July 23, 2008
Telesales
No Comments
Stop your expectations from sabotaging cold calls
Sales pressure is a mighty saboteur. And it comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. Beginning any conversation with the anticipation of a sale puts the whole conversation under pressure. This doesn’t normally create good outcomes. It usually triggers pressure, resistance, and tension.
People have received so many calls with such a strong focus on sales that they respond in a defensive manner to any sales calls at all. If you can release your expectations while making a cold call, you’ll diffuse the underlying tension that comes with sales pressure. And you’ll be surprised how often others will welcome talking with you.
Most of us truly believe that our product or service can help others, so we assume that anyone who fits the profile of a potential client should buy what we have to offer. Isn’t that one of the first things we learn in our sales training?
But this is a recipe for disaster when it comes to cold calling. When we make a call assuming someone will be interested, we’ve automatically moved into expectations. No matter how well camouflaged they are, sales expectations block the flow of natural conversation and put pressure on the other person.
So move away from making any assumptions when making cold calls. After all, how much sense is it to have assumptions about someone you’ve never spoken with? How much can you possibly know about their problems, issues, needs, budget, or other key information?
If you approach your calls from a place of genuine interest rather than expectations, you’ll diffuse any sense of sales pressure. The other individual will relax and the interaction will flow naturally.
However, if you’re already convinced in your own mind that they should be a fit, certain pressure has already started before the conversation has really even begun. The last thing you want is to introduce this into the conversation. So rather than moving into a sales presentation immediately, maintain the natural flow of interaction instead.
You can diffuse underlying sales pressure within any conversation by focusing first on whether you are a good fit. Invite the other person to focus on this with you. And determine together whether a good business relationship might genuinely be possible.
When our honest objective is not to make a sale but rather discover the truth of the situation, we have released expectations. The key is to offer options, so the person we’re talking with doesn’t feel pressure from us. This would only trigger the defensive reactions we’re trying to avoid.
Overcome the temptation to immediately discuss what you have to offer. Instead, help the other person overcome the fear of who you are and what is expected. Potential clients are much more likely to respond to you when they are not subjected to an immediate mini-presentation. This approach usually just creates suspicion and rejection.
So allow the conversation to have a natural sense of rhythm. Define mutual interest before launching into a description of your solution to a problem you probably know very little about at this point.
If you’re still caught up in the traditional mindset of making the sale, your voice and demeanor will be full of expectation. Although you may even be using the “asking questions strategy,” you are really thinking about moving the conversation into the sales process. Others will subtly (or overtly) react to this expectation with resistance.
It’s perfectly fine to describe your product or service. However, you must introduce this at an appropriate time.
So be relaxed and low-key. Otherwise you risk introducing sales pressure immediately.
Rather than a presentation, you might begin with the question, “Hi, maybe you can help me out a second?”
The person will almost always respond by saying “Sure. How can I help you?” You’ve now diffused any immediate sales pressure. You’re being genuine and not using the canned phrases that every other salesperson is using. You’ve gotten rid of the usual initial pressure and tension that comes along with sales expectations.
When your expectations are released, others won’t feel you’re trying to lead them down the path to a sale. They are usually willing to examine along with you whether a business relationship might be good.
So there you have it. Release your expectations to avoid conveying a sense of sales pressure. Potential clients become more interested and involved as a result, and also much more truthful about where they stand.
Adam Price is a Senior Coach, for Unlock The Cold Calling Game, making cold calling painless and simple. Learn the cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit: http://www.UnlockTheGame.com/PersonalGrowth
July 23, 2008
Telesales
No Comments
Our thoughts are always at the basis of our behaviors. If our thoughts are fixed on the goal of making a sale, then we’re not really being forthright. We’re not focused on the conversation or the truth of a situation. We’re chasing people — or at least chasing the sale.
Here are 5 important steps to help end the “chasing game” in our cold calling efforts.
1. Avoid reading from a script
Life is not a script, nor are normal conversations. When we read from a script, we’re not being natural. We’re playing a role. And that means we’re chasing a sale rather than enjoying an opportunity to meet someone new and find out if we can help them.
Allowing a conversation to naturally flow helps you enter into a dialogue based on trust, which lets your potential client’s real issues emerge.
