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Casual Articles - Some Thoughts On Effective Telemarketing
I want to explore with you what drives today's marketplace. If you just shouted out a conditioned response from economics 101, I bet you might have said "supply and demand". But wait a minute, is that statement really accurate?I'm not an educated economist but, I will suggest the statement as we hear it is, the at the very least, somewhat flawed.I fully understand the supply and demand are related, however it it wold seem to me that demand actually precedes supply as suggested by the other cliche we have all heard, "necessity is the mother of all inventions". Many companies try to drive the market with oversupply and lower prices. This may be an effective strategy in the short term but companies that
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.
When to call: 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 (e.g. traditionally Monday morning is a poor time to cold call).
Human Barriers: 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 p
We all know we can pay a magazine or a newspaper to run ads for us. Businesses do it all the time. In many cases, you're obliged to advertise to survive. But wouldn't you rather promote yourself and your company in a number of publications, and get paid for it?You can. Simply by writing magazine articles. When you write articles as a business person, you gain on three levels: 1. You demonstrate your knowledge. 2. You help other people. 3. If you write often, you develop a following.Contrary to common belief, most articles in magazines are not written by professional writing staff. They're written by freelancers. Many of these people are just like you, experts in their field, writing on the side. Many don't even write the
The reality is though, if we have confidence in our products, solutions and services, we owe it to ourselves and to our company to tell as many people as possible. I have always taken the view that if a prospective client rejects my proposal, then they have lost out on dramatically improving their business. A positive and confident mind-set is essential for successful telemarketing and cold calling.
So what are the rules?
Plan & Prepare:
Make sure that you are prepared for the call:-
• Have all the relevant documentation to hand.
• Prepare a ‘script’ including everything you wish to ask. Use bullet points not sentences.
• Familiarise yourself with the “script” - practice, write down your agenda and be direct.
• Keep the opening of the conversation simple, but say something interesting, try using a prime desire statement to “grab” their interest so they’ll want to hear more.
• Explain why you are calling.
• Question - use a variety of questioning techniques i.e. Open, Reflective, Direct, Hypothetical, Exploratory etc.
Set Yourself Goals & Clear Objectives (Primary & Secondary):
Consider - what is the purpose of the telephone call? (aim high but realistic)
• Is it to inform?
• To establish a need?
• To obtain an appointment?
Never attempt to sell your product or services over the phone (unless you are in a telesales role)
Never make a statement you cannot back up.
Remember to Discipline Yourself - Don’t Be Deflected
Ensure That You Have The Right Information:
Never assume that the information you have is correct:
• Confirm you are talking to the right person.
• Confirm they have the authority and not just the title.
Be informed
• Know the industry they operate in.
• Who else have you helped in that industry?
• Tell them.
Reaching The Decision Maker:
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.
When to call: 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 (e.g. traditionally Monday morning is a poor time to cold call).
Human Barriers: 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 pu
How effective is your follow up? Do you follow up? So many businesspeople and salespeople fail to follow up with prospects, clients, and associates. However, follow up is a critical part of business existence and growth.Many people tell me they just don’t have time to follow up. I submit they don’t have time not to follow up! The key to successful follow up is developing a tracking system. Decide what methods you want to use for touching the contact. This depends on results and desired outcomes.The Sales Process:When you are selling, your follow up can be the difference between getting the sale or not. Think about it – what is the point of making the initial contact (cold call or introductory letter) if you aren’t going to foll
So what are the rules?
Plan & Prepare:
Make sure that you are prepared for the call:-
• Have all the relevant documentation to hand.
• Prepare a ‘script’ including everything you wish to ask. Use bullet points not sentences.
• Familiarise yourself with the “script” - practice, write down your agenda and be direct.
• Keep the opening of the conversation simple, but say something interesting, try using a prime desire statement to “grab” their interest so they’ll want to hear more.
• Explain why you are calling.
• Question - use a variety of questioning techniques i.e. Open, Reflective, Direct, Hypothetical, Exploratory etc.
Set Yourself Goals & Clear Objectives (Primary & Secondary):
Consider - what is the purpose of the telephone call? (aim high but realistic)
• Is it to inform?
• To establish a need?
• To obtain an appointment?
Never attempt to sell your product or services over the phone (unless you are in a telesales role)
Never make a statement you cannot back up.
Remember to Discipline Yourself - Don’t Be Deflected
Ensure That You Have The Right Information:
Never assume that the information you have is correct:
• Confirm you are talking to the right person.
• Confirm they have the authority and not just the title.
Be informed
• Know the industry they operate in.
• Who else have you helped in that industry?
• Tell them.
