The Importance of Training Staff

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."  ~Benjamin Franklin

There is usually an air of euphoria when we leave education - a mixture of relief, satisfaction and perhaps regret. But once school is out, we're done aren't we?

Learning should never stop. You may have trained for years to become the master of your own trade but that doesn't mean that there is no more you can learn. Even if you were in a profession that wasn't evolving, growing and changing, your client base are.

There can be very few businesses that can confidently say that they don't need to market themselves; they don't need new clients, new leads, or new sales. Long gone are the days when people leafed through the Yellow Pages to find the service they require - these days they are most likely to search you our online and then either call you directly or interact through social media.

So no matter how well you know your business, it is vital that all of your staff understand what it is that you are selling, and why. Good training equals vast product knowledge, and increases your confidence in selling the product. If both you, and your staff, know your features and benefits, you are far more likely to be able to sell to others.

Here at TalkMarketing we are so passionate about the importance of training staff that we run telemarketing training sessions - telesales work, but only if you are confident on the phone.

If you would like to know more about our telemarketing training packages please do give us a call on 01424 576658 

Telesales or Telemarketing?

The term "marketing" encompasses a whole wealth of ideas, methods and implications, but the end result is to gain more business for your company.

Under the marketing umbrella comes both Telesales and Telemarketing. But what is the difference between them, and which one suits your business needs the best?

Telesales:

You will utilise Telesales if you are ready to sell your product or service directly to your customers and will achieve this by using the telephone. Telesales is an excellent enhancement to your growth strategy and can be used both for new products and for upselling on existing packages.
Telesales Key Words: Speed, Volume, Sales, Conversion, Growth, Quantity.

Telemarketing:

Telemarketing gives you the platform to build a rapport and understanding of your current and/or potential customer base and to generate new leads that you may not have been aware of. It also increases your company's brand awareness and helps to educate your prospects further as to the problems that your products or service can solve for them.

This is less about the sale and more about generating the initial interest, developing the opportunities, gathering the correct information and snaring those all-important appointments and leads.
Telemarketing Key Words: Strategy, Generation, High-Value, Nurture, Leads, Quality.

Whilst Telesales and Telemarketing are distinct and different disciplines, the goal of both forms of marketing is to assist in the growth of the business. This is obtained through increased awareness and knowledge of customer and prospects needs and requirements, relevant, quality data, more leads, more appointments, and more sales.

Whilst your business may need either/or services at any given time, ultimately good Telemarketing campaigns drive great Telesales campaigns.


If you would like to learn more about growing your business through Telesales and/or Telemarketing then please get in touch with us. After all, our business is to grow your business.

How To Be A Success Using The Phone:

There are right ways and wrong ways to go about trying to sell using the telephone. We’ve all taken telesales calls that have wound us up – what is it that makes you want to hang up the phone? And conversely, those calls you did take an interest in, what made them different?

Each successful telemarketer will have their own approach to converting phone calls into a success, but there are some pointers that will help anyone who is using the telephone as part of their marketing strategy:

5 Tips For Successful Selling On The Phone:

Develop a professional greeting. Don't just say hello and jump into your telephone presentation without taking a breath or allowing the other party to participate. Your greeting should err on the side of formality. Begin with Mr., Mrs. or Ms, as in "Good morning, Mr. Smith." Or "Good evening, Mrs. Jones." Everyone else says, "Hello." Be different. Be professional.

Introduce yourself and your company. "My name is Sally Smith with ABC Company. We're a local firm that specializes in helping businesses like yours save money." Don't get too specific yet. Don't mention your product. If you do, that allows the other party to say, "Oh, we're happy with what we've got. Thanks anyway," and hang up. By keeping your introduction general, yet mentioning a benefit, you'll pique your prospect's curiosity and keep them on the line longer.

