Lead Generation Just Doing What’s Right Social Version

I hope to encourage you to get serious about going out and finding new sales leads. Socially, we can talk about traditional ways another time.

There really is no magic formula. Well there is a formula and I am in the middle of writing a book but NOTHING is 100% in the area of lead generation so get use to it.

1. It is a game of small bites. You need to lots of things right. You need to find, nurture and coddle every lead until they tell you to go away of become a client.

2. You will get very tired of your message before anyone else does. You will I can almost guarantee that you will get very tired of your message you are putting out before most of your target market even know you are saying anything. There is a desire to change your message but don’t! Stay on course and send the same message out over and over and over again and again.

3. Your prospect can’t buy from you if they don’t know you exist or who you are. No one cares how fast you are, how cheap you are, how good you are. If the prospect has never heard of you they won’t really care. Keep your attention on this plain and simple truth, Make becoming know your first objective.

4. Pretend you’re a search algorithm. Yes pretend you’re Google. It really makes no difference what your business does or what it makes. The question is what do people type in to find you. What are the words or word strings. Be the search.

5. You need to be as social engaged as you possibly can. It is really not an option anymore. LinkedIn, Facebook, twitter. Those are the big 3 for starters then there is a plethora or others such as MerchantCircle , Storeboard, tsu.co, Solaborate, Scoop.it, APSense and Referral Key just to name a few.

6. You don’t need to go in big leaps. Some sites are easy, some take time. Take the time to work the sites to make them work for you. Go slow, go steady and you will get there.


Larson Notes & Satire:  This is the online side of lead gen but don’t forget to think about off line lead generation. Things like teleprospecting, direct mail (might want to throw in email marketing in here) trade shows, and the like. It’s not all online and you can get a good bang for your buck using traditional marketing channels. Or if you don’t or can’t find the time call Larson & Associates at 847-991-1294 or email me at howard@larsonassociates.ws .  One call and we work to hand over those leads to you to finish the job.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Cold Calling Builds Long Term Relationships

Even with the push of Social Media and Online Marketing, cold calling is and still remains the best way to go out and make contact with potential clients. It is the only proactive way to start a two way conversation with a prospect. Using every other way you need to sit back and hope the prospect actually picks up the phone, emails or sends back a business reply card. Do you have that kind of time? Now these are all great ways to marketing but if you add in a cold call follow-up in your marketing play your results will be 10% to 22% better.

In case you need more of an incentive to using the phone or picking it up and calling us here at Larson & Associates to do it for you, here are 5 successful ways to mix in cold calling into your sales and marketing attack.

1st. Clearly define your criteria. Get your program put together and aimed towards where you want to go. No brainer but how many times does it not happen. Sit down in a meeting with all your sales and marketing people and determine the base criteria for what is a qualified lead.

2nd Set an agenda to guide you through the steps to start a real conversation. A call without a direction is the path to a failed call. I am not saying use a script but know where you want to go to in the call.

3rd Be relevant to the person you are calling. Ask yourself these two questions. 1) What is the reason for the call? And 2) Is it relevant to THIS prospect? Don’t waste their time. Don’t waste your time.

4th Create a voice mail strategy. I believe in voice mail so much that if I take a project and the client says to NOT leave a voice mail, I might just not take the project. It is almost doomed to failure. A voice mail is a way to send out a mini advertisement right into the prospects ear. With a relative message you will warm up the prospect for your next try at speaking to them. And yes sometimes they call back and if they do 1 of 2 things are happening. Then need what you got or they are calling you to tell you to go away and don’t call back. Either way you win. In the first one you are one step further down the sales process. The other you can take them off your prospect list and you don’t have to waste your time on them anymore.

5th Integration of multimedia and multichannel marketing. Keep in mind the 3 legged stool. 3 channels work best. Cold calling can and will benefit from the use of multimedia, content marketing, social media marketing, direct mail and/or email marketing. You may go the Whitepaper and webinar route as well. It is about exposure and follow-up. You don’t follow up, don’t bother doing it.


Larson Notes & Satire:  Cold calling follow up is just the natural progression of the sales process.  Every product or service has a cycle and a natural progression.  A good well placed cold call only shortens the sales cycle because you get in and out quickly.  The key is to get in and get out without making the prospect angry. The fact that most of you reading this are B2B and the telephone is a natural way to do business it only makes sense to use it. Or if you don’t or can’t find the time or nerve to call prospects call Larson & Associates at 847-991-1294. One call and we back the rest of those scary cold calls and hand over those leads to you to finish the job.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Is Omnichannel Anything Different?

Here we go again or not? What is all this hype about Omnichannel? Is it any different than Integrated Marketing? Holistic Marketing? Multichannel Marketing? Cross-channel Marketing? Did I miss any? Probably, Depending on your preferred jargon name you could change at will any of these names, yes?

