Cold Calling for Introverts

In her book, The Introvert Advantage, Marty Olsen Laney talks about the defining moment when she embraced the fact that she was an introvert. It came in the form of a statement, "Oh, there's nothing wrong with me, I'm just an introvert!"

According to her research only 25% of people are introverted which leaves us the daunting task of dealing with the 75% extroverts of the world. And surprising as it seems, there are those of us who have, for one reason or another, chosen to make our living in sales.

Being in sales poses many problems for introverts but probably the biggest is the idea of making cold calls. Now before we look at cold calling for introverts let's look at the concept of cold calling itself a bit closer.

Sales guru, Jeffry Gitomer, says that cold calling is the least effective method of generating new sales. It interrupts the prospect, probably irritating them, and has a fairly low rate of return. Having said all that, cold calling is still needed and sometimes required of those of us in sales.

As an introvert I have always looked with envy at the ease with which an extrovert approaches cold calling. Because they dwell in the outside world (while many introverts find their reality in the inner world) they find it easier to pick up the phone and call. They are usually more outgoing naturally so conversation with strangers is easier. And, darn it, they also don't seem as affected by the inevitable rejection; seemingly able to shrug it off and move on to the next call.

Introverts will sometimes go to great lengths to avoid cold calling. First we have to plan who to call - who is most likely to be positive or at least neutral about our call? Then we have to make sure we have all our information together to handle any contingency that might come up - files, literature, scripts and anything else that might take 5 or 10 more minutes to find. Then we have to think about our prospect's schedule - we don't want to call too early or too late and, you know, everyone is too busy on Mondays and Fridays aren't a good day to call either.

Once we've exhausted every excuse we're left sitting looking at the phone. It's time to pick it up and call. Short of drugs, there's probably no way to completely eliminate the stress cold calling causes introverts. But let me lay out a technique that works for me; both reducing my stress and, surprisingly, producing good contacts and prospects.

As a caveat there is one aspect to this technique that may bother some people but give me until the end of the article to provide some explanation. The underlying assumption here is that someone in the business or company you are about to cold call could have requested information about your product or service. This assumption could include Internet inquiries, "bingo" cards in magazines, inbound 800 number calls, or any other way to request information. It doesn't mean that they actually did ask for information, only that they could have.

We begin by at least knowing what department or area of a business or company would usually be interested in our product. If you sell forms, which department uses those forms? If you sell advertising, would the marketing department be the logical place to start? If you're in industrial sales, which department mainly uses your goods or services?

Take a deep breath, pick up the phone and dial. If you get an automated attendant you can usually raise a "real" person by hitting "0" on your phone. When you get that real person say something like this, "Hello, my name is Joan Smith with ABC Company. I need to speak with someone in your ___ department (that department name being the one you previously identified). In 90% of calls they will connect you without comment. We'll deal with the other 10% in just a minute.

The phone will ring and your stress level will peak. Will someone answer or will you end up in voice mail - what you say next remains the same either way. When someone (or the message machine) answers say something like this. "Hello, my name is Bill Jones with ABC Company. I'm new in this position and as I was going through my predecessor's files I found a request for information from your company but it doesn't have a name on it. I didn't want to throw it away without at least trying to see if the information had been sent. Do you know of anyone who would have requested information on (your product or service)?"

And wait. They may ask for your company name again. They may ask for more information on the product or service you just mentioned in passing. But most of the time their reply takes one of the following forms.

"Well, that would have been (a name). Let me connect you to him - make sure you have a pen ready during this call." When you're connected to Bob (or his voice mail) repeat the thread above, that is, you've found a request for information with no name and you want to make sure that whoever requested the information got what they needed.

Sometimes, the person will say, "Well, that would have been me but I don't remember asking for information." No hostility, just puzzlement. Your response at that time is "As I said, this request doesn't have a name on it so it may not have come from you." Then you can give an abbreviated sales pitch by asking, "Are you already using (your product or service)?" A positive answer gives you the opportunity to ask if they are satisfied. A negative answer lets you ask if they would like to see information.

A third response you might get would be this, "Well, that would have probably come from Anne Adams and she's not here. Would you like her voice mail?" Your reply something like this, "Yes, please, but do you mind giving me Anne's email address as well? That way I can send her a link to our website just to be sure she gets the information requested." Again in most cases the person on the phone will give you their name, their email address, and maybe even this most coveted of responses, "You know, this is a timely call. We just brought a project off the back burner that uses (your product or service). Can you come by to meet with us?" For an introvert, this is the Holy Grail.

Let's back up a minute to the 10% of operators or receptionists that don't put you right through. They may ask, "Can I ask what this is concerning?" At this point I give a short version of my original thread, that I have a request for information from my company but no contact name and that I don't want to simply throw the request away. This will usually disarm the screener and get you a name or at least a ringing phone.

Those few that you get through to who say, "nope, wasn't me and we have no need for that" are the ones you let go with a brief apology and thanks. Don't let it rattle you.

Now back to the ethical question that this may raise for some of you. "I'm really telling a lie - no one asked for this information" and that is true. For some of you that point may eliminate you using this technique but first ask yourself this question. If you believe in your product or service, then you feel that the companies you call on can benefit from what you sell. If they knew they could benefit would they ask you for information? If they could and should have asked for this information that could benefit them AND if they were aware of your company, they would have asked, wouldn't they?

So using this line of reasoning you can make the jump to the idea that they would have asked if they'd known to ask. So you are simply making them aware by your call.

I realize this is rationalizing - but 90% of the people with whom I have used this technique are polite, interested, and give me excellent information. And many of them have benefited from the information I give them. And the alternative is to grit your teeth, call a receptionist, stumble through an explanation of who you are and what you're selling, hope they don't tell you to call purchasing, or put you through to someone who doesn't want to talk to a sales person AND who is in an irritable mood today.

What makes this approach less stressful to the introvert? For whatever reason it is easier for me to call someone who first called me. If they called me first then they must be open to talking with me and I find this an easier call to make. This technique simply assumes that the person you're talking to would have called you if they had known of the benefits of your product or service.

So give it a try - call a couple of people who might have asked for your information. Offer them the chance to really see your information. Then go lie down for about 10 minutes to let the stress go away. After all, we still are introverts!

By Hal Warfield

Predictive Dialers - Human Interaction Maximized

Predictive dialers are many steps removed from their predessors, the automatic dialers of the past. Whereas automatic dialing allowed callcenter agencies to dial numbers quickly and efficiently, predictive dialing also processes and makes use of a whole range of information, linking callers to live voices every single time. In fact, with predictive dialing, agents' 'talk time' has increased from an average of twenty minutes per hour to fifty minutes per hour. This is a fabulous rate of improvement - instead of wasting more than half of their time on listening to busy signals and answering machine messages, agents now spend the majority of their time engaged in producting interaction. The dialer also manages the line to agent ratio by pacing the call rate at the desired level. In this way, quotas are met, and agents are neither idle nor overwhelmed. In other words, because the hardware and software does its job, agents are able to spend much more time doing theirs. And of course, increased contact time means that the center's goals are reached much more quickly.

In many ways, it is still true that the real value of a call center depends on its 'human capital' - the agents who interact with clients and potential clients. The more the center's human capital is brought to the forefront, the more everyone benefits. The aim of technology, therefore, is to maximize the time that agents are able to spend doing what only they can do - conversing, communicating, interacting. Predictive dialing and other call center technology represents a perfect symbiosis between person and machine.

A predictive dialing system is able to keep track of which agents are available, while monitoring the responses to the outgoing calls that it makes. Numbers that are busy, disconnected, fax lines, or calls that are answered by machines or voicemail systems are not connected to an agent. Only the calls that are answered by a live voice are put through to an agent, which means that the agent spends almost all of his or her time on the line with a live person. Facilitating and maximizing talk time is the goal of every call center.

The hidden benefit in all this is the fact that the agent is much less likely to get bored or disheartened. Human contact is important to everybody, and particularly to those who select careers that highlight communication. Many of the agents who choose to work in call centers are there precisely because they are attracted to the work due to the fact that they have excellent communication skills and enjoy interacting with people. An endless stream of answering machines or busy signals is bound to frustrate them. When they are able to spend fifty minutes out of each hour actually interacting with clients, however, the agents find that time goes by much faster and their workday is more varied and interesting. Furthermore, they know that their skills are valued, and that their company supports them by investing in the appropriate technology.

Predictive dialing technology is improving all the time. One problem that we occasionally still encounter is a short lag between the time the outgoing call is answered and the time the agent gets on the line. Generally, this is only a matter of a few seconds, and some systems play a short recorded message during this time. Nevertheless, any sort of lag time increases the possibility that the potential client will become confused, and that part of the agent's talk time will be spent sorting out the confusion. There is also the chance that the client may hang up. Therefore, measures are being taken to speed up voice connects and minimize this lag time to the point where it may become imperceptible.

Predictive dialing has revolutionized call centers, and has the potential to continue doing so. Calls are made much more efficiently, employees are happier, and the goals of the call center are likely to be me much faster. Now that this technology is readily available (and improving all the time) it would be almost unthinkable for any sizable call center not to invest in predictive dialers.

Overcoming Objections Over the Telephone

In sales, one of the things you will be doing a lot of, is making phone calls. You can't escape it. It just comes with the territory.

Making phone calls is really not all that bad. The thought of having to do it, is actually much worse than having to physically sit down and do it, and once you get on a roll, it's never as bad as it seemed.

The part of making cold calling sales calls that you will find to be most painful are the objections you will be faced with, such as, and most annoying, is the hang up, which doesn't happen as often as people think. In this particular case, I have no answer on how to meet this challenge, my suggestion would be, not to stress over it, just move onto the next phone call.

Another objection you will be faced with is: I'm not sure. I have to think about it.

