Telemarketing is still an important route to market for many SME’s and even large corporations. It makes sense, therefore, to ensure you follow the best telemarketing tips and advice to make the most out of your calling. Below are our Top 50 Do’s and Don’ts of Successful Telemarketing.
Whether your goal is to set face to face sales appointments or online demos, to encourage attendance at an event, or set up a trail of your product or service, how you approach the outbound call is vitally important. You get very little time on a call before your prospects makes a swift decision whether or not to engage. So, it pays to get it right.
Use our suggestions below to evaluate how you, and your team, measure up. If you feel that you need some more input, take a look at our Telemarketing Training.
Infographic: 50 Telemarketing Behaviours to Power Lead Generation.
50 Telemarketing Do’s
If you asked experienced telemarketers for their top do’s and don’ts, many would likely match the tips we’ve listed below. Whether you’re new to outbound calling or a seasoned pro, we hope you’ll find valuable insights in these guidelines
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Ask for what you want
An appointment, a demo, a sale – Don’t be shy. It’s the reason you are calling. Waffling doesn’t work. Prospects are busy, and their time is precious. Without being pushy or presumptuous, your reason for calling needs to be clear from early in the call.
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Ask great questions
Ask open questions to encourage the listener to talk and to provide info. Closed questions are used to qualify and filter. Whilst it shouldn’t feel like an interrogation, natural conversation is two-way and a blend of questions is imperative.
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Be confident
It radiates to your prospects. Expect to succeed and you will. Cockiness is not a positive trait, but when you exude confidence, you’re more likely to bring the prospect with you.
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Be honest
It really is the best approach. You WILL get found out if you lie. Providing genuine advice based on experience, without over-selling, is seductive. It makes you more compelling.
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Be motivated
People buy people. If you’re not positive about what you offer, why should your prospects be interested? Why would you engage with a downbeat , bored-sounding, caller? If you aren’t upbeat about what you’re selling, why should the prospect bother?
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Be patient
Telemarketing can take time and perseverance. Rejection is inevitable. Poor data is an inevitability. Prospects aren’t all ready to buy at the same time. So, keep going. Build your pipeline, and sales will flow.
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Change if necessary
Be prepared to make your calls at times to reach your decision-makers e.g. before 9 am and after 5 pm if necessary. If it isn’t working, change it. Test things out to see if a change makes a difference.
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Build rapport
Use frames of reference, name drop, mirror their language, and use their name (but not too often). Rapport is the number 1 success driver for telemarketing. Whilst not everyone will buy, they certainly won’t give you the time of day if they don’t like you.
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Call out of normal hours and lunchtime
The gatekeeper won’t be there to protect your Decision Maker. It may not be necessary, but tough to reach decision-makers may work longer hours. So, perhaps test the water outside of normal hours.
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Change your pitch if it isn’t working
Plan a call structure that is like a good story. An attention-grabbing start, a compelling middle, and a great ending! Churning out the same tired lines is likely to fail. So, periodically, try a different approach.
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Secure a good call list.
Make sure it is clean before calling. A good list is the best asset to your success. Data accuracy is a key component of success. So, spend time, ahead of the campaign, to optimise data accuracy.
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Ensure your phone line is clear
No gremlins in terms of interference. With more and more online VoIP calling, it’s important that the call is crisp without glitches and delays that may impede the flow.
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Find a ‘Trojan Horse’
To get under their radar so that they will engage with you especially if they have already a current supplier of your services. Why should they buy from you? What’s in it for them? What are the main drivers? The stronger the pull, the more likely they will engage.
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Follow up
Make your follow up calls on time and keep doing so until you know where you stand. This is probably one of the biggest things that impede success. Make sure that your systems trigger call-backs at the time you agreed.
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Get agreement from your prospect to call them back at a later date
Even if they aren’t interested now, things can change. This is your pipeline of current and future interest, and it’s gold dust that must not be neglected. So, remember to ask for a follow-up time at the end of every call.
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Have a pen and paper at the ready at all times
Takedown concise and good notes including language, style, and key info. You won’t remember everything the prospect says, especially things outside of the core reason for the call. It gives you a solid base for subsequent calls.