Before we jump to any foregone conclusions, although my mind is pretty well made up let’s take a quick review of these terms.

Integrated Marketing: Connecting your marketing channels to deliver a total customer experience in offers messaging etc, Letting you work campaigns over several channels and enabling each of these channels to support the other. In doing so you improve not just the impact of each channel but the performance or each giving a higher rate of response to your total “integrated” campaign.

Multichannel Marketing: Some of the so called marketing experts will say that the term multichannel marketing went and replaced integrated marketing just because then by only going and using more than 1 channel to market yourself you are in essence doing multichannel.

Cross Channel Marketing: In a similar vein while some marketing insiders consider cross channel marketing a synonym for multichannel marketing while I tend to believe that the term is an integration of marketing that uses multiple channels in a harmonic approach which might be similar to multichannel but not necessarily the same. Cross channel marketing has a sharing of data that works with hand helps enhance the performance of the others and the campaign overall.

Omnichannel Marketing: Marketers who go and consider multichannel marketing to be integrated marketing are totally perplexed by the very integration of various silos are now staring right at Ominchannel Marketing and wondering why a new name? Is ominchannel more than the other “kinds” of marketing or is it an old concept wrapped up in a new wrapper? Marketing and the technologies that are influencing and supporting it evolved over the years or dare I say months, weeks or even days? So a message needs to be like an octopus with many tentacles to reach out to the prospect. We are now more holistic, more deeply pressed into full integration across the multiplicity of channels that those prospect use to discover, research and find what they are looking for. We are at an age of total integration that can envelop into real-time marketing into responsive engagement marketing to bring a seamless message across the channels. So is this a new term for a new approach or a new term to the same old same old?

Larson Notes & Satire: Personally I hate the word and term Ominchannel. Couldn’t they have come up with something better? Omni reminds me of Omnibus of the 80’s and that sure did not catch on or do much of anything. In the next few blogs we will be looking at what the “Pros” are calling Omnichannel Marketing and you can tell me if it is anything different than what we have.

Need marketing help? Then go on and pick up the phone and call us. One call to 847-991-1294. We make the calls so you don’t have to.

Our Next Blog: Evolving Your Marketing In An Omnichannel Way.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Telemarketing 9: ATTITUDE AND SELF-MOTIVATION

39. Don’t like rejection? This is a tough skin business this cold calling, but you still don’t like it? Well none of us do. But I need to ask you what is rejection? It’s not an experience. It’s not an end all definition of your life. Rejection is whatever you definite it to be. So, the key is to ensure that you accomplish something on each call, so you can hold your head up high with a sense of accomplishment. First, remember, a decision of any type is better than someone who will waste your time with wimpy or misleading statements that cause you to believe there’s a chance of going to the next level  when, in fact, there’s not.

40. If that doesn’t happen have a Plan B. Something like to end each call when you don’t accomplish your primary objection (and to never experience rejection) is to plant a seed for the future. Give them something to look for, based upon what you uncovered during the call … something that might just cause them to call you back. For example, “Joe, it looks like we don’t have a good fit here, today, but I suggest that if you ever find yourself needing leads quick, and don’t have the staff to handle it, give us a call. We specialize in those types of projects, and would love to talk to you.” How many times have I been surprised by those written-off prospects who later called to order. This is a way to proactively make it happen more often.

41. Imagine every day is the end-of-the-period day. I’ve noticed that people tend to pick up the pace and behave like bat out of hell when they reach the last couple days of a quota period, and need to be doing whatever is necessary to squeeze out those last few sales or leads. When you coast, you’re going downhill. Get focused on a goal, on your goal and pursue it with single-minded determination.

42. As a sales lead professional you are using the phone as your main method of communication; you perform a function that very few people in the world could do well, or would even want to try. Ya you are special. And that is persuading someone to take action and make a decision, based almost solely on the words and ideas that come from your mouth. It’s quite an awesome feat when you think about it. And do think about it. It takes a talented individual to be able to do that well. You are that person. Feel proud of what you do, and always strive to get better!

Larson Notes & Satire:  If you choose to use us all you need to do is make a pre-payment for the first two weeks of your program to reserve your dedicated agent and set up a start date. The hard work of getting new clients will not stop there. Getting good sales results is a hard, process. But you can now have an experienced agent in place and an experienced company watching out for your best interests and to help you on your way to new client heaven. After all, 75% of B2B sales involve some form of human interaction and intervention, be a phone call or a meeting, telemarketing for lead generation is only the first 30% of that.

If you feel this is the kind of phone selling you want, go on and pick up the phone and heir us. One call to 847-991-1294. We make the calls so you don’t have to.

