How can I become good at Telephone Sales?? (letters, job offer, highest)

[Ron.]

I have been out of work for 8 months and I finally got a job offer from a flooring company. The pay is a nice hourly rate plus sales bonus. When I first got the job offer my attitude was " I'll take the job untill I find what I'm really looking for". Well, I started thinking this could actualy turn into a great opportunity if I change my attitude about it. The hourly rate that I'll be be getting paid is only $2.00 less that what I was looking for in the other positions I applied for. I figured with the weekly bonus from sales I could in fact make much more money.

My new outlook is "I want to do very well in this new job and double my hourly rate", all of which is possible.

If any of you can offer any good advice about how I can become good at telephone sales please feel free to answer. This includes book recommendations as well.

Also, if you have a disdain for tele-sales PLEASE do not use this as an opportunity to share you horrible experiences/views.

I want to change my situation not make it worse do to someone else's bad experiences.


Thanks-

[truckingbronco]

I think telephone sales is a trial by fire type of job. You just have to throw yourself out there, try everything, and find out what works.

[Ron.]

Yup, I agree. I am going to first start by monitoring all of my calls and take notes on what is working and what is not. But I would like to read a few good books on the subject.

Thanks for responding.

Originally Posted by truckingbronco

I think telephone sales is a trial by fire type of job. You just have to throw yourself out there, try everything, and find out what works.

[truckingbronco]

I don't know any books but you might want to check out the forum at registeredreps.com. There is alot of threads about cold-calling and telephone sales. It's a stockbroker website but I'm sure many of the sales techniques are universal.

[Ron.]

I get RR in the mail. I'll check out the forum over there!

Thanks again

Originally Posted by truckingbronco

I don't know any books but you might want to check out the forum at registeredreps.com. There is alot of threads about cold-calling and telephone sales. It's a stockbroker website but I'm sure many of the sales techniques are universal.

[harry chickpea]

"Also, if you have a disdain for tele-sales PLEASE do not use this as an opportunity to share you horrible experiences/views. "

I'm sorry, but if you think you can make a living cold-calling and attempt to interrupt my dinner, movie-watching, quiet time, and other activities, and those of thousands of other people, I'm certainly not going to honor your request to withhold my opinion, so that you can learn how to do this without interruption or negative feelings. Fair is fair, what goes around comes around.

If, OTOH, you are talking with people who already have a relationship with your company and are asking you for advice, then the simple answer is to know your product line and use good interpersonal skills. I'll happily purchase based on the knowledge of a salesperson that I have contacted, if I think that person knows their product. I recently handed a salesman a close to $100K sale because of his knowledge and attitude.

Back to tele-sales - If someone cold-calls me on the phone, and I do happen to answer, I inform them that I never ever buy based on a phone call, nor do I give to charities that use the technique. If anything, I'll actively seek out competitors to do business with or donate to. I think all telemarketers should be required to use telegrams.

[emjae]

Hello Ron,
I read your post on how you want to be become good in phone sales. I think this is great! You have the right attitude!

Ron, I did phone sales for a long while and I also trained people in phone sales, but that was many years ago. At that time they did not have the tools that they have now... nor the free resources to learn how. It was funny how your post came up...only just a couple of hours ago I came across a site that I thought was absolutely excellent and it was all about phone sales! The site is owned by a woman named Renee Walkup and she really knows her stuff about phone sales. Pay no attention to the fact that she is woman...phone sales has no gender preference.
Here is the website address:

SalesPEAK Online Sales Training - Sales Training - Telephone Selling Skills - Persuasive Sales Presentation Skills

I do not know who Renee Walkup is, but I was reading through some of her articles ( just go to the top of the website page above and click on the link that says articles) and she may sound a little brash, but she is really smart about phone sales. She has a book that she sells on the site ($19.95)that I would really like to read. She gets me excited about doing phone sales again...even though I am now semi-retired. But if it is not affordable right now I would see if your local library can get for you. Her articles are full of information. She is no nonsense and I can tell she has been in the trenches and worked herself up to where she is now. She is someone you can learn much from.

Also, another woman that is very good ---although it may be a different type of phone sales other than what your described, but her name is Wendy Weiss, she is known as "The Queen of Cold Calls"...hahahaha! As a matter of fact, if you put that in the search box of Google you will find her website and she has also been interviewed on a few podcasts that you can go listen too --- they will come up when you do the Google search as well. She loves cold calling on the phone and she is an expert in her field. You can learn much from listening to her.

Both sites have free newsletters that you may be able to pick up some free information from. Also visit this page for many free articles to read on sales:

Telephone Sales Basics for Start-ups (http://ezinearticles.com/?Telephone-Sales-Basics-for-Start-ups&id=34987 - broken link)

Read the article there and then scroll to the bottom to search out many other articles. Some are on telephone sales and some are on just sales and selling in general, but you will soon learn that the skills are all the same...you are just not face to face.

