Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
How To Get Rid Of Annoying Cold Callers
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.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
So You Think You Know Why People Buy From You
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 |
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
3 Simple Rules For Your Next Sales Call
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.
© 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.
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/
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Voice Mail Beats Live Message Taking Hands Down
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 rule—especially 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
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Real Estate Marketing In The Quotdo Not Callquot Era
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
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Overcoming The Fear Of Cold Calling
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
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
How Effective Are You On The Telephone Important Telecommunications Tips
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
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The New Telemarketing Part Vi Why Telemarketers Prefer Tnt
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
Monday, February 16, 2009
You Can Sell Anything By Telephone
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.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Telemarketing How To Handle The Job
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
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Telemarketing Services
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.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Karma Of Phone Prospecting
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!
