Tags |
|
|
Casual Articles - Overcoming Call Reluctance
Not everyone is comfortable putting their personal information online. It is up to you to make customers feel at ease while they do business with your company. This means boasting your reputable name on your site with the Verisign Banner or the Better Business Bureau seal. These are not just added accessories to make your site look pretty this is your good name hard at work.You’d be surprised how easy it is to turn someone into an e-shopper. The security of a shopping cart allows customers to know instantaneously that everything is OK and that their credit card number is in fact not lost in cyberspace. When gaining the trust of a potential customer, it is important to go the extra mile. I e-mail my customers numerous times to make sure they are happy with their product, and to ask about their success. All of this may seem time consuming, but it is worth it. My clients have come to expect reliability and honesty from me, and I would have it no other way.Even if you do all of the things I have outlined to build up this trust, yo
c) & d) Practice your script so it is as conversational as possible. I always write out my script so it reads as naturally as possible. It’s usually not perfect writing but it is always natural and easy to say.
2) We aren’t sure how to start the call
The thing that annoys most of us when a telemarketer calls is that they dive right into some sales pitch without even knowing whether we have the time or interest in hearing about what they have to say. The most effective way to be viewed as a professional is to act like one. As an example, here is the way I start my marketing calls:
“Bob? Good Morning. This
I guarantee you, if you ask 100 marketing professionals today about the most important thing you can do to maximize your direct mail sales, one answer would float to the top:Testing, Testing, and Testing…But how do you test a direct sales or a fundraiser letter?This is how I’d do it:Have at least three different versions of the same letter and mail each to 10% of your total sample.Then select the letter that has the maximum response rate and mail it to the remaining 70% of your list.Doing so would give you a 66% chance of increasing your response rate.How? Let me explain.Let’s assume that you have A, B, and C versions of your basic letter.You mail each to 10% of your mailing list and you receive 1%, 2% and 4% response, respectively.If we assume that your total “sample population” consists of 1,000 names, this means you receive 1, 2 and 4 responses from each of your 10% mailings.I’d take the letter which rang up a 4% return rate (Letter C) and mail it to the remaini
OK. You decide that the pain of being broke is greater than the pain of “cold” calling, so you commit to making calls each and every day. Or at least commit to try. Or try at least some days each week. For a while anyway…
We’ve all been through all of this before, and guess what? IT DOESN’T WORK! We’re still reluctant to make the calls we know we need to. So what’s the deal? Are you just “bad” at calling? Is it that calling only works for some but not most of us?
The answer, of course, is that calling can work for any one of us. It’s a matter of finding the right “key”(s) to open that door of calling success. We need to address why the typical “cold” call isn’t effective. We’ll start with the obvious issue. Calling strangers causes most people some amount of anxiety. Why does it make us feel so anxious and apprehensive? I’ve found that there are four reasons that cause people to feel anxious about calling. If any one of them exists, anyone would feel anxious about making a call. Here they are:
1) We feel that we sound like a telemarketer. Somewhat unprofessional and/or insincere.
2) We aren’t sure how to effectively start the call.
3) We aren’t sure how to effectively steer the conversation.
4) We aren’t sure how to comfortably and professionally end the conversation.
Let’s look at each one of these issues separately and find out how to put them behind us.
1) We feel that we sound like a telemarketer
What makes a telemarketer sound like a telemarketer? Think about it for a moment. You know the drill – we’ve all received telemarketing calls both at home and at work. What is it about that call that marks it as a telemarketing call? There are several factors that make us cringe at these calls. First off, telemarketers are either overly friendly to start with or they sound completely disinterested. Both make the caller sound insincere. Secondly, telemarketers talk and rarely ask. The call is all about their product and service and not about the person who received the call. Thirdly, they usually plow through their script, not allowing us to get a word in edgewise. And fourth, it’s always evident that they’re reading a script to you rather than speaking to you as a person. Those four factors generally mark the call as a telemarketing call.
