re handling the sale as when you are the one making the phone call. Let’s dig in a little bit.

When you receive a call, you can either be completely in the dark about who is calling, as it used to be when everyone used land lines, or you can choose the infinitely better option: to be able to know not only who is calling you, but why. Call tracking software provides detailed and thorough information that lets you know the reason of the call without having to ask. If you know where the person is calling from, where they saw your ads and what they’re interested in, you have about half of the job already done for you—and the client will be happy that they’re not wasting their time, too.

Another thing you’ll want to do is make the call a conversation. This can be tricky, though, because again, time is very important and so you shouldn’t make the call exceedingly long. Everyone is busy, and if someone is calling you they are expecting to make good use of their time. That being said, give room for questions and provide options, and ask questions yourself. Make the potential customer feel they are the ones leading the call, and at the same time, that they are getting the information they need, no more and no less.

On this same note, only make putting them on hold a last resort. No one likes waiting, and also, it speaks better of you and your company if you have all the information ready. If you need to check something with someone else, make sure you have set up a system where you can ask them (via online messaging, for example) while you’re discussing other things with the client. Predict what are the most asked questions they can ask, and have answers ready to go. Additionally, ensure that all of the most extensive information and details are available on the company’s website, so that the potential client can go and check for themselves, either during or after the call. This way, in some specific cases you can leave them to consider their options and call them back, or have them call you back. And last but definitely not least, when you’re explaining the product or service you’re selling and why it’s useful to them, don’t forget that everything must be simple and easy to understand. It goes without saying that the person on the other side of the line wants to know more about what you’re selling, and that talking to someone over the phone has to be a much better experience to them than simply scrolling on your website. When you sell or land a deal over the phone, it’s about convincing the person, but based on what they need to understand and consider in order to make the decision. To put it simply: make the decision easier for them, not harder.