Selling over the phone is never as easy as selling face to face.
But even when you have a large number of calls to make in a small
amount of time, the one thing you can do is build rapport.
Rapport is built on good listening skills and the ability to get
the customer to talk. (Sometimes, a bit of humor comes in handy,
too.) Most telemarketers are so busy following their own scripts,
they never hear the customers' needs or desires. However, by
following the "D-E-F" formula of telemarketing, you can
get prospects to open up--and you'll achieve a more powerful,
effective and efficient method of making the sale.
D: It's all in the
details. People get calls from vendors all the time. What
makes one telemarketer different from all the rest? More often than
not, it's attention to detail. That attention could be really
listening to what the prospect is saying, or it might even be
sending a thank-you note after the call.
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Ask your prospects "What's the greatest challenge
you're facing right now?" Many times, their answers, such
as "Finding a more economical way to ship my product,"
will tell you a great deal about their businesses. Sometimes,
you'll get answers that have nothing to do with their
businesses, like "Getting rid of my back pain." Whatever
the answer, get off the phone and search for a newspaper or
magazine article, or even information on the Internet--anything you
can find to send with a note that says "Hope this helps. Speak
to you soon." After that, you can bet you'll be the one
telemarketer they're happy to speak to.
E: Second only to product
knowledge, the most important asset telemarketers can have is
enthusiasm. If there's any doubt your product is worth
its price or suspicion that it's not what you claim it is, your
prospects will sense it. It will come across in your inflection and
tone. Of course, the opposite is true as well. When you believe in
your product, your prospects believe in it, too. They trust that
you know what you're talking about. Once you establish that
belief, you're on your way to closing the sale.
Call satisfied customers and ask them why they like your
product, why they do business with you and what the benefits are.
This follow-up technique will pump up your enthusiasm. Plus, you
can use their answers in the next step.
F: Telemarketers have
probably heard every objection under the sun: "We're not
interested." "We're happy with our present
vendor." "It's too expensive." "We take
care of it in-house." "I don't have time." You
can't argue with any of these points; as soon as you do, you
lose. That's when you should use the tried and true
"feel, felt, found" method.
When you hear an objection, pause and let it sink in. Don't
rush to answer. Listen carefully, then empathize with your prospect
by saying "I understand how you feel" or "I can
appreciate that." Then build on the success you've had
with other customers by saying "Many of my present customers
felt the same way. But when they found out how much time they saved
using our system, they were amazed. I'd like to find out
whether we can do the same for you." Of course, you would
insert your own benefit statement. (This is where you should use
the responses you got from the satisfied customers you talked to in
step E.)
This method has been used over and over--and it works. But it
doesn't work when you do it by rote. You've got to know
your benefits inside and out. Practice using this technique until
it sounds natural.
Ken Blanchard--also known as the "One-Minute
Manager"--once told me that in today's business world,
anyone can beat you on price. Many people can imitate your product
or service. But one thing people can't do is take away the
relationships you build with your prospects and customers. When
prospects feel that what you're saying rings true, they'll
be happy to have you call again.
Barry Farber is a noted speaker on sales, sales management
and motivation, and is the author of seven such books,
including Dive Right In (Berkley Publishing). Contact
him at (973) 535-9400 or at www.barryfarber.com.