How do you keep people from viewing you as a telemarketer? Simple. Don’t do those things!
a) When you call, don’t be overly enthusiastic and don’t be disinterested or matter-of-fact in your tone. Speak in an appropriate, natural tone and manner.
b) As you get into your conversation, ask questions. Be consultative. Remember, this is about your prospect, not about you.
c) & d) Practice your script so it is as conversational as possible. I always write out my script so it reads as naturally as possible. It’s usually not perfect writing but it is always natural and easy to say.
2) We aren’t sure how to start the call
The thing that annoys most of us when a telemarketer calls is that they dive right into some sales pitch without even knowing whether we have the time or interest in hearing about what they have to say. The most effective way to be viewed as a professional is to act like one. As an example, here is the way I start my marketing calls:
“Bob? Good Morning. This
The other day a reporter call to interview me on the “Death of Customer Service”. My first reaction was to deny that charge and claim that customer service is very much alive and well. But upon further thought of the service I’ve received over the past few months and what others have related to me about their experiences, I had to admit that the quality and level of service has decreased. Upon further thought I realized that it has been on a decline for quite a while.I finally admitted to the reporter that yes, I have to agree that customer service is not doing as well as I’d like to think it is. Of course his next question was, “Why is that?”I believe there are 4 basic reasons for the demise of customer service. The booming economy of the 90’s created an atmosphere where management took the stance that if one customer didn’t like what they were doing, there were plenty lined up behind him/her that had their credit card ready to be processed. Why go the extra mile for someone who was
The answer, of course, is that calling can work for any one of us. It’s a matter of finding the right “key”(s) to open that door of calling success. We need to address why the typical “cold” call isn’t effective. We’ll start with the obvious issue. Calling strangers causes most people some amount of anxiety. Why does it make us feel so anxious and apprehensive? I’ve found that there are four reasons that cause people to feel anxious about calling. If any one of them exists, anyone would feel anxious about making a call. Here they are:
1) We feel that we sound like a telemarketer. Somewhat unprofessional and/or insincere.
2) We aren’t sure how to effectively start the call.
3) We aren’t sure how to effectively steer the conversation.
4) We aren’t sure how to comfortably and professionally end the conversation.
Let’s look at each one of these issues separately and find out how to put them behind us.
1) We feel that we sound like a telemarketer
What makes a telemarketer sound like a telemarketer? Think about it for a moment. You know the drill – we’ve all received telemarketing calls both at home and at work. What is it about that call that marks it as a telemarketing call? There are several factors that make us cringe at these calls. First off, telemarketers are either overly friendly to start with or they sound completely disinterested. Both make the caller sound insincere. Secondly, telemarketers talk and rarely ask. The call is all about their product and service and not about the person who received the call. Thirdly, they usually plow through their script, not allowing us to get a word in edgewise. And fourth, it’s always evident that they’re reading a script to you rather than speaking to you as a person. Those four factors generally mark the call as a telemarketing call.
How do you keep people from viewing you as a telemarketer? Simple. Don’t do those things!
a) When you call, don’t be overly enthusiastic and don’t be disinterested or matter-of-fact in your tone. Speak in an appropriate, natural tone and manner.
b) As you get into your conversation, ask questions. Be consultative. Remember, this is about your prospect, not about you.
c) & d) Practice your script so it is as conversational as possible. I always write out my script so it reads as naturally as possible. It’s usually not perfect writing but it is always natural and easy to say.
