E-Class #31: How to Make Telemarketing Work for You

Checkpoint:

You have created a training program for new employees as well as existing employees.
You have started to establish an employee retention and professional development program that includes amenities and incentives.

Telemarketing is an efficient and cost-effective way to generate leads for your business and boost your customer service standards.

When I use the word ‘telemarketing,’ I really mean any type of formal communication between you and an existing or prospective customer over the phone. Each time your or your staff have a customer on the line is an opportunity to market your business and provide exceptional customer service.

A salesperson making a cold call is an obvious example, but the people who answer the phone at the customer service desk, your receptionist and every other member of your team participates in your telemarketing strategy.

In this context, telemarketing is a powerful lead generator and conversion booster. It makes sense to me – it’s a really cheap, and with some thought and planning it can be super effective.

In this E-Class we will cover:

What is telemarketing?
How your business uses telemarketing on daily basis
How to use the telemarketing process for incoming and outgoing calls
How to write an effective telemarketing script
Strategies for effective telemarketing

Telemarketing doesn’t have to happen on a large scale to be effective.

Since you’re using telemarketing any time your customers or prospects interact with your company over the telephone, telemarketing can generate results for your business by:

Generating leads in new and existing marketing
Increasing referral business
Increasing the average dollar sale
Improving customer service
Encouraging repeat business

Depending on the volume of calls your business makes and receives on a weekly or monthly basis, you may wish to hire external resources to handle some or all of your calls, unless you have the staff capacity.

There are two types of telemarketing: incoming calls and outgoing calls. You need to create a strategy or process for handling each.

Incoming calls are the passive component of your telemarketing strategy.

When a customer calls your business for the first time, you should have a system in place to make a great customer service-oriented impression. Many of these customers will have either seen one of your advertisements, received a direct mail piece, or be responding to any other element of your marketing campaign.

Your telemarketing strategy for incoming phone calls can take the form of:

An answering service
Voice mail
A messaging service
An order taking system
An information provision system

The person – or people – who answers incoming calls should be well trained for the role and clearly understand the expectations for handling them. Your receptionist should be trained thoroughly in the products and services you sell so he can answer basic customer questions intelligently. Your team should know how to answer the phone according to your company policy, and have excellent phone manners.

Here is a simple incoming telemarketing strategy:

Answer the phone after two and before four rings
Have a standard company greeting. Include your company name, as well as the name of the person answering the phone.
Ensure sufficient customer information is recorded. Determine what information is important to gain from each caller – name, phone number, reason for call, action required, who is responsible for following up
Do not place anyone on hold for longer than 20 seconds. Instead, take their name and number and have their call returned promptly.
Establish a short description of your company’s process or point of difference at some point during the phone call.
Always repeat any information or agreement exchanged.
Be the last to hang up.

Outgoing calls are the proactive component of your telemarketing strategy.

In this case you are proactively asking your customer for something, as opposed to responding once they’ve already been convinced to act. You can use an outgoing telemarketing strategy to:

Set appointments
Generate leads
Make cold calls
Update databases
Follow up on direct mail and other campaigns
Convert leads to sales
Conduct surveys

Now that you have a better idea of the difference between and importance of incoming and outgoing telemarketing, you can begin to create your telemarketing strategy.

Start by creating a list of all the opportunities that exist in your business for incoming and outgoing telemarketing.

Incoming	Outgoing
Prospect responding to ad or direct mail	Cold call
Prospect looking for information	Follow up call (i.e. to direct mail)
Customer making an order	Close sales
Voicemail	Surveys

Now, create a script for each time telemarketing happens in your business.

It is essential to the success of your outgoing telemarketing efforts that you create a script for each type of outgoing call your company makes. This will keep you – and your staff – focused on the purpose of the call and give you tools and prompts to keep you on track.

1. Be clear about your objectives and your target audience.

Start by writing down exactly what you wish to accomplish with your call. Your approach to telemarketing must have a clear objective; a clear purpose.

Your outgoing phone call needs to engage the person on the other end, and begin to build a relationship based solely on verbal communication (i.e., without the assistance of non-verbal cues and behaviors). Depending on the type of call, you will be seeking to:

Attract their attention
Spark their interest, needs, or desires
Motivate them to act
Seek agreement

Once you have decided on your objective, you will need to establish who you are trying to target. Knowing your audience will allow you to chose the most optimal time to call, as well as design an engaging script that will speak to their unique needs and purchase motivations.

