So, you’ve got someone on the other end of the phone who’s answered the qualifying question we discussed in part one in a manner that identifies a possible need for your product or service. At this point you might tell them a bit more about your product, but your emphasis should be on learning more about the problem they wish to solve and their level of interest in finding a solution like yours. Restrain yourself from going into the big pitch.

This article is much more focused on telemarketing as a means to set an appointment or take a next step of some sort. If you are selling a product directly over the phone, once you’ve found someone who admits wanting to solve the problem your product solves, it’s time to close and ask for payment. Simply put, it means asking a question, the answer to which provides you with a sign that they may buy. Typical questions of this sort include asking how many units the prospect wishes to own, what color, when she wants it delivered, etc. Talk less. Ask questions and close more.

Back to calling for an appointment: Let’s say, for example, you are an investment adviser. Your qualifying question (again, from part one) is… “Are you completely satisfied with the return you’re getting on your entire portfolio?”. I might add, “Is you current adviser communicating well and regularly with you about your various options as you go along?” An answer you might get is, “Well, no one can expect much these days, but I’m not thrilled with my returns.” You would then ask, “What return would you be happy with?” Assuming an answer aligned with your abilities, you might ask, “If I could demonstrate that type of return, would it be worth a half hour of your time to discuss it?” The principle at play here is: Offer the possibility of something big or satisfying, then ask for something small from the prospect in return.

If the prospect says, “No”, restrain yourself from asking, “Why not?” That often puts him in a position of having to justify his answer and you end up getting an excuse that’s not the real objection. Instead, ask something that gets to his motivations like, “Have you thought about when you’d like to retire?” This question gets him thinking about possibly running out of time to sufficiently grow his nest egg. Ask, “Can I ask you how much you’d like to have saved by then?” Listen to the answer, then perhaps ask, “Can it hurt to take 30 minutes to look at a possible strategy for reaching your goals – especially since it sounds like you don’t believe your current path may get you there in time?”

There is a technique at play here, and it’s one you can learn. It involves focusing like a laser on your prospect’s pains, fears and desires. In the above example, once you learned that he is not thrilled with his returns, and that he has specific retirement goals, you have a potential answer to his problem. If he believes that you might be that answer, getting a commitment to discuss your service becomes easier. There is obviously some need for you to explain what you do and how you are different, but if you’re like most salespeople, you probably believe that your explaining, selling, boasting, puffing your abilities, etc. is benefiting the sales MUCH more than it really is. Ask questions and focus on the prospect 85% of the time and talk about you 15%. We’ve created an entertaining 4 minute video on how to do this that you should watch.

One last tip: No matter if they buy or not, make sure to get an email address and let them know that you’d like to keep in touch from time to time. Most people not wishing to buy are so pleased that you are willing to end the call, they’ll eagerly agree to that. Our post on using email effectively will guide you through the process of keeping open the communication with that prospect. You never know – he might open his very next investment statement, see the losses, envision his shinking future Florida condo, and be glad you just sent him an email on savings strategies for retirement in a tough economy!

First, the telemarketing to which I’m referring is B to B, not calling to consumers. With the national do not call list, that practice is all but dead for consumer calling. Keep in mind that the do not call list does NOT refer to businesses. We can still call other businesses to introduce our product or service.

Despite what some might feel, telephone prospecting does work. The problem is that most people do it so poorly that it seems ineffectual. If you’ve been watching some of our recent sales videos (http://www.redlake.tv/sales_video/Sales_VideoV3.html), you know that we are great believers in… asking questions to gain understanding of the people to whom you are selling. Well, in telemarketing, the need to ask questions is exponentially greater. After all, you have neither the body language to read nor the time to develop your point as you do when you’re in person. Over the phone, we need to become immediately relevant, and quick to get the other person engaged. Let me show you how questions do both.

We’ve all taken a call that starts out, “Mr. Smith, we’re calling today to tell you about our new 2.3% finance rate on home mortgages. In these difficult times, I’m sure that saving money is important to you as it is with everyone. So, I’d like to invite you to speak with one of our senior mortgage specialists to…” I can’t remember any more, because by then, I’ve started to lose consciousness.

Instead, I would start off assuming that most people I get on the phone aren’t interested in talking about their mortgage. So let me get off the phone with those people as soon as possible. You see, like any sales effort, qualifying my prospects is job one. So let’s separate the suspects from the prospects. “Mr. Smith, I’m calling today to talk to you about saving money on your mortgage payments. Do you feel that each month you’re writing too big a check to your mortgage company?” I admit that question is a bit cheeky and is meant to be hard to say no to, but once I hear “no”, I’m probably done. I want to quickly get off and find someone who says “yes”.

So, find a short statement that describes in plain English why you are calling, then ask a simple question that qualifies them as a prospect. It’s a question that is not easy to say yes to enthusiastically. And it might put a desire in the mind of the other person to hear more. For example,  If I were selling office automation equipment, I might say, “Mr. Smith, I’m with Acme copiers, and I’m calling to see if we can improve the cost-effectiveness of some of your office equipment. Are you loving your current equipment and vendor?” If I were calling about their business insurance, I might say, “Ms. Jones, I’m with Insuraco, and I’m calling to determine how we might make your company’s insurance more efficient and cost-effective. Let me ask you a question: Are you thrilled with your current carrier and their attention to your needs?”

Again, if I get “Yes.” to these questions, that person either wants me off the phone quickly or has a high loyalty to his current vendor. To the latter, I bid farewell, and to the former maybe I ask another question to see if I can get her engaged in the call. Sometimes, asking a simple follow-up question gets them talking.

For instance, if the person said “Yes” to being thrilled with their insurance, I might say, “Wow, that’s great. Can you tell me what they’re doing to keep you so satisfied?” The answer might be something less resounding, like, “Well, they just seem to be there whenever I call.” To that I ask, “Is service the most important attribute to you with your insurance?” At this point, I’m sensitive to an opening, if one seems to exist. If her answers all start ending on an upward tone, like, “Okaaaaaay.” She’s showing me the door. I might spend my time better with my next caller. Remember, you’re looking for people with a need, problem or desire. You cannot manufacture one. You must find a person with one ready-made.

So, write out your one sentence that give the purpose for the call along with a couple of questions that help you qualify the prospect. Test them out. Keep refining until you find one or two that really do the job well. In other words, the question does a good job of separating suspects from real prospects.

In part 2, I will talk about taking that existing need, problem or desire that you’ve uncovered and leveraging it into an appointment or sale.