2) We aren’t sure how to start the call
The thing that annoys most of us when a telemarketer calls is that they dive right into some sales pitch without even knowing whether we have the time or interest in hearing about what they have to say. The most effective way to be viewed as a professional is to act like one. As an example, here is the way I start my marketing calls:
“Bob? Good Morning. This
Have you stopped beating your customer?It's an old leading question from the days of vaudeville.The title of this article is a leading question, too. It's prompted by a mistake many businesses make over and over again.A company creates a product it believes will sell, and spends hundreds...thousands...even millions producing and trying to sell it. Only no one buys it, and the company wonders why.The answer is simple: People buy only products and services they believe they need. You cannot sell a product or service that isn't wanted.Yet companies persist in beating their potential customers to death with messages. Marketing people apply an arsenal of psychological weapons in an effort to arouse desire for their products. Often such weapons are used to prey upon people's fears.In the world of moral capitalism that's called manipulation. And strong companies don't use manipulative marketing techniques because they don't have to.When Businesses Believe They Must Manipulate to Drive Sale
2) We aren’t sure how to effectively start the call.
3) We aren’t sure how to effectively steer the conversation.
4) We aren’t sure how to comfortably and professionally end the conversation.
Let’s look at each one of these issues separately and find out how to put them behind us.
1) We feel that we sound like a telemarketer
What makes a telemarketer sound like a telemarketer? Think about it for a moment. You know the drill – we’ve all received telemarketing calls both at home and at work. What is it about that call that marks it as a telemarketing call? There are several factors that make us cringe at these calls. First off, telemarketers are either overly friendly to start with or they sound completely disinterested. Both make the caller sound insincere. Secondly, telemarketers talk and rarely ask. The call is all about their product and service and not about the person who received the call. Thirdly, they usually plow through their script, not allowing us to get a word in edgewise. And fourth, it’s always evident that they’re reading a script to you rather than speaking to you as a person. Those four factors generally mark the call as a telemarketing call.
How do you keep people from viewing you as a telemarketer? Simple. Don’t do those things!
a) When you call, don’t be overly enthusiastic and don’t be disinterested or matter-of-fact in your tone. Speak in an appropriate, natural tone and manner.
b) As you get into your conversation, ask questions. Be consultative. Remember, this is about your prospect, not about you.
c) & d) Practice your script so it is as conversational as possible. I always write out my script so it reads as naturally as possible. It’s usually not perfect writing but it is always natural and easy to say.
2) We aren’t sure how to start the call
The thing that annoys most of us when a telemarketer calls is that they dive right into some sales pitch without even knowing whether we have the time or interest in hearing about what they have to say. The most effective way to be viewed as a professional is to act like one. As an example, here is the way I start my marketing calls:
“Bob? Good Morning. This
You may believe that starting a house cleaning business is as simple as purchasing the supplies and handing out flyers. Or, you may think that buying a cleaning franchise will make the endeavor easy. Either way you choose to start your business, you should be prepared to be a small business owner.Before you start a house cleaning business, carefully consider the following:DemographicsIs there a high demand for house cleaning services in your community and surrounding areas? If you live in a small city you may have to market your business to neighboring communities. You may need to lease space central to your service area to be certain that drive time will not consume an inordinate amount of employee compensation.Are there major franchise outlets in your area? If so, they have researched the demographics and determined that it is possible to succeed. It will be your responsibility manage your business efficiently and to hire wisely in order to compete with the franchises. Reme
How do you keep people from viewing you as a telemarketer? Simple. Don’t do those things!
a) When you call, don’t be overly enthusiastic and don’t be disinterested or matter-of-fact in your tone. Speak in an appropriate, natural tone and manner.
b) As you get into your conversation, ask questions. Be consultative. Remember, this is about your prospect, not about you.
c) & d) Practice your script so it is as conversational as possible. I always write out my script so it reads as naturally as possible. It’s usually not perfect writing but it is always natural and easy to say.
