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Reception techniques used by market research companies

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Reception techniques used by market research companies

Moving past the receptionist to reach a decision maker is a key skill market research companies need to master. It’s one of the first things trainees are faced with. And while they may spend hours learning the techniques, anyone can do it. Firstly, it’s really important to understand that no method works all the time. Sometimes you do just have to be patient, and willing to keep trying. However, if you find yourself getting frustrated with receptionists, or gatekeepers as they’re often known, read on. Learning a few practical tips and techniques used by telemarketers and market research companies will get you racing past receptionists.

Mind your tone

Trying to get past a receptionist can be frustrating. However, it’s important you don’t allow your emotions to come across in the manner or your voice. Sometimes, quite unwittingly, our voices betray how we feel, if we’re impatient it may well seep into our tone. Even the mildest of people can say something on the phone that somehow creates a sense of impatience or frustration. It’s not necessarily in the words we use, it’s often just an underlying tenor or hint in the voice. This serves only to alienate the receptionist and make the job of market research companies harder than necessary.

If we were receptionists, nobody would get past us

No one goes to work to do a bad job. The receptionist is legitimately carrying out their brief. At Blue Donkey, we’re a conscientious bunch, we aim to be one of the best market research companies around. So, to be fair, if we were receptionists rather than telemarketers or researchers, of course, nobody would get past us! And if we did choose to put someone through, they’d be the ones we warm to. So instead of getting cross, use positive energy, a bright, cheery smile, and all the kindness you can muster. It’s natural for humans to mirror each other, so this habit will help you bring the receptionist onside with positivity.

Visualisation techniques

Telemarketing and market research companies talk a lot about visualisation. This is when you imagine a person in your mind and speak with them. You expect your interaction to go well, and your voice carries that pattern of energy and enthusiasm you’d have face-to-face. Visualising an actual person in your mind’s eye will help you remove the barriers that the telephone places on human contact. Because we’re used to using all five senses as a means of communication, having just two can change our behaviours. We can all become cold and unfeeling if we’re under pressure and unable to read the face or body language of someone. Seeing them in your mind will artificially replace some of the senses you lose on the phone. It will help us stay calm, focused, and professional, and engineer the outcomes we need.

There’s a lot of good science around visualisation techniques now. They can help with everything from relaxation, mindfulness, to workplace performance. It can help with career challenges like staying calm on the phone or big things like putting on a presentation. According to Headspace, visualization, on its own, involves picturing in your mind the outcome of something before it’s happened, whether that’s a task or opportunity at hand — such as getting on stage to speak before a large audience — or a sport about to be played. Visualization gained popularity in the 1980s when the Russians began using the technique to excel in sports following the 1984 Olympics.

Confidence is infectious

When people come across as confident and authoritative, receptionists are more likely to put them through to a decision maker. If you’re nervous or fixed in the mindset of ‘they won’t want to take my call’ it will come across. Your voice will sound weak, you’ll seem to lack confidence, and you’ll be blocked from speaking with decision makers. Sometimes you just have to pull on your big boy pants and go for it.

Be bold, have courage, remember you’ve something really special to offer, channel your inner Richard Branson, and be heard. If you come across as apologetic, subservient, or bored guess what will happen. Even when you don’t feel confident, take a deep breath, and pick up the phone. Even seasoned telemarketers and market research companies sometimes have to smile as they dial and focus on the bigger picture.

Siting up straight will help your voice sound clearer and more compelling. Be free of distractions so you can concentrate. Market research companies are gathering important information, a moment’s lapse can cause their outcomes to change. Being clear and purposeful about the call objective, checking spellings phonetically, and repeating back information all aid successful reception handling.

If you would like to know about one of the best market research companies around, talk to Blue Donkey today. Explore our site or get in touch to find out more.

How B2B lead generation services tackle the Gatekeeper

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How B2B lead generation services tackle the Gatekeeper

It goes without saying that getting past the gatekeeper is one of the many important skills required to provide b2b lead generation services effectively. There’s no magic bullet and no single technique works all the time but learning a few practical tips could help improve your success rate and get your message to the right targets more often.

