Search:

Home | Advertising | Marketing Services


Telemarketing - Tips to Develop Cold Calling Expertise, Make Calls Effective and Get Results

By: Aeronx Mc Mall

In spite of the legal regulations governing calls by the telemarketing companies, cold calling is still an accepted means of qualifying sales leads and increasing revenue. It is impractical to assume your office will be mobbed by buyers unless you take the initiative to make contact. By using cold calling effectively, you can attract many more customers and enhance your business.

Here are some suggestions that can raise the response rates of telemarketing calls:

1. Define the aim of the telemarketing call
The target of a cold call is not to sell but to just create an opportunity for a sale. The initial conversation is about setting up an appointment or getting some form of a positive response.

2. Collect details of your target audience
Good market research should be conducted before launching a telemarketing campaign. After defining the target audience, you should get details of the individual or company you will be calling. By doing your homework, you can align the product or service with the prospect's requirements and make your call's relevance come through.

3. Select an opening line for the telemarketing call
Prepare an opening line to commence the conversation. This avoids any missteps and gets you focused. Don't start with "Can we talk now?" or "How are you this morning?" These statements give prospects the option to terminate the call. Your call should start with a greeting and address the person by name (preferably with a Ms. or Mr.). Follow it with an introduction - just your name and the company you represent . From here it would be easier to move into a dialogue. Use your knowledge of their business to introduce your product or service as a likely solution for their business requirements.

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

4. Draft a script to refer to during the phone call
A script prepares the telemarketing agent for any queries or objections that may be raised by the prospect. List out the various advantages of using a product or service. Think of likely objections and their resolutions. For every question the prospect may ask, you'll have a ready reply. This strategy also projects confidence. The prospect feels she is communicating with a well informed salesperson. Again, the script is for reference only, and not for reading word for word.

5. Be precise in suggesting a time for a meeting
Specify a time when asking for an appointment. Ask "Can I meet you at 10 am tomorrow?" If it's inconvenient, 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 assistants of the decision makers. Be courteous and remember their names for future communication. Getting on their good side 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 gifts - something small but memorable
Sending a unique gift is an excellent way to make your business stick in a customer's mind. When you call them the next time, 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, many telemarketers stop trying after the second follow up. Be persistent if you want to see results.

10. It is a numbers game indeed
Probability of making a sale goes up with each call. Let us face it. 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. It is important to continually improve so that you can sell more with lesser number of calls. This can only happen if you keep calling the prospects and not get demoralized by negative responses.

The art of cold calling gets better with practice. Proficient telemarketers have handled thousands of calls and a experience of handling varied 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 is at Tradeseam B2B Marketplace. Read Telemarketing Services 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