Sales Teleselling

Sing Like Sinatra Top Consultant Advises Sales Amp Customer Service Script Users

2009-03-04T01:00:00.001-08:00

Sing Like Sinatra Top Consultant Advises Sales Amp Customer Service Script Users

2009-03-03T01:00:00.001-08:00

Sing Like Sinatra Top Consultant Advises Sales Amp Customer Service Script Users

2009-03-02T01:00:00.001-08:00

Sing Like Sinatra Top Consultant Advises Sales Amp Customer Service Script Users

2009-03-01T01:00:00.001-08:00

Sing Like Sinatra Top Consultant Advises Sales Amp Customer Service Script Users

2009-02-28T01:00:00.001-08:00

How To Get Rid Of Annoying Cold Callers

2009-02-27T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Charlie Lang

Ring ring . . .

Potential Buyer (PB): Hello

Cold Caller (CC): Is this Peter Miller?

PB: Yes, who is this?

CC: Hi, this Amy of XYZ Company. How are you?

PB: OK, what is this about?

CC: Do you want to know about a totally safe way of increasing your net worth by 200% in less than 10 years? We have an absolutely unique product you certainly have never heard of. I am sure you must be interested in that. Here is how it works . . .

Do you ever get calls like this? If they annoy you at least half as much as they annoy us, then you have a good idea of what we are talking about.

A few days ago, I found an online forum with a list of possible responses that could help you get rid of irritating callers in no time. Here are some of our favorites:

If they start out with, "How are you today?" say, "Why do you want to know?" Alternatively, you can tell them, "I'm so glad you asked, because no one these days seems to care, and I have all these problems. My arthritis is acting up, etc." When they try to get to the sell, just keep talking about your problems.

Cry out in surprise, "Amy, IS that you? Oh my God, Amy, how have you been?" Hopefully this will give Amy a few brief moments of terror as she tries to figure out where the heck she could know you from.

Tell them to talk VERY SLOWLY, because you want to write EVERY WORD DOWN.

If a female telemarketer calls your boyfriend's house ask her just why she's calling, act like you can "see right through this stupid cover-up!" and harass her for "secretly seeing" your boyfriend. Don't stop until she hangs up, or threatens to report you.

What is it that annoys us so much about these calls?

Lack of respect: Most cold callers (CCs) don't seem to care whether we are even ready to talk or at least listen! to someone. Perhaps they believe that the fact that we picked up the phone gives them the right to make use of our time.

Most CCs don't seem to care about what we really want: Most CCs (and many sales people, for that matter) believe that everybody should want their wonderful product and therefore pitch without hesitation.

It's about what the CC wants: Apparently, such CCs have only one thing in mind: a quick sale. That means the call is important mostly because they can benefit from it, even though they may also think that the potential buyer would possibly benefit.

We don't like being pressured: Pressure creates resistance. Even if the offered product might be something that we need, we tend to resist simply because most of us hate to be pressured.

Does any of that sound familiar to you? Have you ever wondered why many companies still use this sales method? The answer is simple: it gives them results. How?

Traditional cold calling is a numbers game, which could work as follows:

- Make 100 cold calls.
- Get 10 people to show some interest.
- Get one or two of them to buy (the lucky strikes!).

Yes, despite all the negative feelings triggered by these calls, there will always be people who listen and might even end up buying. These buyers could've been looking for such a product and the cold call was simply a timely, convenient way to get it. So if you make enough calls, you'll get some results that might make it worthwhile to continue with this approach.

What does it do to the CCs? Apparently, they must have a very strong self-esteem if they can keep using this approach despite being rejected 95 to 99 times out of 100.

What does it to the image of such companies? Needless to say, you can't build a high-quality image by using this cold-call method.

Can cold calls be made in such a way that fully respects the person being called and does not create any pressure? Can you imagine talking to a sales person who doesn't want to bully you into doing things his way as quickly as possible?

The Stop Selling! approach consists of a unique mindset combined with certain skills that helps any sales person, including cold callers, quickly create and maintain trusted relationships. This approach incorporates the realization that the seller's process, even when it leads to good results, is actually the limitation of even greater success.

Summary: Traditional cold calling is a numbers game and annoys most recipients of such calls. The "Stop Selling!" approach helps sales people quickly create a trusting relationship with prospects and customers. This is achieved through a very specific buyer-friendly mindset and skills that support this mindset.

About Charlie Lang

Charlie works with executives who are already successful and want to stay at the leading edge. They are often challenged by issues like:
- How to improve staff retention, especially how to keep top performers
- How to achieve a corporate success culture that guarantees longterm success
- How to create new levels of excellence through high employee engagement
- How to transform the business results through a different approach towards sales

Charlie, an executive coach & trainer who is known for his innovative approaches towards leadership, change processes and sales, assists his clients in mastering these challenges. They achieve outstanding results through Charlie's unique application of latest findings in research combined with his own experience in international management and leadership.

Charlie is the author of numerous articles and of the book The Groupness Factor. He delivers speeches and keynotes on sales, leadership and coaching.

So You Think You Know Why People Buy From You

2009-02-26T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Art Sobczak

Quick, answer a question: Why do people buy from you?

Bzzzzz. Wrong, if you answered with,

"Uhhh . . ."

Any description of your product or service.

You get an "Incomplete" if you answered,

"Because we have great service."

"We have the best quality."

This might seem rather basic to some of you, but if you quit reading I promise you're cheating yourself. Unless you have an inside-and-out understanding of all the possible reasons people buy from you, you're likely inviting objections. That's because you're probably selling what you want to sell, or talking about what the company's marketing department tells you are "benefits." People buy for their reasons, not yours. Your goal on calls is to learn, remind them of, and understand their reasons for being interested in you, and ultimately buying.

An Example

Let's look at an example. A copy machine salesperson calls a smaller company, hoping to sell a copier. He speaks with the Office Manager who typically makes decisions like this one. After asking a few basic qualifying questions he learns the office has four people in it, and they now have a big old monster of a copy machine that has been in the office for about eight years.

Thinking he has a hot prospect, the rep launches into a pitch about the latest techno-copier that does everything but write the documents for you. He overwhelms the listener with a point-by-point description of each of the "benefits"-or what he thinks are benefits (they indeed are, to some people).

The prospect says, "What we have is working just fine now."

He retorts with some rendition of the "feel-felt-found" technique and rams into a brick wall. He writes this one off, and moves to the next. Same pitch, same result.

What Went Wrong?

So is the rep not skilled at closing? How about overcoming objections? Neither. You could make a case for him not being a skilled questioner, but that might not be fair. The fact is, he doesn't have a clear understanding of why people buy from him-from their perspective, not his.

You see, in this case, the Office Manager was a technophobe. She just traded in her IBM Selectric for a computer for gosh sakes! And, she is paying $300 per year, plus a per copy charge for a maintenance contract on her current dinosaur copier-about half of what a new, smaller, more reliable machine would cost to buy!

And that's not all. The prospect was really quite interested in the fact that the machine the rep was pitching could do enlargement and reduction. Her's couldn't, and she had to personally go down to the Quick Copy to have them done, and it was a tremendous hassle. But, the rep had already mentioned so many other "benefits" that were actually perceived negatives to the prospect, that she didn't think it would be worth it to talk about that one feature. However, in isolation, it could have sold her.

Even if you think you have a clue about why people buy from you, do the following exercise. And do it often, since situations change regularly.

Here's an exercise we work on in training seminars. It lays the foundation for everything else we do.

1. Identify all the different levels and types of buyers and influencers for what you sell. Describe them by title and/or function. For example, depending on the organization, you might have an Advertising Director as the buyer. In smaller companies it could be an Office Manager, or maybe even the President.

2. Taking each of these types of people, identify how they're typically evaluated in their job. A Purchasing Manager is evaluated differently than a sales manager-the former on conservation, while the latter on production. Why should we think about this? We all have a desire to survive-at the very least-in our jobs, and most of us want to thrive. Knowing how someone is measured in their environment provides insight to what makes them tick.

3. Regarding your types of product/service, what do they want and need most? Be as specific as possible. Saying, "They want good quality," doesn't cut it. If you can't see, feel, hear, touch, or taste it, how can you describe it? Good quality manifests itself in the form of "A machine that requires virtually no servicing other than routine maintenance."

4. Conversely, what do they want to avoid? Again, be specific, descriptive. Don't say "poor service." Better: "They hate having to wait three hours to get an answer to a basic technical question."

Answering these questions is just a start. After you've compiled your list, then you use the answers to create questions to determine if, indeed, these possible benefits truly are benefits.

Art Sobczak helps sales pros use the phone to prospect, service and sell more effectively, while eliminating morale-killing "rejection. To get FREE weekly emailed TelE-Sales Tips visit: http://ww.BusinessByPhone.com

Sing Like Sinatra Top Consultant Advises Sales Amp Customer Service Script Users

2009-02-25T01:00:00.001-08:00

Sing Like Sinatra Top Consultant Advises Sales Amp Customer Service Script Users

2009-02-24T01:00:00.001-08:00

3 Simple Rules For Your Next Sales Call

2009-02-23T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Shamus Brown

The other day I received a call from a telemarketer selling a website "starter kit" for small businesses. If you are reading this right now, then you undoubtedly know that I have a website. Normally, I would quickly get the telemarketer off the line so I could get back to showing people how to make more money. But this call got my attention because I thought that this might be a potential service that I could recommend to my clients. So I decided to listen to this sales pitch to evaluate the offering and the approach that the telemarketer used.

Well the rep started by going straight into a sales pitch. She was using the age-old technique of trying to complete her benefits-loaded-sales-pitch before I knew what hit me. This technique is very similar to television, radio, or print advertising where if you show your ad to enough people with a pulse, then you will eventually find a few people who actually need the service.

Instead of getting annoyed with the sales rep, I decided to have fun with the call. Once she was done with her somewhat lengthy pitch, I asked her "Do you have any idea what I even want?" Well of course, she did not because she had not asked me a single question. I could tell during her pitch that she was tense by the sound of her voice. So I started to ask her questions about the service. She answered my questions very well. I noticed by her voice that she was getting more relaxed and comfortable by my asking questions of her. I guessed that she likely was thinking that she had a buyer or a hot-prospect on the line.

Once I had asked enough questions, I told the rep that this service was not for me as I already have my own website (through the conversation, she never asked this critical, obvious question). I told her that I would keep her service in mind for clients that might need a website starter kit. I could tell that she was distressed. She tried a final closing attempt on me by pleading "Well, don't you want to at least try it out?" I said "No way - do you have any idea what a pain the a%$ changing web hosting services is?"

Lest you think of me as cruel for wasting this poor sales rep's time, I remind you that as buyers we do this to salespeople everyday when we consider making a purchase. Have you ever asked many questions of a salesperson only to go home, think over the decision, and then never buy the product? Many salespeople and entrepreneurs put up with this behavior from prospects because they exhibit this behavior themselves when making purchases.

QUESTION: Who was in control of the sales call?
ANSWER: The prospect (me).

QUESTION: Why didn't I buy?
ANSWER: Because I had no pain that the service could fulfill.

If the seller had followed these 3 simple rules, she could have been on to the next suspect on her list, instead of wasting 20 minutes on a no-sale conversation:

Ask questions first to find a pain to solve. If no pain, then move one to the next suspect!
Don't give away free consulting. Keep your leverage until you know that the prospect is likely to buy your product or service.
When you find pain, leverage this to make the sale. People will pay a lot of money for the things that they really want.

Too many companies don't invest in the best for their sales-people. They expect you to be already trained in sales or a "natural". Well naturals aren't born, they are made. If your company isn't investing in you, then invest in yourself. People who truly make things happen, are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want.

Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

Voice Mail Beats Live Message Taking Hands Down

2009-02-22T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Today, I was on the phone, pitching a new book to hard-to-reach editors.

An assistant came to the line at one place, and very pleasantly asked me if she could take a message.

Almost without exception, assistants such as this person, in the publishing world, are first-rate communicators, so you can rely on them to accurately capture your message and convey it.

But I don't leave my messages with them, as a general ruleespecially if I'm promoting a new title.

Here are five, rock-solid reasons for asking the assistant to put your call into the buyer's voice mail:

(1) What you say is exactly what he or she hears. There is no "lost in translation" problem with a robot.

(2) Your buyer can hear your enthusiasm, first-hand. She won't hear it from her assistant.

(3) You can get a second bite at the apple, if your first message missed the mark, in your estimation, either by erasing it, or adding to it with a second voice message.

(4) You can speak faster, and cram in a lengthier message than most humans could ever comfortably transcribe.

(5) You don't have to "dumb down" or sanitize your message because a mediator is involved.

Don't worry; asking for voice mail isn't insulting. All you have to say, when asked, "May I take a message?" is this:

"Sure, does she have voice mail? Oh, great, my message is lengthy so may I please have that? Thanks!"

Then, you and your message are on the way, just as you want them, saying no more, and no less.

What could be better than that?

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of http://www.Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

Real Estate Marketing In The Quotdo Not Callquot Era

2009-02-21T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Brandon Cornett

Real estate marketing often involves making phone calls to prospective clients. There's no way around it. But to keep yourself out of trouble -- and out of court -- you need to understand the basics of the National Do Not Call Registry.

The registry gives consumers the option of not receiving phone calls from telemarketers. Now, you might not think of yourself as a telemarketer. But by the FTC's definition, if you call a prospective client (with whom you have no existing business relationship) to offer your services ... you're a telemarketer.

How Many People Are Signed Up?

Actually, most of them! In fact, according to a recent poll conducted by the research firm Harris Interactive, about three-quarters of U.S. adults (76 percent) have signed up for the Do Not Call Registry.

When Does the Law Apply?

You have to be able to make phone calls to conduct business, and the government knows this. So follow-up phone calls are certainly allowed (and encouraged). The registry is not intended to prevent follow-up phone calls to people who have contacted you first, nor is it intended to prevent regular phone calls to existing clients.

It's those unsolicited cold calls that the legislation prevents.

Other Key Points

The purpose of this article is not to scare you into a "no phone calls, ever" state of mind. On the contrary, making phone calls is part of your business. So don't be afraid ... just be educated:

As of last year (January 1, 2005, to be exact), telemarketers and sellers are required to search the registry at least once every 31 days and drop from their call lists the phone numbers of consumers who have registered.

If a consumer makes an inquiry or submits an application to a company, the company can call for three months (unless the consumer makes a specific request that you do not call them).

In other words, if somebody calls or emails you to request information of any kind, you may call them as needed (even if they are registered on the Do Not Call list). But if they request that you do not call them, you must honor that request.

A company that has an established business relationship with a person may call that person for up to 18 months after the consumer's last purchase or payment [or last business function / meeting, in the case of real estate agents], unless the consumer asks the company not to call again.

Conclusion

Don't fear the Do Not Call Registry -- just understand it and abide by it. Avoid cold-calling prospects unless you're absolutely sure they're not on the registry. Just realize that 3 out of 4 adults in the U.S. are on the registry.

Remember, if you have an existing business relationship with somebody, the Do Not Call laws do not apply. And if somebody contacts you first, you have every right to make a follow-up call. This includes a prospect calling you, emailing you, or filling out a form on your website.

* You may republish this article in its entirety as long as you include the byline and author's note. If publishing online, please leave the hyperlinks active.

About the Author

Brandon Cornett is the founder of ArmingYourFarming.com, a web-based company that provides marketing guides to real estate agents. For dozens more articles on real estate marketing, visit http://www.armingyourfarming.com

Sing Like Sinatra Top Consultant Advises Sales Amp Customer Service Script Users

2009-02-20T01:00:00.001-08:00

Overcoming The Fear Of Cold Calling

2009-02-19T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Will Turner

Do you like cold calling? Most salespeople don't. In fact, many people avoid a sales career because the idea of cold calling is so distasteful. And many salespeople fail in sales or never reach their true potential because they have never mastered cold calling.

So let's look at the art of cold calling in its simplest form. Cold calling is picking up the phone and calling someone you don't know. Most of us don't have any problem picking up and using a phone; in fact, we do it all day long. We're also able to talk to people. So the "stigma" of cold calling has nothing to do with the physical act of picking up, dialing or using the phone. It also doesn't have anything to do with talking to someone.

When we look at why we avoid cold calling, it usually centers on our fear of rejection, fear of failure or fear of the unknown. We're afraid someone is going to be annoyed with us, be mean to us, or won't respond in the way we want.

So the first step in overcoming our fear of cold calling is to recognize that our fear is self-imposed. It's stemming from us. It's our perception and attitude about cold calling that paralyzes us. Of course that means that we are also the only ones that can break the shackles that we've put on ourselves.

There are two main qualities of fear. First, fear is imaginary. In other words, our fears are our thoughts; they're in our head. Second, our fear of cold calling is always in the future. We're afraid of something that hasn't happened yet. While everyone may have fear to some extent, when we let it imprison or limit us, we have given it too much importance. Keep in mind that FEAR is "False Emotions Appearing Real."

Changing our attitude and fear about cold calling is easier said than done. Remember, our attitudes are habits of thought so to change our attitudes will take some real effort on our part even if we consciously recognize that our fears are not rational.

To conquer our fear of cold calling, remember these three basic facts about fear:

1. We all possess fear to some extent. It's normal. In fact, learning to channel your fear and the rush of adrenaline it causes can be very motivating. Fear is only debilitative when it controls your life to the extent that you limit or alter your activities. When you exercise your control of fear, you are making a conscious effort to choose your own path.

2. The fears that immobilize us are usually unfounded. What's the worse case scenario? In other words, what would happen if your fears actually came through? In the case of cold calling, a prospect may hang up on you or get short with you. While it may not be pleasant, it certainly isn't life-threatening either.

3. Fears are thoughts and you have complete control over them. You have the power and ability to replace your fearful thoughts with positive ideas and realistic expectations.

To overcome your fears, you have to change your mind. One easy way to start that process is to use your fear as a learning opportunity. In other words, you need to prepare for failure, rejection or the unknown. Your preparation will help you replace your fear with confidence.

Will Turner is the Founder and President of Dancing Elephants Achievement Group, a sales training and consulting company. Will has over 20 years of sales and sales management experience and is the author of over 150 sales-related articles and programs as well as the co-author of the book, Six Secrets of Sales Magnets. Will can be reached at Will@dancingelephants.net

How Effective Are You On The Telephone Important Telecommunications Tips

2009-02-18T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Chris King

I have recently received several questions that relate to telecommunications. These questions are not only geared toward the unwanted and bothersome phone calls we receive from telecommunicators trying to sell us something - although we can certainly learn what not to do from them - but also are concerned with how we can present effectively and powerfully over the telephone.

Telephone impressions are as important as in-person impressions. the first impression we make over the telephone will be lasting and will set the tone for the present and/or any upcoming interaction we will have with that person. Opportunities abound. We may be recording our own answering device message, leaving a voice mail message on someone else's device, speaking to an assistant, answering a call, making an order, asking a question or trying to establish a relationship with a potential client, What kind of impression are you making?

Remember that the person on the other end of the phone can't see you, so your voice, pacing, and words are all important. Therefore, it is imperative that you practice your telephone voice and tone as carefully as you would practice a speech in front of an audience. Use vocal variety, with tonal inflection. Add enthusiasm to your voice. Pace your words and speak clearly. And, people can hear a smile, so be sure to act and smile as if you were speaking face to face, eyeball to eyeball.

This is where we can learn from those unfortunate people who are employed by telecommunications firms and have to make calls to the unsuspecting. First of all, they seem distracted. When I answer, it usually takes them a few minutes to start their spiel. Then when they do start speaking, it is in a monotone, too quickly with no pauses or pacing (probably because they don't want us to get a chance to say, "no"). They are prepared with a written speech which is delivered poorly. This leads me to my next point.

It is important, as always, to be well prepared. The more prepared you are for any presentation, the more smoothly it will progress and the more professional you will appear. Before you record a message on your answering device, take the time to consider the impression you are trying to make. When I receive a canned message - especially one that comes with the answering system, right away I form the picture of someone rather unimaginative.

How do you want the caller to react? For a business, I don't suggest (and this has happened to me) that you have your five or six-year old leave a cute, giggly message or record a joke or wild music, etc. But, I do suggest adding some personality to your recording. Take the time to review what you have recorded and then call yourself from somewhere else to hear what you sound like. My message usually gets a "WOW!" and an answer, because one of the phrases I use is that "I am excellent at returning phone calls, so leave an interesting message, and I will get back to you as soon as possible." And, I do, which to me is telecommunications' etiquette.

Treat all your telephone exchanges with care. You will make a lasting impression to be proud of.

Chris King is a professional speaker, storyteller, writer, website creator / designer, free agent, and fitness instructor. Sign up for her eclectic E-newsletter, Portfolio Potpourri, at http://www.PowerfulPresentations.net You will find her information-packed E-book How to Leave Your Audiences Begging for MORE! at http://www.OutrageouslyPowerfulPresenter.com and her business website at http://www.CreativeKeys.biz

The New Telemarketing Part Vi Why Telemarketers Prefer Tnt

2009-02-17T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Sixth in a series of articles, we'll discuss various issues and practices associated with modern ways of selling over the phone.

*****************************************************************
The New Telemarketing is a set of selling practices designed to accomplish several things:

(1) To sell more goods and services than its predecessor, the "traditional" style;

(2) To be less offensive than its predecessor to buyers;

(3) To be consistent with a customer service style of communicating;

(4) To help in recruiting and retaining qualified phone representatives and managers; and

(5) To repair and reform the image of telemarketers in business and consumer communities.
*****************************************************************

Traditional telemarketing is a burn out for most reps that don't have the personality, drive, or physical constitution to stomach its challenges.

It requires call after call be made to people who respond, by and large, antagonistically.

The average non-salesperson finds this regimen daunting, and continuous rejection is alien to his or her experience and sensibilities.

She doesn't communicate in an adversarial way with her friends or family, and she probably hasn't been required to do it in other business contexts. So, why should she put up with it in a phone environment?

The negatives we associate with traditional telemarketing aren't inherent, they're matters of choice and design. The scripts we use are talk-a-thons, one-way monologues that invite incessant rejection.

If we change the communication content of calls, we'll change their impact not only on clients, but on reps, as well.

For example, traditional telemarketing is geared to telling. It tells prospects about a product's features and benefits, and it tells its way to a close.

The New Telemarketing is consultative, and it asks its way to a sale. It's much more in keeping with the relationship values we expect from friendship, family, and customer service; its egalitarian, and not dictatorial.

Reps like to communicate in a give-and-take manner, which is the model upon which The New Telemarketing is built. It is low-key and not high-pressure.

This wears well on everyone.

If you train reps, as I have, in both styles, and give them a choice, they'll opt for TNT, time and again.

In a future article, we'll discuss the fact that with The New Telemarketing traditional objections and rejection become much less of a concern.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of www.Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone®, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone! and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

You Can Sell Anything By Telephone

2009-02-16T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Just this week, one of my coaching clients asked me this question:

"Do you think we can sell our product by telephone?"

It's a question that I've been hearing for years in my seminars. Can X or Y be sold this way?

Finally, I wrote the best-selling book, YOU CAN SELL ANYTHING BY TELEPHONE!

I stand by this claim; you can still do it, and the onus is on others to prove you cannot.

But here's the key, what I didn't reveal in the title: You may or may not be able to do it, profitably.

For example, a client that I had done a great job for in the security alarm business decided to buy an interest in a well known consumer electronic technology, and he called me and asked, "Can we sell this by phone?"

Quickly, I calculated that it would be difficult, but achievable. In other words, yes it can be done; but no, it cannot be done, profitably.

My instincts told me you just won't get the number of sales to make this a paying proposition, when compared to using alternatives, such as direct mail, and retail sales channels.

Anyway, he pushed me for a simple yes or no and I told him it would cost him a day of my time so I could hear more about the pricing, packaging, promotional accompaniments, and so on.

He declined to retain me for that, and he went on to lose millions trying to sell this device by phone.

As you can imagine, I use this example in many ways, to not only demonstrate something about the telephone as a sales tool, but also something about the value of information and reasoned, seasoned judgment.

So, the next time you hear or ask this question, appreciate the answer is yes, but there is always an asterisk next to the word!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Telemarketing How To Handle The Job

2009-02-15T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Michael Russell

This is probably a guide that most telemarketers wish they were given before they began their job. The truth is, telemarketing is hard work. People don't like being called in the middle of dinner only to be asked what brand of toothbrush they prefer or if they would be interested in a free trial subscription to Redbook. Potential customers can get very nasty. Some will simply hang up, but what happens when you get one who actually wants to talk to you? These tips on handling those who do and those who don't will help a lot.

Telemarketers are given a script. They are told under no uncertain terms to follow the script. But the truth is, these scripts can get annoying and make you sound like a robot. So if you find an opportunity to get away from the script, even a little bit, do it. Don't let your supervisor bully you. If he should catch you and asks you why you deviated from the script, tell him that you felt it was necessary to do so. If you ended up making a sale, show him your sheet. That should shut him up.

Part of the script is of course inserting your name. This is something you'll only learn from experience but if you are of an ethnic background, such as Jewish or Spanish, you need to have an understanding of the area you're calling. For example, if your name is Sam Goldberg and you're calling an area that you know to be predominantly Jewish, then by all means keep your real name, but if you're calling an area that you know to be predominately Christian then you might want to think of changing your name to a more Christian sounding or even neutral sounding name for these areas. Perhaps Stan Green will do fine. Believe it or not, it makes a difference to how people will relate to you.

When talking to people on the phone who are generally interested in what you have to offer, if they ask you a tough question, one that you know the answer to will not make them happy, don't lie. It will only come back to haunt you and the company in the form of a returned item or worse. Tell them the truth, but always stress the benefits over that one negative. Try to make the customer see that it would be in their best interests to at least give your product a try. Tell them that it comes with a money back guarantee so they can always return it if they're not satisfied.

If you're a telemarketer doing a demographic survey where you have to ask the person a lot of questions about themselves and their buying habits, try to mix in some casual discussion with the questions. For example, say you are asking them what their favorite soap is and they say a brand that you never heard of. Tell them you never heard of it. Ask them what they think of it. Ask them if it's any good. If they say it's great tell them that you may try it sometime. Be personable with these people. It will make the conversation go a lot quicker.

More important that anything else, be yourself. Try to enjoy what you're doing. If you let your personality shine through in the calls then people will enjoy talking to you and your job will be a lot easier. For those who are nasty with you and hang up on you, don't take it personally. Shrug it off and move on to the next call.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Telemarketing

Telemarketing Services

2009-02-14T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Damian Sofsian

Telemarketing has emerged as a popular and effective marketing tool. More and more companies are adopting this method owing to the quicker responses received. Companies often outsource their telemarketing services to third party telemarketing firms. The outsourcing enables the companies to concentrate on their core activities, while the telemarketing firms handle the telemarketing services. One of the advantages of utilizing the services of professional telemarketing firms is their expertise in handling a wide range of customers. Outsourcing telemarketing services generally proves to be a wise business decision.

Telemarketing can be broadly classified into inbound telemarketing and outbound telemarketing. A standard firm offering telemarketing services deals with both these kinds of marketing. Telemarketing firms also offer other services such as business-to-business telemarketing, business-to-consumer telemarketing, and automated telemarketing. Some specialized telemarketing services include voice broadcasting, sales lead generation, answering service, appointment fixing, order processing, and sales report generation. These services are provided at a cost effective and reliable manner. Telemarketing can be outsourced for better results and professional services. The outsourcing of telemarketing services has now emerged as a key component in a company's sales initiatives.

Third-party telemarketing firms usually have tie-ups with numerous companies for selling their diverse range of products and services. The expertise gained in dealing with a diverse customer base can be utilized effectively for telemarketing at different regions with different ethnic populations. Some customers complain that marketing calls are a pestering problem. They enlist themselves into some state or federal do-not-call lists. It is a serious offence to call these customers for any commercial or marketing purposes. The telemarketing firms therefore maintain do-not-call lists in their databases.

