Top Telesales Tips For 2013

Many sales-driven businesses acquire most of their customer via telesales. Well maybe that isn’t entirely true, but it’s safe to say that many of our clients were first contacted via the telephone. That’s why I believe that telesales training should be an integral part of any organization training initiatives, regardless of whether they use inbound or outbound marketing tactics.

So here, I’ve put together a few timely tips to keep in mind for the year ahead!

It’s a good idea to avoid bringing up the price of your products during the initial contact. The minute a prospect finds out what your price tag is, they’re likely to start looking for cheaper alternative (if they haven’t done so already).

Tip: Try quoting a price range instead of a single figure. If the contact persists explain that the price will depend on the level of detail or functionality that they require. This will allow you some breathing room and might even get you a face-to-face meeting with the prospect.

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, mobile phones, etc. may all be excellent marketing avenues that are set to dominate the coming year, but the spell deal death. Why? Because a distracted salesman isn’t an effective salesman, that’s why. Staring at social media updates, messaging a lover or a friend or just browsing the net aimlessly don’t do much to drive sales, because they steal away your team’s focus and can make a client feel like they aren’t getting the attention they deserve.

Tip: Ban it all! And convince your team to try switching off their cell phones before going on call.

Tone of voice is critical. When you’re speaking to some on the telephone, your voice is all they have to go by in forming an impression of you. Dull, uninterested, mechanical and tired voices don’t create the best impressions.

Tip: Now, I’m not saying you have to be as hyperactive as a squirrel on meth, but try to sound refreshing and confident.

One of the most annoying things about the unorganized sales room is the sheer amount of chatter and noise in the background. I’ve been the victim of sales calls that sound more like a stock exchange floor rather than a coherent sales pitch. A lot of background noise can make the prospect feel hurried and under pressure. It has also been noted to reduce sales performance and increase stress levels in sales reps.

Tip: Ensure that you keep background noise to a minimum. However, if you have heavy amounts of inbound traffic, you should at least set aside a quiet area equipped with a phone for deals that absolutely need to be handled in private.

Get your infrastructure sorted out. There’s nothing worse than having to talk to a sales rep on a scratchy line with a hell of a lot of interference. In fact, most prospects are likely to simply slam the phone down. And to speak for the folks on the caller’s end, have you ever tried yelling out a pitch? Or constantly asked customers to repeat their query?

Tip: Invest in quality equipment. If you don’t, your sales are bound to suffer, as is your team morale.

Many sales-driven businesses acquire most of their customer via telesales. Well maybe that isn’t entirely true, but it’s safe to say that many of our clients were first contacted via the telephone. That’s why I believe that telesales training should be an integral part of any organization training initiatives, regardless of whether they use inbound or outbound marketing tactics.

So here, I’ve put together a few timely tips to keep in mind for the year ahead!

It’s a good idea to avoid bringing up the price of your products during the initial contact. The minute a prospect finds out what your price tag is, they’re likely to start looking for cheaper alternative (if they haven’t done so already).

Tip: Try quoting a price range instead of a single figure. If the contact persists explain that the price will depend on the level of detail or functionality that they require. This will allow you some breathing room and might even get you a face-to-face meeting with the prospect.

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, mobile phones, etc. may all be excellent marketing avenues that are set to dominate the coming year, but the spell deal death. Why? Because a distracted salesman isn’t an effective salesman, that’s why. Staring at social media updates, messaging a lover or a friend or just browsing the net aimlessly don’t do much to drive sales, because they steal away your team’s focus and can make a client feel like they aren’t getting the attention they deserve.

Tip: Ban it all! And convince your team to try switching off their cell phones before going on call.

Tone of voice is critical. When you’re speaking to some on the telephone, your voice is all they have to go by in forming an impression of you. Dull, uninterested, mechanical and tired voices don’t create the best impressions.

Tip: Now, I’m not saying you have to be as hyperactive as a squirrel on meth, but try to sound refreshing and confident.

One of the most annoying things about the unorganized sales room is the sheer amount of chatter and noise in the background. I’ve been the victim of sales calls that sound more like a stock exchange floor rather than a coherent sales pitch. A lot of background noise can make the prospect feel hurried and under pressure. It has also been noted to reduce sales performance and increase stress levels in sales reps.

Tip: Ensure that you keep background noise to a minimum. However, if you have heavy amounts of inbound traffic, you should at least set aside a quiet area equipped with a phone for deals that absolutely need to be handled in private.

Get your infrastructure sorted out. There’s nothing worse than having to talk to a sales rep on a scratchy line with a hell of a lot of interference. In fact, most prospects are likely to simply slam the phone down. And to speak for the folks on the caller’s end, have you ever tried yelling out a pitch? Or constantly asked customers to repeat their query?

Tip: Invest in quality equipment. If you don’t, your sales are bound to suffer, as is your team morale.