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Have your diary open and ready to give available dates
This comes down to confidence and preparedness. If you’re fumbling around, and your prospect is busy, the call wont end well. So, make sure you’re ready to go.
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Keep control of calls with the gatekeeper.
Sound authoritative and you have a better chance of getting through. Keep what you say short. KISS! The gatekeeper can block you but can’t buy from you. Therefore, be assertive if you want to get through to the decision-maker.
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If you feel you must leave voicemail messages, make sure they are enticing and compelling with a good call to action
Why would a prospect respond to a bland message? If it isn’t compelling, it won’t achieve cut through.
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Listen carefully
You have two ears and one mouth. Active listening includes appropriate nods, and responses that are audible to the prospect which make them feel engaged. So, let them speak, and respond appropriately based on what they say not what you want to tell them.
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Sound professional on the phone with a good speaking voice, pace, and tone
Match your prospects if you can. We’ve all received poor sales calls from pushy or unintelligible callers. Make the prospect feel you represent a credible company with something valid to say.
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Make sure you are calling for the right decision-maker contact.
Ask the question. You can’t guarantee that you have the right person every time so, just double check, where needed, that they look after the topic you’d like to discuss with them.
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Make sure you have a relevant email to send should the prospect ask for more information.
Whilst this may be a fob-off, some prospects respond better to written communication in the first instance. So, clarify what they’d like to see, but have an email ready to send, and agree on a time to call back.
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Make sure your data is as fresh as possible
Wastage is a common problem in marketing. Therefore, research your target list thoroughly, and gather the data from reputable sources so as to enhance the success rate of your calls.
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Make you are able to talk ‘off script’ to really engage the prospect
Few prospects respond well to a sales pitch. It should be a conversation not a presentation. Effective callers demonstrate interest through genuine conversation.
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Make sure you are passionate about your product or service.
That doesn’t mean you should go all ‘happy clappy’ but a genuine belief and conviction in the value of what you’re selling goes a long way. If you’re struggling, try to find something that alleviates prospects’ pain.
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Make sure you fully brief your agency if you are outsourcing calls
Inadequate briefings usually lead to poo results. That doesn’t mean providing a detailed technical spec. Rather, help your agency to understand the genuine benefits and why prospects need your solutions.
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Make the calls — Don’t delay
Just get on the phone. Inertia is your worst enemy. Poor call rates, and inadequate momentum are aspects that damage calling success. Whilst you need to be prepared, your prospects aren’t waiting for you to find the perfect moment.
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Prepare likely objection handling questions and techniques
You know the objections. Plan for them. You know you’ll get objections. So, plan for them. Brainstorm ahead of the calling. Work out what to say to counter inevitable objections.
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Plan your calls
Know your products, market, competitors, pitch, and the issues your company resolves or the opportunities your company creates. You don’t need to know everything about everything. But, you’ll feel more confident if you at least understand why prospects should see you.
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Read between the lines of what the prospect says.
Clarify if you’re unsure. Sometimes, prospects won’t be open. Without pushiness, or rudeness, give them the option to back out, Clarify if you feel they’re not ready to buy.
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Role-play or record your calls to see what could have been done better.
Listen back to improve your techniques. Regular call reviews, and listening to recordings, is a huge asset for continuous improvement either on your own or with colleagues.
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Send timely info when requested including appointment confirmations.
Delay is likely to impede the results you gain. After a call, prospects have lots of competing priorities. So, strike while the iron is hot.
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Set realistic objectives — based on your market, experience, and proposition
Campaign results will vary dramatically. There are so many variables. Ideally, use historic benchmarks. If not, be realistic and set achievable, but stretching, targets.
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Set realistic KPIs
How many calls per hour? How many appointments do you want to make? Over what timeframe? Measurement is essential. Track results on a daily basis, and review output frequently. That way, if you need to make a change, you can do it without delay.
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Smile
It transmits to your voice. The expression ‘smile while you dial’ is perhaps over-used. Yet, the principle is valid. Energy is transmitted through your voice, and how you feel will influence your performance.
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Sound authoritative
You need to sound at least as important as the person you are speaking to. It’s peer to peer and you won’t get past the gatekeeper if you don’t. If your voice is squeaky and nervous, why would a senior buyer react positively?