Telemarketing provides detailed information on Telemarketing, Telemarketing Software, Telemarketing Services, Telemarketing Lists and more. Telemarketing is affiliated with Telemarketing Lead Lists.

Karma Of Phone Prospecting

2009-02-13T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Scott Adams

Do you ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Does the rest of the day just follow suit? Have you ever thought that your attitude towards the day might just be coming back to you through misfortunes and bad things through out the day?

Well it happens and it is called KARMA.

KARMA is defined as if you put a negative out there it will come back to you in the form of another negative. So you could say you get back what you put out there.

So lets relate that to your calling of leads.

If you put out a negative presentation you get back a negative result commonly phrased as "I am not interested", "Is this a pyramid scheme", "Is this MLM", or "does this cost anything". So how do you create a positive presentation in order to get back a positive result?

Let call the process of creating an effective phone presentation the K.A.R.M.A. of Phone Presentations.

KNOWLEDGE of the industry is the first thing you need to consider when putting together your presentation. You see if your prospect doesn't have a basic understanding of the MLM business model it will be virtually impossible to develop a successful downline partner. You need to be sure they have an understanding before you can expect them to be productive in your downline. The best way to find this out is to ask early on in your conversation if they could define MLM or Network Marketing.

ACTION step is required at this point. You need to go one of two ways. If they understand MLM or Network Marketing you can move onto the next step. If they don't understand the industry your best move is to educate them before you move into any kind of presentation of your company or product. Make sure you have some websites or emails that you can send them in order to educate them about the industry. Wouldn't you agree that if you were going to start a restaurant business you ought to know something about the industry? So why should it be any different in our industry? Once you provide education for them then you can follow up with them and move onto the next step.

REASONS for each person vary. But as you and I both know there are several reasons that are common and it is important that you begin to find out why they want to start a home-based business. This will begin to make a connection between you and the prospect. You may even find out that you have the same reason as your prospect. This stage is really a stage where you get to know the person. Be sure to NOT ask how much time and money they have to invest when getting to know them.

MATCHING the prospect to your business is the next stage of an effective presentation. Use what you have learned about your prospect and create a bridge between where they are today and your opportunity. Let them know with confidence that with all you know about them at this point you feel your company is a great match for them and it would be worth it to take a closer look.

ACTION time is again upon you. You must now give them the next step in the exploring process. Your company most likely has a process laid out for you whether it is to do a 3-way call with your upline, connect them to a live presentation, or simply send them to your website for more information.

Follow the K.A.R.M.A. presentation and you will be on your way to getting the positive results you desire when calling your leads.

Make it the Best Day Yet,

Scott Adams

Scott Adams is the owner of Home-based business Training & Support company called http://www.Leads2YourSuccess.com; The mission is simple - to help you grow your business!

Incoming Telemarketing Sales And Upgrades

2009-02-12T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

Every incoming call to your business is a potential sale and you should consider each and every phone call, which does come into your company as a potential future customer and an incoming telemarketing sales call. You should also train your staff to ask questions of the customer and find out what it is they really want and figure out how your company can best supply them with their needs and desires.

This will help your company with sales upgrades from incoming telemarketing. Consider a suggestive sale at a fast food restaurants, when the person behind the counter asks you; would you like to super size that? Or would you like a pastry with your Starbucks coffee. Fast food restaurants estimate that 45 percent of the people will upgrade themselves if you ask the question or suggestive sell. This will increase sales and help with profitability.

Most sales training companies will recommend this as it is a known fact and that is that your current customers are 10 times more likely to buy from you than someone off the street. From a marketing standpoint it makes sense to spend more time and money on your current customers and helping them to everything that they need since they have already chosen to do business with you.

With incoming telemarketing sales upgrades it is very important to your business and you should pay attention to all aspects of this. You should train your employees to recognize customers who need more information and education them about your products and services. I sincerely hope you will consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

How To Overcome Telemarketing Cold Calling Barriers

2009-02-11T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jason Morris

Sometimes making cold calls gives us a strange feeling in our gut. We become stuck, flustered and the phone turns into the heaviest dumbell you are ever likely to pick up. Unless you combat this feeling I'm afraid it only gets worse, even getting to the point where we are a nervous and hate the phone.

However, practice makes perfect and such reluctance is normally more evident in people that are new to cold calling and telemarketing in general. Well here's the good news, cold calling doesn't have to be the nerve tingling dreadful experience we all know it can be.

In telemarketing we tend to create our own fears. For example we may be put off making a call to a prospect because he'll be offended if he's busy, or if we call during lunch he'll be upset, or he has probably been called a thousand times before about this particular product, deal or service. It is human nature to make matters seem worse than what they actually are, thereby creating our own fears.

As human beings we have great tendancies to make excuses, and this is especially so in the telemarketing profession. This can become a sticking point when it comes to cold calling or even when calling warm leads. We subconciously tell ourselves that we don't have the correct resources to get the job done without some other form of external help. We may feel that we should send some more information first or ask them to fill in yet another survey.

Three tips for cold calling success

Don't care what anyone else thinks - Separate yourself from that part of your personality that thinks cold calling is wrong and a bad way to find new business. Stop kidding yourself and telling yourself that there is a better way to drum up new prospects and business which suits your personality better, such as email, media advertising or direct mail. The real truth of the fact is that nothing is as effective as telemarketing when it comes to winning new business.

Define your reluctancies - decide that your call reluctancies can be managed effectively by highlighting tendancies and excuses outlined above. Use an approach that seeks to gain feedback from your calls, and will hopefully show that your fears are totally unfounded.

Tell yourself you CAN - in telemarketing it is necessary to tell yourself that you CAN make those calls, and when you do more new business will follow. Most tendancies and fears are based on a projection of what you think a prospect will say to you when you call. This fear builds to the point where one part of your personality tries to protect the other from what is only presumed harm, and in actual fact will more than likely prove to be a falicy.

Jason Morris is the Business Development Manager of Intramation Limited, as well as a Co-founder and marketing consultant of Business Phone Systems Direct. Specialists in all Telecoms, IT and telemarketing solutions

If Cold Calling Works For You

2009-02-10T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Frank Rumbauskas

I receive e-mails on a regular basis from people who state that cold calling is working perfectly well for them and that they've become quite successful by it. That's fine - as I've always said, if it works for you, then keep doing it. My materials are for people who either are not getting results from cold calling, or who simply do not enjoy it and do not want to do it anymore.

If you feel that cold calling is working just fine for you, this chapter is for you. The problem with being satisfied with the results of cold calling is that you fail to see cold calling's biggest flaw and why it imposes strict limitations on your sales production.

Here's something to think about. Even if cold calling is working for you, you're failing to use the amazing power of LEVERAGE to your advantage. What I'm getting at is the fact that as a cold caller, you can only make one call at a time or knock on one door at a time. Add into that the fact that you must also fit appointments and other work such as generating proposals into every business day, and your ability to make a large number of quality cold calls diminishes rapidly.

Here's the pattern I typically see and that I experienced myself with people who rely on cold calling for generating business, and who feel that it's working for them:

Month 1: Sales are down. Most free time is spent cold calling. Leads are generated and plenty of first appointments take place but the salesperson falls short of quota for the month.

Month 2: Numerous second appointments take place and proposals are presented. The salesperson spends lots of time working to close sales and is successful. Quota achievement is far in excess of 100% this month.

Month 3: The salesperson spends plenty of time on customer service issues this month, and following up with all the customers who bought last month. After all, it's normal to be busy with these issues after a huge month. By the end of the month, everything is taken care of, but sales are in the gutter and far below quota this month because most time was spent taking care of all those issues, and to make matters worse, the pipeline is now empty and there are no more prospects to work on. The cycle starts all over again with month 1.

As you can see, this cycle of cold-hot-cold guarantees failure and is one of the key reasons why cold calling rarely, if ever, results in success. If anything, it allows salespeople to make quota every third month, barely avoid probation, and therefore keep their jobs.

By contrast, systems of self-marketing allow you to use the power of LEVERAGE. Let's say you do well at cold calling and continue to make, say, 30 calls a day. What if you could put systems into place that effectively made an additional 300 calls per day while you're free to do other things? If your 30 calls per day generated one hot lead, wouldn't a system that performs the equivalent of 300 calls generate 10 hot leads in a day?

This is the power of leverage, and this is where those who rely solely on cold calling are missing out. If cold calling works for you then keep it up, but doesn't it make sense to add to it and increase your number of leads exponentially? Then you'll be so busy with all the appointments that you really will drop cold calling after all you won't have time for it anymore with so many people calling you, ready to buy!

Frank Rumbauskas is the author of the hit sensation "Cold Calling Is A Waste Of Time: Sales Success In The Information Age". His training and products teach salespeople how to generate hot leads without cold calling and how to keep their power and remain in control of sales situations. For more information please visit http://www.nevercoldcall.com

A Screener And Voice Mail Tactic To Avoid

2009-02-09T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Art Sobczak

Sometimes I see a sales guru in print suggesting a technique so unrealistic and outrageous I don't even bother to get upset. I know most sane people would dismiss it.

However, here's one I've seen at least three times within the past month, each attributed to a different person, each time in a different publication or on-line source. I must address it.

The tip is always aimed at outside reps setting appointments by phone. These goofball "authorities" suggest when you're having a difficult time reaching a buyer and getting screened, or they're not returning calls . . . leave a message on voice mail saying,

"I'm having a difficult time reaching you. I would like to meet with you to show you what we can do for you. I'll be in your area, and unless I hear from you otherwise, I'll interpret that as a sign of interest, and I'll stop by at 9:00 a.m. on Friday."

You've got to be kiddin' me! Heck, why stop with the appointment? Why not say,

"Since you haven't returned my messages, I assume you want to buy from me. I'll ship 30 cases right out to you unless I hear from you before Friday."

How pompous. How idiotic. When I read nonsense like this, everything else the author says has no credibility with me, since I must assume he's not speaking from experience.

Recommendation

So why does any salesperson not get calls returned, or get screened out? Simple. Their listeners do not perceive returning the call (or, putting the call through in the screener's case) as worthwhile, containing anything of value to them.

Many sales people create errors of omission (not saying anything of value to persuade the listener otherwise, or being evasive with a screener) or commission (leaving messages that are salesperson-oriented and product-centered, which scream out, "I only care about selling something!"

As we've talked about so many times here, when attempting to reach a buyer be certain that you have a results-oriented statement that will pique curiosity. You don't need to sell them; just get them curious enough to want to spend a little time with you by phone. You can and should use the same ideas you'd present in an opening statement.

For example,

"Mike, the reason I'm calling is that I understand you're now considering upgrading your office network. Depending on how far you are in the process, I might have a few ways to streamline that upgrade as well as make sure you don't overspend on hardware. I'd like to ask a few questions to determine if it would be worth our while to spend some time together. My number is . . ."

Trickery and outrageous tactics only contribute to the stereotype of the typical "salesperson." Articulate the value you can potentially deliver, and you'll earn the right to speak with more people who can and will buy from you.

How To Stop Cold Calls From Feeling Intrusive

2009-02-08T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Ari Galper

4 key ways to be seen as helpful while cold calling

Can't you tell when somebody wants something from you? I certainly can. And it usually feels inconvenient and intrusive. So you can understand, then, why potential clients will often run for cover when your cold call is only about "making the sale." Most people sense that cold calls are self-serving to the person calling. You can almost hear the unspoken thought, "You want something, right? Otherwise why would you be calling?" This triggers almost immediate resistance.

For cold calling to be done in a non-intrusive way, we must shift the perception away from "you want something," into "you are being helpful." When our cold calls do not feel intrusive, people naturally are more open to talking with us. Shifting this perception in others is all about shifting a perspective within ourselves. Focusing on being helpful takes us away from the traditional sales mindset. In the old mindset, we talk about ourselves and our product or service. In this new approach, we're focusing on potential clients and what may be helpful to them.

To be perceived as helpful, we must actually be helpful. If we try to use "being seen as helpful" as just another sales technique, people will sense our hidden agenda and react with suspicion. Be sincere in your approach and desire to help the other person.

Here's how to stop being intrusive and start being helpful:

1. Make It About Them, Not About You

We've all learned that when we begin a conversation with a potential client, we should talk about ourselves, our product, and our solution. But this self-focus almost always feels intrusive to the other person and shuts down the possibility of a genuine conversation.

Instead, step directly into their world. Open the conversation with a question rather than a sales pitch. For example, "I'm just giving you a call to see if your company is grappling with unpaid invoices issues?" Never let the person feel that your focused on your own needs, goals, or agenda. Communicate that we're calling with 100 percent of your thoughts and energy focused on their needs.

2. Avoid the Artificial Salesperson Enthusiasm

People feel pushed along by artificial enthusiasm. This triggers rejection because it feels very intrusive to be pushed by someone they don't know. Artificial enthusiasm includes some expectation that our product or service is a great fit for them. Yet, we've never spoken with them before, much less had a full conversation with them. We can't possibly know much about them or their needs. And so to them, we are simply someone who wants to sell them something.

It is better to modestly assume you know very little about them. Invite them to share with you some of their concerns and difficulties. And allow them to guide the conversation, even when it means getting "off track" a bit.

3. Focus on One Compelling Problem to Solve

Don't go into a pitch the way you would if you were operating out of the traditional sales mindset. Make what you say about them, not about you. Try to keep in mind that who you are and what you have to offer are irrelevant at this moment. The key is to identify a problem that you believe the other person might have. Depending on your business or industry, here are some examples of what you might say:

I'm just calling if you'd be open to looking at any possible hidden gaps in your business that might be causing sales losses?

I'm just calling to see if you're grappling with problems of employee performance related to a lack of training support?

I'm just calling to see if you're open to looking at whether any department in your company might be losing revenue due to vendor overcharges?

Address one specific, concrete problem that you know most businesses experience. Don't make any mention of you or any solutions you have to offer. Remember, it's always about them, not about you.

4. Consider "Where Should We Go From Here?"

Let's say the initial call turns into a positive and friendly conversation. The other person feels you're offering something valuable, and wants to know more. Both of you feel there may be a match. Rather than focusing on making a sale at this point, you can simply say, "Well, where do you think we should go from here?"

This question reassures potential clients that you're not using the conversation to fulfill your own hidden agenda.

Rather, your giving them space and time to come to their own conclusions. You're helping them create their own path, and you will follow.

Sales Speaker Says Cold Calling Advice Is Usually Cheap Amp Wrong

2009-02-07T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Show me anybody that ever sold anything by phone, or even came close, and I'll show you another world expert in cold calling.

That bozo who still couldn't tie his shoelaces by himself, and he was in the fifth grade; he's a cold calling guru now because someone taught him to read a script and he followed it, word for word, and got lucky, at least once.

That "motivational speaker" who had the temerity to get on the phone and to tout his own phoning abilities, yes he, too became a wunderkind of the wired and now wireless world.

Talk about someone who had maybe one year of experience and has sold that to other people, since then, year after year!

Yes, the one-eyed man is king in the land of the blind, and most salespeople are clueless about the ins and outs of dialing and smiling.

They're such ignorati, in fact, that they follow these utterly stupid pieces of advice:

Never cold call, because it is a waste of time.

If you cold call, always ask, "Do you have a minute" or "Are you busy" before going beyond the greeting.

Put as many suspects into your pipeline as possible and follow-up with every one of them.

Always ask a lot of questions because they involve the buyer.

Never leave voice mail messages, because nobody will call back a stranger.

I could go on, because the fictions are innumerable.

So, is there such a thing as a genuine cold calling expert?

There are such people, and we'll talk about them in the next article.

Every minute of every day, someone in the world is reading a book or an article written by Dr. Gary S. Goodman. Best-selling author of 12 books and more than 850 articles, Gary is considered a foremost expert in telephone effectiveness, customer service, and sales development. A top-rated speaker, seminar leader, and consultant, his clients extend across the globe and the organizational spectrum, from the Fortune 1000 to small businesses. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Telephone Sales For Cell Phone Adapters

2009-02-06T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

Cellular telephone accessory companies will often use the telephone to make sales to their cell phone customers. Often, this makes the telephone subscriber upset because they are paying for these minutes. However, if the telephone sales are done during the non-peak hours where the people are getting free unlimited minutes then generally the cell phone subscribers are not very upset.

One of the things telephone salespeople will ask is are you happy with the service? Do you like your phone? Would you like to upgrade your phone? Have you seen our new phones? Do you need any additional car battery adapter? Do you need a new leather carrying case? If so I can take your credit card over the phone right now or I can put it on your cell phone bill if you'd like. I will mail it out to you right away and you should have it within two or three working days; would that be okay for you?

Perhaps you can see why telephone sales and sales for cell phone adapters work so well and why so many companies are doing this. The telephone salesperson will act like this is a service to you to check up on cell phone service and see how you are doing and if there's anything you need but in actuality it is a pure sales call to sell you stuff. Consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

What Can I Do If I Dont Make My Sales Quota

2009-02-05T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by D.M. Arenzon

As you know it can be very discouraging if you miss your sales quota! You may begin to doubt yourself and your abilities as a salesperson. This is where our negative self-talk can get the best of us and we may start to internalize thoughts like, "I'm not good enough" or "I just don't have what it takes." The powerful thing here is that you have a choice and that choice is your attitude. If you decide to feel sorry for yourself and doubt your sales abilities then you will be pushed down a very dark staircase that leads no where---that's self-destructive.

Or, the other option that you have is to take this time to reflect and analyze what you can do better the next time around so that you make and exceed your numbers. Here are five practical suggestions that you can use the next time you do not make your sales quota:

1. LEARN FROM TEMPORARY SITUATIONS.

When you miss your numbers it's a temporary situation in the big scheme of things. I suggest that you use this time as an opportunity to figure out what is working and what is not working. Thomas Edison once said, "Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless." If you apply these words of Edison and compare them to the attributes of a successful marketer (and in your case a telephone marketer) you will see many similarities and they can be summarized in seven words: "Testing, testing and more testing equates to success." If you perceive this situation as a learning opportunity rather than as an obstacle to your success your results will be that much greater!

2. STOP NEGATIVE SELF-TALK AND REFLECT ON YOUR PAST SUCCESS.

A great way to avoid negative self-talk is by reflecting on your past success. You may want to internalize thoughts like, "I've made my numbers before, I've been successful in the past and I can do it again!" Once you have made these associations from your past it's now time to take action! Remember this Chinese Proverb: "Talk does not cook rice!"

3. TRANSFORM YOURSELF INTO A BALL OF POSITIVE ENERGY.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist, poet, and philosopher once said, "The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results." Per Emerson, a positive attitude attracts positive energy and in turn creates opportunities for success. The question is how do you motivate yourself to be positive?

Based on my experience, you need to do things that make you happy. For example, you can go to Starbucks, go shopping, exercise or listen to motivational tapes. One interesting idea to "Transform yourself into a ball of positive energy" is to change the aesthetics of your office or cubicle. You could try adding a few plants, toys around your desk or advertise your favorite motivational quotes on signs around your office. Sometimes new environments can change your behavior and in turn inspire you to take action!

4. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING PERSISTENT.

According to the National Sales Executive Association, 2% of sales are made on the1st contact, 3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact, 5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact, 10% of sales are made on the 4th contact and 80% of sales are made on the 5th-12th contact. Based on these numbers, if you are only contacting your sales prospect just a few times then you may want to re-think your prospecting strategy.

These statistics indicate that you need to be persistent to make the sale. However, another reason that you must be persistent is to gain the respect of your sales prospect. What do I mean here? The prospects that you are contacting should be very successful executives and these people did not get to where they are by being reactive, but rather by being proactive. They will draw from their past work experience and quickly associate with your tenacity.

As a result of your efforts, they will respect you for your persistence. In fact, your persistence may act as a catalyst that helps to reduce resistance and move you even closer to a sale! Finally, the next time you have contacted your prospect multiple times with no response please remember this line, "Pleasant persistence wears down resistance." Do you know what time it is now? It's time to go back and call some of the prospects that you have given up on!

5. DIVERSIFY YOUR CALL LISTS.

It's important to make sure that you have several different types of calls lists in your prospecting database. For example, you may have one list from a local chamber, another from a mailing that you did to potential prospects or a list of exhibitors at a tradeshow. You should have dozens or more of these lists and you need them as a way to diversify your day. As a final suggestion, when you complete a sale write down where you got the lead. This way you can quickly determine which lists are most effective and which ones are not!

Mr. Cold Call is the author of "How To Have Fun Cold Calling" and "114 Common Sales Objections, 153 Clever And Savvy Responses." According to Mr. Cold Call, "Your cold call success is dependent on 11 winning personality traits (known as your Telephone Persona Of Success! )." Collectively, these traits allow you to uniquely market yourself over the telephone so that you can inspire your prospect's curiosity and reduce their resistance. Are you interested in finding out more about Mr. Cold Call? Then sign-up for his weekly cold calling tips at http://www.mrcoldcall.com

How To Be A Cold Calling Superstar

2009-02-04T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Gavin Ingham

Our emotions and feelings are changing all of the time based on our interpretation of events. Does this mean that even a sales superstar feels bad if they lose a big deal? Of course they do. They wouldn't be human if they didn't. It's natural for your feelings to fluctuate as you go about your business.

Take a moment and imagine a bad day selling on the phone. It's been awful. You've been cold calling for over 3 hours and you've had rejection after rejection after rejection. You've had enough and you're bored and disconsolate. How would you be sitting? Most people would be leaning forward, hunched up. Your head might be down, your breathing shallow. You'd be speaking quietly and your hand may well be partly covering your mouth. You'd probably be looking down too and your facial expression would be boredom. But I didn't have tell you any of that. You already know what physiology goes with a bad day on the phone or in any selling scenario.

The quickest way to change the way that you feel in any given moment is by changing your physiology. Physiology is your changing expression through your physical body how you breathe, stand, sit, walk, move, smile etc and it's hard wired to the way you feel. Your physiology and your feelings are so interconnected that you can use one to change the other and vice versa.

Imagine now the next call. You start off the same but as you do the client starts to take an interest. He's quite perky and positive. You sit up a bit and your head comes up. He starts to ask you questions and show a real interest. You sit right up, smile and start to fill your lungs. You smile again. Finally, he asks you to tell him more about your flagship product. You stand up, push your shoulders back and confidently start to tell him about the product. Did you consciously decide to make these physiological changes? No! Your mind and body just knew that these were necessary to deliver the right message. But what about the 20 calls before? Did those clients get the right message? Probably not?

Whilst we all know that changing our physiology changes the way that we feel we rarely take conscious control of it. In order to change our physiology it's essential that we are aware of all of the key elements that make up our physiology. As already mentioned they are breathing, posture, movement and facial expressions.

Breathing

Breathing is an unconscious action. At least, I hope that it is! I wouldn't want you to get really busy and forget to breathe. Now that really would be a mistake! Obviously, breathing must be an unconscious task and that is a major positive for the human race however there is a negative side to this. Because breathing is unconscious we don't generally choose to focus on our breathing.

When we are stressed or angry or we face confrontation we tend to breathe faster and more shallowly. As you start to breathe faster this sends a message to your feelings and they intensify, so you start to breathe faster still and so on in a loop. Certainly this reaction might be perfect if you need to fight a wild animal but if you want to deal professionally with a client then maybe it's not so suitable. Learning when to stop, take a break and breathe more deeply can really help you to break your pattern both during difficult sales situations such as cold calling, negotiating and presenting.

Conversely, when you are bored and tired your breathing gets slower and deeper. This sends a message to your feelings and you start to breathe even deeper and so on in a loop. This does nothing to help you to feel or sound energised. Certainly, if you're not energised and dynamic when you're selling your product you can't expect the client to be. Learning to recognise when either your physiology or your emotions change and to change your breathing patterns will considerably increase your energy levels when selling.

Movement

If someone walked into the office slowly and with little movement how do you think they feel? Conversely, if someone strode into the office purposefully and with a bouncing gait how do you think they feel? Not hard to guess is it! We all know that movement changes the way we feel. If you've been sitting reading for a while tell me where your energy is at the moment on a scale of 1 to 10. Try getting up and moving around the room a bit. Stand up a sit down, do some moderate exercise (health permitting!) for a few seconds. Have your energy levels gone up? Do you feel more energised? Of course you do.

When I run coaching sessions I can usually tell who the positive members of the team are from the way that they walk across the car park on their way to work. I don't use this information as it could be misleading but it is usually spot on. People who do regular exercise know the value of movement for changing the way that they feel and for creating energy. As a sales person you need to use movement to control your emotions and to maximise your sales success.

Facial Expressions

I have recently become a very proud uncle. I haven't had the experience of being around babies before and it is very interesting for someone who is so intrigued by human potential and development. Liberty is nearly 4 months old and one of the areas of her development that has really interested me is watching her use her facial expressions. She seems to have been born with some of them but not others. Certainly, she could pull a screaming face straight away but smiling took a few weeks. I wonder if she knew how to smile already and just couldn't physically do it or whether she copied it. In any case, her facial expressions are now firmly hardwired to the way that she is feeling. How do I know? Because she never smiles and screams at the same time and she never coohs and pulls her pained face! Even at her age she doesn't make mistakes in this not any! In fact, if you can get her to smile or laugh when she's screaming she will stop screaming instantly and start cooing again!

Surely it's not that easy? Indeed it is! Think of the habitually miserable people in your organisation... do they smile all of the time? Nope. And if you now think of someone who you'd describe as positive and happy I'd like to guess that they smile quite a lot of the time. Would you go around with a friend who didn't smile at you ever? I doubt it. Taking time to be aware of your daily facial expressions is well worth the effort. Interestingly, many of the salespeople I work with are unaware that they don't smile that often and when they do this (silly) exercise they find themselves winning more new clients. Now isn't that strange.

Posture

Posture is the way that you sit and stand. Our posture says a lot about us. I first became aware of this through an old work colleague who was particularly negative and depressed. He always saw the bad side of everything. His shoulders were forward, his back not straight and his chin down all of the time. When he did telesales he would be hunched up like a weather beaten sack of spuds! When he visited clients he used to shuffle in like an old man. On the other end of the scale thing about how a sales superstar would sit and stand in similar situations.

Working with salespeople and telesales teams I often know immediately where they are through their physiology. Once I have built rapport with them one of the first things I do is change their physiology through exercises and games. Not only is this the quickest way to change the way that they feel but it supports the deeper changes that often need to be made.

Exercise: Physiology Benchmark

Think of the best telesales call that you've ever made. Remember it in as much detail as you can. Who were you speaking to? Why did you do such a good job? What was so great about it? Now imagine yourself making a call twice as good. Go on! I dare you! You can do it!

As you imagine this amazing call I want you to take the time to think about your physiology. In your logbook take the time to describe it in detail or draw a picture (go on have fun!). It's incredibly important that you benchmark this physiology so that you know what you are striving for.

Top 5 Tips for Maintaining a Positive Telesales Physiology

1. Put a mirror on your desk so that you can monitor your habitual facial expressions. I know, I know people are going to laugh at you! If you knew this would double your sales would you do it? Of course you would. So how much does it have to help before you do it and why do you care what average performers think anyway? Go get one!

2. Keep your head up. When you raise your head and eyes above the horizontal line you will feel much more empowered. Try it. When I work with telesales teams and individuals I often put a banner or a slogan on the wall about two feet above eye level. Make it motivational and make sure that it means something to you and your team. If you're a sales manager and you see a call start to go awry get the sales person to look up.

3. Stand up periodically when you are doing telesales, particularly at the start of calls. If you don't like talking on the phone and standing up try standing up between calls occasionally. Standing up changes your whole physiology. It also changes your ability to utilise your whole voice and it's whole range.

At the end of a live telesales training I was once running a coaching session where the delegates were ringing live contacts to set up appointments. One of the delegates was on a particularly strong call and was standing up. He was just coming to the point where he was going to close for the meeting and he would have got it. As he realised that this was coming up he pulled up his chair and sat down. As he did so, his whole physiology, tone and confidence fell. It was obvious to even a non-trained observer. He half-heartedly tried to close the client and the client objected. His head lowered and I could see the opportunity slipping away.

