Cold Calling Secrets To Success Revealed

Writen by Andy Szebeni

The simplest, most cost-effective and most time-efficient way to win new customers is to pick up the phone and call the prospects. But the concept of "cold calling" sends shivers down the spine of most sales people. It seems totally unnatural to many of us.

As with most irrational fears, such as public speaking, heights and spiders, it is the fear of the unknown rather than anything else that puts sales people off. This is only enhanced by the fear of rejection, a phrase that surely also needs its own phobia name!

While technique is critical, this comes with experience and confidence. The first defining characteristic of a successful cold callers is their persistence. Recent research showed the enormous mismatch between what most sales people thought was a sensible amount of persistence and how many rebuffs prospect really give. 43% of the sample said they would give up calling after the very first rejection from the prospective customer. Another 23% said they would not call again if the customer said no a second time, 15% the third time and 11% the fourth time. This left only 8% of the sample of sales people chipping away at the prospect's resistance. However, the research showed that when questioned 73% of prospects said they would give 5 or more "objections" before buying!

So the major lesson is not to take now for an answer. The second lesson is to make sure you are speaking to the right person.

All too often, salespeople start selling to the first person that picks up the phone. This can be a waster of the caller and the prospect's time if the person at the end of the phone is not the MAN. This is not me being sexist, the MAN is an acronym for Money, Authority and Need. Someone who is happy to listen to your pitch but can't sign the sales order is merely a recommender.

So how do you make sure you get to speak to the MAN, not the recommender? My favourite question is to ask: "apart from you, who else is involved in [this buying decision]". The boost their ego by admitting they have a part in the decision and then you get them to say who else you should really be talking to.

However, when calling a business, the first hurdle to get past is the person we call the "gatekeeper". Often this is the PA, the secretary or the junior colleague who's explicit job it is to get rid of sales people. However, the target prospect does actually want to still hear from people that can do him good deals, save him money, provide a better product or inform him or her of market developments. But the gatekeeper thinks it is their job to stop ANYONE getting through.

The first tactic to get past gatekeepers is to make friends with them first. Then it is much easier to negotiate a contact with your target. The temptation is to show our frustration with the PA who keeps promising to pass on messages. But they will be pleasantly surprised when you show respect!

You are very likely going to have to speak to the gatekeeper several times before accessing your quarry so make notes about their likes, dislikes, family interests, holiday, anything that gives you something to ask about when you next call. It may sound contrived, but most gatekeepers will begin to crumble when you begin to emerge as a kind, empathetic person.

Don't be too proud to use the pity card: as an MD, I still find a winning hand with "my boss has told me not to speak to him until I get through to your boss, you could not help me out this one time could you?".

The reverse of this one is to simply state the first name of the person you wish to speak to with an upward inflection: don't ask to speak to the person, don't say please, just firmly say the first name. Many times it will be assumed you are a known contact and you'll be put through.

A classic is to get put through to accounts. Then tell the accounts people you have obviously been wrongly connected by the operator but "is there any chance you can connect me direct to Mr X to save me going around the houses". You will then be an internal call and may even find out their extensions!

And if you don't get to speak to the person you want, despite being put through DO leave a message on the answerphone. It may be a million to one chance, but it is still a chance they will call back. But keep it brief and don't leave them enough information to decide they can not bother calling you back. Use just your first name, abbreviate your company name - leave out anything that says what your company does – and leave your number, stating it twice.

A little confidence goes a long way. The first times you try these techniques you won't have believe in them and they won't work. But keep bashing away and you will be soon setting your self and your colleagues appointments as if you were born to it!

Andy Szebeni is director of sales training and telemarketing company A&P. For more information and free tips and hints go to http://www.a-and-p.com.

Telemarketing Restrictions And Blast Faxing Sales

Writen by Lance Winslow

As you probably know there are many restrictions on telemarketers and as you may not know there are lots of exemptions for instance if you have done previous business with the company calling you in the last six months they are still allowed to call you. What is great about this is that if you own a business you may still be able to call recent customers and ask them if they would like to buy more products or services from your company.

