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When do you stop talking?

by humbledmarket Banned
26 replies
sorry, I'm very inexperience with offline marketing but I'm quite interested in trying it out for the experience but as well as the profit of course.

I'm considering telemarketing to reach these clients but I've heard you need to create a script for telemarketing. Simple question; How do you do it. What do you include where and when and when do you stop talking.

Do you talk about how you can solve their issue and help them listing the benefits then let them talk and finish by your experience and what exactly it is you offer.

Or do you slam through your whole speech and hope they don't slam the phone on you?
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I am Currently in the process of creating my script however I want to know when do you let them talk.

Do you allow them to voice their opinion half way through your speech before you continue or do you blast through what you want to say before addressing their concerns?

Doesn't it seem rude to disregard them and keep talking?

How long should I make my introduction. I seem to have way too much to say.

See my mentality is that if I lay out all the benefits and my services to them before they have the chance to rebuttal that they would be more convince.

But on the other hand I do find it rather obtrusive and rude to do so and they might easily just slam down the phone.

So how should I create a balance. To share my services, to share the benefits and to let them talk. Or should I just try to lead their questions to answer it with my script?

Additionally if say a quick introduction of what you offer and then give them the microphone what would be the chances you haven't caught their attention yet?

This is what I'm struggling about. Many people talk about the script but what exactly do you include in your script. Surely you can't predict pauses. How do you allow them and give them the space for concerns and then to continue on with your script?

Sorry if I'm not making any sense. When I'm thinking my mind will be in such a jumble that I'm jumping back and forth.

I look forward to any experience or suggestions you can share with a novice like me and all other silent onlookers.

Kindest Regards,
Benjamin
#stop #talking
  • Profile picture of the author John Durham
    Humblemarket,

    You get through your pitch by asking questions, and looking for buying signals, then reacting upon those buying signals.

    A: Introduce yourself
    B: Find out if there is interest.
    C: Find out if you can arouse interest.
    D: If there isnt then say "Thank you. Have a great day".

    This process takes about 60 seconds or less.

    Im giving away some of my report here but:

    Any conversation you have that exceeds 60 seconds, is because you have identified buying signals, and you have established interest, so that is a good thing, and you are enjoying the process... there is equal give and take in the conversation.

    I would write you a pitch but Im saving it for people who buy my report.
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    • Profile picture of the author humbledmarket
      Banned
      Originally Posted by John Durham View Post

      Humblemarket,

      You get through your pitch by asking questions, and looking for buying signals, then reacting upon those buying signals.

      A: Introduce yourself
      B: Find out if there is interest.
      C: Find out if you can arouse interest.
      D: If there isnt then say "Thank you. Have a great day".

      This process takes about 60 seconds or less.

      Im giving away some of my report here but:

      Any conversation you have that exceeds 60 seconds, is because you have identified buying signals, and you have established interest, so that is a good thing, and you are enjoying the process... there is equal give and take in the conversation.

      I would write you a pitch but Im saving it for people who buy my (almost finished) report.
      Thanks very much, I've seen some of your offline marketing threads and they're all very interested.

      Please do pm me when your report is out.
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    • Profile picture of the author nettech
      Great points, I was also taught in my sales days that if you 'overcome customer objections' then you will most likely make a sale since you've answered pretty much all their worries.

      The key is to have plenty of product knowlege, no, you have to know your product INSIDE OUT and be ready for quick fire questions and answers.

      I'm not a sales expert but those are my experiences anyway!

      Zaheer

      Originally Posted by John Durham View Post

      Humblemarket,

      You get through your pitch by asking questions, and looking for buying signals, then reacting upon those buying signals.

      A: Introduce yourself
      B: Find out if there is interest.
      C: Find out if you can arouse interest.
      D: If there isnt then say "Thank you. Have a great day".

      This process takes about 60 seconds or less.

      Im giving away some of my report here but:

      Any conversation you have that exceeds 60 seconds, is because you have identified buying signals, and you have established interest, so that is a good thing, and you are enjoying the process... there is equal give and take in the conversation.

      I would write you a pitch but Im saving it for people who buy my (almost finished) report.
      Signature

      Thanks
      Zaheer

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  • Profile picture of the author Trucker
    Stop talking sometimes look like someone is restricting us to move behind & shut our mouth.

    As other Fellas talked before, giving your intro, talking about some interest dependent topic, then finding out if there is some possibility of interest to arouse in the mind of the listener can be of a great help, finally greeting the person with saying bye can stop the talks but don't you feel, there can be more meetings to continue it
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  • Profile picture of the author dvduval
    If someone keeps talking it means they aren't listening to me. A good salesperson is careful to listen, and then continues to build a relationship based on common purpose.
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  • Profile picture of the author George Wright
    When you ask a question you STOP talking. Seriously just ask the questing and STOP no matter how long the other person takes to answer.

