Telemarketing – Successful in Small Bites

Telemarketing is a large task and one best done by breaking it down into smaller tasks in order to be successful.  Mark Twain said “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”  The secret to telemarketing is well known – pick up the phone and get started.  The secret to successful telemarketing is less well known – that is the preparation of breaking those complex tasks into small manageable ones.

What are the complex tasks required for successful telemarketing?  It seems simple to pick up the phone and make a telemarketing call.  But who do you call?  What do you say?  Those two pieces are critical and complex tasks.

The first task is to develop a database of qualified prospects.  A telemarketing campaign can only achieve results if the prospect pool is qualified and meets your parameters.  One of the most effective ways to develop a database of qualified prospects is to review your top ten clients.  What industry are they in, how many employees do they have, what are their annual sales, what geographical region are they located in, etc?  Identify those critical components and then develop a database of like prospects.  By doing so you can ensure that your prospect pool is filled with qualified target companies that you have demonstrated success in.

The second task is to develop a compelling presentation for your telemarketing efforts.  A telemarketer typically has only 8 to 10 seconds to catch the prospect’s attention.  Preparation is key to your success – prepare what you are going to say and refine it as necessary in order to achieve the results you are striving for.  A presentation has many parts – the opening, responses to objections, responses to questions and the close.  Each one must be written and refined based on the responses you are receiving.  A telemarketing presentation should be a dynamic document, ever changing with the needs of the prospect and the industry you are targeting. 

Telemarketing in itself is not complex; however, the preparation for successful telemarketing is very complex.  The secret to getting ahead in telemarketing is being prepared!  And the secret to being prepared in telemarketing is to break the necessary overwhelming tasks into small manageable ones.