28/10/2010 by Stephen Law.

More and more people are coming to me for the best telemarketing during these hard economic times.  The best telemarketing is about gaining traction in sales and less about being a spin doctor.  Let me explain why the best telemarketing is more about truth than tricks, and how to make more sales in 2010 and 2011.

Fall of the Spin-Doctors
Prior to 2008, companies were growing at an unrealistic rate and most people just went along with the whole charade, as long as it meant they were making money.  Apart from the few mentally challenged people out there, most people knew that their little semi-detached house wasn’t really worth half a million pounds.  Whilst the going was good, enough people were prepared to believe that Iraq was a threat - and if Homer Simpson had run for President offering endless good times, I’m sure Homer Simpson would be in the Whitehouse.

The slump of 2008 affected most businesses in the UK, but it affected some more than others.  Many marketing companies weren’t really “selling” anymore; they were simply trying to keep up with the ever-increasing demand.  Yet the professionals out there – the small telemarketing agencies and the freelance telemarketing people have always needed to prove themselves.  During the good times, you could just say I’m from “XYZ” well-known brand, and that was good enough for many buyers.

Rise of the Best Telemarketing People
During the tough times, buyers have become more discerning and they want “more bang for their buck” when it comes to telemarketing, along with all forms of marketing.  Two years on from the onset of economic downturn, many companies have gone to the wall; but the best companies and the best telemarketing people are still going strong – but why…?

There are many really good companies out there with excellent products and a first class service.  Previously, they were losing business to competitors that may well have offered a poorer product and a dissatisfactory service.  When the bubble burst – buyers suddenly started scrutinizing every penny, which has led to many competitors going bust.  Every week now, I’m talking to companies who offer a first class service, who are now capitalizing on their competitors going bust.

Don’t believe the Hype
So how are the “bad” marketing agencies and “poor” marketing people trying to fight back?  Put bluntly, they’re trying to use “spin” – or to use an old fashioned term – “they’re telling lies”.  I’ll give an example – this morning I received an email from a company that I’d recently purchased from.  This company used to offer a great product but it was very over-priced.  They recently brought the price right down to a realistic level (and they’re still making plenty of profit), so I bought in their offering.  The problem is that whilst they took on board my request to be more realistic about prices (and I’m sure thousands of other people told them the same thing) – they still haven’t figured out the art of honest lead generation to gain results – let me explain…

The email they sent me said “click here for your FREE training”.  So I clicked on the hyperlink and was looking forward to my “FREE” training – but low and behold, I had to buy another product if I wanted the “FREE” training.  In other words, this wasn’t “free” at all – this was a blatant lie to try and get me to look at another product.  Needless to say, I immediately stuck the sender in to my Spam List and decided never to believe another word uttered by that company.  Like most people in the UK, I don’t believe the politicians anymore and I’m a highly sceptical buyer.  Anyone who comes out with these grossly misleading statements goes straight in to my list of “I’ll never believe another word they say”.

Traction not Spin
I appreciate that “liar” and “politician” have now become interchangeable words for most people in the UK.  Unfortunately, the same thing can often be said of “bad” marketing people.  The best telemarketing is not about fictional “free” offers or trying to deceive prospective clients – this is just a lame excuse for “bad” marketing people who cannot work out why people would want to buy a product or service.

If you are selling a complex offering to an intelligent buyer – you must build up a relationship with your prospective client.  One cannot build a relationship based upon lies.  The real strength of the best telemarketing person, is in their ability to seriously understand what motivates a buyer and to play on your strengths.  The best telemarketing person will endear the most hard-nosed buyer to look at your offering – using skill, wit, charm, flair and understanding.

There’s an old saying that, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some of the time – but you can’t fool all the people all of the time”.  Please don’t let a “bad” marketing person persuade you to use lame tactics – you risk alienating your clients.  The best telemarketing should gain traction with your clients – so don’t just sit there spinning and going nowhere – gain real traction, real interest, real desire – and base it all on your strength of offering. 

