Taking into account large quantity offers, selling your service can be quite difficult. Even if sales are based on advertising campaign, it must be clearly planned. In addition, advertising on the Internet today is present in abundance and making your offer unique will require a fair amount of creativity. At the same time, there are also situations when you need to sell urgently and in large volumes. The reasons for this may be different - the dependence of services on seasonality, or you have launched a promotion that urgently needs to be conveyed to your regular customers... There can be a huge number of reasons why action is urgently needed. One of the most popular services of modern call centers - selling services over the phone - is ideally suited for this task.

Successful sales of services over the phone follow a script

The effectiveness of telephone sales largely depends on the training of operators, as well as on the script or script for selling services over the telephone. A pre-prepared communication scheme prepares the operator for a conversation based on the specifics of the services offered, target audience(taking into account the buyer’s portrait), the nuances of the offer, and so on. The more factors that are taken into account when writing a script, the higher the likelihood that the services will be sold. That is why, when ordering sales of services over the phone, it will be very helpful to provide the information you have collected about clients and potential buyers.

Provide as much information as possible about the services

In order for customers to feel interested in the process of selling services over the phone, they need to be drawn into this interest or infected (in the pleasant sense of the word). For interest to arise, you must first provide a complete description of all the benefits of your services to the call center. And in such a form that operators can be truly inspired by it. For example, when selling the services of an Internet provider, the operator, in addition to all the technical data, will check with the person on the other side of the line whether he is not bothered by too long a wait for downloading a movie or frequent failures in the work of the current service provider. In return, he will be ready to offer arguments in favor of his proposal - for example, high speed downloads, new equipment that works without failures, and so on. Moreover, he will do this with complete confidence, conveying the same mood to a potential buyer. Thus, in order for sales of services over the phone to actually bring the expected profit, the customer also needs to work hard. This is confirmed by the fact that on modern buyer pressure doesn’t work—argumentation and facts do. The more information operators know about the service, the greater your chances of success.

In addition to one-time orders for selling services over the phone, this option can also be ordered on a long-term basis. And thinking about strategic planning, you can take advantage of a number of other useful options, including marketing research and development of loyalty programs.

Are you in sales? Then you just need to master the cold calling technique. How to sell over the phone correctly? There are many in various ways do it. But there are some very useful tips, which you simply need to adopt. What are they? Read below.

Pay attention to the voice

Are you wondering how to properly sell a product over the phone? The first thing any good salesperson needs to know is the fact that your voice plays a decisive role in whether you sell a product or not. If you act confident and believe in the quality of what you are selling, the buyer will be interested. If you get confused, shy and mumble, they won’t talk to you for a long time. So before dialing a phone number, clear your throat, take a sip of water and build up your confidence. You need to speak in a calm, measured voice of a person who is not used to receiving refusals. You must maintain the initially set speech rate throughout the conversation. Don't jump up or down in tone. You need to keep the golden mean. Keep calm. Nothing bad will happen to you even if you fail. You still have many options for how you can arrange your life. Therefore, do not despair and do not stress yourself out. Take any phone call as an opportunity to gain experience. He is never superfluous.

Conversation script

Don't have much sales experience? Then you should write yourself a script for your actions. For example, how to sell a ticket over the phone? If you've never sold tickets, you'll get confused, confused, and end up talking nonsense. To prevent this from happening, you should approach the issue of sales more wisely. You need to write down point by point what should be said and when. You don’t need to write down all the phrases, you just need to plan what to say and after what. Let's look at it with an example. How to sell tickets over the phone correctly?

• Greet your interlocutor.
• Take an interest in who you are talking to. If this person is a secretary, then immediately ask to be connected to the head of the department or the director.
• Introduce yourself again and quickly tell them why you are calling.
• Find out about the potential client's needs.
• Offer your services or the services of your company.
• Handle objections.
• Arrange for a personal meeting or to sign a contract.
• Say goodbye.

Remember that a plan is not something indestructible. These are your recorded actions that should lead you to the desired result. You may break your own written laws from time to time. But remember that you shouldn’t go beyond the limits too often and jump over several points. Just keep in mind that you can adjust your plan as you go.

Say no to templates

If you don’t know how to properly sell a service over the phone and are looking for a magic pill, then you will soon be disappointed. There is no universal way to sell something to someone. Despite the fact that there are many different scenarios, you need to understand that each person is individual and you need to find your own approach to each person. If you succeed, consider yourself lucky. You need to treat every phone call as a unique experience. Don't divide clients into types. They are all initially different. Try to immediately penetrate into the subtle mental structure of the person and understand what is important for a person in this life, and what the person considers to be of secondary importance. Proper selling over the phone is a huge conversation between a seller who does not insist on a purchase, but makes the client believe that a service or product is vitally necessary for a person. It is in this case that the buyer will not only buy the products offered to him from you, but will also invite his friends to your campaign, who will also make purchases.