This is good for two reasons; one, there are now fewer telemarketers than before so there is less competition and two, since there is less competition the consumers being called are not as grumpy when you call them and ask them if they like to buy more. You might be surprised how an old customer can become a new customer again with a simple phone call. And there may have been a problem and if you ask them if there was a problem you will get vital feedback. You may even turn a complaint into a positive.

Do not negate the possibility of doing a little telemarketing on some of your customers who may not be current customers, because there could have been a simple misunderstanding, which you can now repair. Perhaps you have the customers fax number and this is another way to write them a note and send it to them.

If you have current customers who are not as frequent as you wish they were perhaps you can ask them if they would like to be added to your list for blast faxing of specials that you may be offering. If they say yes then you should use faxing as a way to communicate with them and it works great as long as you don't abuse the privilege. 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/

Cold Calling Expert Says You Have The Right To Contact Anybody

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

I'd like to share with you a story from the 1960's that is told around inside sales departments and among co-workers as they gather for off-work refreshments and conversation.

Lyndon B. Johnson was President at the time, and being a Texan he was also a Dallas Cowboys fan, and that team was supremely successful in his era, headed to yet another Super Bowl game.

The President fell ill, went to Bethesda Naval Hospital for tests and treatment, and one of his fellow Texans put two and two together.

Reasoning that all Presidents have Super Bowl tickets and seeing that LBJ couldn't make it to the game because of his health, this "old boy" figured that there would be at least one unused seat at this sold-out venue that he could occupy.

So, he called the White House offering regrets about LBJ's health, and then he asked for his tickets, "In light of the fact that he can't use them and I'm a loyal constituent."

Sure enough, legend has it not one but two tickets arrived in this gent's mail a couple of days later.

The moral to the story is that he was the only person who summoned the gumption to reach out to the one person who could "buy" what he was "selling."

I believe a lot of people are daunted by cold calling because, simply put, they don't feel they DESERVE to speak to strangers, especially those that are perceived to enjoy high status.

Needlessly, they put others on pedestals, telling themselves it is a discourtesy or a form of disrespect to contact others without a prior invitation.

This is sheer foolishness.

Instead, we need to repeat, if necessary: "I have the right to contact ANYBODY!"

Then, like that Texan, go right ahead and do it!

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.

Telemarketing Speaker Says Quotuse Your Instinctsquot

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

You're probably a lot more effective over the phone than you think you are.

And potentially, you're great, even if your voice is a little raspy or you don't sound like one of the mellow DJ's on a jazz station.

The challenge is to get enough experience under your belt so you can teach yourself how to excel.

I've received some great training in telephone effectiveness and telemarketing, and it has helped me. But I've made the greatest gains by letting my instincts guide me to success.

For example, I promoted my seminars, consulting, and speeches through a number of universities. And before I called them, I knew, having been a professor, most of them wouldn't respond well to conventional sales calls.

So, I asked myself, "What text, and tone, and timing should I use with them?"

My answer: Less than you're used to using!

In other words, I decided trying to sell them through a one-way tele-speech would fail. They needed to feel they were buying and not being sold.

THEY NEEDED TO SPEAK.

They're used to instructing and holding forth, so let them!

This led me to create a very brief introduction of myself and my seminars and that was followed by a broad and somewhat modest question:

"How would we pursue the prospect of offering these courses through your university?"

I'll leave it to you to reverse-engineer this question to understand why it worked so well for me.

For now, please take this insight away with you. Phone calls are begging for original treatment, for scripts that sound unscripted, for new strategies, and you're capable of devising them.

So, let your instincts and intuition come to the fore. They can make you more successful than you ever imagined!

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, 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 from Santa Monica to South Africa. 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

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

Telemarketing Expert Says Recruiters Fail To Ask The Most Important Question

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

I don't have to tell you that employee turnover in the telemarketing field is rampant.

By the way, this is nothing new. It plagued us a few decades ago, and if anything, it has simply grown worse.

There are lots of remedies that have been tried to stanch the outflow of reps, and to keep them aboard.