Kindness

Getting past the ‘gatekeeper’ or receptionist can be a frustrating and time consuming experience. It feels like they are standing in the way of you doing your job and achieving your business objectives. However, it’s important you don’t become impatient, impolite, or undermine them. Though you might want to speak to someone more senior in an organisation, remember that the gatekeeper can make or break your ambition, so make sure you give them the respect they deserve. Be polite, professional, and calm. For b2b lead generation services to work efficiently an agency will aim to get the gatekeeper on side by seeing them as a vital part of the business they serve, as we are in ours.

Get something from every dial

Chances are you’ll need several dial attempts before you get through, try not to be disheartened. You can still make your initial attempt count by gathering new information as you progress through your database. Checking job titles, contact details, spelling names phonetically, asking about different sites or new potential decision makers are among the many things b2b lead generation services companies will use the extra dials for.

Take care not to dial the same organisations too often, its good practice to leave a few days between your attempts. That way, the receptionist probably won’t recognise your voice or become irritated by your repeated attempts. Be friendly and say hello, perhaps adding ‘sorry to bother you, is there a good time to catch X’. The next time you call you’ll be able to add a personal touch to your call and get a rapport going much more quickly.

Honesty is definitely the best policy

Remember that gatekeepers field calls all day, particularly sales calls. Avoid cheesy language, over embellished reasons for calling, and definitely never tell white lies to create the impression your call isn’t a sales call. Such tactics are guaranteed to make them less likely to put you through to the decision-maker. Instead of trying to manoeuvre your way past the gatekeeper with lies, half-truths, and evasive answers – be honest. Your integrity will speak volumes about you and your company and it’s likely to help you achieve your sales goals.

Don’t pitch to the gatekeeper

You should only have a meaningful discussion about your business with the person who has the responsibility to make decisions. In b2b lead generation services, an agency will spend hours if not days or weeks becoming fluent and articulate with the complex details of a business. How then could it ever be possible to say enough to a receptionist, in a few short moments for them to do justice to your product or service? When asked what the call is regarding, simply contain your answer to a few words such as ‘business efficiency’.

Asking a question such as ‘is this a good time to catch them’ in answer to a question, can be a good way of diverting their question and avoiding an overlong explanation. As with any skill, practice is key, and be careful not to alienate. The point here is, don’t say more than is necessary or the receptionist will attempt to convey your message to the decision maker. A negative response at this point could render that contact record dead on your database forever. If the receptionist indicates that they’ll never be interested, it’s effectively an opt-out. Read the rules around consent at the ICO website.

Confidence

If you sound confident and authoritative, the gatekeeper will be much less tempted to fob you off with an excuse and will be more likely to put you through to the decision maker. Even if you don’t feel confident – take a deep breath before you pick up the phone, sit up straight, put a smile on as you dial, and remember that you have something important to discuss with the decision maker. If your data is well profiled, and you have pride in your business, you’ll already know that your call could make a big difference to the success of the company you’re approaching.

One final note: for providers of b2b lead generation services, companies where the gatekeepers are especially sharp at diverting weak calls are exactly the right organisations to target because the decision makers won’t be receiving calls at the same rate they would if the gatekeeper wasn’t as conscientious. Great news! Pass the phone.

If you think your telemarketing team could do with a little coaching and support, we can help. Alternatively, if you would like to know more about Blue Donkey’s b2b lead generation services, talk to our dedicated professionals or explore our site today.

How B2B telemarketing agencies get past the gatekeeper

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How B2B telemarketing agencies get past the gatekeeper

B2B Telemarketing agencies must be able to get past gatekeepers. That’s it, simple. Without the competencies to do so, they would quickly cease to exist. In sales, we generally think of the gatekeeper as the person who is stopping us from gaining access to an organisation’s key decision-making team. They are usually a receptionist or a PA of some kind. You can understand why they are necessary for the efficient running of a business, you might even imagine that if you were the gatekeeper you’d be so diligent that nobody would ever get beyond you. However, when you’re on the receiving end of the gatekeeper stopping your path to your next key account, you might find yourself resenting the role they play in shaping your success that day.

