Tag Archives: closing techniques

Besides your opening sentences, the way you close a call is one of the most important skills in telemarketing. For appointment setting companies this ability is critical to achieving client goals. The words used, the tone of voice and manner, all leave a lasting impression on the person being spoken with. So whether the call is designed to close a sale, or close with the objective of getting a meeting in the diary, it’s important to make sure you get it just right.

Structure

Like anything else in life, having a structured format is a good way to be effective and efficient. Appointment setting companies like Blue Donkey generally have a structure for calls that guides the telemarketer. This should not be a script, or a set dialog but a general principle about the flow of calls. For example, most good telemarketing campaigns will include an opening, then an open question, then a response built around the buyer’s needs, then the close where the meeting or sale is agreed. If the structure is followed appropriately and guided by the decision maker’s contribution, the close should be easy. So really, the best closing technique is to get the buyer talking about their needs as a business.

Do close!

Astonishingly, one of the biggest barriers to success at the closing stage of the call is actually a complete absence of a close. Many people find it really hard to just ask the question. Appointment setting companies use training and adopt standard methods for closing, including certain phrases that become second nature over time, such as “from what you are telling me, it sounds like we can help you, throw some dates at me and we’ll have someone come and see you”. Of course, it’s really important to only use such a phrase where it’s genuinely applicable, and where a proper two-way conversation has taken place. A basic test for whether this has happened is to ask yourself: Who spoke more? If you ask good open questions, that generate a flowing discussion, the decision makers you speak with will do most of the talking. If on the other hand, a telemarketer has rushed through a pitch, does all the talking, then attempts to close, they’ll get the negative response they deserve.

No need to be pushy

The last thing any business needs is a reputation for being pushy. Putting too much pressure on the person you’re speaking to will irritate and repel even the keenest customers and make your business come across as aggressive, or desperate. The call should have been positive, informative, and persuasive enough that you won’t need to put any pressure on. However, if the decision maker you’re speaking to is still not convinced enough to agree to a meeting by the end of the call, ask if it’s OK to call back another time.

Appointment setting companies routinely use what’s called a trial close, where they plant the idea of a call at an agreed date with a view to setting up a meeting then. This works wonders for building a future pipeline and creating the best possible impression of the company brand. Giving the decision maker the time and space to set the pace of your relationship will help demonstrate your values as a potential partner.

Respect

Years ago the concept of the ‘hungry’ sales person was embraced. Especially by organisations that were fighting for market share in highly competitive markets. Thankfully that kind of thinking died with the yuppy and has since been replaced with the idea that its respect, not hunger that builds businesses. Likewise, appointment setting companies are careful nowadays to ensure telemarketers are not so focused on their targets that they forget to respect the person they’re speaking to has priorities and goals of their own. Where the right questions were asked and the benefits of the product or service have been exchanged, if the decision maker isn’t ready to meet its appropriate to suggest another call, gain consent for email, and plant the seed in their mind that you’d like to arrange a meeting if it’s suitable for them at that point.

Summarise

If the call has been a long one, a good way to close it is to sum up what happens next. Particularly where a close was successful, and a meeting or sale has been agreed. Appointment setting companies use this as an opportunity to check the details of the meeting, site address, parking, invite other key decision makers at the organisation and perhaps check emails phonetically to ensure accuracy. Apart from anything else, it’s so easy for decision makers to come off the phone, and be interrupted by someone so they forget the meeting was agreed. Following up with a confirmation email is a great way to demonstrate professionalism and remind them of your contact details should they need to change the meeting time. Be clear about any information you intend to record or share, GDPR is very clear about the growing importance of personal information. Information about companies is not personal data, but information about individual employees where it relates to them as an individual may constitute personal data. You can check out the rules at the ICO.

To learn more about powerful telemarketing techniques, or if you think your team could benefit from a bit of expert help, take a look around our site or contact a member of our team to find out more about what we do.

B2B telemarketing relies on some important tools to be successful. As an outsource agency, Blue Donkey has two key success factors that must be front of mind every minute of every day. These factors are efficiency and effectiveness. In other words, like any other telemarketing agency, our work has got to deliver value for each hour (efficiency), and for every penny, we have to demonstrate that we’ve achieved something useful (effectiveness). Understanding how and when to close is, therefore, one of those important tools that have to be mastered in a project, pretty much from the get-go. But how do we know which close to use, and when to use it? Read on to find out more.