Formal scripts, on the other hand, don’t give you the freedom to take conversations in the direction they may naturally want to go. And this feels stilted and awkward.
If you begin to view your cold calls as conversations or dialogues, you’ll find it easy to let go of the idea of scripts. And you’ll sense the shift of the energy in your conversation when the emphasis of the call is about the person you’re talking with and not about your making a sale.
So generate a spontaneous conversation, based on the problems you can help the other person solve. This will diffuse your feelings of being awkward and artificial, and allow you to enjoy the journey.
2. Address a Core Problem
People connect with you when they feel you understand their issues before you focus on yourself and your solutions. Come up with two or three specific problems that your product or service solves. And talk about it with the potential client first, before offering your sales pitch.
When you offer your presentation or solution without first involving the other person by talking about a core problem they might be having, you are focused on the sale rather than the conversation. And your whole energy tends to drive the interaction into a sales mode. Remember, whenever someone feels “chased,” they usually run.
So stop for a moment. Convey that you’re a problem solver. Invite a mutual exchange of information that explores whether there’s a possibility that the two of you might work together. Help them understand that your thoughts and goals are not focused on selling them anything at all.
Most people will welcome your interest in their problem as long as you’re not operating out of the hidden agenda of making a sale. So overcome the temptation to discuss what you have to offer and move into focusing on your caller’s world. Invite discussion, express interest, and stop chasing the sale.
3. Uncover the Truth of the Situation
Make your objective to uncover the truth of the potential client’s situation and to be okay with the outcome, whether it’s a yes or a no.
We can do this by checking in at various times in the conversation to make sure it makes sense to continue the dialogue. If we just move ahead without doing this, we’re in “chase mode.” And in this case, we may be chasing something very unrealistic for this particular potential client.
So we ask important questions such as, “Is this a top priority for you to solve right now?” We may find that the potential client is very interested in working with us, but the budget or staffing may simply be too thin at this time.
We stop at various checkpoints in our conversation to make sure we’re moving ahead together. If our thoughts are fixed only on our own goal of eventually securing the sale, we can miss very important signals that the other person may actually have no intention of following through.
4. Where do We Go From Here?
Here’s something very surprising. Allow the conversation to end without chasing other person into an sales appointment or commitment, and the other person will often be the one who initiates further contact.
So when you feel as if the conversation is coming to a natural conclusion, you can simply say, “Well, where do you think we should go from here?”
This question reassures potential clients that you’re not using the conversation to fulfill your own hidden agenda. It invites the other person to take charge of where things are going, and all you need do is follow along.
When you stop chasing the sale, you’ll be truly surprised at how often the sale gently awaits you within a friendly conversation focusing on the needs of others.
Adam Price is a Senior Coach, for Unlock The Cold Calling Game, making cold calling painless and simple. Learn the cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit: http://www.UnlockTheGame.com/PersonalGrowth
July 23, 2008
Telesales
No Comments
Sometimes the finest solutions are the simplest. Focusing on relationships when making cold calls is one of them. It keeps us genuine, and eliminates our dread of making cold calls. We’re real people talking about real things. We’re interested in the conversation, and it shows.
Most of us dislike putting on our “salesperson persona” when we make cold calls. We think it’s needed, however, because we’ve been trained to make the sale. And yet we’re interacting with a live, breathing person without having any real connection to him or her. It often feels fake, and it often is.
This artificial role puts a great stress on us, and sabotages our cold calling conversations. When we aren’t genuine, it’s a red flag to the other person that we have a sales agenda. This puts nearly everyone “on guard.” They’ve never met us and are wary of possibly being manipulated.
Have you ever noticed that most cold calls break down the moment we try to “move” things along towards a sale? It’s as if we’re getting ready for battle, and the tension pushes us along.
But the person we’ve called doesn’t know us. The momentum we’re trying to impose puts him or her in a defensive position. They’re protecting themselves from a potential “intruder” who might have a self-serving agenda.
So how can we to shift into something more positive? We begin by focusing on the relationship rather than salesmanship. We call with the anticipation of meeting someone new, and looking forward to a pleasant conversation to find out whether we can be of service. This mindset is subtle but powerfully felt by the other person.