The client was getting into objection mode and was really questioning the validity of having a meeting. I snapped my fingers above and to the front of the sales person's face to break his pattern and get his attention. As he looked up, I gestured at him to stand up and as he did so I moved his chair away so he had to continue his call standing. His physiology changed again, he rapidly took control of the call and he set the appointment.

Results may not be quite so dramatic and obvious for you but they will be there!

4. Wear a headset. I heard your cry of horror so I'll repeat it, wear a headset. Don't make excuses, try it. If you're thinking anything about it being uncomfortable, unnatural or weird I will repeat myself again. Wear a headset. I have always recommended the wearing of headsets and it always seems to have been in the top 5 most debated pieces of advice I give! I think this is because we are all conditioned to pick up the phone and it seems unnatural to not do so. Until wearing a headset feels natural you haven't yet experienced the benefits of using a headset. I guarantee that if you try it for long enough it will feel natural and it will improve your calls.

If you think about it for a moment it's obvious why wearing a headset will improve both your feelings and physiology and the quality of the call. It's because it frees you up to move and act naturally. You get totally into the call without this little plastic barrier wedged up against your ear.

Another spin off benefit of wearing a headset is that in my experience your call rate will go up by as much as 20%!

5. Make cold calling sessions a maximum of 45 minutes long! You weren't expecting that were you! I believe cold calling and telesales is something that you should perform at 100% and to do this you need to work in concentrated bursts. Now don't get me wrong, I agree that telesales is a numbers game however you can also explode your performance by making more impactful calls. 100 useless calls is no better than 50 useless ones! Neither are satisfactory. Far better that you make a good number of powerful calls.

As an individual or a team leader what you need to do is have a 2 minute session to set mini-objectives for your telesales session. Then you focus 100% on the sessions for 45 minutes. You don't send out literature, take incoming calls, talk to your neighbour or get disturbed. You ring clients. At the end of the session you have a quick 2 minute session to measure your performance, take a short break and then decide what to do next.

I sometimes work with clients who "say" that there is no way they could endorse this as their salespeople cold call all day. When we run these high intensity sessions I prove time and time again that most sales people do more in 45 minutes than they normally do in a whole day! In any case, there is nothing stopping the trained professional who has run several empowered sessions and who can stay focused for the whole 45 minutes to run several sessions in a day. The key is to focus on staying at high intensity for the whole of the 45 minutes. I would always prefer that my teams ran two of these at this level in a day than they spent the whole day cruising at 50%.

Note: In my experience very few people make anything like 45 minutes worth of high intensity, cold calls each and every day.

For the last 10 years, Gavin Ingham has been helping sales people to explode their sales performance by turning self-doubt, fear and lack of motivation into self-belief, confidence and action. With his inspirational approach to sales performance and motivation Gavin combines commercial experience, personal excellence and communications technologies in delivering personal and business sales success.

For a free 9-part objection handling course, more articles, free downloads and to join Gavin's newsletter visit http://www.gaviningham.net now.

13 Million Found With This Sales Strategy

2009-02-03T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Leslie Buterin

The story you are about to hear is true.

With the implementation of one well-crafted sales tactic, Gene surprised himself by making one phone call and getting a meeting with a senior executive. A man Gene and his team had been pursuing for more than one year!

The contract ended up serving the executive so well he had no reason to renew current contracts with eleven of Gene's competitors.

What a day that was! Better yet, the days that follow continue to be lucrative with a steady flow of sales coming from the powerful strategy used that day.

One cold call, one meeting, one $13 million contract ba-da bing, ba-da boom!

Play-by-play reports of big sales bring shivers of delight to sales professionals. We meet. We talk. We share our stories of success. After all, that's where we get out jollies! We thrive on closing the deals ... and no one appreciates the sophisticated subtleties of these stories like other sales professionals

The best-of-the-best know that within each story are nuggets of learning that will if unearthed and applied add greatly to their own success.

Gene decided to try calling this executive cold, without a "warm" introduction. His reasoning was, "I've spent months trying to get a hold of this guy. I have nothing to lose by calling his office myself."

Gene called, spoke with his prospect's executive assistant, and requested a 20-minute meeting.

When the gatekeeper asked the question asked by all gatekeepers, "What's this meeting about?" Gene responded, "I want to know why he's using eleven companies to do what his competitor across town just uses us to do."

Those words prompted the executive to call Gene and schedule a meeting. During their face time, Gene outlined the benefits of: doing business with one vendor in terms of reduced paperwork, having easy access to one contact, and reducing expenses with volume discounts.

That's the sales call that resulted in a staggering $13-million contract.

Yes, such deals are as simple and complex as all that.

There are important lessons to learn from that brief phone message. A few sentences can result in a tremendous increase in your meetings with high-level decision makers.

First of all, Gene called the executive's office and let him know he wanted to meet.

Sounds pretty basic doesn't it? Now, ask yourself, how many executives have you called this week, better yet, today? That's the question Gene asked himself.

For months on end, he and his super sales team worked their contacts hoping for warm introductions right on up the organizational ladder. Contacts who had assured Gene they'd get him and his team in to see the President. Frustration mounted, as those folks inside the company were unable to follow through on their commitments. Twelve months after going down this path, Gene still wasn't in.

When introduced to the concept of successfully cold calling executives, the light clicked on for Gene. He could clearly see a new solution for an old problem. He returned to the office, called the executive, and gave a good reason why the executive would want to meet with him.

Let's take a few minutes here to scrutinize the few words that led to such powerful profits. You'll find several tactics you can easily implement!

* State the purpose of the call a 20-minute meeting with the executive.

* Leave a compelling message.

* Speak directly to the executive's interests in bottom line terms with numbers the executive can sink his teeth into.

Then, take note of what Gene did not do. Take note, he did not "burn daylight" elaborating on:

* Who he was

* The name of his company

* What his company does

* How long the company has been in business

* And so forth there was no fluff!

His words, information, and delivery positioned him as an important player in the executive's world. Those very words compelled the executive to act quickly so as to capitalize on a timely opportunity.

Now, it's your turn to give it a go. Call the top executive of a company you've been prospecting for awhile, follow-through with these tactics, and get ready to be awed by the spine tingling stories of success that come your way!

Forward this article to friendsthey'll thank you for it!

For your FREE mini-course "Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents" visit http://www.ColdCallingExecutives.com! Or call Your Sales Coach for Extreme Profitability, author/speaker Leslie Buterin (like butterin' bread) at (816) 554-3674 9-3 CST (that's Kansas City/Chicago Time).

How You Can Avoid The Worst Cold Calling Mistake Made By Sales Pros

2009-02-02T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Leslie Buterin

Sales pros frequently ask, "What's the #1 change I need to make, as I prospect by phone instead of face-to-face?"

Here's the emotional truth behind this seemingly innocent question

Most sales pros confess they'd rather have their toenails pulled out with pliers than cold call prospects by phone. Took me a couple of years to figure out for myself why my stomach knotted up into a queasy ball every time I glanced at that gray lump of plastic on my desk and thought about dialing-for-dollars.

How do you make sense of it? You're bigger than the phone, smarter than the phone. So, how can a talented sales professional be totally paralyzed by the thought of using the darned thing to prospect?

Here's what I finally figured out. When on the phone, you no longer see the whites of their eyes.

Before you roll your eyes, shake your head and say, "Duh!"

Think about it. The phone keeps us from reading the prospect's body language. For folks like us who take pride in our ability to quickly glance at and assess a situation, overturn every objection, and close a sale on the spot the loss of visual input is quite frankly, unnerving.

This does not compute unless you know that ...

More than half of face-to-face conversation is communicated through the eyes. So, as funny as it sounds, during an in-person sales presentation you'll "quickly hear" your prospect with your ears AND your eyesat the speed of light.

According to Roger Ailes, in his book "You Are the Message" 55% of an interpretation of face-to-face conversation is determined by nonverbal cues, 38% by our voice and 7% by the words themselves."

What's important to you about these statistics is

When you're prospecting by phone, you and your prospect "slowly hear" only with your ears at the speed of sound. This is a very big deal.

Why? Because, a whopping 55% of the information you normally take in and process in the blink of an eyeis gone, unavailable, poof. Critical information vanishes the instant you transition from face-to-face to phone communication! And immediate loss of that much information, my friend, would disorient anyone.

So, how do you compensate for the loss of visual cues when you're on the phone talking "blind" to a "blind prospect" doing your best to sell-ice-to-an-Eskimo?

Let's start with what not to do

Don't do what most folks do when talking to unsighted people talk loud and fast as though the person was deaf instead of blind!

If you're like me, you'll function from one of two extremes. Your brain will freeze and leave you speechless or you'll spray hundreds of words at the prospect and pray that some comment will compel them to invite you in to see them.

This may come as a shock but, prospects on the receiving end of "spray and pray calls" report in focus groups their incredible frustration and irritation with the assault of words coming through the phone, directly toward them, in rapid-fire succession. They admit they never really "hear" the sales pro and generally hang-up rather than do the work to make sense of the call.

The worst cold calling mistake you'll make is to

Talk too fast and shut down your prospect's ability to hear you. For a smooth transition from in-person to telephone prospecting you're going to have to do an unnatural act. You're gonna have to talk slowly excruciatingly slowly, so your prospect can hear, register, and process your words. Even though you'll feel awkward and uncomfortable, if successful cold call prospecting is your goal, you must make this adjustment.

How can you get objective feedback as to whether or not you articulate well, you articulate clearly, and give a compelling benefit statement on the phone?

An inexpensive, private way to observe yourself is to dial your voice mail: leave your name, phone number, and state the purpose of your call. Then, listen to your message and ask yourself, "Based on your ability to clearly understand what you said, would you do business with you?"

Forward this article to friendsthey'll thank you for it!

Telemarketing Vendors Cant Compete With Internal Operations

2009-02-01T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Andrew Rowe

Lots of companies look to outsource their lead generation to telemarketing vendors that provide turnkey services for calling into prospect accounts and qualifying leads. In fact, our own company has experience providing these services to clients. I'm here to tell you today that this process of outsourcing your telemarketing to a tele-services firm probably is not a very efficient or cost effective way to do business in today's day and age.

Why? Well, it's been proven that telesales and telemarketing is a strategic part of most companies' competitive arsenal today. Companies that outsource telemarketing or telesales typically pay a much higher price per lead and gain a lot lower lead intake, than companies that actually perform those functions in-house.

If your company has been outsourcing its lead generation to a teleservices firm, you might want to consider taking this function in-house. If you're concerned that you don't have the expertise to do telemarketing, consider employing the services of a good inside sales consulting firm. The good ones have experienced inside sales managers who are capable of setting up the process, recruiting the people, training them to the process and managing them to a defined set of outcomes or metrics. A good telesales consulting firm can help you to take a core competency away from your telemarketing vendor and convert it into a core competency within your company. In the process, you'll improve your overall sales efficiency and gain improved oversight and the ability to continuously improve your selling model. You'll also lower your cost per lead.

Cube Management helps companies accelerate their sales, by providing the Sales & Marketing talent they need to grow their business. Cube is a leading recruiting and consulting partner to mid-market and emerging growth companies in the technology, manufacturing, healthcare and business service sectors. We work across the spectrum of Sales, Marketing and Business Development, providing holistic solutions that drive revenue and profit success. Cube Management combines Strategy, Process and People, to produce great results. Download the Cube Management Recruiting Guide and the Cube Management Inside Sales Guide.

Teleselling Troubling Topics

2009-01-31T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

Telemarketers come in all shapes and sizes and are constantly selling us all sorts of garbage. But they are not always selling us a service or a product, as sometimes they are persuading us to do something. Now normally telephone sales people try to get us to buy something but not always. Occasionally they try to get us change our opinion, re-enforce our decision or vote for something. How do they do this you ask?

Well it is simple really, first they attempt to get us to fear the outcome if we fail to act. For instance if we vote for the Republicans then the Democrats will lose and that will mean Global Warming will destroy the Planet they will say. Or if we vote for Democrats then the Republicans will not get elected and the International Terrorists will come into our country and your family will be in grave danger.

When selling on the phone these telemarketers will work very hard to scare you and act like your friend and get you to commit yourself to vote for their initiative or candidate. This is how they sell troubling topics on the telephone and you might enjoy listening for it and watching the manipulation of the conversation and use of tactics. Consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Cold Calling And Voicemail Messages The Proper Etiquette

2009-01-30T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Tino Buntic

There is a proper way and a wrong way to leave voicemail messages when cold calling. I'm not an advocate of cold calling; the odds of generating any amount of significant sales leads or new business are stacked against you when cold calling. But, it does work for a minority of people and some still do it. If you are a cold caller you must know the proper etiquette when leaving voicemail messages.

When you call on a prospect and receive his voicemail, your message must begin with your name and phone number, followed by your message or sales pitch, and ending with your name and phone number once more.

Before I explain why, let me tell you about a typical work week for me. In a typical week, I receive dozens of cold calls. People pitch me all kinds of products and services. Unlike most people, I actually don't mind receiving these calls. I enjoy hearing the various sales techniques that salespeople use. I've heard them all. I don't normally respond to them, but I at least hear them out. I don't always get to answer my phone, so logically many of these calls go to my voicemail.

Some of these voicemails amaze me. You wouldn't believe how many times I get a voicemail that is a couple of minutes long and, often, the caller doesn't leave his return phone number until the very end. What happens if, as he is leaving his phone number, I get distracted, or I get a beep from my calling waiting, or background noise from his end garbles up the phone number? What would happen is that I would miss the phone number. That means that if I were interested in returning his call I would have to listen to the entire message again to get his number. Do you think I have time to do that? Do you think that any executive or decision maker has time for it for that matter? NO!

When leaving voicemail messages while cold calling you must start each message with your name and number, followed by your message, and ending with your name and number again. It's proper etiquette. It will increase your ratio of call backs. If someone misses your number and has to listen to your message again he won't have to listen to the entire voicemail.

Tino Buntic created TradePals to provide B2B & B2C sales leads without cold calling to salespeople across the United States and Canada.

How To Develop Content Rich Teleseminars

2009-01-29T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Matt Bacak

Here's the deal. You are interested in trying your hand at teleseminars. You have heard the plethora of positive testimonials that demonstrate the endless financial possibilities of teleseminars. The technology and business process behind teleseminars sounds like a match for you, but you have one stumbling block. You aren't sure how to create content rich teleseminars that will impress your teleseminar participants.

Let's look at the creation of teleseminar content through the five "W's" you learned in grammar school which include: who, what, when, where, and why. We will switch up the order to produce a content development plan that will be the foundation to your first content rich teleseminar.

Content Development Plan:

1. WHAT: "What" refers to the content you will discuss and teach in your teleseminar. A savvy business person understands that your teleseminar topics should meet the demands of your clients. You need to figure out what a majority of people are curious about.

2. WHERE: How can you figure out this information? Boot up your computer and jump on the Internet. The Internet has become the research tool of choice for a large chunk of the population. You need to figure out "what" these Internet surfers are researching for on the web.

Compile a list of keywords that you think a typical Internet user will type into such search engines as Google and Yahoo. There are websites dedicated to providing statistics on the popularity of keywords. For example, the website www.goodkeywords.com allows you to type in a keyword, such as "computer", and see how many times the keyword was searched for or ranked in the past month. This is an efficient way to determine hot topics of interest.

3. WHO: Let's say you have investigated the popularity of keywords and have concluded that a popular keyword phrase is "home based business". However, you are not well versed in home based businesses. How are you going to create content about a home based business? The answer is to consult home based business experts.

There are a flurry of home based business websites on the Internet. Seek out at least 12 qualified, reputable home based business experts. Call these experts directly and explain the partnership you could establish for a teleseminar.

Often times these experts will have their own client email lists. Solicit these clients to attend the teleseminar. Allow teleseminar participants to ask the expert several questions. The beauty of the client email lists is that these prospects are already interested in home based business information.

4. WHEN: Send an email to your new client lists after you have partnered with the home based business experts. The email should ask participants to answer the following two questions:

"What is most important to you about a "home based business"?" "What is your single biggest problem with a "home based business"?"

Review the email responses and select 7-12 of the most frequently asked questions to focus on during the teleseminar.

5. WHY: Providing a content rich teleseminar is critical to your reputation, client satisfaction, and future projects. Invest time in creating the best teleseminar you possibly can.

Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine's e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com

Power Words

2009-01-28T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Wendy Weiss

I did a teleconference a few weeks ago with people who were new in sales and new to prospecting. The focus of the call was to help participants get beyond fear and understand their prospecting process.

One of the participants on the call told me that she had been given the telephone prospecting script that her team leader uses to set appointments. The team leader was a highly successful sales professional who had been in the business for many years and made quite a lot of money. The participant, who had been in the business for approximately a week, told me that she was going to work with the script and "make it her own."

"No!" I cried out. "Don't do that! Don't make it your own!"

My reasoning? This participant was a beginner. She knew nothing about sales or prospecting. She had a script that was crafted by someone who was highly successful on the telephone. This particular participant did not know enough to make it her own. More than likely, in making the script her own she would eliminate all of the powerful, persuasive and motivating language used by the sales super star who had given her the script.

Some words are better than others. Some words are stronger and more evocative than others. When you are on the phone with a prospect, you have about 10 seconds to grab and hold your prospect's attention. If you do not do that within that first 10 seconds, your call is more than likely over. If you get through that first 10 seconds, that buys you another 10 seconds. If you get through that 10 seconds it buys you yet another and so on 10 seconds is not a lot of time. To get through those 10-second increments, you want to use the most powerful words that you have at your disposal.

If you are a beginner it is entirely possible, indeed even likely, that you may not be comfortable with certain powerful words or phrases. They may be very unlike your usual way of speaking. Even if you've been in sales for a while you might be set in your ways, accustomed to a certain delivery, and changing that might feel uncomfortable.

I've met many people who say they do not want to work with scripts because then they "cannot be themselves." Remembering that your prospecting call happens in 10-second increments, you want to be the very best self that you can be, every time. That requires preparation.

One of the things that I've always loved about being inis sales is that it is crystal clear. You always know exactly where you are. You are either scheduling appointments, or you're not. You are either closing, or you're not.

If you are new to sales and a successful professional gives you their scriptdon't change a word. That script will be your gold mine. If you've been in sales for a while and want to try out a new script, test it first. Your old script becomes your baseline. For example, make 30 prospecting calls using your usual script and keep track of the number of appointments that you schedule. Then make 30 more prospecting calls using your new script exactly as written. Keep track of the number of appointments that you schedule. At the end of those 60 calls you will know which script works better. That becomes your new baseline.

Wendy Weiss, "The Queen of Cold Calling & Selling Success," is a sales trainer, author, and sales coach. Her recently released program, "Cold Calling College", and/or her book, "Cold Calling for Women", can be ordered by visiting http://www.wendyweiss.com Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. Get Wendy's free e-zine at www.wendyweiss.com

7 Ways To Jump Start Your Cold Calls

2009-01-27T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Ari Galper

Cold calling has to be one of the most feared aspects of every sales person's and business owner's day. With some important key tips, you can make cold calling painless and enjoyable and as easy as calling a friend.

Here are 7 key ways to jump start your cold calls:

1. Research Your Market

Before you start your cold calls it's important that you be prepared so your prospect feels you really do understand their situation. Research the company you are calling, identify what issues they are having based on your other clients in their same industry and ask others in your company the main reasons why people buy your product or service.

The better prepared you are about discussing you prospect's issues, the easier it will be to allow the conversation to flourish.

2. Change Your Mental Expectations

Traditional selling has always taught us that our main goal of the cold call should be an appointment or a sale. With that mental focus, what happens is our mind is focused on the end goal before we even have a conversation with the person we are calling.

This creates a major conflict because you will be trying very hard not to use words that make you sound like all you care about is the sale. And even more importantly, if your prospect senses you are focusing on the appointment or sale, they will immediately be defensive.

So what to do? Change your mental expectations to focus on building a conversation first and then once you have generated a good dialogue, you can then determine if you are a fit or not with your prospect.

Be careful not to mentally "jump the gun".

3. Understand Your Prospect

Take a few minutes to think about your focus of your call. Think about how you are going to approach the conversation. Put yourself in the mind of your prospect.

How would you want to be approached? Certainly the last thing you want to hear is a sales pitch from someone you don't know.

Instead, begin the conversation diffusing any mystery as to who you are with "Hi, my name is Jim and you and I haven't met yet". This removes the mystery of who you are and allows you to begin talking about how you can help them solve a problem, rather than you having to default to a sales pitch.

Think before you speak.

4. Build Trust Through Conversation

Learning to build conversation is the key to cold calling success. Engaging in a conversation should be as natural as calling a friend. Your objective is to build trust on your call so that your prospect feels comfortable conversing with you rather than trying to focus on getting you off the phone.

How do you build trust? You build trust by removing any elements in your approach that connect you to the negative "salesperson" stereotype.

5. Ask A Question

Begin your cold call with "Hi my name is John, maybe you can help me out for a moment?"

Yes, that's really all you have to begin with because in the next few seconds you will hear "How can I help you". That is how you can build a two-way dialogue rather than having a one-way talk.

The truth is you are asking for help because you don't know if you can help them yet, right? Until you have the information you need about their situation, you can't determine if you are a fit or not.

6. Eliminate Pressure

Pressure is the main reason most cold calls turn into a negative rejection-filled experience. It doesn't have to be that way.

If you can become aware of things you are doing that is triggering pressure on your prospects, you can turn cold calling into a very productive and enjoyable experience.

The key is to never force your sales pitch, engage only in a natural conversation, and most importantly let your prospect talk. By doing all three you will eliminate pressure from the call and your prospect will be more open to the idea of what you have to offer.

7. Learn To Determine A Fit

So how do you know if your prospect is a fit with what you have to offer? You need to ask them this question towards the end of your problem solving discussion "Is solving your problem a top priority or something that is on the back burner for now?"

By determining the answer to this question, you can see if you can decide if your prospect is worth pursuing or not. You will also be able to determine their time frame which helps you better adjust your expectations.

Make no mistake about it, if you really want to be successful cold calling you'll need to let go of traditional sales thinking. Try these 7 strategies and watch how cold calling can be fun and productive.

Ari Galper makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets that even the sales gurus don't know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.Unlock-The-Cold-Calling-Game.com

Cold Calling Is Like Trying To Find A Needle In A Haystack

2009-01-26T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Tino Buntic

Have you ever tried to find a needle in a haystack? No, of course you haven't. This is just an expression for something that has a very low probability of happening. Even if there was a needle in a haystack, even if you wanted to find it, you would not find it. It is another way of saying "why bother?"

Do you cold call? If you are in B2B sales, you probably do, or at least you have at some point in your career. Cold calling is calling random people or random businesses in the hopes that you will be able to sell your product or service to one of them. I'm of the same opinion as trying to find a needle in a haystack why bother?

Why bother? Not because cold calling has a good success rate. It doesn't. Why bother? Because in most cases, it is a sales manager pushing you to make cold calls. Cold calling may have worked in the past (20 years ago) but people still push it as a means of generating sales leads and new business even though it no longer works.

I don't think cold calling works anymore. If you think about it, all you are really doing is calling random people in the hopes of finding that needle in the haystack.

Think about it this way: If you owned a convenience store, would you send out an employee to stand in the front of your store with a case of coca-cola to try to sell individual cans to passerby? Of course not. You will never be able to make enough sales pushing your product onto random people. If a person wanted a can of Coke, he would just walk into your store and buy one. So why cold call random people?

Cold calling why bother?

Tino Buntic created TradePals to provide free sales leads without cold calling to business professionals, entrepreneurs, and salespeople across North America. Visit the site and create a free profile to get started: http://www.trade-pals.com

Tino enjoys reading Frank J. Rumbauskas Jr's blog, Never Cold Call.

Cold Calling And Charting Progress

2009-01-25T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

If you are in sales cold calling is a great way to get sales appointments and quickly weed thru those who are interested and excited about what you are selling and those who are not interested.

Some people believe because cold calling is a percentage game and few people actually wish to buy what you are selling. Nevertheless cold calling saves the sales person time in travel and the prospects time from not being bothered or visited by unwanted sales people.

Many sales folks hate cold calling, yet I bet if they would better track exactly where their best sales originate they would be surprised that cold calling is indeed amongst the top ways that such leads came it. Word of Mouth referrals would give cold calling a good run for its money in this category, yet you cannot wait around for the phone to ring if you are going to be successful in sales, you must be proactive.

Speaking of being proactive I recommend that you chart the number of cold calls you make each week and the amount of sales you make and you will see that when your cold call numbers go up so does your commission sales income. It therefore makes sense to set goals of how many calls you make and chart your progress and look at how many of those cold calls lead to entering serious talks with the prospects or drive you into the sales process and then eventually lead to sales. Please consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

About To Close The Big Sale On The Phone Oh No Battery Is Dead

2009-01-24T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

More and more these days the top salespeople are on the road making deals and that means they're using cell phones. The problem with using a cell phone, as a salesperson is the reliability of cell phones isn't exactly what it should be and to top off matters there never seems to be enough juice left in your battery when you really need it.

There you are about to close the big sale on the phone and all of a sudden the battery goes dead; oh great you say? If you really want to look stupid to a customer then I suppose you can offer the excuse; my battery died and then they will just think you're an idiot, but at least you are an honest idiot and told him the truth.

You could lie to the customer and say I don't know what happened to cell phone; it just dropped me and then you look like a dummy because you have the worst cell phone service around, probably trying to save money and went with a cheapo service plan? There is no easy answer for the salesperson on the road except to have extra batteries and a special battery charger, which can charge them every night and never leave without full charged batteries.

If you are making a big sale and you are talking to the decision maker and you are in the middle of a serious discussion and all the sudden your cell phone goes out you are looking pretty stupid and the decision maker will be on to the next thing even if you call back within two minutes. As a salesperson you need back up contingency plans and extra batteries. Trust me on this; thank you for your time.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Telemarketers May Have Ruined Everything

2009-01-23T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Randall Stafford

I had to really look at things a little different when I started calling people. Now I am not a telemarketer. I call people only when they request it.

The problem is, they usually don't remember filling out the form or they don't remember why I am calling. Most of the time, I get polite people but on occasions, it's pure hell.

It's like these people should think that their phone is off limits to everyone. I even got some people filling out my form with the name "who Cares". What kind of a name is that. How am I suppose to reply to that?

Simply put, I just deny getting letters like that. To be in marketing, you sometimes have to have thick skin. I am not one with so thick of skin. I really get my feeling hurt. When my feelings get hurt, my anger shows.

People are looking for an opportunity and fill out your form asking you to call them and when you do, it's like they were waiting or better yet daring you to call. When you get them, it's always at the most inconvenient time. Did they forget that they told you the best time to call.

One lady told me that it's never a good time to call but call anyway. How do you approach this situation. You can bet, I didn't waste my time with her. I think you are getting the picture here.

Now, I really had to think about myself here. When my phone rings, what am I thinking about? I am sure telemarketers have gotten to the most of us. I really hate it. I get called 2 to 3 times a week for donations, sweepstakes, or some kind of gimmick and to be quite honest, since I am in marketing myself, my own phone number is on my web site.

Even though I belong to the no call list, people still call.

What can you do about it? Nothing. Why? Usually they don't have caller Id show up. That is the bad thing. You would think that caller ID would work in reverse of the way it does.

Caller ID should show up for the people you don't know so that you can decide whether to answer or not. Instead, you have to answer those calls to find out it isn't anything important.

Are you ready for the good news. Whether you hate calling people or not, you still get more people saying yes by this approach than simply emailing them.

I know it's tough to put all your feeling behind you and call that next SOB, but sometimes you really do meet some fantastic people.

If you get that SOB, that just happens to be drunk or suppose you just woke him up, then hey, hang up and go to the next client. Just do it.

Your going to hear all kinds of stories. I even felt sorry for people. Remember, this is your job. Turn things around. Suppose you were going to get fired if you did not make a certain amount of calls per day. I assure you, you would call. It is a matter of keeping food on your table for your children or living on the street.