My suggested response to this objection would be:

I understand that you need to think about it, but perhaps there is something I did not explain clearly enough, is there anything you would like to go over one more time?

Or . . .

I know when it comes to making a commitment over the phone that it is easy to become lost in the confusion of everything that has to be done and understood, is there anything I can go over with you one more time.

If that doesn't get them talking again, then let them go by politely asking for their permission to follow up with them in a few days, and, if you could possibly send them out some literature, along with your business card.

Another common objection is:

I have to ask my spouse.

A good response to this objection would be:

Is your spouse available at this time? I would be happy to speak with him/her.

Again, if this does not work, then let them go, and politely ask to send out literature, and follow up with a phone call.

And one other objection you may run into . . .

I have already taken care of that, or I am working with someone else.

If you are hit with this objection, it is most likely your prospects way of telling you they are not interested.

On the other hand, if they tell you they are working with someone else, it never hurts to take a chance, and ask your customer if they would like to see if you could get them a better price, or even a better product. It can't hurt, and if they are interested than go for it! If not, than let it go right there, and move onto your next prospect.

And remember, challenges are nothing but obstacles on your path to greatness!

By Jay Conners

Generating Leads Through Telemarketing

Telemarketing is one of the most common ways that a business can generate leads. It is a versatile approach. Lead generation telemarketing can be inbound or outbound, meaning that systems use prerecorded messages and can dial either random numbers or numbers from an imported list.

Telemarketing is one of the few lead generation techniques that is flexible enough to be immediately adaptable to new situations. The telemarketer can answer questions or provide additional information as needed in response to the potential customer's comments. Also, while prospective buyers may ignore direct mail or advertisements, they will not ignore a ringing telephone. Once the person answers the phone, a good telemarketer can generate a lead.

Inbound lead generation telemarketing involves the prospective customer calling the company to find out about their products or services. This is the best kind of lead generation telemarketing because the potential buyer has already shown interest by making the call. It is then up to the telemarketer to say the right things in order to retain the prospective buyer's interest. Often, people will call for information about certain products or to see if there are any sales or discounts available. It is up to the telemarketer to be able to provide the caller with all of the necessary facts that the caller asks for.

Outbound telemarketing is less successful than taking inbound calls. It is difficult because it often involves what is called cold calling. This is when a lead generator makes an unsolicited call to a potential customer. The person has no idea who is calling them or why. A high percentage of people react badly to being cold called. It takes someone with great communication skills and the ability to handle rejection to make a successful cold caller. Other times, the callers are equipped with a list of potential leads. The caller's responsibility is then to verify that the person is indeed interested.

Another option for lead generation telemarketing is to use a lead generation system. Lead generation systems are machines programmed to dial phone numbers and deliver a recorded message when the phone is answered. Many people hang up on these machines, but they are a cost effective way to generate leads. Some lead generation systems can be given a list of potential leads to call, thus increasing the chance of success.

Lead generation telemarketing is a great, flexible, adaptable way to gain new customers. People with good communication skills are often very good at this type of work.

The Cold Calling Conspiracy

A consipiracy exists in the world of selling. A cold calling conspiracy.

What I'm talking about is the requirement by most sales organizations to make cold calls on your time and at your expense. They say that cold calls equal appointments equal sales, but that's not true anymore. All sales managers are guilty of teaching it, believing it, and using it. "Increase your activity and increase your income" are the mantra. We're told to do the sales math to "motivate" ourselves. Have you heard this one? "If you make five hundred dollars commission per sale and it takes five appointments to get the sale and twenty calls to get an appointment, then each cold call is worth five dollars in your pocket."

Did anyone ever really believe this?

Hey boss, put your money where your mouth is! If that were really true, companies would pay us the five dollars per call! They don't because that equation never works in the real world... for anyone. The simple fact is that we are only paid for completed sales, not for attempts. Directing salespeople to make more calls and increase activity is a weak excuse for a sales manager or trainer to justify his or her job. Cold calling is an expensive waste of your time. The reason companies have you cold calling is because it is a waste of your time and your money, not theirs. You only make money when you sell something, yet over eighty percent of most salespeople's time is spent looking for someone to sell to.

The bottom line is that we, as salespeople, cannot afford to continue fooling away our time on low-percentage activities like cold calling. It's a way for companies to save money at your expense. We must focus our attention on activities that get real results in this new Information Age economy, and the effectiveness of cold calling fell dramatically when we left the old Industrial Age and entered this bold new era. Forget cold calling and learn how to market yourself intelligently, systematically, and automatically. Self-marketing is the key to success in today's selling environment and the "secret" of all those top producers who obviously don't cold call and won't tell you what it is they're doing to make those huge numbers every month. Remember, Napoleon Hill's great work is entitled "Think and Grow Rich," not "Work Harder and Stay Broke." Don't become a victim of the Cold Calling Conspiracy - learn to market yourself successfully and join the elite club of top producers. I did it and you can too.

By Frank Rumbauskas

K.A.R.M.A. of Phone Prospecting

Do you ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Does the rest of the day just follow suit? Have you ever thought that your attitude towards the day might just be coming back to you through misfortunes and bad things through out the day?

Well it happens and it is called KARMA.

KARMA is defined as if you put a negative out there it will come back to you in the form of another negative. So you could say you get back what you put out there.

So lets relate that to your calling of leads.

If you put out a negative presentation you get back a negative result commonly phrased as "I am not interested", "Is this a pyramid scheme", "Is this MLM", or "does this cost anything". So how do you create a positive presentation in order to get back a positive result?

Let call the process of creating an effective phone presentation the K.A.R.M.A. of Phone Presentations.

KNOWLEDGE of the industry is the first thing you need to consider when putting together your presentation. You see if your prospect doesn't have a basic understanding of the MLM business model it will be virtually impossible to develop a successful downline partner. You need to be sure they have an understanding before you can expect them to be productive in your downline. The best way to find this out is to ask early on in your conversation if they could define MLM or Network Marketing.

ACTION step is required at this point. You need to go one of two ways. If they understand MLM or Network Marketing you can move onto the next step. If they don't understand the industry your best move is to educate them before you move into any kind of presentation of your company or product. Make sure you have some websites or emails that you can send them in order to educate them about the industry. Wouldn't you agree that if you were going to start a restaurant business you ought to know something about the industry? So why should it be any different in our industry? Once you provide education for them then you can follow up with them and move onto the next step.

REASONS for each person vary. But as you and I both know there are several reasons that are common and it is important that you begin to find out why they want to start a home-based business. This will begin to make a connection between you and the prospect. You may even find out that you have the same reason as your prospect. This stage is really a stage where you get to know the person. Be sure to NOT ask how much time and money they have to invest when getting to know them.

MATCHING the prospect to your business is the next stage of an effective presentation. Use what you have learned about your prospect and create a bridge between where they are today and your opportunity. Let them know with confidence that with all you know about them at this point you feel your company is a great match for them and it would be worth it to take a closer look.

ACTION time is again upon you. You must now give them the next step in the exploring process. Your company most likely has a process laid out for you whether it is to do a 3-way call with your upline, connect them to a live presentation, or simply send them to your website for more information.

Follow the K.A.R.M.A. presentation and you will be on your way to getting the positive results you desire when calling your leads.

Make it the Best Day Yet,

By Scott Adams

How to Make Sales with Noisy Kids in the House

Kids play hard, and sometimes that means they play really loud in the midst of exploring their worlds and role playing with siblings and friends.

I know with my kids, if I'm not hearing some degree of noise; [i.e. play], from them, it probably means one of them is not feeling well, or they are coming down with a cold.

My world is blessed with two very artistic and rambounous boys; 5 years and 2 1/2 years old. With their play and with their singing; [they love to sing Country music at the top of their lungs!]; they have the ability to raise the noise level in our house to a "heaven-bending" volume in 9 seconds flat!

And while I loved to hear them hard at play, the sporatic and unpredictable noise [play], posed challenges at times when I was doing sales calls, or when clients called with final questions about starting a business relationship with me.

Clients don't wait, when they want to have questions answered and they don't always call at the best times. Sometimes these calls would come through when the kids were eating or doing activities that were not so noisy. Great! But.... most of the time, they did not!

5 year olds are pretty predictable. You basically know when they are going to make noise. But, if you know anything about the 'terrible 2's syndrome', you're already familiar with the unpredictability of when the next scream, or loud laugh will erupt!

Some clients understood. I would say: 'yes I know you can hear kids in the background. That is why I do this business. So I can be at home with them". For other clients, that was not okay. I had some near misses and some fair size loses in bringing people in, to work with me in my business because of this home-based situation.

Over the course of working out of my home, I have had many a conversation with other work at home Moms [WAHMs], and at times have doubled over in laughter at some of the ingenious, and sometimes silly tactics they've pulled just to get a moment of quiet when they needed to portray the illusion of "executive-office professionalism" for the really important calls.

Some of them would hide in the bathroom. Others would sneak downstairs, or sneak out into the garage. The funniest one I heard was the hiding in the closet trick... so the kids would not be making noise right under-foot. That one really made me laugh, because I have pulled similar tactics just trying to get a moments peace! And, yes, I have to admit, I have used them to make my business workable too!

Oh I know... I hear some of you saying... why don't you just get your kids into daycare, or find a babysitter or a Nanny to take them. Well, that makes perfect sense of course. But for the many WAHMs who have given up jobs to work at home, first, they do not want to be giving the majority of what they earn to those services; although they are very valuable services. And, second, there's that guilt.

The guilt we feel because it was our choice to stop working at jobs and stay at home so we could be with our kids. That was a conscious choice we made. So when we start looking at having to farm our kids out to daycare, babysitters, or bringing in a Nanny, guilt; as to the purpose of why we were staying home in the first place starts to manifest.

