[triumph cleaning]

I listen to what you guys out there do to market your businesses and I try out all the sensible suggestions with varying degrees of success.
I want to have a go at telemarketing.  I have an excellent girl who appoints for me in another business interest and she is keen to have a go.
So, ladies and gents, can i pick your brains for scripts for both domestic and commercial customers?
Thanks
Alistair Donald
alitriumph@aol.com

[Mark Edwards]

I hope you have not been holding your breath for an answer!!

I will brave it and give you my humble opinion...

The script / pitch must be personal to you or the teleworker. If I gave you one of my scripts and even if you learnt it verbatim, it would still sound unnatural and scripted. The idea is to write it as you would speak in your words. Many people get bogged down trying to write something that will be perfect first time - the key is to have something written and adapt it as you go. I always suggest recording the conversations, that way you will be able to review what works and what does not.

When you get the appointment listen to how you said the words and how the other person responded. Telemarketing is an art not a science so be adaptive and creative on the phone and this alone will set you way above everyone else.

I have even written you a dedicated piece on my new blog.... http://www.kmg-s.com/blog/?p=14 'How to write a red hot telemarketing script'

[spencer davies]

Personally, I wouldn't use this type of marketing, I also have a company policy of not doing business with companies that use telemarketing.

We receive at least five calls daily, I find it extremely irritating, when I realize they are trying to sell, I simply hang up.


Regards


S

[Mark Edwards]

Interesting policy!

Have you considered registering with TPS?

[Mike Osbourne]

I find it irritating getting leaflets through my door, but it doesn't stop me dishing out 5-6k a month. And if it was a good deal on something I wanted that particular day I might be tempted.

I think it's important to try all methods/media that's cost effective.

In theory local calls are free aren't they?

Cold calling is very, very demanding emotionally unless you have support, knowledge and the right personality. And don't forget TPS these days.

My ratios when I tested it for CC were five times worse than my previous career with services in the £10-50K range B-B. And that was with the best of a number of scripts.

The biggest jump in response came from opening with a local tradesman approach. Solid questions and rebuttals are important too.

As I don't believe in such a thing as failure, lets just say I learned to put my energies into other mediums.

Now warm calls, that's a very different story. Referrals, letter follow ups, comps, CC information reports etc.

Good Luck
  

[spencer davies]

We registered with the TPS some time ago, which does not make a bit of difference!

Leafleting is completely different from tele marketing:

It is impersonal.

If a 'no leaflets please' notice is on display the deliverer does not post.

Telemarketing wastes my time, and also costs me money as I am on call divert often.

Nearly all of my 'top end' clients have the same attitude as me towards cold calling.

You can also re-cycle a leaflet

Etc etc.

Regards

S

[Mike Osbourne]

TPS does make a difference if you complain and they get fined five grand.

Of course this does not stop someone in asia giving you a call.

[Ian Gourlay]

The problem is lots of people and firms have registered with TPS .

It tends to be the high to middle end consumer that has done so.

As a result the quality of homes contacted is lower.

Recentley a well known Double Glazing Firm closed its Tele sales operation because of this.

On fines Im am still seeking evidence of Companies or individuals that have been fined,

I did fine one but they were charged with Mis selling telephone services

I see Mark operates a  Marketing company it would be good to hear his take.

I am told that in Carpet Cleaning its the number of calls you make not the fancy words that lands you clients

Unless you say

Must say i thought  Mark was being a little sarcastic then I realized he had twalled our site in the hope of finding new clients. but hey if he wants to help.

took a look at blog more commercial than domestic but as you say it works better B2B

[Mark Edwards]

We only work B2B and for some time now my databases show about 10% of business are continuing to register with TPS every month. We of course screen every 28 days to remove TPS barred numbers. Unfortunately some organisations are ignoring TPS and deliberately targeting barred numbers simply because 9 times out of 10 no one bothers to complain.

I completely understand that people do not want to be contacted because of time or that they get annoyed, I do too, especially when they start off with “How are you today?” that’s an instant hang up for me. I stay unregistered for two reasons 1. Professionally, so I can hear all the great pitches that companies come up with!! 2. Because I have bought several times from companies marketing products or services over the phone.  Look at it this way if an organisation is going to the cost and effort of running a telemarketing campaign, they are normally wanting to expand, that gives you great leverage particularly around cost and level of service.

Furthermore if a teleworker is good at the job, you would not even know you have been pitched, people only get annoyed with telemarketing because it is done poorly by untrained people.

I can’t comment on B2C and how TPS has affected that market. I do know that many companies do still use telemarketing to consumers, at the end of the day it works and very effectively, otherwise those organisations would spend the money on other marketing methods.

You are correct Ian, telemarketing is a numbers game, the more people you call the more business you will get. A good teleworker with a well thought out script will help produce even better results. When marketing services like carpet cleaning that people actually want or need you can’t fail to succeed with telemarketing.

[spencer davies]

You would not even know if you have been pitched? If a phone call is not a carpet cleaning or personal related call, then I do not want to take it.

With the availability of the internet, I can make informed decisions about who I would want to contact, whether I am looking for marketing companies, dog walkers, painters etc, I really do not need a phone call (uninvited) offering me something, that I probably do not want, especially when the tele person (good or bad hard or soft) will use every trick to get a result.

Regards


S

[Ian Gourlay]

Because  we do not like a method of Marketing does not mean it should be dismissed  for everyone. Just do not use it in your business.

Spencer has been established a long time and has reached a stage and has the confidence and equipment to work at the top end.

For a new starter I am still of the believe that door knocking  to fill vacant spots in the week is the way to go.

Regretably I think the larger companies have spoiled the use of the telephone.

One of the biggest growths in TPS registration was !8 months ago when BT ran a campain yo encourage people to register, BT used to phone people on a regular basis about their telephone services.

But they found Talk Talk and other companies were using the phone to convert BT customers and were suceeding rapidly, so than ran an add campain to encourage people to register with TPS so that Talk Taklk and other telephone companies could not contact their clients with a better offer than BT.

My point is Tele Marketing does work people do switch , buy services , book sales appointments and buy product from being approached in this manor..

I found when I did it that I could generate more Sales per 100 contacts from telephoning than from Leaflets or Letters. and cost was less than Yellow Pages etc

If Mark is correct and 10% of companies are registering every month in a Years time there will be no one left to Legally phone.

I donot know why the Government does not issue a blanket ban it would also stop people phoning for Political Donnations, and These Charity Fund Raisers.

[spencer davies]

Fair comment Ian, I can see where you are coming from.

You make a valid point about large companies abusing this form of media and also scammers, its not often you receive a genuine call of any kind, I would still want to know exactly who I was talking to and an have an insight into their business.

Regards



S

[Bennie25]

Dont know weather it makes much difference but I am, and you should, be registering with CTPS (Corperate TPS)

[Mark Edwards]

If Mark is correct and 10% of companies are registering every month in a Years time there will be no one left to Legally phone.

I donot know why the Government does not issue a blanket ban it would also stop people phoning for Political Donnations, and These Charity Fund Raisers.

The great news is that just as many new companies are being formed and growing that are not registered, so it balances out. Of course 'genuine market research' is still allowed even to TPS numbers and if someone agrees that you can call them back then TPS is not an issue.

[Ian Gourlay]

interesting comment about market research

So you could phone up saying you are doing research on how people get their carpets cleaned

[Mike Osbourne]

Yes and if you go on to try and sell them something you are in even bigger do doos.