    The other time to stop talking is when they ask "How much is it." At at that point you stop talking and start writing.

    George Wright
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    "The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Benjamin, let me ask you this...

      How do you want to position yourself?

      As a professional exploring opportunities for mutual benefit?

      Or a minimum wage telemarketer reading a script?

      How can you talk about solving their issue before they tell you what their issue is, or even if they perceive that they have an issue? Trust me, the average business owner is not laying awake at night worrying about being #1 on Google.

      And until they perceive that they have an issue that needs outside help to deal with, your qualifications mean nothing and you have no benefits to offer.

      You are not looking to make a sale with that initial contact, you are looking for possible interest. And like John D. said, many of those conversations will take less than a minute.

      I will leave you with one last thought. Unless you are exceedingly thick-skinned and/or skilled and experienced with cold-calling, it can be a very tough way to drum up business.
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      • Profile picture of the author John Durham
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        Benjamin, let me ask you this...

        How do you want to position yourself?

        As a professional exploring opportunities for mutual benefit?

        Or a minimum wage telemarketer reading a script?

        How can you talk about solving their issue before they tell you what their issue is, or even if they perceive that they have an issue? Trust me, the average business owner is not laying awake at night worrying about being #1 on Google.

        And until they perceive that they have an issue that needs outside help to deal with, your qualifications mean nothing and you have no benefits to offer.

        You are not looking to make a sale with that initial contact, you are looking for possible interest...
        There are many ways to skin a cat.

        A Present your service
        B: Oh you already have a website?
        C: Hey I'd be glad to run a free diagnostic check up on your site for you and send you a report...(Alexa, Check competitors back links, keywords...)
        D: "I'll give you a call later after you've had a chance to check out my report".

        That's just one. I think you underestimate the power of telemarketing.

        Yeah, it's a little hard for some people, but what isn't? Since when do you not have to work to achieve sales?

        This is just one method that can enable a person to do that.

        I personally went out and tried Georges face to face method, only I revised it and set the appointments via phone first, and it worked.

        George has taught me a couple of valuable lessons as a matter of fact.


        Respectfully,
        John

        Add on:

        You cannot target your customers as easily walking door to door, as you can by purchasing a call list that is targeted to your perfect customers profile, and setting appointments Say you want to specialize in "attorney's"... or even "Attorneys that have only been in business for two years or less, and make 1-2 million per year".
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    • Profile picture of the author John Durham
      Originally Posted by George Wright View Post

      When you ask a question you STOP talking. Seriously just ask the questing and STOP no matter how long the other person takes to answer.

      The other time to stop talking is when they ask "How much is it." At at that point you stop talking and start writing.

      George Wright
      Assumptive. Nice. Start writing out the receipt.
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      • Profile picture of the author George Wright
        Originally Posted by John Durham View Post

        Assumptive. Nice. Start writing out the receipt.
        One of my favorites, second only to the puppy dog

        George Wright
        Signature
        "The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane
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  • Profile picture of the author Goatboy
    You stop talking right after any close or trial close.

    You: "Mr. Customer, can you see how product X might solve your scurvy problem?"
    SILENCE
    Customer: "It might, but I don't know that I can afford it."
    You: "What if price wasn't an issue? Would you agree that the product is the one you want?"
    SILENCE
    Customer...
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      John, I never underestimate the power of good telemarketing. I've known some inside-sales types that were spellbinders on the phone. I know it can be done.

      The trick is, given the phrasing of the original post, can he do that?

      Cold-calling with a verbal upchuck of everything he can do, reading from a prepared script, is a recipe for sounding like an idiot in my thinking.

      Setting appointments by phone, followed up properly, is a time-honored and effective way to generate sales and profits. No argument here...

      Barreling through without allowing the other person to speak is a sure-fire way to generate hang-ups. Or at least hostility...

      Originally Posted by John Durham View Post

      There are many ways to skin a cat.

      A Present your service
      B: Oh you already have a website?
      C: Hey I'd be glad to run a free diagnostic check up on your site for you and send you a report...(Alexa, Check competitors back links, keywords...)
      D: "I'll give you a call later after you've had a chance to check out my report".

      That's just one. I think you underestimate the power of telemarketing.

      Yeah, it's a little hard for some people, but what isn't? Since when do you not have to work to achieve sales?

      This is just one method that can enable a person to do that.

      I personally went out and tried Georges face to face method, only I revised it and set the appointments via phone first, and it worked.

      George has taught me a couple of valuable lessons as a matter of fact.


      Respectfully,
      John

      Add on:

      You cannot target your customers as easily walking door to door, as you can by purchasing a call list that is targeted to your perfect customers profile, and setting appointments Say you want to specialize in "attorney's"... or even "Attorneys that have only been in business for two years or less, and make 1-2 million per year".
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      • Profile picture of the author John Durham
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        John, I never underestimate the power of good telemarketing. I've known some inside-sales types that were spellbinders on the phone. I know it can be done.