So what is the solution? Is there really a solution to how to make sales with noisy kids in the house? Well, I don't know if this solution is for you... But I do believe I found the right solution for me!

I don't have to hide in the closet anymore. I don't disappear into the bathroom to talk muffled into the towels, lol! I no longer work 5 to 9 hours a day on the phone during play time, or any time, doing follow ups and sales calls.

Clients no longer call the house at unpredictable times, or at all for that matter. My kids no longer have to worry about how much noise they make in the house! And, I'll still make a nice 5-6 figure contribution to my family's income this year!

What did I discover to make my sales business work for everyone in the household? Well.... that's another story that needs to be explained at another time!

My typing time is up - and my kids are calling me to come outside and play water-bomb balloons with them! Got to go ; )!

By Tracey DePaoli

Choosing a Phone Dialer that Works

If you own or operate an outbound call center, you've probably heard quite a bit about various phone dialer systems. In fact, it's likely you're using one of the many systems currently on the market. While your current phone dialer may be adequate for your business needs today, you'll probably grow out of it shortly. Even if you're not anticipating high levels of growth in the near future, just staying competitive in the call center business means having the latest technology.

These days, most phone dialer systems come as part of an all-in-one CRM system package. This is usually the most cost effective way to get a phone dialer. In addition, by purchasing everything from one source, there's the added benefit of smooth interfacing between the phone dialer system and other portions of the CRM package.

If you're not already using a phone dialer, not familiar with how they work, or if you're already an expert, but just don't have the time to spend on optimizing your current system, it may be a good idea to invest in a web-based CRM system. You'll need three things to get one up and running: a PC, an internet connection, and a phone connection. With some of today's more advanced web-based CRM systems, all the mundane, time wasting aspects to running a phone dialer-equipped CRM system are handled for you by the company from which you purchased the system. This results in a higher number of calls, leads, and revenue for you, not to mention more time to handle other critical aspects of your business.

Most quality phone dialer systems also come bundled with several other features designed to make your sales force more effective. Some of these timesaving features include voice messaging systems and automatic faxing and emailing capabilities. The more time your sales agents can save by automating their busy work, the more time they will have to follow up on leads generating by the other CRM applications.

By increasing out-bound calls by as much as 400%, some of the more advanced phone dialer systems help prevent busy signals, answering machines, and wrong numbers from wasting your sales agents' time. The best phone dialer systems also include a "power dialer" feature. The power dialer feature is designed to optimize business-to-business (B2B) sales calls, where secretaries and voice mail are likely to present more of a time drain and obstacle to closing sales than no one being home at a residential lead.

Whether you're already using a phone dialer system, or looking into making an investment in your business, the latest dialers have what you need to boost revenue and save time.

By Cameron Brown

Telsales Just Got Easier!

Your sales structure for outbound calls can be summarised using the well know acronym AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) we will explore at a high level what should be happening during a telemarketing call.

Open The Call Then Set Your Agenda

The opening minutes of any sales call are vital. You must remember that rapport is built immediately so how you sound is important. Everyone makes decisions about who they are talking to in seconds. This is why it is so important to sound great as we are immediately graded and however we do will be the starting point of the relationship. We are now at the beginning of the process of building rapport and developing what we hope will be a long term, profitable relationship - so sound fantastic.

When we meet someone for the first time we typically shake hands, smile and then swap business cards. On a call we also have some definable stages that can be measured and optimised. The opening part of the call is where we ask low risk questions which may, or may not concern their business. We might have a common interest, or even know the same group of people. Working on the phone is not really so different but in many ways is harder as we have no visual clues and can only 'hear' how the prospect is reacting. This is where you learn that, different approaches to different people will get different results.

During the opening stage of your telemarketing campaign should keep to a realistic timescale with clear definable objectives. Understand early on that no rapport means no sales regardless of how good your product or service is. The real purpose is to introduce yourself to your prospects establish rapport before moving into the business part of the call. Another tip is to avoid being too familiar with your prospect - it rarely works even if you know them! Asking low risk questions is easier than going for a bulls eye in less than 30 seconds! Be friendly, but not over familiar. We cannot get along with everyone but we can be professional regardless of who they are.

The next stage is to set your agenda in your opening statement (prepared earlier please). The purpose of the agenda is to put you in control and establish how the telemarketing sales call will be structured. It also gives you the right to ask questions.

Ask Great Questions

Selling is about identifying and then solving problems. The next stage therefore is to ask questions in order to find and explore customer problems. It usually relates to one or some of the following areas that need exploring including, contact, organisation, current supplier, challenges, needs, decision making process, competition and finance.

We ask questions at this stage for two main reasons. Firstly to gather facts and secondly to identify attitudes, problems and needs. Essentially we are taking a temperature check.

One important factor here is how we structure our questions and the quality of the questions we ask. Open questions (starting with how, what, where, when, why) encourage the customer to talk and closed questions (those that can only be answered with a yes/no) give us specific information.

The sequence of our questions can be very important, especially when a customer is only willing to divulge a little information. We need to listen out for buying signals and ask follow-up questions at the appropriate time.

One of the key issues is being able to ask questions, then listening to the answer without interrupting. (Interrupting and speaking over someone will not win you any friends!) This is common sales behaviour and customers find it most irritating sometimes worse. Also, while we are talking we are cutting off the supply of free information coming from the prospect.

Identify Needs

The process of asking questions will clarify the customer's and give you a clear idea of whether a feature or features of your product could solve those problems and satisfy the customers' needs.

Usually, we see the need for our products and or services before our customers do. They see problems rather than needs and there could be a range of potential solutions.

When people buy they also have a number of buying criteria. This usually means there are a limited number of reasons to buy that are of greatest interest to them. People don't buy for lots of reasons. They have their own buying criteria, which we will need to establish.

Also, it has been shown that people buy on only two levels; Logic and Emotion.

Their logical buying behaviour wants to know if the solution they are choosing is technically correct. Their emotional buying behaviour is asking for reassurance that their decision is a good one and they are not making a mistake.

Present the Solution

Having clarified the customer's problems and identified needs, present the Features, Advantages and Benefits of your own product in such a way that the solution matches the needs of the customer. An important issue here is timing. We cannot present effectively if we haven't identified their main buying criteria. When we present we must also be aware that we are not just listing a series of features. We must match the feature that solves the problem turning features into benefits.

The most common mistakes made by salespeople is to present too much information too early in the sales process. We need to look at the problem from the buyers' perspective. Think about it and ask yourself this question 'If I was in their position, how much information would I need and when would I need it?'

Gain Commitment Using A Trial Close

Having presented a solution that meets the customer's needs the next phase is to gain commitment, to go ahead or else for some future action that will move you nearer towards the sale being made. You will usually meet with objections at various stages of the sales process and techniques will be developed for dealing with objections later in the programme. One of the problems with asking for commitment is that we sometimes lack confidence and fear rejection. It is important that we keep control of the sales process and maintain responsibility for moving to the next stage of the process and taking the customer with us. A trial close will flush out any last minute objection. Once you are satisfied that there are no additional objections you can present your solution.

Your Final Step

Once you have presented your final solution you can then close the sale (or move to the next stage). Remember if you break down complex sales into manageable chunks you will be able to move forward far quicker. Gaining commitment for a meeting, a trial or whatever your objective is means that you have created a logical structure and you have achieved your call objectives. With practice everything becomes so much easier. But then if telemarketing was so easy everyone would be a runaway success - you know just how hard it is and the fact that you may make it look easy is a real skill!


By Mike Palman

This is a Sales Call: How to Begin Prospecting Calls with Integrity

"Hello. I'm looking for Sharon Morgen?"
"Sharon DREW Morgen."
"What? Sharon Morgen?"
"No. Sharon DREW"
"Um. Hello. Are you Mrs. Drew?"
"Ms. Morgen. That's me. Is this a sales call?"
"Um. Hello. No. I'm with XYZ bank and I'm giving you a service call."
"Regarding what? I don't do business with you. And you're not supposed to be making a telemarketing call on me. So what type of service are you offering for free?"
"Well, it's not for free. But we thought you'd like to know about our new banking services."
"Ah. So it IS a sales call."
"We're not allowed to say that."

This call really happened.

Years ago I lost a large piece of business because I advocated telling prospects, "This is a sales call." For some reason, the Sales Director was appalled that I would announce it was a sales call. Who would prospects think they were speaking with? Their wife? Their mother? A relative? A friend? I'm a stranger, obviously. And why would I be calling them? Would I be from their child's school, announcing a problem? Or from the neighborhood, with a report of a house on fire? How about a person from the cleaner's, telling them I'd lost their new suit?

What is wrong with telling prospects that you're placing a sales call? They'll guess it anyway when they don't recognize your voice. It will also be obvious because your opening remarks will probably sound uncomfortable - like a stranger placing a call to another stranger.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

NO NAME, NO TIME

Let's start with the name game. Dale Carnegie used to recommend that sales people repeat the prospect's name because he thought people loved hearing their own name spoken. Whether that was because the phone systems in 1937 weren't that great, or because that was a commonly accepted belief, it's no longer the case. When we really know someone, we rarely use their name. Intimacy means never have to say someone's name - there's just this eye contact people have, or a special way of saying 'Hi. It's ME."

Of course you use people's names - I'm being slightly facetious here - but not repeatedly during the same conversation, and not often, when you know someone well.

When you over-use a prospect's name, it becomes a ploy to manipulate them into liking you so you can fantasize that you're their friend, and convince this person that you want or have A RELATIONSHIP.

But it's not true. Hearing their name spoken repeatedly by a stranger makes prospects feel even more detached.

And what about the assumption that they're sitting there, waiting for this call, with nothing else to do but take the call - even if it's a bank they do business with, or a charity they donate to?