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Summarise the conversation
Review the keywpoints of the conversation with the prospect to ensure that you have listened and understood their ‘pains’ before you go ahead and pitch/recommend your product or service. It helps achieve buy-in and solidifies their reason for engaging.
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Take good notes
Include info on verbatim comments, language, tone, pace, and personality. This also helps where colleagues need to pick up your calls if you’re not available to do the follow-ups.
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Try to fool an IVR by dialling 0 to get to the switchboard
Call accounts and try to be put through that way. Sometimes it’s a struggle to reach the right decision-maker. Use different means to see if another route may improve success rates.
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Use a good CRM system
So you can quickly search and find follow up calls. Without workflow designed to speed up, and optimise, calling, call rates, and success rates will diminish. The better the system, the more results you’ll achieve.
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Assume you are going to get what you want and ask for it with that assumption in mind
This comes down to belief once again. Arrogance is a deterrent but belief in yourself is powerful.
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Use evocative and compelling words like huge, massive, significant, dramatic, and so on
It adds impact but don’t go wild! You want to sound convincing. Positive language that fits the scenario can significantly enhance your ability to get prospects over the line.
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Use the ‘feel, felt, found’ technique to combat objections along with good open questions
It’s a reasonably well-known technique that promotes empathy. And, empathy supports rapport which , in turn, augments success.
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Use frames of reference
Past work, client reference points, and industry examples. Name dropping works. You want prospects to feel comfortable working with you. They will be more ready to buy if they feel you understand heir world.
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Treat people how THEY would like to be treated
Consider their motivations and needs and treat them accordingly. Ignoring stuff that is important to prospects is not a good strategy. They may, indeed, be busy. Recognise that. Empathise. If necessary, agree on another time to speak, and lock it in.
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Use natural engaging language
Sound natural. Use simple English. It helps build rapport.
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Use technology to speed things up
e.g click to dial CRM and number recognition. Increasingly, there are data tools, the use of AI to locate information, and other powerful tools to help you maximise your potential.
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Use telemarketing to follow up other marketing activity
e.g. emails or visitors to your stand. Outbound calling can amplify the success of other marketing. Call those that open and click through emails, those that connect on LinkedIn, and those that visited n exhibition stand. The quicker you follow through, the better your results will be.
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Keep up the pace
Have a glass of water of a cup of coffee available for those ‘parched’ moments. Momentum is key. If you’re at your desk doing calls, keep at it. Don’t have long gaps. High call rates maximise your chances of success.
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50 Telemarketing Don’ts
After reviewing our must-do’s, it’s important to also consider what to avoid when making calls. Some of these pitfalls may be the opposite of the tips above, while others are common mistakes that must be corrected to ensure successful outcomes.
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Apologise for calling
You’re not sorry and your prospect knows you aren’t. So, make your point, and don’t come across as insincere from the beginning of your call.
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Be afraid to ask for the sale
It’s incredible how many callers meander through a sales call, and, at he end, just leave things hanging. Assuming it’s been a good call, ask for what you ant.
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Be afraid to challenge the prospects’ objections through good questions
It’s a two-way flow. You won’t agree with everything your target customer says. So, engage in genuine discussion based on valid knowledge rather than just agreeing for the sake of it.
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Be afraid to change your approach and message if it isn’t working
Not every approach will work, and not every prospect will buy. Yet, if a negative pattern emerges, don’t be afraid to change things.
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Be rude or dismissive of your prospects replies to your questions
Don’t argue. Disregarding valid objections, or points of view will get you nowhere. Empathy is more seductive even if you disagree.
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Eat when making calls
Chomping and chewing while calling is bad. We’ve all heard callers puffing on a cigarette, digesting the remnants of a sandwich, or slurping a coffee. It’s off-putting so don’t do it.
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Forget to keep it legal
Make sure your screen against the CTPS opt-out register before you dial. European legislation requires you to check every phone number you are using every 28 days. Do not neglect your legal obligations.
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Get distracted by ANYTHING else whilst on a call
i.e. text messages, emails, colleagues, Facebook! Do however NEVER ignore a fire alarm! It’s easy to become distracted if you’re not interested to start with. But, focus is essential for good results.
