I feel sorry for cold callers.
Not the company owners or senior management … but those that sit day after day ringing number after number trying to reach the almost impossible target set for them.
Having to deal with the rejection. Even if someone answers the phone, they hang up as soon as they hear the opening words. Not to mention the rudeness!
The rejection is, in some ways, understandable (although there’s never an excuse for being rude!). After all, many people are plagued with cold calls for all sorts of services and products which they have no interest or need for.
For example: A childhood friend of my brother answered yet another cold call soon after he moved into his first home. He received so many that sometimes he went along with the conversation, randomly providing answers to the questions posed.
He did this when a conservatory company rang him out of the blue.
He discussed design, insulation, and even a price with the salesman.
It was at this point my brother’s friend asked:
Can you fit a conservatory to a 2nd floor flat!
The salesman, or more likely the company behind him, made a major mistake before he even picked up the phone.
Targeting!
Researching your prospective audience is a must before you even look at picking up the phone. You need to learn all about your ideal customer and narrow down your audience to those who are likely to buy your products and services.
This can be as simple – in the case of my brother’s friend one question they should have asked themselves is does my ideal customer live in a house or flat?
Or, you can go into more depth –like checking for households within your target postcodes that do not already have a conservatory.
But, however you choose to go about your research, you need to do this as part of your telemarketing campaign. The bottom line is, it will save money and time and avoid any negative impressions of your company.
Get that right and you’re halfway there.
But you still need to consider the marketing rules and regulations around telemarketing because these govern what you can and can’t do.
These dos and don’ts can seem confusing, but it’s vital you get this right.