Before you ever start making calls, it is good to know what you need to prepare beforehand, to make sure your campaign is as successful as it can be.

Learning Outcomes

• This unit explains the essential ingredients for a successful telemarketing campaign before you start
• Understand what you need to have in place before you start a campaign
• Know the functions necessary for a good database system
• Understand why it is important to have a script
• Be able to source a list of targeted new prospects
• Be able to schedule calls to existing and inactive customers as well as suspects for follow-up
• Set goals
• Create a system for measuring success
• Set objectives for each call
• Maintain a positive attitude

Having done our preparation in Module 1 we are now ready to make sales calls. However, you can have all the sales skills in the world but if your tone and the words you use on the phone are not positive, then you may cause resistance and get rejection right from the start. This lesson is about making you sound fantastic on the phone so the prospect or customer enjoys talking to you and wants to stay on the phone. You will sound energetic, positive, inspirational and empathetic through your tone and your words. It is vital you demonstrate these qualities throughout the call.

Learning Outcomes

• This lesson teaches you five ways to change your tone, how to use more positive words and etiquette
• Demonstrate a professional voice on the phone and on voicemail
• Use positive language
• Recognise good telephone etiquette
• Answer the phone and close a conversation professionally
• Get past the gatekeeper

The Start to Developing the Professional Sales Call Script

Now that you have your communication right, you can start to get ready to make a professional sales call. You will use a 7-step process and in this module you will focus on how to open the call and build rapport rather than dumping your information all over the customer. The best salespeople are good listeners, not good talkers. When you ask questions to get to know your customer’s situation or pain, you can sit back to listen to your customer’s answers and plan in your mind how you are going to present your sales pitch once you know what the customer is really looking for.

Learning Outcomes

• How to start a cold call
• Open a cold call with an interest grabber
• Leave an effective voicemail message
• Build rapport using questions
• Demonstrate listening skills to build rapport

You will notice that, up until now, you have been doing very little talking on the telephone. You have been building rapport by asking open-ended questions and demonstrating listening skills to learn about the customer’s real needs. Now it is time for you to talk about what you have to offer, making the presentation relevant to the customer’s needs. Alternatively you might want to close for an appointment straight after the script you wrote in your Task of Module 3. In this module we look at the skills you need to do this.

Learning Outcomes

• Make an appointment
• Create a compelling sales presentation
• Understand the ingredients of a good sales presentation
• Use trial closes
• Recognise buying signals
• Close a sale

Although every company is different in procedure, success in telephone selling still revolves around three things:

1. the type and quality of the questions that are asked in the rapport building stage,
2. the power of the script, and
3. the ability to handle every objection that arises.

In this module, you will see how the objections can be handled easily so that you can continue the conversation. The key is to write every objection down as it comes up, find a way to overcome it and have the scripted answer typed on the wall in front of you so you never stall again. You will also learn how to do cross-selling and up-selling.

Learning Outcomes

• Handle a variety of objections
• Use a trial close bridge
• Practice an up-sell
• Initiate a cross-sell

This module teaches you how to do your follow-up calls to quotes, information sent out, existing customers, inactive customers and sales. You will also learn how to handle inbound sales enquiries, ask for referrals, write professional emails and overcome call reluctance, should that disease ever occur. Finally you will get twelve tips on offering great customer service.

Learning Outcomes

• Follow-up quotes
• Follow-up mail-outs/information sent
• Follow-up existing customers
• Follow-up inactive customers
• Follow-up sales and ask for referrals
• Handle and Qualify inbound sales enquiries
• Ask for referrals
• Write professional emails
• Conquer call reluctance
• Plan your customer service plan