The Strategies of Telemarketing

The Strategies of Telemarketing

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Most Telemarketing professionals consider Telemarketing to be a marketing discipline that uses remote selling and services techniques to execute a marketing strategy. In brief, it is far more than an 800 number, or a bank of operators waiting to take your order. Used properly, Telemarketing becomes a driving force in a company's strategic planning.
4.1 Preparing for the Telephone Sales Call
In telephone selling, a haphazard approach usually leads to haphazard results. To maximize your telephone time, it is essential to prepare. Preparation calls for a disciplined system. Successful telephone salespeople start with a call list and develop a system for tracking where they are with each call.
The fundamentals of any effective telephone system include:
• For prospecting, a concentrated block of time that you dedicate to your calls, not just one call between other activities.
• An objective for number of calls you want to complete per day.
• Your client or prospect list for the day -- in priority order.
• A well-organized desk and environment.
• An objective (what you want to see happen) for each call.
• A record of each call. (It should be the client information, details, next steps)
• A memo system to trigger actions and follow-up.
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4.2 Getting Through to the Right Person
Getting through to the right person is essential, whether are selling over the telephone or face-to-face. Not only is a presentation to the wrong person a waste of time, but it can also endanger the sale. Several points follow:
1. Finding the Decision Maker
When dealing with a small business, it usually is not difficult to identify the individual with authority to make a decision; however, it is not so cut and dried when calling a large organization for the first time. Naturally, when a reliable source has recommended a specific individual as the decision maker, there is not any problem. But without the advantage of such information, getting through to the right person may require some fairly fancy footwork.
2. Getting Through the Third Party, the Screener
A third party stands between the salesperson and the individual he is trying to reach. It may be a receptionist, an assistant, or a spouse. The most commonly encountered third party is probably the private secretary, and he is also the most skilled at screening calls.
3. Speaking with Authority
This is especially important in getting through the screener, whose job is to separate trivial calls from important ones. Getting through the screener will never be a problem for you if you remember that you are important.
4. Leaving a Message
Leaving a message that works is an integral part of selling on the telephone. Often, you will not be able to get through to an individual on the first call, so it will be necessary for you to call back or to leave a message.
5. Calling Back
When an individual is difficult to reach and does not return your call, do not hesitate to call again. All these techniques take practice, but developing them is an essential part of good telephone selling. In short, you must get through to the prospect before anything can be sold.
There will always be some instances when a caller will have to make a series of calls before finally getting to talk directly with the prospect. One must work on establishing rapport with the screener, while maintaining an image of authority. Whether he leaves a message after the first call or the fourth, leaving an effective message also requires authority and a quiet suggestion of urgency.
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4.3 Developing and Maintaining a Database
Developing a basic customer database is very important. Creative enhancements to the database can improve sales efficiency dramatically, but the first question to be answered is "What data should be included in the basic database?" The database requirement varies by category of business and/or type of customer.
For telemarketers, a key source of data is the call report. The call report should capture the history of each account and give direction for future servicing. Basic data, which should go into the database, include the following:
• Key contact
• Title
• Telephone
• Best calling time
• Time zone
• Mailing and shipping address
• SIC # (standard industrial classification) if a business firm
• Source of original contact
• History of purchases
• Current buying pattern
• Special requirements
• Credit limit
• Personal notes
• Other products/services in the discussion stage
• Log of call by dates
• Follow-up call cycle
With these data safely stored in the computer, carrying on meaningful dialogues with a customer base becomes a piece of cake. The computer makes sure that each telephone salesperson is given a list of scheduled follow-up calls each day. Prior to each call the total picture of the account appears on the screen. Complete recall results. Even though a salesperson might have a block of four hundred accounts, he or she can be as knowledgeable in conversation with a given account as if the salesperson had none other to serve.
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4.4 The Telephone Presentation
Before talking about the telephone presentation, a caller should analyze ten questions first.
1. Do I use short, simple, uncomplicated words?
2. Do I mention a benefit to the prospect?
3. Do I express my prime message so it would be understood?
4. Do I maintain a positive mental attitude?
5. Do I emphasize the benefits of doing business with me and my company?
6. Do I have a professional way of "qualifying"?
7. Do I stick to a logical order in my presentation?
8. Do I have all the facts about my offering so I can answer any questions?
9. Do I smile before I pick up the telephone?
10. Do I ask for the order?
If the answer is "NO" to any of the above questions, positive steps must be taken to correct it. There are some rules that telemarketers should consider in marketing a telephone presentation:
1. Study your product or service: Write a list of all important features and, more important, their functions and benefits. Consider their price, quality, availability, and how they have helped others.
2. Analyze your prospect list: Determine your present customers, what they have been buying, and whom they've been buying from lately. If former customers, why did they stop buying? What do you know about them? Have you done your homework to determine their possible needs and wants? Also, what might they know about you that would make it easier for them to understand your company? The more information you have , the easier it will be to select the proper opening remarks and the best sales approach to use.
3. Write out or use your computer to list the key ideas you want to cover: Make sure all vital points are included. By covering all the main points you want to review, you are essentially preparing a presentation.
4. Get attention and interest, which is the warm-up portion vital to success in any effort to sell by telephone: Always smile, then (a) greet the prospect by name. During your opening comments, refer to how you obtained his or her name and company; (b) introduce yourself by making a simple statement of your name and company; (c) make an attention-getting statement by appealing to the prospect's self-interest or curiosity. It should be brief and to the point. A statement such as this deserves a great deal of care and preparation.
5. Create a desire for the product or service: Your voice alone has to do the selling. You have to tell your prospects what you are offering, why they need it; what it will do for them; and how, when, and where they can get it. The price and service may be discussed. Be creative and add a little sparkle to your sales talk. By knowing your product, you should be in a good position to create this appealing statement in such a way that the prospects can visualize from your words exactly what you mean.
6. You must describe the product realistically: Speak in terms that your prospect will understand and relate to. Smile before you pick up the telephone.
7. Give all necessary facts: Don't assume or leave anything to the interpretation of the listener( be specific.
In addition, the following are some techniques of selling that the caller should take into account. (Please see Table 4.1)
• Be prepared to talk when your prospect answers your call: Know about your product, its applications, availability, pricing, and benefits. Don't call unless you can devote your entire attention to the call. Review all past relevant information about the prospect before you pick up the receiver to dial.
• Speak distinctly in an ordinary conversational tone: You are talking with prospects and you want to make them friends and customers. Avoid technical phrases or jargon they may not understand. Talk your story; don't read it. Help your prospect to buy( use word pictures to specifically describe your product and what it will do. Be specific in size, color, application, and so forth. Use sparkle in your presentation. Avoid generalities and vague comparisons. Give customers a choice when you ask for an order or set up an appointment.
• Be polite, don't argue: You may win an argument and lose the sale. Smile before you pick up the phone so the customer hears a smile in your voice.
• Follow through: Do what you agree to do, whether it was to put something in the mail, follow up at a later date, set up an appointment, or contact someone else. Don't be discouraged in the course of your selling effort. The cost of using the telephone is so low that you can afford many unsuccessful calls to develop one good prospect or make a sale. The more calls you make without a sale, the closer you are to getting one. You should understand how to improve after each call.