Our Next Blog: Will be a series on Omnibus Marketing.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Telemarketing 8: WRAPPING UP AND SETTING THE NEXT ACTION

So far so good. If you have kept up with the process I think you can see where we are going. We are not Alice going down the Rabbits Hole nor are we Peter Pan on a trip to Never Land. We are more like The Blues Brothers on a Mission from God. As we move down the chain or qualification and knowledge gather on both sides we are getting

36. When sending information, samples, demos, etc., know precisely how they’ll evaluate the material and when you can call back on their receiving. You should know how will they know if they like it? What kind of criteria will they be using? This way, you’ll both be clear as to what would need to happen in order for them to buy. And yes buying is what it is all about.

37. When sending out your material, prepare them as to what they should look for. If not, they’ll only be getting a package of materials and say, “Oh, goody here’s a package of materials,” and then toss it on the mountain of other stuff in their office or the circular file. But, if you tell them to look for the catalog with the post it note so they can find the page with the product they are interested in, and you have taken the time to highlight the three or four models that are most appropriate for them, there would be a greater likelihood they’d look at it.

38. The success of your follow-up call is directly relational to what you accomplished, and how you ended the previous one. Again this is a process not a onetime deal. Never say, “I’ll send you out some stuff, and we’ll go from there.” Send what? From where? Why should I care? Summarize your agreed-upon actions, including what just happened, what they’re interested in, and what will be happening next. Then set up the agenda for the next call. This makes it so much easier to prepare for the follow-up call, and helps you avoid starting calls with some dumb useless question, “I sent you the material, did you get it?”, or “What did you think?” For example, “Ok Tom, I’ll send the proposal detailing 2 different pricing plans in the Lead Generation Program we just went over. Look it over and compare what our offer is to to what you’re getting now, and if we are at a profit break you’ll agree to a Pilot Program on our next call, is that right?”

Larson Notes & Satire:  Send me your stuff. Ya it’s a part of telemarketing. I know some of my clients think this is death warmed over and in some cases it is. It is an easy way to get us off the phone. But if done right and sent out right it really does take us to the next step which is, of course to do business together. But keep this in mind, 9 out of 10 sales people don’t send their stuff and/or they don’t bother to follow up. Ya that’s right they are laying out I the parking lot deader than a door nail. So do it. Send it, follow up on it and take action and take charge.

If you feel this is the kind of phone selling you want, go on and pick up the phone and heir us. One call to 847-991-1294. We make the calls so you don’t have to.

Our Next Blog: ATTITUDE AND SELF-MOTIVATION

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Telemarketing 7: ADDRESSING OBJECTIONS

Objections are a part of the sales process and are really a good thing. They mean that the prospect is actually thinking about what you are saying.

32. By doing everything else correctly up to this point in the call you can find yourself in a position of having real objections not decoys or fakes. So when they do occur, don’t go out and go into attack mode. Take a deep breath, think about what has been said and go back and revisit the questioning stage of the call. The voiced objection can sometimes be a symptom of the real problem but think and look the entire process over. Start by saying, “Let’s talk about that.”

33. If you have an indecisive prospect, get their mind off the buying decision, and on to the pleasure or the pain. For example, “Joe, let’s look at this. What would happen if you did nothing about the situation? Remember, we detailed the fact you’re not getting enough sales opportunities for your people. What will that amount to over just the next three to six months?” Then shut up. First one who talks loses!

34. Then there is price. Fact is most price objections start right in the mind of the salesperson themselves. Many sales reps aren’t 100% sold on the value of their product. A sales rep who is working is losing sales and might start to think it is always over price; therefore they’re apt to offer price concessions even when the prospect doesn’t ask for them, or they present the price with a shaky tone of voice. By asking the right questions you your ability to talk about what your product/service can do is on the table. Price is the value or perceived value to your product or service, not just money.

35. Avoid Common Objections Mistakes: Don’t talk down to your prospect. Don't go using slick, prepared, objection rebuttals that only tell people they’re wrong and intensifies their resistance. All that says is that you are giving up before attempting to understand the reason behind the problem.

Larson Notes & Satire:  Remember objections are good. They are part to the sales process. Face them head on and with an open mind address them in the best manor possible. Objections do not mean no sale they mean I have considerations about “this” that we need to address. If we do maybe we can do business. So, ask, answer and let’s do some business.

If you feel this is the kind of phone selling you want, go on and pick up the phone and heir us. One call to 847-991-1294. We make the calls so you don’t have to.

Our Next Blog: WRAPPING UP AND SETTING THE NEXT ACTION STEP
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Telemarketing 6: GETTING COMMITMENT

28. This is not the major event or even the big part in a telemarketing sales call. It’s just the natural, logical, progression of a professional sales process. But you still got to ask. Commitment must be gained on every contact in order to move the process forward. You don’t ask, you don’t get. If there is to be a follow-up contact, if information is to be sent or faxed, there must be commitment on behalf of the prospect regarding that material.