What is it about a sales call that makes it about the sales person anyway? What makes it about the product? Why is it even about a sale?

Why not make a sales call - even a prospecting call - an aspect of your brand? A way of showing your prospects that you are supporting them and your product, through a collaboration (rather than a sale)?

FEAR OF COLD CALLS

Let me back track for a moment. I've trained many thousands of sales people; I can name on one hand the number of people who have eagerly sought out cold calling (and I'm one of them. I LOVE it - what fun! What a neat way to get to know people!). Why? Because sellers don't want to impose themselves on strangers. Because you believe the prospects don't have the time or care. Because you get rejected. Because your ego says prospects should call you.

But none of that has to be true. Let's look at the pieces, and then proceed to understand how they can each be mitigated with Buying Facilitation.

Imposing on strangers When you make a call to a stranger (either prospects, or clients who have been handed over to you from a previous sales person) they don't know who you are, naturally, and you have no rapport with them. By definition you are imposing. Additionally, you are placing a call to get something for yourself and actually attempting to take something from them. Whether it's to 'make them' listen to you, or buy something from you, or do something for you. It's not like you're calling to give them a million bucks: you want them to do something, like listen to you, or buy from you, or make a change for you in some way. So you want something from this person.

But this person is a stranger. Why should this person give you anything, unless they are already predisposed to want what you have anyway? Remember that before someone does anything (different or otherwise) they must make a decision to do it. And all decisions are based on specific, unique, criteria - not information. So all the information in the world that you might have to share is immaterial if the person doesn't know how to decide what to do with it.

Time Your prospect is obviously not sitting next to the phone waiting for a call from you. S/he is doing something. Whatever it is, s/he's doing something. In order to earn the right to use some of this person's time, you've got to ask for it and announce why you should be using their time. Asking if it's a good time to speak (not the same as saying 'Do you have a few moments?' - the implication here is, 'do you have a few moments FOR ME.') will help here.

Rejection Why do you get rejected? Because you're trying to get something from this person that YOU want to get. And they say no.

What does 'no' do? It causes a Stop Action. There is no possibility of forward movement when 'no' is uttered; the person who is the naysayer holds the power in any relationship.

As long as you continue to attempt to get your needs met from a cold call, attempt to get someone to listen to what you wish to say, try to get someone to buy something - even an idea - you will continue to get rejected by all of those people who don't consciously recognize a need for what you're pushing.

When you get lucky and receive a positive response, it will be from those who already have determined a need and you then become a commodity. You better have a 'good price' for those people who will accept your call, because they won't know how else to choose you once you join the ranks of similar suppliers.

USE BUYING FACILITATION TO SUPPORT MUTUAL AGREEMENT

Using Buying Facilitation as the basis for the call won't be to take anything, sell anything, push anything, or even find out anything. Your job is to:

1. support the other person in recognizing if anything is missing in the category your product can support, and if so, how to start the process of designing a solution that will fix their problem (yes, even on a cold call, you can help the prospect begin the process of a complex sale);

2. help them discover their criteria for considering whether it's time to fill in a gap by doing something they haven't done before now.

It's not about you, not about your product, and not about what you're offering. Until or unless a buyer recognizes that what they're doing isn't working, and until they are ready to do something different to fix/change the status quo, nothing you say will be heard. Remember: people do not make decisions based on information.

Using Buying Facilitation, your job is to help people make the necessary decisions that will support the change they'd need to go through to do something different from what they're already doing.

Use your cold call to help people decide. And start the call by getting into rapport and inviting people into a collaboration with you:

Caller: "Hello. My name is Sharon Drew Morgen. This is a sales call, and I'm selling sales training. Is this a good time to speak?"

By using this opening, you are telling people who you are and why you're calling, telling people you're respectful of their time, letting them know you are an honest person, saying exactly what you're calling for, and not mangling their name (somehow the name you have in front of you is either never the right person or never the right name). And, just something I have found to be true: unless you are calling from a company with a recognized brand name, saying the name of your company is unnecessary - they won't recognize it or remember it.

If the person says it's not a good time, ask if there is a better time to call back. Don't try to throw a quick pitch in - just ask if there is a better time. If the person says they have a few minutes, say:

"I appreciate the time. And if the call goes on longer than you have time to complete, we can end whenever it's good for you and pick it up at another time."

In this way, you are giving the person permission to have control over the call. After all, they're in control anyway. By using this opening - actually, it's the first step in the Buying Facilitation Method® - you will have already dealt with the time and imposition issues, and the rejection won't be about you. And remember: make your call about helping them make discoveries and decisions. Don't use your time to push anything. Otherwise, you're wasting a great opportunity to find a new client and introduce your brand of integrity.

By Sharon Drew Morgen

7 Ways to Jump Start Your Cold Calls

Cold calling has to be one of the most feared aspects of every sales person's and business owner's day. With some important key tips, you can make cold calling painless and enjoyable and as easy as calling a friend.

Here are 7 key ways to jump start your cold calls:

1. Research Your Market

Before you start your cold calls it's important that you be prepared so your prospect feels you really do understand their situation. Research the company you are calling, identify what issues they are having based on your other clients in their same industry and ask others in your company the main reasons why people buy your product or service.

The better prepared you are about discussing you prospect's issues, the easier it will be to allow the conversation to flourish.

2. Change Your Mental Expectations

Traditional selling has always taught us that our main goal of the cold call should be an appointment or a sale. With that mental focus, what happens is our mind is focused on the end goal before we even have a conversation with the person we are calling.

This creates a major conflict because you will be trying very hard not to use words that make you sound like all you care about is the sale. And even more importantly, if your prospect senses you are focusing on the appointment or sale, they will immediately be defensive.

So what to do? Change your mental expectations to focus on building a conversation first and then once you have generated a good dialogue, you can then determine if you are a fit or not with your prospect.

Be careful not to mentally "jump the gun".

3. Understand Your Prospect

Take a few minutes to think about your focus of your call. Think about how you are going to approach the conversation. Put yourself in the mind of your prospect.

How would you want to be approached? Certainly the last thing you want to hear is a sales pitch from someone you don't know.

Instead, begin the conversation diffusing any mystery as to who you are with "Hi, my name is Jim and you and I haven't met yet". This removes the mystery of who you are and allows you to begin talking about how you can help them solve a problem, rather than you having to default to a sales pitch.

Think before you speak.

4. Build Trust Through Conversation

Learning to build conversation is the key to cold calling success. Engaging in a conversation should be as natural as calling a friend. Your objective is to build trust on your call so that your prospect feels comfortable conversing with you rather than trying to focus on getting you off the phone.

How do you build trust? You build trust by removing any elements in your approach that connect you to the negative "salesperson" stereotype.

5. Ask A Question

Begin your cold call with "Hi my name is John, maybe you can help me out for a moment?"

Yes, that's really all you have to begin with because in the next few seconds you will hear "How can I help you". That is how you can build a two-way dialogue rather than having a one-way talk.

The truth is you are asking for help because you don't know if you can help them yet, right? Until you have the information you need about their situation, you can't determine if you are a fit or not.

6. Eliminate Pressure

Pressure is the main reason most cold calls turn into a negative rejection-filled experience. It doesn't have to be that way.

If you can become aware of things you are doing that is triggering pressure on your prospects, you can turn cold calling into a very productive and enjoyable experience.

The key is to never force your sales pitch, engage only in a natural conversation, and most importantly let your prospect talk. By doing all three you will eliminate pressure from the call and your prospect will be more open to the idea of what you have to offer.

7. Learn To Determine A Fit

So how do you know if your prospect is a fit with what you have to offer? You need to ask them this question towards the end of your problem solving discussion "Is solving your problem a top priority or something that is on the back burner for now?"

By determining the answer to this question, you can see if you can decide if your prospect is worth pursuing or not. You will also be able to determine their time frame which helps you better adjust your expectations.

Make no mistake about it, if you really want to be successful cold calling you'll need to let go of traditional sales thinking. Try these 7 strategies and watch how cold calling can be fun and productive.

By Ari Galper

Proven Two Minutes Magic Exercise to Conquer the Fear of Phone

I got a confession to make! The little communication device used to scare me to death!

I would pick ip up and dial a prospect and when the phone rings my heart would start pounding wishing that the recipient does, to pick the phone up. When the phone is picked, guess what?

My home business was rationalised and crippled by the fear of phone. The telephone is a very essential tool to expose your business. Some persons have become millionaires due to using the phone proficiently.

However, when I discovered the two minute exercise a new world opened converting me into a calling machine. Despite the fact that English is not my first language, I have a commanding personality over the phone.

I will show you the magic pill to eliminate the fear of phone in record time. It doesn't matter the level of your fears but be assured that the exercise works.

Are you ready? Lets take the ride!

First and foremost acknowledge the fact that the phone does not cause fear we talk on it everyday. The potential negative results and perceived failure from the call creates the uncomfortable feelings that leads to avoidance.

Here is the simple exercise:

List down as many telephone contacts as possible. Your contacts must comprise of warm list[people that you know] and cold leads. You can order a list of telephone leads regardless of the quality. Write down a script in relation to your business.

Start making calls to your prospects one by one. Limit your time to two minutes and stick to your script. If the recipient does not pick up the phone leave a message. Do not focus on the result concentrate on making calls.

Do you fear playing lotto just because you lost? Play as many as possible phone calls lotto and do not expect to win.

What will happen?

The fear will take its toll reaching the highest peak! Your prospects will notice present of fear from your conversation. They will sense it in your voice and reject your offer.

Now this is the key! Without your knowledge magic is happening inside you. You are targeting fear with a laser beam and melting it away. You are now building little victories on gradual basis. The fear that crippled you will start to subside generating you a momentum that will seem foreign to you.

