Is this a good time to talk?

We’ve all had the dreaded call from the contact centre, the monotone voice reads through a lengthy script down the phone, disengaging the recipient and ruining any chance of them buying into the idea, in some cases even damaging the brand.

The worst tend to be inflicted on the consumer by loan companies who advertise in the back of The Sun.

“Hello my name is Derek from ABC Finance, part of the Yabber Yadda group of companies regulated by the Financial Services Authority, I’m calling today because you’ve been selected blah blah blah…”

Then about 3 minutes later you finally get the chance to say “no, thanks”.

Ultimately, there has been no attempt to relax the recipient or let them speak, creating immediate barriers and adopting an obvious carpet-bombing approach.

What if you were fork-to-mouth about to take the first bite of your favourite meal? In the middle of a meeting? Rushing to finish before leaving the office? Would you stay and listen to 3 minutes of dour drivel?

Surely it’s more likely that you’d interrupt and get them off the phone ASAP.

One controversial idea is the use of “is this a good time to talk?” Some use this phrase whereas others view it as a loss of the control in the conversation.

5 reasons to apply this:

 

1. It helps establish interest immediately.
2. It aids intelligent conversation rather than reading from scripts.
3. You can get a set time to call back when the prospect is readily available for a conversation on the matter.
4. It is the difference between a cold call and permission marketing.
5. It embraces basic manners.

How to Lose Potential Business and Alienate Yourself

Nido had a chat with Shelley Fagence-Traynor to find out what makes her blood boil when she receives a cold call.

Given Shelley’s company First Time Response answers many calls every day for clients, she’s in a great position to pour scorn on the more abrasive elements in the industry…

As a person who receives sales calls on average 20/30 times a day my feelings are mixed.  This is mainly due to the incompetence of the companies employing the 'wrong representatives' to do the calling. 

I have experienced some wonderful sales calls and have complimented the person on the other end of the phone for their polite approach.  This hits the nail on the head!  If the caller is prepared to be polite, understanding and willing to listen then they have succeeded in getting my attention. 

When they demand to speak to the person in charge and then hang up when the information they are given is not what they wanted to hear, then they fail. 

When it takes a minute to actually hear another voice on the line which is crackly and distorted making them incomprehensible, then they fail. 

When they call politely and befriend, listen and adhere to advice given then they succeed!  I myself have been in the shoes of the sales person calling companies to promote services which gives me an understanding of the reaction from the recipients. Taking notes of names, times and who you spoke to when and about what is a major asset when calling back. 

Makes the follow up much more personal and on a friendly level.  Just what the business asks for.

Shelley Fagence-Traynor is MD at First Time Response in Crawley. She can be contacted on 01293 565520, or info@firsttimeresponse.co.uk

Getting the Most from Every Cold Call

Ever call a prospect, get your ‘no’ and then move straight on without asking questions? You could be missing out on key market intelligence which could help you further understand your marketplace and even help you resolve unidentified gaps in your service.

Once your prospect has delivered the news that they’re not interested in your product or service (this will happen loads in telemarketing), why not try getting that little extra out of them to make sure you get something from the conversation.

This could include:

• What was it that made you choose your current provider?
• What is it that makes them different?
• When will this agreement be reviewed?
• What service would you like your current supplier to provide that they don’t currently?
• When would be the best time for us to contact you again?
• What similar areas of work will you be looking into in the future?

aidan@nidomarketing.co.uk

www.nidomarketing.co.uk