Building relationships humanize our cold calling conversations — and ourselves. We are less artificial. Cold calling conversations become more natural. And people tend to respond with more warmth and interest.
The point is not to use the “technique of building relationship” to improve sales. That’s having a hidden agenda rather than a relationship. Our goal is to see if we can provide something that will benefit the other person. If it doesn’t, then we prefer not to continue interrupting their day. That’s a real relationship, even if brief.
When we’re being real people treating others as real people, the difference is amazing. Both people are both more at ease. We anticipate talking with someone who may possibly have an interest in what we have to offer. And if they don’t, we’ve enjoyed our time with him or her.
When others feel this relaxed mindset from you, they are much more likely to welcome you into their day. But if you rigidly follow a script or launch into a mini-presentation, then your call is immediately pegged as something initiated primarily for your own gain. And that puts most people into resistance.
Here are 8 keys to building relationships in cold calling:
1. Focus on the other person’s needs rather than on securing a sale
2. Surrender to the outcome of your cold call so you can connect with your potential client at a human level
3. View the human connection as an exciting journey in which you encounter new and interesting people
4. Speak graciously and naturally as you would with any new acquaintance
5. Remember it’s about how you come across, not about how many people you call
6. Allow the conversation to evolve naturally
7. Invite both of you to decide together whether it’s worth your time to pursue the conversation further
8. Use phrases that are non-aggressive yet very effective
So try this. Practice shifting your mental focus from salesmanship into a place of relationship. You’ll find that your genuine enjoyment of the conversation rubs off on the other person. They’ll be less defensive and more likely to share with you truthfully.
One of the best ways to build relationship is by using phrases that carry the human element very well. Start out by asking, “Hi, could you help me out for a minute?” The most common response will be, “Sure. What do you need?”
Your next question might be to ask whether they are open to the idea of looking at different ways to, for example, reduce their expenses. Most of the time the reply will be something like, “Well, sure, what kinds of expenses are you talking about?”
Now you are able to open the conversation between the two of you and build an initial relationship. It’s easy and comfortable to continue from there.
When you do this, you’ll experience so much success and satisfaction that it will really change the way you do business. And it will bring sales success beyond your imagination.
Adam Price is a Senior Coach, for Unlock The Cold Calling Game, making cold calling painless and simple. Learn the cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit: http://www.UnlockTheGame.com/PersonalGrowth
July 23, 2008
Telesales
No Comments
Can’t you tell when somebody wants something from you? I certainly can. And it usually feels inconvenient and intrusive.
So you can understand, then, why potential clients will often run for cover when your cold call is only about “making the sale.”
Most people sense that cold calls are self-serving to the person calling. You can almost hear the unspoken thought, “You want something, right? Otherwise why would you be calling?” This triggers almost immediate resistance.
For cold calling to be done in a non-intrusive way, we must shift the perception away from “you want something,” into “you are being helpful.” When our cold calls do not feel intrusive, people naturally are more open to talking with us.
Shifting this perception in others is all about shifting a perspective within ourselves.
Focusing on being helpful takes us away from the traditional sales mindset. In the old mindset, we talk about ourselves and our product or service. In this new approach, we’re focusing on potential clients and what may be helpful to them.
To be perceived as helpful, we must actually be helpful. If we try to use “being seen as helpful” as just another sales technique, people will sense our hidden agenda and react with suspicion. Be sincere in your approach and desire to help the other person.
Here’s how to stop being intrusive and start being helpful:
1. Make It About Them, Not About You
We’ve all learned that when we begin a conversation with a potential client, we should talk about ourselves, our product, and our solution.
But this self-focus almost always feels intrusive to the other person and shuts down the possibility of a genuine conversation.
Instead, step directly into their world. Open the conversation with a question rather than a sales pitch. For example, “I’m just giving you a call to see if your company is grappling with unpaid invoices issues?”
Never let the person feel that your focused on your own needs, goals, or agenda. Communicate that we’re calling with 100 percent of your thoughts and energy focused on their needs.
2. Avoid the Artificial Salesperson Enthusiasm
People feel pushed along by artificial enthusiasm. This triggers rejection because it feels very intrusive to be pushed by someone they don’t know.