Some businesses, especially in technology sectors, have build game rooms into the work place. I saw one a few weeks ago when I was touring a facility in Los Angeles.

Others have expanded the "Casual Fridays" concept to such a point that people can come to work in beachwear and what could even pass for club wear.

But these tonics, soothing as they may be, aren't sufficient.

I've found there are two variables that are super-powerful, one obvious, and the second one I've never seen discussed in the way we're going to speak about it, here.

Number One: Pay people extremely well, or make it possible that some can earn astonishing dough, and you'll slash turnover. The same firm with the game room paid a commission of $60,000 the previous month to one of its telephone salespeople. He closed a big deal and he earned big bucks. Hearing of his success will keep others pitching in hopes of doing the same.

Number Two: PEOPLE HAVE TO LIKE PHONE WORK. If they don't, you can almost forget about the potency of Number One.

This is the key employment screening question: "How much do you like phone work?"

This can be followed with:

"Does speaking to fifty or a hundred people a shift excite you or wear you out?"

And then: "How do you know this about yourself?"

True phone-folks will stand up and be counted, and the others, the great majority of people, will smile nervously and slink away.

Napoleon Hill said it well, many decades ago in the classic book, "Think & Grow Rich:"

"No one can succeed in a line of endeavor which he does not like."

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books, over 600 articles, and the creator of numerous audio and video training programs, including "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant-a favorite among salespeople and entrepreneurs. For information about booking Gary to speak at your next sales, customer service or management meeting, conference or convention, please address your inquiry to: gary@customersatisfaction.com

Telemarketing Pay Plans

Writen by Michael Russell

As much as the public may dislike telemarketers, telemarketers don't have the easiest job in the world. Certainly it is the most thankless. Aside from the constant abuse they get from customers, they have some of the worst pay plans in the civilized world. We're going to take a peek at some of the ways that telemarketers get paid.

The most common form of telemarketing pay plan is where the telemarketer simply gets paid for the hours he or she works. Since most telemarketing jobs are only part time, most telemarketers only put in about 4 hour days. Not all this time is spent on the phone. Depending on the company you work for you may spend 3 hours on the phone and then 1 hour doing your paperwork. This is usually a recap of all the calls you made, how long you were on each one and how many sales you made. Also included in this report is the number of completed calls against the number of total calls made. Then a breakdown is made of each non-completed call such as no answer, hang up, etc. Some companies take one of the 3 phone hours and use it for what they call company training or meeting time. So effectively, the telemarketer is on the phone for only 2 hours. This breakdown is important because not all companies pay at the same hourly rate even within the day itself.

For example; your typical company will pay about $7 per hour regardless of whether or not that time is spent on the phone, doing paperwork or in meetings. However, other companies have a variable rate scale based on what you are doing during the day. For example, they may pay $7 per hour for the time on the phone, but only $6 an hour for the paperwork time and meeting time. The effective rate of pay is called $6.50 per hour and that's what they are hired at in their contract, which is then broken down into the various tasks.

These are the lucky ones. There are those who are simply paid a flat fee for their time that day, regardless of how many hours. For example, some companies will hire you to make a certain number of calls for the day. They will pay you $25 for the day's work. If you finish the number of calls in 4 hours then your pay rate is about $6.25 per hour, but if it takes you 5 hours to make those calls then you're working for $5 per hour. The people who make out best with these types of jobs are the seasoned pros.

Then there are those who are paid by commission only. They get a certain percentage of whatever they sell for the day. If they make no sales, they make nothing. The benefit of these jobs is that the commissions can be quite large if the product they are selling is a high end product. Most people who take straight commission jobs are those who are again, seasoned pro telemarketers as well as sales people.

Probably the most popular pay plan though is the combination salary and commission. These people usually work a 40 hour week and are paid a salary for that week. The salary is usually very low, sometimes only about $200 a week, which is about $5 per hour. However, the commissions paid out, if the person is a good telemarketer, can bring their weekly paycheck up to 6 or 7 hundred dollars. Again, these are people who are very confident in their sales ability.

