Why are some telemarketers more effective than others? What do they do differently and how do they do it? Some telemarketers have extensive training, while others receive little training. Even those who are trained may or may not be effective, depending on how well they trained and whether they follow some basic telemarketing techniques. Some individuals also have a “telemarketer-friendly” personality. Factors such as friendliness, tone of voice, clarity, listening skills, patience, and ability to persevere are essential skills for an effective telemarketer. Effectiveness requires a “never give up” mindset and an understanding that every “no” brings you closer to a “yes”. Telemarketing is really a numbers game, and each caller develops a closing rate, which is the number of calls they must make to close the sale.
Have you ever had a telemarketing call when you thought telemarketing was good, professional, and skilled while regular telemarketing showed little or no such skill and ability? Having developed telemarketing programs for different companies and different products and/or services, I have developed a strong sense of what is effective and what is not. Here are some basic telemarketing concepts to follow if you want to improve results:
(1) Train telemarketers on a large scale. Provide your telemarketer with all the tools they need to do their job! You need to constantly encourage telemarketers.
(2) Provide telemarketers with well-designed, written and thoughtful text.
(3) Preparing a telemarketer to answer every objection.
(4) The telemarketer taught/learned how to use the “five steps” approach effectively to respond to the objections I wrote about in a previous article.
(5) Anticipate objections and questions that are likely to arise. Provide hyphens for each interception.
(6) The telemarketer learned/learned how to use “Can I make a suggestion?”
(7) Make acting and roles before making the first call. Repeat this role regularly. Don’t allow calls until the telemarketer hears the new telemarketer and is satisfied.
(8) Provide a mirror to be placed in front of each telephone station to clarify the importance of smiling.
(9) Ensure that the telemarketer knows the necessary technical knowledge to be familiar and comfortable in explaining the product/service.
(10) Teach / learn how to close a sale.
(11) Teach / learn the concept of “ztl” (close your lips).
Telemarketing doesn’t have to be difficult or troublesome if a telemarketer is properly prepared and trained. Telemarketers often find telemarketing fun and exciting. Since telemarketers are generally paid based on their scores, it is in their best interests to be the best they can be. For a company that uses telemarketing, it doesn’t make sense if telemarketers aren’t improving the results. So it is a win-win situation for telemarketers to be as skilled and professional as possible. Following these simple guidelines is an effective and fruitful first step.