You will not understand how easy it will be to pick up a phone and call a prospect. You will eliminate the nerves and replace it with confidence.

You will be astounded by the feelings and the power of two minutes exercise. Go for it! Launch the fear attack campaign to improve your business and better your lifestyle.

By Peter Benson

10 Tips for Telephone Success

The telephone is an often under-appreciated and much maligned piece of office equipment. Have you stopped to consider how much business you conduct over the telephone? These 10 tips will help you improve your telephone presence and presentations.

1. You are the "Manager of First Impressions" for your business. Whenever you pick up the telephone, put a smile on your face first. It will enhance your vocal quality and you will sound pleasant and relaxed.

2. Listen attentively to the person you are speaking with. Recall why your dog is such a good listener: listen actively and in the moment. Multi-tasking is the enemy of effective listening.

3. Let other people talk! Make sure your caller has completely finished speaking before responding. Remember: sometimes they aren't done talking; they are just coming up for air.

4. Use open-ended questions to get people to speak more freely. You should always talk less than the person you have called. It makes others feel more comfortable, particularly if you are asking them to make a decision. The more they talk, the easier it is for them to "buy into" what you are proposing.

5. To create affinity with your callers, speed up or slow down your speaking voice to better match theirs. They won't realize why they feel comfortable, they just will.

6. Use your words for best results. Keep in mind you can phrase anything positively, negatively or neutrally. Phrasing your words positively will help you get better results more easily.

7. Voice mail can be your friend. Avoid leaving voice mail messages but if you must, think of it as a 30 second commercial on a highly rated radio program. You have the opportunity to get your message into the "ears" of your most desired audience. Your message should reflect this.

8. Plan your telephone presentations in advance. Think out all the various scenarios you might be faced with and write it out. This is called pre-call planning.

9. Tape yourself for self-improvement. Listen to yourself carefully and decide what areas you want to improve.

10. Make an action plan. Focus on only one area at a time. When you feel comfortable, move to your next area and repeat.

We use the telephone as our primary form of personal communication. People who are good with this medium increase their opportunities for success.

By Jo Ann Kirby

Telephone Sales Basics for Start-ups

Everyone picks up the telephone to do business. Yet the word "telemarketing" has many negative connotations for people. However, telemarketing is merely a term for conducting business over the telephone. Whenever you pick up the phone at work to make or receive a call you are "a telemarketer". Over the years telemarketing has evolved into the following applications:

1. Business to Consumer

2. Business to Business

Within these classifications, there are two separate functions: inbound and outbound. Inbound is generally thought of as customer service, and outbound is used for sales or surveys. CSR is telemarketing shorthand for Customer Service Representative. TSR is telemarketing shorthand for Telemarketing Sales Representative.

In order to increase response rate, many firms use a combination of direct mail and telemarketing.

Generally the telemarketing call follows the mail piece. If the client or prospect requires additional information, a follow up first class mail piece, fax or email is sent.

A soft sell works best for long term buyer -seller relationships. Each prospect call begins by letting prospects know the organization might be able to solve problems/fill needs. We then ask a series of questions to determine what their situation is and how the products can best help them. The offer is made and we ask for agreement - also known as the close. Rep's are expected to overcome objections and show how close a match the products are to the prospect's needs.

The steps in a sales presentation:

1. Opening

2. Offer

3. Trial Close

4. Objections

5. Close

Most Telemarketing units use a "script", a written, planned presentation. Actually, all salespeople use planned presentations; but as no one can see the telemarketer, these can be written down. A good script is used as a guideline as opposed to a verbatim speech. The presentation should inject some of the rep's personality and be flexible enough to personalize each call.

During the course of an "average" day a Telephone Sales Rep will:

? Dial the telephone 200 times

? Reach voice mail 80 times (out of 200)

? Reach a decision maker to make a presentation 20 times (out of 200)

Telemarketing is no longer the stepchild of company's marketing efforts, in many cases telemarketing has become the focal point for dynamic expansion. As the cost of field sales endeavors continues to rise, more and more firms are using telemarketing to cost effectively increase their business. In 1988, US News and World Reports published a report citing 8 million telemarketing jobs by the year 2000. At a time when most telemarketing employment seemed to be part time (targeted for housewives, students and retirees)or hard sell boiler rooms, this number seemed tremendous.

Today when most telemarketing positions, particularly in the business to business arena, are being held by experienced full time professionals, perhaps 8 million just scratches the surface.

By Jo Ann Kirby

How To Know Youre On A Winner

The catchword today for business is flexibility.

With changes in suppliers, customers, and the processes connecting them altering almost daily (or so it seems) the future clearly belongs to the organisations which can adjust to change quickly and effectively.

The good news for Call Centres is that, unlike more traditional sales organisations, the modern Call Centre has the equipment in place to measure this easily.

Instead of doing a sales training course and then waiting some weeks or months before you can reasonably evaluate the effectiveness of the course, the Call Centre can institute any change regarding CRMs and measure its effect on sales on a frequent, regular basis.

In the traditional face-to-face small-scale operation, the manager can make the change but not be sure of its effectiveness or whether the change is due to the changes instituted as things change anyway.

How do you know the improvement in sales is due to the new processes or due to something else? Or what if it is successful - how long does it last?

And what does this mean in practice?

At CustomCall, in line with its company Core Value of Continuous Innovation, this issue was dealt with in the following way: 6 CRMs from 4 different teams were brought together for 2 hrs for a workshop to improve their sales.

Then the sales conversion rates were measured over a one month, two month and three month period.

These results were compared with their results for one two and three months preceding the workshop.

This produced an improvement of

one month + 11.43%
two months +22.04%
three months +22.66%

Looks good but maybe everyone else changed too without any training.

So the same comparison was done with the whole campaign. Comparing Campaign After-workshop-date to Before-workshop-date sales gave the figures:

one month –1.37%
two months +05.80%
three months +05.71%

Removing the changes which happened anyway for the whole Campaign, the final difference for the effect of the workshop on the training group was:

one month +12.80%
two months +16.24%
three months +16.95%

Over three months the workshop produced a 16.95% increase in sales conversion rates.

Then the workshop was repeated for another 6 CRMs and after only one month the change (minus Campaign change) was 16.30% improvement in sales conversion rates.

Getting CRMs from different teams means the change is not due to one Team Leader for some reason bringing about a special improvement. Comparing the test group with the whole Campaign means they're not undergoing an improvement which is happening anyway, as the full Campaign serves as a control group for the test group.

This makes measurement a no-brainer.

Interestingly when I told one of the CRMs his sales had gone up 45% over the three months he said "Oh I didn’t realise". So even those who benefit from change are not necessarily the best judge of the value of that change, Luckily with mechanisms in place to keep track we can make an informed objective judgment.

That was just one example but since all modern Call Centres have the equipment in place to do the same, it's a waste of resources if they’re not doing some research like this at this very moment. Maybe giving a group of CRMs an apple a day would result in increased sales. Maybe giving them an extra 10 min break would do that too. Maybe oranges would be better. Who knows?

The key is to try something and then measure it.

By Jon Lonergan

Conference Calling Evolved

Originally the conference call was limited to businesses paying exorbitant fees to the telcos. For business, it still made sense economically because the costs were less than the travel costs involved in bringing the people together. Additionally, significant time savings are involved, both in terms of travel time and in being able to communicate fairly rapidly to an extended group.

Telcos then extended their market by providing conference calling services to home consumers for an added fee. For some, it made sense to be able to bring a family or group with common interests together easily, usually to plan some physical event.

With the expansion of the internet, and in particular, the increasing availability and decreasing pricing for high speed internet access, conference calling has expanded far beyond its original uses.

For business, it remains a vital tool and has, actually, become far more useful as prices fall and the ease of use increases. Real time audio/video conferencing is already in use (and in some organizations has been for quite some time). As the cost of bandwidth decreases and the technology underlying audio-video transmission over networks improves, true real-time video conferencing will increase dramatically.

With the growing sophistication of the typical surfer and the expansion of internet marketing, audio and video have become hot items. Within the internet marketing community, conference calls - usually known as teleseminars, have become a standard feature. Offering the opportunity to reach a large group of interested prospects in a relatively simple and inexpensive format, teleseminars also offer the marketer an opportunity to create an instant product. A recording of a teleseminar can either be sold as a stand-alone product or used as a marketing tool for back-end products.

Marketers are using both free and paid teleseminars. Generally there is a higher level of injected sales content in free teleseminars, but it does vary a great deal.

Solutions available now range from the rather expensive to essentially free. Your choice is going to depend on exactly what level of service you require. There are a number of providers which offer an introductory pricing scheme (I've seen it as low as a $1 for the first month), which gives you the opportunity to see firsthand how their service works at a very modest cost. You do need to make sure you understand just how your users will access the conference. Solutions which use telephone call-ins are generally more restrictive and/or expensive than those utilizing an internet connection or VoIP softphone connections.

True real-time audio/video conferencing hasn't arrived yet for most. The bandwidth requirements remain excessive and the quality of the video, in particular, is fairly low. If you ever done live chat with audio and a web camera, you've seen the limitations.

Most online presentations which involve both audio and video generally use static images which change either rarely or slowly, such as charts, website images, topic outlines and so on. This can be extremely useful for teleseminars, of course, because it makes it easier to demonstrate certain points and provides a visual as well as an audio focus for participants.

The combination of audio and visual elements is particularly useful in training situations where one can reinforce the other. Plus, you have the advantage of reaching those who learn better through visual means, as well as those partial to audio.

For those of you doing eCommerce the evolved conference call can be an incredible tool. Consider how much impact regular teleseminars about your area of expertise could have on future sales. You can provide buyers with instructional teleseminars. You can introduce new products. And in each instance you'll be generating recordings which you can either sell or make available on your sites, or use as added viral marketing tools.

