Say Hello Hello to tips for improving your telemarketing
Say Hello Hello use a mixture of traditional and digital marketing tactics to help businesses gain leads, manage their diary and promote their products and services to target audiences.
You only have to think of how you react to cold calls yourself to know that telemarketing can be a difficult and daunting job. The expectation of prospects being rude or abruptly putting the phone down is understandable and the fear of being asked questions you haven’t prepared for or becoming tongue-tied mid conversation can play on your mind to the point of distraction.
However, telemarketing is a proven way to:
generate leads in your target markets
respond to inbound inquiries
follow up on previous inquiries
recapture lapsed and lost customers
cross sell to existing customers
organise online demos
receive accurate feedback from real customers
re-qualify old contact databases
The reality is that, yes, you will encounter some rude individuals and some prospects will just hang up on you as soon as they realise you’re making a sales call, but telemarketing can be rewarding if you follow some simple but practical advice.
1. Set a target for the number of calls to make during the course of the working day.
An effective telemarketer needs to build momentum in order to achieve goals. Setting a target and doing your utmost to achieve it will help to set a rhythm for your day and give you something to aim for. If your prospects on a particular day are especially abrupt or impolite, a call target can help keep you motivated and prevent your day from dragging.
2. Practice your introduction and script to sound as natural as possible.
If you sound like you are reading or have memorised a script, or your voice is flat and emotionless so you sound like a robot, you will struggle to engage prospects, gatekeepers or decision makers and your calls with never generate leads for your business.
If you’re just ‘going through the motions’ on your calls, this will soon become evident to the individuals you speak to, meaning that the likelihood of you reaching a decision maker will fall considerably. A warm and friendly tone will open doors, a cold, matter-of-fact approach will close them.
3. Don’t be too chatty but be prepared to go off-script when necessary
Don’t forget that you are speaking to busy people who have work to get on with. Make sure you get to the point quickly.
You will also soon realise that you can’t rely on your script for every call. Try to think of answers for questions you could be asked and note key points that you could refer to if needed.
From initial contact with receptionists, PAs and other ‘gatekeepers’ to conversations with decision makers, telemarketing is all about establishing need and interest through friendly, but professional dialogue.
4. Focus on how the product/service/event you are selling can benefit your prospects
What’s in it for the person you are calling? A brief explanation of what you do and how other companies have benefited from the products/services/events that your business offers will give context to your call and quickly establish interest.
5. Listen carefully and take detailed notes.
The key to effective telemarketing is conversation. Be sure to take note of names and job titles and any conversational titbit that you could refer to if you need to call back at a later date. If the person who answers the phone is new to the job and doesn’t know whom you need to speak to, note that fact. When you ring back at a later date, simply asking how they are settling in to their new role will make you stand out from all the unsolicited callers they receive and improve your chances of getting through to the person who makes decisions.
If you’ve been making calls every day for a week, you should have an idea of what aspect of your product/service/event sparks intrigue in your prospects. If you know that a certain service you offer is in demand in a particular industry, make that service the focus of your calls to companies in that sector. Keeping extensive notes about each conversation you’ve had and adapting your approach depending on previous interactions will help you present yourself as efficient, professional and worthy of your prospect’s time.
If you are trying to keep costs down, outsourcing your telemarketing to a dedicated team of professionals is a cost effective way to do so.. Say Hello Hello can provide all manner of marketing support and telephone-based marketing services to help you grow your business, allowing you to focus on the day-to-day tasks that earn you money.
Whether you need to re-establish the accuracy of a contact database, require someone to book appointments on your behalf, or have an online demo to promote to prospective clients, we can help. Outsource your telemarketing and Say Hello Hello to well qualified leads in your target market. Contact us today.