29. Ask large. Think big. Buyers will often move down from a large recommendation, but they rarely move up from a small one. If you ask for the biggest widget the largest dodger you have, ya they might say no but then you can go down. If you present the smallest you can there is only one place you can to. Nowhere. By asking for the biggest you will increase your average order size. That’s a fact not a myth. Never suggest more than is in the best interest of the customer, but not making a large enough suggestion when appropriate is actually hurting the customer.

30. When in doubt, ask. Do you have a foot-dragger in your follow-up file that is perched squarely on the fence? I have some of those too so don’t be ashamed. Ask for a decision! Get some movement. Get them sold or get them out of your list. A “no” today is better than one six months and 15 additional calls from now. Move them forward, or move them out.

31. If you’re going to schedule a follow up call, get a commitment of some type. Why would you ever bother to call back? If they won’t commit to doing anything– a review your literature with you, a survey of their existing inventory, etc.-they likely have no interest. Don’t waste your or their time. It might just be time to say: NEXT!

Larson Notes & Satire:  Without a commitment to taking the next step in the sales process you have nothing. It is easy to say no over the phone and sometimes asking for an email or send your “kit” over is just that saying no without having to say no. For whatever reason people don’t or many people don’t know how to say know so help them, you are doing them a real favor to get them off the fence. Really really!

If you feel this is the kind of phone selling you want, go on and pick up the phone and heir us. One call to 847-991-1294. We make the calls so you don’t have to.

Our Next Blog: ADDRESSING RESISTANCE (Objections)

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Telemarketing 5: SALES RECOMMENDATIONS

SALES RECOMMENDATIONS

25. You should only talk about your product/service after knowing specifically how it will solve the problem or meet their need. Remember it’s about them, not you. If you cannot solve their problem or make things better for them, don’t sell them. Be real and be truthful. Only then you can tailor your remarks specifically and personally for the prospect.

26. Get and stay off script. You need to get feedback during your discussion of benefits and you can’t do that reading a script. “Do you feel that would work for you?”. “How do you feel that would solve your problem?” Some telemarketing companies or tele-trainers might tell you that gives the prospect an opportunity to tell you “no.” Exactly! And that’s a good thing. If there’s a problem, and they don’t see enough value in what you’ve presented, now is the time to find out. The sooner the better!

27. Avoid the question, “Anything else?” when attempting to upsell. I mean how dumb is that question? If there is anything else, your the “pro” so you make the suggestions as to what if anything else they might need. Just like when a store clerk asks is their anything else you need, the answer is usually, “No.” So be the telesales person and instead, give them a suggestion, a suggestion that makes positive sense, and help them answer it. For example, after they agree to buy an item, or a service, say, “Many of our customers who get _____ from us, also find that ____ is also very beneficial for them to get even greater use.

Larson Notes & Satire:  We are out there not just trying to make a living with the best product or service we can provide a client but we are trying to make their life better. I truly believe that. I will never force a bad or wrong product on a client or prospect to make a sale.

If you feel this is the kind of phone selling you want, go on an pick up the phone and heir us. One call to 847-991-1294. We make the calls so you don’t have to.

Our Next Blog: GETTING COMMITMENT (Closing)

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Telemarketing 4: EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING

13. Become a doctor. Sit down and study the patient and gather all pertinent information before you give your prescription. How could you make an effective presentation to the prospects needs in any other way?

14. Don’t use a “benefit list” to present from. Like who the heck cares? Instead, use it to create the questions you to determine if those “benefits” are of any value to your prospects and customers. Some “benefits” could actually be liabilities.

15. Avoid asking go-nowhere questions. You know things like, “Is everything going OK?”, “What are your needs?”, “Are you having any problems now?”, “How’s service?”, and, “What are you looking for in a vendor?” I mean come on how lame are these and where do they take you? All it really does is force the person to think too much. Instead, get them emotionally involved in seeing and feeling the pain of not buying or joy of fixing the problem that can be solved with your product/service. For example, “What do you do when you need parts shipped overnight, but are unable to get them?”

16. Ask one question at a time. That’s how many they’ll answer at a time and the answer you are given might give you insight to the next one you should be asking.

17. After asking, be quiet. Yes, shut up. The first one who opens their mouth looses. Resist the urge to jump in and talk if they don’t answer immediately. Don’t be intimidated by silence use it as your ally. They’re likely thinking about what they’re going to say. Let them sweat it out!

18. After they’ve finished, count to two (silently, of course). This gives you the necessary time to process what they have said and ensures they’re done talking. They might not be and you get an added bonus that they might continue with even better information than what they have said.

19. Be confident. One reason sales reps ramble with questions is that they’re not prepared or confident. Prepare your questions. Think it though and visualize the process like a professional athletic does before they compete.

