Telemarketing Is NOT The Anti-Christ…. Anymore
I know, the word “telemarketing” might as well be four letters, but there is a way to help customers feel like they are getting personal attention WITHOUT them blocking your number! I personally had a fair share of rage wave over recent PPI and Accident Claim nuisance calls, and not against the callers but their bosses’ LACK OF KNOWLEDGE on how to call people who will be interested to listen (the qualifying customers).
With the right knowledge, steps and focus Telemarketing is being and can be used politely and ethically as a powerful and personable marketing tool for your success. Telemarketing is best for high priced, high margin products/services. It can also be used for local promotions and friendly introductions to pre-agreed prospects. Extremely effective when used by small businesses.
Here are the key steps to putting together a highly effective direct mail marketing program:
- List all benefits customers will get from the purchase of your products and services.
- Pick the single most powerful benefit out of that list and build an attention-getting headline around that benefit. Remember to use emotion-fulfill the desire to be young, wealthy, desired, popular or successful.
- Develop a sales letter using the headline you created to grab attention, provide information and motivate customers to act.
- Put together supplementary items, such as a brochure, order form, reply envelope or note that encourages them to read the letter.
- Rent or purchase a mailing list.
- Compare cost of mailing vs. cost per order.
- Continue to test and refine your direct mail marketing plan.
You can see how direct mail marketing can help you find a local or even country-wide target market to send letters or postcards to and draw in new clientele and customers. Fine-tuning your marketing campaign will bring better results and therefore lower the overall cost of the campaign.
To be successful in telemarketing you need to:
- Have a plan and know exactly what you want to accomplish during the call.
- Develop a list of 3 topics to discuss and the questions you want to present around these topics.
- Input verbiage checking to see if you are calling at a good time.
- Include enough questions to keep the conversation interesting, but not too many to sound like you are interrogating. Explore commonality – situations, lifestyle, avoidances and attractions.
- Start with broad open questions and narrow your focus as the conversation continues – chunking down.
- Offer feedback to show them you are paying attention and appreciate their time.
- Don’t insult their intelligence or manipulate them.
- Listen first, talk second.
- Be relaxed and conversational.
Telemarketing doesn’t have to be the trauma it’s made out to be. You can put together an honest, personal and effective telemarketing campaign with a script that is endearing, informative and gets the job done. Think of how you would want to be treated on a marketing call. Ask your friends and family what they hate most about the telemarketing calls they get and work hard to craft your plan in a better way.
“When selling by telephone, you have approximately thirty seconds to convince the customer to listen to you. You need an opening statement that captures their attention, conveys who you are, what you want and why the prospect should listen.” Jay Abraham
It’s easy to see how direct mail marketing and telemarketing can positively affect your business by bringing in new customers and increasing the level of awareness about your products, services and company branding.
Our FREE test drive offers the resources and tools you need to work through these processes, put together the best call-scripts you can and get over with the anxiety of making your first calls – all designed to get YOU results!
To your Success!