How to sell a product over the phone? Do not use template phrases under any circumstances. If a person hears that you are talking on a brief, he can hang up without explanation. To prevent this from happening, translate dry phrases into living language. This way they will sound not only more convincing, but also more natural.

Greetings

Selling during a phone call is a common occurrence in modern world. Anyone can master this art. Where to start the call? With greetings. Be sincere and friendly. Say hello to the person you are talking to and introduce yourself. Ask the person speaking to you to also say their name. This way you can easily determine who you are talking to. Since every employee of a large company always adds a position after their name. After the first acquaintance, if you have found the right person, you should seize the initiative. Do not remain silent under any circumstances, otherwise the person at the other end of the phone will understand that you are worried and will try to conduct the dialogue in a way that is convenient for her. If you really want to understand the issue of how to sell a product over the phone, then you should not release the initiative. Don't give the person the opportunity to talk when you don't need to. You will give the person time to speak, but it will come later.

Conversation with the decision maker

There is no point in wasting your time talking with secretaries and junior employees of the company. If you want to understand how to sell a product over the phone and do it well, you should immediately get a conversation with the decision maker. Don't be afraid to talk to bosses and managers. A few minutes of conversation with them will be much more productive than a half-hour discussion with the secretary. Why explain to a person the essence of your supply proposal if the person is not personally interested in improving the development of the enterprise. And the director always wants to cut costs and expand the scale of production. Therefore, you can talk to him about a topic that interests you and him.

How to overcome the secretary's barrier? Very simple. Before calling, you need to find out the names of the director and his deputy. After calling the company and getting to the secretary, you should introduce yourself and then ask to be connected to the director. It is advisable to name the person making the decision by name and patronymic. In this case, the secretary may not ask you questions about why you are calling and what exactly you want to offer. You will tell the director all these nuances. So don’t be lazy to do your prep work before the call.

Permission to talk

If the person you are talking to has a call recording, then you should start the conversation with an introductory phrase, which will be a kind of permission for the person to listen to your advertisement. It is advisable to always say such an introductory phrase, because you will not know for sure whether your opponent’s call is worth recording or not. How to sell over the phone? Before getting to the point of your call, ask if the person is comfortable talking. Perhaps the director will be at a meeting or planning meeting, and you and your call do not fit into the person’s plans. A question like this will show your politeness and will also be a permission to talk. If the person subsequently screams: “You want to advertise something to me again, I’ll sue you!”, you don’t have to be afraid of such a phrase. The person personally confirmed his desire to continue communicating with you. This little trick will help you avoid major problems with the law.

Points of contact

Do you want to win over your client from the first phrase? Then you will need to prepare for the conversation. How to sell over the phone? First look at the history of the creation of the company you are calling. Write down all the information that you consider important, and then monitor the site. After that, you can safely call the director with your proposal. What will your dialogue look like?

Good afternoon, Anatoly Sergeevich. Ivan Fedorovich from transport company. Are you involved in production and collection? household appliances for 10 years now, right?

Yes, that's right.

You already have an established system for selling your goods to various cities, but you have been working with your couriers for so long that you do not know the price situation on the market. I can offer you the best conditions.

At this stage, you must interest the client and show him that you are aware not only of what the company does, but you are also aware of how the company is doing. Phrases like these have a powerful effect on people. They become interested in an offer that automatically seems profitable to them.

A little about the company

Once you've intrigued your listener, keeping their attention will be easy. But remember that the magic will last no more than two minutes. During this time, you need to have time to make a small but succinct presentation of your company. Tell us how long your company has been on the market, what it does, who it serves, and what successes it is proud of. To understand how to sell over the phone, you need to be a psychologist. A person always trusts those companies that can provide links to recommendations for their candidacy. Moreover, it is unlikely that anyone will check such information. But it’s still not worth lying. If you said that you cooperate with Gazprom, then you must have received an order from this company at least once.

When making a presentation, draw the client's attention to strengths companies. Talk about the benefits, but talk about more than just them. If you talk for two minutes about how good you are, no one will believe you. You shouldn’t defame yourself either, but list your awards and Thanksgiving letters Can. And also if your company has something else to be proud of, you can voice such facts.

Let the client talk

Once you have talked about your company, give the client an opportunity to talk about their company. Each person loves his brainchild and he likes to talk about what he does. Want to learn how to sell over the phone? Learn to listen and hear people. When a person talks about the fact that he already has suppliers, you can subtly hint that there are no ideal companies. Let the potential client tell you about the problems he has with the current company he works with. If there are many of these problems, then you will automatically find something to offer. But if a person is happy with everything, it will be difficult for you to find disadvantages in the company. Therefore, try to pay great attention to what the person talking to you emphasizes. If a person talks a lot about money, then you should subsequently offer the person a small price for your services. If it is important for the person that everything is done on time, you will need to mention that you are doing everything on time, and in case of any delay you will compensate the person for damages. Of course, all information must be true. If you can take responsibility for making sure your promises are not empty, then make them. And if you cannot do this, then you should not start cooperation with a lie.

