An extremely important aspect of
your profitable B2B
telemarketing training is
locating and taking on the best
people. It's not as if you can
just put someone on the phone
with expectations of good
results. Once understanding the
main objectives of your
telemarketing training efforts,
you'll need to take the specific
role that telemarketers will
play into the equation. You will
want to assess the abilities and
personalities which are required
to fulfill the role and meet
each overall objective.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do these telemarketers have an
adequate background and
knowledge?
- Will you mandate that they're
familiar with Microsoft Office
or the CRM software they'll be
using?
- Should they already be expert
at the time of hire, or will you
quickly train them?
- What are the minimums
candidates will need in terms of
skills and traits?
- Does the job require high
energy, task-oriented, or
easy-going people?
- Will you require certain
levels of professional maturity
from these telemarketers?
- Is it imperative that they
understand how to prevent and
solve problems?
It is first necessary to start
with the correct telesales
training candidate pool.
Recruiter ads which are written
well can be found at one of the
plethora of online recruitment
sites such as monster.com,
careerbuilder.com and jobs.com.
It's also possible to create a
list of open positions with the
university career center and
senior citizen center in your
area. It's possible to place
inexpensive ads describing the
open phone sales positions on
(cable) TV or radio, even buying
spots which are seen before the
feature movie begins at the
local flicks.
Also be aware of service-people
at the restaurant, supermarket,
and theatre. These people's
friendliness and articulate ways
are often traits which are
translatable and useful in
telemarketing training. I also
recommend that you think about
awarding a fee to staff members
if their lead to a new
telemarketer is successful. This
is known at the end of a 90-day
period for training and
probation. A last word on the
help wanted ads is this: try not
to use 'telemarketing' or
'telemarketer' in the
advertisement, instead opting
for a term such as 'supporting
sales' or 'customer service' -
these terms appeal to a larger
group of potential telesales
training candidates.
Instead of first asking for
telemarketing training resumes
as you most likely would for
other types of positions, ask
potential telemarketers to phone
in to a special number. Make
certain the call is immediately
directed to voicemail, with an
outgoing message that describes
your business and the position -
then asks the called for their
name and number, offering a
minute or two for them to let
you know why they're the right
person for the position. Just
taking time to listen to the
candidate speaking on the
message machine, and the way
they sell themselves ' is a
great indicator of who will make
the cut and proceed to the next
step.
Conduct telesales training phone
interviews from those who leave
a good impression with you from
their voice message. Keep an ear
out for those who ask questions
about the business, the industry
and what you will expect from
them on the job. Those who are
thoughtful enough to ask tend to
be the kind of focused
self-starter that you'll need to
get leads generated on the
telephone. The best of them
aren't simply going from the
script but are instead trying to
carry on a conversation. Good
phone skills training at
listening and questioning are
better than those who simply
deliver the pitch. The remaining
candidates who still are
impressive can be asked to send
in a resume along with a cover
explaining why they're the right
person to hire. This allows you
a chance to take a closer look
at their background to find out
if they can write as well as
they can speak on the phone.
Then, schedule final interviews
in-person with your top screened
finalists.
Telemarketing Training
Courses
The leading way to prevent
frustration and failed phone
marketing effort is to make
investments in proper telesales
training. Phone sales training
classes give your new workers
the necessary skill and
confidence to find success in a
variety of situations. The
amount of telemarketing training
that they need depends on both
the sort of telemarketing
they'll be doing and their
experience in the past. Included
in the basics of telephone sales
training are industry info, and
the history of the role of your
company and that of your
competitors. Then talk about
your products and services,
providing a good description as
well as the potential benefits
to those who may decide to
purchase. Telemarketers require
good knowledge of pricing and
the sales process which they are
a part of.
Spend the time during the
telesales training course to
show them the best and most
effective way to apply the
software system to the needs of
the job. Take time to discuss
company policy,
responsibilities, and what you
will expect from them. Set some
targets for call volume, and
number of sales per week or
month to make it easier for new
telemarketers to compare their
performances and better budget
their time as a result. At the
end of the telemarketing
training seminar or class,
finding and retaining the
correct people is the premiere
way to drive the successes of
your B2B marketing program.
Source: M. H. "Mac" McIntosh link
Related: Telephone Sales Training