I have an alternative for you if you just cannot find yourself calling people. Hire it done. Yep. Hire a student that needs to make extra money. Place an ad in the newspaper and have them call everyone you choose and pay them per call or by the hour. Tell them to learn the script and pay them. Simple huh.

Still can't find a way to call people. Don't give up. It's a lot harder but you can try having them call you. I doubt most of them will. However, some will. Instead of your ad asking them to fill out a form, ask them to call a number and you make sure you answer it.

"Just Straight Shooting"

Randall Stafford
http://www.randallsquare.com

Marketing Since 1994

Selling Bus Washing Services By Phone

2009-01-22T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

If you are in the pressure washing business and you clean fleets of vehicles then you realize the largest fleets make the most money. This is why it behooves you and your company to try to get contracts to clean bus fleets. Bus fleets are often owned by transit districts, private corporations and or government agencies.

The easiest way to get bus washing service contracts is to set up an appointment by calling them on the telephone. It is not easy to get an interview to sell bus washing services by cold calling unless you talk to the person who is in charge. Generally that will be the transportation director who is in charge of the maintenance of all the buses.

To get a list of such people sometimes it makes sense to co-brand with companies that already do services for the bus fleets. Consider if you will tire companies, towing companies and preventative maintenance companies as a start. Often they will have the direct contact and the direct phone number line to the dispatcher and the transportation director.

Once you get your foot in the door with a referral from these other companies you can ask for an appointment to talk to them about bus washing services. I sincerely hope you will consider all this when trying to sell bus washing services by the telephone.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Eliminate The Fear Of Cold Calling And Rejection

2009-01-21T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jacques Werth

I've never met a salesperson who did not experience a fear of cold calling at one time or another. Almost all of them have their reasons for being reluctant to make cold calls, and most of them have no idea what really causes it. Their are two basic reasons for the fear of cold calling. Both are easy to cure if you know how.

1. The Experience of Repeated Failure

Most salespeople set out to contact a large number of people who have an apparent need for their products and service.Their objective is to convince every one of them to grant them an appointment.

Let's assume that you contact 50 people a day and average 2 appointments. In your business, that may be a very good result. Nevertheless, you have the experience of repeated failure because you tried to convince all of them and you failed to meet your objective of 48 out of 50 calls.

The Cure - Change Your Objective. Your new objective is to make appointments only with High Probability Prospects - and to disqualify everyone else. Make fifty calls and be clear that you'll only make an appointment if the prospect wants what you're selling. If the prospect doesn't want what you're selling, terminate the call quickly and courteously. You now have the experience of succeeding in your objective 50 times out of 50 calls.

2. Fear of Rejection.

Most salespeople have a prospecting "pitch" which is designed to interest, entice, excite, convince and persuade people to give them appointments. They have a string of questions to get the prospect involved and interested in meeting them. Every question that they ask increases the prospect's sales resistance. Thus, negative reactions to their methods grow very quickly.

Most prospects react to any prospecting pitch defensively. Their sales resistance is aroused as soon as they hear your warm greeting and your friendly,enthusiastic, professional pitch. The more skillful you are in keeping them talking and listening, the more they become wary and annoyed. Eventually, many of them become non-communicative, or too busy to talk, or abrupt, or sarcastic, or otherwise negative. All of these reactions cause most salespeople to feel rejected.

Almost all sales managers and trainers tell you that you're not being rejected, that the prospects are merely declining the offer of your products or services. Why then do almost all salespeople feel rejected? Are you too sensitive, too thin-skinned?

Think about it. Who do you trust? Is it the sales manager who wants you to keep on going until you become insensitive to the rejection? Or do you trust your own perceptions, your feelings of rejection? Are all other salespeople who feel the rejection also wrong? No, you feel rejected, personally rejected, because you are being rejected. That rejection is caused by the normal defensive reactions that everyone has against being persuaded to do something they don't already want to do. If you want to eliminate rejection you must change the way you prospect.

THE CURE - See 1, above.

THE RESULTS - No more fear of cold calling and no more wasted time with low probability prospects.

Jacques Werth, author of "High Probability Selling," is an internationally respected Sales Trainer and Sales Consultant. HPS graduates are excelling as Top Producers in over 70 industries. Visit http://www.highprobsell.com to read more articles, preview the book, and learn more about High Probability Selling.

Telephone Incoming Sales Statistics

2009-01-20T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

The easiest way to increase sales in a small business is to start taking statistics of the number of phone calls that come in for questions about products or services and the percentage of those that result in a sale of some type. Once this is done a fairly simple audit can be done on how your employees and sales staff is applying telephone skills to increase sales.

Incoming telephone calls and sales statistic ratios are very important to all companies, but so many companies do not realize how many sales they are losing due to mismanaging the phone calls.

It may be necessary to bring in a professional telephone sales trainer to talk with each and every employee even if those employees are not involved in the actual selling of any product or service that your company is offering. The best way to ensure increased sales is to show the employees what they're doing wrong on the phone and how to do it right.

How long would this take to revitalize your telephone sales in your company? Well, with about a week worth of phone call screening and monitoring a good statistical basis can be developed and then telephoned skill classes can be given to each employee along with cassette tapes and perhaps videos to watch to help them improve.

Although telephone skills and telephone sales are not rocket science it is amazing what you can do with a little extra training. Please consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Telemarketing Accessible Way Of Reaching Your Customers

2009-01-19T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Robert Thatcher

It may be tiresome to deal with people from far-off places. But telemarketing resolves this altogether. Telemarketing simply refers to a process that involves all marketing related functions using telephones. Telemarketing will connect you and your customers all the time of the day.

This is the most accessible way for you to have your business easier to manage. From the use of telemarketing, you can communicate with your clients anywhere you go.

It is the use of telephone to communicate with your clients the goods and services that your company is offering. You can directly connect with your prospective customers and receive their orders and inquiries from advertising and promotions direct to your phones.

Since you will be transacting business with your clients using phones, telephone therefore is the most important tool needed in telemarketing. It is where you are going to solicit potential customers and sell your products.

How are you going to determine whether you get a potential customer?

It is important for you to know your customer's past records when dealing with them through phone so that the chances that you will see them in person in order to assess their status as customers will lessen.

Processes such as the detection of their history of past purchase, information requests, credit limit entry and competition forms are necessary basis for you to know their standing in your business whether they will be a good and credible clients or not.

It has been very common also for telemarketers that they often solicit funds from the different institutions particularly the business organizations and alumni associations. These organizations offer them special contributions that help in improving the service to their clients.

However, some of the conservatives arrive at a certain analysis that the business of telemarketing is an unprincipled and unethical practice of business. Since it is just an interaction from telephone to telephone, the system sometimes abuses the privacy of an individual.

Due to the said fact, they find it necessary to make a legislative policy in order to pacify the matter. A regulation is set up as to protect and uphold the rights of customers. There arises the policy known as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act formulated in the year 1991. This pertains to a restriction to the Telemarketing business in the United States. As an alternative, the companies just use a business code of ethics for them to continue with the business.

After that, the most recent move done took place in the year 2004. Then, another restriction policy paved way for implementation by the telemarketing companies. The new rule stated the major and the minor rights of the clients engaging in telemarketing. This secures the fact that in spite of the intention of the company to gain more clients, if the client does not tolerate them, the telemarketing companies can do nothing about it.

The new policy ensures the full protection and the privacy of the customers. If found any violation with the policy, there is always a corresponding penalty to the telemarketing company.

There is nothing wrong to aim for high profits when you have a business but make sure also that you are not affecting the lives of other people already.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides telemarketing resources on http://www.abouttelemarketing.info.

Making Sales Calls While Driving

2009-01-18T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

In today's fast-paced business world salespeople must also keep up the service to their customers. Often salespeople will make their rounds and will use their cell phone while driving to make sales calls. In some states it is against the law now to drive while talking on a cell phone. In other states you are allowed hands-free units. But in all states of mind the salesperson must listen to the customer.

It is not easy to listen to the customer and drive a car at the same time in heavy traffic in the larger cities in the United States of America. But this is what the top salespeople now have to do. They have to set up sales meetings as they drive, make appointments and even close deals on the phone. Perhaps they might have to also do cold calls and drum up new business.

Most good salespeople can do all these things at once and are very good at multitasking. However, remember it is sometimes dangerous when you do not have your full attention on the road and the last thing you want to do is break your nose on your airbag if you make a mistake.

Meanwhile if you do not concentrate on your customer and listen to everything they say then you are not fulfilling your responsibilities as a salesperson, a problem solver and a company customer service representative. I do not offer solutions, I am only stating the facts and I hope you will think on this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Telemarketing

2009-01-17T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Damian Sofsian

Marketing consumer products over the phone is called telemarketing. A recent study indicated that products and services sold via telemarketing amount to hundreds of billions of dollar each year. Political bodies, charity organizations, and various other organizations to raise funds and invite donations also use telemarketing. Public opinion polls are also conducted with the help of telemarketing.

Telemarketing involves the use of persons trained in conversational skills and automatic dialer software and equipments. Telephonic surveys usually make use of a script that derives only a small range of responses. A telemarketing firm maintains a list of prospective customers. The list is prepared based on information such as the customer's past purchasing trends and credit limits. The telephone numbers are collected from various sources such entries made into competition or application forms and previous requests made for certain information. Phone numbers are generally taken from other companies, telephone directories, or any other public lists.

Telemarketing has developed a certain degree of antipathy among the masses. People are often telephoned at the wrong time and place. Telemarketing companies have been criticized for making unsolicited calls and using high-pressure sales techniques. This has led to the implementation of strict regulatory and legislative controls. The Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and various other state agencies control telemarketing. The U.S. Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 also puts restrictions on it. The Direct Marketing Association and a number of state agencies maintain do-not-call lists to save people from unwanted telemarketing calls. Persons who do not wish to receive calls from marketing firms can enlist themselves in those do-not-call lists. Marketing companies that do not honor do-not-call lists invite heavy penalties. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has published a national do-not-call list, in spite of protests from marketing firms.

Telemarketing provides detailed information on Telemarketing, Telemarketing Software, Telemarketing Services, Telemarketing Lists and more. Telemarketing is affiliated with Telemarketing Lead Lists.

Sing Like Sinatra Top Consultant Advises Sales Amp Customer Service Script Users

2009-01-16T01:00:00.001-08:00

Accentuating Your Business Telephone Answer

2009-01-15T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

If you own a business whether it is small or large it is very important that you train your employees on how to answer the business telephone correctly and in such a way that it is short and sweet and a very quick commercial about your company and your intent on good quality and great service.

It is hereby recommended that you start working on this tomorrow and perhaps discuss this issue with your employees to see who can come up with the best possible way to answer the business telephone. Make sure it does not sound to corny, but is really lively and makes you a real company to each and every single person who calls, whether they are a new client or an existing great customer.

Have you ever called up a company and listened to the telephone answer and thought to yourself; what a great company. And think you have not even done business with them yet. Now do you see my point?

For instance consider Avis Rent a Car; "Hello thank you for calling Avis Rent a Car, we try harder! How can I help you?"

Do you see how they accentuate their business telephone answer at a corporation and how this goes along with all their advertising on TV, radio and in the newspaper. When they answer the phone you hear one more time their slogan and you think yourself; Wow, maybe they really do try harder? Do you see what I mean? Consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Conference Calling Evolved

2009-01-14T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Richard Keir

Originally the conference call was limited to businesses paying exorbitant fees to the telcos. For business, it still made sense economically because the costs were less than the travel costs involved in bringing the people together. Additionally, significant time savings are involved, both in terms of travel time and in being able to communicate fairly rapidly to an extended group.

Telcos then extended their market by providing conference calling services to home consumers for an added fee. For some, it made sense to be able to bring a family or group with common interests together easily, usually to plan some physical event.

With the expansion of the internet, and in particular, the increasing availability and decreasing pricing for high speed internet access, conference calling has expanded far beyond its original uses.

For business, it remains a vital tool and has, actually, become far more useful as prices fall and the ease of use increases. Real time audio/video conferencing is already in use (and in some organizations has been for quite some time). As the cost of bandwidth decreases and the technology underlying audio-video transmission over networks improves, true real-time video conferencing will increase dramatically.

With the growing sophistication of the typical surfer and the expansion of internet marketing, audio and video have become hot items. Within the internet marketing community, conference calls - usually known as teleseminars, have become a standard feature. Offering the opportunity to reach a large group of interested prospects in a relatively simple and inexpensive format, teleseminars also offer the marketer an opportunity to create an instant product. A recording of a teleseminar can either be sold as a stand-alone product or used as a marketing tool for back-end products.

Marketers are using both free and paid teleseminars. Generally there is a higher level of injected sales content in free teleseminars, but it does vary a great deal.

Solutions available now range from the rather expensive to essentially free. Your choice is going to depend on exactly what level of service you require. There are a number of providers which offer an introductory pricing scheme (I've seen it as low as a $1 for the first month), which gives you the opportunity to see firsthand how their service works at a very modest cost. You do need to make sure you understand just how your users will access the conference. Solutions which use telephone call-ins are generally more restrictive and/or expensive than those utilizing an internet connection or VoIP softphone connections.

True real-time audio/video conferencing hasn't arrived yet for most. The bandwidth requirements remain excessive and the quality of the video, in particular, is fairly low. If you ever done live chat with audio and a web camera, you've seen the limitations.

Most online presentations which involve both audio and video generally use static images which change either rarely or slowly, such as charts, website images, topic outlines and so on. This can be extremely useful for teleseminars, of course, because it makes it easier to demonstrate certain points and provides a visual as well as an audio focus for participants.

The combination of audio and visual elements is particularly useful in training situations where one can reinforce the other. Plus, you have the advantage of reaching those who learn better through visual means, as well as those partial to audio.

For those of you doing eCommerce the evolved conference call can be an incredible tool. Consider how much impact regular teleseminars about your area of expertise could have on future sales. You can provide buyers with instructional teleseminars. You can introduce new products. And in each instance you'll be generating recordings which you can either sell or make available on your sites, or use as added viral marketing tools.

With the increasing sophistication and usability of the tools for conference calling, the possibilities are virtually unlimited and well within the reach of every entrepreneur. You'll be hard pressed to find another tool that offers you the impact and potential of the conference call.

Richard writes, teaches, trains and consults on business and professional presentations and eCommerce related matters. For more on conference calling, web conferencing and related subjects visit http://altaglobal.com - for wireless and cellular subjects see http://www.altaglobal.org and for networking and security check http://www.altaglobal.net

Teleselling Training Materials

2009-01-13T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

When teleselling training material to corporations or midsize businesses it is very important to make sure you are talking to the decision maker. Generally in a large corporation there will be someone who is head of training and they will have things that they need. Since training is the key to the survival of any large company you will have the exact audience you need to pitch your products.

One of the best ways to do telephone sales for training materials is while you have the customer or potential client on the line have them go to the web site and walk them through a demonstration and a video. By doing this they can see exactly what it is that you are selling and this will increase sales tremendously.

There are hundreds and thousands of customers in the United States that are fairly large businesses that need more training material and they cannot get enough. With all the rules and regulations and potential lawsuits they must be careful to do it right.

Once they feel you are professional and trustworthy and the quality of your material is okay they will place an order if they are in the market for that type of training material. Please consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Are You Teletelling Or Teleselling

2009-01-12T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

For those who use telephone calling in their sales career or cold calling to get new customers they need to be careful because when talking on the phone you do not have the visual cues of body language from those you are talking to and you must pay very close attention to make sure you are not boring the person you are talking to or that they have stopped listening to what you are saying.

The best way to prevent this problem is to stop tele-telling and start tele-selling. How do you do this? Well the best way to do this is to ask your customers questions and do more listening and a lot less talking. If the customer wishes to do tele-telling to you; let them and listen intently to figure out what their real desires are and to move the sales process forward.

All too often you'll hear salespeople over the phone and they will go on and on about their product or service. Sometimes you'll see people in the office hold the phone away from their rear and make a motion with their hands that the person on the phone is going on and on about nothing.

This really happens and if you are doing too much tele-telling then your customers doing this even though you don't know it. They are making a mockery of you because you are making a mockery of what tele-selling is all about. Please consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Five Ways Cold Calling Beats Competing Methods

2009-01-11T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

You've probably been a little confused by the ads and articles that say opposing things.

Some tout cold calling as a great tool, while others claim it is a waste, passé, and too difficult.

As I've pointed out in my best-selling books, REACH OUT & SELL SOMEONE and YOU CAN SELL ANYTHING BY TELEPHONE, it is a phenomenal way to get business, providing you do it well.

There are at least five ways that it beats the pants off of alternative sales techniques:

(1) It is active, not passive. I can't overvalue this aspect because by being active you make things happen and you get your blood pumping. You've heard the expressions that say fortune favors the bold, and the harder I work the luckier I get. They're true. Take charge of the sales game and it will take care of you.

(2) You never know what kind of gold mine you'll be entering. An existing account only has so much potential, but a new one can offer a rich vein of untapped treasure. The key is to get in and then to spread out, as one very successful Xerox computer systems manager used to say.

(3) People admire people with courage, and you show this quality when you cold call. The higher you reach in an organization, the more credible you become, because senior managers and business owners wish their people did what you have the guts to do.

(4) If you can cold call successfully, every other sales activity becomes a cake walk. When you get a warm, inbound lead, you jump on it, hug it to death, and don't let go until you have converted it. Why? You appreciate it all the more because you've been doing some heavy lifting. I call this the "lead bat" phenomenon. If you swing a lead bat and then pick up a regular bat, the latter always feels light as a feather.

(5) You respect yourself because you turned nothing into something! Let me say that again, for emphasis: YOU HAVE TURNED NOTHING INTO SOMETHING! This is exactly what all creative people do, but your creativity can be measured in dollars and cents, and you can thoroughly own your results. Nobody did it for you. You did it for yourself.

These are simply five ways that cold calling is superior to other methods. Who you become in the process of mastering this technique may be more important in your life than the dollars you earn through it!

Best-selling author of 12 books and more than 950 articles, Dr. Gary S. Goodman is considered "The Gold Standard" in sales development, customer service, and telephone effectiveness. Top-rated as a speaker, seminar leader, and consultant, his clients extend across the globe and the organizational spectrum, from the Fortune 1000 to small businesses. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Ftc Do Not Call Registry And Cold Calling The Facts

2009-01-09T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Tino Buntic

If you are a telemarketer and cold call consumers to solicit their business, there is information that you must know about the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the "Do Not Call Registry," lest you get in trouble with the law for cold calling somebody that is registered on the list. For the past two and a half years it has been illegal to call someone that is listed on the registry. Here are some of the most important details of the Do Not Call Registry:

Existing Business Relationships: A telemarketer may call on a consumer with which it has an existing business relationship for eighteen months after their last business transaction, even if that consumer is listed on the registry. However, if the consumer asks not to be called anymore the telemarketer must cease his calls.

Political Organizations, Charities, And Telephone Surveyors: The registry does not cover calls made from political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors. So, for example, Someone that is cold calling to sell his personal services for profit cannot call someone listed on the registry, but someone calling to solicit money for a charity may call people listed on the registry. Again, just as in existing business relationships, people have the right to ask not to be called and even political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors must adhere to such requests.

Accessing The Registry: If you are a telemarketer you must access the registry and update your "do not call" list at least once every thirty one days. You can access the registry at the website, www.telemarketing.donotcall.gov.

Penalties: It is against the law to call any phone number that is listed on the "do not call registry." So, it is your responsibility to check the registry and be sure to adhere to the proper telemarketing guidelines. Violators can be charged $11,000 for EACH bad phone call.

Tino Buntic's website, TradePals provides free sales leads without cold calling to business professionals across North America.

Inside Sales Tips Qualifying And Questioning The Red Flags

2009-01-08T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Mike Brooks

One of the biggest mistakes 80% of salespeople make when qualifying is to overlook or not react to obvious Red Fags prospects give during the initial call.

In their haste or desperation to "generate a lead" or to "fill their pipeline," most sales reps hope that the possible objection they just heard will miraculously go away once the prospect sees their information or product or service, etc.

But you all know from experience -- it never does. In fact, the law for calling leads back is that "They never get better." What appears to be an objection or deal killer always is.

Someone wrote me this week about a prospect who wasn't calling him back only to find out the prospect was leaving the company. He wrote me and said, "I guess intuitively I knew he wasn't the right guy to make the decision anyway."

And I'll bet he knew this because he heard (but didn't question) the Red Flags that came up during the qualification call.

What to do? Do what the top 20% do -- as soon as you hear something that triggers your intuition or that gives you that sick feeling in your gut, stop and ask the tough questions!

Examples:

If someone says that they usually buy from XYZ, but would like to see your information, ask:

"Why would you switch vendors?"

"How many other companies have you looked at in the last six months?"

And then: "And how many did you go with?"

If someone says that they will pass it on to ________, say:

"Thanks. So that I make sure I'm not wasting her time it's best that I speak with her for just a few minutes. Can you please tell her that (your name) is holding please?" (If you're then told they are not available, make sure and get their direct line or the person's extension and keep calling until she picks up).

If someone says that they'd be glad to look it over, ask:

"Great, after you do, if you think that it can help you (or your business, etc.), when would you move on it?"

And so on.

The bottom line is that if you want to close like the Top 20% then you have to start questioning the Red Flags.

Remember: It's better to disqualify the non buyers early then to spend your time and energy chasing and pitching people who are never going to buy.

Plus it means that you have more time to find real buyers.

So this week, write up questions to the Red Flags you currently get and begin using them! You'll feel so much stronger as a closer, and you'll begin making more money. Believe me, it's a win/win.

Have a great week!

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, has been a top 20% producer for over 20 years. He works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance. Sign Up for free to the award winning FREE Ezine, "Inside Sales Secrets of the Top 20%" http://www.mrinsidesales.com/ezine.htm

To read more about Mike Brooks click here. Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, offers FREE Teleseminars, FREE Closing Scripts and a FREE audio program designed to help you double your income selling over the phone. If you want to Close Business like a Top 20% producer, then learn how at: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

Creative Ideas To Get Prospects To Open Your Sales Package

2009-01-07T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by D.M. Arenzon

How many times have you sent information to your sales prospect only to hear them say, "I've been busy and haven't had a chance to open your package?" Here are a few other lines I've heard when following up with prospects, do any of these sound familiar?

"I have a stack of unopened envelopes on my desk."
"Try me again in next week, I'm swamped."
"(Sigh) I just can't think about this right now."
"(Sound disgusted) I can't talk right now."
"I'll call you I don't have the time."

There are several ways to minimize the frequency of such responses. What are they? The first way is what you say in your upfront agreement with your sales prospect. Once you have agreed to send them information, I would then summarize a timeline of how they will receive and review the information.

For example, you could say something like, "(FIRST NAME OF PROSPECT), So let me understand this, I'm going to prepare a sample kit for you today, I will send it out tomorrow, you will most likely review it (SAY A DAY HERE), how about I call you again on (SAY A DAY AND TIME HERE) to discuss? Does that work for you?" The other idea that you may want to consider is sending an email right after you speak with them that details what you had discussed. In the subject line write, "Re: Thank you for your time, I will speak with you (SAY DAY AND TIME HERE)" and remember to use their name in the body of the email and to thank them again for their time. I know this sounds a bit trivial, however, it's one of those things where it's common sense (to use their name in the email or to thank them for their time), but not common usage.

Another idea that you could use during your upfront agreement is what I call a "Phone Handshake." Ok, I'm not nuts, I just like to be a little bit different over the telephone, it may sound unusual, but it works. Once you have clearly stated an agreement (see example above) you then smile and say, "(FIRST NAME OF PROSPECT), Can I get a phone handshake on that? They will most likely laugh and respond with something like, "Sure, that's fine." When you get off the phone you send an email similar to the one mentioned in the previous paragraph, but in the subject line you write, "Re: Phone Handshake and Thank you." In the body of the email I would add something like, "Per our conversation, you have agreed to a phone handshake to (MENTION YOUR UPFRONT AGREEMENT HERE)."

The third idea that you could use in conjunction with either idea mentioned above involves what you write on the package you send to your prospect. It's actually three separate ideas, but today you get three for the price of one, ok? Here are a few ideas that you could use when you prepare your prospect's package:

-Place a motivational quote on the outside of your sales package. If you go to www.mrcoldcall.com and scroll down to the middle of the page there are several free labels with quotes on them that you can download (all you need to do is replace your print paper with special label paper). This strategy makes for a great conversational piece when you call them back and say, "(FIRST NAME OF PROSPECT), Did you get my package, better yet, did you like my quote?"

-Try writing a little note on the front of the package and then signing your name.

-This idea varies according to your prospect's industry. If they are in real estate write this under their name, "King Of Real Estate" or "Queen of Real Estate." If they are an entrepreneur write this under their name, "Entrepreneur Of The Year!"

I strongly encourage that you incorporate one or more of these ideas when you are sending information to your sales prospects. These ideas will help you to quickly connect with your prospects so that you STANDOUT amongst others who may be competing for your prospect's time.

Affordable Telemarketing Solutions For Small Business

2009-01-05T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Ira Spere

Imagine a flood of new, quality leads flowing into your business as the result of a bank of telephone sales professionals. Your virtual sales team pursues individuals and companies who would be genuinely interested in your business offerings, if they only knew that your company existed. Imagine this service as being affordable for everyone, including small business owners and professionals like you. Telemarketing, Inbound and Outbound Call Center Services are no longer reserved only for the large companies who can afford to hire expensive telemarketing services. Any business or professional office can hire a professional telemarketing firm who will be able to market their product or professional service at an easily affordable price.

Many entrepreneurs start their companies in the hopes that just hanging their sign will bring in big sales. Although displaying your shingle plays a role in marketing a new business, actively making personal contact with potential clients and customers is the only sure way of generating sales. Small and medium sized businesses have traditionally relied on the frustrating and sometimes intimidating method of cold calling to make the essential first contacts with their market. Solo business owners often wake up early in the morning, make their first pot of coffee and flip through the local Business-to-Business Directory in hopes of generating new business leads before key decision makers get caught up in the routine of a busy day. Many new business owners, and even seasoned sales pros, hate this process. Some newcomers also find the cold calling process intimidating, while others thrive at it and discover sales skills that they didn't know they had. Even the best cold-calling expert finds that taking a couple of hours out of the day to create new business can be an obstacle to actually starting the rest of the day's projects. In slightly larger business organizations, dedicated sales staffers take the initiative on all sales activity. Sales departments sometimes have the benefit of being able to track down potential business customers through purchased lists and lead generation programs. When hot lead sources experience temporary dry spells, sales staff resorts to thumbing through the B2B Directory to generate new sales. Regardless of the size of your business, the law of averages rules the cold calling process: the more individuals called, the greater the likelihood of getting the successful sale. Common wisdom among cold callers states that you will get ten receptive listeners for every hundred calls, and perhaps one sale. Often, smaller businesses need dedicated sales representatives to focus on key customers, and do not have the resources to use their professionals for lead generation. At other times, a company wants to remain small, and wants to outsource their lead generation needs to another company who can accomplish these tasks more effectively and cost efficiently than hiring a dedicated sales force.

While there are many mammoth-sized telemarketing firms targeting behemoth corporations who need their services, many smaller telemarketing companies specialize in offering their range of services to smaller businesses. Smaller telemarketing companies have honed their processes to make their services easily available at an affordable price that makes sense to small businesses who are working within a limited marketing budget, but who demand verifiable results for their investment. If one small business owner, working alone, can generate 100 calls during one business day, what would happen if she could affordably double, triple or quadruple her efforts? What if she could contract with a telemarketing firm who could assign her cold calls to five operators, or ten, or twenty? The small business owner increases her marketing reach for a very minimal cost.