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Guess! If you do not know the answer to a question a prospect poses then be honest and promise to find out and call them back
There’s nothing wrong with not knowing. Just state that you’ll find the answer and go back to them. But, clarify the question before going off ill-equipped.
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Have your mobile on when making calls
You will be tempted to look to see who is calling and this will tell the prospect your attention is not 100% on them. Give calling your full attention and you’ll make more calls that will be more productive.
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Interrupt the prospect when they are talking
It is an indication you are not listening. This is a common failing. Whatever the reason, good or bad, resist the temptation to jump in. It won’t be well-received.
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Keep your telemarketing team in the dark
Make sure they are prepared with responses to typical objections and reasons why the prospect should see you NOW. Working in complete isolation is unlikely to generate positive outcomes. So, brief them well.
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Lie
You will get found out and it damages the credibility of your brand. It’s rarely a good strategy to simply make things up. Better to refer to point 9 above. Find out if you don’t know the answer.
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Forget to ask if the product/service is relevant to any other individuals/departments in the company you are calling
Even if it’s not of interest to the person you are speaking to, there may be a need elsewhere.
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Make assumptions based on what you think you already know
Even experienced sales people can have a tendency to assume every prospect has the same motivations, and the same needs. Ask questions, and don’t come across like a know-it-all.
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Make friends with the gatekeeper too early
Their job is to block you. The more info you give, the more they can ask questions. Your objective is to get to the decision-maker. therefore, don’t dump your sales pitch on someone that cannot make a decision to buy from you.
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Overcomplicate the calls
Use the KISS technique! Whilst your fabulous product knowledge may be interesting to some, prospects are busy, time-poor, and they need you to get to the point without overloading them with unnecessary information.
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Over script the calls and sound stilted
Stiff incoming sales calls are awful. If you ant to have the phone put down swiftly, this is sure-fire way to chieve that outcome.
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Overuse the prospect’s name
You DO NOT need to get it into every sentence — it sounds like a hard sell tacky sales call. Use their name, but do it sparingly so that they feel valued.
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Patronise your gatekeeper or prospect
This is rarely a good strategy no matter whether you don’t enjoy their approach. Coming across as high-handed, and arrogant is destined to encourage them to look for alternatives.
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Pitch something you don’t really understand
You will get found out. Better to stop, and go back to your briefing so you genuinely understand the benefits to the customer before you pick up the phone.
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Prejudge any call
You never know what their issues are in the background that may prove an opportunity. Even if the application is the same, every customer is at a different stage or in a different situation. Regardless of how good your offer is, not every prospect will get it or be ready.
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Promise anything that you cannot deliver be it about the product or simply timescales for calling someone back
It’s all too common to be let down when it comes to service. That’s all the more reason why when you do the things you say you will, that it comes across as professional.
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Rush your call
Slow down and take your time. You will sound more confident. Garbled messages fall on deaf ears. Pause for breath. don’t talk at your customer. Pacing the call well encourages better conversations.
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Say ‘How are you today’
It’s a tell-tale sign of a sales call. It’s definitely old-school. But, worse, it’s the sign of an ill-trainers sales person. Just stop using this as your intro.
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Set yourself up to fail
Give yourself realistic targets that you can meet and exceed. Often targets are set by others. If that’s the case, and you’re able to discuss this, it’s advisable to do so. A demotivated caller wont achieve positive results.
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Sit back and wait for calls to come to you
Be proactive and make the calls. It is a numbers game in many respects. If prospects are not beating a path to your door, you need to find them. The greater the momentum in your outreach, the more likely you are to grow your sales.
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Slam the phone down
It damages your brand. This can be the result of a rude prospect, or it could be that your initial approach was that of a poor sales person that drove their response. Remain calm and professional at all times.
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Smoke! You may think no one can tell but they can.
Smokers will know what you are doing and non-smokers will think you are a heavy breather!
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Sound bored and uninterested
If you are, your prospect will be. It never ceases to amaze me how some uninspiring callers are even allowed near a phone. Yes, it can be hard work, and challenging. Rejection saps the energy. Yet, you’ll compound the problem if you let it get to you.
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Speak too quickly
You sound less authoritative. Fast paced calls are typically the preserve of nervous, and often junior, callers. By all means be excited, but even out the pace, with questions, to stop your prospect feeling overwhelmed.
