Know When To Shut Up

Today a prospective telemarketing consultant called me to see if I had any script-writing projects he could work on.

Before I could answer fully, he told me about financial obligations he carried, about his nontelemarketing related job experiences, what he wanted out of a job, and other life changes he was going through.

The “conversation” lasted five minutes and concluded with him asking for reassurances that CCI was not another fly-by-night operation.

He violated so many telemarketing principles that I do not know where to begin.

His one saving grace was his pleasant phone voice. I also wanted to see how long he would talk before asking me any questions.

Unfortunately for him, the longer he talked, the more his credibility waned.

If instead he had asked questions early and responded to cues from me instead of “shotgunning” it, I would have considered him a serious candidate.

Many telemarketers start their cold-calls with lengthy presentations. By lengthy, I mean anything over 15 seconds. If you really need to squeeze more information into your greeting, then up to 30 seconds is acceptable but pushing it.

This forces you to be incredibly focused and to have a deep understanding of your value proposition.

Once a prospecting call moves passed introductions, a good agent will keep the 80/20 rule in mind: keep the prospect talking most of the time.

Telemarketing is not all about smooth talking. A skilled telemarketer can guide a prospect from neutral to enthusiastic simply by asking the right questions at the right times.