subject: How To Increase Efficiency In Outbound/inbound Telemarketing [print this page] For any telemarketing process increasing efficiency is very important, but the selection of method depends entirely upon the type of telemarketing. The strategy for telemarketing efficiency will differ for outbound and inbound as well as for soft sales and hard sales telemarketing. Let's take a look at the three main categories of telemarketing, and some basic strategies to employ in order to increase sales and revenue.
The Hard Sales, Outbound Telemarketing
In Outbound telemarketing involves your companys representative calls the potential client, usually with a prepared script. Not all products or services can be sold over by telephone some require personal sales call. Telemarketers can qualify prospects or set appointments for follow-up by the sales team.
Telemarketing is probably one of the most unpopular with the public due to rampant use of this medium, but in the business to business world, outbound telemarketing produces very good leads. But a telemarketing representative has many difficult hurdles to cross in order to maximize sales in a given period of time.
Efficiency of telemarketing can be improved by many factors mainly:
First and most important point is, the script should be adhered to as much as possible, and agents should the have knowledge, expertise and confidence in the product or service they are representing so that they can handle any objections put forward by the customer. The best time to make the scripted pitch is in the beginning of the conversation. Telemarketer should always be polite and brisk the same time in conversation and should try to build rapport, and should be to the point as well. A hard sales telemarketer must also feel excited about the product and always operate under the assumption that his customer has decided to purchase the product or service.
The Hard Sales, Inbound Telemarketing
Inbound telemarketing is where you advertise your product or service and have a number for interested persons to call to place an order, to register an interest in a promotion or to obtain further information.
The inbound telemarketing is slightly easier than the outbound, as the customer has already taken the initiative in showing the interest. The customer already feels some camaraderie with the inbound telemarketer, and also feels loyalty to him, simply because he was the first person to take the call. As less rapport has to be built to secure this type of sale, the script should be adhered to as much as possible. The same tactics as the outbound telemarketing should be employed in this situation. No closed ended questions should be asked.
The Soft Sales, Inbound Telemarketing
Inbound Telemarketing has a completely different set of rules than the hard sales, because mainly it involves solving problems and answering questions. As each customer will present the telemarketer with an entirely different scenario, with unique problems and questions there is no script for this type of telemarketing. If the telemarketer wishes to be more successful in making success through resolving problems as quickly and smoothly as possible, he must demonstrate to the customer that he has genuine concern and understanding of the problem at hand, empathy and confidence go a long way in successful inbound telemarketing and improving in telemarketing efficiency. Lastly, the soft sales telemarketer should always be observant of how products or services can be added onto the customers account. The power of suggestion is the soft sales telemarketer's greatest tool in meeting sales goals.
Achieving telemarketing efficiency isn't always easy. But with the proper training and the right attitude, any telemarketing representative can be highly effective in achieving the desired goal.
