It's easy to take talking on the phone for granted. But a telephone prospecting call is something very different. Telephone prospecting can be productive, generating more output (appointments or x-dates) per input (your time and effort). But telephone prospecting won't work if you're winging it when you pick up the phone. To be truly effective on the telephone, planning and preparation are critical.
1. Determine who to call. Only with an agency marketing plan can you determine who in your marketing territory is likely to buy what you have to sell. Before you target any market, get the answers to these questions:
o Are there a sufficient number of accounts of this type to justify working this market?
o Is the average account size sufficient to justify working this market?
o Is there sufficient room for additional growth to justify an additional commitment to this market, after considering your agency's current market share?
o Is there a market match with the companies you represent? Are they competitive? Do they want the business?
Find this information at the local Chamber of Commerce, your public library, your companies' marketing reps and the Internet.
2. Schedule your calls. Sales activities are always "A" priorities and you should plan them to coincide with your personal prime or high-energy time. Obviously, your schedule and your prospect's schedules also influence when you make your calls. Enter time for telephone prospecting calls in your appointment book or computer scheduler just like an appointment. Then, if someone (even a customer) asks to meet with you on that day and time, say, "I'm sorry, but I already have an appointment at 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Can we get together Thursday at 2 p.m. instead?" The customer won't know the difference and you will be sure to make your prospecting calls.
3. Be prepared and be organized. Begin by clearing off your desk or workspace so you only have this task in front of you. If necessary, put everything on the floor or on the table behind you. Gather all of the information, prospect list, telemarketing script and work materials that you will require to make your calls. Have them at hand so you can reach them without getting up or moving. Don't wait until the time you've scheduled to call to start looking for these items.
4. Call during your prospects' off-peak times. In general, mornings may be better than afternoons to call. Call contractors very early in the morning–they're already on the job by 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. The best time to reach restaurant owners is typically mid-afternoon between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Despite popular opinion, many top producers say Mondays and Fridays are especially good days to telephone prospect. Maybe it's because their competition sleeps in on Mondays and plays golf on Fridays.
5. Vary your call times. If you always make your prospecting calls on the same days at the same times, you may miss some prospects because they are never available on those days and times. Instead, alternate days and time periods to increase the odds of getting through to those tough-to-reach prospects.
6. Call every day, if possible. Like most things in life, practice makes perfect. Call a little every day rather than a lot on one or two days; this way you'll maintain your edge.
7. Determine what to say. A carefully prepared telemarketing script will help you stay on track. Without a script you repeat the same thing each call, so why not develop a script in advance to make what you say as effective as possible? Your script won't sound "canned" because it is made up of your words. Remember, each prospect is hearing your message for the first time. Once you've developed an effective script, stick with it.
8. Make as many calls as possible. The law of large numbers holds that the more people you call, the more prospects you'll get. Your goal is to dial the phone as many times as possible during the time you have set aside. Move quickly from one call to the next without hanging up the phone. A telephone headset will help you stay on task.
9. Work without interruption. Tell your coworkers that you are not to be disturbed when you are making telephone prospecting calls. Consider closing your office door if it's normally left open or send out an e-mail reminder. You may want to wear a baseball cap when making prospecting calls to signal everyone you're not to be disturbed.
10. Make your calls brief. Usually, your goal is not to sell insurance, but to get an x-date or an appointment. When you've accomplished your goal, wrap up the call. Most calls should take no more than 90 seconds. Some telemarketers recommend the use of an old-fashioned hourglass egg timer to help keep your calls short.
11. See the end before you begin. Top producers often place a dollar value on each prospecting call by looking ahead to the commissions earned on an average sale. For example, if your average sale is $600 commission, and you have to dial the phone 50 times to get 10 x-dates that result in three appointments, and you close just one of them, this means each phone call is worth $12. So if this prospect doesn't give you an x-date, or even if the line is busy or no one answers, you still earn $12 each time you dial the phone.
12. Don't stop. Telephone prospecting is critical to your sales success. Don't allow anything to deter you from making your calls every day.
13. Finally, keep good records. By keeping records you can track your telephone effectiveness and fine tune your scripts.
© Touchpoint Markets, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.