Writing a Telemarketing Script
Even if you have hundreds of computers equipped with headsets and databases, and even if you recruit the best in salesmanship and customer service, telemarketing cannot yield positive results until you have written a script. Using specific keywords and phrases, combined with congeniality on the part of the telemarketer, a universal script used for each and every call can make all the difference.
Use the following guidelines to create a telemarketing script that works for your company, products and employees.
1. Don’t insult the customer.
Using a recording or a tired sales line insults the potential customer on the other end of the phone connection. Some of the gimmicks worked years ago when telemarketing was still a budding enterprise, but now that people are used to being interrupted by telemarketers, they know all the games and they are wise to the procedure. The trick to actually convincing a potential customer to talk to you lies in the way you pitch the sale. There are some people who won’t be interested no matter how you present your product, but it’s the fence-sitters that need to be molded into enthusiastic customers.
2. Be original.
With telemarketing, you know that you will be bothering people who have otherwise busy lives to deal with, so don’t waste their time by sounding bored and disgruntled. Be excited, friendly, and above all else, original.
For example, don’t be afraid to incorporate humor into your sales pitch. Joke with the potential customers so that it doesn’t seem like you’re wasting their time. Even if they don’t buy from you, at least they’ll be less inclined to shout obsenities and slam the phone back into its cradle.
3. Introduce yourself.
Regardless of your opening pitch, the first words out of your mouth should be your name and the company for whom you work. It isn’t only polite – it’s the law. Telemarketers are required to introduce themselves within the first fifteen seconds of a phone call. If they don’t, the company for whom they work is subject to civil action by the offended party. Even if you leave a message, the telemarketers name and that of the company must be given. Be sure to include this in your telemarketing script so that employees don’t forget.
4. Offer options.
As the writer of your telemarketing script, include options into the pitch. The phone call shouldn’t be about “buying or not,” but about giving your company an opportunity to ask questions and to receive literature in the mail. Few people will buy anything over the phone these days because of the steady stream of rackets that pop up all over the country. The purpose of a telemarketing call is to inspire interest in your product or service and to plant the seed of consumerism.
This falls under the original category, because it is rarely done. Rather than saying, “Would you like to buyâÂ?¦?” try something like, “This is a relatively new product, and we’re calling consumers around the globe to inform them of this amazing new time saver. If you would like more information, I’d love to send you a free brochure and price list. Or, if you’d rather, I can just give you our web address and let you look up our company on the Internet.”
This leaves the ball in the customer’s court, which is refreshing. They don’t feel pressured to give you their credit card number; and you’ve given the impression that you aren’t desperate for them to buy. If you call and beg them to purchase your product, they will assume that no one else has, and certainly not want it.
5. Short and Sweet.
The introduction to your pitch should be short, simple and to the point. This comes around to the Law of Averages. The more people you call, the more will buy. It’s that simple. If you waste your time with a long spiel on an uninterested party, you might not have time to reach someone who does want to buy. The introduction should be long enough to describe the product or service, but short enough that the potential customer can interject an “I’m not interested” before you get too far.
For example, say, “This is Jane Doe with Network Solutions. We have an unbelievably long line of computer software programs that can help people like you manage your budget, pay your bills and organize household chores. We have the lowest prices in the industry, and we’re connecting with folks in the Newport Beach area to offer them this amazing deal.”
6. Address Potential Customers by Name
How often have you come home from work, pressed the “play” button on your answering machine, and heard, “Hi Customer! My name is John Doe, and I’m withâÂ?¦”
People want to feel a connection, and if they don’t, they aren’t going to buy. Your database directory should include the names and addresses of consumers as well as their phone numbers. Rather than calling them something so impersonal as “Customer,” try addressing them by their actual name.
7. Don’t Press
If a customer isn’t interested, get off the phone as politely as possible. Include in your telemarketing script a gracious ending, such as, “Well, Mrs. Anderson, thank you so much for your time. Have a great afternoon!” Or, if you feel the need to continue, you can offer to send free information through the mail.
Rules Concerning Telemarketing
It is important that you research the laws and regulations surrounding telemarketing procedures. Following these laws can save you time, energy and money in potential law suits.
1. Call only during the day time. Although the law allows you to call earlier, I don’t advise calling before 11 AM or after 6 PM as a courtesy.
2. Always identify yourself and the company for whom you work. If the person you call asks for the phone number of your company, give it without complaint.
3. Never tape record a conversation unless you inform the potential customer of the recording.