Artificial enthusiasm includes some expectation that our product or service is a great fit for them. Yet, we’ve never spoken with them before, much less had a full conversation with them. We can’t possibly know much about them or their needs.
And so to them, we are simply someone who wants to sell them something
It is better to modestly assume you know very little about them. Invite them to share with you some of their concerns and difficulties. And allow them to guide the conversation, even when it means getting “off track” a bit.
3. Focus on One Compelling Problem to Solve
Don’t go into a pitch the way you would if you were operating out of the traditional sales mindset. Make what you say about them, not about you. Try to keep in mind that who you are and what you have to offer are irrelevant at this moment.
The key is to identify a problem that you believe the other person might have. Depending on your business or industry, here are some examples of what you might say:
I’m just calling if you’d be open to looking at any possible hidden gaps in your business that might be causing sales losses?
I’m just calling to see if you’re grappling with problems of employee performance related to a lack of training support?
I’m just calling to see if you’re open to looking at whether any department in your company might be losing revenue due to vendor overcharges?
Address one specific, concrete problem that you know most businesses experience. Don’t make any mention of you or any solutions you have to offer. Remember, it’s always about them, not about you.
4. Consider “Where Should We Go From Here?”
Let’s say the initial call turns into a positive and friendly conversation. The other person feels you’re offering something valuable, and wants to know more. Both of you feel there may be a match.
Rather than focusing on making a sale at this point, you can simply say, “Well, where do you think we should go from here?”
This question reassures potential clients that you’re not using the conversation to fulfill your own hidden agenda.
Rather, your giving them space and time to come to their own conclusions. You’re helping them create their own path, and you will follow.
Adam Price is a Senior Coach, for Unlock The Cold Calling Game, making cold calling painless and simple. Learn the cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit: http://www.UnlockTheGame.com/PersonalGrowth
March 27, 2008
Telesales
No Comments
Cold call prospecting may not be one of the best ways to generate leads or to make appointments with prospects, however, it beats sitting around the office waiting for the phone to ring and it can help you learn some valuable sales skills.
When I started in sales as a real estate agent in 1982, I spent the first six months part time cold call prospecting every night for two hours. I also used others methods of generating leads such as open houses, taking incoming calls, working my sphere of influence and numerous other methods.
The cold call prospecting I did every night generated some immediate and future business, however, the biggest benefits I received were how to build rapport, make appointments, handle objections and handle rejection.
Build Rapport
I learned very early what every good salesperson knows. Before someone will buy from you they have to like and trust you. The easiest way to get someone to like you and trust you is to understand how to build rapport quickly. So how do you establish rapport?
I let the prospect know quickly, the reason for my call. I left out the phrase “How are you today”? It can be interpreted as being insincere. I only stated my name, my company name and how I could help the prospect.
I listened for information I could use to get them talking about themselves and build some common ground. I showed a genuine concern for the prospect, and soon they began to open up and reveal personal information such as hobbies, children, vacation spots and lots of other tidbits I could build on.
When the prospect answered the phone, I made sure I was upbeat and didn’t sound like I had just lost my best friend. I tried to use humor during the conversation. People love to laugh. I talked at the same rate, pitch and volume as the prospect. If they talk fast, then I talked fast. If they talk softly, then I would do the same.
Make Appointments
When I was cold call prospecting, I always worked from a script, a simple script a nine year old could understand. I memorized it so I could recite it on a moments notice. However, I kept it in front of me at all times during the call. If I got thrown off the track, the script was there to bring me back. As I made more calls, my script evolved, and so it changed as I learned better ways to get my point across.
The script was direct and to the point. I stated my name, company name and my unique selling proposition. It contained most of the questions I wanted to ask a prospect to determine their need for what I was selling. The script was a road map I followed for every call.
I knew my desired outcome when cold call prospecting was to make the appointment. I learned to ask questions that would qualify or disqualify them as a potential appointment. If I had a qualified prospect, I directed all my energies towards making that appointment. I never tried to sell them over the phone. If I found the prospect didn’t have a need for my services, I quickly got off the phone, and on to the next call.