Once you know who you are trying to reach, do your research. Know exactly who it is you need to contact at each company. Is it the manager or vice-president? Owner or CEO? Once you know who you are targeting, you can do some research prior to your phone call, and ensure you call at a time that is convenient. You will want to know a bit about their industry as well as the company and their role within it. If you have served another client in the same industry, let them know.

You may also wish to build into the script a list of materials you need before each call.

Have all the materials you may need in front of you, and clear your desk of any distractions. Have a notepad handy, and record key elements of the conversation for action or later discussion. Also, keep a record of all the calls you make, and the results of each call. This will prevent you from making duplicate calls, which do not reflect well on your organization, as well as track left messages and the most productive times of the day for outgoing phone calls.

2. Think of a few different ways you can open the conversation and engage the prospect.

Your incoming calls should be handled with a consistent, friendly greeting that informs the customer of what company (or department) they’ve reached and who they’re talking to.

Outgoing calls need to engage the customer within the first few moments, just as a headline needs to catch the reader’s instant attention. Say just enough to pique their interest and keep them listening, then begin to explain why you are calling.

The opening conversation should be simple and focused on developing a relationship. Ask casual questions and use small talk to put the caller at ease, but don’t go on too long. You don’t want to appear to be wasting their time.

3. Tell them why you’re calling, and what you wish to accomplish.

If someone asks why you are calling, tell them. Be up front about why you are calling; clearly state your objectives, then back them up with an explanation that includes benefits to the customer.

You may wish to ask permission before you get into an explanation. Asking, “do you mind if I tell you exactly why I called today?” shows respect for the customer’s time, and gives them an opportunity to agree to listen.

You may also wish to outline exactly what you’re going to cover during the call. Again, ask them if you can go over this information with them. This will show that you have given the phone call substantial thought, organized your information, and respect their time.

Make sure you’re talking to the right person.

When you have them on the phone, confirm that the basic information you have is correct (name, title, etc.). If you do not know who the best person to speak to is, ask the receptionist for the name of the person who makes purchasing decisions related to your product.

You may also need to befriend the gatekeeper.

To reach busy decision makers, you will have to get past the person who screens unsolicited phone calls: the gatekeeper, assistant, or secretary. Do not assume you will be able to speak to them with the first phone call – it may take two, three, or even seven tries until you are successful. Here are some guidelines for developing a relationship with the gatekeeper:

Ask for their name and write it down
Do not underestimate the power of developing a relationship with them
Get an understanding of their position and responsibilities
Stay positive and confident
Never pitch the receptionist on your product
Once you have developed a relationship, ask them to help you pin the decision-maker down

4. Brainstorm a list of potential questions you can ask to get the prospect talking.

Information gathering is an essential component of both incoming and outgoing telemarketing. Ask as many questions as possible, and encourage your customer to start talking. This will keep you in control of the conversation. Even if these questions don’t relate specifically to the product, your customer will provide first hand information that you can add to your market research.

For incoming calls, listen to the customer’s question, then ask if you can take a moment to ask them some questions before you answer theirs. This will allow you to explain your company’s process, ask the customer some qualifying questions, and gain control of the conversation.

You will want to also consider asking questions related to the following topics:

Responsibility – Who is in charge of making the decision? Is it the same person who will be making the purchase?
Budget – How much financial resources are available for your product/service? What is the budget? What influences this number?
Timeframe – When does the customer need the product or service? When will the transaction and delivery process have to be completed by? What is the reason for these deadlines?
Competition – Who else is the customer talking to? What will impact their decision? What aspects are they comparing?

Remember the difference between closed-ended and open-ended questions.

Closed ended questions are not the best way to get your customer talking, but they do provide information quickly and succinctly. Closed-ended questions are questions that can be answered with one word – usually yes or no.

Open ended questions are just that: they can not be answered in one word. These are great questions to use for the majority of your telemarketing because it encourages the customer to provide explanations, which gives you insight into their needs and opinions.

5. Ask for agreement at key points in the phone call.

At key points throughout the conversation, you will need to ensure you are on the same page as your customer. You will need to find a way to get some feedback from your caller on what you have been saying.

An easy way to do this is to ask them a question you are sure they’ll say yes to. Something like, “so as you can see, it’s a pretty irresistible offer,” or “I’m sure anyone would benefit from using these sprockets in their home.”

Encouraging them to agree with you strengthens your argument, and leads directly to the sale. It’s a powerful method of persuasion.