Telemarketers are a special breed. They have a hard job and generally don't get paid very well. Maybe we should feel sorry for them instead of holding them in such contempt.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Telemarketing
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How To Make Sales With Noisy Kids In The House

Writen by Tracey DePaoli

Kids play hard, and sometimes that means they play really loud in the midst of exploring their worlds and role playing with siblings and friends.

I know with my kids, if I'm not hearing some degree of noise; [i.e. play], from them, it probably means one of them is not feeling well, or they are coming down with a cold.

My world is blessed with two very artistic and rambounous boys; 5 years and 2 1/2 years old. With their play and with their singing; [they love to sing Country music at the top of their lungs!]; they have the ability to raise the noise level in our house to a "heaven-bending" volume in 9 seconds flat!

And while I loved to hear them hard at play, the sporatic and unpredictable noise [play], posed challenges at times when I was doing sales calls, or when clients called with final questions about starting a business relationship with me.

Clients don't wait, when they want to have questions answered and they don't always call at the best times. Sometimes these calls would come through when the kids were eating or doing activities that were not so noisy. Great! But.... most of the time, they did not!

5 year olds are pretty predictable. You basically know when they are going to make noise. But, if you know anything about the 'terrible 2's syndrome', you're already familiar with the unpredictability of when the next scream, or loud laugh will erupt!

Some clients understood. I would say: 'yes I know you can hear kids in the background. That is why I do this business. So I can be at home with them". For other clients, that was not okay. I had some near misses and some fair size loses in bringing people in, to work with me in my business because of this home-based situation.

Over the course of working out of my home, I have had many a conversation with other work at home Moms [WAHMs], and at times have doubled over in laughter at some of the ingenious, and sometimes silly tactics they've pulled just to get a moment of quiet when they needed to portray the illusion of "executive-office professionalism" for the really important calls.

Some of them would hide in the bathroom. Others would sneak downstairs, or sneak out into the garage. The funniest one I heard was the hiding in the closet trick... so the kids would not be making noise right under-foot. That one really made me laugh, because I have pulled similar tactics just trying to get a moments peace! And, yes, I have to admit, I have used them to make my business workable too!

Oh I know... I hear some of you saying... why don't you just get your kids into daycare, or find a babysitter or a Nanny to take them. Well, that makes perfect sense of course. But for the many WAHMs who have given up jobs to work at home, first, they do not want to be giving the majority of what they earn to those services; although they are very valuable services. And, second, there's that guilt.

The guilt we feel because it was our choice to stop working at jobs and stay at home so we could be with our kids. That was a conscious choice we made. So when we start looking at having to farm our kids out to daycare, babysitters, or bringing in a Nanny, guilt; as to the purpose of why we were staying home in the first place starts to manifest.

So what is the solution? Is there really a solution to how to make sales with noisy kids in the house? Well, I don't know if this solution is for you... But I do believe I found the right solution for me!

I don't have to hide in the closet anymore. I don't disappear into the bathroom to talk muffled into the towels, lol! I no longer work 5 to 9 hours a day on the phone during play time, or any time, doing follow ups and sales calls.

Clients no longer call the house at unpredictable times, or at all for that matter. My kids no longer have to worry about how much noise they make in the house! And, I'll still make a nice 5-6 figure contribution to my family's income this year!

What did I discover to make my sales business work for everyone in the household? Well.... that's another story that needs to be explained at another time!

My typing time is up - and my kids are calling me to come outside and play water-bomb balloons with them! Got to go ; )!

Tracey DePaoli is a work-at-home-Mom [WAHM] who got tired of building success at the expense of her family's time. She has a successful business now that allows her the time freedom to travel, play and spend precious time with her two young boys - 2 1/2 and 5 yrs and her partner! She has been an avid Internet marketer and researcher of online trends for over 15 years. Discover more about how you can also earn a 6 figure income while at PLAY! Site: http://www.WeCloseYourSaleForYou.com

Plan And Prepare For Your Sales Call

Writen by Duane Sparks

Never "Wing It"

Research shows that salespeople will never reach their performance potential without a well-defined sales-call procedure that they can follow and learn from. "Winging it" on sales calls has grim consequences - lost sales, extended sell cycles, margin erosion and no clear path to improvement. Bottom line: Your entire sales career can be mediocre if you "wing it."