Express gratitude. Always thank the potential client for allowing you a few moments in his or her busy day. Tell them that you won't waste a second of their time. "I want to thank you for taking my call. This will only involve a moment of your time so you can get back to your busy schedule." Don't say that you'll "just take a moment." The feeling evoked by them hearing that you'll take anything from them will put them off.

State the purpose of your call. It's best if you can provide the purpose within a question. "If we can show you a way to improve the quality of your product at a lower cost, would you be interested to know more?" This is very likely to get a yes response. At this point, you're ready to start selling an opportunity to meet this person or to get their permission to provide them with more information. You're not selling your product yet - you're selling what your product will do for him.

Thank them;  for their time today and for the upcoming appointment. Reconfirm the date, time and location of the appointment. Ask for directions if you need them. Tell him how much preparation you'll do in order to make the best use of the time you'll share. Give him your contact information this way: "If anything else comes to mind that I should be aware of prior to our meeting, please contact me at on 01424 576658 ."

Bonus Tip:

Follow up. If your meeting is more than a few days in the future, send a letter of confirmation immediately. If the meeting is tomorrow, send an e-mail confirmation. Keep it short and upbeat.

Top 3 Lead Generation Tips

Within the world of business there are various methods of marketing, one such method being that of lead generation.  Lead generation is the generation of consumer interest or inquiry into products or services of a business - in other words, generating leads is the beginning of a process of which the ideal outcome will be more sales.  There are several ways of generating new leads for a business, and we have compiled a list of the Top 3 Ways of Lead Generation for your business:

TalkMarketing's Top 3 Lead Generation Tips

Networking: Whether you are attending a formal business networking group or you are chatting about your business with people you have met whilst walking the dog, or down at the gym, or at the school gates, you are spreading the word about what it is you do. TalkMarketing are regulars at several business networking events and we have secured leads, interest in TalkMarketing and what it is that we do, and subsequently converted those leads into actual business. But we also know of companies who have received referrals through other parents at the school, and yes, even whilst walking the dog.

Social Media: Businesses who succeed in securing clients through the use of social media are businesses that understand which social media platform is best suited for both themselves as a company and as the platform that their current and potential clients are using the most. As a general rule of thumb, B2B businesses will thrive better on LinkedIn and B2C businesses will fare better on Facebook. If you use any social media you will no doubt have seen a business recommendation, or indeed received a lead yourself via an online social networking site. Social media works for lead generation, but you have to understand exactly what you're doing as everything you say and do is open to public scrutiny.

Telemarketing: You didn't think we'd leave this one out now did you? Telemarketing remains one of the most tried and tested forms of lead generation - and it's still about because, quite simply, it works. And as a bonus point for telemarketing, it complements all other forms of lead generation. That contact that you made down the gym? Call them. The Facebook post recommending your services? Call the business you were recommended to. The person who viewed your profile on LinkedIn? You guessed it - call them. Picking up the telephone cements the relationship, keeps that lead alive and well, and can ultimately turn that lead into a sale.


Combining the three processes above will prove effective for your company, but if you don't have the time to manage lead generation as well as run your own business consider outsourcing all or part of your marketing strategies. If you would like to learn more about lead generation and how you can use it to improve your business' sales call us on 01424 576658 - we love talking and we love helping other companies to grow their business.

5 Tips For Selling Insurance

Insurance - something everybody needs in some form or another. It is one of the most expensive things people buy, that they can’t see, touch, or hold.  Selling insurance means that you are selling ideas, selling trust, selling promises, but above all, you are selling yourself.  Whether you need to sell life insurance, mortgage protection, disability and critical illness insurance, or annuities, the goal is the same: grow leads and increase sales.

5 Top Tips For Selling Insurance

Talk Less, Listen More: As tempting as it is to sit down and begin explaining all the benefits of your insurance policies and plans, the best thing you can do is let the prospect lead the discussion. By really listening and hearing what they have to say you will be able to tailor your sale directly to their requirements.

