Search:

Home | Advertising | Marketing Services


Cold Calling - How to Become an Accomplished Telemarketer, Make Calls Effective and Get Results

By: Aeronx Mc Mall

In spite of the laws restricting calls by the telemarketing companies, cold calling is still an accepted means of qualifying sales leads and making a sale. It is unrealistic to assume your office will be inundated by customers unless you go after them to make the sale. By using cold calling effectively, you can attract many more customers and improve your business.

Here are a few ideas that can raise the response rates of telemarketing calls:

1. Define the aim of the telemarketing call
The purpose of a telemarketer's first call is not to sell but to just pave the way for a sale. The initial conversation is about getting an appointment or getting some form of an encouraging response.

2. Collect details of your target audience
Good market research should precede a telemarketing campaign. After defining the target audience, you should get details of the person or organization you will be contacting. By doing your research, you can align the product or service with the prospect's requirements and improve the relevance of your call.

3. Select an opening line for the telemarketing call
Prepare an opening statement to commence the conversation. This reduces any missteps and gets the telemarketer focused. Don't start with "Is this a good time?" or "How are you this morning?" These statements give call recipients the opportunity to terminate the call. Start with a greeting and address the person by name (preferably with a Ms. or Mr.). Introduce yourself by giving your name and the organization you represent. From here it would be easier to move into a dialogue. Use your knowledge of their business to present your product or service as a viable solution for their business requirements.

Jot down the opening line for reference before picking up the phone. Don't read it word for word. Just use it as a reference.

4. Put together a script to refer to during the cold call
A script prepares the telemarketer for any questions or objections that may be raised by the prospect. List out the various advantages of using a product or service. Think of possible objections and their resolutions. When a prospect has a question, you'll have a ready response. This strategy also projects confidence. The prospect feels she is talking to a well informed salesperson. Again, the script is for reference only, and not for reading word for word.

5. Be specific in scheduling an appointment
Be specific when setting up a meeting. Ask "Can I meet you at 10 am tomorrow?" If it's not a good time, the prospect will suggest an alternative but specific time and day.

6. Be polite to the people you talk to
In telemarketing, callers often connect to gatekeepers of the people who make buying decisions. Be courteous and remember their names for future communication. Winning their approval is critical to getting your message conveyed to the right people. They will give you the information and details you want when you ask them politely.

7. Send promotional gift items - something small but distinctive
Sending a unique gift is an excellent way to make your business stick in a customer's mind. When they receive a call from you, they recognize you immediately by connecting your name with the gift.

8. Make cold calls in the morning
Mornings are a good time to call decision makers as they have more time at their disposal. Catch them early in the day rather than when they're swamped by meetings or other work.

9. Be consistent in following up
Majority of the telemarketing calls show successful results only after the fourth or fifth conversation. In spite of this statistic, some telemarketers stop trying and quit after the second follow up. Be persistent if you want to see results.

10. It is definitely a numbers game
Probability of making a sale improves with each call. Let us be honest. Not every call would get you a sale or an appointment for further discussion. But make enough calls and some percentage will bring you success. Key is to continually get better so that you can sell more with lesser number of calls. This is bound to come about if you keep calling the prospects and not get discouraged by negative responses.

The art of telemarketing gets better with practice. Competent telemarketers have handled thousands of calls and a experience of handling wide-ranging set of customer responses. The key is to keep practicing and soon you will become a successful salesperson.

Article Source: http://www.casinoarticlessite.com

Daljeet Sidhu. Compare Telemarketing quotes. Read Telemarketing Services advice and Telemarketing Call Center blog.

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Marketing Services Articles Via RSS!

Powered by Article Dashboard