Tips for Outbound Telemarketing Etiquette
Telemarketing has the potential to yield large returns for businesses. However, there are many factors that contribute to the success of the campaign. One is telemarketing etiquette. A well designed script will mean little if the caller using it is rude or unhelpful.
Have you ever received a call where the caller asks to speak to a specific person who isn’t available and the caller just hangs up when you tell them this? This is a prime example of poor telemarketing etiquette. It indicates that the caller has received little to no training and it is unlikely that their campaign will be a success.
In this post we will give you some tips that your sales team or telemarketing operatives can use. As a full marketing agency with an in-house call centre, we run business and consumer telemarketing campaigns on a regular basis. We regularly train our staff so that they are always providing a professional service over the phone. Previously, we have written about the correct etiquette for incoming calls, but this post will focus on outgoing calls.
Take your time
When you phone someone, do not rush to get through your script as fast as possible. It will be difficult, if not impossible for the person on the other end of the phone to be able to take in what you say. When we receive calls like this, it just comes across as a lack of confidence from the caller. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always paint the company calling in the best light as the call is poor quality. On the other hand, do not try and talk as slow as possible. It is highly likely that the prospect will just lose interest if you are taking too long to get to the point.
Be calm, collected and clear. You will come across as professional when you are calm and speak at a normal pace. If you need to take some time to learn the script before you begin calling, then this is fine, in fact we encourage our callers to do so. As you get used to your script, you will begin to sound more natural and eventually you won’t even need the script as it will be memorised.
Manners
Manners are something that shouldn’t need to be mentioned, as it should be obvious. However, there are still callers who will ring up and get very rude if the contact they are asking for is not available. This poor telemarketing etiquette can have seriously negative effects on your company reputation and the campaign success.
When you phone a business or someone’s home, politely ask to speak to the contact you have listed. State your name, where you are calling from and the reason for the call. Be enthusiastic and polite and if the person is not available, then establish a better time to call back. Poor manners and a sharp tone of voice will reflect badly on both the caller and the company.
Furthermore, never interrupt the person on the other end of the phone. Let them say what they have to say and respond respectfully. Interruptions are frustrating and will disengage the prospect.
Be Respectful and Value their Time
When you call someone, they are taking time out of their day to speak to you. Therefore, try not to keep them on the phone for too long. Cut out any unnecessary waffle. Once you begin to build rapport and a relationship with the prospect, this can of course change. Conversations will become more friendly as you learn more about each other. However, in the first instance be efficient so they do not become frustrated at the length of the call.
At the end of the call, thank them for their time and ask if there is anything else you can do for them. This ends the call on a positive and professional note. This will also help build rapport and trust with the prospect as you have been professional and helpful throughout the call and have not wasted their time.
Confidence is Key
When you are confident speaking about a certain topic, everything flows and sounds natural. Above we say how you should learn your script. Once you learn your script, your presentation will automatically sound more natural. You will sound less robotic and rigid which some callers have the trouble of when they start a new campaign.
Tonality is also crucial and speaking in a boring, monotone voice will switch people off. When your tonality is good, you come across as more confident and this rubs off on the prospect. They will be more engaged as you sound more interesting and you know what you are talking about. A good telemarketing operative will be confident and speak in a way that prompts responses and further engagement.
Summary
High quality telemarketing etiquette helps to build a relationship and rapport with your prospects, thus helping to increase sales. However, poor telemarketing etiquette can have a bad effect on your company reputation which can be hard to repair.
Impact Marketing have an in-house call centre where we regularly run both business and consumer telemarketing campaigns for our clients. Our staff are trained regularly to maintain the highest quality service for our clients. This allows us to produce high quality leads and appointments.
What experiences have you had of poor telemarketing etiquette from someone who has phoned into your business? Let us know in the comments below.
If you would like more information about our telemarketing services, get in touch today and a member of the team will be happy to assist further.