Telesales Tips From the Trenches
Telesales, also known as telemarketing, is a segment of sales in which business is solicited over the phone. Telesales differs in some respects from face-to-face sales techniques; it's easier for potential customers to turn a salesman down when all they have to do is hang up. Telesales therefore requires persistence and energy: gurus claim that it's a numbers game, and that a genuine effort usually results in success.
Other People Are Reading
-
Prepare
-
Start with a goal in mind, advises the Business by Phone website. Decide what you want this person to do as a result of your call -- do you want him to buy a product or set up an appointment to talk to you? The site also advises writing down a list of leading questions that will nudge the customer to do what you want, rather than trying to talk him into it, since "people believe more of their ideas than yours."
Get Access
-
Since cold callers rarely get access to a decision maker on the first attempt, it's important to be able to get past the person telemarketers call the "screener" or "gatekeeper." This person is usually a secretary if the cold call is being made to a business. The Virtual Sales Limited website advises that it's important to get the gatekeeper to verify that the person you want to talk to is actually the decision maker. Once you've verified it, the goal is to bypass the gatekeeper if you can; if not, engage her calmly, resist the urge to try to sell to her or to give her too much information, and do your best to persuade her to put your call through.
-
Make the Pitch
-
Once you access the decision maker, you have a narrow window of opportunity in which to make your pitch. Quickly tell the person why you're calling and highlight the benefit of the product or service you're selling early on, suggests the Sue Froggatt website. If you can, refer to people or situations the decision maker knows, encourage questions and ask for feedback. However, don't get bogged down in an extended sales pitch, suggests the All Business website. The goal of a sales call is to schedule a face-to-face meeting.
Follow Up
-
Focus on the goal of the sales call -- it's to get to the next step of the sales process, usually a face-to-face meeting. Persistence is key; according to the All Business website, "80 percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact, yet the majority of salespeople give up after the second call." The site advises telesales marketers to follow up and keep following up.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
