There are many reasons why you may be considering pursuing a career in telesales. 

For example, it could be that you’ve always been told you have the “gift of the gab,” meaning that you’re well-suited to a career in sales. Alternatively, you may be interested in the performance-based bonuses that come hand-in-hand with closing a deal. 

However, it is important to note that succeeding as a telesales person requires a lot of effort and enthusiasm. After all, between high targets, accepting rejection, and working within a highly competitive environment, you have your work cut out for you.

With that in mind, here are some top tips and tricks that you can use to ensure your success in this field, whether you are accepting your first sales job or have worked in this industry for some time. 

Becoming a Successful Telesales Person: An Expert Guide.

Fortunately, there are many different steps that you can take to become a successful telesales person. From working on your confidence and sales pitches to knowing what techniques to use for which customers, this comprehensive guide will tell you everything you need to know. 

A good starting point, however, is understanding what makes a good telesales agent to begin with. After all, this then gives you a clear benchmark or goal to work toward moving forward. 

Key Traits of a Good Telesales Agent

Though each and every telesales agent will operate in a slightly different way, they often share specific skills, traits, and attributes that make them the right fit for the job.

For example, they are: 

• Confident communicators with an excellent telephone manner 
• Able to deal with rejection without being thrown off course
• Highly adaptable and able to respond to whatever challenges come their way during their workday
• Skilled in de-escalation or handling disgruntled customers/call recipients 
• Able to speak clearly and adapt their communication style depending on the recipient 
• Friendly and polite while also being able to steer conversations toward sales
• Skilled sales-people who are able to work toward targets

In short, telesales agents are highly focused individuals who are able to go above and beyond when pushing sales without alienating the person on the other end of the phone. They are also aware of the best telesales techniques around, and can apply them to their practices accordingly. 

 

Effective Ways to Increase Sales in Telemarketing

When working in telesales, your goal is also to increase sales by whatever means possible. After all, this means you can meet your monthly/quarterly targets, impress your employer, and even earn bonuses or commissions.  

Fortunately, there are many different telemarketing tactics that you can deploy in order to achieve this goal. 

Build a rapport.

According to a recent study, “71% of sales reps say that building personal rapport has a substantial impact on converting a prospect.” Why? It allows you to find common ground with the prospect, meaning they are more likely to trust you moving forward. Earning this trust often increases the chances of you closing a sale. 

There are many different ways in which you can build a rapport with a prospect. For example, if you are calling them for the first time, try to get to know them (or their business) as much as possible. You can achieve this goal by practicing active listening and asking open-ended questions that require more thorough answers than “yes, or “no.” 

Not only will this allow you to get to know each other a little better, therefore establishing rapport, but you can also adjust your sales pitch accordingly based on what they have to say.  

Don’t be afraid to follow up. 

In an ideal world, every single call you place will result in a sale. However, this is rarely the case, even amongst the most experienced telesales professionals. The chances are that you may need to reach out to a prospect several times over before closing. In fact, 80% of sales require five follow-ups.  

As such, you should not be afraid to follow up with a prospect, especially if they initially expressed an interest in the products or services you offer. Of course, this does not mean that you should flood their phone lines with daily calls, but checking in after a few days can be a real game-changer. 

Have a specific sales pitch in mind.

While a good telesales agent can pivot the conversation and their pitch, depending on the attitude/responsiveness of the prospect on the other end of the line, it is generally advised that you have a specific pitch in mind before dialling a number. 

This will give you greater control of the conversation at large while also ensuring that you do not omit any important information about the products/services you have on offer. 

Master the art of the cold call.

For many, the thought of cold calling is enough to send a shudder down their spine. Whether this is spurred by a fear of rejection or dealing with backlash from a frustrated prospect, mastering the art of the cold call will take your career in telesales from strength to strength. 

After all, this means you can quickly break down the barriers typically associated with cold-calling, establish a rapport with the prospect, and increase your chances of converting them. 

Generally speaking, the more cold calls you carry out, the easier you’ll find this task. This is often because the biggest roadblock to success in this task is mental – if you believe a call will have a negative outcome, your performance will be much shakier than if you believe you’re going to win them over. 

However, you can also ensure that you master the cold call by:

Doing your research. Part of the art of cold calling is being able to paint a clear picture of the prospect in your mind before reaching out. This ensures you’re not wasting their time by trying to sell them products or services they won’t need and gives you a chance to start pre-planning your pitch.

Lead with a strong opener. The first few minutes of a call are the most important. As such, you should make sure that you capture their attention as quickly as you possibly can so that they are less likely to hang up or say that they are too busy to chat. For example, when introducing your products or services, make clear the many ways in which you think they would benefit the prospect, ideally using data to back up what you are saying.

Be friendly and personable. The more engaged a prospect is, the higher your chances of closing. As such, you should be as friendly and personable as possible during the call (while remaining professional). For example, you should always be sure to ask them how their day or week is going. If you’ve spoken to them previously, make references to previous conversations you’ve had.

End with a clear CTA. As mentioned above, the majority of first-time calls do not result in a sale. This is especially true for cold calls, as the prospect may want to take some time to research the company you are representing and the products you offer. However, you can ensure they are as receptive to future communications as possible by ending the call with a clear CTA (Call To Action). For example, you might ask them to schedule a meeting with a team member to find out more.

Read more about effective cold calling strategies here.

Mastering Top Telesales Techniques that Work

There are many different techniques that you can use to ensure you succeed in telesales. 

