What Skills make an Effective Telemarketer? Assuming that you have refined your telemarketing strategy, what else do you need to deliver outbound calling success? It’s certain that you need the right blend of a clear target market, a good list to work from (with numbers and named decision-makers) and a clearly defined and compelling proposition. However, the critical missing component is the person that makes the calls.
But what are the key factors that make a successful telemarketer? Below we look at the main components.
Are Telemarketers Born to be Callers?
Maybe. There are certainly some traits that are natural to some, and not others. People talk about the ‘gift of the gab’. Yet, there are some skills that are much more important than the ability to talk the hind legs off a donkey!
Below is a list of some skills that support better quality telemarketing. Consider how you, or your callers, measure up. The list is incomplete, and is only meant as a start point. However, it demonstrates that certain core skills are required. Companies should not jeopardise their business, and brand reputation, by putting callers on the phone that aren’t able to deliver against most, or all, of those requirements below.
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- A positive attitude and sunny disposition
- A strong conviction that you have something that is of genuine benefit to whoever they are calling
- Good relevant product knowledge but not a features-heavy sales pitch
- Understanding benefits and the challenges they overcome for the customer
- A broad knowledge of the target marketplace
- An understanding of the issues the target buyers face – what keeps them up at night?
- The aptitude, and confidence, to converse with senior/key decision makers without worry
- Good pace, pitch and tone ,and the ability to be natural and conversational, not scripted and stilted
- The ability, and knowledge, to pose insightful and engaging questions
- Excellent listening skills once the prospect answers the questions
- Excellent communication and rapport-building skills
- The ability to filter prospects out of your net as well as in. Not everyone is a prime prospect
- Techniques to deal with tough Gatekeepers. You won’t get far if you don’t get through
- The resourcefulness to handle and deflect objections that will inevitably come up from decision-makers
- Time management skills to ensure calls are carried out on time without becoming distracted
- Consistency with calling hours. This is to ensure that momentum is built with calls and planned call-backs that will build momentum
- The dogged determination to have a go and to keep going in the face of rejection. People saying no doesn’t matter, as long as a given percentage say yes
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Communication, Passion and Determination
So, make sure the person that represents you on the phone exhibits most of the traits above. That’s how you will deliver more telemarketing success and generate more telemarketing appointments.
