Telemarketing and Cold Calling Training Tips

Suppose you are at home and the phone suddenly rings. You pick it up and hear a loud, obnoxious voice exclaim, "Hi! My name is Johanna. I work with Sallie Mae Financial Management. We provide a myriad of debt consolidation solutions to everyday people like yourself. Are you available to speak for a couple minutes?"

What would be your first thought? I don't know about you, but I would be trying to figure a way to get off the phone as quickly as possible. Personally, I can't stand telemarketers. They are loud, annoying, and bother me at home with stupid offers that have no value to me whatsoever.

Well, guess what. This is exactly what most people are thinking when you give them a cold call. Hey, nobody ever said telemarketing was easy! In fact, being a telemarketer is probably the hardest job in the world. So, what can you do to make sure your cold calls don't trigger the same reaction?

Don't Sound Cold

Just because it's a cold call doesn't mean that you should sound cold. To catch the attention of a potential customer, you must relate to them and their world. If you start off rambling about yourself and your product, you will immediately lose their attention because you are interrupting their life with meaningless dribble.

The key to starting a cold call in a friendly and inviting fashion is to switch the focus from you, and to the customer instead. For instance, remember Johanna from Sallie Mae Financial Management? What if she started by gently saying, "Hello. I'm so sorry to bother you this evening. My name is Johanna and I work with a financial management company. What with the economy in the shape that it is, we just wanted to check in and see if there is anything we can do to help you out during these troubling times."

Can you tell the difference? Right off the bat, Johanna apologized for disturbing the customer. Most people will appreciate that. It shows that she is modest and actually does care about them. Second, Joanna briefly introduced herself and didn't waste time listing her long company name. Third, she didn't offer the customer a solution. Rather, she asked them whether they needed one instead.

Focus on Solving a Problem

If your customer doesn't need help, then leave them be. It's not worth antagonizing another human being over a measly sale. But, if your customer does need some help, then focus on helping them find a solution to their problem rather than selling your service.

Compare the following two conversations:

--> Conversation 1

Customer: "Yes actually, I could use some help. I'm Gary, by the way. But basically, I'm stuck in a lot of debt right now."

Johanna: "Awww! Well, we'd like to offer you a debt consolidation package! We'll consolidate all your debt and then charge you a monthly fee."

--> Conversation 2

Customer: "Yes actually, I could use some help. I'm Gary, by the way. But basically, I'm stuck in a lot of debt right now."

Johanna: "I'm so sad to hear that, Gary. What happened?"

Customer: "Well, I lost my job and started going through credit cards. And, here I am now."

Johanna: "Gary, we offer a debt consolidation program. Would you be interested in learning more about it?"

During the first conversation, Johanna immediately rushed into selling a debt consolidation program. This is a big turn-off and major no no. She may have sounded sincere at first, but now she sounds like a cold-hearted bitch intent on racking in some quick dough.

During the second conversation, Johanna expressed sorrow, used the customer's name, and asked what happened. She made a sincere effort to really understand Gary's situation. Then after he had explained himself, she asked if he would be interested in learning more about her company's debt consolidation solution.

Honestly, if telemarketing agents showed that sort of concern over my life, I might actually consider talking to them instead of slamming the receiver.

Be Yourself

Don't inflate your speech with fancy words and elongated sentences. Keep it simple and to the point. Just be yourself and don't use a script. In fact, the biggest mistake in the telemarketing industry is the reliance on scripts. I don't want to talk to a robot unless it's Data from 'Star Trek.' The same applies to everybody else. Most people would much rather speak to a normal sounding human being who is just being themself.

Conclusion

Telemarketing is a difficult job. Cold calling random people means risking making them mad. Truthfully, most people don't want to be disturbed. But, that doesn't mean it's impossible to sell them your product. It's all about how you present yourself. If you come off like an ass, you are likely to be rejected and hung up on over and over again. However, if you act considerate and caring, you stand a good chance of selling a lot of products. Remember, it's not about you or your product, it's about the customer!