Use your Script, but keep it fresh. 

When working for a specific agency or company, they will likely provide you with a script to use when reaching out to prospects. This provides you with critical insight into the products/services you’re pitching to call recipients and ensures that you’re using the right jargon and language. 

However, you should consider the script more of a guide than something you have to follow devoutly, as the conversations that follow this can otherwise sound robotic and stilted. This, in turn, means that prospects are likely to lose interest in what you are saying. 

Try to find ways to personalise your interactions wherever you can, and remember to listen to what the person on the other end of the phone is saying. This ensures that you’re answering their questions instead of moving on to the next section of the call. 

In short, you should be sure to use your script as a guide as opposed to a crutch – though check ahead of time with your employer to see if certain sections of the script are non-negotiable and must be covered during the course of your conversation.

Learn how to turn a no into a yes.

While rejection is part and parcel of working in telesales, the most skilled telesales agents are able to change the minds of those who may initially say no or attempt to end the call early. For example, you should try to pinpoint the reasoning behind their disinterest or refusal so that you can figure out how best to combat this. 

Below are some examples of this process in action.

Prospect says that they/their business cannot afford new products and services → Discuss affordability, ROI, and potential payment plans that show that what you are offering is worth their investment.

Prospect says that they are happy with their current provider →

Discuss what your company does differently or better than competitors, or ask them why they are happy with their current provider. If it’s been some time since they invested in this kind of product/service, remind them of the importance of staying up-to-date. 

Prospect says that they are too busy to take your call →

Say that you will not take up too much of their time and deliver a quick sales pitch or ask when a better time would be to reach out and schedule an appointment with them. Be sure to send them a follow-up email or text confirming the rescheduled call closer to the time.

Of course, it is also important that you know when to cut your losses and move on to the next call. This ensures that you are appropriately rewarded for your time and energy, as opposed to committing to something that isn’t going to pan out. 

On a similar note, you should also rely on your conflict resolution skills if a prospect is acting in any way cold or abrasive. While there are many reasons why they could be feeling upset or frustrated, being able to move the conversation onto calmer grounds can reset the playing field and increase your chances of making a sale. 

Adding a personal touch.

Finding as many ways as possible to personalise your interactions with prospects can also prove to be fruitful. Firstly, even relatively small gestures, such as calling them by their name, can help to build that all-important rapport, setting you apart from competitors.

However, it also shows that you’ve carried out your research ahead of time and genuinely feel as though you’re introducing them to something of value that will benefit their business moving forward. This increases the chances of them committing to a purchase, as you’re able to provide them with tangible proof that it will be worth their while.

As such, one way in which you can personalise calls/interactions moving forward is by making a key list of the paint points/challenges that your products or services can help clients overcome ahead of time and factoring this into your pitch. When doing so, be sure to ask questions to ensure that your research is accurate and up-to-date.

Where possible, record the calls or take notes so that you can refer back to this conversation at a later date, showing your clients that you are paying close attention to them.

If you’re going to be reaching out to clients again, asking them for the best days or times to reach out and contacting them within this window is another great way to personalise your approach to telesales.

 

How to Improve Your Telesales Skills

If you have been working in the industry for some time, you’ll likely already be aware of the practices and techniques outlined above, but that does not mean that there is no room for improvement. 

You can improve your telesales skills by: 

• Rehearsing before picking up the phone. Whether you’re reaching out to a new, high-profile client or advertising a new product/service, you may find it useful to ‘rehearse’ ahead of time. This will increase your confidence quite considerably during the real call, as you’ll already have an idea in mind of how it will pan out.
• Record your calls. If you feel as though you’re performing well but aren’t getting the results (or sales) you’d like, recording your calls can be incredibly useful. This will bring to light any mistakes you may be making, whether that’s poor enunciation, interrupting prospects when they are trying to speak, or simply not giving an accurate description of products and services. Being aware of your shortcomings puts you in the best possible position to do something about it! 
• Ask for feedback. Asking for feedback from your superiors or managers can also be incredibly useful when it comes to improving your telesales skills, as they will be able to pinpoint what you do well and what you need to work on moving forward. Their industry experience and in-depth knowledge of the products you are selling means that they are in the best possible position to provide you with the kind of criticism that you can act upon. As such, try not to take it too hard if they are overly critical! 
• Enrol in courses or training programs. Participating in courses or training programs can also help you to take the next step in your career as a telesales agent. After all, whether they introduce you to new tactics and approaches or simply improve your confidence, these programs are designed to help you close more deals than ever before. 

 

Best Practices for Telesales

Learning the telesales best practices (outlined above) is critical to improving your performance, and, therefore, succeeding in this hyper-competitive field. 

After all, the more competent you are at delivering pitches, connecting with prospects, and cold calling, the easier it will be to meet sales targets – even if your employer consistently raises them. This will allow you to take your career to new heights and earn as many bonuses as possible! 

In summation, if you’re looking to increase your chances of success in the telesales industry, you should: 

• Be open to trying out new sales techniques
• Do your research into prospects before picking up the phone
• Use your script as a guide, not a crutch
• Tailor your pitch depending on who you are talking to 
• Know how to turn a ‘no’ into a yes
• Remember to follow up when prospects show interest but don’t make an immediate decision

 

For more tips and tricks, stay up to date with our blog.

If you’re looking to further you career in Telesales and have the above experience, click here to apply for our Telemarketing Executive position.