Performance improves by as much as 50% when salespeople have a consistent game plan for their sales calls.

Most salespeople make the same mistakes over and over without realizing it. Without a logical sales call plan to follow, they can't even identify specific problems, let alone correct them. A good sales process mirrors the pattern by which customers make buying decisions. The nine acts of Action Selling break a sales call into its most important components, sequenced in the order of the five key buying decisions every customer makes. By analyzing each segment of a call and testing against the customer's buying decisions, salespeople can quickly recognize problems and adjust their behavior accordingly.

Without a system like Action Selling, the only thing salespeople can look at is whether they won or lost the sale. If you don't know what went wrong or why, you can't improve your performance.

In The Field

A leading architectural services faced a common problem. They were having trouble trying to sell an intangible service that was seen more as a luxury than a necessity. The firm's growth had stopped and they were losing business to far less capable competitors.

The Sales Board delivered a 2-day onsite Action Selling workshop for their sales staff, teaching the Action Selling process and documenting the company's Best Sales Practices. Twelve weeks of Skill Drill Modules followed, further honing the new selling skills the group had acquired.

Within only three months the CEO reported business grew by 20%. In addition, he said, "My sales team's professionalism and sense of confidence increased as a direct result of the Action Selling program. Having a clear understanding of the selling strengths and weaknesses of each sales team member has made sales management both focused and effective for the first time."

Duane Sparks is chairman and founder of The Sales Board, a Minneapolis-based sales training company that has trained and certified more than 200,000 salespeople in the system and skills of Action Selling. He has personally facilitated more than 300 Action Selling training sessions.

In a 30-year career as a salesperson and sales manager, Duane has sold products ranging from office equipment to insurance. He was the top salesperson at every company he ever worked for. He developed Action Selling Sales Training while owner of one of the largest computer marketers in the United States. Even in the roaring computer business of the 1980's, his company grew six times faster than the industry norm, differentiating itself not by the products offered but by the way it sold them. Duane founded The Sales Board in 1990 to teach the skills of Action Selling to others.

Contact The Sales Board for more sales information or sales training that's been documented and research-proven to help you sell more.

Contact The Sales Board to learn more about How To Plan For a Sales Call at 1-800-232-3485.

Inside Sales Tips Double Your Sales In 90 Days

Writen by Mike Brooks

Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Stan Billue, a top telemarketing sales trainer in the late 80's, claimed that he had a sure fire technique that could double your sales in 90 days if you'd just follow it. So I did. And it worked!

The technique? Record your calls. Everything that you are doing right, and every area you need to improve in will be revealed to you in just a few days. And by being able to calmly listen to your qualifying/closing calls all the way through, here are just a few of points you'll hear that you may be missing:

·What your prospect's true buying motives are.
·What your prospect's objections are.
·Whether or not you listened to these and answered them.
·Whether you were listening at all.
·If you talked past the close.
·Whether you heard their objections and answered them and then confirmed your answer and asked for the order - or just kept pitching!

Everything will be there on tape and you and your manager can then go about correcting your technique and immediately improving your success on the phone. The reason this is so effective is similar to the story of an ocean going ship that leaves port just 1 degree off course. At first it's not noticeable at all, but after 3 days of sailing, it's hundreds of miles off course! The answer? Constant assessment and correction.

The same is true for your sales team. If they are practicing poor sales techniques on their calls, and no one is correcting this, then they will continue to get the same results—usually not making quotas. The sure fire way to correct for this is to constantly assess for and correct it. And the fastest, most effective way to do this is by recording their calls and having your manager or trainer go over it with them. Try it, it works!