Getting to know the client's preferences

By listening carefully to the person at the stage when he told you about himself and his needs, you could learn a lot of necessary information. At the next stage, you should clarify whether you understood the client correctly. Therefore, ask the person questions such as: I understand that your office has Internet, but the price for the services of your provider is very high, do you agree with this? Always ask open-ended questions so that the client can confirm what you say. How to sell over the phone? An example dialogue could be like this:

Alexey Borisovich, you have a large company, it is very difficult to manage all the employees. But still, you want to be aware of the affairs of each department?

Then you just need to connect video surveillance in each department so that you can be aware of whether your employees are doing a good job.

Do you think people's work will improve if they know they are being watched?

Certainly. This fact can be confirmed by many heads of companies that have already become our clients.

The seller must always help the client realize one simple truth: it will be difficult for him to live without your services or without your products. You do not offer a person a product, you sell him the confidence that by purchasing your product, his company will develop and grow.

Personal offer

All people love it when people look for an individual approach to them. Are you looking for a way to sell over the phone? Examples of phrases that will help you do this would be:

• For companies involved in freight transportation, we have a special promotion that will help you save on washing your vehicles.
• If you connect to the Internet from our company before the end of the week, you will receive equipment for the entire office completely free of charge.
• There is a special offer in your area today; if you order sales training for your employees, we can, as a bonus, work out secret persuasion techniques that will help your people not only sell better, but also easily gain the trust of any client.

Such offers look very tempting. If you successfully do them at the moment when the client is deciding on your offer, then you won’t even have to work through objections. The leader will be bought by your attention and care, as well as business man will be afraid of missing out on the opportunity to get something for free. After all, if he doesn’t decide to accept your offer now, he won’t receive bonuses later.

Working out an objection

When you have told everything you could, your task is to keep the client’s attention and not let him lose his temper. A person may begin to think that she does not want to make any unnecessary body movements in order to receive insignificant benefits. How to sell over the phone correctly? You need to work through the objection. A person can think long and hard about whether he needs your services or not. As a result, the leader will draw some conclusion. And if this conclusion is a refusal, then the person will give you some unnatural reason that cannot be considered practical. Example telephone sales with the processing of objections it will be as follows:

I like your suggestion, but unfortunately I don't have time to change shipping companies right now.

What are you afraid of? Our couriers are professionals in their field. They can easily replace your current people and will be able to do their work much more efficiently.

Yes, but it takes a lot of time to document the contract with your company.

Our lawyer will come to you tomorrow morning and conclude an agreement in less than half an hour.

You need to work through objections until the client understands that you can solve any problem. And if you can convince your manager of this, consider that you have already sold your product.

No phrase: I'll think about it

Do you want to have no sales? This is the outcome of the conversation that no one who engages in cold calling expects. How to sell over the phone correctly? You need to learn to practice the phrase: “I’ll think about it.” Under no circumstances should you end the conversation on this note. If a person likes a proposal, he will openly tell you about it. If a person is not satisfied with something, then she will tell you: I’ll think about it. Therefore, when your interlocutor announces that he needs time, say that he does not have it. Drive a person into strict boundaries and do not allow him to change the rules of his game. If you want a person to somehow make a decision, make her an offer that it will be impossible to refuse. Then the person will have no choice and will have to agree.

“I’ll think about it” is a phrase that says that your proposal did not suit the person. If you hear words like this over and over again, it means you need to work on yourself and your way of conducting telephone conversations. People rarely refuse calls directly. But they can often say: “I’ll think about it.” Don't give people this opportunity. If a person utters such a phrase, perceive it as another objection and try to work through it.

Parting

You understand how to sell over the phone correctly. How should you end the conversation? You need to wish your interlocutor all the best, say thank you for his time, and also tell him that the person will not regret making a positive decision. Say that you know that your cooperation will be fruitful and will last a long time. There is no need to show great joy, otherwise the client may think that he is your last chance. The tone of the conversation should remain the same from the beginning to the end of the conversation.

Try to be friendly and cheerful. Even if a person refuses you, this does not mean that you should ruin his mood or say nasty things. It is not the person’s fault that he does not need your services or products. Therefore, try to be friendly with all your clients. Don't divide them into good and bad. You also cannot use all the services and offers that you see advertised every day. Recognize a person’s right to the fact that he, too, has the opportunity to choose and make a choice not in your favor. There is no need to be upset. You can find a person who will like and need your product or services. You'll just need to spend some time on it. Therefore, never lose optimism and do not get offended by potential clients.

