Telemarketing Can Build Business

TELEMARKETING CAN BUILD BUSINESS

Before beginning a telemarketing campaign, some internal research needs to be done. Everyone would like to believe they can sell products with a smile and promise of good service. The truth of the matter is, the main reason, businesses change their brokers is price. Therefore, the first steps of targeting a market is finding out the types of businesses to be competitively served. Next, determine which types of businesses offer a comfortable environment for selling the product. In other words, is the practitioner considering targets more comfortable talking face to face with the owner of a mom and pop type shop, or the controller of a corporate business? Once these questions are answered, the market can be targeted accordingly.

Keep in mind that certain products just don't respond well over the phone. For instance, Life Insurance and personal Disability Insurance are two products that just don't work. The first step is to use the door opener of individual or small group health insurance. Next, target the markets accordingly. For example, try using architectural firms as one of the targeted businesses. Once in the door pitching an architect a health package, the opportunity exists to say, 'While I'm here, how about looking at a new disability income plan?' etc. If the people that tend to purchase disability coverage have been targeted, the practitioner is one step ahead of the game, especially having given a good pitch on a health plan.

Once a decision has been made on who to call, obtain the phone numbers to be called. Always make certain to have enough numbers for the span of the program. An efficient telemarketer should be able to dial anywhere from 20 to 30 numbers per hour. So if the first program is planned to 100 hours, ideally a list of about 3000 numbers should be obtained. Because some of the numbers will need to be contacted more than once, that list will probably last more than the planned hours. However, it is better to have more numbers for a possible extended amount of hours than to have to constantly stop and then start up again. Most effective programs have uninterrupted steady flow of telemarketing power. To obtain the sufficient amount of numbers, and begin the program on the right foot, take the extra time needed in the beginning.

In searching for a list either use in-house methods or a list company. When using a list company, anywhere from $35 to $700 and up can be spent for a list of 3,000 phone numbers. Local yellow pages that won't cost anything can also be used. Experience indicates that the better the quality of the call list, the more profitable the campaign will be in the end.

There are three details that should be considered when selecting a quality call list. First, the list obtained should provide a choice of employee sizes. In order to receive an accurate count, ask for a number five to ten employees higher than the actual size desired. Second, the list should provide businesses that are demographically placed in areas that are worthy of travel. Last, the list should be very easy for telemarketers to read. The easier the call list is to read, the more calls they will be able to make per hour resulting in more leads.

Hiring a good telemarketer may be one of the toughest jobs. To make the telemarketing program the most successful, find an individual who can and will stay on a phone dialing approximately 20 to 30 calls per hour. At the same time they must represent the firm in a professional yet personal manner, and have the know-how to qualify a lead. This type of person will not be easy to find, but through a patient process it is possible.

The first thing to do is place an ad in a local employment publication. Focus on publications that might be read by students, housewives, artists, or others likely to seek part-time work. The second part of the process is to interview. Keep in mind that where telemarketing is concerned, it's not how an individual represents themselves in person but how they represent themselves over the phone. Therefore, conduct all interviews by phone, and ask a lot of questions.

Another possibility that eliminates the work of hiring and training a telemarketer and managing the quality control is working with a telemarketing firm. This will definitely remove any of the daily stresses of having a telemarketing campaign under the same roof as the regular business practice. These are some definite do's and don'ts on looking for the best kind of telemarketing firm.

First, it would be most advantageous to the campaign if the telemarketing firm chosen is well versed in the terminology needed. Some telemarketing firms work exclusively with insurance agents and brokers. This, of course, is the most ideal.

Second, be very wary of any telemarketing firm that bases their fee structure on the leads they provide. Acquiring this type of program might sound great at first. However, a good campaign should be targeted to make money, not waste time. An unqualified lead will waste both time and money. A prospect who's been with the same broker for the last twenty years would not be of any value. Unqualified leads are to be expected from a program that's based on quantity, not quality. It is much better to pay someone by a result rather than a lead. Most likely they will successfully obtain as many results as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Another type of telemarketing firm to stay clear of is one that only acquires expiration dates. Usually, the expiration dates have been obtained and data sold over and over again. This will just waste time. It is sounder to spend money on a block of telemarketing hours that will set appointments, obtain x-dates, and when necessary set up phone and fax quotes. Using these methods, business will begin to grow rapidly.

Creating the script is a specific aspect of each individual program. Make sure the script is not too wordy and the points are very clear to the layman's ear. Keep in mind, getting in the door is what's needed, not closing the deal. Sell the practice, not the product. Make sure the telemarketers sound conversational, not like he or she is reading. However, they should sound authoritative enough to be able to successfully represent your firm.

Once the markets have been selected, the call list obtained, and the telemarketers chosen, it's time to sit back and start counting profits. Well, it's almost time. Remember, telemarketing can just as easily waste time as make money. Clients repeatedly express that the quality of the leads is what makes a telemarketing program successful. Even the telemarketer paid for results can only produce if the leads are solid.

Therefore, it must be stressed again how important it is to spend a lot of time working out the best quality control system for targeting appropriate leads. Then make certain that the telemarketers understand that it's not the quantity of the results that will get them praise but the quality. The outcome of quality work is good meetings with prospects who are really interested in what the specific practice has to offer. It is possible to give incentives for these results.

A suitable lead should only be recorded when the conversation was with the individual in charge of making the decisions regarding their company's insurance. This applies for both the setting of appointments and the expiration dates. Most secretaries will have the renewal date information but won't know the relationship the owner has with their broker, or whether their company will in fact be taking bids during the renewal time.

Instruct the callers to find out who's in charge and then find out from that individual only, what are present carriers, and when they come up for renewal. Also, instruct them to ask how long have they been with their broker, what is their broker relationship, how many employees are there, and how many years they have been in business.

Have the callers spend the time with these people confirming the spelling and asking more than once whether they'll be open to meeting with a new company during renewal time. If they're not cooperative in revealing all this information, they most likely won't be very cooperative during bidding time. Much of this type of qualifying will really depend on the callers instinct, so whether an inhouse caller or a service is used, keep the callers up to date on the results of the leads they've provided.

With this amount of information the makings of a very profitable marketing program now exists. All that is needed is to keep it going. Keep up that communication with the telemarketer on the quality of the in-coming leads. If changes need to happen, make sure they do. Think of the telemarketing program as a machine. When the machine is not running smoothly, tune it up.

Confirm all appointments before going to them. This might just give the opportunity to talk with the individual who will be attending the meeting and further qualify them.

When it comes to the new expiration date information, file all data and every few months send those businesses reminders of the specific services offered by the practice. Always call four months prior to the renewal date and try to set the appointment. If at an appointment it is determined that the renewal date is a little bit down the road, welcome this opportunity as a chance to be the first agent to bid. Keep in contact with them and if possible make visits when in the area. Last but not least, service these new sales better than their last agent. Even though the reason for their changing is probably price, if the service is better, the client might not look to other brokers the following year.

Finally, be patient. Some sales will happen right away while others might take weeks and/or even months. SMILE AND DIAL!