First - the real key to effective telephone marketing is structure and organization. Winging it is a real bad idea. A script, an outline, notes, flip cards, some written tools to help you stay on track are important. The most experienced telephone selling professionals in the country use scripts and notes.
Second - courtesy is a paramount of importance. Remember that the person on the other end of the phone can't see you; they can only react to what you are saying and how you're saying it.
Third - recognize that some people will not respond well. They'll cut you short, even hang up on you. You'll just have to be okay with that. Don't take it personally. Remember people throw out your mail pieces unread too. You just don't have to be there to see it.
Fourth - practice makes perfect or at least better. You need to give yourself the benefit of at least twenty or twenty-five calls of a particular type with a particular offer before even beginning to be judgmental about yourself, your skills or the results. If you've never used a telephone this way before you'll be understandably uncomfortable with the process.
It's important to remember that just about everything you now do well was once difficult and uncomfortable for you. Stretching comfort zones and mastering new skills is an important reoccurring part of living to be enjoyed not feared.
Learning telemarketing skills, mastering them and being able to teach them to others is a way to greatly enhance your personal worth and be able to increase the sales of profits of just about any business your involved with.
Unfortunately, I've discovered that many businesses don't like using this tool or because of the DO NOT CALL LIST, they think they can no longer use it. And in many applications that is correct.
But there is one application that every business should 'legally' be using the phone for in order to grow their business.
Dan Kennedy, http://www.dankennedy.com/
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