6. Work through objections – both spoken and unspoken.

This will be the most challenging component of your script – largely because you do not know for sure what your customer’s objections are going to be. You will have to think in the moment, and attempt to overcome each objection in a calm, professional way.

Before you pick up the phone, you may wish to brainstorm all potential objections, and think of your ideal response. Or, refer to the master objections list you created when developing scripts for other areas of your business.

Remember to respect the objections as they are raised, and treat each point your customer makes as a legitimate one. Show empathy and relate to what they have to say. Phrases like “I can see how that would be a concern for you…” “I used to think the same thing…” and “Sure, that’s completely understandable…” allow you to relate to them, establish common ground, and then share how you overcame your own objections.

7. Make a commitment before you hang up.

Once you have opened the conversation, developed a relationship, asked questions, secured agreement, and overcome objections, all you have to do is close the conversation with a commitment.

The commitment should be your objective for calling, or a step towards that objective. For example, if the purpose of your call was to set up a meeting, ensure that you commit to a time and place before you end the conversation. If your objective is to make a sale, you may have to make a few phone calls or hold a few appointments to achieve that.

Assume that if you have got this far, you have the sale. Be confident, and use phrases like, “How about we meet on this day at this time…” and “Where can I send the product to?”

You will want to confirm whatever you have committed to in writing with your customer. If you have set an appointment, send them a quick note to thank them for the phone call, and put the meeting in writing. Remember to be as polite and succinct as possible. Avoid lengthy emails and letters.

Unlike person-to-person sales, you only have your voice for telemarketing. Use these tips to strengthen your success rate:

Smile. This may seem like a silly point to put at the top of this list, but it is important. Your caller will be able to hear if you are smiling, and interpret your smile as enthusiasm. You will sound more positive, friendly, and open to dialogue. Remember, the person on the other line can hear everything, so avoid multi-tasking (drinking, eating, unnecessary typing) when you’re on the phone.

Be a genuine listener. Once you get your customer talking – listen. They will be giving you important insight into their purchase motivations, and their potential objections. Take notes as you listen, and never assume you know what they are going to say. After long periods of speech, check in and repeat back what you have heard to confirm you have heard it properly. Make sure to leave a pause between what they have just said, and what you are about to say. This shows that you have been listening and are not jumping in at your first opportunity.

Pick the most optimal time. Knowing who you are calling will ensure that you contact them at the most appropriate time – the time they are most likely to answer you phone call. For example, business owners will need to be reached during business hours. Try to reach them during quiet times – usually first thing in the morning, or right before close. If you are calling consumers, then make your calls in the evening when they are most likely to be home.

Use a friendly tone. You only have your voice to establish a new relationship with a potential customer. The tone you choose is just as important – and has just as much impact – as the words you choose. Use a tone that is friendly and confident, and resembles the way you would speak to your friends.

Remember that rejection happens. No matter how targeted your contact list, how amazing your script, how great your approach, rejection is an inevitable part of outgoing telemarketing. Your telemarketers are going to have to become very skilled at handling rejection. In fact, some people will not only reject what you have to say, they’ll be rude in doing so. Remember not to take this personally – they could be having a bad day, or just not have enough time to listen to what you have to say. Consider asking to call back at a better time – or just shrug it off.

Remember that difficult customers will happen. Difficult customers will appear on the other end of the phone line – for both incoming and outgoing calls. This is another inevitability of telemarketing, and business in general. Again, remember not to take what they have to say personally – they just want to air their frustrations and be heard. Listen intently, stay calm, and try to empathize with what they have to say. Never interrupt, use calming language, and record as much as possible about what they are saying. Then, either promise to follow up – allowing yourself to take time to consider how you would like to handle the problem – to try to resolve their issue immediately.

Stand up. When you are standing, you will sound my confident, authoritative, and decisive. Your diaphragm is expanded when you are standing, which will increase the confidence in your voice. Do this for the important phone calls – the big accounts.

Use your well-planned, well-prepared telemarketing strategy to boost sales and increase your customer service standards.

Just like the other strategies you’ve been working on, when you are clear about what you are trying to achieve and you understand the needs and purchase motivations of your target audience, you will be successful in your telemarketing efforts.

Make sure you incorporate your telemarketing procedures into your new and existing staff training programs, and work to constantly improve your scripts over time. If you find that a script is not as effective as it used to be, look for opportunities to strengthen it using the process described in this E-Class.

In the next E-Class we’ll look at how you can leverage the power of your existing clients and colleagues to generate a passive lead generation strategy for your business.

Speak later this week!