Call centers that specialize in inbound and outbound telemarketing verify their results to their customers in several different ways. Business to Consumer (B2C) Sales numbers speak for themselves: clients can review sales reports, call response rates, hang up data and all information about the call in a series of reports. These reports are often instantaneously generated through internet web-based applications that you can easily access through your own internet connection. Telemarketing services are also able to qualify leads: they are able to conduct research to determine the principle decision maker for a company or department, follow up with your sales pitch and set up appointments between you and receptive leads. Telemarketing service companies will generate detailed reports so that you are familiar with the results of every single step of the lead generation process. Other telemarketing services have the capability of creating complete market research solutions for their clients at a very affordable price. This range of marketing services used to be the domain of the larger marketing firms who set prices far above the reach of the typical small business owner. Smaller telemarketing companies are small and medium sized businesses who know their clients' needs and concerns, and price their services within the budgets of businesses just like themselves. Choosing a smaller telemarketing services firm creates a personal link with another small business owner who is eager to help his or her clients succeed.

Telemarketing Services are an increasingly affordable solution to generating new sales leads for your company when you need to extend your business reach. Easy, customizable solutions within your budget are available from smaller telemarketing companies who can help you generate hot leads and solid sales with minimal effort, leaving you free to focus on your key projects.

Ira Spere is a writer for EFLS . com where you will discover a wealth of resources on Telemarketing and other related information.

Telemarketing Service The Answer For Your Company

2009-01-04T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Christopher Luck

Is a telemarketing service the right way for you to promote your business? I am as guilty as anyone of complaining endlessly about telemarketing services calling at the worst times. After all, telemarketing is probably the most controversial advertising technique ever. However, sometimes a good telemarketing service, believe it or not, can help your business. We know that telemarketing can be effective, but there are now many legal concerns about using it. With that in mind, there are some things you should do to ensure that a telemarketing service will be the right way for you to promote your business.

Any telemarketing service will know that there are many new laws in place. These laws regulate the use of phone calls as a means of marketing based on the time frames. One of the big complaints with regard to telemarketing is that they either call too late, too early, or during family time. The other concern is that your telemarketing service calls only individuals who have not said they don't want to receive the phone calls. Make sure the company you decide to use is of high standards and pays close attention to detail.

There is good reason to select carefully when going with a telemarketing service. For one thing, you want to keep your company from a bad reputation. If customers are bothered by your phone calls, then the image hit is a hard one. It can terribly tarnish the name of the company you have worked so hard to build. However, there are good, smart, and effective telemarketing services that will allow you to promote your business effectively without killing your image.

What it comes down to, then, aside from finding the right telemarketing service whether or not you want to go that route. Some people are just fundamentally opposed to telemarketing in any form and thus would not use it no matter how effective it may be. That decision is one you will have to make for your business based on your personal feelings about such a controversial means of marketing a business. In addition, you should factor in the cost of using a telemarketing service versus how much money it can help you make as well as how efficiently the company works. The overall use of telemarketing can be effective, but you need to decide if it will be in your situation and under your feelings.

For many businesses, big and small, telemarketing services can be a necessity. They can be used with a lot of success as well. If you do think you might use a telemarketing service to advertise your company or your service, make sure you use a company that will screen employees as well has hire and train them effectively. If you keep those simple things in mind, a telemarketing service just might be the way for you to promote your business.

If would like to find more of my personal articles on telemarketing services, please feel free to visit my website on telemarketing!

Control Your Sales Calls From The Start

2009-01-03T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Shamus Brown

Sales calls that you control are what all salespeople want. I am a big believer that questioning is the most important skill for sales professionals. In order to stay in control of your sales calls, whether by phone or in person, you need to be the one asking questions most of the time.

To be the one asking questions most of the time, you have to get to questioning right from the start of your sales calls. This issue's tip is about how to make this transition quickly with finesse, whether you are calling by phone or are in person.

To accomplish this, you will need to eliminate beginning your sales calls with long-winded "presentations" about your company. This may seem counter-intuitive. You may have reasoned that your prospect doesn't know who you are, and needs your introductory "presentation" as background for a sales discussion.

Although this is the mode many of us are used to, the reality is different. If you politely give your customer a valid business reason for you to ask questions from the start, you will find that virtually all of your customers will let you do this. You will then be able to spend most of your valuable time investigating what your customer wants and needs.

OK so here's how you do this. Once your sales calls have started and you have established rapport, you say something like the following:

"Mr. Jones, I am with XYZ Company, and we help companies to [insert your benefit here]. What I would like to do today is ask you a few questions to see if it makes sense for our companies to do business together. How does that sound to you?"

You can modify the above to your own style, but let me first show you what makes this opening work. In reverse order, you are asking permission to ask questions, you are stating that your purpose is to see if it makes sense to do business together, and you are suggesting a common benefit of doing business with your company.

By asking permission to ask questions, you establish the format of your sales calls, and put yourself firmly in charge. In stating that you want to see if it makes sense to do business together, you are saying that this is a mutual decision, and that you aren't just out to sell them something that they may not need. By suggesting a common benefit of doing business with you, you are giving a prospect, who may not know much about you, a reason to continue with the sales call.

Until a prospect has decided that you understand their business problems, a simple benefit of doing business with you suffices to get your sales calls started. If your company is a known quantity in your market or to your prospect, you can skip the benefit completely as the prospect already has a reason and context for the discussion.

There's no need for long-winded openers on your sales calls.

How To Make Cold Calling Opportunities Out Of Voice Mails

2009-01-02T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Ari Galper

Turn voice mails into a cold calling journey of discovery!

Most people who still use the traditional cold calling mindset look at voicemail as a dead end. They say to themselves, "Oh well, I may as well leave a message and hope he calls me back."

This almost never happens, and we know it. But we're often so relieved not to have to talk with someone, that we leave a message anyway. We avoid dealing with another person's potential negative response to us and we avoid being challenged by the receptionist as well.

By the time the day is over, we might feel good because we've played the "numbers game" and made a lot of calls. But our productivity has been minimal. And over time that can make us feel frustrated by our experiences in cold calling.

With the new approach to cold calling, voicemail is an opportunity for discovery. It leads us beyond voicemail. Voice mail becomes a starting point for you begin the process of locating the person you're trying to contact.

Our objective is not to pursue people to make a sale in this new way of cold calling. It is to uncover the truth of their situation and to be okay with the outcome, whether it's a "yes" or a "no."

So we can begin to feel more comfortable hitting "0" when we get someone's voicemail. Because we then have an opportunity to go back to the receptionist and begin a dialogue based on asking for help.

Here's how the dialogue might go:

"Hi, maybe you can help me out for a second? I'm trying to get hold of Mike and I got his voicemail. Would you happen to know if he's at lunch, or on vacation, or in a meeting by any chance?"

Here, you aren't just asking to find Mike. And you're also providing possible solutions to finding Mike. This helps the receptionist feel as if he or she is part of the problem-solving process.

The receptionist is likely to offer one of two responses. The first is, "Yes, he's in a meeting (or at lunch or on vacation) and I'm not sure when he'll be back at his desk."

This answer has just given you a lot more information than you would have if you had just left a voicemail. Now you know your contact's whereabouts in real time and you can call back at a more appropriate time.

The second response is, "No, I don't know where he is." In this case, you would reply, "That's not a problem" This low-key statement diffuses any possible pressure that the receptionist might be feeling about not being able to answer your question.

You can then continue with, "Would you happen to know anyone whose desk or office is near him or who works in his area who might know where he is?" Again, you're offering another option for solving the problem. In many cases, the receptionist will then transfer you to a colleague of your contact who can help you determine his or her whereabouts.

The receptionist may also reply, "No, I don't know anyone in his area." You then say, "That's not a problem" and offer, "Would you happen to have a paging system or his cell phone number by any chance?"

If the receptionist replies, "Sorry, we don't have those," then at that point you can say, "Thank you very much. I really appreciate your help. And then hang up, and call back another time.

Does the idea of paging potential clients or calling them on their cell phone make your stomach clench up? Are you thinking that you can't cold call people that way because they might reject you?

That fear is only to be expected if your agenda is to sell something to the person. In other words, if you're still using the traditional sales mindset. But once you master the new cold calling perspective, you'll feel comfortable calling anyone, any time, using any mode.

As long as you're 100 percent focused on your potential client's world, you'll find that people will be receptive to you. You can easily navigate throughout an organization with the type of dialogue described above, because you're asking for help in a relaxed manner and you never put anyone on the spot.

Suppose that your efforts to locate your contact in this way fail. At that point you can leave a voicemail, but it should always be your very last option. Here's an example of an appropriate cold calling voicemail:

"Hi John, maybe you can help me out for a second? I'm not sure if you're the right person or not, but I'm trying to reach the person responsible for reporting problems about unpaid invoices. My name is John Edwards, my number is"

Try this way of approaching the situation of voice mails, and you'll be surprised and pleased at how often it becomes a highway instead of a dead end.

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don't know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.Unlock-The-Cold-Calling-Game.com

So Youve Done The Hard Work And Got Your Sales Leads Why Does It All Go Wrong From Here

2009-01-01T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Mark Brewerton

Managing sales leads to deliver results

So you've done the hard work and got a stream of qualified sales leads why does it all go wrong from here?

After much gnashing of teeth and hours spent justifying the investment and calculating your required return on investment, you have spent your hard-earned marketing money to generate a stream of sales leads whether telemarketing, exhibitions, seminars, online or offline advertising, direct response advertising or directory listings they all have one thing in common, they are expensive and the investment has to be justified.

Now you have your leads

Whatever the source, you are now the proud owner of a stream of (hopefully) qualified sales leads, unfortunately our experience is that this is just the beginning and on its own it does not mean that this will automatically translate into sales.

A CRM system is key building block

Perhaps the most critical task you can do once you have got the leads is to make sure that you capture all the information about these leads onto a database in a way that is going to allow your sales team to easily access and update this information and in a way that is going to allow you to track and monitor the progress of these leads as they are developed. This can be done using any one of the many sophisticated CRM systems that are available or by developing your own database. Now is not the place to evaluate the various CRM systems that are available or to assess the relative merits of using an off-the-shelf package vs. the DIY approach, suffice to say that either way it must happen!

Many companies fall down on this wasting time and money!

Unfortunately many companies appear to skip this key building block in their sales management process and as a result they are inefficient in following up leads and they lose visibility of progress causing many expensive and hard won leads that could have converted into business to be lost. This is nothing short of a criminal waste of precious marketing resources but our experience is that it happens all too often in organisations of all shapes and sizes.

Not all leads are created equal

You must classify your leads depending upon their potential worth to the business and your probability of winning the business. If you do this you can allocate your resources and prioritise accordingly. There is little point having your expensive field sales people chasing up business that your desk sales people could do or that you have little chance of winning.

Somebody has to be accountable for every lead

You can not fudge ownership of leads, this is where sales and marketing teams come together and it is where they have to work effectively to prevent potentially good leads going cold. In cricketing parlance somebody has to shout "mine" and catch the ball. To some degree it doesn't really matter who does this as long as somebody does and they take accountability Without this clear accountability, the urgency in the follow up will be lost as different team members look to each other and nothing gets done!

As somebody once said "I didn't plan to fail but I failed to plan"

For all leads you must have a contact plan that is appropriate to the class of lead. Equally important is the ability of your sales team to plan and prepare for the sales meeting or sales call itself - the ability of your sales team to close the business once in front of the prospect is another story!

Keep records so you know where you are

Every contact with a lead should be recorded on your database / CRM system. The status of the lead should evolve throughout the sales development process, accurate records must be kept.

This is in activity where most sales people singularly fail!

By nature sales people are generally not good at administration, they are too busy pushing on with the next prospect or out meeting their existing customers whatever the excuse this is rubbish - you must hold them to account and make them update the system otherwise you are flying blind and you are reliant upon somebody's memory which is all too frequently selective!

And finally, as somebody else once said "you get what you measure"

Never was a truer word spoken in sales. If you are to maximise the return on your sales leads you must track and report progress and hold people to account! It is unrealistic to expect all leads to turn into business but we have to know that this is not because we haven't effectively managed that lead. Knowing which leads converted and why and which leads didn't convert and why is precious information for future campaigns record it, nourish it and cherish it!

About the author - Mark Brewerton is responsible for marketing at Broadley Speaking. We provide a full range of business-to-business (B2B) outbound telemarketing, telesales, sales development, appointment setting and lead generation services for our clients. In addition to our telemarketing and telesales services, where our clients want us to help them further, we also provide sales and marketing consultancy services to support the development and implementation of their sales and marketing strategy. For some of our clients, based on our own extensive experience of effective sales, we also provide sales training for their own internal sales teams. Contact us to see how our intelligent sales approach could work for you on 01822 618537 or by email to info@broadley-speaking.com or visit our website at http://www.broadley-speaking.com

Inside Sales Tips Overcoming Initial Objections

2008-12-31T01:00:00.000-08:00

Writen by Mike Brooks

Something to keep in mind each time you make a cold call is that the people you are calling don't want to hear from you! I hate to burst your bubble, but this is true. That is why people develop reflex responses to your initial contact. I'm sure you have often heard things like, "I'm not interested," or "I don't have the money," or "We're happy with our current supplier," etc.. Do any of those sound familiar?

Eighty percent of all inside sales reps have trouble getting past these initial negative responses. Often times you will hear them saying the worse possible thing to these initial objectionsthey will repeat them! How many times have you heard someone next to you (or even yourself) say, "You are not interested?" Or, "You don't have the budget now?" Or, "You all ready have a supplier?" And so on. This is the consummate mark of an unprofessional. Why in the world would you want to affirm a negative?

The way to overcome this is to be prepared for their initial negative responses with your own positive responses. You must realize that when someone says they are not interested, it does not mean that they aren't interested, rather, it is just a reflex response. Nearly every one of your prospects will give you some type of initial negative response. That is just the way it is. People can not be bothered with all the salespeople that are constantly contacting them. So to save time they have developed these initial negative responses to blow off 80% of sales reps that call them.

Now here is the point. Just because they say they are not interested, or that they don't have the money, that doesn't mean they aren't a potential sale! You must recognize these responses for what they are and learn techniques to overcome them. Be careful not to argue with your prospect, nor should you try to defend or overcome these initial responses. Rather, you should always respond with positive rebuttals that are designed to acknowledge their responses, and get you past them and on to your pitch. For example, if you get something like the old favorite,

"I'm not interested."

Your immediate response could be,

"Some of our best clients felt the same way when we first called them too, however, once we explained how our (service, product, investment) worked, they were glad they listened."

And then go right back to your script, or format. If they persist with the same negative response, or even then give you a different one, again be prepared with another positive acknowledgement response such as,

"That is perfectly OK, you are still entitled to this information..."

And then go right back to your script or presentation. If you get something like,

"I don't have any money now."

You could respond with,

"I understand and that is one of the best things about this (service, product, investment)....

And go right back to your script or format. If they try again with one more reflex negative response, you might say,

"That is exactly why I called, you see when you find out how our (product, service, investment) can save you (list a benefit), I know you will be happy I called. As I was saying...

Now go right back to your script or format. Remember what the whole point here is. Your first goal when cold calling is to tell your prospect what it is you are calling about. To establish interest. The biggest problem most inside sales reps make is they believe people's initial negative responses, and because they are unprepared to deal with them, they end up getting blown off the phone before they even get started. Don't let this happen to you! You can avoid this by learning and using the above rebuttals on each and every call. Use them, or develop others. But always be prepared to overcome your prospect's initial objections.

Have a powerful week!

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, has been a top 20% producer for over 20 years. He works with business owners and inside sales reps nationwide teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance. To receive more tips like this, sign up for his FREE Ezine, "Inside Sales Secrets of the Top 20%" http://www.mrinsidesales.com/ezine.htm

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, offers FREE Teleseminars, FREE Closing Scripts and a FREE audio program designed to help you double your income selling over the phone. If you want to Close Business like a Top 20% producer, then learn how at: http://www.MrInsideSales.com

How To Boost Teleseminar Registration

2008-12-30T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Matt Bacak

Have you jumped into the exciting world of teleseminars? Teleseminars provide an exceptional business opportunity for any entrepreneurial minded individual. Although you will create a "product" from your teleseminar, a major factor in your teleseminar success is participation. Therefore, it is essential that you understand how to draw clients to your teleseminar.

It is common business sense that you can substantially increase your profits with an increase in enrollment. What may not be so obvious, though, is exactly how you convince potential teleseminar prospects to sign up for your free or fee based teleseminar. How can you convert their interest into a registration?

Following is a list of eight proven registration strategies that will have prospects flocking to your next teleseminar.

1. Send a Solo Email: One key to effective marketing is to make the customer feel that they have personal customer service. By sending a solo email you are sending the message that you want to personally invite them to your teleseminar.

2. Send Autoresponder Emails: Autoresponder emails are a way to effectively follow up on a lead and save unnecessary busy work. Autoresponder emails help to maintain your presence in a customer's mind.

3. Send a Fax Broadcast: Broadcast messages help you to send out a message simultaneously to literally hundreds of people. Plus, many fax machines don't have a spam filter so your message should come through successfully.

4. Voice Broadcast: This is similar to the fax broadcast, but it is sent via phone. When a client signs up for a teleseminar have them provide you with their name, email, phone number, and fax number. This will allow you to be able to contact them through several different means.

Registration strategies 5-8 involve incentives and teasers which are a great way to spark the interest of a prospect.

5. Spark interest by explaining that you will provide an idea or product that has high value during the call. This will increase their curiosity which can lead to a registration.

6. Create a contest. The contest can involve cash, products, and other incentives. Tempt affiliates with a contest that will allow you to have access to their email lists in return.

7. Explain that a surprise guest will be in the teleseminar. Don't give the name of the surprise guest. Prospects will register just to see who the surprise guest may be!

8. Everyone loves a bargain. Offer an early bird discount. Explain that the discount is only available during the call. What kind of discount should you offer? A discount on future teleseminars is a profitable idea. Not only will you have a long term customer, but your customer will feel happy that they received a deal.

Take these eight proven registration strategies to heart and watch your teleseminar attendance soar. It is important to diversify and use different types of technology, incentives, and marketing strategies to bring in customers.

Learn Seven Practical Tips To Reduce Cold Call Resistance

2008-12-29T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by D.M. Arenzon

You know it's only human nature to resist new ideas, concepts or changes in our immediate environment. Why is this true for each of us? Resistance is a learned behavior that we have learned thru our life experiences. Our experiences have caused us to become conditioned to resist certain changes in our environment. We resist because it's more comfortable the way things are then if you were to change something in your "safe environment." Now let's apply this ideology to your sales prospects, are you ready?

I'm thinking of two words here, can you guess them? Your prospects will use these two words as a way to resist you and what you are selling. These two words are called "Sales Objections" and they will be a constant variable in the sales process. The only power that you have and that you can control is how you react to these objections. Charles Swindoll, American author, once said that life is "10% what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it!"

What are some strategies that you can use in response to your prospect's resistance? The most obvious answer would be the questions that you ask your prospect that help them self-discover why they need your product or service. This makes a lot of sense, however, prospects are not waiting for your call, they are busy and very often prospects can be impatient. How do you even the playing field so that you can reduce this resistance? Below are seven practical tips that you can use immediately to reduce cold call resistance and these tips include:

1. USE HUMOR TO REDUCE RESISTANCE

Humor has a permeating effect to instantly change a prospect's attitude from negative to positive. Try using a clever comeback when a prospect presents you with a sales objection. Another use of humor can be incorporated into the messages that you leave on your prospect's voicemail. Since most voicemails from salespeople all sound the same they are than more likely to be deleted. When you use humor, you are standing out in a very unique way and you can expect to receive an immediate callback.

2. USE ENTHUSIASM TO REDUCE RESISTANCE

When you are enthusiastic over the telephone you create this energy between you can your prospect that is contagious. This positive energy can alter attitudes and buying behaviors. If you are excited about what you sell, don't you think your prospect will wonder what all the excitement is about? Of course they will!

3. INTRODUCE NEW WAYS OF THINKING AND/OR NEW IDEAS TO REDUCE RESISTANCE

Life really is about perception. We may hear something in conversation and one person perceives it one way and another person may perceive it in a completely different way. In sales these same principles apply, for example, if you are presented with a price objection perhaps you want to breakdown the price for them. In other situations you may want to start using more words in your sales presentations that inspire feeling or imagery. Again, life is about perception and people buy according to what makes sense to them.

4. USE CREATIVITY TO REDUCE RESISTANCE

Creativity has the ability to transform thought. It has a magnetizing effect and is a powerful tool that you can use to inspire one's curiosity. Once you have their curiosity, you now have their attention and this means your chances have now increased dramatically for your ultimate outcome---closing the sale! How and when do you use creativity? Creativity can be used in the words you say when describing your product, how you say something, what you say on your prospect's voicemail or even in the presentation of your business proposal.

5. USE PASSION AND PERSISTENCE TO REDUCE RESISTANCE

The most successful salespeople are the ones who target the most successful prospects. When contacting these prospects it's important to know that these prospects did not get to where they are by being reactive; they got to where they are now because of their enduring persistence! They jumped over many corporate hurdles to climb the corporate ladder to get to the position where they are now. They know that their climb to success wasn't easy and can relate to passionate and persistent salespeople. If you are persistent, your persistence will be respected and your outcomes will be even that much greater.

6. USE INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION TO REDUCE RESISTANCE

Can you think of the last time that you were inspired to do something? What motivated you to action? One way to inspire and motivate your prospects to action is by listening to motivational audio tapes and/or cds. When you begin listening to them you will be inspired and you can use this newfound inspiration by incorporating key phrases and quotes into your sales presentation. Some of my favorite speakers and authors include: Les Brown, Anthony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Dale Carnegie, Dr. Carol Fleming and Brian Tracy.

7. USE THE POWER OF DIFFERENCE TO REDUCE RESISTANCE

Once again, prospects have become conditioned to resist your telephone call. It's so important that you do something different to break up your prospect's conditioned state of mind. When you do something different or something non-traditional in nature, you are STANDING OUT in a crowded marketplace. "The Power Of Difference" can be applied to any stage of the sales process. The earlier you apply these principles, the more likely you will inspire your prospect's curiosity and the more likely you will increase your odds of closing a sale.

Fear

2008-12-28T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Rick Johnson

Half asleep but with a look of fear still present in her eyes, Sandy stared into the bathroom mirror. Her right cheek displayed the remnants of pillow wrinkles and still revealed a telltale sign of the drool that escaped her mouth during the night as she slept. Sleep hadn't come easy for Sandy that entire weekend. In fact, this was the worst weekend she could remember having since her Grandmother passed away. Sandy looked into the mirror only to see an unsympathetic face filled with anxiety staring back at her.

"Just call in sick," she commanded to her own image in the mirror. "Better yet, why don't you just quit, that'll fix that Bozo of a boss. I'm the best Inside Sales person our company has. They'll miss me when I'm gone."

The coldness of the water on her hands coming from the faucet she had turned on brought Sandy's thoughts back to reality. She knew she couldn't "Just Quit." She was a single Mom and they paid her a good salary.

"Besides," she thought, "I've got ten years with this company. They shouldn't treat me this way. What am I going to do?"

What caused Sandy to be so upset? What caused her to lose so much sleep over the weekend? What filled her with anxiety and fear? What made her consider giving up a ten-year career as an Inside Sales person?

"MANDATORY OUTCALL"

Although this little story is fictional, many of your employees may have experienced or be experiencing these same exact feelings.

"FEAR OF MAKING PERSONAL CONTACT WITH THE UNKNOWN"

Outcall is an exceptionally good Marketing/Sales tool if it is done right. There is a lucky few that can just pick up the phone, make a cold call and it comes naturally to them. But for most of your employees, making that call is the most unpleasant and difficult task you could possibly ask them to do. It's actually unfair to send them onto the "Outcall Battlefield" without arming them with the proper weapons. Those weapons are generated through training. It's true that for some people Outcall is no big deal. It's also true that for some people no matter what you do, or how much training you provide, they just wont be able to do it successfully.

However, for the vast majority of the Inside Sales people and Call Center Agents employed in this country today, Outcall training can be extremely beneficial. A solid outcall program with trained personnel can provide a major impact to revenue and bottom line profits. Think about it. If you have only five inside sales people making ten outcalls per day, that totals 250 calls per week which equates to 1000 new proactive customer contacts per month.

It has been said: "You can send a gorilla out as a field sales rep and if he calls on enough people, sooner or later someone will pin an order to his chest and send him home."

With the sheer volume of contacts alone, sales have to increase. Think about the significant contribution your inside sales people can provide if they are trained and really know what they are doing. Add a new account bonus program to the formula and results can be astounding.

Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in Distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with distributor executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.

Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor's degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He’s also a published book author with four titles to his credit: “The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance in Wholesale Distribution,” the NWFA & NAFCD “Roadmap”, Lone Wolf-Lead Wolf—The Evolution of Sales” and a fiction novel about teenagers called “Shattered Innocence.”

Telemarketing Training Pro Urges Screening Applicants By Phone

2008-12-27T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

I was invited to be a panelist at a recent contact center trade association meeting, and I prepared a list of 20 do's and don'ts that I shared.

One of them, something that I take for granted, having risen through the ranks as a telemarketer, a trainer, a manager, and as a consultant is the fact that each and every job applicant MUST be screened by phone before being invited to an interview.

Imagine how surprised I was to be asked to elaborate on that point by at least a few people in the audience.

It seems they never heard of this idea, having undoubtedly earned their stripes during the age of the Internet.

Many of today's recruiters hire from pieces of paper, from resumes, however resumes don't speak. Only people can do that, and some of course, are much better at it than others.

The capable ones speak clearly, without distracting verbal mannerisms. They don't use a lot of "uhs" and "okays." The best candidates are also effective listeners.

Call center work is largely PHONE work, and that's communication work.

How can we know who will make a good phone worker if we don't assess their phone behaviors?

I'd rather cut out the resume step altogether, and invite the best communicators to "Come on down!"

If you'd like more information about the telephone measures I use to objectively judge suitability for phone work, give me a holler!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com & The Goodman Organization is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

For information about coaching, consulting, training, books, videos and audios, please go to http://www.customersatisfaction.com

Closing That Big Sale With Conference Calling

2008-12-26T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Aaron Siegel

So you're in business. Whether it is micro, small, medium, or enterprise; you know the one key element you need to succeed in your business sales.

Now, you have studied and learned many practices on succeeding in your arena, but there may be something still overlooked. You most undoubtedly have strained to learn every technique possible to gain the competitive advantage for ultimate return on your investment. What you may be missing out on is what you use to communicate during your sales process, more specifically; what communication products you currently use to implement your suave techniques of sale persuasion.

Recently a client in Florida phoned me requesting a way to consult with a large potential client and his peers overseas in Africa via telephone. He was a well traveled business man and was used to flying over to leads himself, but he thought he might try something new, something with less overhead; after all, it was still just a potential client. Well that request was a no brainer for me when I talked to him. I automatically suggested conference calling.

He was a little skeptical of using conference calling in place of face to face until I mentioned one of the conference calling services we offered. Being he had many international business leads and clients I mentioned CogniConference which offers toll-free conference calling from over 50 countries. He saw the opportunity the service presented and signed up right after we hung up with one another.

It was only two weeks later that he called our office to rave how wonderful the service was, and how if it wasn't for the international conference calling he would have never closed the Africa based client, a 4.5 million dollar deal! Expenses totaled under $200.00, a fraction of the cost of just one plane ticket alone.

How exactly did conference calling help save the day? Well, beyond increasing ROI and reducing CPL (Cost Per Lead) by saving on travel and lodging expenses, he leveraged a telecommunications product to warm up his potential client that ultimately closed the multi million dollar deal. He showed them that they were important enough to be given a free way to discuss business with his company across the entire globe. Needless to say, to this day he uses conference calling for his international leads.

Not in all cases, but in many, it is the options your leads and clients have to contact you that can make or break the initial beginning of a sales process. To convey you care about your client and not just their business may not always be as simple as using a communications service, but there are many services out there that can provide the additional morale boost and incentive your clients may need to get into their comfort buying zone.

