There is nothing more direct than a telephone communication. Unfortunately, no other method of selling is as demanding.
Let's be honest!
Not everyone can be successful in telemarketing.
Effective telemarketing campaigns potential customers and prospects with the highest likelihood of responding – only the very deepest pockets can afford to cold call anyone and everyone. Effective telemarketing is not about selling anything to anyone; no small business has the time or resources to do so.
The objective of telemarketing campaigns should be to elicit a favorable response from a specific, identifiable potential customer.
The typical success rate for telemarketing is around 5%. To monitor your progress, document your phone calls. What number of contacts were made? How many flat-out denials? How many direct affirmatives and how many follow-ups?
Is there a pattern among those who answered affirmatively?
Is there a pattern among those who responded negatively?
You will be able to draw your own conclusions about the most profitable strategy for you based on this information.
There are essentially two types of campaigns; if you are skilled at telemarketing, choose option 1; if you are apprehensive, option 2 may be a preferable starting point.
One that seeks to generate sales
One that aims to elicit a request for additional information.
Obviously, the one that works for you depends on the type of product, service, or solution you offer. It may be possible to sell your products, services, or solutions over the phone, or a sale may necessitate additional information or a face-to-face meeting.
The type of product, service, or solution, as well as its complexity and selling difficulty, will determine the type of telemarketing program you should create. Therefore, when designing your campaign, you must consider all of these factors.
Generally, if the product, service, or solution is relatively inexpensive and can be demonstrated easily, use telemarketing to "sell" appointments or even attempt to close the transaction over the phone if it can be demonstrated easily.
A good rule of thumb is that if the product, service, or solution is expensive, the individuals involved in its purchase require additional information prior to making a purchase or agreeing to a demonstration. In these instances, you may wish to create a campaign that generates a request for additional information.
You must also bear in mind that the decision-maker will be higher up the chain of command the more expensive the item you are selling. This individual could be the company's president, vice president, chief financial officer, etc. A telemarketing program designed to interact with these influencers could begin by determining who the appropriate decision-maker is and if they are interested in receiving more information about the product or service you are offering.
Then there is the straightforward telemarketing campaign that is presented as an update to your prospect database. By simply calling to confirm addresses, you remind your consumers of your company, and they may take the initiative to place orders.
This straightforward campaign also provides an additional benefit. When you have new products, services, and/or solutions to sell, you can save time and/or money by updating and reducing your prospect database.
Always Leave a Message!
You are recontacting a prospect to notify them of your services. You again reached a voicemail, just as you did the last time you called. And the period preceding that. And the period preceding that. What ought you to do?
Leave a second message? With the hope of finally reaching an actual person, you hang up and try again next week.
Leave a message. Positive persistence always triumphs. Leave a message on your prospect's voicemail frequently enough to remind them of your services or product.
However, refrain from calling so frequently that you become an annoyance.
Why should a message be left?
For one thing, your product or service is gaining recognition. You might not reach your prospect this time or the next, but the information you leave will be effective.
In addition, even if you do not make direct contact with your prospect, you are still developing rapport with them. Your continued communication will persuade your prospect that you are dependable and persistent.
You are finally being informative. One of your products or services could serve as a promotional item. You must inform your prospect of this so that he or she may take advantage of the discount.
Keep your communications brief
Otherwise, you risk being perceived as the intolerable nuisance that you believe you are becoming. Instead, condense your message.
Provide the majority of the essential information first. Describe the benefits your services or product will provide before providing contact information.
Include your telephone number and/or web address at the conclusion of the message. Repeat your name, company name, and phone number so the prospect does not have to repeat the message. In the event that your prospect decides to take up the phone and call you back. Indeed, they will!