The next important aspect of telephone conversations is the ability to concisely and clearly inform the client the purpose of your call and quickly interest him in cooperation.

Alas, quite often, immediately after the presentation, sellers start a hackneyed and tired song: “We want to offer you...” and then a tedious listing of the characteristics of the product or service.

Of course, the first desire that arises in the client is to refuse and hang up as quickly as possible. This is understandable. None of us likes it when people want something from him very much. Moreover, if this desire comes from a stranger whom he has never even seen. And even more so when in order to satisfy this desire you need to pay a nth amount of hard-earned money. Remember your school physics course?

The action force is equal to the reaction force. © Newton's Third Law

So it is here. The more you persuade the client, the more he resists, even if your offer is actually incredibly profitable for him and can reduce costs and/or increase profits by one hundred and forty-eight percent.

How to be?

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Therefore, it is extremely important to interest your interlocutor with your very first phrase, so that he wants to listen to you further, to consider your detailed Commercial offer or meet (depending on the purpose for which you are calling).

And in order to gain the client’s attention and interest, you should remember a few simple things:

Firstly, give up this “garbage” phrase “We want to offer you...”. This is the same as the “favorite” and rather annoying question of sales consultants: “What can I tell you?” The answer immediately suggests itself: “I don’t need anything.” After all, such a “frontal” remark puts your interlocutor “against the wall” and forces him to make a decision “here and now” when he is not yet ready.

The formulation “We would like to find out the possibility of cooperation...” sounds much “softer” and more effective. Agree, talking about possibilities does not oblige you to anything yet, and therefore causes much less tension.

For example:

- We know that your pharmacy is located near the maternity hospital. And we just sell products that are in demand in such places, for example, pacifiers, bottles, baby powder, etc. We are not working with you yet, so we decided to clarify how interested you would be in working with us.

Secondly, don’t tell the client anything – NOTHING! – about the characteristics of your goods or services. Most people are simply not able to immediately perceive by ear so many details and details that are new to them. Remember that it is you, not your customer, who interacts with your product/service every day. And what is familiar and obvious to you may be incomprehensible and tiresome to the client. At the same time, it is much easier for your interlocutor to refuse than to make efforts to comprehend the flow of (unsolicited!) information that has fallen upon him.

Instead, be prepared to immediately - in the first sentence following the introduction - name the MAIN benefit of cooperation with you.

- The sage says that there is only one rule in the world: a tiny question on which our luck depends. The more often this question is asked, the stronger we will become. Do you understand what this question is, Mr. Green? What does this give me? © From the film “Revolver”

Think about what is the main “headache” of your potential client that you can eliminate if he purchases your product or uses your services? What is the maximum benefit he can get if he agrees to cooperate? Increasing sales, saving money, reducing staff turnover, reducing risks, expanding business, eliminating equipment failures, increasing productivity, putting things in order, reducing costs?

One million quarter-inch drills were sold not because people wanted quarter-inch drills, but because they wanted quarter-inch holes. © T. Levitt

Look at the situation not through the eyes of a seller who has a super-duper product/service, but through the eyes of your client. What will he get in the end?

Moreover, here, as nowhere else, it is not the quantity of arguments, but their quality that is extremely important. Save buyer time and thinking! Speak to the point and only about the main thing. Remember, you only have 30 seconds to impress and hook your interlocutor. Use them effectively!

For example, when I first talk to my prospects on the phone, I don't tell them that I can develop a workflow for sales staff or conduct sales training. But I always say in the first sentence that I can help them increase sales. Almost all companies want this. And this stated benefit is quite enough for the client to continue listening to me, start asking clarifying questions and ultimately agree to a personal meeting.

By the way, if the purpose of your call is to arrange a meeting, try not to reveal the essence of your proposal in all details over the phone, keep the intrigue (remember the “bitten candy” effect). After all, if you tell everything over the phone, the client simply will not be interested in meeting with you.

Or here's another example. Several years ago, a colleague and I were developing an outsourcing contact center service for sale. In this script there was this phrase:

- We can help you increase the number of daily contacts with clients several times, without “inflating” the staff of your company.

In addition, as a “yummy” when collaborating with your company, you can offer the client the provision of some exclusive information about the market or the opportunity to receive privileges from your business partners:

- We have a certain influence in this market, and cooperation with us can help you gain additional income. For example, we have competent suppliers who provide our company with certain benefits, and if we characterize you as our partner, you will also enjoy these benefits.

At this point I interrupt the story and leave you room for imagination :-). Read the continuation of the topic in the following articles.

You can also purchase and significantly increase the efficiency of outgoing calls in your company in the first month of using this tool.

Arunas Evgenia

1. When talking to the secretary, ask for help. Ask who is the best person to talk to about this issue? When is the best time to call? Get yourself an ally!