        The trick is, given the phrasing of the original post, can he do that?

        Cold-calling with a verbal upchuck of everything he can do, reading from a prepared script, is a recipe for sounding like an idiot in my thinking.

        Setting appointments by phone, followed up properly, is a time-honored and effective way to generate sales and profits. No argument here...

        Barreling through without allowing the other person to speak is a sure-fire way to generate hang-ups. Or at least hostility...
        Thank you . Thank you... because "barreling through" is exactly what I want to teach against... it's the reason people fail. Because they dont understand "Give and Take".

        The first level of cold calling is saying a script: You get a lucky 2-5 laydowns out of a day or two of calling. But thats not bad. Why? Because a laydown in this case is worth maybe $500-$1000.00

        BUt,

        As you become seasoned... you learn to talk more sparsly, and listen alot better... and suddenly it doesnt take 100 calls anymore... now you can sit down and make 10 or 15 calls and get a couple of peices of business.

        You get more professional as you go.

        The difference between telemarketing for offline sales and being a "Telemarketer", is this: As an independent business owner you are not calling like a telemarketer... you are calling from one local community business owner to another saying... "Hey I have this new service in town, just wanted to introduce myself..."

        Not nearly the same vibe as sitting in a telemarketing room pounding out 5oo calls per day... and having a pit boss on your back pushing a six sale per day minimum quota. This is much more casul.

        In any event, there are alot of ways to skin a cat... perhaps HUNDREDS of variations of rebuttals that can work, and no one person can teach them all...

        This idea I'm presenting is not for even "average" sales people... this is for the guy who has some web design experience, or some services he'd like to offer his local communithy, but he is literally STUCK, and doesnt know how to get "traction".

        Cold calling some people for a couple of hours a day will start that traction, get the ball rolling, get the referrals coming... till later down the road this guy isnt even cold calling once a week anymore....

        There is no way to create an exact script for everyone because their offers vary...

        What I am talking about is an "approach", an approach that will cause you to not be as broke a few days from now as you are today... refine it however you like. This will get you started and put money in your pocket.

        Note: As long as you arent afraid to talk to your fellow business people...

        If you are too shy, or too good for that... then you better spend your 10 bucks on an adesense course, and we will all see you starting a thread 6 months from now that says "Hey! I made my first $23.00 and Im SO excited"!
        LOL

        as far as "scripts"... everyone has to get started somehwere... if you dont know how to introduce yourself... by all means let someone help you with script.

        Consistent action will bring everything else into play within a short amount of time, even experience dealing with customers.

        You have to start somewhere.
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  • Profile picture of the author TheContentAuthority
    The cure all for not sounding like you are reading from a script is... Know the product you are selling, believe in the product you are selling and if you can, buy and try the product you are selling.

    The powerful affect of a personal testimony is amazing and effective... remember all you are doing in any sales or telemarketing call is transferring your belief to the person on the phone... Test out your script on friends and family first... do they believe you when you tell them about it? If not, then keep working at it until they start to believe you!!!

    Lastly, consider taking a course from someone about writing effective tele-marketing script or scripts in general...(I'm sure people have courses like that here, or just search online). A script used properly and with lots of passion, you can win over allot of people!

    Hope this helped!
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    We customize your Blog, eBook, Press Release and Sale Copy content with your message.

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  • Profile picture of the author Gene Pimentel
    Good Lord, I thought this thread was going to be about my mother-in-law. ::: Whew :::
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  • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
    Hi Benjamin,

    I'm going to be controversial now and say something different.

    Do NOT create a script.

    From what you've said in your original post you are not competent at using this strategy and you'll just get yourself a lot of unhappy people telling you where to stick your offer.

    There are a lot of people telling others to cold call for prospects offline. Many of them do not know what they're talking about and are getting a lot of people started down a bad road.

    The thing that will determine whether you are successful or not will be:

    How well you filter/target your prospects.
    How you position your offer.
    How well you deliver and make your customers happy.
    How simple you make your processes.

    What you should say, how you should say it, when to stop talking etc... are only relevant after you've done the work focusing on your target prospects and your offer.

    Here's a clue about that....

    If you say "I think I have something to offer you that will help your business" - you can expect poor results.

    If you say "I've been getting customers that want what you offer and I'm wondering if you'd like me to send them to you" - you can expect a more positive response.

    If you're even considering telling what your services are - forget it now.....

    These people get pitched every day - they don't want to hear another sales pitch.

    There is some very good advice being given on this subject - but if you've never done this before it's easy to buy into the whole "you can make thousands of dollars in a few days" hype and forget that it's only easy once you've crafted your skills.