An example where you might not want to offer toll free conferencing might be if your business is MLM or Network Marketing. Example: Perhaps your offer is good and was advertised well .You might not be interested in paying more money just for the curious. In other words you might want to only attract the "serious ready to go" individuals. The use of a non toll free conferencing solution might make the better option. You're saying to your leads, "I am giving you an opportunity to learn more about this offer in a group environment, but I need to see your level of dedication." That level of dedication being the willingness to pay a little out of their own pocket to learn more about your opportunity. It can be a great prescreening tool on who will be effective in the future for your marketing team.

All in all, information is key in virtually all sales processes. Conference calling gives you the ability to get all of your knowledgeable personnel in on the sales call to get questions answered at the most vital point of contact. You may only get one chance to prove your case to win over that client and the voice conversation is your biggest chance over most any other method to win that prized sale. The personal approach is a big winner, ask any successful salesperson and they will agree.

Conferencing is the one tool specified in this article, but of course, it isn't the one and only solution. You might just need an unlimited long distance calling plan to do cold calling. Maybe you need a catchy 800 number for advertising and taking in leads. Perhaps you need toll free forwarding to spare your potential client the hassle of leaving a message and playing phone tag. Whatever it is, you might just realize that telecommunications is very much apart of your selling process as is your breath to carry your voice. Be creative in meeting the needs of those who may become your customers as well as in reducing the costs to do so.

In closing, the lesson is very general here aside from conference calling benefits. How do you want your company viewed in the eyes of your future clients? Whether it's how you're dressed or what joke you use, be thoughtful of customers needs in advance and plan ahead to leverage your selling power, because as you already know selling is business.

This article was written by Aaron Siegel of TopSavings.Net which provides online consultive services for communications for home and business.

Services available at the website include Conference Calling, Toll Free Services, VoIP, Internet Access, Long Distance, Local Phone Services, Cellular Services, and more.Conference Calling at TopSavings.Net

The Power Of The Fax

2008-12-25T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Tom Perkins

In July 2005, another curious law went into effect. This one, called the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005 (JFPA) has several surprises for business owners in terms of sending routine faxes to their customers. This new law just doesn't impact the sending of what we would think of as "junk" faxes. It addresses several other areas that will impact how you do business via fax.

What is a Junk Fax?

Understandably, we would think of a junk fax as an unsolicited fax. However, under JFPA, unsolicited is defined as "any material advertising the commercial availability or quality of any property, goods or services which is transmitted to any person without that person's prior express invitation or permission, in writing or otherwise."

So, if you were sending out an announcement, via fax, regarding a new product or service to your customers, it could be considered a junk fax under JFPA.

Importance of an EBR

But wait, the new law complicates things even more. Your "established business relationship" (EBR) is now extremely important in terms of marketing your business using the fax.

You are still allowed to send unsolicited faxes to anyone with whom you maintain an EBR. An EBR is defined as "a prior or existing relationship formed by a voluntary two-way communication between a person or entity and a residential subscriber with or without an exchange of consideration, on the basis of an inquiry, application, purchase or transaction by the residential subscriber regarding products or services offered by such person or entity, which relationship has not been previously terminated by either party."

Right to "Opt-Out"

You also have to provide an "opt-out" option on all faxes. Fax cover sheets are now to include "opt-out" information, regardless if your business has an EBR or not, the first page of every fax solicitation has to tell the receiver how they can "opt-out" of receiving future faxes from your company.

And, we aren't talking about a simple "opt-out" check box. JFPA has kindly provided an extensive guideline for the "opt-out" notice. An "opt-out" needs:

· To be "clear and conspicuous and on the first page of the" fax;

· Notice that your failure to comply within the shortest, reasonable amount of time with any opt-out notice sent by a customer will be a violation of the law;

· A "domestic contact telephone and facsimile machine number" for the recipient to transmit any opt-out notice request;

· A "cost-free mechanism" that the recipient can use to send the opt-out notice; and

· Allows the recipient to opt out "at any time on any day of the week"

Failure to Comply

Noncompliance equals sizeable penalties. The law allows anyone who has illegally received a junk fax to sue for and recover $500 - $1500 or more per violation. Surprisingly, the law now allows for class action lawsuits and even small claims court lawsuits to be filed.

Tom Perkins is a business solutions coach and certified personal trainer. He has a degree in accounting and works with fitness professionals leading them to profitability.

Visit his website at http://www.fitnessindustrysolutions.com

Tips For Successful Negotiating By Phone

2008-12-24T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Art Sobczak

Most of us negotiate something every day. Whether it's getting our kids to willingly clean their rooms, or hammering out an elephant-sized contract with more details than a politician has "special-interest" donors, our ability to haggle effects our results. Here are some useful negotiating tips.

1. Define Your Negotiables Other than Price. Inexperienced, unconfident, or plain old lazy reps take the easy route and drop price at the first sign of the other person seeking to get a better deal. Instead, first determine what you could offer, if needed, that has high perceived value to them, but little cost to you. For example, moving up the delivery date if they need it quickly, extending the warranty period . . . some distributors and suppliers like to throw in some products the customer isn't buying. This has high perceived value, and gets the customer to test the new product, which might pay off with future purchases.

2. Analyze Your Strengths, Their Needs. Before calling, list what you know they require and emotionally want, what you have, and what you want. You might know that this buyer always tries to pound you on price, but you also know you're working from a position of strength because you're the only one who has the quality of product he needs.

3. Set Your Objectives. Just like every call, define, "What do I want them to do as a result of this call, and what do I want to do?"

4. Aim High, Set Minimums. As part of your objectives, swing for the fence! Think big. Set the most favorable objective possible (one that is within reason). The richest sales reps I know can't believe anyone would think otherwise. Likewise, set minimums that you're willing to accept. You'll know how much you have to play with.

5. Prepare for their Possible Tactics. It's easier if you know the person. For example, knowing that Joe always starts with an outrageous request helps you prepare your counter-tactic. Otherwise, you need to dry-run through possible demands and tactics along with your responses so you're not blindsided into giving away something you didn't intend to.

6. Gather Information. As with all sales calls, the more you know the better.

7. Don't Give More Information (or Anything Else) than Necessary. I've seen sales reps offer price concessions that weren't asked for ("The price starts here, but I might be able to do a little better."), and give up information that the customer used to ask for more concessions ("You mentioned another customer had additional training manuals thrown in free. I want those too.")

8. Don't Split the Difference. It's human nature, but it costs you money. Let's look at the math. Your asking price is $50. They offer you $30. You counter with $40 and they figure splitting the difference is fair. Your tactic: come back with a pained tone of voice, "I might be able to do $46 or $47." It's more likely you'll end up better than $40.

9. Trade Your Concessions. Get something in return. If you get them the better volume price, ask for a commitment for a blanket purchase order. One-sided giving rarely makes for a healthy relationship.

10. "If I, Will You?" A tactic to accomplish the previous point. Before agreeing to what they want, get commitment on what they'll give in return. "If I'm able to move your request to the front of the line, will you increase the order by 500?"

I believe I read this in an ad in an airline magazine for a negotiation seminar: "You don't get what you deserve; you get what you can negotiate."

Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone, provides proven ideas, tips, and processes to help salespeople use the phone to prospect, sell and service without morale-killing rejection. To see word-for-word phrases you can use right now to get to and sell more buyers, and other resources such as books, audios, and seminars, and to get his FREE weekly TelE-Sales Tips, and access to back issues, go to: http://www.BusinessByPhone.com

Selling Landscape Services By Phone

2008-12-23T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

If you own a landscape service business you know that the more clientele you have and the more number of accounts you have; the more money and profits you will make. One way to get new clients is to call them on the telephone.

For instance, if you are working in a neighborhood and you find that you have a number of clientele there it makes sense to stack your schedule with more clients close together in clusters. To sign these customers using the telephone is a very good way to do it.

Even better is good to develop your telephone calling list from referrals that you have got from other customers and neighbors. Most neighbors have other neighbors phone numbers and if you do a good job and are liable then those customers will give you those other phone numbers for you to do cold calling for landscape services. You should make these calls and be polite with the utmost care.

People who buy a landscape services and landscape maintenance services are becoming more and more particular about who is working on the crews. For instance, it is known that over 65% of all landscape maintenance crews are indeed illegal aliens or illegal immigrants and this bothers many people.

Therefore when you are cold calling customers and discussing landscape services they need to be reassured that you are not hiring illegal aliens and this should be something that you should let them now straightaway. Please consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

How To Leverage Your Expertise With Teleclasses And Teleconferences

2008-12-22T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Donna Gunter

I first became acquainted with teleclasses back in 1997 when I stumbled across the coaching community. At the time, I lived in small town in western Massachusetts, and professional development opportunities were few and far between without a drive to Albany, NY, or to Springfield or Boston, MA.

With teleclasses, I thought I'd hit the personal development motherload. I could simply dial a teleconference bridgeline from the comfort of my own home and be connected with 10-150 other people around the globe, who were all gathered on a call to learn more about a particular topic. Moreover, in many cases the class was free or low-cost, and I didn't have to get dressed, drive anywhere, find and pay for parking, nor stay overnight, all of which I would have to do if it were an in-person seminar or conference. What could be simpler?

So, what is a teleclass, anyway? A teleclass is a conference call in which everyone on the line can hear and speak with everyone else. You and between 10-500 other registrants call a regular phone number (will typically be a long-distance number where your regular long distance rates apply) at your designated time and you are welcomed by the host, or teleclass leader. Teleclasses have been compared to a grad school discussion -- some lecture, some questions, some discussion. As a participant, it's easy to listen in and either absorb or engage in the discussion.

Fast forward to the present, and I've come a long way since then in my teleclass education. I've now conducted tons of teleclasses on a variety of subjects, and currently have a group coaching program in progress that's conducted solely over a teleconference bridgeline. More and more corporations and larger businesses are using the teleconference concept to conduct virtual meetings with far-flung employees around the globe or to provide training to those same people.

Teleclasses are a great way for people to get a "taste" of what you have to offer without any great expenditure. Many self-employed service professionals use free teleclasses as a marketing tool so that participants can get to know them, or as an introduction to a fee-based course/program that they're selling. Instead of dealing with the hassles entailed in putting on a live event, such as finding a venue, arranging for parking, setting up catering and AV needs, and promoting the event, you can provide nearly an identical experience with much less trouble and much less up-front cost.

So, what topic should your teleclass cover? Here are 3 great resources where you can get some teleclass ideas: Teleclass.com, TeleclassInternational.com, and Seminar Announcer.com.

Teleclass.com and Teleclassinternational.com both offer teleclass leader training. Once you've completed the training, you're able to list your teleclass on their website and in their email newsletter for a small fee. SeminarAnnouncer.com permits you to list your event at no cost, and no special training is required to list your event.

Once you've got a topic in mind, now comes the design of the teleclass. If you've never had to plan out a program, determining how much content to offer versus how much discussion can be tricky, or just figuring out in what order to present your information can be a bit overwhelming Here's a list of 20 questions you can use to help you design your teleclass, as provided in the newsletter, Today's Coach: http://www.todayscoach.com/2003/021003.html

How do you find a bridgeline for the teleclass? I get my bridgeline free of charge at http://www.freeaudioconferencing.com. One feature that is VERY important to have on your bridgeline is the ability to mute all participants. I've been on too many calls when someone brings alot of static or a big echo to the call. As the leader, you can mute the other callers and eliminate this background noise, if your bridgeline has this feature, and just unmute the participants when you want to open the floor for questions. The ability to do this will eliminate many headaches for you and your participants.

Now that you've built it (the teleclass), will they come? You may have to do a bit of education with your target market to let them know about the concept of teleclasses, as it's not a term that's familiar to everyone. Then, you'll need to promote your event just like you might do a live event--send out press releases, buy advertising (as appropriate), sent notices out to your email newsletter or list, have friends and colleagues notify everyone on their lists, have it listed at one of the teleclass announcement sites listed above, or post it on discussion lists as appropriate.

If you haven't listed your class with either Teleclass.com and Teleclassinternational.com, both of whom will provide registration for teleclasses, you'll want have some mechanism on your website for taking course registrations. I use my shopping cart for this function, and you can sign up for a 30-day free trial of that service here: http://wwww.kickstartcart.com. Free video tutorials on how to use this shopping cart can be found here: http://www.shoppingcarttraining.com/

I strongly encourage you to record all the teleclasses that you conduct so that you can leverage them in different ways: have them available for free on your website, convert them to MP3's and sell the MP3 file or access to that, convert them to a package of CD's and offer those for sale, or send them out as a podcast.

Teleconferences are a very inexpensive way to expand your market reach throughout the world. Pick a subject, invite your contacts, and get started today!

Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Business Coach Donna Gunter helps self-employed service professionals learn how to get more clients online at http://www.OnlineBizCoachingCompany.com. To sign up for more FREE tips like these and claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at http://www.GetMoreClientsOnline.com. Read about running an online biz at our blog, http://onlinebizcoachingcompany.typepad.com/online_business_coaching_/

Telemarketing Big Business Or Big Annoyance

2008-12-21T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Michael Russell

Telemarketing. It makes you just want to throw your telephone out of a window. How many times would you be just about ready to sit down at the dinner table, ready to dig into your nice juicy roast beef, when the phone rings? You get up to answer it, thinking that it might be important only to pick up the receiver to the sound of...

"Do you suffer from acid indigestion?"

And you immediately hang up the phone in disgust, mumbling a few words that can't be printed in this article. You go back to your dinner table and swear that if the phone rings again it had better be important or there will be hell to pay.

Let's face it, we ALL hate telemarketers.

So just what is it to this telemarketing thing and why do people do it in spite of the fact that they are some of the most hated people on this planet?

Well, for starters, it's a position that pays regardless of whether or not you actually make a sale. Most telemarketing positions pay about $7 an hour depending on where you live. If a sale is made in the process then you get additional commissions for each sale. For some people it's all they can do, since they have no real skills other than to be able to BS with people on the phone. For others, they actually enjoy the abuse.

So what exactly do telemarketers sell? Pretty much anything but the big thing these days seems to be credit. Most of the calls you will get are either about giving you a great rate on a new credit card or even on refinancing of your home. Which brings us to a very interesting question.

How to telemarketers even know you OWN a home?

The answer is actually very simple. They are supplied with lists; lists of homeowners, lists of people paying off auto loans, lists just about anything you can think of. It from these lists, that can contain thousands of people, that they make their phone calls . In most cases the telemarketer will be working from a script. They read the script, inserting their name in the blank spaces where it shows to insert their name, and trying very hard not to deviate from the script. These scripts are written by professional marketing firms, in some cases, but most of the time they are written by the supervisor of the department.

There are of course laws today where people can have themselves removed from these lists and if a telemarketer calls one of these people they can be charged with a crime. Yes, things have gotten that bad for telemarketers.

If getting a call from a real person isn't bad enough, they also have automated systems that can call you. You can usually tell these because they just sound so mechanical and start off with greetings that a normal person wouldn't use. Plus, they don't even ask for your name. They just start their pitch.

Yes, telemarketing is big. Even though most of the free world would just assume it didn't exist. Makes you wonder how successful it REALLY is.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Telemarketing

Your Answering Machine Is A Method Of Telephone Sales

2008-12-20T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

The tele-selling industry sub-sector often called Telemarketing breaks down their category by incoming telemarketing and out-going telemarketing. Out going telemarketing is what folks got so angry about and why we ended up with all the Federal Regulation on Telemarketing. Incoming telemarketing would be when someone calls your company and you attempt to get them to place an order or upgrade from their current status as a customer.

For instance if you are ordering a Dell Computer, you see that they take your order, this is incoming telemarketing. When you call your credit card company, phone company or an airline or even a hotel to ask a question they will sometimes ask you if you would like this, that or the other type of upgrade. This makes sense too, why would you miss out on such an obvious opportunity?

But what if your customers call and you are not there in your small company? Well you want your answering machine to answer and take a message, but you also have time for a 15-25 commercial when they call, before they leave the message. Perhaps you can alert them of other offerings you company has. You should do this, but keep it short and sweet as to not upset your clientele.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Cold Calling Rapidly Disappearing

2008-12-19T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Frank Rumbauskas

As more and more people enter the sales profession, less and less are utilizing cold calling as their prospecting technique of choice.

Why is this happening? Why is cold calling going away?

There are several reasons. First of all, prospects have become so sick and tired of cold calling that they have reached the point of total intolerance. Seasoned salespeople know this, yet many continue to cold call, if only because they haven't been taught anything different and have become used to the daily rejection. Rookies, on the other hand, are taken aback at the reactions they get while cold calling and immediately abandon it or switch professions.

Second, prospects don't need salespeople to inform them anymore. Years ago, a prospect would be open to listening to salespeople who were cold calling, take in the information, and possibly move forward with a purchase. This is no longer the case because prospects who are in a buying mode have all of the information they need right at their fingertips thanks to the Internet. So, while salespeople are still necessary to carry out the actual selling process, cold calling is rapidly going away now that we're in the Information Age.

Third, the Internet has taken business networking to a whole new level. Only a couple of years ago, it was a rite of passage for a salesperson to waste lots of time and money attending chamber mixers and networking groups, only to walk out empty handed. This was no more effective than cold calling, but was the extent of networking sophistication for nearly all salespeople. Now that we have rapidly growing business networking sites with tens of millions of members, it's easier than ever for salespeople to make valuable connections without ever cold calling or wasting time at mixers.

Fourth, younger salespeople are becoming marketing-savvy. It's no secret that a well-executed personal marketing plan can generate more than enough leads, so marketing is taking the place of cold calling as far as prospecting goes. In the last couple of years, the idea that one can replace cold calling with an intelligent personal marketing plan has finally been accepted as reality. Now that sales managers are finally starting to catch on, cold calling is disappearing quickly.

Finally, cold calling is a morale killer. New entrants into the sales profession see the drudgery and misery of cold calling, and realize that it will get them nowhere. You can't be successful if you hate what you do, so why do something you hate? That's why cold calling is so detrimental everyone hates doing it, and performance suffers as a result.

The bottom line is that cold calling is dead, and is a leftover relic of a previous generation. Today's successful salespeople have said no to cold calling and yes to smart marketing.

Reduce Cold Call Frustration By Reengineering Your Attitude

2008-12-18T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by D.M. Arenzon

We all know the benefits of cold calling and its ability to gain new clients and take additional market share. We also understand that with such success comes a price and this price is called "Cold Call Frustration." The constant rejection, the number of calls, the amount of repeat calls to the same prospect and the voicemail messages that you leave can be very mentally draining. It can consume you and strip you of your motivation. As a result, your attitude becomes affected and you turn to a pathway of negativity. If you allow cold calling to consume you then you will not last at your job very long. In this case watch out for Donald Trump because he may say you're "FIRED!"

So what can you do to conquer these frustrations? One sure-fire way to constantly stay focused and be motivated is to listen to motivational tapes on your breaks, in your sales meetings or even in your car! These personal development or self-help types of programs are empowering tools that you can use to increase your awareness of the world around you. The contents of these programs include many ideas and concepts that are considered by many as common sense, but in reality, they are not common usage.

Example personal development topics that you could listen to include a few of the following:

Positive Thinking
Goal Setting
Attitude
Stress Management

When you make a proactive effort to "feed your mind" of this type of self-help information you now become more aware (meaning the information that we have learned moves from our subconscious to conscious mind) of how to handle certain obstacles that we experience in lifeand in this case it's cold call frustration. Here a few more tips on how you may want to embrace this new idea:

Try keeping a box of motivational audio tapes and cds in your car so that you can easily listen to a variety of speakers.

Ebay is a cost-effective website that you can use to purchase these programs.

If you can get your sales team to buy into this idea you can play different tapes at each sales meeting without cutting into your department's budget.

Incorporate what you have learned into your sales calls as a tool to reduce resistance. Your newfound enthusiasm and positive attitude have the power to alter your prospect's state of mind. This means that you have the power to change their attitude and as a result you may end up changing their behavior--that means a new sale for you!

A few of my favorite motivational speakers include Anthony Robbins, Les Brown, Zig Ziglar and Brian Tracy.

As a final note, I have recently finished listening to Dale Carnegie's audio book called "How To Stop Worrying And Start Living" he wrote that one's attitude is the chief engineer of one's life and you know what? He's right! Motivational tapes are a great way to "reengineer your attitude" so that you quickly reduce your cold call frustration.

Insiders Secret Doubles Cold Calling Results

2008-12-17T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Leslie Buterin

Details (yuck!) are the bane of a sales professional's existence.

None of us wants to crunch puny little numbers throughout the day. Save that for the accountants who eat that stuff up.

Let us be free to sell, sell, and sell some more. The only puny numbers we're interested in are numbers like 'ones' and 'zeros', as in the number one followed by lots and lots of zeros. Give us a nice round number like $1,000,000 that'll put a smile on the faces of just about every professional who sells!

Ah, but here's the rub those puny, little numbers hold captive the secrets to getting to the big round numbers, sooner rather than later.

Now, read closely and let your mind think about possibilities as the power of puny, little numbers is revealed.

A well-known, rarely implemented truth in the world of sales professionals is this

What You Can Measure, You Can Manage...
What You Can Manage You Can Improve...
Dramatically!

Let's start with little numbers like 10 and 1. As you review your call ratios for the year, you may find that you smile, you dial, and you make about 10 cold calls a dayaround 50 cold, prospecting calls per week.

And you see that at the end of your time on the phone, you average about 1 appointment for every 10 cold calls.

You close roughly 1 out of every 2 people you meet with. When all is said and done at the end of the year, these puny little numbers of appointments result in sales that yield a pretty good income for you, around $70,000.

Now, let's say you want to double your income. Yep, as the new year rolls around, you decide you want to double your income, making it $140,000.

The secret to reaching your goal is hidden in the numbers. Sure, your call ratios and salary may be much higher (or lower) than the numbers used in this example. No worries, simply plug your numbers into these equations to determine your desired outcome.

Being in control of our goals is one of many wonderful things we like about the profession of sales, isn't it? We know the only thing standing between our dreams and us is our level of skill. We're glad to gobble up any tips, tools, and techniques that'll improve our seemingly magical talents that are the envy of others ... especially those who think they don't have the skills to give away ice water in the Sahara!

OK, as we look at just the numbers, you can reach your goal of $140,000 of take home pay by doubling one of a couple of puny numbers.

> You can learn how to double the number of appointments you get from your dials, so you get 2 appointments out of every 10 dials.

> You can learn how to double the number of sales you close, and make sure you get business from 2 out of every 2 people you meet with.

Hmm. Makes you pause and think doesn't it?

Here's a bonus tip for you

As we closely scrutinize where these numbers come from, we might even find that if you changed the level of your approach call, you could do even better! Imagine what would happen to your sales if you added a few executive-level sales calls to the mix and spent your time talkin' to The Top Dogs with unlimited ability to sign off on big deals!

Makes the goal of doubling your salary next year seem possible, doesn't it?

In brief, you can double your income by learning how to:

1. Double the appointments you get from your dials
2. Double the sales you close during appointments
3. Double the size of your sales as you elevate the level of your point of entry and talk to "The Top Dogs" first

So, next time you're tempted to skim over the puny numbers in favor of the big round ones, slow yourself down, and take a close look at those little guys.

Determine where you want to focus your efforts to double your income. Do you want to double your call/appointment ratios; double your closing ratios; or elevate your prospecting calls to the top decision makers?

If you take the time to think, really think about these numbers, you'll be amazed to find that doubling your take home pay in 2006 is much, much closer than you think!

Forward this article to friendsthey'll thank you for it!

4 12 Steps For Doubling Your B2b Appointments

2008-12-16T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dave Wells

Cold calling. Most people hate to do it and there is a cottage industry of people making a profit by selling ideas on how to generate business without cold calling. They're making money because they are using a basic marketing tactic that most of us have forgotten how to use - give your customer what they want! Tell a salesperson that they can get appointments without making cold calls, tell them to buy your book, and you'll make money hand over fist. Why? Because it's a solution that fits what that market wants.

The fact of the matter is that there are many things you can, and should, use to help generate leads. However, business-to-business cold calling will always be an effective basic tactic that will help you get an appointment with your prospect.

Effective appointment setting begins with 4 1/2 simple steps that will help you get back to the basics of giving your prospects what they want.

The steps are so easy and basic that you might have a tendency to be suspicious of them. But if you just follow along you'll be on your way to doubling your sales appointments in record time.

½ Step) Put yourself in the place of your prospect. Think about what it will be like to get a call from you. You know your product/service inside and out and are hopefully excited about and believe in it. Your prospect isn't excited about your product/service and doesn't believe in it yet. You have set aside time in your day to make calls but your prospect hasn't set time aside to take your call. That's why it is very important to make the call all about them. Give them what they want out of a cold call hint: the solution to what they worry about at work.

Step 1) Identify your ideal customer and their critical wants and needs. At the very least you should have some generic information about the markets that you serve and the obstacles that they face from industry magazines, trade associations, or industry analysts to help you target your cold call message.

Step 2) Ask the "cold sweat" question. "What is it that wakes your prospects up at 3AM in a cold sweat and in such a troubled state that they would give anything to solve that problem?" If you answer this question within the first 7 seconds of your call, you will be more likely to gain the attention of your prospect and be that much closer to gaining an appointment with them.

Step 3) Create multiple positioning statements that focus on solving your prospect's most difficult problem or achieving their most important goal.

Step 4) Test those positioning statements and determine which one results in better dialogue with your prospect and gets you the appointment.

Here's a very successful sample cold call script that I'm using for my own business based on the 4½ steps:

Good morning Mr/Ms. VP of Sales, this is David from EMDCO here in Chicago. We are the major B2B lead generation firm in the area. Because of our expertise in your industry, we're able to solve the problems of the call reluctant/time constricted sales force by delivering quick, reliable, and affordable lead generation services. The reason I'm calling you today specifically, is to set up an appointment so I can tell you the way in which we've been successful with (name client) companies. How's (day) at (time)?

That's it! I mention that I can solve what most owners, presidents and sales directors worry about. They are always thinking about the revenue numbers they have to hit, they know they have sales people that don't make the calls for various reasons and they know they want a reliable source of leads. I know I'm not wasting my prospects time with a telephone introduction like that.

Using this simple 4½ step process will help you formulate your own quick introduction, allow you to quickly answer any questions they have about you or your product/service and redirect the call back toward getting the appointment.

David Wells is a business development expert, speaker, trainer, consultant and founder of http://www.emdco.com a provider of business-to-business lead creation, data confirmation and integrated marketing solutions.

Top Speaker Says Control Your Destiny By Learning To Cold Call

2008-12-15T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

I had no money when I started my consulting business.

But I had a phone, and that's all it took to transform myself from an Indiana professor with a church-mouse salary, into an independent, flourishing, nationwide practitioner within a matter of mere months.

I contacted colleges and trade associations out of the blue, asking them to sponsor a new seminar I had created, and within 18 months my program had been successfully sponsored by 35 of them, which became my distribution network.

I didn't know ANY of the people I called, initially. Not one came from a referral. And there wasn't a sponsor that came to me during that timeI went to them.

Still, I was able to increase my earnings by TEN TIMES within a calendar year, buy my own home in pricey California, and start driving luxury cars and taking European and Hawaiian vacations, at will.

During my first few years of professional speaking, a major publisher noticed my programs and asked me if I wanted to write books. I did; six in five years, and four went on to become business best-sellers. Later, I would publish my second six.

And these books, in turn, brought me millions of dollars of added business.

This harvest of success came directly from the seeds I sowed with my cold calls.

If not for those frosty calls, made during one of the coldest Midwestern winters on record, I wouldn't be writing this article, and I might still be stuck in that quiet hamlet of 7,500 souls, where I was until I mustered the courage to dial my way out.

IN LIGHT OF THIS NARRATIVE, WHICH LOSER IS GOING TO TELL ME COLD CALLING DOESN'T WORK?

When you learn to cold call, you control your destiny.

You decide your activity level, and directly affect your results. You set your salary.

You don't have to wait for inbound calls to be generated from expensive advertising, and because you are proactively reaching out to prospects, you're enjoying several advantages:

(1) You fly under the radar of your competitors. I was at 35 universities and had six titles on the shelves of Barnes and Noble before my competitors even knew there was a category in stores for "sales" and "telemarketing." In other words, you're fast to the market, and that advantage can be amazing in its impacts.