2. Before accepting an incoming call, smile, put on a smile. The client calling you should feel that his call is really welcome!

3. Involve the customer in the buying process. For example, the phrase: “Please take a calculator and we will calculate the benefits of the offer.” works much better than: “I’ll calculate now...”

4. When talking with a client, always set a date for the next call - this will help you never lose touch with him and make the client permanent.

5. If you are tense, do the following exercise before the call:

Drop your head onto your chest and roll it first to your right shoulder, almost touching it, then to your left. Repeat several times, slowing down a little. Then straighten up, stretch and yawn heartily. After this, your voice will sound new!

6. Be sure to write down everything you promise to the client - and always fulfill your promises as quickly as possible. There is nothing worse in business than ignoring customers.

7. When arranging a call, take any (even small) promise from the client, for example: to decide on a product model, or to draw up a list for an order.

8. Be a consultant! Help the client. You really have to dig into his problems and solve them.

9. Drink warm tea between calls - this has a good effect on your ligaments.

10. Always praise yourself for great results - this will push you to new victories!

11. Set yourself exact time where you sit down to use your phone every day. And stick to this time every day. Discipline, and especially self-discipline, is necessary to achieve results.

12. Don’t guess when it’s best to call, when the client has lunch, when he finishes work. For example, many managers are more loyal after the end of the working day, when there is no fuss around; many people talk quite loyally at lunch over a cup of coffee - at this time there is no influx of calls. Don't guess - sit down and call!

13. If you sat down to write beautiful letter and send an email - better call. This method is much faster and more effective.

14. Sometimes it is better to directly ask the client “Do we have a chance that we will work with you this year?”, rather than waste your time constantly calling back to a client who cannot tell you a clear NO.

15. All technical issues such as: filling out reports, sending out commercial offers, etc. - allocate them to a separate time block, and don’t try to do them as you go - you will see how your productivity will increase. When you call a company for the first time, try.

16. Go to the “main”! It is better if the manager or head of the procurement department sends you to a specific employee. Then you can safely say: “Ivan Vasilyevich, your manager, asked me to forward this proposal to you...” - this is already a guarantee that your proposal will be considered.

17. After you send a commercial proposal to your client, be sure to call him back. Ask if he saw everything, if everything is clear to him - this will make the client remember you again, and you will also be sure that your offer has found its addressee.

18. Try this approach when calling: “We specialize ... and describe the benefits for the client (the result that he will receive).” To see if this is right for your business, I'd like to know a little about your situation. Tell me...and ask an open question."

19. Let the client know that you really want to work with him. All other things being equal, the winner is the one who is most enthusiastic about the order.

20. Love your clients - and they will love you back!

» Telesales

© Oleg Tocheny

Telephone marketing
(telephone sales)

Are you a telephone agent and are now going to dial the number of a potential client to offer him a product or service? There's no need to rush. If you act “head-on”, then for your interlocutor you will turn out to be just one of many who bother him with such calls every day. Here you need to use a different tactic, thanks to which you will be able to attract the client’s attention to your offer.

Before starting the conversation, you, of course, have identified a number of companies that could become clients of your company. Find out the name of the company, the name of the contact person, other details and enter it all into the database. Now you need to think carefully about the upcoming conversation. If you write your appeal correctly and manage to arouse interest in yourself, then this company will almost certainly become your client.

Try to put yourself in the client’s shoes and answer the question: “Why, in fact, should I purchase this product?”

There aren't many reasons why people make purchases.

1. To save money (there is a 20% discount in the store, you need to buy jeans);
2. In order to earn money (use for the production of other goods, resell);
3. To save time (for example, a telephone saves time compared to traveling for personal meetings; a car saves time compared to public transport, - that’s why people pay for telephone installations and buy cars);
4. To support your social status(you need to buy a Mere: the owner of the company is ashamed to drive a Zhiguli);
5. And the last reason is logical considerations (by purchasing real estate, you make sure that your children will be provided with housing when they grow up).

“Try on” this list to your potential client - and now you can come up with an introduction to the conversation.

Introduction to the conversation

The introduction to the conversation should contain no more than 75 words (otherwise the other end of the line will have time to hang up or find an objection). To do this, you have no more than 45 seconds at your disposal - during this time you must have time to introduce the company and state the reasons why the client may be interested in your offer.

What you have time to say in these 45 seconds is very important. But equally important is HOW you say it. Take care of the correct intonation. You must radiate positive attitude to what you do - smile! Remember that a smile can be “seen” over the phone. If you simply read something out, your interlocutor will also easily understand it. Don't believe me? Check with your friends. So, the first thing is a smile. The second is what you actually have to say.

There are 5 stages that need to be completed in each telephone conversation with the client.