Copyright @ 2006 Mike Brooks

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

The Speaking Bubble Technique A Creative Way To Get A Facetoface Sales Appointment

Writen by D.M. Arenzon

There is a section on my website that lists over 40 quotes related to cold calling. One of these quotes is the backbone of this article and reads: "Do what others are not doing and you will STANDOUT! This is so true and this quote is also an introduction to my "Speaking Bubble Technique." What is it? How does it work?

This technique incorporates certain aspects of one of my most famous techniques called "The Moviestar Technique." This Hollywood-esque technique allows you to instantly warm up your cold calls by contacting prospects that are either quoted or pictured in a medium such as a newspaper or magazine. When you finally reach your prospect you then open the telephone call saying that they are a "Moviestar" and that you saw them in such and such publication. Then you introduce yourself, company and offer a benefit statement as to why they may want to continue speaking with you!

If you are looking for a clever way to set up a face-to-face sales appointment then keep reading. First look thru targeted newspapers or magazines to find a prospect that you want to reach. Find one? Ok, now grab a piece of white paper and draw a picture of a bubble. Like how? Yes, draw an image of a bubble that you could put next to your prospect's mouth. Are you done yet? Now get a scissors, cut out the bubble, glue it next to your prospect's mouth and write: "Hi (First name of prospect), thanks for letting me know I was in (Name of publication), sure go ahead and schedule a visit to my office next (List day, date and time)--Best Regards, (Your full name)." Does this sound crazy so far?

What do you do next? Take your artistic project, put it to the side, call your prospect up and say, "Is this (First name of prospect) the moviestar? Your prospect will most likely laugh, ask who is calling and you then respond by saying your name, company and mention the publication that featured a story about them. I would then offer to send this article to them as a courtesy on behalf of (Your company name). I would also mention that you would like to call them in a week or so to discuss (List your what you sell and how you might be able to help them.) Thank them for their time and send your little creative creation to their office (remember to attach your business card with some information about your company) then follow up with a phone call to set up a face-to-face appointment.

Typically I like to get the appointment on the first call and this technique may seem like a lot of work, but no one said things are easy in life, right? If you are looking for a sure-fire way to "get noticed" then I would highly suggest using this idea for your next hard to reach type of prospect. And once again, remember this quote: "Do what others are not doing and you will STANDOUT!"

Copyright 2006 MR. COLD CALL SEMINARS - All rights reserved.

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

Overcoming Objections Over The Telephone

Writen by Jay Conners

In sales, one of the things you will be doing a lot of, is making phone calls. You can't escape it. It just comes with the territory.

Making phone calls is really not all that bad. The thought of having to do it, is actually much worse than having to physically sit down and do it, and once you get on a roll, it's never as bad as it seemed.

The part of making cold calling sales calls that you will find to be most painful are the objections you will be faced with, such as, and most annoying, is the hang up, which doesn't happen as often as people think. In this particular case, I have no answer on how to meet this challenge, my suggestion would be, not to stress over it, just move onto the next phone call.

Another objection you will be faced with is: I'm not sure. I have to think about it.

My suggested response to this objection would be:

I understand that you need to think about it, but perhaps there is something I did not explain clearly enough, is there anything you would like to go over one more time?

Or . . .

I know when it comes to making a commitment over the phone that it is easy to become lost in the confusion of everything that has to be done and understood, is there anything I can go over with you one more time.

If that doesn't get them talking again, then let them go by politely asking for their permission to follow up with them in a few days, and, if you could possibly send them out some literature, along with your business card.

Another common objection is:

I have to ask my spouse.

A good response to this objection would be:

Is your spouse available at this time? I would be happy to speak with him/her.

Again, if this does not work, then let them go, and politely ask to send out literature, and follow up with a phone call.

And one other objection you may run into . . .

I have already taken care of that, or I am working with someone else.

If you are hit with this objection, it is most likely your prospects way of telling you they are not interested.

On the other hand, if they tell you they are working with someone else, it never hurts to take a chance, and ask your customer if they would like to see if you could get them a better price, or even a better product. It can't hurt, and if they are interested than go for it! If not, than let it go right there, and move onto your next prospect.

And remember, challenges are nothing but obstacles on your path to greatness!