If you need more traction and less spin – contact me for the best telemarketing – Stephen Law 0870 042 1263 stephen@sl-freelance.co.uk .

Posted in Freelance Telemarketing, Lead Generation, Telemarketing | No Comments »

15/10/2010 by Stephen Law.

To gain the best telemarketing, value for money is evidently important.  I’m not discussing “cheap” telemarketing here, but I am discussing cost-effective telemarketing.  Like anything else in life, you get what you pay for – so we’re looking at “value for money” here.

I’ve written numerous blogs below, for those of you who need to know which concepts form the best type of telemarketing - that’s telemarketing for the Complex Offering to the Intelligent Buyer.  This short blog is all about being careful about what you wish for, in terms of cost-effective telemarketing.  I’m going to look at some recent prospects, who failed to establish the right framework for cost-effective telemarketing and why this occurred.

Lean Telemarketing Versus Six Sigma/Cost Cutting
If you’re not familiar with the “Lean” method of viewing business, I’ll explain it in very quick  layman’s terms – it’s about getting everyone onboard from top-to-toe of an organisation, with a philosophy about removing bottlenecks - to increase productivity and working together to be the best.  Although not a Lean Guru, I take a Lean approach to consultative telemarketing.

The concepts of Six Sigma were derived from the manufacturing industry, so I have a number of issues about people applying this concept to consultative telemarketing.  Sure – one could transpose the philosophy of sticking tops on bottles in a factory, to tele-monkeys making calls in a call-centre; but it just doesn’t wash with me, when one is trying to communicate a complex message to a senior decision-maker in a blue chip organisation.  Consultative Telemarketing requires an unscripted and fluid interaction, not a robotic script.  So Six-Sigma get’s the thumbs-down from me.

Cost cutting is another favourite approach by many, which might be viewed as a sensible approach to saving pennies – but does it really apply to consultative telemarketing?  Does bartering a telemarketing supplier down to the lowest possible price really achieve the desired results?

Best Telemarketing Value Case Studies
A recent prospect who took the Six Sigma approach to telemarketing became so wrapped up in analysing every component part of the process that he completely forgot the purpose of the campaign.  There’s an old saying that, “Too much analysis leads to paralysis” – and in my opinion, this is a potential problem with the Six Sigma and Cost Cutting approach to finding value from the best telemarketing.

I had a call from a very nice chap who literally spent hours talking to me on the telephone.  His prime philosophy was all about “Cost Cutting”.  I kept trying to steer him back to “value”, but as a Cost Cutting Expert, he was determined to whittle the price down to a level that would not incentivise anyone to undertake good works for him.  The moral of the tale here, is that it’s good to bargain with people and it’s good to try and get the best deal – but not at the expense of “failure to thrive”. 

When you’re looking for a Freelance Telemarketing Expert – it stands to reason that such a person is often fully-booked; yet the Cost Cutting mentality sees everyone out there as a commodity, to be bargained to the lowest price.  Always remember the difference between “cost” and “value” and you will gain the results you require from telemarketing.  The poor chap who kept calling and could not understand the difference between “value” and “cost”, ended up prevaricating for so long that I was fully-booked and could not help him.  This chap’s inability to understand that a service is not the same as a bar of chocolate (a commodity), led to a classic case of “paralysis through analysis”.  Cost is important, but “Return on Investment” should always take priority over “cost” – put simply, if you cannot afford the best telemarketing person, you should be looking at your business model more carefully.

Best Telemarketing Value – Conclusions
The Best Telemarketing for a complex offering to intelligent buyers, is all about choosing the right person for the job.  By all means, take a Lean approach and look at the most focused and effective campaign.  Your goal should always be clear and based upon a Return on Investment.  Always negotiate the best deal – but remember when buying-in a service that “cost” is not the same as “value”.  Of course, I’m always available to discuss the subject in more detail or help you via my consultative telemarketing on telephone number - 0870 042 1263

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