1. You need to attract the attention of your interlocutor. This can be done with a greeting. As soon as you say: “Good afternoon, Mr. Petrenko!”, you will capture his attention.
2. Then you should introduce yourself. I don't think anyone should be taught this.
3. After this, you need to give the name of your company.
4. Finally, you should say something that will arouse the client's interest in your company.

As a result, you should get something like: “Hello, Mr. Petrenko! You are worried about Mr. Sidorenko from the Service and K company. We offer talking office refrigerators that tell you which products are starting to spoil and need to be used as soon as possible, which employee they belong to, and how this employee reacts to the disappearance of his property from the refrigerator. A talking refrigerator will help your company save up to 20% on employee food costs and, consequently, on wages. In addition, this purchase eliminates office duels on kefir bottles.”

5. The most difficult thing: you need to ask a question to which your interlocutor will certainly answer “yes.” For example: “Is your company interested in maintaining employee productivity?” Who can say that his company is not interested in this?

But if Mr. Petrenko still says “no,” apologize, thank him for the time he spent with you, and hang up. After such an answer, it is useless to convince him to listen to you. The likelihood that he will agree to your proposals is one chance in a thousand. It's not worth your time. It is much more useful to spend it dialing the next number. Here you were answered “yes” - the first victory. But that's not all: most often, after a positive answer, objections follow, and below we will talk about how to deal with them.

And now a few words about how to overcome one significant obstacle, whose name is the secretary. Let me remind you that your task is to get through to the person who makes the decisions.

So the secretary picks up the phone. Introduce yourself, outline your proposal and ask who you need to talk to. If you can't find out the name, try to cheat. Pretend to be a client, call back again and ask to be connected to Mr. Ivanov from the sales department. If you are lucky and guess right, they will connect you right away; if not, then pretend that you got your last name mixed up. Ask what the name of the head of the sales department is, and then ask to speak to him. Your main goal - to talk to someone who can make a decision without going through a secretary - has been achieved. Now you can begin the conversation, the result of which should be setting up a meeting with the client or concluding an agreement.

Conversation with a client

Ten Commandments of a Telephone Agent

1. Rule 20/80. This means that you should listen 80% of the time and only talk 20%. For your opening speech, you are given, as we have already said, 45 seconds. Next, your task is to listen and remember the problems and needs of customers. Then you will have an excellent reason to offer the client to enter into an agreement with you, which will help him solve these problems and satisfy his needs.
2. If you want to look businesslike, never ask general issues- about the weather or “How are you doing?” Is it appropriate to ask your interlocutor who is 20 km away about the weather? Are you ready to devote the next half hour to listening to stories about other people's problems?
3. Avoid hesitation, speak specifically, precisely, and maintain the correct intonation. Don't forget to smile! You need to speak not too slowly and not too quickly, not too loudly and not too softly. You must be sure that you are heard and understood well. Learn to sense when to pause in a conversation. Telephone agents are much more effective when they can silently wait for an answer and hang up on time.
4. Don't be discouraged if you get an answering machine. Your goal is to get a call back, and we'll talk about how to do that a little later.
5. Don’t rush to send information to the client at the first request if he doesn’t really know what he needs. In most cases, the request for information is simply a desire for you to get behind. However, there are a variety of ways to use this request to your advantage. You don’t have to send anything, but just call a week later and ask if the information has arrived. Usually the client answers your question and continues the conversation. You can deliver the prospectuses in person, citing the fact that they require clarification - and here you have the meeting with the client that you were looking for.
6. Answer objections correctly (below we will tell you how to do this).
7. Do not allow yourself to make disrespectful remarks towards your competitors. Serious people prefer not to work with those who, in an attempt to persuade them to cooperate with themselves, point out the shortcomings of others. The client chooses partners with a positive attitude - this is how they teach their sales representatives largest companies, in particular, Kodak.
8. When working in telemarketing, you don't want to miss a day. If you miss one day a week, you will fall so far behind that there will be no point in even trying to catch up. Never stop calling new people - this is the only way to acquire new clients.
9. Never offer your company as a supplier of last resort. You must convince the client that your company is the best. Experience shows that no one ever turns to the help of suppliers left “as a last resort.”
10. Don't give too much information over the phone. Remember your main goal. If you want to receive an order and you are asked a question, you cannot help but answer it. And if your goal is to make an appointment, it's better to use the situation to your advantage. Try to convince the client that their issue can be resolved, and your representative will be able to explain all this during a personal meeting.

Homemade preparations

The usefulness of homemade preparations is difficult to appreciate until you start using them. Try it and see for yourself. This is truly a lifesaver if you hesitate and don’t know what to say. The blanks cannot be read out. There is nothing more unpleasant when a telephone agent interrupts you from your work and even reads something. In such cases, you just want to hang up. Therefore, the preparations need to be memorized.