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of sales and marketing experience in the banking and mortgage industry, and is the owner of J. Conners, Mortgage leads reviews - a mortgage resource center for mortgage brokers, loan officers, and lenders. He is also the owner of Www.callprospect.com a mortgage lead company, specializing in fresh leads.

Jay Conners can be contacted via e-mail at conn1229@yahoo.com

Predictive Dialer System

Writen by Eric Morris

Predictive dialer systems are generally used by telemarketing organizations involved in B2C (business to consumer) calling, because sales representatives require more customer contact time. Market survey companies and debt collection services that need to contact and personally speak to people by telephone may also use predictive dialers. To automate all sorts of calls, predictive dialers are used as a quick and easy way rather than manually by a call center, such as customer service callbacks, or welcome calls for new customers.

Predictive dialer systems have features such as automatic call distribution (ACD), interactive voice response (IVR) and call recording that has added a new dimension to the predictive dialer and auto dialer capabilities of this system.

Voice broadcasting with text-to-speech software acts as a unique solution that is ideally suited for ACD and IVR outsourcing. The computer telephony software opens this phone system to outside applications and developers.

Some predictive dialer systems have an extra edge in efficiency and productivity not available in other dialing systems, the agents have the option at any time during a call to click on the "answering machine message" button or "3rd party message" button.

When the "answering machine message" button is selected, it plays the digitally recorded message to the answering machine, allowing the agent to be available for the next dialer-generated call. If the "3rd party message" button is clicked, it plays a digitally recorded message to the called party, releasing the agent to handle the next call.

When combined with customer relationship management (CRM) software, the predictive dialer system is a complete call center software solution. With the new predictive dialer system revolutionizing predictive dialing, the call center can become more productive with more calls handled by fewer agents, including work at home employees. The modern predictive dialer systems far outpace old predictive dialer technology.

Predictive Dialers provides detailed information on Predictive Dialer, Collection Predictive Dialer, Predictive Dialer Software, Predictive Dialer System and more. Predictive Dialers is affiliated with Free Phone Answering Service.

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Use Outbound Telemarketing To Generate Leads Business Cold Calling Does Work

Writen by James Sagar

The phrase "cold calling" sends chills down the spines of many businesspeople. It's often viewed as an intimidating, difficult, and boring process … and that means it doesn't get done as often as it should.

However, outbound telemarketing campaigns are a great way to reach a group of targeted prospects or customers to communicate a message, gather feedback, and determine a next step for the relationship.

In many companies, sales reps should make hundreds or thousands of cold calls every month to set appointments and/or generate leads. But busy reps usually prefer to work on closing their existing pipeline. Prospecting often slips on the priority list; as a result, the sales pipeline isn't always filled with new prospects.

Specialize for better results

If cold calling is an effective way to introduce your company to new prospects, don't ignore it. Instead of forcing a sales team to devote time to prospecting, many companies use an in-house or outsourced telemarketing group to make a high volume of calls, find decisionmakers and qualify leads for the field sales group.

When telemarketers handle prospecting, salespeople can spend 100% of their time selling and closing. Your company can produce more revenue in the same amount of time; your reps earn more commission, they're doing what they love, and they're more satisfied with their jobs.

Forecast and budget; determine whether to build in-house or outsource

• Estimate your call volume, then think about hours of operation, fluctuations in call volume, and the skill set you'll need in your reps.
• Your call volume also drives your headcount, software, phone system and the office space you'll need.
• These requirements will help you decide whether to use a vendor or hire and manage a team in-house. If you look at vendors, the requirements will make your discussions easier and faster.
• Budget for everything including headcount, software licenses, bonuses and management.

Develop good scripts

Reps will need to capture attention, build value, and close; a good script will help them do it consistently.

• Make your scripts conversational, simple, and focused on the end goal.
• It helps to make and listen to calls as you're developing and refining your script. What looks good on paper may not work on the phone.
• Get feedback from your team as well.

Train and coach your team

Regular coaching and quality assurance is crucial.