With the increasing sophistication and usability of the tools for conference calling, the possibilities are virtually unlimited and well within the reach of every entrepreneur. You'll be hard pressed to find another tool that offers you the impact and potential of the conference call.

By Richard Keir

Cold Calling Does Not Generate Sales Leads

It is a fact of life for most new sales people; they get the dream sales job with unlimited earning potential and expect to earn so much money that they can now enjoy the fruits of their coming wealth. Everything seems perfect until they realize that before closing a sale and earning the big commission, they must first prospect for new customers (read, cold calls). Cold calling is hard to do. People hate to make cold calls and people hate being on the receiving end of them as well.

Prospecting is the most difficult part of the sales job. There are many ways to go about it but, for some reason, sales managers preach cold calling as the only way for young sales people to generate leads. As someone who has been through it, I wish that these attitudes would change.

I recently read one of the best selling books on cold calling. In this book, the author stresses persistence. He uses the 15-3-1 rule. That is, you need to make fifteen cold calls to make three appointments with prospects. Out of these 3 appointments you will close one sale. By being persistent and making fifteen cold calls a day, this will translate to, on average, one sale a day, five sales a week, twenty sales a month, etc. Further, the author explains that he doesn't mind the rejection that he gets when he cold calls. The reason is that since it takes fifteen calls to get an appointment, that means that he will hear the word "no" (rejection) fourteen times before he hears the word "yes."

This is simplistic and anybody reading this book may get overexcited and think that this is easy. It's not easy and the author's arguments don't hold up in real life selling.

Take the fifteen cold calls a day rule. Anybody reading this book will think that fifteen cold calls a day is nothing. If it takes 2-3 minutes to make a phone call, it shouldn't take more than 45 minutes to make your mandatory 15 calls. Then the rest of the day is spent selling in front of prospects.

But it doesn't work this way. If you've ever cold called, you will know that it usually takes at least 10 phone calls to reach a decision maker. Think about it, executives aren't sitting in their offices waiting for your call. They're either on the phone, in meetings, on vacation, or they just don't want to talk to you. So now, to talk to fifteen people, you need to make 150 cold calls. This is not 45 minutes of work; this can take days.

Further, for someone to say that he enjoys hearing the word "no" because it means he is getting closer to a "yes" is just misleading. Although a select few people can take this kind of rejection day in and day out, most cannot. It is only human nature to be discouraged by so much rejection.

There are better ways to get sales leads and increase your sales. People buy from people that they trust. Your time should be spent networking with your friends, colleagues, and business contacts. Get referrals, get introductions, get testimonials and the sales will come. Not only that, your job will be better; nobody likes the rejection and time consuming nature of cold calling.

By Tino Buntic

Feel the Fear

It sometimes surprises people when I tell them I get slightly nervous before a speaking or training event. They seem to think that because I've been doing it for years, nervousness would no longer be an issue.

However "nerves" is a normal human emotion and as I often say - "I'd be nervous if I wasn't nervous!" However, it's how you handle the nerves that will determine your success as a speaker.

Similarly, many sales people feel nervous or uncomfortable making cold calls, phoning for an appointment or following up an enquiry. Again, this is a normal response and most sales people feel this way.

One of the biggest fears for humans is the fear of rejection and we'll do almost anything to avoid it. It stops people making speeches, contacting customers, asking for the order, or even asking someone out on a date.

Successful people feel the fear of rejection but they don't allow it to paralyse them. They take action even although they feel uncomfortable. And of course, the more you do it the less uncomfortable you feel.

In the many challenges you face in life you won't "win them all" but you must have the courage to try. I read somewhere that - "winners make mistakes but losers never do." That's because winners have the courage to try and they know they'll make mistakes; however that's how they learn and move forward.

Telemarketing Tips for Direct Sales Success

Unfortunately, the DNC legislation has many small businesses that use telemarketers a bit concerned about their choice of direct sales tactic. However, there are still many ways to have your message get into the right people's hands without annoying them. And the fact of the matter is, telemarketing, as a direct sales tactic, works. Here are some tips and ideas to get your sales flowing and customers thrilled that you called them:

Find New Target Markets -

Have you talked with your current customer base lately to find out what their demographic standing is, on a whole? Most small businesses only do this once every couple of years, instead of once every couple of months. Find out who is using your products or services, and who they are: age, sex, race, income bracket, family unit, rent or own, etc. You may find that you haven't been targeting some crucial groups that use your business effectively. Then all you have to do is purchase a targeted telemarketing list, and you're well on your way to garnering more customers.

Consider Outsourcing -

There are a great number of telemarketing agencies currently that would be pleased to contact demographically appropriate customers on your businesses behalf. Why not save yourself the time and hassle of doing it all yourself, and look into one of these companies. They may just save you more time and money than you originally thought. Plus, if they specialize in products or services that your company offers, the response rates may be more than a bit surprising.

Test, Test, Test -

Before you start calling a large number of potential customers, test your telemarketers, the scripts and the telemarketing lists you are using, first. Listen to your staff; they'll tell you pretty quickly if something isn't quite right. Then, tweak whatever needs it, and try again. Not until you are getting an appropriate response rate should you settle into a larger scale operation - and don't forget to test again if your response rates dip.

Buy Quality -

If you want excellent results, you need to pay for them. Make sure you've purchased a telemarketing list from a reputable source that offers highly targeted customer lists only. Freebie lists, or ones that you borrowed from a 'similar' company just won't work here. Without a great list that exemplifies similar characteristics of your current customers, your telemarketing staff will be frustrated in no time with their low response rates.

Chris Burns

Telesales

HEADSETS & TELEPHONES

The equipment your personnel use is important. Don't let others tell you any different. Like the Sales Representative who looks forward to his or her new car every two years, so the telesales person deserves to enjoy good equipment. Good, practical equipment does make a difference. The Sales representative drives the car every day; it's a tool of the profession. The staff work area, tools and equipment, like the Sales Rep's car, say something about them and the way in which they do their job.

Comfort and professionalism

As the major tool of this trade is the telephone, it is important to give serious thought to comfort, ease of use, practicality and of course, cost. Let us look at some available options to help you become more comfortable, more professional, and more under control.

Headsets

Headsets (A telephone mouthpiece and earpiece which clip over the head) are available in a range of styles and prices. The price depends upon the degree of sophistication and the quality of the headset. At the time of writing, headsets range in price from thirty pounds up to two-hundred-and-fifty pounds.

Some advantages of using a headset are:

? Hands are free to write, use a keyboard, or turn pages.
? Individuals may feel they can have a more natural conversation.
? The headset often helps personnel to cope with a noisy environment.
? The possibility of Repetitive Strain Injury is reduced.
? Headsets often look and feel more 'professional'. This could improve performance of personnel.

Quick release

Some headsets have a 'quick release' facility, enabling them to be disconnected from the telephone line in order to leave the desk, simply plugging back in again when reseating. This is advantageous if your personnel need to move around a lot within the work area. Modern headsets are lightweight, easy to wear, and remarkably efficient.

Comfort

A headset may not be appropriate for the casual telephone user, and there are those who 'just feel right' holding the telephone receiver when making a call. However, a headset may be ideal for your personnel. Telecommunications companies have a range of headsets that are available to purchase over-the-counter or to order. BT has an excellent range in their own shops. If those you order turn out to be inappropriate, you can simply return them, or change for an alternative style or model.

Telephones

Many modern telephones are equipped with an extra socket for a headset. These allow the headset and handset to be used simultaneously, as a training aid. You can monitor the staff member's handling of the telephone call. If the telephone has a 'secrecy' button, you can also give on-line coaching. (See below).

Handset adapters

Some telephone handsets will allow an adapter to be clipped on, which allows the handset to be held comfortably between the shoulder and neck. These are a good alternative to headsets, but may give insufficient freedom of movement.

Features to look for

I would suggest that you consider one or more of these features when deciding upon a telephone for telesales use:

? Clearly visible and easy-to-press buttons. Numbers can be tapped out easily and clearly - why waste valuable time?

? Last number redial facility. This is a very useful function for those customers who are engaged or who want to be called back in a few minutes. If someone forgets to check something - just press the button and he or she is back in touch.

? Headset socket. As detailed above, there are many advantages to a headset.

? Lightweight handset. Heavy handsets may become uncomfortable with prolonged use

? Hands-free facility. If the telephone user does not have a headset, a hands-free facility on the telephone will make some tasks easier, particularly if it is necessary to shuffle papers or write a lot.

Some other useful features

? A volume control. Some people speak very quietly. Asking the person at the other end of the telephone to 'speak up' is not always appropriate. With a volume control this difficulty can be surmounted.

? Dialler display. This shows the number being called.

? A longer, flexible lead between handset and main unit. Short and rigid handset leads are inhibitive to easy movement.

? A 'secrecy' button. It may be necessary to check something with a colleague, and a secrecy button means this can be done without the person at the other end of the line overhearing. It also means that as a manager, you can give coaching whilst your staff are actually on the telephone.

All of these features may not be required for good telephone work. Different equipment suits different people. It is as well to be aware of the many options available, however.

Try these tips

? Observe your department when it's busy. Do any personnel appear uncomfortable with the telephones you have? Try to see why.

? Purchase a headset for your department. Let different members of staff use it. See what they think of it. Do they find it comfortable? Does it increase their activity?

? Buy a telephone with the above features. Let some of your personnel try it out. Use it yourself. Does it make a difference to the way you work?

? If headsets prove popular with your staff, would it be attractive to offer them as incentives for high achievers?

PROJECT TRACKING SOFTWARE AND COMPUTERS

Some areas of the telesales industry require repeated contact to a wide base of people in order to bring about a sale. In these fields, it is vital to be able to keep track of large quantities of information and the numerous telephone calls made. This is where project-tracking software applies.