In addition, blanks help you focus your attention on the main goal of the conversation. By knowing what to say, you won't waste your time or the client's time. Thus, templates will help you make more calls per day and effectively respond to possible objections. In this article we do not offer samples of blanks: you must come up with them yourself, in accordance with your personal experience and the specifics of the company. Write down the preparations: this way you remember them and learn to use them. As you work, you can always correct them and improve them.

Do they object to you? This is good

A person who does not know how to respond to a client’s objections has no right to call himself a telephone agent. An objection is a kind of chance that the client gives you; use it to tell him what he wants to hear. Never shy away from objections. There are 3 R's in telemarketing: REPEAT, SUPPORT, CONTINUE. Take it into service - and success is guaranteed to you. Repeat the objection in the form of a question. Say that one of your clients made similar objections, but after the presentation he changed his mind and decided to work with you.

Invite your interlocutor to continue negotiations. So you reiterated, supported and continued the conversation about your goal. During your first week of work, you will hear many objections, most of which can be boiled down to seven main ones. Each of them means the client is trying to stop talking to you. But your position should be this: I will now overcome this objection, and we will continue the conversation.

1. The client says that he has already tried what you suggest and did not like it. To overcome this objection, use the 3 R's rule (see above).
2. The client states that he already has a supplier. Don't give up: keep asking questions until you find the weak point of this supplier - the point where your services are in better side differ from those that your interlocutor’s company has been provided with so far. Why not a chance to acquire a new client?
3. The customer says that he is not interested in your product. Apply the 3 P rule. If the client again says that he is not interested, use the “final blow” (a technique discussed below). But if this doesn’t work, you should hang up.
4. The client tries to end the conversation with a request to send documentation. Check with the client what specific data he would like to receive. Try to reduce the conversation to the 3 P rule and ask to set up a meeting. If a client asks you to send a price list, tell him that your price list is so extensive that it is not practical to send it completely; but if the client names the types of goods or services he is interested in, then you are ready to transfer the data on the required items.
5. The client says that the savings from working with you are small and are not worth the additional effort that will be required from him. Explain to him that he will not have any additional worries, but on the contrary, you will do everything in such a way that you will make his life easier. Using the 3 P rule, end your conversation with a request for an order or meeting.
6. The client asks to call back in a month because he is too busy right now. Tell him that he could save a lot of money during this time, and ask if there is anyone in the office you could talk to for two minutes. Using the 3 P rule, describe a similar situation and end with a request for a meeting or agreement.
7. The client says that these issues are not within his competence. Find out from him who is responsible for this area of ​​work. If he does not want to answer, return to the secretary and ask him again.

Conclusion: you must try to overcome the obstacles that arise. Try working like this for at least a month, and you will understand that this tactic pays off.

Earn the right to offer

When talking with a client, one more thing should not be overlooked. most important rule telephone marketing: you do not have the right to simply call the client and invite him to place an order. But you can earn such a right even in one minute.

Follow the rules: make an introduction, correctly overcome 2-3 objections, and half the battle is done. Then, by asking the right questions and listening to the answers, you need to find out what the client's needs are.

Once the client feels that you understand their problems, you will establish mutual understanding. Now you can offer him to place an order. In order to “talk” the client, you will have to use a certain technique of asking questions. Offer him something that will help solve his problems.

But maybe his company doesn’t have any problems at all? If all your attempts to find out something end in failure, say goodbye and move on to the next client.

In your arsenal of ways to work with clients, there should be a special offer that is valid at the moment and does not involve risk for the client - we will talk about this below. But in any case, your task is to stand out from the crowd and say something that will make the client remember your company, your products and services.

Statistical accounting as a means of increasing sales

Each telephone agent must work with a special form on which he notes everything he does. If your manager didn’t give it to you, it doesn’t matter: make up such a form yourself and force yourself to use it every day. This will help you identify your weaknesses and increase your sales. Here are 10 items you should track every day:

1. Calls.
2. The messages you left on your answering machine (this will help you create a template for your answering machine).
3. Gatekeepers (how many times a day did you encounter the secretary).
4. People responsible for decisions on concluding a contract (how many times a day were you able to convince the secretary to connect you with these people).
5. Sent faxes or mail (what needs to be sent, in what form and quantity).
6. Repeated calls.
7. Scheduled follow-up calls (how many calls you will need to make).
8. Replies to your messages on the answering machine (how effective is your template for the answering machine).
9. Scheduled appointments.
10. Concluded contracts.

To do this, you need to leave him an advertisement for 20-30 seconds. The first four stages of the conversation are the same here (see above), but instead of the last question, you should record a phrase on the answering machine that will force the client to call you back. Warn, for example, that you will visit him on Tuesday at 14-00 in order to talk in more detail about your company's offers. After that, leave your name and phone number.

