I know it can be hard and frustrating at times but you can make ‘NO’ a positive experience. It is difficult to accent the positive when you are telemarketing your own services/products. Telemarketing can be a frustrating task. Statistically, a 10% response rate is an outstanding result – even when it is being performed by professional telemarketers. So you must prepare yourself to hear “No thank you” a lot.
How to Make No a Positive Experience.
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Don’t Overwork Yourself
First, and most important, don’t get on the phone more than five hours a day. Any longer than that will make the experience frustrating (even if you incorporate the following proven tips).
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Give Yourself A Break, Or Two, Or even Three
Take a 10 minute break after the first hour of calls. Take another 10 minute break after the next hour and a half. And so on.
Structuring breaks into your phone schedule gives you a better edge psychologically. Not only your mind, but your voice, needs the rest. You will find yourself compartmentalizing your work schedule into three or four goal-oriented phone sessions a day, rather than view it as one, long, exhausting day on the phone. Also, if you’re behind schedule or want to get home early, don’t try to tough it out and skip a break or two. You’ll be more effective on the phone if you allow yourself time to rest on a regular basis.
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Each ‘No’ Is Another Step Closer to ‘Yes’
This does not mean turning each ‘No‘ into a ‘Yes.’ We’re just putting the negative response in proper perspective. Always remember that it’s a numbers game!
Like I said before, telemarketing yields a 5% to 10% positive response rate. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but nine ‘no’s do statistically yield a ‘yes.’ Every ‘No thank you’ you hear is an expected response that you can mark down as part of an ongoing process. If you dial the phone knowing that, on average, every tenth person you talk with will respond positively. You then eliminate the frustration and have a goal to work towards.
It will also make you a more confident and effective telemarketer. How? Simple. When you do talk with the one-in-ten respondent who replies with a, “Sure, I’ll be glad to schedule a meeting with you (or buy your product),” you won’t be or sound surprised. Just professional. And when you’re on the phone conducting business, you definitely want to sound confident and professional.
Finally, do have a script well prepared and handy before making these calls. Talking off your head is not advisable as you might miss [or skip] one or more vital information that is needed. The script would serve as a guide, as you’ve written down pointers.
Remember, there will always be no as answers but it that would make the yes more rewarding.