Reaching The Decision Maker:
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.
When to call: 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 (e.g. traditionally Monday morning is a poor time to cold call).
Human Barriers: 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 p
It’s time to put your trusty CRM software to work; to let it earn its keep. You're about to blast an email out to several thousand potential customers. First you run a search of people and companies you want to target. You soon realize something’s wrong when your list is far smaller than anticipated. A quick check reveals many profiles have not been filled in or are missing email addresses. Further inspection shows numerous records are incorrect; others are riddled with typos. And that’s just for starters. With a sinking feeling, you realize this email blast isn’t going to happen anytime soon.Time for some damage control or preventative maintenanceFortunately one of the most common reasons cited for the high failure rate of CRM system
• Explain why you are calling.
• Question - use a variety of questioning techniques i.e. Open, Reflective, Direct, Hypothetical, Exploratory etc.
Set Yourself Goals & Clear Objectives (Primary & Secondary):
Consider - what is the purpose of the telephone call? (aim high but realistic)
• Is it to inform?
• To establish a need?
• To obtain an appointment?
Never attempt to sell your product or services over the phone (unless you are in a telesales role)
Never make a statement you cannot back up.
Remember to Discipline Yourself - Don’t Be Deflected
Ensure That You Have The Right Information:
Never assume that the information you have is correct:
• Confirm you are talking to the right person.
• Confirm they have the authority and not just the title.
Be informed
• Know the industry they operate in.
• Who else have you helped in that industry?
• Tell them.
Reaching The Decision Maker:
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.
When to call: 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 (e.g. traditionally Monday morning is a poor time to cold call).
Human Barriers: 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 p
I guess that most people know the story of YouTube (www.youtube.com) by now.A story of how a company that was created in February 2005 was sold to Google for $1.64 billion, less than two years after establishment and without ever having turned a single cent of profit.Why would a business behemoth like Google spend such a fantastic amount of money on a company that, by all traditional business standards, is not worth a candle?Love them or loather them, Google, are, after all, nobodies idea of fools in business, so what could justify such a massive outlay for such a profit savvy organization?Simple.Google decided to invest in what they believe, rightly or wrongly to be the future. And, lets be fair, if they deem it
Ensure That You Have The Right Information:
Never assume that the information you have is correct:
• Confirm you are talking to the right person.
• Confirm they have the authority and not just the title.
Be informed
• Know the industry they operate in.
• Who else have you helped in that industry?
• Tell them.
Reaching The Decision Maker:
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.
When to call: 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 (e.g. traditionally Monday morning is a poor time to cold call).
Human Barriers: 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 p
Have you pulled up to the gas pump lately and thought about how cheap gas is? If so, that's called conditioning. We've been conditioned over the last few months by the high gas prices that $2 per gallon is cheap. I'm sure the oil companies hope it stays there, and they've conditioned us to accept it.Look inside your restaurant. Have you conditioned your customers to accept mediocre food, service, or cook times? Are your employees conditioned knowing you accept the lowest standards possible and they can come in late, out of uniform, and be unproductive? It’s never too late to re-condition the team. It’s not so important where you are today, but rather what you are doing about it.Get a jump on New Year’s Resolutions and take the
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.
When to call: 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 (e.g. traditionally Monday morning is a poor time to cold call).
Human Barriers: 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. You will avoid the receptionist and 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 next call”.
Close With A Commitment - Keep That Commitment:
If the commitment is to an appointment then always confirm in writing but,
- Be Brisk
- Be Polite
- Be Immediate
Some General Tips For Successful Telephone Communication:
- Always dial the number yourself.
- Ask for the contact by name, i.e. “Mr. Smith” please.
- If speaking to his/her secretary you may use the contact’s first name as well.
- If asked who is calling use your full name.
- If asked the name of your company don’t be afraid to give it.
- If asked why you are calling, tell them.
- If they are not available, say you will call back and ask the most convenient time.
- If they are on another call, do not stay on the line.
Telephone Qualification Process:
The following is a list of areas you need to incorporate into your ‘script’ with some suggestions as to how you may find out the answers, however the secret to good telephone communication is to make it yours, i.e. your language, your terminology, that way you will feel confident and this will be apparent to the person you are calling.
Responsibility/DMU (Decision Making Unit)
Who should I be talking to regarding the purchase of?
Who else would be involved in such a decision?
Money
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 (i.e. is it realistic).
Is the budget dependent upon anything?
Implementation
When is this purchase required to be completed by?
Is there a particular reason for this timescale? (Are they realistic?)
Competition
Who else are you talking to?
How did you choose them?
Expertise
What are you hoping to achieve? (Is it within our capabilit
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