(2) You can customize your offers to each prospect, quickly market testing them until you sort out the best one, and then focus on it. Try changing print ads or direct mailers with this frequency, and even if you did you wouldn't get the instant, rich feedback a cold call gives you.

(3) There's no downtime. You can keep calling until you strike gold, knowing that at any time you're awake, someone, somewhere in the world can be reached by your call and say yes.

(4) Cold calling is cheap and getting cheaper still. How many hundreds or thousands of unused minutes do you have left on your calling plans?

(5) Your competitors are afraid of the phone, busy taking to heart the wimpy appeals of so-called gurus who claim cold-calling doesn't work. Don't even think your prospects are being bombarded by multiple phone offers. It just doesn't happen, anymore, so you'll stand out among all of the cowards who are trying to find a "lazy person's" path to riches.

I could go on.

Once you learn to cold call you join the ranks of those who have tasted battle and savored hard earned victories. Everyone else may have an opinion, but unless they've ventured where you've been, they don't know what they're talking about.

Best-selling author of 12 books and more than 900 articles, Dr. Gary S. Goodman is considered "The Gold Standard"--the foremost expert in sales development, customer service, and telephone effectiveness. Top-rated as a speaker, seminar leader, and consultant, his clients extend across the globe and the organizational spectrum, from the Fortune 1000 to small businesses. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

How To Diffuse Cold Calling Pressure Points

2008-12-14T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Ari Galper

Stop your expectations from sabotaging cold calls

Sales pressure is a mighty saboteur. And it comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. Beginning any conversation with the anticipation of a sale puts the whole conversation under pressure. This doesn't normally create good outcomes. It usually triggers pressure, resistance, and tension.

People have received so many calls with such a strong focus on sales that they respond in a defensive manner to any sales calls at all. If you can release your expectations while making a cold call, you'll diffuse the underlying tension that comes with sales pressure. And you'll be surprised how often others will welcome talking with you.

Most of us truly believe that our product or service can help others, so we assume that anyone who fits the profile of a potential client should buy what we have to offer. Isn't that one of the first things we learn in our sales training?

But this is a recipe for disaster when it comes to cold calling. When we make a call assuming someone will be interested, we've automatically moved into expectations. No matter how well camouflaged they are, sales expectations block the flow of natural conversation and put pressure on the other person.

So move away from making any assumptions when making cold calls. After all, how much sense is it to have assumptions about someone you've never spoken with? How much can you possibly know about their problems, issues, needs, budget, or other key information?

If you approach your calls from a place of genuine interest rather than expectations, you'll diffuse any sense of sales pressure. The other individual will relax and the interaction will flow naturally.

However, if you're already convinced in your own mind that they should be a fit, certain pressure has already started before the conversation has really even begun. The last thing you want is to introduce this into the conversation. So rather than moving into a sales presentation immediately, maintain the natural flow of interaction instead.

You can diffuse underlying sales pressure within any conversation by focusing first on whether you are a good fit. Invite the other person to focus on this with you. And determine together whether a good business relationship might genuinely be possible.

When our honest objective is not to make a sale but rather discover the truth of the situation, we have released expectations. The key is to offer options, so the person we're talking with doesn't feel pressure from us. This would only trigger the defensive reactions we're trying to avoid.

Overcome the temptation to immediately discuss what you have to offer. Instead, help the other person overcome the fear of who you are and what is expected. Potential clients are much more likely to respond to you when they are not subjected to an immediate mini-presentation. This approach usually just creates suspicion and rejection.

So allow the conversation to have a natural sense of rhythm. Define mutual interest before launching into a description of your solution to a problem you probably know very little about at this point.

If you're still caught up in the traditional mindset of making the sale, your voice and demeanor will be full of expectation. Although you may even be using the "asking questions strategy," you are really thinking about moving the conversation into the sales process. Others will subtly (or overtly) react to this expectation with resistance.

It's perfectly fine to describe your product or service. However, you must introduce this at an appropriate time.

So be relaxed and low-key. Otherwise you risk introducing sales pressure immediately.

Rather than a presentation, you might begin with the question, "Hi, maybe you can help me out a second?"

The person will almost always respond by saying "Sure. How can I help you?" You've now diffused any immediate sales pressure. You're being genuine and not using the canned phrases that every other salesperson is using. You've gotten rid of the usual initial pressure and tension that comes along with sales expectations.

When your expectations are released, others won't feel you're trying to lead them down the path to a sale. They are usually willing to examine along with you whether a business relationship might be good.

So there you have it. Release your expectations to avoid conveying a sense of sales pressure. Potential clients become more interested and involved as a result, and also much more truthful about where they stand.

How Many Times And How Often Do You Contact Your Sales Prospect

2008-12-13T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by D.M. Arenzon

How many times do you contact your sales prospect? Wait a minute! Before you answer this question let us define what may constitute a contact, ok? A contact can be defined as any of the following:

*A contact is a call in which you speak with the decision maker.

* A contact is a call in which you leave a voicemail message for the decision maker.

* A contact is a call in which you speak with the decision maker's gatekeeper.

* A contact is a call in which you leave a message on the gatekeeper's voicemail for the decision maker.

* A contact is call in which you speak with a non-decision maker to get the name of the decision maker.

* A contact is call in which you leave a message on the on the non-decision maker's voicemail to get the name of the decision maker.

I'm sure that you could think of a few more, but those that I've listed above are the main ones. Collectively, these definitions illustrate that in order to reach your sales prospect there are many barriers to entry. These "barriers to entry" do not end here, in fact, they have just begun! What exactly am I getting to? Since your prospects are not expecting your telephone call you are competing against one of the most valued commodities in existence. What is it? It's called their time.

Your prospect will always find ways to protect their time and they accomplish this task by creating sales objections. These objections may be direct or indirect. A direct objection means that you directly experience your prospect's resistancemeaning that their objection is either spoken or written. An indirect sales objection would be your prospect's attempt to make them self conveniently unavailable (i.e. they choose not to take your telephone call and let your message go to voicemail).

Based on this information that I've provided thus far, Does this information prompt you to contact your prospect just one more time? If not, perhaps these statistics from the National Sales Executive Association will change your behavior. According to their study:

* 2% of sales are made on the 1st contact

* 3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact

* 5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact

* 10% of sales are made on the 4th contact

* 80% of sales are made on the 5th-12th contact

Which category do you think you fit into? Do you think that you may need to contact your prospect one more time? How about two more times? Three more times? If you do agree that you need to contact your prospect more than just a few times then the next question is how often? Should you call them once a week till you reach them? Should you call them twice a month till you reach them? Should you call them only once a month till you reach them? Below I've listed four "Frequency Programs" that you could use to contact your sales prospects. These programs are detailed below and include the following:

The Very Aggressive Frequency Program

In your first attempt to reach your sales prospect you can either leave a message on their voicemail (preferred way) or with their gatekeeper. Then you immediately send them an email that details the reason for your call. If you are unable to reach your prospect on the first attempt then for your second attempt I would call them three days later and leave a message on their voicemail or with their gatekeeper.

If you are unable to reach your prospect on the second attempt then for your third attempt I would call them one week later and leave a message on their voicemail or with their gatekeeper. If you are unable to reach your prospect on the third attempt then for your fourth attempt I would send them a handwritten note one week later indicating the reason why you are trying to reach them. If you are unable to reach your prospect on the fourth attempt then I would call them one month later and leave a message on their voicemail or with their gatekeeper. Are you still unable to reach them? Repeat this process or a variation of it till you reach them.

The Aggressive Frequency Program

In your first attempt to reach your sales prospect you can either leave a message on their voicemail (preferred way) or with their gatekeeper. Then you immediately send them an email that details the reason for your call. If you are unable to reach your prospect on the first attempt then for your second attempt I would call them one week later and leave a message on their voicemail or with their gatekeeper.

The Conservative Frequency Program

In your first attempt to reach your sales prospect you can either leave a message on their voicemail (preferred way) or with their gatekeeper. If you are unable to reach your prospect on the first attempt then for your second attempt I would call them one week later and leave a message on their voicemail or with their gatekeeper. If you are unable to reach your prospect on the second attempt then for your third attempt I would call them two weeks later and leave a message on their voicemail or with their gatekeeper.

If you are unable to reach your prospect on the third attempt then for your fourth attempt I would send them an email three days later indicating the reason why you are trying to reach them. If you are unable to reach your prospect on the fourth attempt then I would call them one month later and leave a message on their voicemail or with their gatekeeper. Are you still unable to reach them? Repeat this process or a variation of it till you reach them.

The Very Conservative Frequency Program

In your first attempt to reach your sales prospect you can either leave a message on their voicemail (preferred way) or with their gatekeeper. If you are unable to reach your prospect on the first attempt then for your second attempt I would call them one week later and leave a message on their voicemail or with their gatekeeper. If you are unable to reach your prospect on the second attempt then for your third attempt I would call them three weeks later and leave a message on their voicemail or with their gatekeeper.

If you are unable to reach your prospect on the third attempt then for your fourth attempt I would send them an email four days later indicating the reason why you are trying to reach them. If you are unable to reach your prospect on the fourth attempt then I would call them one month later and leave a message on their voicemail or with their gatekeeper. Are you still unable to reach them? Repeat this process or a variation of it till you reach them.

Which program should you use? It really depends on your comfort level and how motivated you are to reach your sales prospect. The most important concept that you should take from this article is the fact that you will need to contact your prospect multiple times to reach them. Persistence will always be rewarded!

Behind The Scenes With Mr. Cold Call

Mr. Cold Call is the author of "How To Have Fun Cold Calling" and "115 Common Sales Objections, 156 Clever And Savvy Responses." According to Mr. Cold Call, "Your cold call success is dependent on 11 winning personality traits (known as your Telephone Persona Of Success!)." Collectively, these traits allow you to uniquely market yourself over the telephone so that you can inspire your prospect's curiosity and reduce their resistance. Are you interested in finding out more about Mr. Cold Call? Then sign-up for his free weekly cold calling tips at http://www.mrcoldcall.com

Handle Sales Objections The Smart Way With Diplomatic Transition Phrases

2008-12-12T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

You've contacted someone and opened the sales call with these words:

"Hello, this is Gary Goodman with Customersatisfaction.com"

And right at this moment the prospect replies, "I'm not interested!"

Rude, don't you think?

Here you are, at the very beginning of what you hope will be a pleasant give-and-take, and they cut you off before you can give anything!

So, how can you respond, presuming they haven't hung-up?

You can do the intuitive thing, which is also the most defensive, and that is to argue with the prospect:

"How can you BE interested; I haven't even said anything, yet!" This is guaranteed to earn that hang-up, for you.

You can try to ignore it. This was my Aunt Cecelia's approach. When you hear something you don't want to hear, pretend you didn't hear it.

She swore by that one, but I assure you, it won't work on the phone in a selling situation.

Or, you can reply, diplomatically. This is the way to go, believe me.

A transition is a word bridge that enables you to gracefully travel from their interruption back to your presentation. Here are some examples:

(1) Well, I understand that, but

(2) Well, I respect that, but

(3) Well, I appreciate that, however

(4) Well, I'd be surprised if you were at this point, but

So, let's revisit the dialogue at the top of the page, adding a timely transition phrase:

"Hello, this is Gary Goodman with Customersatisfaction.com"

"I'm not interested!"

"Well, I appreciate that, but the reason I'm calling is recently we sent out some letters and brochures, and I was wondering, do you recall seeing one of those by any chance?"

This is an after-mailing opener, if you were wondering, and it works quite well.

But my point is you can't get to this opener unless you have a diplomatic bridge.

Try them, and tell me how you do!

Cold Calling Just Dont Do It

2008-12-11T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Tino Buntic

Cold Calling is dead. That's right, it is dead. It is interruption marketing to the highest degree. Consumers are tuning out interruption marketing and the advertising message is not getting through.

So why do you continue to cold call? It is probably because your sales manager tells you that you should. And why does he tell you to cold call? It is probably because the sales consultant that your company spent thousands of dollars on advised that the staff should increase their cold calls to increase their sales. Of course, your company needs to see a return on this investment so they advise the sales manager to advise the sales staff to follow the recommendations and increase the amount of cold calls.

"More cold calls equals more appointments made equals more sales presentations equals more closed sales." This is the general thinking. So sales leads lists are purchased from companies such as InfoUsa and the troops hunker down in the "boiler room" and call business executives and decision makers hoping to set appointments. The generally accepted rule is 15 cold calls should translate into 3 appointments made which should result in 1 completed sale. This rule usually ends up being 150 (or more) cold calls equals 3 appointments made equals 1 completed sale. The reason? Have you ever tried calling a business executive? Then you know that it takes about 10 tries before you actually get through on the phone. So the intial 15 calls turns into 150 calls. Executives, by nature, are busy appointments, meetings, travel, planning they don't have time for unsolicited phone calls. And, if you do manage to find them with some free time, it takes a lot of skill to get through the secretary (the gatekeeper); they are trained to filter out unimportant phone calls. And guess what? Your call is NOT IMPORTANT!

Let's go back to the sales consultant that your company hired. How did your company decide that they needed to hire a sales consultant? Did the sales consultant cold call your company to advise that your company's sales are not as high as they could be and that, therefore, they should hire a sales consultant to provide some recommendations? No he didn't. The scenario was something along the following lines: The CEO of your company noticed that sales are decreasing and did a search on the internet for a sales consultant to potentially hire to help the company increase sales. The CEO called the consultant, they met, the consultant made his sales presentation, and he was hired. The sales consultant, already with a contract, just regurgitated old school sales principals, basically more cold calls. Perhaps he even drafted a few cold calling scripts. This is almost foolproof. If sales increase the consultant will say it was because of his cold calling training. If sales don't increase he'll say it is because the company wasn't following his recommendations they did not make enough cold calls.

The bottom line is this "sales expert" did not need to make a cold call to earn his income. The company CEO found him on the internet. He has a website and he lets his website do the selling for him. If the "sales expert" doesn't need to make cold calls, then neither do you. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on sales consultants and sales lead lists, sell the way that these pros sell. Instead, spend that money on internet marketing. People that need your services are searching the internet to find somebody to provide it to them. If they are not finding you then your competitors are getting the business. If you don't have a website, you can create a professional profile on other sites, such as trade-pals.com for free. Just remember, if you disturb somebody with a sales message it is interruption marketing. If someone finds you through searches it is permission marketing. People just don't respond to interruption marketing anymore. If they find you, they have already made the conscious decision to use your services; half of your sales work will already have been done!

Tino Buntic is a former cold caller but is presently retired from cold calling. He now gets his sales leads through other means. His website, trade-pals.com, provides sales leads without cold calling to sales professionals across North America

Does Cold Calling Really Work Three Ways To Know The Truth

2008-12-10T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Daegan Smith

This belief has long been the contention of many people, especially those who believe that man, being a rational being, is always accountable for his action. They know that they will be rewarded for every good action that they make, and they will be punished for every bad action they did otherwise.

This belief has also been applied to many activities like cold calling.

Basically, people do cold calls if they want to market their product even without knowing who they will call, And as applied, cold calling works on some people, and to some, they just sucks.

In many instances, cold calling really works. However, it is not simply based on trying something because they know they will benefit something from it; and they would continue on believing that it will really do them good even if they did not even tried hard enough.

In some areas, some people would contend that the effectiveness of cold calling really depends on the situation and on the skills of the person doing the job.

Maybe, some people are just lucky. Maybe, some people are born cold callers or sales person. Maybe, it was their day, when they were able to close a sale through the phone. Maybe, just maybe, everything is dependent on your knowledge about what you are doing and on what strategies to use, don't you think?

This goes to show that the reason why cold calling does not work with other people is because they do not just know how to make cold calls, the true concept of cold calling, and the things that need to be considered before make a cold call.

Therefore, for people who are not yet convinced that cold calling really works and it is just based on some circumstances that cold calling does not work for some people; here is a list of some conditions that will tell you that cold calling really does work:

1. It works when the person who does cold calling knows who your customer or company is.

This does not necessarily mean that you personally know your customer or the company. What is truly being pointed out here is that you should know the pertinent details of your customer or the company. You should know the customer's background, the company profile, and the nature of the company or the customer so that you will have an insight how great is the probability that they will listen to your sales pitch.

For example, a person who works for a certain direct selling company but does cold calls on the wrong market. What sense does it make talking to people whom you know will not work on you?

Simply put, people will not listen to your sales pitch if you they are not interested on your product. In addition, the reason why they are not interested is that they know that they have nothing to benefit from it.

See the point? It is really important to know your target market before making cold calls.

2. It is important to know that cold calling will be very effective if the person will target on the right person in the company. The higher the position of the person is, the greater the possibilities that you will get where you are heading at.

This means that aside from knowing the target market, people who do cold calling should also know that they have to aim higher. This goes to show that you should not just call people whom you think are connected with your idea or product. It is best if you will talk to the person who is in the authority to decide if ever he will be interested on what you are selling.

For example, a person who is a sales person in a staffing company. According to his analysis, his target market will be interested on his services because he knows that the nature of the company can be associated to what he is selling.

Then, he thought of targeting a certain department in the company, whom he thought would entail the "decision makers." The problem is, he called on the department who is responsible for the recruitment of their company. This means that if he will provide them feasible means of getting employees or staff, which would make the department sound inefficient on their work. In turn, it will only make matters worst.

The important thing is to call the highest position in the company like the CEO's. IN this way, you can get hold of the real decision maker. The point is, when cold calling, you should start from the highest position and not on the lower rank.

3. Cold calling really works if your product will reveal unseen opportunities.

This means that people, who does cold calling, should make it a point that their services and products will reveal some hidden chances or opportunities and would make the company realize that they need it.

It is relatively based on timing. As most sales expert say, the reason why people say no to you is that it is that you are in the wrong time. What matter most is that you have to call again and expect that you will close the sale on that day.

It is the persistence and the knowledge about cold calling that would really attest that it really does work. As most people say, cold calling reflects your passion for the business.

Indeed, there is no other way that would best describe the selling characteristic of a person that what cold calling can do.

Daegan Smith the owner of Net MLM Articles and the leader of the fastest growing team of successful home business enterpernuers on the net. Find out how we're creating financial freedom all across the globe and how to get in on the action FREE =>http://www.comlev.com

What Is The Secret Cold Calling Formula In Reaching Executives

2008-12-09T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by D.M. Arenzon

The answer is simple and it's called PERSISTENCE! If your prospect does not call you back, guess what? You keep calling them! If they have not returned your telephone call after the second, third or even fourth attempt, guess what? You keep calling them! According to the National Sales Executive Association, 80% of sales occur between the fifth through twelfth contact and 20% of sales occur between the first through the fourth contact. What do these statistics tell us?

These statistics reveal that the most successful sales reps are those who choose not to give up on their prospects! They understand that those prospects who respond with the "not interested objection" are really asking for more product or service information. They understand the importance of consistent follow-up with their sales prospects. They understand that their prospects will respect their enduring persistence. They understand that their "enduring persistence" may act as a catalyst in their prospect's buying decisions. What exactly do I mean here?

These prospects (i.e. C-Level Execs, Senior-Level Execs, Directors and Business Owners) that are being contacted are successful for one reason and that reason is due to their "enduring persistence." Many times our buying decisions are based on more than just the price, features and benefits of a product or service. Our buying decisions can also be based on the person from whom we are buying the product or service. In this case, a prospect who is dealing with a sales rep who has demonstrated "enduring persistence" can quickly identify with this winning personality trait. They will perceive the sales rep as having something in common with them and as a result, they may factor this information into their purchasing decisions.

Now that I have demonstrated that being persistent helps to bridge the gap between you and your sales prospect, now what? You need to constantly remind your prospect of your "enduring persistence" because by doing so increases their awareness of you! This means that if you are leaving a message for them you need to let them know that you are not giving up and that you are not a quitter! Let your prospect know (either on a cold call or by voicemail) that you have been trying to reach them for six months, a year or even something crazy like two years!

Below I've included a few lines that you can incorporate into your cold calls and/or voicemail messages. These examples of persistence include the following:

"(FIRST NAME OF PROSPECT), Can you believe that I've been trying to reach you for (LENGTH OF TIME) now? Talk about persistence, right?" (pause)

"(FIRST NAME OF PROSPECT), I think I've left at least ten messages for you, do you respect my persistence here?" (pause)

"(FIRST NAME OF PROSPECT), You gotta respect my persistence here, I've called you so many times that I have no more room in my ACT database." (laugh a little and then pause)

"(FIRST NAME OF PROSPECT), I hope that you appreciate my persistence here, I'm not one to give up so easily." (pause)

How To End Your Cold Calling Fears For Good

2008-12-08T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Nick Arrizza, M.D.

If you're in your own business and one of the major challenges you have getting clients is picking up the phone and making that important first call then you're likely struggling with what many cold callers suffer with, the fear of rejection.

This fear can manifest within as some of the following:

1. Avoidance of picking up the phone.

2. Excuses as to why doing less productive things is more important.

3. Belief that what you are offering is not wanted by anyone.

4. Fear or dread of that proverbial hangup in your ear.

5. Anxiety or nervousness while you are trying to deliver your prepared message to the callee.

6. Conveying a lack of self confidence thereby sabotaging your efforts during the call.

An so on.

What does all of this have in common? Well pure and simple it is the fact that you are in failure mode. In other words your sales are going to suffer.

One of the most destructive aspects of this is that in itself it is traumatizing to you. That means that the fear of failing again just becomes greater and more entrenched in your mind and body. If allowed to continue it ultimately undermines one's self confidence, self esteem, sense of adequacy, and one's chances of success.

It also undermines one's overall emotional and physical health in the long run. That is what trauma does to individuals you see.

I think you know that sales calls can be very stressful and therefore traumatizing. That is why so few individuals are able to persist at it for too long.

What if you could not only rid yourself of such fears but also build up a sense of resilience that would make your calls pleasurable, effective, get you the results you desire, and make you successful?

Is that too hard to believe? Well it is possible with a new modality that I developed over 10 years ago which helps individuals achieve all of that and more. It is called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) (MRP) and it is available through the web link below at no risk to you.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called "Spirituality And Science" (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of "Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation" (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

Web Site: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/IntroConsult.htm

Sing Like Sinatra Top Consultant Advises Sales Amp Customer Service Script Users

2008-12-07T01:00:00.001-08:00

The Amazingly Simple Secret For Successful Cold Calls To Company Presidents

2008-12-06T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Leslie Buterin

Your colleagues are extremely interested in cold calling company presidentslike you, everybody with business savvy wants to reach the executives, quickly, to close top dollar sales.

In this business environment with collapsed organizational structures, the elimination of middle management, and the increased workload for executive assistantsit's even more challenging to break through to the inner circle of decision-makers.

So consider this--stop making the cold-calling process more complicated (and considerably more painful) than it needs to be. Quit agonizing over the writing of pre-approach letters and searching out friends who can provide warm introductions that'll break you through, and get you into the hallowed halls of the executive suites.

Sure, pre-approach letters and warm introductions are a good mix to add to any sales strategybut even big time local and long distance phone companies are finally catching on to the fact that the product they market, the telephone, is the most direct, effective tool for increasing sales by leaps and bounds. Now, you don't wanna miss out on use of a proven, effective sales tool, do you?

Of course not!

Here's What Sales Pros Attempt

Now, this is interesting a recent client survey revealed that most sales professionals feel pressed to accomplish a lot during a prospecting call. With each executive-level cold call, most professionals take a big breath and in one, great big, run on sentence try to 1)establish rapport by being friendly, 2)gain credibility by giving company history, 3)learn about the prospect with probing questions, and 4)introduce and sell products/services, all within the parameters of one brief make-it-or-break-it telephone call to the executive suite.

You'll Never See It Coming, Here's Why

Here's a news flash it can't be done! Even bigger news this kind of approach actually signals executive assistants that you don't belong in the president's office. The assistant will simply smile, refer you down to a lower leveland you'll never know why or how you got booted down the ladder so quickly.

So, let's go to the heart of the matter and take a close look at the structure of the phone call itself. In the 35 to 90 seconds that you'll have to spend on the telephone at the president's level, you've gotta be prepared to take the call down the straight and very narrow path in which you want it to go. And there is one absolute, positive, no doubt about it, purpose of your call. Any hint of a deviation from this purpose will result in fewer executive-level appointments.

So here's the secret ... cherish it and know it's extremely valuable.

THE amazingly simple secret to successful cold calls to the offices of presidents is to be certain that every single one of your prospecting calls has one crystal clear purpose and one purpose only. Each word you speak during your prospecting phone calls directs and redirects the conversation toward that one goal, scheduling an executive-level sales call. It doesn't matter whether you schedule a meeting in person, or schedule a phone meetingevery word of the initial phone call must direct the conversation toward getting that meeting booked on the calendar. Period.

Write Down the Words of a Successful Call

A technique that'll catapult you forward is to write down the words exchanged during your cold call. Identify what words, statements, and questions keep the conversation on track toward an appointment and what words cause you to lose the appointment.

You'll become consciously aware of the words that flow between you and your prospectand their impact. Won't be long 'til you realize that your words either get you what you want or take your cold calls way off the path down some obscure rabbit trail.

I guarantee your competition doesn't have a single-minded focus on high level calls and is, unwittingly, forfeiting a whole lot of potentially lucrative business. Yet they hold onto their ill-advised, accomplish-a-lot-in-a-little bit-of-time approach to prospecting at the top. You, on the other hand, will find that keeping your prospecting calls on one laser-like focus will bring in more executive- level sales calls than you ever imagined possible. Now, go get 'em.

Forward this article to friendsthey'll thank you for it!

I Hate Cold Calling But Will It Really Help My Small Business

2008-12-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Writen by Brandt Stohr

I hate cold-calling. In fact, there are a lot of horrible pains I would suffer before cold-calling someone. And I think that many small business owners feel the way I do.

It's true that there are a number of means of small business marketing direct mail, personal letters, advertising, networking, public relations, internet marketing and alas, cold calling is one of them. When it comes to small business marketing any business activity, really at some point you just have to buckle down and do what you gotta' do if you want to succeed. But is cold-calling one of those small business marketing activities that small business owners simply have to suffer through in order to succeed in business?

Some experts say, loudly and with vigor: "Yes!" Others say, "Absolutely not."

The truth about the value of cold-calling as part of your small business marketing strategy is that it's somewhere in between, and it depends on your particular business. If, for example, you retail small-dollar items through a catalog and on the Internet, cold-calling your potential customers probably isn't cost-effective: if each customer might spend $10 with you, spending 20 minutes or more on the phone with that prospect doesn't make sense. If, on the other hand, you're a manufacturer of small-dollar items that you sell to retailers who may spend $1,000 or more buying your products in bulk, then picking up the phone and making a call may well be worth your while.

If you decide to make cold-calling a part of your small business marketing strategy, there are a few things you can do to maximize the chances that your cold call will turn into a new client:

Cold-calling small business marketing tip #1: Take initiative. When you ask the potential client at the other end of the line "When would be a good time to meet?" you open the door for them to say "Never!" Instead, ask "How would next Tuesday at 11:00 work for you to meet?"

Cold-calling small business marketing tip #2: Approach the call with the idea that your goal is to help your prospective customer. Resist the urge to make the call about you what you do, what you want. Instead, make the call about the prospect at the other end of the line. Ask the prospect about his needs and wants. Then suggest that you can help and if he meets you next Tuesday at 11:00 you'll tell him how.

Cold-calling small business marketing tip #3: Get to the point. The prospect at the other end of the line is going to feel, right off the bat, that you're wasting her time. So, by all means, be brief. Be clear and concise. Avoid saying "um."

Cold-calling small business marketing tip #4: Ask questions. This tip reflects back to small business marketing tip #2, making the call about the prospect, not about you. Asking questions also helps steer you to the right information and will help you tailor your sales pitch for you to deliver at the appointment.

Cold-calling small business marketing tip #5: Save the sales pitch. Effective cold-calling isn't about selling your product or service. It's about getting an appointment so that you can sell your product or service in person.