Handle Objections
While making the thousands of calls I made those first six months, you can imagine I got lots of objections. An objection is really the prospect stating their need for more information. If the prospect didn’t want or need what I was selling, they would have told me, hung up on me or thrown me out. As long as they were coming up with objections, I still had a chance to get the appointment. I would give them the information they were looking for and close for the appointment.
If I came across an objection I couldn’t overcome, after the call I would seek a more experienced agent and ask them how to handle it. I added that to my script and went on to the next call. This process continued until I was a master at handling objections, and my closing ratio for appointments increased dramatically.
Handle Rejection
The first few weeks of cold call prospecting, I felt alot of rejection. People were mean, they hung up on me, slammed doors in my face or just didn’t have any interest. Then I learned a very important lesson. They weren’t actually rejecting me, they were rejecting my offer.
So I worked on strengthening my unique selling proposition, practiced the delivery of my script and how to handle the objections I was getting. In time fewer people rejected my offer and I realized the ones who did weren’t good prospects any way. I stopped taking it personally and moved on to the next call, knowing with each call, I was closer to making my next appointment.
Cold call prospecting may not be the most effective way to make appointments, however, I realized it could be a valuable tool for increasing my skills, and it sure beat doing nothing at all.
Discover “23 Ways to Generate a Steady Supply of Quality Leads For Any Product or Service” with From The Heart Sales Training’s Lead Generation System. Click here now to discover better alternatives to cold call prospecting.
March 27, 2008
Telesales
No Comments
In today’s competitive sales market, preparation is everything. Often it’ll mean the difference between getting the opportunity to meet with the decision maker and being able to have a productive meeting with a prospect. Pre call preparation can either be an asset or a detriment to your competitors. You need to be able to understand what the prospect wants and have the ability to embrace their objections.
So, exactly what does preparation all entail? Preparation involves doing your homework on the company, planning and using good critical thinking. Start by learning as much as possible about the prospect’s company. Ask yourself basic questions that will assist you in helping them. For example, what are their organizational objectives, how do they see their company experiencing growth, and what are their current challenges, who are their competitors. These questions will allow you to determine whether they would be a good fit for you as a client.
The most essential piece is getting all the information so that you can later explain why it makes sense for the prospect to meet with you. Doing this shows the client that you are genuinely interested in their needs, not just wanting to sell your product/service. If you play your cards right, it should expedite the sales cycle. Gaining early credibility is extremely helpful in helping overcome objections that may appear. It is also valuable to gather any information regarding their current challenges prior to your meeting since this gives you the ability to offer solutions when you get together.
Planning and critical thinking before a phone call or meeting helps set objectives and the means to achieve them. An example might be, prior to a management ride along be sure to discuss the objectives of the activity, potential objections your may experience and a plan for moving forward.
In addition, prior to a meeting it is essential that the role of manager and sales person is defined. Answer the question, who is going to handle the meeting? The manager needs to base those decisions on the salesperson and their personality attributes. In order to comfortably prepare, the manager may want to role play some different scenarios with the representative prior to the meeting.
In summary, there will be times when planning will not help you effectively handle the situation, just remember that if you don’t have the answer offer to find out the correct answer for the prospect. It is also important to remember to smile, whether in person or over the phone, people can hear enthusiasm in your voice and it catches. By doing your homework, planning for the call and using good critical thinking skills you’ll be on your way to a successful cold call experience.
Tim Hagen, President of Sales Progress LLC, builds programs to help organizations increase sales. He has worked in a variety of industries and has been instrumental in assisting them in building a strong sales culture. He can be reached at http://www.SalesProgress.com or 262-240-1077.
March 27, 2008
Telesales
No Comments
Do you make the best use of IOVC CRM technology? Are you making the best use of your customer related data? IOVC technologies can cut your business costs sharply.
If you are looking for success through the use of the internet and improved customer data, then as a business owner you owe it to yourself to make yourself profitable with the many readily available, IOVC technology tools. Years ago, these tools were only available to large business and in some case were shrunk or made to fit for medium business, but seldom for small business and definitely not for a single person business.
In this continuing series on IOVC, examining the “C” of IOVC (internet, office, VOIP and CRM) technologies, Customer Relationship Management has many meanings to many people and understanding the benefits to your business is critical to successfully using this technology.