20. Always know where you are going with answers, regardless of the answer. Stay in control.

21. Follow up their answers with solid related questions. Too often sales reps work from a rigid list of questions, and lose the opportunity to pick up on prospect statements which are just the tip of the iceberg of their real feelings. Get off script! For example, if a prospect said, “I believe the main reason production isn’t higher is a lack of motivation. The best move is to follow up with, “I see. What specific signs of poor motivation have you been seeing?”, or, simply, “Tell me more.” Or if your Canadian “A?”

22. Quantify the problem if possible. “How often does that happen here?” “How much do you think that is costing you?” “How much time does that take?”

23. Resist the tendency to present. Some sales reps get so excited when they hear the slightest hint of an opportunity that they turn on the spigot of benefits. You don’t need to be using the “Always Be Selling” mentality. Hold off, get a few more questions in, and cement your solution. Create an even better description of the benefits you bring that are tailored exactly to what they’re interested in, you will make the sale.

24. Shut up and listen. Learn more about their decision-making process. There could be many behind-the-scenes influences on the decision. Ask about the actual users of your products/services, anyone else who could influence it, who has to sign off on the decision or OK who appropriates the money, and who are the people who would rather not see it happen.

Larson Notes & Satire:  A closed mouth gathers no foot. I have seem more sales reps talk themselves out of a sale than talk themselves into one. Ask and be quiet. As Hank Trisler once said: “First one who talks, looses.”

Our Next Blog: SALES RECOMMENDATIONS

If all this sounds over the top too difficult call me at 847-991-1294. We make the calls so you don’t have to.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Telemarketing: INTEREST-CREATING OPENING STATEMENTS

8. The objective of your telemarketing opening is to establish some kind of curiosity and interest in 15 to 20 seconds so that the prospect will be willing give you more time. Basically you need to tune into their personal radio station WII-FM “What’s in it for me? Find their pain or the pleasure and you can keep going.

9. Now don’t ever get dumb and use all those stupid, resistance inducing phrases on your telesales call, like, “If I could show you a way to _____, you would, wouldn’t you?” The only thing you’re looking for is permission to continue the conversation.

10. Again don’t be dumb. When cold call prospecting, don’t start with things like, “I was just calling people in your area…” Like that really makes a person feel important. People want to feel like you’re the only one you’re calling (even if they know it’s not) and not just one of a bunch of people pulled off a list of names.

11. Use continuation words when opening cold prospecting calls: “depending on,” “might,” “maybe,” “perhaps,” and “possibly.” Of the great Canadian work that comes at the end of every phase “Ay”. These are non-threatening words that might bring you something of value, if you ask the right question first. For example, “Depending on what you’re now doing in lead generation, I might have something that could reduce your overall costs and bring in more sales. I’d like to ask you a few questions to see if this is something you’d like more information on.”

12. Have something of value to say on every call. Particularly if you make calls to current clients. Avoid saying “I’m just checking in with you to see if you needed anything,” and, “Just calling to touch base.” These are lame. If after your call they are not able to say they are better off after your call than they were before it, you shouldn’t have made the call. Call with news they’ll have an interest in. Call about ideas you’ve heard from other customers they might be able to take advantage of. One of my printing salesmen called to say he “just came back from a trade show and saw something interesting, and thought I could benefit from it. They know that in actually every time you call you’re looking for an order. So give back something of equal value.

Larson Notes & Satire:  If I can say anything here it is don’t be a time waister. Each call needs to have value. Telemarketing is not the phone call it is the message of increased value to them. Remember WII-FM, What’s In It For Me

Our Next Blog: INTEREST-CREATING OPENING STATEMENTS


Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Telemarketing: BEFORE REACHING THE DECISION MAKER

4. When you call in remember to treat the screener, gate keeper, receptionist as you would the customer. This person determines whether or not you’ll even have a chance to speak with the person you want to talk to.

5. As you talk you need to be gathering as much information as you can from whomever you are able, talking to anyone and everyone as you make your way through the phone web prior to speaking with your target prospect. The prospect does not want to be bored out of their minds when they have to answer your basic qualifying questions.

6. Before you pick up the phone if you did not do this in the last section, think of a good reason for needing to speak with the decision maker, and be prepared to sell this to the gate keeper. All they are going to care about is:
“Does this person have anything of interest or of value for my boss or are they just a waste of time?”

7. If leaving a message on voice mail, or with the gate keeper, be certain it offers a hint of the benefit or result you can bring to the table that sparks curiosity, but doesn’t get into the specifics about your product of service which could cause them to prejudge your offering

Larson Notes & Satire:  Every part of the process needs to be thought out like a choreography plans out a dance. Each movement, each step needs to be thought out. Telemarketing is not just picking up the phone it is a true art form when done right.