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Stalk someone you are struggling to get hold of
The gatekeeper will remember and this will gain your company a bad reputation for nuisance calls. You are also more likely to be blocked.
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Swear. Profanity will get you on a fast track to a dial tone in your ear.
It’s unprofessional, and damaging. You might think you sound clever, but it is a bad idea.
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Type while you are listening or talking
They can hear you. It’s really off-putting to hear the tippety-tap (or other outside noises) when the prospect is trying to have an engaged conversation. Give them your full attention even if you’re typing notes into a CRM.
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Um and er. Know what you are going to say and relax
Whilst pauses, using these, are generally positive, seemingly being all over the place when it comes to knowing what to say next is not a good look!
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Use industry jargon or buzz words that you don’t understand
The prospect will assume you are more of an expert than you are and answer you in jargon expecting you to know exactly what they mean.
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Use patronising / slang names
Love, pet, darling, sweetie ………..yuck, yuck, yuck, and not professional. If your prospect uses such language, don’t be tempted to follow suit unless it’s entirely natural for you to do so. It will sound contrived.
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Use unnecessary humour or jokes
The prospect is not your best friend. They don’t share a history with you. They are busy. Get to the point. By all means, use anecdotes or stories to engage, but feel the pulse of the conversation. Relevance is everything.
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Waffle! Be concise and don’t go on and on
Whilst some caller stories may be engaging, brevity is usually the best approach as long as it doesn’t come across as pushy.
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Wait for ages on hold — hang up and try another time.
Don’t waste precious calling time. Your call rate is your friend. The more calls you make, the more opportunities you will create. So, keep the pace up, and don’t spend ages ging nowhere.
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Worry about failure
Before the call, you had no appointment. If they say no, you still don’t have an appointment. Nothing has changed. The fear of failure can be debilitating. Do your absolute best to succeed but don’t be put off by rejection. It’s a reality of sales.
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Talk over your prospect
It shows you aren’t listening. An even conversation flow will enhance rapport and increase the likelihood of a positive outcome.
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Spend ages researching a company before calling, if they are not there, it’s a waste of valuable calling time.
Whilst it’s tempting to do so for the purpose of increasing relevance, to do this for every call reduces call rates especially when you might only speak to 1 or 2 prospects every hour anyhow.
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Be afraid to go on a course to improve your telephone and marketing skills
It’s important to learn techniques if you lack experience or success. So, bite the bullet and enhance your success.
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Have a lot of background noise when you are calling
It will sound like you are in a call centre which is not always desirable. It may be impossible to prevent this if you’re in a noisy room. But, if that’s the case, buy a noise-cancelling headset to minimise the risk.
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Argue with your decision-maker if they are not interested
Keep your integrity high. Regardless of how much of a ‘no-brainer’ your offer may be, some may just not see it. So, rather than become agitated or frustrated, move on if you’re unable to gently move them towards your point of view.
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Underestimate the power of ‘mirroring’ language or using NLP techniques to really build rapport.
It’s all about rapport. Without sounding like a mimic or a parrot, if you mirror prospects’ language, you’re more likely to gain their ear.
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Call unprepared for objections and how you will handle them
You know you’re going to receive knockbacks. There are all manner of reasons why prospects won’t buy. So, get ready, and practise your responses.
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Forget to follow up when you said you would
It’s the death knell for sales. It’s incredible how many sales are lost due to poor processes. Maximise your chance of success by doing something so simple. Follow-up to the minute when you said you would.
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Bully your prospect into meeting you
The chance of a meeting falling over will be magnified the more you push your prospect into a meeting. Your sales colleagues will not thank you for it, especially if they’ve had to prepare. So, qualify properly and set good meetings.
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There are lots more telemarketing tips on our Knowledge Bank Page.
Outbound calling success comes from a blend of factors. We all can instantly recognise a poorly trained telemarketer. They just blunder on without any care, and without any genuine interest in the people they’re calling. Old sales techniques no longer work. Scripted calls are doomed to failure. Ineffective callers are pushy. They fail to engage. And, they talk at you.
The above tips aren’t the whole story. There are plenty of other techniques around. However, if you’d like to improve your approach quickly, check out our Top 50 Do’s and Don’ts of Successful Telemarketing.