When a client hears that a person with whom he has not made an appointment is going to come to his office, he will almost certainly write down your name and telephone number so that he can call you back and find out what is going on. Your goal has been achieved: the client called you.

But maybe he's just angry with you and wants to express it to you? Typically, customer outrage can be neutralized. When he asks about a meeting, answer that you simply left information and wanted to see if it was possible to pay him a visit on Tuesday. If this time doesn't suit him, ask him what time is suitable. Thus, you returned to the rule of 3 “Ps” - you repeated the offer of your company’s services, supported the client and continued the conversation with a request for a meeting.

Now it's time to ask the fifth question. If the client answers “No,” then you should wish them well and hang up. And if the client answers “Yes, but...”, you need to overcome the objection and again offer to make an appointment or place an order.

And in conclusion, some useful tips:

1. Leave information on the answering machine for no more than 30 seconds.
2. Don't stammer or pause.
3. Call again. On average, to catch a person, he needs to call 4-8 times.
4. Think clearly about what you are going to say.

Special offers

In order to attract new customers, always keep special offers in stock - coupons, discounts, free service, free shipping, trial period. A trial period means that the customer receives the product and uses it for free for, for example, a month before he pays for it. This is what you have to do when working with large companies that you would like to become your clients, but who do not agree to buy goods from you without trying them. However, be sure to explain in detail to the client what a “free sample” is: the sample itself is free, but the client will have to pay for the product, albeit 30 days later.

Special offers are best used at the end of the conversation in order to persuade a hesitant client to make the first order. This method really works and consumers like it. But make sure the client understands that this is a one-time offer.

About the most important thing - about ordering

1. Question one: have you earned the right to offer an order?
2. How many times have you asked a client to place an order? You need to make an offer at least three times, unless, of course, the client agrees right away (in which case, just say: “Thank you. You will be pleased to work with us” and hang up). But in general, the first offer to place an order is always a trial one. The second time they will object to you too. It is the third request that is critical. Usually after this you receive your order. I don't want to say that if you ask three times, the order is yours. It is possible that you will never receive this order. The following points will help you find out.
3. Make sure you mention the expiration date of your special offer. If you do this, the client will have an additional incentive to conclude a contract with you.
4. Have you asked probing questions that push the client to close the deal? With their help, you can feel whether the client is going to work with you at all.
5. Have you tried a technique called the “final blow”? I mentioned this above and now I will explain what it is. When the client answers no to all your questions, ask him if he would be interested in at least hearing your presentation. If they answer “No,” politely say goodbye and hang up. You won't succeed with this client.

Focus - and success will follow

There are people who, when talking to a telephone agent or a salesman, talk about anything but sales. A telephone agent needs to avoid those who can “eat up” his time. Plan out your goals for the day before you come to work. You need to know how many calls you want to make, how many deals you want to close. Telephone marketing needs to be done daily, but no more than 2-3 hours without a break.

Get yourself excited before work. This can be done in different ways. Can be counted possible profits on the way to work, you can listen to special cassettes in the subway or on a trolleybus, you can record yourself on a cassette, encouraging yourself, and listen to it along the way.

Always call new clients first before making follow-up calls. Many do the opposite, but if you constantly make repeated calls, the influx of new clients and ideas will stop.

One last rule: always start with the hardest calls. Everything else will seem much easier after them. Don’t hesitate, and you will be pleasantly surprised: in many companies you will be able to get through by phone before the secretary arrives and talk directly with those who make decisions. So:

1. You need new clients.
2. Calling really helps you get new clients.
3. The more clients a telephone agent attracts, the more money it will work.
4. You need to call every day.

Reasons for defeats of telephone agents

Now I would like to talk about the reasons why many telephone agents fail. Insurance companies in the West, for example, they hire thousands of agents, knowing that in a year 95% of them will leave. But those who remain succeed.

The reason for the failures is the “SNSP”. This stands for: fear, uncertainty, doubt, habits.

Fear. Telephone agents fail because they are afraid to make the next call in case they get rejected. This needs to be approached completely differently. Convince yourself that for every 200 proposals you make, there will be one acceptance. And the sooner you receive these refusals, the sooner you will reach agreement.

Uncertainty. You are not sure if the techniques you want to use will work. But there is only one way to find out - try, analyze the results and improve the techniques.

Doubts. Let's say you decide to start following our advice starting tomorrow. But then you shared your plans with someone else, and you were told that nothing would come of it. Then doubts may arise in your soul, which will become the reason for your defeat. Don't give in to them until you try it yourself.

Habits. If you change your habits for 2 hours a day, after a month, using the techniques we describe, you will get rid of fear, uncertainty and doubt. Record your results, and if they haven't improved noticeably after a month, then you're doing something wrong. Now start calling. I wish you success!

"Career", No. 2, 2000