Our Next Blog: INTEREST-CREATING OPENING STATEMENTS


Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Telemarketing: PRE-CALL PLANNING

Telemarketing, telesales, teleprospecting, inside sales, cold calling whatever you want to call it the professional use of the phone in sales is a process, not a goofy technique or gimmick. I started pounding the phones back in the 80’s and quite successfully I might say. So well that in 1999 I made my entire company become a telemarketing company for small businesses that needed lead generation help.

So not over the next few days I am going to take you through every part of teleprospecting, telemarketing and cold call, in order, giving tips that that have worked for me so you can help yourself right now. If you choose to go down the telemarketing path of sales.

PRE-CALL PLANNING

1. What is the primary objective for this and every telemarketing call made. “What do I want them to DO as a result of this call, and what do I want to do?” Appointment, invitation to an event? Order or sale? And then, this being telemarketing have a plan B for success which I always say is “to become a person they remember as a nice guy.” I will call again so I want them to remember good things about the experience on the phone with me.

2. Prepare questions for your telesales call using your call objective(s). Ask yourself, “How can I explain to them why it is their best interest to take this action as a result of asking questions, as opposed to talking them to death?” Remember, people believe more of their ideas than yours and they will either purchase for the pleasure of gain or fear of pain

3. As for Plan B (see above) you need a secondary objective for each telephone sales call you make. You need something you’ll accomplish, at a very minimum, every time. Make it easy like picking something you’ll have a very good chance to succeed, like, “Getting them to say yes to accepting my literature and becoming their ‘Backup Vendor’ This way, you can enjoy success on every call you place, and if you do any kind of cold call volume it is so important to have a good feeling.

Larson Notes & Satire:  Telemarketing or telepropecting is not just picking up the phone and making calls. Like any sales call you need to plan it and know where you want to go and achieve.

Our Next Blog: BEFORE REACHING THE DECISION MAKER

Howard Larson

Larson & Associates

Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition

Making good businesses great and great businesses even better

847-991-1294

howard@larsonassociates.ws

http://www.larsonassociates.ws

http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans

http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Telemarketing: The Good Bad and the Ugly

Yes I admit it I’m a telemarketer. But I hope I’m one of the good guys,  I don’t sell windows, siding, doors and lawn services. My company does not think bothering people at dinner is a good thing. We might bother you at lunch, but then why are you eating lunch at your desk anyway. Get out enjoy the sunshine. Besides for years sales people using the phone to establish connections and make appointments has been a legitimate way to do business.

But there is the dark side so as a “Telemarketer” my industry has to deal with the pros and cons. We have proven quite effective for years, and marketing managers have reported feeling more valued through telemarketing compared to other less personal options of direct mail, mobile marketing and oh yes email marketing. Did you know the Spam museum up in Austin. Minnesota  is free of charge, but I regress. Now some say in this wonderful digital era with all this twits, the 3 F’s of Friends Family and Followers and shares and likes and all that stuff it, Telemarketing, seems passé, out of date and all too time intensive.

Yet I have found more often than not from business leaders, that the pros of telemarketing outweigh the cons.

If you’re like most businesses you have a handful of smaller accounts with one large account that is over 33% of your business. Life is good if nothing changes but if you lose your big account you have a major problem on your hands and it is very likely that one key account loss will put you out of business. So you want to grow, but how? Social Media Marketing push, online ads, pay for clicks, email marketing, direct mail all with not so good results. You know exactly what kind of companies would benefit from your service, and he wants to target local business only. For this kind of situation, your best lead generation option is telemarketing. You might want to use an email or direct mail in combination with telemarketing but I’ll save that for another blog post.

It is a fact that telemarketing is the only marketing action that goes out and grabs the prospect. All others you are hoping and praying that they, the prospect, will pick up the phone and call. Ya right in your dreams.

Reality is, and if anyone telling you different they are lying through their teeth, on the average, it will take 75 to 90 calls to get an opportunity of some kind and unless you’re a real mud slinger, a good B2B Telemarketer is only going to be able to give you 10 to 15 calls an hour. You or your trained sales staff have that kind of time?

So you have 2 options. 

The first: hire your own dedicated on staff telemarketer.
You can try to train them, get a list, create a script, give them a phone, a desk, (coffee, plenty of coffee) have payroll, and all the taxes that go with that and then hope and pray that once they get trained and working good they don’t up and leave, get burnt out, get hired away or any other number of telemarketer agent problems. Think about what this is going to cost you.

If you are not ready to hear: "What is my script?”  “How do I handle the call?” “What data should I use?” “Do I send follow up emails?" “Do we have a PDF ready to roll?” “Do we have a mailer stuffed and ready to just address?” Wow. This is the technical side of running a telemarketing lead generation operation for one agent or a hundred.

Second option: You can hire a telemarketing services company like mine Larson and Associates 847-991-1294 www.larsonassociates.ws .
As a telemarketing service we take care of prospecting potential clients, making cold calls, setting appointments and everything else in between.