The problem CRM is designed to resolve are situations where you have multiple data sources and you need to consolidate it in one place. The multiple sources from an IOVC perspective are input from the internet, from your office operation and from your telephone systems. These 3 sources usually have different inputs, email, voice and paper. The inputs come at different times and in most cases one person can use any of these IOVC communication avenues to work with your business. CRM solutions are designed to meet the wide range of integration requirements required for today’s business systems, whether simple or complex, there are many benefits to having a CRM solution that integrates with your existing environment.
You can develop a complete picture of your customer and have all the information at hand regardless of the venue the customer used to work with your team. Regardless of how far away the information was obtained or the time it was obtained, your team can use the CRM system to view all customer contacts.
Additional office benefits are you can streamline your business processes beyond system and office boundaries. You can free employees from the manual activity of re-entering data. This time consuming task just disappears with the entrance of data one time into one place for all to see and use daily.
If you select a non proprietary CRM system, you can integrate your CRM with other information systems. This can save you a tremendous amount of time and money. This also means you can have your employees work offline or online and still be efficient.
Your CRM solution should let your developers integrate its functionality with third-party applications like Web services. If it’s really open in standards then you can customize and integrate with just about any other product and service you currently use today. This makes for a very powerful solution.
Other efficiencies are ability to reschedule an appointment in real time and demonstrate to customers that you have fast and efficient operation. Keep customers coming back with related follow-up services and we all know that repeat customers are the best customers.
Productivity benefits are you can manage your time and activities with help from reminders and use pop-up reminders to help you manage your activities. Create a knowledge base of articles to collect and share your organization valuable information. Make an efficient FAQ system from real time data.
The benefits of the CRM component as part of the end-to-end IOVC business process improvement technology are many and require more explanation then we can provide here. Your business processes are already operating this technology, it is just that you may be doing it on paper and pencil and napkins. To improve and gain these benefits you owe it to yourself to learn how to use and profit from CRM capabilities regardless of business size.
The benefits of IOVC technology are many and business owners should learn to use all the IOVC CRM capabilities to make their business as profitable as possible. CRM fits the end to end IOVC business process improvement paradigm perfectly since it has Internet web based capabilities, Office Process management capabilities and of course C for Customer Relationship Management services. There are many IOVC solutions in addition to CRM and you owe it to your bottom line to investigate the possible benefits for your business.
TechOSS IOVC CRM Services Save money, reduce cost and increase customer acquisitions through Internet, Office, VOIP and Coaching solutions.
Join TechOSS-Visit.
www.techoss.com and benefit from our CRM solutions. info_now@techoss.com
March 27, 2008
Telesales
No Comments
This sales prospecting technique isn’t specifically about how to prospect. It’s a technique for dealing with the ill effects of prospecting, how to handle rejection. Being able to overcome the ill effects of rejection is vital to success in sales.
I can’t take credit for this technique. This technique for handling rejection comes from one of my mentors, Tom Hopkins.
If you focus on this sales prospecting technique when you get rejected you’ll turn the bad feelings into good feelings. If you’re constantly risking rejection, finding it, overcoming it and closing sales you may not need to use this technique. If you’re not doing all these things, you need this technique. It will increase your sales your confidence if you do.
The first step to using this sales prospecting technique is to determine the cash value of each rejection you receive.
How do you do that?
Let’s say for instance, every sale you close you are paid $500. Then 1 sale would equal $500.
The next part requires that you’re tracking your contacts-to-closings ratio. The top sales people track this and other information daily. What I mean by tracking is, you should always be keeping track of the number of contacts, appointments, presentations and closes you make. Tracking requires little effort and yields valuable information. For example, when you see negative changes in your tracking information, you become aware of challenges you need to address before they affect your sales.
Now let’s say you contact ten people to make a sale. This means your contact-to-closing ratio is ten to one. The top sales people are always striving to improve their closing ratios; however, the ten to one ratio is a reasonable average. Now, 1 sale equals $500. 10 contacts equals 1 sale, therefore, 1 contact equals $50.
