In spite of the legal regulations limiting calls by the telemarketing services, cold calling is still a popular means of generating sales leads and increasing revenue. It is unrealistic to assume your office will be mobbed by clients unless you take the initiative to sell to them. By using telemarketing calls effectively, you can attract many more customers and expand your business.

Here are some suggestions that can raise the response rates of telemarketing calls:

1. Define the goal of the telemarketing call

The target of a telemarketer’s first call is not to sell but to just create an opportunity for a sale. The first conversation is about setting up a meeting or getting some form of an encouraging response.
 
2. Collect details of your target customer

In depth market research should precede a telemarketing campaign. After defining the target audience, get details of the person or organization you will be contacting. By doing your research, you can align the service or product with the prospect’s needs and make your call’s relevance come through.

3. Select an opening statement for the cold call

Prepare an opening statement to begin the conversation. This prevents any missteps and gets you focused. Don’t start with “Is this a good time?” or “How are you this morning?” These statements give call recipients the option to cut the call short. Your call should start with a greeting and address the person by name (preferably with a Ms. or Mr.). Introduce yourself by giving your name and the organization you represent. From here it would be easier to move into a dialogue. Use your knowledge of their business to present your service or product as a possible solution for their business needs.

Have the opening statement in your hand before before you dial the number. Don’t read it word for word. Just use it as a guideline.

4. Draft a script to refer to during the telemarketing call

A script prepares the telemarketer for any queries or concerns that may be raised by the prospect. Discuss the various advantages of using a product or service. Think of likely objections and their resolutions. When a prospect has a question, you’ll have a ready reply. This strategy also projects confidence. The prospect feels she is communicating with a knowledgeable salesperson. Again, the script is for reference only, and not for reading word for word.

5. Be precise in suggesting a time for an appointment

Specify a time when asking for an appointment. Ask “Can I meet you at 10 am tomorrow?” If it’s not a good time, the prospect will propose another specific time and day.

6. Be polite to the people you talk to

In telemarketing, callers often connect to assistants of the people who make buying decisions. Be courteous and remember their names for future communication. Winning their approval is a prerequisite to getting your message conveyed to the right individuals. Be polite in asking them for information or details of the person to contact.

7. Send promotional gift items - something small but memorable

Sending a unique promotional item to a prospect keeps your business in their mind. When they receive a call from you, they recognize you immediately by connecting your name with the gift.

8. Make telemarketing calls early in the day

Mornings are a good time to call decision makers as they have more time at their disposal. Catch them early in the day rather than when they’re swamped by meetings or other work.

9. Follow up repeatedly

Studies indicate that telemarketing sees success only after the fourth or fifth follow up call. In spite of this statistic, some telemarketers stop trying and quit after the second follow up. Be persistent if you want to see results.

10. It is a numbers game indeed

Chance of making a sale improves with each call. Let us face it. Every call will not convert into a sale or an appointment. But if you make enough calls, some percentage will bring success. Key is to continually improve so that you can sell more with lesser number of calls. This is bound to happen if you keep calling the prospects and not get dejected by negative responses.

The art of cold calling gets better with practice. Skilled telemarketers have the experience of thousands of calls and a experience of handling diverse set of customer responses. Keep at it and soon you would start to see success. Daljeet Sidhu is the author of this article.

Tags: cold calling, lead generation, outbound call center, outsource telesales, Telemarketer, Telemarketing, Telemarketing Call Center, Telemarketing outsourcing, telemarketing service, telesales

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