If you use Larson & Associates, we do the hiring of a dedicated telemarketer for you. One person who is the ONLY person who will be calling for you (as well as one back up person, just in case. Things do happen) Then we get everything ready from the script, the lists or lists (which you might provide or have us down load one from 1 of the 3 list companies we use) to an email or direct mail program to a email follow-up to pre-set mailers ready to go.  What you can’t or don’t want to do and have ready and in place we do so when you go live with your program it is as successful as possible.

Larson Notes & Satire:  If you choose to use us all you need to do is make a pre-payment for the first two weeks of your program to reserve your dedicated agent and set up a start date.

The hard work of getting new clients will not stop there. Getting good sales results is a hard, process. But you can now have an experienced agent in place and an experienced company watching out for your best interests and to help you on your way to new client heaven. After all, 75% of B2B sales involve some form of human interaction and intervention, be a phone call or a meeting, telemarketing for lead generation is only the first 30% of that.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 10 hours a week. Maybe you should add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

How To Implement the Pareto principle

The 80/20 Principle or the Pareto principle states that 80% of all are results are generated by 20% of our efforts or actions.

In other words, when it comes to getting the results you want, only a very few things you do really matter. All the rest ... well, they're just a waste of your time.

Business philosophers love to talk about the 80/20 Principle because it applies so to almost any corporate, business or life situation. You've probably heard it said that 80% of profit comes from 20% of customers, or that 20% of a company's staff generates 80% of its productivity. Look at your own company and see how true that is.

Yet the 80/20 Principle is much, much bigger than that. It's a universal, natural fact, proven over and over again in scientific research. And it's visible in nearly every imaginable circumstance. For instance, in the wider world, roughly:

·         20% of thieves account for 80% of the value of all crime

·         20% of drivers cause 80% of all car accidents

·         20% of any community's population utilizes 80% of its resources

And if you look at your own personal life, you'll find that about:

·         20% of the time you spend at work accounts for 80% of what you achieve

·         20% of your clothes are worn 80% of the time

·         20% of your home's carpeting receives 80% of the wear

These little statistics demonstrate the truth of the 80/20 Principle - and the fact that, like it or not, it has an over baring impact on your life.

Now for the power in the Pareto principle. The real power of the 80/20 Principle — the secret to using it as a tool for massive life transformation - lies in finding, focusing on, and exploiting the most important 20% of your resources in every situation in your life.

I'm not talking about cheating or cutting corners. I'm talking about learning to identify the things that matter most to you and add the most value to your life ... shifting the majority of your energy and attention to those things ... and disregarding everything else.

In theory, applying the power of the 80/20 Principle is really quite simple. In practice, it's much easier said than done. 

Pareto's Principle, the 80/20 Rule, should serve as a daily reminder to focus 80 percent of your time and energy on the 20 percent of you work that is really important. Don't just "work smart", work smart on the right things.

Larson Notes & Satire:  Like a lot of things it is hard to figure out what is the 20% that you should be focusing on. Break it down into smaller parts start with finding your least effect 20% and cut those out of your daily, weekly or monthly activities and see what the effect is. Then find the next 20% and so on. In a few short months you will have shaved off a significant amount of wasted time talent and energy.

Howard Larson

Larson & Associates

Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition

Making good businesses great and great businesses even better

847-991-1294

howard@larsonassociates.ws

http://www.larsonassociates.ws

http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans

http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

10 Judgments In Digital Marketing

Companies across the country are desperately trying to get their right and left brains working as they lay out ways to work the confusing ways of Digital Marketing. As we work through the maze of paths to follow I would present 10 incorrect assessments that I feel are present.

Judgment 1: Digital technology changes too fast to keep up.  That is a yes and no. You do need to be working they channels but it is not changing as much or as fast as you might think. What is changing is the way consumers are accessing it. PC, Laptop. I-phone text, THAT is what is all over the place.

Judgment 2. There is this “new” thing called big data. Don’t get all stressed out buy this term Big Data. Big Data is nothing new, just the new scary buzz word running around the industry to scare everyone all off. It has really been around forever. You just need to understand your market segments and what questions and answers do you need to know and have answers too? This is what most businesses need rather than “Big Data”. Unless your company can process thousands or leads there is nothing to think about here. What you really need is Little Data targeted.

Judgment  3:  Our brand has a one-to-one digital strategy to engage customers when, where and how they prefer.  Ya, ya, ya, everyone says this but nobody dies this or can. The closest chance you have is a call center marketing attack. Any communication you have in any other channel is rule-based, and not completely personal. So don’t think digital strategy think engagement strategy.

Judgment 4: Our brand needs a mobile app.  Mobile is a channel, not a strategy. Only an app that has an impact is one that serves a need. In other words apps that impact are ones that serve a specific need.  Or the app must be developed the way new products and services are.

