Dec 12 2007
Thoughts About Effective Telemarketing
For many sales people, the telephone is an important resource that they use to develop their business. Yet, according to a study by Behavioural Sciences Research Press:
- 40% of established sales people experienced periods of ‘call reluctance’ severe enough to threaten their livelihood in sales.
- The average ‘call reluctant’ sales person loses more than fifteen new accounts each month to their competitors.
Whether you are telephoning to make an appointment or seeking information about a prospect, there are some essential pointers that can help you to become really effective when communicating on the telephone!
• People can hear when you read from a script, so prepare what you plan to say by writing it down, read aloud what you have written three times, so that it becomes installed within your unconscious mind. Then throw it away! From memory prepare some bullet points that summarise the content of your script and use these to refer to when on the telephone. This simple technique ensures that you can devote more attention to the other person and you’ll sound much more natural.
• Plan how you will respond to the objections you experience most frequently and be experimental with trying out different responses.
• Always dial each call yourself so that you feel in control and prepared. Ask for the contact by name and if speaking their secretary it helps to use the contacts first name as well. If asked who is calling use your full name and if asked the name of your company don’t be afraid to give it.
• Use a spontaneous opening (you’ll be able to do this if you focus your attention on the other person) and get the OK signal that it’s convenient for the prospect to talk with you. (Either verbally or non-verbally). If the prospect conveys that it’s not a convenient time then find out when they are prepared to talk with you. Your call will generally be interrupting them, which is why it’s important to be direct and get to the point quickly.
• Hook the prospect’s attention by using their name and providing a reason why they should talk with you. According to Tony Robbins, if people have good reasons to do something, they’ll do anything. It can be really useful before you make a call to develop two or three reasons why the person you’re calling will be pleased to hear from you because you are unconsciously projecting your positive ‘vibes’ that will be unconsciously received by the other person and you’ll feel more confident. If they have been referred, use that person’s name as early as you can because it will warm up their response and you can maximise the relationship.
• Build rapport by matching the other person’s voice speed and volume. Resistance can be dramatically reduced if you can immediately project that there is a similarity between you both. If your prospect is talking quickly, talk quickly, if they are talking slowly, talk slowly. This can be challenging because a natural reaction from sales people is to blurt out their scripted message as quickly as they can. Instead, using a message that is succinct and to the point, yet matching speed and volume can build a connection very quickly.
• Have clear expectations about what you want the call to accomplish. Is it to inform? To establish a need? To obtain an appointment? Unless you are in a telesales role you should NEVER attempt to sell your product or services over the phone, you are ‘selling’ the appointment.
• Clarify that you have all the correct information. For example, confirm you are talking to the right person and they have the authority and not just the title. Even if your call is not successful on the first attempt, you can ensure that their details are correct for future use.
• Research from The Results Corporation Plc shows that 60% of customers say “yes” after saying “no” 5 times, yet 44% of sales people give up after the first “no“, 22% after the second “no” and 14% after the third “no“. These statistics are important when prospecting on the telephone because a typical prospect will require five contacts from the sales person before agreeing to a meeting. That’s why successful sales people develop a “Prospect Nurturing System” that keeps them in regular contact with their prospects irrespective of how many “no’s” they encounter. As the contact increases many people’s reassurance rises as they become more familiar with a person or their company.
• Ask open questions to encourage the prospect to talk and if appropriate ask a couple of questions that probe for pain (Pain can be a powerful motivator).
• Don’t attempt to establish the decision maker and then talk to them in one phone call, if you don’t know who to speak to then that is a call in its own right. Set yourself a target, say four attempts to get through to the decision maker, if you still are unable to reach them, try a different approach. If you keep a call log of all your calls you’ll soon get to know which are the most productive times to reach the decision maker. For example, traditionally Monday morning is a poor time to cold call.
• The higher up the organisation you go then the higher and wider the barriers seem to become, with receptionists, secretaries and personal assistants all seemingly having no other purpose than to stop you getting through to the decision maker. Try outside the normal office hours that will avoid the receptionist and you may get straight through. Security staff are often a good source for information and they are usually more than willing to show off their knowledge about the company - they also have the time to talk! As a last resort, send a letter first explaining that you will be calling - therefore the receptionist is ‘expecting your call’.
• If you are using the telephone to qualify prospect information, you should aim to discover:
- Who should be talking to regarding the purchase of your product or service?
- Who else would be involved in such a decision?
- When do you believe a budget will be made available for such a purchase/project this year?
- What do you envisage that budget to be?
- Is the budget dependent upon anything?
- When is this purchase required by?
- Is there a particular reason for this timescale?
- Who else are they talking to? (Identified your competitors)
- What are they hoping to achieve? (Checks whether it is within your capabilities)
• Record what you are doing, how many dials you’ve made, how many prospects you were able to talk with and the times of your calls. Studying this information gives you a good reality check because you’ll know how many calls you need to make to get an appointment
• At then end of a call where you aim is to secure an appointment, seek their commitment. For example, “I feel I understand what is required and that we can help, I’d like to discuss your requirements further in person, would Thursday or Friday next week be suitable?”
• Always confirm your appointment either by email or by letter because this provides you with another opportunity of ‘contact’ that helps the prospect with becoming more familiar with you and your organisation. Give appointments either at a quarter past or a quarter to the hour. This conveys that you are busy and presupposing that there are lots of other companies that want to see you.
• Your attitude and emotional state is a vital part of telephone effectiveness. Clear your desk of everything except your prospect records and diary. If your immediate environment is uncluttered it helps free your mind so that you can focus on each call’s objectives. Visualise your prospect smiling warmly when they receive your call. This will help you access a positive state-of-mind. Your unconscious mind can’t tell the difference between a real and imagined event. This mentally rehearses you in feeling good about picking up the phone.
• Finally, stand up, take five deep breaths and smile! According to Deepak Chopra, our mind and body are totally connected. The way you move your body affects your mental state. After every call, review what went well before making your next call. This process enables you to act as your own motivational mentor!
Tomorrow:On the JF Guest Author Spot is the Queen Of Cold Calling, Wendy Weiss - she is on fine form!
