Telemarketing is one of the misunderstood and misused forms of marketing, which is in part, why we have a national do not call list. If you use it correctly, telemarketing can produce tremendous results for almost any business. Yet, if you mismanage an attempt to sell products or services by phone, or let an outside company do it for you in haste, you will lose a lot of money and jeopardize your relationships with your customers.

Telemarketing works best when you prepare the way for it with a sales letter or advertisement that causes prospects to write to you for more information. Once you know who is interested enough to at least return a coupon, request a free report, or request more information through your Web site, you have pre-qualified your prospects and can turn their names over to your telemarketing team. By doing this, your telemarketers wont be calling blindly, or simply calling from a cold list.

A pre-mailing isnt critical when you want to call existing customers, but since there is so much negativity about telemarketing in general, it never hurts to let an existing customer know in advance that youll be calling him or her at a later date. I promise you that in most cases this simple courtesy will be appreciated by your existing customers, which will go a long way in making future sales.

Never jump into a large scale telemarketing campaign without first testing it on a smaller scale. Ive seen many companies lose a tremendous amount of money when they didnt test their offer before rolling it out. Dont just test the offer, test the script as well.

When you are putting a script together, remember that the caller will have approximately thirty seconds to convince the prospect or customer to listen to him or her. Therefore, there must be an opening statement that will capture the prospect or customers interest. This statement needs to convey who you are, what you want, and why the prospect or customer should listen.

Whether your own telemarketing staff is making the calls or youre using an outside company always make sure the people who are calling begin their conversations by asking your prospects or customers a few questions. But, the caller should always ask permission from the prospect or customer first, before asking any questions. When the caller does this, it will put the prospect or customer more at ease.

Never start with pointed questions or go straight to the offer, because this will immediately trigger a no. Begin with broad questions that relax the prospect or customer. Then your questions can become more specific as the prospect or customer reveals certain needs and concerns.

Then, build upon the previous answers. The callers feedback will show the prospect or customer that the caller is listening to him or her. Make sure the callers balance their number and type of questions. Asking too few questions isnt good, but asking too many questions can make the prospect or customer impatient for the caller to get to the point.

Make sure your callers dont ask manipulative questions, such as, of course you would like to save 50%, on the product, wouldnt you? These types of questions insult the prospect or customers intelligence.

Once the prospect or customer has loosened up, you can move to your offer, but present your offer just as naturally and conversationally as you began the conversation. Never let one of your telemarketers be argumentative, pushy, or demanding. Make sure your callers are always relaxed, conversational and that they always let the prospect or customer finish talking.

Also, tell your callers not to address the people they call by their first name, and not to try any gimmicks, like saying theyre returning the prospects or customers call, or saying that one of the prospects or friends asked them to call. Professional practice, complete honesty, and candor are always the best policy.

The key to successful telemarketing is for your callers to have the right tone, pace, and believability. If your telemarketers sound too pushy at one extreme, or too timid at the other, they are setting themselves up for easy rejection by the prospect or customer.

Always make sure your telemarketers emphasize in every call they make that they are calling the prospect or customer for his or her benefit. If a telemarketer loses sight of the prospect or customers self-interest, there will be very little chance of making a sale.

Even with all the negativity today surrounding telemarketing, if you prime your prospects or customers with a mailing before you call them, and your callers project respect, warmth and believability in every call, telemarketing is one of the most powerful sales tools you can use.

Copyright2006 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Joe Love

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. A former ad agency executive and marketing consultant, Joe?s work in personal development focuses on helping his clients identify hidden marketable assets that create windfall opportunities and profits, as well as sound personal happiness and peace.

For Joe, success in life is the comprehensive product of greater wealth and income, better personal relationships, and productive attitudes and environments. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many businesses around the world on the subjects of leadership, achievement, goals, strategic business planning, and marketing.

Joe is the author of three books, Starting Your Own Business, Finding Your Purpose In Life, and The Guerrilla Marketing Workbook.