No dogs allowed

These days, classic closing techniques like ‘the puppy dog’, ‘good cop, bad cop’ and ‘impending doom’ are irrelevant in B2B telemarketing. Decision makers can see through them and will no doubt feel irritated or frustrated that the telemarketer has tried to manipulate them. Instead, we propose that the professional telemarketing approach is to lose the tricks or gimmicks and slowly manoeuvre the call to its natural conclusion. If you ask the right questions, listen carefully to the answers, cascade your message in a way that it generates lots of ‘yes’ type noises, and perhaps use a ‘test close’ first to gain agreement, for example ‘that sounds like it could be useful to you’ and then close depending on the outcome… ‘can I have someone come and show you…’

By testing the prospect’s understanding, and gently gaining commitment based on what they have told you, you’ll go a long way to winning trust. After all the best business relationships start with a warm connection between two people. Where the trial close suggests the buyer isn’t ready, choose instead to ask if you can speak again at a certain time to take things further.

Quality

Messaging is important in B2B telemarketing because our buyers are time-poor. So rather than rushing ham-fistedly through a call and then trying to close, telemarketers must instead do a good job of engaging the decision maker, describing the benefits and proof points compellingly. Telemarketers who are proud of the product or service they’re promoting can handle objections well and are able to create rapport with decision makers. They shouldn’t have to use tired prescribed closes at the end of a call. Managers who provide telemarketers high-quality training in effective telemarketing and communication techniques will find their team is more than capable of bringing a call to a satisfactory conclusion without a puppy dog in sight. Business benefits, unlike features of a product or service, actually tell the buyer what they will get from adopting something, for example, X is a 25% tougher disk than its nearest rival (that’s the feature) so your production efficiency will be improved by a quarter (the benefit). The right questions and benefits will counteract any need for closing techniques.

Do remember to close

So often in B2B telemarketing, the telemarketer or salesperson has engaged the buyer in a good and productive discussion, communicated some fabulous benefits, uncovered needs, answered objections, the call seems to have reached a natural conclusion that indicates the buyer is interested and then nothing! Nada! Niente!   Fear of asking for the meeting or sale is remarkably common. Sometimes you just have to pull on your big-girl-pants and ask ‘that’s great, can I come and see you?’

Summarise

A good way to finish a B2B telemarketing call is to sum up all the points you’ve covered in your conversation. Use this as an opportunity to repeat any concerns or objections the decision maker has raised and the solutions you’ve come up with to overcome them. Reiterate how the service you’re offering can make their life easier and demonstrate that you’ve listened to the points they’ve raised during the conversation. Tell them what happens next, and importantly, what you propose to do with their data. Ask if there is anyone else in the organisation that you can speak with so you can grow your sales base and understanding, especially with large companies that have lots of similar or autonomous decision makers.

Improving communication skills and learning effective B2B telemarketing techniques can help to improve the quality of the calls you and your team make. Find out more by taking a look around our site, or by getting in touch with a member of our team.

B2B telemarketing requires a whole host of key skills and competencies in order to be successful. From call openings, getting decision makers involved, questioning techniques, listening skills, and building appropriate responses, to finally closing the deal. A particular area that gets us quaking is B2B closing techniques. Closing a call well is one of the most important skills in telemarketing. The words you use, your tone of voice and your manner will leave a lasting impression. So it’s important to get your B2B closing techniques just right.

No pressure in B2B telemarketing

The last thing you want to do at the end of a professional call is pile on the pressure. This can put even the keenest customers off and can make your business come across as aggressive, or desperate. Ideally, your call should have been so positive that you won’t need to put pressure on your contact. If decision makers aren’t convinced by the end of the call, gain consent to call back at an agreed date. Give them the respect, time, and space to make a decision that’s right for them, not right for you.

People are busy

In B2B telemarketing sometimes telemarketers become so focused on their targets they forget the person they’re speaking to has a busy schedule. The Independent who ran a study of 2,000 workers, found the UK is a nation with its nose to the grindstone, with 22 percent struggling with the ‘overtime’ they have to put in at the office. So it’s important to respect the pressures today’s businesses are under. Therefore, once you’ve discussed the benefits of your offering, ask for the appointment or sale. Acknowledge awareness of decision maker’s busy schedules to demonstrate you’re thinking of their needs, at the same time as moving the call towards your ultimate goal.

Summarise

B2B telemarketing calls can be long and detailed. If the call has been a long one, a good way to close it is to sum up the benefits offered by your product or service. Make this section of the call snappy and compelling. Keep the language you use simple and easy to understand and stick to your core USPs. This summing up will remind the decision maker of all the points you’ve covered and should help to nudge them towards making a purchase. If not, it provides a positive note for you to build a future discussion upon.

End with a question

As an opening question, an end question can be used to keep the lines of communication open. Ask if there’s anything else they need to know, if you’ve answered all their questions and if they can see how your product is right for them. Asking these questions crystallises the benefits of your product in the mind of the decision maker and can offer an opportunity for further dialogue.