2) We aren’t sure how to start the call
The thing that annoys most of us when a telemarketer calls is that they dive right into some sales pitch without even knowing whether we have the time or interest in hearing about what they have to say. The most effective way to be viewed as a professional is to act like one. As an example, here is the way I start my marketing calls:
“Bob? Good Morning. This
Do you know what the most recognised item in the world is ... it's the coke cola, believe it or not. A vacuum cleaner is not known by its proper name, but instead is known by a brand name – a Hoover (a manufacturer of vacuum cleaners). A photocopier was known for years not as a photocopier but as a Xerox machine – a manufacturer of photocopiers, a brand.This is how important branding is to businesses. Billions of pounds are spent every year by companies on branding and brand recognition. Think about your last trip around the supermarket – how many brands were screaming at you for recognition and to pry money out of your wallet?Whatever your business, whether you are a small family concern or a multi-national conglomerate, proper business branding is vital for you.Branding is more than just a logo design, it’s almost an ethos, it permeates everything you do and are as a business. It’s on your business cards, your stationary, your leaflets, your posters, your adverts, your … you get the picture?A brand is how
c) & d) Practice your script so it is as conversational as possible. I always write out my script so it reads as naturally as possible. It’s usually not perfect writing but it is always natural and easy to say.
2) We aren’t sure how to start the call
The thing that annoys most of us when a telemarketer calls is that they dive right into some sales pitch without even knowing whether we have the time or interest in hearing about what they have to say. The most effective way to be viewed as a professional is to act like one. As an example, here is the way I start my marketing calls:
“Bob? Good Morning. This is Michael Beck. How are you today? (pause) Bob, I’m an executive coach (pause – I want to make sure they understood what I just said) and have worked with insurance managers for a number of years. Do you have a few minutes to chat?”
As simple as the above exchange is, it serves a number of important purposes:
a) In short order, I’ve told him who I am and what I do.
b) I said his name two times. (People love to hear their own name. Read “How to Win Friends and Influence People”)
c) I began to establish credibility. (“I’ve worked with insurance managers for a number of years.”)
d) I asked permission to take some of his time.
3) We aren’t sure how to steer the conversation
We ended the start of our phone call with a question: “Do you have a few minutes to chat?” There can only be three answers to that question – “Yes”, “No”, or “What is this about?”
• If the answer is Yes, you’re off and running.
• If the answer is No, you could say you’ll call back or ask when a good time to call back would be, but why not use the opportunity to get more information? Since you’ve already told him who you are and what you do, why not ask: “Would you like me to call back?” The answer will either be Yes or No! Either way you should be happy. Either you’ll know not to waste your time trying to reach a disinterested prospect or you’ll have a somewhat pre-qualified prospect on your list!
• If the response is, “What is this about?”, have a short explanation of why you’ve called prepared, something like: “I wanted to share some of what I do, find out what your initiatives are, and see whether what I do could help you reach your goals faster and easier.”
Pretty straightforward isn’t it? …
If you approach the meat of your conversation in a way to see if you can help your prospect, rather than sell them something, it’s quite easy to have a stress-free, effective conversation.
No matter what the goal of your call is, at some point the discussion needs to draw to a close with a “trigger” question. “Can we set up an appointment to go over this in more detail?” or “Here’s what we should do next…”
4) We aren’t sure how to end the conversation
How you handle the end of your conversation will determine you well you protect your attitude. We ended the middle of our conversation with a question (see a pattern here?). There can only be three answers to your question – “Yes”, “I need more information”, or “No”
• If the answer is Yes, again you’re off and running.
• If the answer is a request for more information, have a simple process ready to provide prospects with additional information and/or credibility-building materials, get a commitment for a follow-up call, and set it up as an appointment in both your calendar and theirs. Don’t leave the follow-up as a vague process. Inotherwords get a phone appointment and avoid endless voicemails and phone tag.
• If the answer is No, my preference is to thank them for their time and candor, ask t
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.casualarticles.com/article/121944/casualarticles-Overcoming-Call-Reluctance.html">Overcoming Call Reluctance</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.casualarticles.com/article/121944/casualarticles-Overcoming-Call-Reluctance.html]Overcoming Call Reluctance[/url]
Related Articles:
Creating the Perfect Advertising Headline
Pay Your Managers and Employees EXTRA MONEY for Doing EXTRA WORK
Safelists - The Truth, The Assault on Your Inbox
Bookmark it:
|