Using project-tracking software

Project tracking software is often found within the Construction Industry, where major building projects can involve ten to twenty different companies and hundreds of people. Records of names, dates, and progress have to be kept as it becomes vital to know who is involved in the project, who needs to be spoken to, and what their telephone, 'fax, mobile, and email details are. Keeping to strict deadlines with calls is vital using such a system. There may be only one day in a month when you will be able to speak to key people, and these important calls cannot be missed. Such telephone sales activity is known as 'Project Tracking', or 'Project Co-ordination' and requires extensive telephone work to a wide range of people. These include Architects, Project Engineers, Designers, Planners, Surveyors, and Estimators.

Managers

Managers find this type of software extremely useful. It allows them to see exactly what calls have been made, to whom and by whom. Good project-tracking software will also allow a Manager to key in a salesperson's name and find out how their call rate compares to others, what effect the calls are having upon overall sales, and any of a wide permutation of factors which allows him or her to be fully informed.

Co-ordinating projects

Project Co-ordinators and Managers will normally utilise specially designed computer software programmes in order to keep accurate records. These records would cover progress made, who has been contacted and by whom, the names of key figures who make decisions, etc. The sales basics are the same, but the use of the computer and software programme adds an additional element. The project co-ordinator will have the PC available, entering in important dates and information on a daily basis. Software for project tracking will also allow entry of other information such as what was discussed, important dates, personal views, and when the next telephone call should be. It would also allow cross-reference to other projects. On an appropriate day in the future, the computer will notify the Project Co-ordinator that a return telephone call is due. Utilising such a system it should be possible to keep track of a very large number of different projects. The software does the work, but the scheduled telephone work still has to be done, and all new information has to be entered into the system.

Many companies also use this system as an aid to follow up literature on specific dates, say, eight to ten days after it has been sent. Managers, as detailed above, find it an invaluable tool both for day-to-day management and for use in predicting sales forecasts.

Advantages of Project tracking systems

? Ease of tracking many different contacts in a wide base of businesses.

? One person is able to keep track of, and co-ordinate complex activity.

? Sales can be monitored and managed by the salesperson and executives.

? Record keeping is precise and records are available.

? Vast amounts of information, easily accessible, can be called upon to focus sales activity.

? Set up and running properly, executives can keep a 'finger on the pulse' of a wide range of projects, sales activity and the effectiveness of sales campaigns.

Disadvantages of Project tracking systems

? Problems can arise if the information is not entered into the system, or entered in incorrectly.

? When the system goes down, so does a high percentage of sales activity.

? Such systems cost money, in capital outlay, in training, and in maintenance.

OTHER USEFUL TOOLS

There are many other tools which may help to make telephone sales life more comfortable, more ordered, and more manageable. Whilst some of these may not be relevant to your particular needs, they are all useful tools.

Residential and Business telephone directories on CD

Telephone directories are now available on CD to save time and money. If your company utilises Computer systems as sales tools, this simple and versatile extra can be invaluable. With millions of names, addresses and telephone numbers of potential residential and business customers, it is something worth thinking about. Of course, this depends upon the size and scope of your business calling.

Increasing your comfort with office equipment

? Use of footrests. Footrests are becoming more and more common in the workplace. They are available in a range of heights, styles and materials. A footrest can make all the difference to the level of personnel comfort and can therefore add to sales activity.

? Employ proper seating. There is no end of office seating stores. Good seating costs little and can make a tremendous difference to the quality of work. Good seating means that personnel are more comfortable, more relaxed and more in control.

? Sitting at a desk or work surface of the correct height, with enough room to write with ease can make a difference to the productivity of staff.

? Acoustic dividers between desks can create a calmer work environment where staff can be more relaxed and feel more able to communicate one-to-one with their clients. They would also allow you to work with staff on a one-to-one basis for training purposes.

Remember that it's important to have the right equipment for the job. Good equipment costs money of course, but properly equipped personnel can also carry out a far more effective job.

By Stephen Kaye

The Dos and Donts of Cold Calling

Having your fingernails removed!

Many salespeople would rather have their fingernails removed slowly than make a cold call. And it's no wonder; with the abundant number of resistance-inducing techniques out there, salespeople set themselves up for failure. However, New Business Development is a major key to a company's long term survival. Ask yourself, what would happen if your number one client stopped buying from you today! Well, I think we all know the answer!

Here are some common sense "do's and don'ts" to help you set more quality appointments on cold calls:

1. Learn about your prospective client first

The more you know about your prospect before placing a cold call and speaking with them, the better your chances of an appointment. It will help you prepare a more customised opening and better questions, plus it impresses the prospect.

Conversely, if you have to ask, "Mmm, what does your business do?" you could be labeled as a time-waster. Your main objective with the initial call is to get information on the company and get a name of the person who makes the decisions.

Even before you make that initial call, do some research on the internet - if the company has a website (not many these days do not), have a look and see what they do.

You can work with the screener or anyone who answers the phone, or you could actively speak to a department where you know you will get relative information that can be turned into a client's need.

"I hope you can help me. First, I'm looking for the name of the person there who deals with the training requirements of your company. (After getting the name, continue.) Thank you. So I'm better prepared when I speak with them, there's probably some information you can help me with, first."

You could get almost all of your qualifying questions answered by people other than your decision-maker on your cold calls.

2. Don't send information before the cold call

Busy decision-makers toss unsolicited, bulging packages of literature with form letters (regardless of how many times your word processor mail merged their names into the body). Starting out a cold call with, "I sent you a letter, did you get it?" rarely elicits a response like, "Oh, yes I did. You're that guy. I want to meet with you!"

3. Don't believe cold calling is just a "numbers" game

The lottery is a numbers game. Cold calling for appointments is a quality game. Approach each with an attitude of accomplishment and desire. Don't burn through the list of prospects as fast as you can with the expectancy that your number will be drawn eventually.

4. Don't ask for a decision in the opening of a cold call

Never open the call by including the silly phrase, ". . . and I would like to drop by Tuesday at 2:00, or would 4:00 be better?" People are resistant when faced with decisions before they see any value. Also avoid the equally inane question, "If I could show you a way to ___ , you would, wouldn't you?" No one likes to be "techniqued." The only way they'll consider investing time with you is if they see some value in doing so.

5. Do have an interest-creating opening on your cold call

Here's one you might be able to adapt:

"Ms. Bigg, I'm ____ with ____. My company specialises in (fill in with the ultimate result customers want and get from you, i.e., 'helping organisations improve the efficiency of their company by developing the skills of their workforce'). Depending on what you're doing now, and your objectives, this might be something worth taking a look at. (Now you ask permission to continue the call) - I'd like to ask a few questions to see if you'd like more information."

6. Do ask questions on the cold call

Some people suggest that you should go for the appointment on a cold call quickly and never divulge information. No! Those are likely people who are insecure with their (in)abilities to communicate by phone. If someone doesn't have potential, I want to find that out now from my office rather than wasting time setting up a meeting to learn the same thing. And if the prospect is qualified and has interest, I can pique their curiosity a bit by phone and pre-sell them on what we'll speak about when I arrive. For example:

"Pat, based on what you told me, it looks like you could show quite a significant labor savings with a system like ours. The best thing to do would be for us to get together so I can ask a few more questions about your operation and show you some of our options to see if we have a fit. How about next week?"

Then narrow down a convenient time for both of you.

7. Do make a confirmation call after the cold call

Some might suggest this gives them a chance to cancel. That's right. And if they're of this mindset, they either wouldn't be there when you did arrive, or they wouldn't give you the time of day. A phone call gives you a chance to address either situation and save time.

8. Do keep cold calling

And don't let a "no" get you down. The last call has nothing to do with the next unless you let negative feelings strangle your attitude. Talking to people generates income, but avoiding the phone, stuffing envelopes and walking around do not. Set a secondary objective, one you can accomplish on every call, such as simply qualifying someone as a prospect or not, so you can have a success of sorts on every call.

By Kevin

Stop Selling and Make More Sales

A few months ago I spent time training some telephone sales agents who were new to selling. They'd mainly been involved with handling incoming calls but now their company needed them to do some out bound sales calls. I spent two days running a sales workshop for them and another three days coaching them on the job.

The biggest challenge I had was trying to stop them selling. Or at least their idea of what selling is all about.

Many people who are new to sales and also some experienced sales people want to keep talking about their product or service. They open the conversation with one or two general questions which are often irrelevant to the customer and then launch into their sales spiel.

What then happens is that the customer thinks "Oh no, I'm being sold to" and immediately disengages the brain and stops listening. The sales person then has limited success as far as getting a sale is concerned.

My job with these people was to try to get them to stop selling as they knew it. The most important thing in any sales call is to find out what the customer's needs are. The customer won't readily tell you what his or her real needs are so the sales person needs to do some careful probing. Questions need to be asked that are relevant to the customer's needs and relevant to your product or service.

It is often useful to open an outbound sales call with the question "Mr Customer I'm not sure whether we can help you or not, however I would like to ask one or two questions which will establish whether our product would meet your needs and benefit your business, is that OK?"

This statement is perfectly true because, you don't know if your product or service will benefit the customer until you ask him or her some questions about their business. It will also have the effect of relaxing the customer if they feel they're not being sold to and that someone is interested and cares about their situation. If the customer believes this then closing the sale becomes so much easier.

Discover how you can generate more business without having to cold call! Alan Fairweather is the author of "How to get More Sales without Selling" This book is packed with practical things that you can do to - get customers to come to you.

How To Be A Cold Calling Superstar!

