There are two basic reasons for the fear of cold calling. Both are easy to cure if you know how.

Let’s deal with repeated failure today and I’ll write a separate blog on knowing what to say another day.

 

Because, when done well, telemarketing screens out unprofitable leads and prioritises the better ones and can produce a continuous flow of quality leads cost effectively. Nurturing by phone, making appointments for a field sales person or consultant or closing sales over the phone all produce solid results. As a channel to market – it is simple, can be specifically targeted, out performs many other forms of marketing, is easy to scale and not that expensive. It can also be out-sourced if a business decides it is not a core internal function.

The root of the problem is that many telemarketing or telesales people set out to contact a large number of people who have an apparent need for their products and service; officially known as suspects. Their objective is to convince every one of them to grant you an appointment or agree to buy something. 

 

Let's assume that you telephone 80 people a day and on average get through to ten decision makers and three agree to some kind of next step (either an appointment, to accept a brochure or a sale or some kind). For your business, that may be a very good result. Nevertheless, you have the experience of repeated failure because you set out to convince all of them and you failed to meet your objective; 70 people wouldn’t speak to you and of those ten you did get to – seven said that dreaded word “no.”   Most people label that experience “failure”

We need to accept that not everyone is looking for your service or product; and our offer is not relevant for everyone.  In general terms most people are not looking to do business with you. There may be lots of good reasons for that as well as some erroneous ones. There is a small percentage of people who are suitable for your type of products and services and decide for some crazy reason to buy elsewhere or delay their decision. And there is a very small percentage of people who are both looking for your type of offer and ready to buy now.  The job of telemarketing and telesales is to have a conversation with as many people as possible and work out if that company or person is a suitable prospect and if there are good relevant reasons for them to consider your offer whilst creating a strongly positive impression of your company.  Your first objective is to make 80 calls a day. If you make 80 calls you succeeded… 

 

Your second objective is to find out if your offer is relevant to the prospect and if they are right for you. You want to find those who are not relevant and not right - you want to say “no” to some people and you actually need some people to say “no” to you. Whether they say yes or no – you have succeeded… You’ve screen out unproductive and unprofitable leads and found the better ones; officially labelled prospects.

 

Your third objective is to leave a strongly positive impression whatever the prospect says or doesn’t say – regardless of whether the gatekeeper puts you through or not. As long as you have left a strongly positive impression behind – you have succeeded…  

 

Well you may found the occasional wrong number or get the occasional wrong answer – what do you want a perfect world..? If you can wait until I make time to write the next blog about what to say – you could always contact me…