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Part Nine - Prospecting for More Sales

Written by: Lawrence Atkinson

Article Overview: Part Nine of a Ten Part Series. In this series, we explore all the different avenues of prospecting necessary for a business to succeed. Think of your business as a a beautiful garden, and then consider all the things you need to do to keep that garden beautiful and growing, rather than dreary, dead or decaying. Need help with Prospecting? Feel free to get in touch with us via our website.

Part Nine - Prospecting for More Sales

Telemarketing

A key part of prospecting is a technique that will help you to build more sales in an ever-effective cost conscious way, and that is by telemarketing. No, I am not suggesting you sit in your office until 8pm each night calling hundreds of prospects, as they do with carpet cleaning or Sillybank Credit Cards. What I am suggesting is a way you can get cleverer at prospecting.

There are six easy steps:

Step One: Sizing Up

Be aware that prospecting is a numbers game. There will only be a small percentage that you are successful with in getting to the next round. But you have to make the phone calls to get the business. Estimate how many calls you are going to make to predetermine your number of appointments. Research has found that if you make twenty calls, you can expect to set up two qualified appointments if your telephone technique is up to scratch.

Step Two: Prepare to Flex

Set up a telephone script that you are comfortable with in the same way that a body builder has a set routine. The prospect needs to know three things that you must have a standard answer for:

1. Who you are
2. Why you are calling
3. What you can do for them.

Step Three: Start to Flex

If the script is in black and white in front of you, you can develop a consistent, successful approach as you become more experienced. Do not be afraid to try new questions (poses) to impress the prospect and improve your overall routine.

Step Four: Hold the Spotlight

Stay on track; do not let your prospect drift all around the place. Remember you are on centre stage, so stay there. Be absolutely courteous and polite and use their name constantly.

Step Five: Titillate the Audience

Concentrate on selling yourself on the telephone. Build up trust and warm the listener to you. Handle objections without too much emotion or drama and maintain a strong but calm act of communication. Be prepared to listen.

Step Six: Win Through to the Next Round

Sell the appointment not the product or service. Telephones are goldmines if you dig in the right places. Most competitors in what ever competition have to win through a few rounds to make it to the finals. You will have to make a lot of telephone calls before winning through to an appointment round.

Using the correct technique requires a great deal of practice and patience. Like any athlete, your telemarketing skills must be built-up and fine-tuned over time.

Continued in Part Ten

Related Articles
  Sales Prospecting Techniques
  Sales Prospecting for Sales Results
  Sales Prospecting
  Prospecting it is simple only DOING counts
  Sales Management, Prospecting, and a Sense of Urgency©

Article Tags: appointment, appointments, audience, body builder, carpet cleaning, centre stage, concentrate, credit cards, drift, emotion, listener, numbers game, objections, prospects, spotlight, telemarketing, telephone technique



Related Forum Posts
Prime Means of Selling - Prospecting and Selling aren't the same. Prospecting is finding the few within a target group who are prime candidates for your service. I don't think everyone will agree on what "prime" means but I'd say if the prospects actively want what you're offering and have the ability to pay for what you're offering then they qualify as "prime".
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
Patent information - I'm also interested in Part 2. Thanks.
Patent Process - Interesting to hear your experiences with the patent process - what's Part 2?


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