If you look at getting paid for each contact instead of each sale you’ll see rejection in a whole new way. Aren’t you paid by the contact and not the sale? After all, if you don’t make contacts, you don’t make sales.
Top sales people look at the value of the activity as well as the result.
Using this sales prospecting technique, making contacts and handling rejection becomes fun. Every time a contact results in a rejection of your product or service you can view the rejection as making money. In the above example you would make $50 for every rejection and be one contact closer to making a sale.
It changes the way you look at things, doesn’t it?
If you place a dollar value on prospecting and rejection as an activity, you will look forward to these activities. You will view the activity as making money and be inclined to do it more often.
Jim Klein provides salepeople with effective strategies that attract new clients, build customer relationships, and increase sales, GUARANTEED.
Get free sales training by subscribing to our free newsletter “The Sales Advisor”.
March 27, 2008
Telesales
No Comments
While considering how to go about executing your telemarketing requirements, you have the option of hiring your own staff, or getting the job done through outsourcing. Here are a few pointers to help you along.
The advantage of outsourcing or getting in a third party is that you have trained staff at your disposal to accomplish your task and get your message spread quickly among many. Doing it yourself entails training and practice, while they have the advantage of having personnel ready. The outside firm can make far more calls than you would with your in-house staff. You must consider that the outside help that you hire may not be committed and could lack the inner drive to sell, and could be expensive. They also may not be able to get into the technical details of the product, which tends to curtail the scope of conversation that they can conduct and are therefore better for gathering information and details about prospective customers and for “yes” or “no” type of questions. They also could suffer from the lack of contact numbers unless you can provide them as their own contact list could be below par.
The advantage of using an in-house team means that you can train them in a focussed manner with the requisite skills required for your product, thereby empowering them to have meaningful dialogues with potential clientele. It also enables you to have a more focussed list aimed at potential customers as per your requirements. You also have the advantage of eliminating from the list calls that are not expected to prove fruitful.
The disadvantage here lies with the small businesses that do not have enough staff and therefore cannot spare anyone on a long-term basis. The option is to hire college students, housewives and retirees and train them for the project. Here’s a training tip if you plan to do this; if you are providing them with a script to follow, train them to sound as if it is a spontaneous dialogue and not a read-out script. That’s because when the person on the other end feels that you are reading a script, the response is always equally constrained and can be a turn off, which will definitely reflect in your response rate.
Telemarketing has been controversial since its inception for sales and marketing. The legal troubles and the litigation that it has created has made advertisers a little cautious. It has also caused businesses to look for other avenues to spread their message. Consider this. Is your business in the right category for telemarketing? This will help you make the right decision. Yes, telemarketing has been successful in the past, but the onslaught of legal filings has made people wary of that route. To avoid this legal web, there are some precautions that can be taken.
The law has come to the rescue to a certain extent. The duration of calls has been restricted, as well as preventing calls to people who do not want to be disturbed by the calls. It is imperative that you select a company that has high standards of operating since the image and reputation of your company is on the line every time a call is made. The quality of the staff and the ensuing conversation could mar or make your image. A customer getting irritated could tarnish your name, while good, polite and meaningful dialogue could win your additional customers.
Telemarketing can be an effective tool for your marketing arm. It can produce results. If you do consider using this then please screen the employees and offer them the right training before the first call is made. The outcome can be very positive. With these pointers in mind, you could meet any situation confidently and successfully.
More information about telemarketing effectiveness
telemarketing effectiveness
http://www.telemarketingcalllist.com
March 26, 2008
Telesales
No Comments
Wouldn’t it be great to prospect with confidence knowing you have the plan that will help you set more appointments? Then you’ll be glad you found these 5 prospecting tips. If you use them you’ll be guarantee to make better use of your prospecting time by closing your prospects for more appointments.
Prospecting Tip #1: Prospect Daily
Prospecting is like eating. If you don’t do it every day you’ll die. With prospecting you won’t actually cease to exist, however, you’re business will. Professional salespeople prospect every day. It’s important to block off specific times on your calendar for prospecting activities such as phone calling and mailing.
Treat your prospecting time the same way you would any other appointment, otherwise it will never get done.
