A sales pitch, delivered over the telephone, is definitely different from one given face to face. But it is not necessarily less effective.
In fact, there are many advantages to making a sales pitch by phone. Often, in face-to-face meetings, a potential client will become more interested in the salesperson’s personality than in what they are selling.
On the telephone, it’s easier for your prospects to remain focused on the matter at hand.
You should know how to use telephone-sales techniques that get the prospect to listen and increase your chances of making a sale.
- Create A Selling Mood
You’ll want to come across as knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and trustworthy. Speak firmly and clearly, and amplify your voice so you don’t lose the person. - Be Specific
Tell the person what they can gain by dealing with you. Being vague is a good way to make your listener lose interest or become suspicious. If you’re not presenting your case clearly, they will reason, you must have something to hide. - Control The Pace
Slow down when making important comments so that you can emphasise these points. This will get the listener’s attention at just the right moments. - Don’t Say “Um” Or “Ah”
If you can’t think of anything to say, say nothing. You can use moments of silence to your advantage; filling them up with meaningless sounds eliminates this advantage and is annoying to the listener.
Mastering the telemarketing conversation
It is important to remember to ask questions. This can be very effective.
Phrase questions so that the prospect cannot readily answer them in the negative: “Do you like to see results?” “Do you want this year to be your best ever?” By getting the prospect to keep saying yes, you’re making him think positively about you and your product or service.
Such questions force the prospect to listen and to agree with you continually. The questions should focus on what, why, and where. The prospect is tied down by questions starting with:
Wasn’t it . . . ?
Hasn’t it . . . ?
Don’t you agree . . . ?
What would you say to . . . ?
This accomplishes a series of closes which, in telephone sales, are points where the prospective customer has to make a decision, however small or seemingly insignificant. The closes build to the most important one – that of the sale, when you reach the final agreement.
Once you have made a deal, compliment the prospect on his good decision. Make him feel positive about himself – and you.
Don’t Monopolise The Conversation
Most of us like to talk, particularly salespeople. One of the worst things you can do when selling over the telephone is to monopolise the conversation. If you don’t let the prospect speak, it will convince that person that you’re not really listening.
If that’s the case, the prospect will decide not to listen to you. And if the prospect is not listening, it’s very unlikely that you will make a sale. You are not the centre of attention; your prospect is. Steer the conversation toward him.
Telemarketing dos and don’ts
It is vital you do not use unnecessary humour. You can use humour, but be smart about it.
Jokes that fall flat or make you sound silly will not project the image you want. The best way to avoid the problem is not to crack jokes in the first place. Just as you like to feel important, so do your prospective customers.
Because you are trying to sell something to them, don’t build yourself up, particularly at the expense of your listener.
It is not enough that the prospect listens to you – you’ve got to listen to your prospect. One of the average Australian’s most conspicuous weaknesses is the inability to listen.
Many, if not most, people really don’t understand the techniques necessary for effective listening. For the telemarketer, knowing how to listen is essential to success.
Here are some hints:
Don’t Interrupt: It’s not only rude, but interrupting says you are not listening. Once the prospect comes to that conclusion, you can kiss your sale good-bye.
Don’t Rush The Person: If the prospect is a slow speaker, be patient. This will pay off, especially if the lead is a good sales prospect. Speeding the prospect along will be likely to cause antagonism.
Do Meet Objections: Really listen to what the prospect says, and read between the lines. You want to address the real problems that confront you, not surface problems. The prospect may come up with several surface problems that really don’t have anything to do with the main objection. However, by listening carefully, you’ll be able to determine the real problem and confront it.
Do Decide On A Sales Pitch: A prepared script is essential when starting out. Prepare answers to questions you think prospects will ask and to objections they will raise. Turn objections and questions into positives. Get the prospect to agree to something. When you become familiar with your pitch, throw the script away. Let’s face it: reading sounds like reading.
