Telemarketing

Guide to Building Sales with Telemarketing

Pick up the phone to promote your goods and services
By Carol Smalley

Many small business owners are surprised to discover that telemarketing encompasses more than just cold calling. In fact, telemarketing takes advantage of both inbound and outbound calls. Inbound telemarketing occurs every time existing or potential customers call your company, on your regular or toll-free lines.

Outbound telemarketing takes place when your company calls a prospect or existing customer. Small companies can use telemarketing in the following ways:

1. To gather customer information
2. To introduce new products or services
3. To make a sale
4. To complete a current transaction
5. To add an incremental component to the sale

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Evaluate the potential for telemarketing Telemarketing isn't for every company or every customer. Before embarking on a telemarketing program, consider what you wish to accomplish and if your customer base is receptive to this marketing tool.

I recommend:  Sign up for a 20-hour telemarketing test to determine if this selling strategy can boost your bottom line.

Follow the rules Respect the Do-Not-Call Registries. Not honoring them can be costly, with fines up to $11,000.

I recommend:  Become familiar with the National Do-Not-Call Registry and similar programs within your specific state.

Cross-sell and up-sell Use the telemarketing customer encounter as an opportunity to both cross-sell (sell complementary products or services) and up-sell (sell a higher-level product or service).

I recommend:  Invest in a cross-selling and up-selling training program for your telemarketing staff from ImpactLearningSystems.com.

Get script savvy Most marketing experts recommend using scripts, but only when the telemarketer delivers the script with a natural voice and cadence. Encourage your telemarketers to learn about your products and services so it doesn't sound like they're simply reading from your script.

I recommend:  Check out an audio CD or e-book on How to Create Winning Telemarketing Scripts from ColdCalling.com. Get tips on scripts and more at AllBusiness.com.

Hire the right telemarketers Not everyone is cut out for a telemarketing gig. Finding the right people for the job can make all the difference in whether your efforts succeed or fall flat.

I recommend:  Find experienced telemarketers at Guru.com or consider outsourcing your telemarketing needs to a service, such as Telemarketing.com. When interviewing potential hires, use these sample telemarketing personnel interview questions (on pages 5-6).

Obtain telemarketing lists Use your existing customer database to create a telemarketing target list. You can also purchase names and numbers or cull names from a phone directory or other publicly available list.

I recommend:  Whether you need fewer than 5,000 names or more than 100,000, whether your focus is business-to-business or business-to-consumer and whether you're looking for names in the Northeast, Midwest or all across the nation, you can find a list at Discount-Lists.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• For many customers, their only contact with your company is through telemarketing. For them, your telemarketer is your company. Make sure the image your telemarketers are portraying fits with your company image.
• Telemarketing isn't all about the numbers; it's also about building customer relationships.
• Telemarketing can be done from your office, from a call center or from someone's home, also called homesourcing.
• Respect customers and their time.
• Respect the word 'no.'