Get focused on your prospecting activities by closing your office door and having messages taken for incoming calls until your prospecting time is up. I’ve found the best time to prospect is first thing in the morning. Your fresh and it gets the most important task in the sales process done first.
Prospecting Tip #2: Become a Specialist
This is the age of specialization. People want to do business with people who specialize in their particular problem. You wouldn’t go to a foot doctor to have a heart bypass. And you wouldn’t go to a criminal lawyer if you need to set up a corporation.
What is your specialty? Find one and use it in all your prospecting activities. If you don’t know what it is ask your past and current clients why they bought from you. They’ll give you some insight in to your specialty.
Then use it in all your promotional pieces. Advertise it every where. Put it on your business card. Use it to attract the kind of prospects you’re looking to work with.
Prospecting Tip #3: Use a Script
Don’t wing-it. There’s only one thing worse than listening to a salesperson read a script over the phone and that’s listening to one without a script. It’s important to not only have a script but to practice it until it flows from your lips.
You should know the script word for word without reading it. Don’t read it when you’re talking to a prospect, however, keep it in front of you to refer back to when you get off the track. Keep refining and making your script better and more powerful. After all it is the life blood of your sales business.
Prospecting Tip #4: Sell the Benefits of Meeting With You
Many salespeople want to tell the prospect how great their company is or how great they are. People don’t care about you. People want to know what’s in it for them. So make sure you include in your script the benefits the prospect will gain by meeting with you personally.
Make a list of the features of your product or service and then list the benefits of each of those features. If you need some help with this your past and current clients can be a great help. The best way to get the appointment is to show them the benefits they will receive by meeting with you.
Prospecting Tip #5: Don’t Try to Sell Over the Phone
The purpose of prospecting is to get face to face with the prospect so you can qualify them and sell them your product or service. That’s all. Don’t try to sell your product or service over the phone. The main focus of prospecting is to sell the appointment, so concentrate on that outcome.
I know there are salespeople who are only selling over the phone, however, that’s a subject for a different article.
Using these prospecting tips can send you on your way to having a calender filled with appointments that lead to sales. Ignoring them can leave you with a lot more time to prospect. The choice is yours.
Jim Klein provides salepeople with effective strategies that attract new clients, build customer relationships, and increase sales, GUARANTEED.
Get free sales training by subscribing to our free newsletter “The Sales Advisor”.
March 26, 2008
Telesales
No Comments
There are four proven correlating techniques, which will greatly improve your ability to refer products to clients. This will not only increase their ability to operate, but also your favorable relationship with them, improving the profit on both sides. It will form the basis of a strong relationship.
1.Win customers over. You want to impress the client at the beginning with your excellent customer service skills. Show them you are interested. It is very important people feel they are being listened to. You can do this by addressing them by name, taking notes in order to not have information be repeated several times, saying please and thank you, taking control of the situation once you have realized what they are asking for. Take control by asking specific questions in order to pinpoint the need.
2.Your associates must know the business inside and out. They must know the procedures and policies of your business and how they work. They must know about all the products. Give them accessible information and the tools to access the information. It is very important that they give accurate information, because misinformation will lead to errors in the flow of business and result in problems later. These situations can be resolved in the beginning with accurate information. It will save money for all involved. At times you may take an immediate loss in finding a better fit for a customer. However in the long run it will provide them with a great service and retain the relationship. In the end it will be more profitable.
3.You should have data or statistical information about clients. Have spending information and sales information. This helps assess what might be good for the customer. Always reassess their needs. Analyzing this information is just as important as what the customer has to say to you. It will give clues as to the way the business is headed. You must remember you are the one supplying the service. You are the expert and that is why they are coming to you. Do not be afraid to offer suggestions that are valid and helpful. Explain why you are offering certain products to help them.
4.Command the referral
Avoid any weak language like, would you like, do you think, may I ask you a question.
Use words such as help, protection, benefit, qualify, assist, enhance, stimulate, and growth. Not only is it important you use strong language, but you must follow through with actions. The actions are more important than the words.
In Conclusion
Using these methods will put a smile on the face of your customer, creating new opportunities and retaining relationships, which are healthy and strong.
David Gass is President of Business Credit Services, Inc. His company publishes a free weekly e-newsletter on Small Business Consulting at their web site http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com