Our emotions and feelings are changing all of the time based on our interpretation of events. Does this mean that even a sales superstar feels bad if they lose a big deal? Of course they do. They wouldn't be human if they didn't. It's natural for your feelings to fluctuate as you go about your business.

Take a moment and imagine a bad day selling on the phone. It's been awful. You've been cold calling for over 3 hours and you've had rejection after rejection after rejection. You've had enough and you're bored and disconsolate. How would you be sitting? Most people would be leaning forward, hunched up. Your head might be down, your breathing shallow. You'd be speaking quietly and your hand may well be partly covering your mouth. You'd probably be looking down too and your facial expression would be boredom. But I didn't have tell you any of that. You already know what physiology goes with a bad day on the phone or in any selling scenario.

The quickest way to change the way that you feel in any given moment is by changing your physiology. Physiology is your changing expression through your physical body - how you breathe, stand, sit, walk, move, smile etc - and it's hard wired to the way you feel. Your physiology and your feelings are so interconnected that you can use one to change the other and vice versa.

Imagine now the next call. You start off the same but as you do the client starts to take an interest. He's quite perky and positive. You sit up a bit and your head comes up. He starts to ask you questions and show a real interest. You sit right up, smile and start to fill your lungs. You smile again. Finally, he asks you to tell him more about your flagship product. You stand up, push your shoulders back and confidently start to tell him about the product. Did you consciously decide to make these physiological changes? No! Your mind and body just knew that these were necessary to deliver the right message. But what about the 20 calls before? Did those clients get the right message? Probably not?

Whilst we all know that changing our physiology changes the way that we feel we rarely take conscious control of it. In order to change our physiology it's essential that we are aware of all of the key elements that make up our physiology. As already mentioned they are - breathing, posture, movement and facial expressions.

Breathing

Breathing is an unconscious action. At least, I hope that it is! I wouldn't want you to get really busy and forget to breathe. Now that really would be a mistake! Obviously, breathing must be an unconscious task and that is a major positive for the human race however there is a negative side to this. Because breathing is unconscious we don't generally choose to focus on our breathing.

When we are stressed or angry or we face confrontation we tend to breathe faster and more shallowly. As you start to breathe faster this sends a message to your feelings and they intensify, so you start to breathe faster still and so on in a loop. Certainly this reaction might be perfect if you need to fight a wild animal but if you want to deal professionally with a client then maybe it's not so suitable. Learning when to stop, take a break and breathe more deeply can really help you to break your pattern both during difficult sales situations such as cold calling, negotiating and presenting.

Conversely, when you are bored and tired your breathing gets slower and deeper. This sends a message to your feelings and you start to breathe even deeper and so on in a loop. This does nothing to help you to feel or sound energised. Certainly, if you're not energised and dynamic when you're selling your product you can't expect the client to be. Learning to recognise when either your physiology or your emotions change and to change your breathing patterns will considerably increase your energy levels when selling.

Movement

If someone walked into the office slowly and with little movement how do you think they feel? Conversely, if someone strode into the office purposefully and with a bouncing gait how do you think they feel? Not hard to guess is it! We all know that movement changes the way we feel. If you've been sitting reading for a while tell me where your energy is at the moment on a scale of 1 to 10. Try getting up and moving around the room a bit. Stand up a sit down, do some moderate exercise (health permitting!) for a few seconds. Have your energy levels gone up? Do you feel more energised? Of course you do.

When I run coaching sessions I can usually tell who the positive members of the team are from the way that they walk across the car park on their way to work. I don't use this information as it could be misleading but it is usually spot on. People who do regular exercise know the value of movement for changing the way that they feel and for creating energy. As a sales person you need to use movement to control your emotions and to maximise your sales success.

Facial Expressions

I have recently become a very proud uncle. I haven't had the experience of being around babies before and it is very interesting for someone who is so intrigued by human potential and development. Liberty is nearly 4 months old and one of the areas of her development that has really interested me is watching her use her facial expressions. She seems to have been born with some of them but not others. Certainly, she could pull a screaming face straight away but smiling took a few weeks. I wonder if she knew how to smile already and just couldn't physically do it or whether she copied it. In any case, her facial expressions are now firmly hardwired to the way that she is feeling. How do I know? Because she never smiles and screams at the same time and she never coohs and pulls her pained face! Even at her age she doesn't make mistakes in this - not any! In fact, if you can get her to smile or laugh when she's screaming she will stop screaming instantly and start cooing again!

Surely it's not that easy? Indeed it is! Think of the habitually miserable people in your organisation... do they smile all of the time? Nope. And if you now think of someone who you'd describe as positive and happy I'd like to guess that they smile quite a lot of the time. Would you go around with a friend who didn't smile at you ever? I doubt it. Taking time to be aware of your daily facial expressions is well worth the effort. Interestingly, many of the salespeople I work with are unaware that they don't smile that often and when they do this (silly) exercise they find themselves winning more new clients. Now isn't that strange.

Posture

Posture is the way that you sit and stand. Our posture says a lot about us. I first became aware of this through an old work colleague who was particularly negative and depressed. He always saw the bad side of everything. His shoulders were forward, his back not straight and his chin down all of the time. When he did telesales he would be hunched up like a weather beaten sack of spuds! When he visited clients he used to shuffle in like an old man. On the other end of the scale thing about how a sales superstar would sit and stand in similar situations.

Working with salespeople and telesales teams I often know immediately where they are through their physiology. Once I have built rapport with them one of the first things I do is change their physiology through exercises and games. Not only is this the quickest way to change the way that they feel but it supports the deeper changes that often need to be made.

Exercise: Physiology Benchmark

Think of the best telesales call that you've ever made. Remember it in as much detail as you can. Who were you speaking to? Why did you do such a good job? What was so great about it? Now imagine yourself making a call twice as good. Go on! I dare you! You can do it!

As you imagine this amazing call I want you to take the time to think about your physiology. In your logbook take the time to describe it in detail or draw a picture (go on - have fun!). It's incredibly important that you benchmark this physiology so that you know what you are striving for.

Top 5 Tips for Maintaining a Positive Telesales Physiology

1. Put a mirror on your desk so that you can monitor your habitual facial expressions. I know, I know - people are going to laugh at you! If you knew this would double your sales would you do it? Of course you would. So how much does it have to help before you do it and why do you care what average performers think anyway? Go get one!

2. Keep your head up. When you raise your head and eyes above the horizontal line you will feel much more empowered. Try it. When I work with telesales teams and individuals I often put a banner or a slogan on the wall about two feet above eye level. Make it motivational and make sure that it means something to you and your team. If you're a sales manager and you see a call start to go awry get the sales person to look up.

3. Stand up periodically when you are doing telesales, particularly at the start of calls. If you don't like talking on the phone and standing up try standing up between calls occasionally. Standing up changes your whole physiology. It also changes your ability to utilise your whole voice and it's whole range.

At the end of a live telesales training I was once running a coaching session where the delegates were ringing live contacts to set up appointments. One of the delegates was on a particularly strong call and was standing up. He was just coming to the point where he was going to close for the meeting and he would have got it. As he realised that this was coming up he pulled up his chair and sat down. As he did so, his whole physiology, tone and confidence fell. It was obvious to even a non-trained observer. He half-heartedly tried to close the client and the client objected. His head lowered and I could see the opportunity slipping away.

The client was getting into objection mode and was really questioning the validity of having a meeting. I snapped my fingers above and to the front of the sales person's face to break his pattern and get his attention. As he looked up, I gestured at him to stand up and as he did so I moved his chair away so he had to continue his call standing. His physiology changed again, he rapidly took control of the call and he set the appointment.

Results may not be quite so dramatic and obvious for you but they will be there!

4. Wear a headset. I heard your cry of horror so I'll repeat it, wear a headset. Don't make excuses, try it. If you're thinking anything about it being uncomfortable, unnatural or weird I will repeat myself again. Wear a headset. I have always recommended the wearing of headsets and it always seems to have been in the top 5 most debated pieces of advice I give! I think this is because we are all conditioned to pick up the phone and it seems unnatural to not do so. Until wearing a headset feels natural you haven't yet experienced the benefits of using a headset. I guarantee that if you try it for long enough it will feel natural and it will improve your calls.

If you think about it for a moment it's obvious why wearing a headset will improve both your feelings and physiology and the quality of the call. It's because it frees you up to move and act naturally. You get totally into the call without this little plastic barrier wedged up against your ear.

Another spin off benefit of wearing a headset is that in my experience your call rate will go up by as much as 20%!

5. Make cold calling sessions a maximum of 45 minutes long! You weren't expecting that were you! I believe cold calling and telesales is something that you should perform at 100% and to do this you need to work in concentrated bursts. Now don't get me wrong, I agree that telesales is a numbers game however you can also explode your performance by making more impactful calls. 100 useless calls is no better than 50 useless ones! Neither are satisfactory. Far better that you make a good number of powerful calls.

As an individual or a team leader what you need to do is have a 2 minute session to set mini-objectives for your telesales session. Then you focus 100% on the sessions for 45 minutes. You don't send out literature, take incoming calls, talk to your neighbour or get disturbed. You ring clients. At the end of the session you have a quick 2 minute session to measure your performance, take a short break and then decide what to do next.

I sometimes work with clients who "say" that there is no way they could endorse this as their salespeople cold call all day. When we run these high intensity sessions I prove time and time again that most sales people do more in 45 minutes than they normally do in a whole day! In any case, there is nothing stopping the trained professional who has run several empowered sessions and who can stay focused for the whole 45 minutes to run several sessions in a day. The key is to focus on staying at high intensity for the whole of the 45 minutes. I would always prefer that my teams ran two of these at this level in a day than they spent the whole day cruising at 50%.

Note: In my experience very few people make anything like 45 minutes worth of high intensity, cold calls each and every day.

By Gavin Ingham