1. Ask "am I catching you at a bad time?"
2. Delete the 'reading from a script' sound.
3. Change tone and pace of voice so it is similar to that of the person you are talking to.
4. Never argue with a customer even when you must defend your position.
5. Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions.
6. Listen to what the customer wants; give them what they want and need rather than being focused on what you have to sell.
7. Have multiple offers available to best serve your customer.
8. Remember you are not in the direct mail business. Don't be taken by the classic put-off, "send me something."
9. Ask for referrals and ask, "What else can I help you with?" Each additional lead and sale is icing on the cake.
10. Preplan the objective of each call; gather information, make an appointment, get the sale, etc.

Author's Bio: 

Mark Anthony began his company Training For Success over 20 years ago. Since then, he has served numerous companies in training their sales and telemarketing forces on how to increase conversions and average order size. Training For Success also focuses on lowering the marketing expenditures of companies of all sizes and increasing their return on investment. Some of Mark's clients have won national awards for their successes.