5 Sure-fire Teleselling Skills While Calling Customers

Telemarketing, just the mere word sends shivers of fear through many people. A lot of people consider this to be a pretty thankless job, but it is still one that has to be done. If you have a business, you have customers, as well as potential customers, and you probably have a calling list. It is not going to do you much good if you are not putting it to the best use, and garnering new leads and sales. You just have to get over that initial nervousness and start calling. To help you get over your fears of teleselling, here are five tips you can use for every call you make:

Don't just start dialing willy-nilly: You can't just pick up the phone and start dialing. Sure, you can call all kinds of people, and you may even get a few sales. But, if you have a calling list that is already filled with prospects, you have already fought half the battle. Work on creating a really great calling list filled with interesting prospects. This is going to take some work, and you will actually be picking your prospects one by one. For example, if you are selling cookbooks, you want to make sure that you are contacting cooks and housewives. If you are selling computers, talk to office workers, other business owners, students and others. Make sure that your contacts are going to be ones that will turn into customers.

Find out what people want: You should ask all kinds of questions of people before you actually launch into your sales pitch. Find out what their needs are, and what they really want. You can learn a lot this way, and it will actually make it easier to make the sale later on. By doing this, you will be developing a rapport with your customers, and it will make it easier to gain their trust, because you are not just coming at them with a sales pitch.

Get small-talk going: After you have finished asking your questions, try and engage your potential customers in small-talk to get them more involved. This is a wonderful way to really get to know them, and learn what they really need from the products and services they are buying. Small-talk is a building block for your future relationship with your customers, and it goes a long way toward building a solid foundation to work from.

Be humble, not arrogant: Many business owners love to flash around their titles and business cards, and this is something that can really turn potential customers off. Instead of always trying to show how great you are, be a little bit humble in your daily business dealings. Show empathy and respect to your clients. Be open and friendly, and always available to help them with their problems. If you are not being humble, you are probably not going to get as many sales as you would have hoped.

Make an appointment, not a sale: When you are cold-calling on the phone, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to try to push a sale right away. It is best to try and get an appointment, and when you meet with the client, then you can start in with your pitch. Introduce yourself and tell them why you are calling, ask some questions and make small talk, then ask for that all-important appointment.