Judgment 5: Our brand has to have a facebook page. Most do but does yours? I’m thinking that Preparation H and Condoms are not the kind of products to communicate about their brands and be engaging on Facebook, I think. At least I hate to think about the client engagement on those products.

Judgment  6: You need a microsite for your campaign. You don’t need a micro-site for anything. You can put your special content on a page on your existing web site. Maybe yes and maybe no. A purl has it place but you might take a look at Linked Local Network:  http://www.linkedlocalnetwork.com/linked-local-web/ . This is money well spent. For less than the price of a cup of coffee you will see a double digits in your alexa score getting better in the 1st week.

Judgment  7: Our digital manager doesn’t know code. After I say so what I will tell you if you’re a large enough company someone should know code but more important is that you understand the value and how long things take. Then you won’t get cheated.

Judgment  8:  We can’t ignore this new digital thing. You can’t? You really cannot be everywhere nor should you be. Better to be using 3 social media sites at close to 100% than 20 at 5% each. It is all about viability, not the numbers. Need help see our Social Media Marketing plans. We get you on the map.

Judgment  9: We can measure this digital thing or can we? The understanding of what can and what cannot be measured is limited to understanding the data. Things like followers beyond friends and family, better yet how many shares are you getting off your postings. Find what is important and measure it.

Judgment  10: We don’t understand this digital thing. Stop treating digital as some kind of special thing. It’s not, it’s only just another tool in your bag of tricks. Identify the experience you want your customers have and the experience you want to deliver to them and the value that that will deliver to your business. Then determine how best to execute that total experience in social and digital platforms.


Larson Notes & Satire:  Need insight and direction for your social media marketing? Take a look at Linked Local Network:  http://www.linkedlocalnetwork.com/linked-local-web/

Through this tool we have a system that through the power of the group, because as a landing page that is a page within a page you have other’s puling raw leads in your direction. Really it’s true. Companies that are using a Sig Page are seeing 30% to 40% more web activity on their existing web sites. And we have seen those companies web sites getting a 14.7% lowering (the lower the score the better) in their Alexa rankings!

No data?
No followers?
No direction?
No plan?
Then come to us. We ask the questions to get your marketing in key and harmonious.

We offer a 5 step digital social review.
Step 1: Domain Review
Step 2: Website Review
Step 3: Google Review
Step 4: Social Review
Step 5: Content Review

If you need more online activity we have answers.

If you need a Landing Page for your web site, consider one of our Signature Pages that will bring your company's web site not just more hits but good solid sales leads. Companies that are using a Sig Page are seeing 30% to 40% more web activity on their existing web sites. Call us 847-794-8710 or 847-991-1294. I'll get you set up. And it even works on those $10 and $15 a month sites.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

Areas of Marketing Growth For 2014

So what is everyone thinking of doing for 2014 in the way of marketing? In samples we have seen and collected we have found:

Marketing Spending Will Grow
45% of all companies expect to be increasing their Marketing budget
30% of all companies are increasing their spending on what is called “Big Data” technologies and
21% of all companies will be increasing spending on Big Data analytic services
 5.3% is the projected growth of global advertising spending
There will be over $135 Billion spent in 2014 on new digital marketing and
72% of those Marketers who use PayPerCick are planning to increase their budget (before you go down that path look at Linked Local Networks Signature Landing Pages http://www.linkedlocalnetwork.com/linked-local-web  for $1.00 a day you can see your page rise almost daily in organic searches 18% in 3 weeks)
$531 Billion is the expected growth in global advertising spending
$110 Billion is the expected digital media growth
 2.9% overall growth in U.S. advertising spending.
46% growth in subscription of programs, books, electronics, etc)
158% increase in click-through rates for email that start with a social media shaping button
29% growth in content marketing
19% growth in e-commerce retail sales from mobile
12% worldwide growth of smartphones
18% worldwide growth of tablets.

Larson Notes & Satire:  Need insight and direction for your social media marketing? Take a look at Linked Local Network:  http://www.linkedlocalnetwork.com/linked-local-web/

Through this tool we have a system that through the power of the group, because as a landing page that is a page within a page you have other’s puling raw leads in your direction. Really it’s true. Companies that are using a Sig Page are seeing 30% to 40% more web activity on their existing web sites. And we have seen those companies web sites getting a 22.1% lowering (the lower the score the better) in their Alexa rankings!

Call us 847-794-8710 or 847-991-1294. I'll get you set up. And it even works on those $10 and $15 a month sites.


No data?
No followers?
No direction?
No plan?
Then come to us. We ask the questions to get your marketing in key and harmonious.

We offer a 5 step digital social review.
Step 1: Domain Review
Step 2: Website Review
Step 3: Google Review
Step 4: Social Review
Step 5: Content Review

If you need more online activity we have answers.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonassociates

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.