• Engage your reps, role-play and guide them through calls.
• Listen to calls regularly, evaluate your reps and coach them to improve their performance.

Make it fun!

Telemarketing is a tough job and turnover is a big issue.

• Make things fun with contests, events, and other incentives.
• Make their space comfortable and interesting – tiny cubes, old chairs and windowless rooms don't put a smile in anyone's voice.

Report your results

• Define the reports you'll need -- your system may not be able to provide all of the data, but you can probably find an alternate solution.
• Use reports to consistently evaluate progress and improve your campaigns.

It's all about execution, so manage your team and devote the resources necessary for success. If you'd like more help, email us at info@marketingmo.com and we'll send you a free outsourcing tool to help you determine whether you should build your campaign in-house or hire an agency.

James Sagar is one of the creators of the Marketing M.O., web-based software that delivers marketing strategy, guided best practices and interactive tools in 29 business marketing subjects. James also contributes to the Marketing Tips from the Trenches blog.

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Selling Carwash Services By Phone

Writen by Lance Winslow

Most car washes make money by washing cars for individuals, but what some of the car washes do not realize is there is quite a bit of fleet business out there that they are probably not tapping into. Consider if you will such companies as;

• Rent-A-Car Agencies
• Municipality Fleet Vehicles
• Shuttle Rideshare Vans
• Pizza Co. Delivery Vehicles
• Auto Parts Delivery Vehicles
• Limousine Companies
• Taxicab Companies
• Security Guard Companies

There are hundreds and hundreds of types of businesses that have small fleet of vehicles and a carwash business should tap into this market. Often carwash owners do not tap into this market, but it is very easy to do and it starts with a simple phone call to such businesses.

The best way to do this is to get the yellow page phone book out and make lists of names of companies that have fleets of vehicles and the phone numbers. I also recommend that you get a Chamber of Commerce directory and buy a Book of Lists.

Next, it makes sense to find the decision maker and invite them into the carwash for a free car wash on a company vehicle or their personal car and schedule an appointment. When they come in the carwash owner should advance that car to the front line and talk with the customer as the car's been washed.

Then offer them a low-priced fleet discount based on carwash coupons, which they can buy in advance. This is how I recommend selling Fleet services for a carwash and it all starts with a simple phone call. 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/

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Relationship Building 101 Just Call Them To Say Hello

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

There are a million reasons to call a prospect—all of them proper and official.

For instance, you can call to tell them about a special sale, to introduce a new product, to alert them to a company-sponsored event.

You can remind them to stock up on an item that is facing an impending shortage. The list, as you know, goes on.

But, there is one reason to call that never goes out of style, and it earns you lots of relationship credits in the Bank of Human Appreciation:

Just calling to say hello.

We do this with family and friends, so why not with clients?

I suspect many of us feel we're wasting everybody's time if we don't begin a conversation with an official, sanctioned reason for our communication. Maybe, we feel we're going to embarrass ourselves by making nothing but small talk.

But here's what happens when you have no official agenda. After asking Bill if he's been getting out on his boat, or up to the mountains for a little skiing, he'll open up and generate an official reason for the call.

He'll probably say, "You know I was thinking about you the other day. I know a guy who could probably use your services."

Wow, that's a referral. I can't tell you how many salespeople complain that they feel odd asking for referrals. Isn't it nice when they just crop up, seemingly by themselves?

This is just the type of serendipitous perk that you get when you call for the heck of it.

I've found that it's also a good time to hear what's happening of consequence in your client's industry. When I speak to my university contacts around the county, I make a point of asking what courses are doing especially well for them.

Always, I hear about new ones that have been flying, to that point, totally under my radar. I may not want to offer the same programs, but knowing that more resources are being placed behind them tells me something about the future direction of my sponsors.

When I check in with the next campus, situated hundred or thousands of miles away, I can mention what seems to be working for my other client.

Because your conversation doesn't have an official agenda, it's very relaxing, and that mood is conducive to doing more business. Everybody appreciates interactions that carry less stress.

You don't want to overdo these calls. One a month, or every other month, might do wonders for you and for your customers.

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

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