Be positive

Whether you’ve managed to achieve your goal or not, effective B2B closing techniques require ending calls on a positive note. These last few sentences will form a big part of the impression you leave with the person you’ve been talking to – so make sure you’re polite, positive, and personable.

To learn more about powerful telemarketing techniques, or if you think your team could benefit from a bit of expert help when it comes to B2B closing techniques, take a look around our site or contact a member of our team to find out more about what we do.

In general, classic closing techniques like ‘the puppy dog’, ‘good cop, bad cop’ and ‘impending doom’ should be avoided when making telemarketing calls. Most decision makers will be able to see through them and may feel frustrated that the telemarketer has tried to manipulate them.

Ideally, the telemarketer will do such a good job in engaging the decision maker and describing the benefits and USP of a product or service that they won’t need to resort to clichéd closing lines. If not, or if the telemarketer just wants a reliable and professional way of rounding off their calls, there are better ways to bring the conversation to a close.

Rely on quality

Telemarketers who are familiar with the product or service they’re promoting, can handle objections well and are able to create a rapport with decision makers shouldn’t have to use tired closers at the end of a call.

Provide telemarketers with high-quality training in effective telemarketing techniques and you’ll find your team are more than capable of bringing a call to a satisfactory end, without a puppy dog in sight.

Sum up

A good way to finish a telemarketing call is to sum up all the points you’ve covered in your conversation. Use the chance to repeat the concerns or objections the decision makers has raised and the solutions you’ve come up with to overcome them. List how the product or service you’re offering can make their life easier and demonstrate that you’ve listened to the points they’ve raised during the conversation.

End with a question

Ending with a question is another good way of bringing the conversation to a close. Ask if the decision maker has any further questions about what you’ve discussed. You could also ask if they want you to call again to talk in more detail, or simply ask them what they think of the product or service you’re promoting. Asking a question shows that you value the input and opinion of the decision maker and that you’re willing to listen as well as talk.

Be honest

In some cases, being honest can be the most effective way of ending a call. Instead of skirting around the issue, simply say that you’ve taken up enough of their time and you’d like to know if they’re interested in what you’ve discussed. Most decision makers you speak to will be busy and under a certain amount of pressure, and many will appreciate a more direct approach.

Improving communication skills and learning effective telemarketing techniques can help to improve the quality of the calls you and your team make. Find out more by taking a look around our site, or getting by in touch with a member of our team.

Aside from your opening sentences, the way you close a call is one of the most important skills in telemarketing. The words you use, your tone of voice and your manner will leave a lasting impression on the person you’re speaking to. So whether you’ve managed to seal the deal or not, it’s important to make sure you get it just right.

Don’t pile on the pressure

The last thing you want to do at the end of a call is pile on the pressure. Putting too much pressure on the person you’re speaking to can make them feel like they’re backed into a corner. This can put even the keenest customers off and can make your business come across as aggressive, or desperate. Ideally, your call should have been so positive, productive and persuasive you won’t need to put any pressure on anyway. However, if the decision maker you’re speaking to is still not convinced by the end of the call, ask if it’s OK to call back another time or get the name of someone else in the organisation who can help instead.

Remember they’re busy

A lot of the time telemarketers are so focused on their call they forget that the person they’re speaking to has a busy day of tasks to take care of themselves. Once you’ve finished discussing the benefits of the product or service you represent, say something along the lines of, “I know you’re busy, so I’ll let you get back to work” – before slipping in a quick request for a follow up meeting, a commitment to a trial, or a small purchase order. By showing you’re aware of the decision maker’s busy schedule, you can demonstrate that you’re thinking of their needs at the same time as moving the call towards your ultimate goal.

Sum up

If the call has been a long one, a good way to close it is to sum up the benefits offered by your product or service. Make this section of the call snappy and compelling. Keep your language simple and easy to understand and stick to your core USPs. This summing up will remind the decision maker you’re talking to about all the points you’ve covered in your call and should help to nudge them towards making a purchase and sealing the deal. If not, it provides a positive note for you to end on.

End with a question

Just like your opening question, an end question can be used to keep the lines of communication open and offer an opportunity for future contact. Ask if there’s anything else they need to know, if you’ve answered all their questions and if they can see how your product is right for them. Asking these questions crystallises the benefits of your product in the mind of the decision maker and can offer an opportunity for further dialogue.

Be positive

Whether you’ve managed to achieve your goal or not, always close your call on a positive note. These last few sentences will form a big part of the impression you leave with the person you’ve been talking to – so make sure you’re polite, positive, and personable.

To learn more about powerful telemarketing techniques, or if you think your team could benefit from a bit of expert help, take a look around our site or contact a member of our team to find out more about what we do.