Present Solutions: Instead of jumping into a sales pitch about the great discounts you are offering, explain to your customer how what you are offering can help solve a problem they currently have, or potential problem down the road. People are much more likely to purchase products that resolve problems and provide them with peace of mind. And if you have followed the point above you will have an understanding of what problems your client may have.

Focus On Features: It's a well-known adage in sales that you sell the features not the benefits. Rather than focusing on the technical aspects of an insurance policy, first highlight how having insurance will help them in terms they can relate to. And at the risk of repetition, if you have really listened to your prospect you will know how to tailor your pitch at the right level for them.

Love What You Do: Successful sales people enjoy selling: In order to be truly successful in business, you have to love your job and believe in your product/services. People who enjoy what they are doing experience less stress and a higher success rate.

Outsource Sales: Selling is an essential skill - we are all trying to sell something; but it doesn't come naturally to all of us. If you don't feel confident in selling then outsource your sales to a company with a proven track record in gaining the leads that you need.


Here at TalkMarketing we have extensive experience of helping Insurance companies with their sales and marketing so if you would like assistance with your business needs please get in touch with us.

What Are The Benefits Of A Good CRM?

"Are CRMs (Content Relationship Management) a good thing for business or just a time sucking waste of people's valuable resources?"

With an estimated 75% of companies having no process of nurturing sales leads (this is what a CRM does) it would appear they are deemed a bad thing, not worth having or using.

Let's turn this on its head by looking at what happens when your company does use a good CRM by cramming in a few juicy details:

5 Business Benefits Of Using A Good CRM

The Clue's In The Name: When you hear business people ranting about ROIs, KPIs and even CRMs there's a tendency to glaze over, but the clue really is in the name on this one. Customer + Relationship. Perhaps the biggest benefit of using CRM systems is that their use leads to a better overall customer experience. And happy customers tend to become loyal customers. Engaging customers through a CRM system increases the odds that they'll spend more in their next transaction by 20-40%. And because CRM systems improve the buying experience, customers are more likely to recommend the purchased product or service to friends and colleagues.

Internal Comms: Even in smaller businesses, the entire customer lifecycle is typically too complex to be managed effectively by one person. How can you recall buying habits, customer preferences, dates communication took place, updates on social media, and all of the other vital points of contact with clients within one organisation? CRM platforms allow for employees in multiple departments to more effectively manage their customer relationships and to see the big picture at any time. Successful implementation of a good CRM system means that reps can be more productive, sell more, and get more references.

Data Overload: How many ways are there to communicate with clients? Customers you have a history with, new customers, potential customers? Let's see now, there's snail mail, telephones, IM, email, face-to-face meetings, networking, social media, advertising, public speaking, websites....... we are drowning in a sea of data, so much information about potential sales prospects. But how many businesses then use that data to their advantage? A CRM will help companies to understand their data, how to use it to their best advantage, and to learn things about their customers that wouldn't be possible otherwise.

All Together Now: Efficiency is the key here - you have all your data in one place right at your and all relevant employees' finger tips. It doesn't matter who Mrs Jones get through to on the phone, you can all see who she is and what it is she is likely to need. Thanks to the ability of the better CRM platforms to integrate with other systems, such as marketing automation tools, the efficiencies of CRM can enable companies to interact with customers in ways that they wouldn't have the resources to otherwise.

Accountability: A well-implemented CRM system helps employees across departments understand their responsibilities to customers throughout the customer lifecycle. When those responsibilities aren't met, it's easy to identify what went wrong, where, who fell short and how to make sure it doesn't happen again. If companies lack the tools to manage their customer relationships, customers are bound to fall through the cracks. CRM systems can help ensure that this doesn't happen by adding a layer of accountability to the customer relationship management process, helping the sales and marketing professionals to report, track deals and flag opportunities.