    Don't confuse following cold calling scripts with creating a business - YOU will have to work out what works best for you.

    There's also a difference between calling to get leads and making sales calls - a BIG difference.

    Andy
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    nothing to see here.

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    • Profile picture of the author Jacob Anthony
      Hi Benjamin,

      I'm going to be controversial now and say something different.

      Do NOT create a script.

      From what you've said in your original post you are not competent at using this strategy and you'll just get yourself a lot of unhappy people telling you where to stick your offer.

      There are a lot of people telling others to cold call for prospects offline. Many of them do not know what they're talking about and are getting a lot of people started down a bad road.

      The thing that will determine whether you are successful or not will be:

      How well you filter/target your prospects.
      How you position your offer.
      How well you deliver and make your customers happy.
      How simple you make your processes.

      What you should say, how you should say it, when to stop talking etc... are only relevant after you've done the work focusing on your target prospects and your offer.

      Here's a clue about that....

      If you say "I think I have something to offer you that will help your business" - you can expect poor results.

      If you say "I've been getting customers that want what you offer and I'm wondering if you'd like me to send them to you" - you can expect a more positive response.

      If you're even considering telling what your services are - forget it now.....

      These people get pitched every day - they don't want to hear another sales pitch.

      There is some very good advice being given on this subject - but if you've never done this before it's easy to buy into the whole "you can make thousands of dollars in a few days" hype and forget that it's only easy once you've crafted your skills.

      Don't confuse following cold calling scripts with creating a business - YOU will have to work out what works best for you.

      There's also a difference between calling to get leads and making sales calls - a BIG difference.

      Andy
      Never a truer word said, I completely agree Andy. I work in a sales focussed environment and you just wouldn't get any sales by going into a sales pitch straight off the bat.

      When I'm selling I have face to face conversation with my customers to determine what their needs are. I then match their needs to a product or service that I know will help them.

      I use a questioning technique called " The Sales Funnel" (I'd advise you to google that), which includes a series of open and closed questions, then technique helps me lead my customer down a logical path to purchasing that product.

      However you wouldn't necessarily go through this on a cold call, you'd use the cold call just to get the appointment.

      There's an important reason why you wouldn't do this on initial cold call as well:

      You're highly unlikely to be speaking to the decision maker.

      There's almost always a "gatekeeper" who answers the phone. This can be a secretary/pa or another employee. Part of their job is always going to be to filter unwanted sales calls away from the important decision maker in the business.

      You need to get the gatekeeper on your side so that they'll be happy to set up an appointment with the decision maker for you. This should be the aim of your first call.

      Hope this helps

      Jacob
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  • Profile picture of the author Hugh
    It's still ringing in my ears after all these years.
    "Ask a closing question" J Douglas Edwards would say,
    " then JUST SHUT UP!!!" he would scream.

    Hugh
    Signature

    "Never make someone a priority in your life who makes you an option in theirs." Anon.
    "Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon." -- Winston Churchill

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    • Profile picture of the author John Durham
      Originally Posted by Hugh View Post

      It's still ringing in my ears after all these years.
      "Ask a closing question" J Douglas Edwards would say,
      " then JUST SHUT UP!!!" he would scream.

      Hugh
      Classic advice. The first one who talks after the "close" loses!
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  • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
    You should be talking only 20% of the time. Max.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Durham
    No I haven't... but I have drank alot of sales kool aid over the years...lol.
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  • Profile picture of the author MarkDorrill
    Use these magic words:

    "Do you want to Increase sales and revenue without advertising?". Ears pop up quickly & then they ask "how, how, how?"

    If you can bring them more business & ££ they will buy. Sell the problem not the solution!
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  • Profile picture of the author jasonhawk
    Try and find out as much info as you possibly can about SPIN selling. It's basically taking the prospect through their problems, asking what they will get from having their problems solved, show them how you can solve their problems for way less than they'll receive.
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    • Profile picture of the author John Durham
      Originally Posted by jasonhawk View Post

      Try and find out as much info as you possibly can about SPIN selling. It's basically taking the prospect through their problems, asking what they will get from having their problems solved, show them how you can solve their problems for way less than they'll receive.

      Perfect. Yes.
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  • Profile picture of the author ArticlesThatRock
    You stop talking as soon as the customer agrees to buy your product. The biggest mistake that salesman make is that they keep talking. Listening to yourself is great fun because you're a genius, but you can maximize your income by keeping quiet. Even before you make the sale, the best course is usually to listen to the sales prospect because he thinks he's a genius, and he knows that you are a clever guy selling a great product when you listen to him.

    If you're a single man on a first date, don't talk about yourself. The most common mistake that single men make is that they talk about themselves. Instead, ask her a question occasionally, and let her ramble on all night. For all practical purposes, she has fallen in love with you because she knows that you can see that she's a genius. So, go for the kill when you reach her front door.
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