I wish you well in your new endeavor Ron. If you take it seriously, and if you train yourself to be a professional and you are a man of integrity, you have the opportunity to grow in the profession of sales which is one of the ten top highest paying jobs in the nation...probably the world. Also, if you succeed, you will be among only 2% of all the population that can actually sell. The rest are primarily order takers and unfortunately poorly trained in most cases. No kidding Ron...I said two percent...how surprising eh?

Sales is constant learning and self improvement and you will learn communication and people skills that will help you in every area of your life, especially with your family. You will learn to be a better listener and a better problem solver. Many people think of sales people as not much to be admired, but it is because there have been too many scoundrels in the business. Sales is not coercing people into a sale against their will...it is actually service --- it is servicing people. You will be listening to people's needs and helping them solve their problems if the product/service you sell is what you know will help them. Always be a person of integrity and you will go far Ron, very far. You will learn skills that will make you a leader. There are endless job opportunities for someone who can sell and is a professional about what they do. Go for it!

I hope this post was of some help to you Ron,

<><
emjae

[Philip T]

First, number 1, above all else -- have a product that people may actually want.

Is that SO crazy?

Not newspapers subscriptions. Not some (fake) free service. Not (some really stupid) insurance.

If you are a telemarket (or any other) type of salesman with a product, price, and delivery that people want, they will be standing in line to buy from you. Otherwise you are wasting both your and their time.

[Ron.]

WOW!!!!!!! I don't know what to say. I am more encouraged than ever after reading your post!! I also started thinking if I became good at this I Could move anywhere I wanted to and be able to find work very easy if I choose to!!! Thanks !!! I am so excited after reading your rsponse!!

Originally Posted by emjae

Hello Ron,
I read your post on how you want to be become good in phone sales. I think this is great! You have the right attitude!

Ron, I did phone sales for a long while and I also trained people in phone sales, but that was many years ago. At that time they did not have the tools that they have now... nor the free resources to learn how. It was funny how your post came up...only just a couple of hours ago I came across a site that I thought was absolutely excellent and it was all about phone sales! The site is owned by a woman named Renee Walkup and she really knows her stuff about phone sales. Pay no attention to the fact that she is woman...phone sales has no gender preference.
Here is the website address:

SalesPEAK Online Sales Training - Sales Training - Telephone Selling Skills - Persuasive Sales Presentation Skills

I do not know who Renee Walkup is, but I was reading through some of her articles ( just go to the top of the website page above and click on the link that says articles) and she may sound a little brash, but she is really smart about phone sales. She has a book that she sells on the site ($19.95)that I would really like to read. She gets me excited about doing phone sales again...even though I am now semi-retired. But if it is not affordable right now I would see if your local library can get for you. Her articles are full of information. She is no nonsense and I can tell she has been in the trenches and worked herself up to where she is now. She is someone you can learn much from.

Also, another woman that is very good ---although it may be a different type of phone sales other than what your described, but her name is Wendy Weiss, she is known as "The Queen of Cold Calls"...hahahaha! As a matter of fact, if you put that in the search box of Google you will find her website and she has also been interviewed on a few podcasts that you can go listen too --- they will come up when you do the Google search as well. She loves cold calling on the phone and she is an expert in her field. You can learn much from listening to her.

Both sites have free newsletters that you may be able to pick up some free information from. Also visit this page for many free articles to read on sales:

Telephone Sales Basics for Start-ups (http://ezinearticles.com/?Telephone-Sales-Basics-for-Start-ups&id=34987 - broken link)

Read the article there and then scroll to the bottom to search out many other articles. Some are on telephone sales and some are on just sales and selling in general, but you will soon learn that the skills are all the same...you are just not face to face.

I wish you well in your new endeavor Ron. If you take it seriously, and if you train yourself to be a professional and you are a man of integrity, you have the opportunity to grow in the profession of sales which is one of the ten top highest paying jobs in the nation...probably the world. Also, if you succeed, you will be among only 2% of all the population that can actually sell. The rest are primarily order takers and unfortunately poorly trained in most cases. No kidding Ron...I said two percent...how surprising eh?

Sales is constant learning and self improvement and you will learn communication and people skills that will help you in every area of your life, especially with your family. You will learn to be a better listener and a better problem solver. Many people think of sales people as not much to be admired, but it is because there have been too many scoundrels in the business. Sales is not coercing people into a sale against their will...it is actually service --- it is servicing people. You will be listening to people's needs and helping them solve their problems if the product/service you sell is what you know will help them. Always be a person of integrity and you will go far Ron, very far. You will learn skills that will make you a leader. There are endless job opportunities for someone who can sell and is a professional about what they do. Go for it!

I hope this post was of some help to you Ron,

<><
emjae

[Ron.]

Gottcha, the product is a good product and it is a known product used by high end home buyers in Chicago!


Thanks!!

Originally Posted by Philip T

First, number 1, above all else -- have a product that people may actually want.

Is that SO crazy?

Not newspapers subscriptions. Not some (fake) free service. Not (some really stupid) insurance.

If you are a telemarket (or any other) type of salesman with a product, price, and delivery that people want, they will be standing in line to buy from you. Otherwise you are wasting both your and their time.