With reports from the US showing that a CRM on average returns $5.60 for every $1.00 spent (that’s a ROI of greater than 50%!) and an overall increased efficiency and accountability for businesses, CRMs are a real benefit when implemented correctly.

Good quality and well implemented CRMs have helped businesses to increase their revenue, improve their sales conversion rates, increase their customer retention rates, decrease their overall marketing costs and increase their profit margins.

The Difference Between Features And Benefits

If you run a business your need to “sell” – be that the products you yourself make, items that you buy in or services; if you don’t “sell” you don’t stay in business.

But what exactly are you selling?

The Difference Between Features And Benefits – And Why It’s Important!

Let’s say I told you that I ran a telemarketing service and I had thirteen telephones, five permanent members of staff, several more part time, and access to 35 different types of database. Would your eyes begin to glaze over? Would you start to think about what to cook for supper tonight?

How about this then – I tell you that I run a telemarketing service that would enable your company to increase your active client base three fold within the space of a month and double your company revenue stream by the end of the summer? More like it? Who cares what’s for supper?

Telling you about my staff, my equipment and the tools of my trade are all features of my business. Telling you how my company will enable your business to grow is the benefit.

Most people don’t really care about you – harsh, but true. They are more interested by “what’s in it for me”. If you reel off a list of the features of your product/service, you are talking about you not about them. By selling the features you are asking the potential customer to do all the work – “Oh, so you have thirteen telephones! That means that you can call x amount of people in y amount of time and potentially convert z of those into a revenue stream that will enable my client base to increase by….?”

It is a lot easier to list your features – it takes a little more thought and effort to turn these features around and customise them for the client. But to effectively communicate with your clients you need to start understanding their needs and concerns. Tailoring what you do to their potential requirements is far more likely to result in a satisfactory working relationship – and ultimately in more sales.

The 5 Worst Cold Calling Mistakes:

"It's all about me and what I am selling." With both telesales and email marketing the majority of sales messages are about the company trying to sell to you. “Good morning, this is Sam from General Company Ltd., I’d like to talk to you today about...” If you place yourself first you are not thinking from your customers' perspective - it shouldn't be about you and what you are selling, but about them and what they require.

"[Cough], Er, Um, hello?" A surefire way of getting someone to hang up on you before you've barely begun is to sound nervous, timid, shy or simply afraid. You need to present yourself as confident, competent and in control. Your voice is all you’ve got when you're using the phone, so it’s got to sound powerful and strong, commanding respect whilst encouraging conversation.

"Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying." Of course you think you're listening to your prospect, but are you really hearing what they are telling you? If you are asked a question, such as "do they come in any other colours?" but then you barrel right on through, onto the point that you feel is important, you'll miss this sale. Talking over a prospect is one of the worst of all cold-calling mistakes. He or she wants to be heard, above all, and when you disregard or diminish their concern by talking over them, you lose.

"Technobabble spoken in Jargonese." Sorry, what? It's easy for salespeople to flaunt industry jargon and buzzwords, but it often alienates and confuses prospects. We can all get caught up in the specific terminology and technical terms of our own market sector and can forget that not everybody will understand those terms of phrases. So unless you're calling an IT director, and you yourself are fluent in computing terminology, keep technical terms to a minimum.

"I just picked random numbers from my LinkedIn contacts." NO! NO! And NO again! Without doubt the number one cold calling mistake that you can make, above and beyond all the points above and any other advice you have ever been given about selling and sales techniques is to call from an un-verified database. The law in England is extremely stringent regarding making sales calls and YOU MUST ensure that the prospects that you are calling are not registered on the Telephone Preference Service (TPS*).

Effective cold calling requires an engaging opening statement, a conversational style, good questions and listening skill as well as permission to deliver key statements, and to call in the first place It requires you to think in terms of a permission-based approach - both in regards your customer as a person and in terms of being legally compliant to call them in the first instance.

*TalkMarketing make stringent checks on all of their databases and are fully TPS compliant.