As with any small business marketing strategy, the best way to figure out if it works is to try it. Make enough cold calls so that you can accurately measure their effectiveness. Then compare that measurement to your other small business marketing tools.

Brandt Stohr, The Small Business Marketing Genius has brought startup one man operations to billion dollar corporations by using creative marketing techniques rather then investors and capital. Brandt Stohr has been helped hundreds of entrepreneurs to get their small businesses exploding with sales without the use of expensive traditional marketing techniques. For more information and a free report on the ten deadly mistakes most small businesses are still making visit Brandt Stohr's site at http://www.smallbusinessmktng.com or http://www.brandtstohr.com

The New Telemarketing Part Iii Say Goodbye To Sprayingandpraying

2008-12-04T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Third in a series of articles, we'll discuss various issues and practices associated with modern ways of selling over the phone.

*****************************************************************
The New Telemarketing is a set of selling practices designed to accomplish several things:

(1) To sell more goods and services than its predecessor, the "traditional" style;

(2) To be less offensive than its predecessor to buyers;

(3) To be consistent with a customer service style of communicating;

(4) To help in recruiting and retaining qualified phone representatives and managers; and

(5) To repair and reform the image of telemarketers in business and consumer communities.
****************************************************************

One of the main problems with traditional telemarketing is that it is designed as a one-way communications medium.

Scripts, which are commonly used, and by the way, which are necessary, are monologues. They operate from an authoritarian premise that says:

"Me talk, you listen!"

Of course, if that sounds primitive, it is. Modern folks don't want to be talked down to, or even to be talked at.

They crave participation, and their generation, being the best educated ever, has been weaned on participative communication.

They were asked their opinions at home and in countless classrooms, by indulgent parents and teachers, and they expect to be conferred with, and their advice solicited, during calls.

Getting them to sit still to hear and then respond to a phone lecture that can last two minutes or more is fruitless. Hey, they can't turn off their cell phones without remorse, or shut up at the movies, an official one-way medium, so why are they going to kick back and allow us to have all of the fun?

They aren't, and the spray-and-pray format, where callers spray their features and benefits, praying some of them will resonate with listeners, is less and less attractive to fewer and fewer people.

So, a conversational model of telemarketing is required.

But how do you craft one that is efficient, where all control isn't ceded to the prospect?

That's where The New Telemarketing comes in. It is designed differently, from the ground up, to appeal to buyers and sellers.

And we'll explore this more intelligent and effective design in future articles.

Have A Good Day Today And A Better One Tomorrow

2008-12-03T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

There used to be a recorded phone line we could call when I was selling for Time-Life Books that would give us a quick injection of motivation.

It was sponsored by Jack Schwartz, a former insurance agent who became one of telephone selling's first authors and consultants.

These messages would last about a minute, and they'd be changed once or twice a week.

I have to say they were a little corny, but heck, they were free, accessible, and actually uplifting.

Jack would sign-off from every one with this line:

"Have a good day today, and a BETTER one tomorrow!"

You couldn't help liking this guy, even if you had a beard and he was fond of saying: "Selling is like shaving; if you don't do it every day, you're a BUM!"

Call it tough-love, but we got the point.

It was just great to know someone thought enough of our craft to dedicate his life to inspiring us, one little phone message at a time.

Moreover, each one of us who called Jack's line felt he was making a special discovery, finding a source of hidden power.

Although I've gone on to write a number of best-sellers on telephone selling and other subjects, I always get a kick out of gazing at Jack's book, which never enjoyed nearly the kind of distribution mine got.

Though dated, you can still pick up pointers here and there, and it's humbling to see a copyright date that goes back fifty years.

Do yourself a favor. Go to one of the online used bookstores such as Powell's and see if you can pick up a copy of an out of print book in your field.

You'll be amazed at what you can discover.

One of my favorites is a little gem called "Selling By Telephone."

It dates back to the 1920's!

Oh, one more thing.

Have a good day today, and a better one tomorrow!

Cold Calling

2008-12-02T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Frank Salisbury

If your business requires a lengthy face to face sales then perhaps your primary objective whether telephoning or turning up unannounced should not be to sell, but to make an appointment.

After you have introduced yourself and told them who you work for and what you do - 'The reason I've called round to see you today is to make an appointment to see you at a more convenient time - unless that is of course you have ten minutes to spare now?'

This works with personal or business customers. The choice for the customer is to see you now or to see you later. If they decide to see you now make sure that after ten minutes you stop and ask:

'I said I would only take up ten minutes of your time which I now have - do you want me to arrange a further appointment or would you like me to continue?'

The question is do they want to see you later or do they want to see you now. The question is never do they want to see you or not. People are conditioned to respond in a positive manner if you present a positive alternative.

Many salespeople selling to businesses assume that the main barrier to getting to see a decision maker is the secretary or the receptionist. It is further assumed that part of their remit is to keep people like you away from the boss. The reality is that it depends on who you are. If you are an annoying individual with nothing to say then you could be right.

The person to help you do this is the secretary, the receptionist, or a personal assistant. They are great source of information and contrary to popular belief can help you to see the decision maker. I even knew a salesman who would make his presentation to the secretary prior to seeing the boss so that he could get quality feedback.

You can either call into to see them face-to-face, or telephone them up. I personally favour speaking to people face to face. The first thing you need to know is the buyer's name, and then the buyer's secretary's name. The switchboard is always willing to help you with this. E.g.:

I wonder if you could help me please? I'm looking for some information so that I can write to the correct person in your company.

Ask for the names of the person responsible for buying your product, their job title, and the name and job title of the secretary. Make sure to ask how to spell their names.

Then ask to be put through: Hello. Can you put me through to Niall Smyth please? I believe that he is Peter Brown's assistant. Is that right?

Hello, is that Niall Smyth? Niall, my name is Frank Salisbury. I work for Business & Training Solutions Ltd. Niall, I wonder if you could help me please?

Niall, I'm putting together a letter to Peter about my company. I just wanted to make absolutely sure that I have his job title correct, as well as spelling his name properly.

My company provides training and consultancy services to organisations such as yours. Am I right in thinking that Peter is the person responsible for buying these sorts of services?

Niall, I know how busy Peter must be, and he probably only scans most of the mail that arrives on your desk, let alone take time to see the people who want to make appointments with him. My problem is, that I know I can help your company to improve it's profits, however the only way I can effectively explain how, is to take 15 to 20 minutes of Peter's time. That's why I wanted to write to him first. In your experience, what would I have to say in my letter that would convince him that I am worth seeing when I ring up a few days later to make an appointment?

If the prospect is not in and the assistant suggests that you leave your number and he or she will call you back say: when would be the best time to speak to x? You need to establish when next to call and when the chances are favourable for getting through to the decision-maker. Relying on the customer to ring you back rarely works unless they know you personally.

When you have established a good time to call say - 'would you put my name in Peter's dairy and say that I will telephone at that time?

Send a brief fax saying that you have called and when you will telephone back.

There is no secret to cold calling. Confidence in cold calling comes from practice, perseverance and a positive attitude.

High Phone Bills Can Affect More Than Your Expenses

2008-12-01T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Cherilyn Lester

I got a phone call today from a gentleman in Arizona. He wanted to talk to me about a report I downloaded from him about network marketing. I wasn't interested in network marketing, and I told him that.

But consider this.

I live in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. So that call was an international call for him. I'm guessing at least 10 cents per minute. Even though we only talked for about 30 seconds, that call still cost him 10 cents.

Imagine, for a moment, that this gentleman had 1000 people download his report, and give their telephone number. The telephone call costs 10 cents per minute. If he calls everyone who downloaded his report, can you guess how much that would cost?

Yes, $100. One hundred dollars to make maybe 3 or 4 sales of $20 each. Will he break even? No. But will he keep doing it? Of course!

What this fellow marketer did is highly effective. Calling up prospects and talking to them can get a much higher response than just sending an email because you can determine on-the-fly what they really need!

The problem though at $100 per thousand leads, this marketer is probably spending $500+ each month for his telephone bill. I sure hope the sales he makes covers that

Now I want you to put this story into your own life. Imagine you had 5000 phone numbers of people interested in your products. You would be ecstatic! But You don't have $500.

Now consider all of the invitations you get into your inbox every week for free teleconferences. Some of the world's best marketing minds hold free teleconferences and give away some of their best ideas. Problem? At 10 cents per minute, on an hour long call, each call actually costs you $6. Doesn't sound like much, but like everything else it adds up. 10 free teleconferences each month and suddenly you owe your phone company $60 you don't have.

Do you see it? $560 in telephone bills just to call your prospects and learn from marketing mentors. Not to mention calls to friends, family, co-workers, JV partners and others.

Even making $20,000 each month, $600 is still a pretty big chunk of change to spend on regular business essentials. And it can actually prevent your business from growing!

I've done it. I've gotten an invitation to a conference call that I wanted to attend so badly I would have given my first born child. But I didn't have the money for the long distance call.

I've had prospects email me, telling me they were willing to pay me $3000 for an hour long consultation with me about their businesses. And I had to turn it down, because I couldn't afford the long distance call. Can you see how this hurts business?

Telephone companies have been running this monopoly for years. Up until recently, there has been no alternative. And even with the advent of VoIP (voice over internet protocol) companies like Vonage, you're still limited in minutes, and they don't serve your business needs at ALL.

I remember one month, back in my early internet days, where I was calling up prospects in the U.S. Remember, I'm in Canada. I was calling up 10, 20, even 30 people each day. Each call lasted about 10 minutes.

I wanted to save money, so I used a 10-10-1234 type number, at 99 cents per call under 20 minutes. I was paying $1 each call. For 30 calls. That's $30 a day to call prospects. My phone bill that month - $856.43.

I personally think that is crazy. I wanted a company who could provide me with what MY business needed but none of them did. There wasn't a single company in all of Canada and the U.S. who cared about people like you and I, except when we grudgingly paid our $900 phone bill.

Just remember - those contacts are some of the most valuable you can ever have!

There is a company that does this though. And if you want to know more, go to http://cpsnetworks.com/survey.html, and fill out the survey there. This company is still in top-secret pre-pre-launch, so if you want more info you have to fill out the survey and wait. But if you fill out the survey, you get a free copy of affiliate defender! How can you lose?

The Power Of Agreeability Part One

2008-11-30T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

My parents were fond of the expression: "You can catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar!"

Exactly, and the same logic applies to snaring customers.

Most of us who do business to business selling have to get through secretarial screening, or at least handle these sentries deftly, if we hope to catch the decision maker. But we err, by sounding too cagey, too strategic, and generally, not agreeable enough.

We can change this and get better results by altering slightly a key exchange with the screener.

For example, let's say I'm calling for Yoda, you know that hard to catch fellow, with the light saber and Zen-like expressions.

I'll call and ask for Yoda, please.

"He stepped out. Can I take a message?"

At this moment, many will reply, "No, I'll try him later."

This sounds evasive.

Instead be agreeable.

Say, "Sure, do you expect he'll be back in the next hour, or so?"

The screener will probably give you the information you need.

"Yes, he'll be back in 15-20 minutes."

Then, it's easy to say thanks and that you'll call back.

By the way, your voice is fresh on her mind, so when you do call, she'll recognize you, and probably put you right through.

You may have noticed that I never gave her that message that she asked to take for me; only an affirmative reply, right?

This is a very, very powerful technique.

By saying "Sure," you throw her off the scent, she feels successful, you've been nice, and she'll disclose information and be cooperative from that moment, on.

That's just one example of the power of agreeability in selling.

We'll explore this topic further, in future articles.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Dramatically Increase Your Teleseminar Value By Keeping Your Listeners

2008-11-29T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Preston Campbell

Have you ever been on a teleseminar that just didn't keep you engaged? You know the ones I'm talking about. The presenter just goes on and on and on and on ... yada, yada, yada. And it's like you, the listener, didn't even exist.

I've been on a few of these calls, but usually not for long. Unless there was something somewhere in the content that I really wanted to hear, I got off the phone. I've spoken to a lot of seminar participants (mine and others) and the common sentiment, is "keep me involved and interested or I'm outa here."

I remember one of my early teleseminars on How To Create Killer Offers. I was really busy and (shame on me) I got lazy. I had a lot of great information, but I didn't prepare well for the call. It was a small group of about 15 people (coaching prospects). After the normal introductions, I muted the call because one of the listeners was on a cell phone and we were getting background noise. Half way through the call I opened up the lines and asked for questions and comments. Guess what? ..... Dead silence. NOBODY WAS THERE. I bored the living $#%@* out them.

I didn't keep them engaged and they all got off the line. Boy, did I feel stupid. Well, believe me, I learned my lesson.

As a teleseminar host you absolutely must keep your listeners involved in the call. If you don't, they won't stick around for your offer (if you have one), they likely won't have a very good impression of you, and you may not get the chance to do business with them in the future. It's plain and simple, keeping listeners involved in your call translates to dollars in your pocket.

So, let's talk about some great strategies to keep your callers on the line to the very end of the call.

First. STOP right now. Think of a few strategies you could use to effectively keep people on your calls. Go ahead. Do it. It'll be fun.

Did you think of any? Some people find keeping their listeners involved really easy, others find it a challenge. The good news (some would say really great news) is there are many very easy ways to keep people fully engaged in your teleseminar.

1. Create strong, interesting, relevant content. If your content isn't interesting and relevant to your audience, you will likely lose them quick.

2. Greet and have people introduce themselves when they join the call. This gets people involed right from the start.

3. Change the rhythm/pace every 3-7 minutes. If you just drone on talking and talking and talking about the same thing at the same pace in the same tone, you will bore your audience to tears. You can use any most of the involement techniques listed here to change the pace of your presentation. I also like to break my talks in to subtopics of around 3-5 minutes. If you are doing a Q&A format, each question offers a chance to adjust the rhythm of the call.

4. Make your call a "safe space" to interact. Acknowledge and encourage participation. Thank and if appropriate reward people who do participate. You could tell people who participate that you've written their name down and to send you an e-mail so you can send a reply with a special free report as a reward.

5. Ask the audience lots of questions. Questions get the client to think. In fact, you can lead the audience with questions. You might ask the audience to write the answers down. You can also open the lines and let callers answer. Another strategy is to let callers IM or e-mail answers to you.

6. Open the call up to questions from listeners periodically. You can do this after each major subject area or offer Q&A breaks an periodic intervals (I like to do them at least every 15 min if there aren't too many people on the call).

7. Take questions via Instant Messager or e-mail during the call. Answer them as they come in.

8. Open the call and YOU ask the listeners questions, ask for feedback, ask for inputs, their experiences related to the current topic. This can't always be done if you have so many participants that the background noise is high.

9. Conduct a survey during your call. You can ask for responses via e-mail, IM or even send people to a web site with an online form. You might want to offer to share the results at the end of the call. If it is a yes/no set of survey questions, you can have everyone who thinks the answer is yes hit a key on the phone so everyone can hear the key tones and then have everyone who thinks the answer is no hit the same key or a different key. Make sure the key is not a teleseminar function key that mutes or unmutes or causes some other impact to the call.

10. Relate your subject matter to the listeners personal experiences. Get them to associate what you are talking about with their past experiences. For example if introducing the excitement of something new you have to share you might ask: "Can you remember a time you started something new and you were so excited you could hardly sit still? Remember what that was like? It felt good didn't it? (pause) That's what this will be like. Imagine ..."

11. Use fill-in-the-blank notes. This is a fantastic strategy to keep listeners paying attention. If they want to get the great content in the blank space, they will stay engaged.

12. Have exercises and quizes. You can even offer prizes to the people who e-mail or IM the right answer first. Save the answers for later in the call. You can score

13. Use stories/metaphors. People love stories. Your stories can have outward and hidden messages for the listener. Your stories can help people connect with concepts. Stories allow people to connect internal experiences with the characters and other elements of the story to drive home your messages and help people understand concepts.

14. Paint mental pictures. Use vivid language that helps make your subject come alive. For example, someone selling an internet marketing course could say "once you implement these strategies you will be blown away by the flood of reponses. Imagine your e-mail box full of auto responses saying you got a sale, you got a sale, you got a sale. Picture the big smile on your face as you walk into the bank with all the check you collect. Imagine how great you'll feel as the teller hands you all the cash you earned ... all for just a few hours of easy effort."

15. Use visual aids and props. Refer the listener to notes, to web sites, things that they would have around the phone they are using to call into your teleseminar. You can ask listeners to bring things to the call such as books, articles ar anything else that might be relevant.

16. Include interesting facts, quotes, and case studies. People love fact quotes and case studies. Further, these can be used to build your credibility, get your message across more effectively and promote your product.

17. Be excited and enthusiastic about your topic. If you can't be enthusiastic, why would you expect your listener to feel any differently. Get pumped up for your teleseminar, have smile on your face, project energy and enthusiasm in your voice. Some people find it helpful to have a mirror in front of them so they can see themselves. Try this and as you look at yourself during the teleseminar, you'll get a feel for what you are projecting to the listeners.

18. Use curiosity. Ask a question, then don't finish it until later. Start a story don't finish it until later. Promise some interesting or even startling information later in the call.

19. Get the audience to take physical action. For example, to illustrate for hypnotherapist trainees a suggestibility test you could say: "every body stand up and now, go ahead this will be fun, yeah that means you, do it. Put both arms and hands straight out in front of you. With both hands palm down. now close your eyes. Turn the right palm up. Now imagine a heavy dictionary on the right hand pulling, pulling down and then a string attached to the left hand, getting lighter and lighter, lifting lifting. Open your eyes. Has anyones hands moved apart?" Most hands will have moved apart showing suggestibility.

Remember, listener involvement is one of the most critical aspects of a successful teleseminar. There are other critical elements as well, any one of which if done well can can make your event great or if done poorly can lead to a disaster.

Until next time, make it a great day!

Discover How To Qucikly And Easily Generate Massive Cash Flow With Teleseminars Visit http://www.TeleseminarSuccess.com

How To Know Youre On A Winner

2008-11-28T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jon Lonergan

The catchword today for business is flexibility.

With changes in suppliers, customers, and the processes connecting them altering almost daily (or so it seems) the future clearly belongs to the organisations which can adjust to change quickly and effectively.

The good news for Call Centres is that, unlike more traditional sales organisations, the modern Call Centre has the equipment in place to measure this easily.

Instead of doing a sales training course and then waiting some weeks or months before you can reasonably evaluate the effectiveness of the course, the Call Centre can institute any change regarding CRMs and measure its effect on sales on a frequent, regular basis.

In the traditional face-to-face small-scale operation, the manager can make the change but not be sure of its effectiveness or whether the change is due to the changes instituted as things change anyway.

How do you know the improvement in sales is due to the new processes or due to something else? Or what if it is successful - how long does it last?

And what does this mean in practice?

At CustomCall, in line with its company Core Value of Continuous Innovation, this issue was dealt with in the following way: 6 CRMs from 4 different teams were brought together for 2 hrs for a workshop to improve their sales.

Then the sales conversion rates were measured over a one month, two month and three month period.

These results were compared with their results for one two and three months preceding the workshop.

This produced an improvement of

one month + 11.43%
two months +22.04%
three months +22.66%

Looks good but maybe everyone else changed too without any training.

So the same comparison was done with the whole campaign. Comparing Campaign After-workshop-date to Before-workshop-date sales gave the figures:

one month –1.37%
two months +05.80%
three months +05.71%

Removing the changes which happened anyway for the whole Campaign, the final difference for the effect of the workshop on the training group was:

one month +12.80%
two months +16.24%
three months +16.95%

Over three months the workshop produced a 16.95% increase in sales conversion rates.

Then the workshop was repeated for another 6 CRMs and after only one month the change (minus Campaign change) was 16.30% improvement in sales conversion rates.

Getting CRMs from different teams means the change is not due to one Team Leader for some reason bringing about a special improvement. Comparing the test group with the whole Campaign means they're not undergoing an improvement which is happening anyway, as the full Campaign serves as a control group for the test group.

This makes measurement a no-brainer.

Interestingly when I told one of the CRMs his sales had gone up 45% over the three months he said "Oh I didn’t realise". So even those who benefit from change are not necessarily the best judge of the value of that change, Luckily with mechanisms in place to keep track we can make an informed objective judgment.

That was just one example but since all modern Call Centres have the equipment in place to do the same, it's a waste of resources if they’re not doing some research like this at this very moment. Maybe giving a group of CRMs an apple a day would result in increased sales. Maybe giving them an extra 10 min break would do that too. Maybe oranges would be better. Who knows?

The key is to try something and then measure it.

Jon Lonergan NLP Consulting
http://www.gettablegoals.com/CRuMpet/
PO Box 12 Beverly Hills
NSW Australia 2209
Ph +61 2 9867 2445 Mob 0401 856 057

Telemarketing Do Not Call Lists

2008-11-27T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Seth Miller

Do-not-call lists are playing spoilsport to any and all of the various telemarketing initiatives out there. These lists are compiled in a central database and filled by people who have called in and place their own names on the list. In addition, there can also be do-not-call lists for single companies, if that person expressly calls in and asks them not to call. These lists must be adhered to as closely as possible. The agencies planning telemarketing campaigns now find quite an uphill task thanks to do-not-call lists. The consumers play a big role in setting up do-not-call lists. They give telephone numbers that they want to be included in the lists. There is no denying the fact that telemarketing do-not-call lists are bad news for telemarketing companies.

Those who believe in making cold calls to potential customers should now think of opting for another viable telemarketing strategy. However, from the consumers' point of view, telemarketing do not call lists are blessing. People who do not want to receive these calls simply put their phone numbers on the list. To give the customers a fair degree of opportunity, majority of the states have come up with an extensive National Do Not Call Registry. Both the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission have found several consumers signing up for the telemarketing do not call lists.

So it has become compulsory for telemarketing companies to make sure they do not call customers whose numbers are on the list; otherwise, the company can be liable for heavy fines.

Telemarketing Lists provides detailed information on Telemarketing Lists, Telemarketing Do Not Call Lists, Telemarketing Lead Lists, Telemarketing Sales Lists and more. Telemarketing Lists is affiliated with Telemarketing Services.

The Best Times To Make Calls

2008-11-26T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Wendy Weiss

Do you want to reach your prospect directly? Would you prefer to reach your prospect without first having to speak with a secretary or assistant? Then keep these calling times in mind.

As a general rule, the best times to reach high-level executives are before business hours, after business hours or during lunch. Try calling early in the morning before 9:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. At those times, generally, the secretary has not yet arrived or is gone for the day. Executives are frequently answering their own phones.

Calling before and after business hours can actually create a bond between you and your prospect. Your prospect is in the office early, working, or is in the office after hours, workingso are you! That shows that you have something in common, and it shows your commitment to what you are selling.

Lunchtime is a good second choice for a time to reach your prospect. The secretary usually goes to lunch. Her boss frequently does not, and she may be in her office, answering her own phone.

Don't let preconceived notions keep you from making calls. Many people don't like Monday mornings, so they assume that Monday mornings are not a good time to make introductory calls. But for some, Monday mornings can be a great time to call. Some people schedule their week on Monday morning, and if you can catch them before they've finished their schedule, they can fit you in.

Your may find that there are good calling times for your particular industry. I once was calling Creative Directors in advertising agencies and found that for the most part, I could not begin to reach them until after 10:00 a.m.so I would start my calls at 10:00 a.m. Keep records of the times that you reach prospects. You will begin to see a pattern emerge. Evaluate that pattern to determine when is the best calling time for your particular market.

Handling Quotim Not Interestedquot

2008-11-25T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Will Turner

Have you ever called someone to schedule an appointment and their immediate response was "I'm not interested"? It's often a knee-jerk reaction that people have to salespeople, particularly telemarketers. You may have used it yourself when you got that pesky call that interrupted your dinner. But why are people using it with you when you call to schedule an appointment? And what can you do about it?

First and foremost, you have to understand that their reaction to you is nothing personal. The fact is that lots of salespeople have come before you and have done a poor job of selling. Maybe they used manipulative or high-pressure tactics. So now your prospect is more than a little suspect.

To get a different result from your call, you shouldn't act like a typical salesperson. Your goal should be to engage the individual and get to the truth. You start the process by looking at what you say when the prospect answers the phone. Do you ask for help or do you just bulldoze your way through? Do you use a positioning statement that is clear, articulate and focused on what is important to the prospect? Are you putting pressure on the prospect or are you open to have a real dialogue.

If you have done everything right, you still may get an "I'm not interested" response, but your chances are much greater that you won't. But if you do, your objective should still be to get to the truth. The only way to get to the truth is to ask the simple question, "Do you mind telling me why?"

If you ask in a nonconfrontational manner, you will often find that the "I'm not interested" is disguising another objection like, "I'm too busy", "Money's tight", or "I figured you were just another pushy salesperson". By engaging the prospect in an honest and open dialogue, you will discover the truth and increase your odds of moving forward and building a relationship.

The New Telemarketing Part V Needs Based Selling Empowers Customers To Close Themselves

2008-11-24T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Fifth in a series of articles, we'll discuss various issues and practices associated with modern ways of selling over the phone.

***************************************************************** The New Telemarketing is a set of selling practices designed to accomplish several things:

(1) To sell more goods and services than its predecessor, the "traditional" style;

(2) To be less offensive than its predecessor to buyers;

(3) To be consistent with a customer service style of communicating;

(4) To help in recruiting and retaining qualified phone representatives and managers; and

(5) To repair and reform the image of telemarketers in business and consumer communities. *****************************************************************

Traditional telemarketing is a one-size fits all method. It presumes that everyone has the same needs, and a solution, pre-selected by the seller, will be appropriate in every conversation.

The New Telemarketing operates from the premise that calls need to be custom-manufactured. This means certain elements need to appear in all calls, but there are some unique aspects that need to be customized to the tastes and interests of each listener.

Moreover, even if listeners were, in fact, the same, and had identical needs, they want to be treated as individuals, and the ritual of eliciting their individual needs constitutes a significant buying satisfaction, in itself.

Specifically, a New Telemarketing call will get the prospect to say these three things:

(1) I have a need.

(2) My need is important, and worth addressing, now.

(3) I want your help in addressing it.

When a customer utters these things, she is qualified and motivated, and she realizes it from monitoring her own admissions along these lines.

From this moment of acknowledgement, the buyer pushes for completion of the sale, and the seller doesn't have to push, at all.

This is a defining moment in a New Telemarketing call.

It feels as if the customer is freely choosing to buy, instead of forcibly being sold.

And the conversation feels like a customer service encounter and not a contentious selling situation.

In future articles we'll discuss the mechanics involved in getting customers to agreeably disclose they have a need, it is important, and they want our help.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone®, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone! and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Scripts Dont Sell But People Do

2008-11-23T01:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

If I had fifty bucks for every time someone has asked me to write a telemarketing script, I'd be wealthier than Bill Gates.

Ok, maybe not that wealthy.

I would think that readers of my best-selling books, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone! and Reach Out & Sell Someone®, could do it for themselves; at least a rough draft.

Anyway, what I've told these script seekers is scripts are next to worthless, if you don't know how to bring them to life. You need instruction in how to use them.

Today, I trained a telemarketer at one of my coaching clients' sites, and he is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. He's a typical READER.

What I mean by this is he sounds flat, bored, canned, and robotic. Isn't this how most of us sounded in English classes when we were forced to recite poems that we had to memorize?

(Longfellow may have been a great poet, but that experience taught me to hate the word, daffodils, ever since!)

My point is this: three things need to come together for a script to succeed:

(1) Text

(2) Tone &

(3) Timing.

I call this, no surprise here, The Three T's.

Leave out one T, and your script fails.

Of course the fourth T, the one that gets the other three into action, stands for Training.

People need training in precisely how to use a script, and this includes specific instruction in where and how long to pause. Hint: It's NOT at the punctuation marks!

You could have a wonderful script, but without the training in delivery it can fail, miserably; while excellent training with a mediocre script can support at least passable success.

So, please don't overvalue words on a page or a computer screen. In the final analysis, they do not and cannot sell for us; only we can!

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