Ring Ring. Ring Ring. My mobile’s going off. I grab it and look at the Caller ID. “Private Number”. Bad sign – usually a telemarketer.
I answer... “Good morning, Rashid Kotwal”.
Silence – then click, click and suspicion confirmed. A voice that instantly screams “telemarketer” comes on. And no, this one was a local – not from the subcontinent.
“Rasheesh, this is AB from XYZ sports betting company, how are you?”
Rasheesh???? Strike one!
He then proceeded to ask if I’d received the info they’d sent on making money.
No I hadn’t, but I’d had (unwilling) conversations with his type before and looked at their material, so I politely told him I was with someone and anyway, I wasn’t interested.
But he didn’t want to listen and just went on asking if I knew anything about the system, and why wasn’t I interested in making passive income?
Now I try not to be rude to people who cold call me. It’s a difficult enough job without people shouting at you, slamming the phone down etc.
However this guy just wouldn’t take no for an answer. After multiple tries, I did get rid of him eventually.
But the whole episode certainly didn’t endear me to his organisation. And I’d be very unlikely to even read any material they sent given my negative experience with their high pressure sales team.
So what could they have done instead?
Two things...
First...
We could create a comprehensive package of material to be sent either before or after the call with a series of follow ups.
The package would contain a White Paper which hit their prospect’s pain points, detailed their solution, including case studies proving their point, testimonials, and return on investment figures. In short it builds an emotional and logical case for their product or service.
The material would be created in a combination of written, audio (play on my ipod or in my car), and video. This way their audience could choose how they wanted to consume the information.
After sending the package, they could follow up and ask if I was interested, answer any questions I might have.
And if I wasn’t interested right now, ask if they could follow up and if yes, how much time they should give me before calling again.
Remember, no is not necessarily not ever. Circumstances change, and by keeping in contact they may make a sale at a later date.
Second...
They could get some training from my good friend, Master Telesales Trainer, Jenny Cartwright. Then their people would know how to get into rapport on the phone, state their case and develop a relationship leading to a sale where appropriate. See section below for more details.
And if they were really smart, they’d do both!
Rashid.
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