How to Succeed in Phone Sales
Phone sales, which is synonymous with inside sales, entails selling products and services by phone. Individuals who want to succeed in phone sales must learn and master a number of job skills. Some of these skills include product knowledge, learning the script, knowing how to acquire and use leads, and overcoming objections. Phone sales reps usually earn both a salary and commission. According to Payscale.com, the average annual pay for phone sales is $32,046 to $51,533.
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Instructions
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Take a job with a company that sells products that you have sold before, or sell products and services in which you are familiar. Enroll in product training through your company with a professional trainer if you need to learn the product line quickly.
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Get trained on various product features, prices, service warranties and company refund policies. Ask plenty of questions during your product training session. Make sure you know how to complete all the paperwork, including sales order forms or entering orders on a computer.
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Familiarize yourself with new products, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Study various product features and benefits with company sales brochures and visuals aids. Go to your company's website and study the products.
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Learn the sales script that your company uses for calling customers, which is usually a half-page long. Memorize the script and eventually tailor it to your own presentation style. Keep the script uncomplicated and direct, according to the article "10 Telephone Sales Tactics that Work" at womenentrepreneur.com.
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Become familiar with how your company generates its leads, which can include trade journal advertising, direct mail promotions, or pre-purchased lists of consumers or businesses. Work the most qualified or interested leads first for a quick sale, according to business.com.
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Plan each call by doing research on the business ahead of time, if possible. Go online and check the company's website. Check the company's advertisement, if you, for example, sell Yellow Pages advertising by phone. Recommend ways that the business can improve its ad.
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Learn to control the nervousness in your voice. Speak slowly enough so people can understand you, but be confident when presenting your products and services. Present yourself as an expert on your products, and speak with authority.
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Learn how to overcome common objections. Make a list of common objections and learn how to respond to them. Ask your supervisor how to answer objections in which you are unfamiliar. Practice rehearsing these objections by yourself, such as the common objection: "I do not have the money to advertise right now." Respond to this objection by saying something like: "Think of the money you are spending as an investment in your business. Our customers are averaging a 150 to 300 percent return on their investment. You can do the same."
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Tips & Warnings
Never assume that you have lost a sale because of multiple objections. Continue to ask the customer or new prospect lots of questions. Ask questions that help qualify the customer as a potential sale. For example, find out how much the customer can potentially spend early in your presentation. However, make a statement that includes key benefits of your products or services when presenting the price. Say, for example, "If I could show you a way to save 40 percent on your office supply purchases, would you consider making at least a $100 purchase each month?"
References
- Women Entrepreneur: 10 Telephone Sales Tactics that Work
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing
- Payscale: Salary Snapshot for Inside Sales Representative Job
- Business by Phone: 42 Telesales Tips You Can Use Right Now to Get More Business and Avoid Rejection
- Women Entrepreneur: Aha: A Formula for Overcoming Objections
Resources
- Photo Credit Woman with headset image by Principal from Fotolia.com