If you manage a sales or telemarketing team, you’ll know that selecting good communicators is key to achieving results. Ideally, you need everyone on your team to be able to connect with a prospect, create rapport and get their message across within moments of having their call answered. If they can’t achieve these objectives, your marketing and communication campaigns will suffer and you might find your company under-performing. If your team members can’t navigate their way past the gatekeeper, they may decide to use some other form of communication, or attempt contact through an influencer in the organisation rather than a decision maker on the basis that influencers are easier to reach and not usually so heavily guarded. For B2B telemarketing agencies, all output is linked with reaching buyers on the phone. Aiming for non-decision makers or using a less effective or compelling medium than the telephone to reach a target buyer is not an option. Therefore, working with employees to create methods and strategies for getting past the gatekeeper is key. If your team can get their foot in the telephonic door, they’ll gain the opportunity to work their magic on the decision maker and all their outstanding communication skills and get on their way to hitting their goals. So here’s how B2B telemarketing agencies propose your teams handle the gatekeeper challenge.

Remind them, gatekeepers are not the enemy

One common mistake telemarketers make is treating the gatekeeper as the enemy. And although it’s true that the gatekeeper can make or break a telemarketing call, it’s important to remind your team that the gatekeeper is simply doing their job. Being friendly, courteous and polite, even in the face of an immovable gatekeeper, will help your team to keep things professional, something that’s good for your company’s reputation and your relationship with other businesses.

See the gatekeeper as an opportunity

All too often, telemarketers see the gatekeeper purely as an obstacle to overcome. However, if you can help your team to see their interaction with the gatekeeper as an opportunity, you can not only improve the quality of their calls, you can also mine a wealth of valuable information. Remind your team that the gatekeeper they’re trying to outsmart knows a lot about the business and the decision maker they’re trying to speak to. Encourage them to take advantage of the conversation to check the person they’re attempting to contact is the decision maker, learn a little more about the decision maker and confirm any unknown facts about the business.

Remind them never to sell to the gatekeeper

Although the gatekeeper is an important person within the organisation, it’s important to make sure your team understands that this person can’t make any purchasing decisions. This means that selling to the gatekeeper is pointless. At best, they’ll waste some of their valuable time, at worst the gatekeeper will decide your product or service isn’t right for the business and cut your company off from the decision maker for good.

Make sure they avoid lying – at all costs

Lying is the worst thing your team can do when trying to navigate past the gatekeeper. If they’re caught out – which is generally the case – it will reflect badly on your business and could well impact on future relations with the decision maker. Ideally, your team should be so skilled at getting past the gatekeeper they won’t need to resort to lying. However, if the gatekeeper is being especially stubborn, telemarketers could try sending an email to the decision maker beforehand. This will allow your team to then legitimately state that they’re following up on initial contact.

Continually working with your team to improve their communication and telemarketing skills is key to achieving impressive and consistent results. For more advice on getting the best out of your telemarketing team, explore our site, or get in touch.

Helping your team navigate past the gatekeeper

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Do not enter

If you manage a sales or telemarketing team, you’ll know that selecting good communicators is key to achieving results. Ideally, you need everyone on your team to be able to connect with a prospect, create rapport and get their message across within moments of having their call answered. If they can’t achieve these objectives, your marketing and communication campaigns will suffer and you might find your company under-performing.

However, if your team members can’t navigate their way past the gatekeeper, they’ll never have the chance to work their magic on the decision maker and all their outstanding communication skills will go to waste anyway. Therefore, working with employees to create methods and strategies for getting past the gatekeeper is key. If your team can get their foot in the telephonic door, they’ll be well on their way to hitting their goals.

Remind them that gatekeepers are not the enemy

One common mistake telemarketers make is treating the gatekeeper as the enemy. And although it’s true that the gatekeeper can make or break a telemarketing call, it’s important to remind your team that the gatekeeper is simply doing their job. Being friendly, courteous and polite, even in the face of an immovable gatekeeper, will help your team to keep things professional, something that’s good for your company’s reputation and your relationships with other businesses.

Help them to see the gatekeeper as an opportunity

All too often, telemarketers see the gatekeeper purely as an obstacle to overcome. However, if you can help your team to see their interaction with the gatekeeper as an opportunity, you can not only improve the quality of their calls, you can also mine a wealth of valuable information. Remind your team that the gatekeeper they’re trying to outsmart knows a lot about the business and the decision maker they’re trying to speak to. Encourage them to take advantage of the conversation to check the person they’re attempting to contact is the DM, learn a little more about the decision maker and confirm any unknown facts about the business.

Remind them not to sell to the gatekeeper

Although the gatekeeper is an important person within the organisation, it’s important to make sure your team understands that this person can’t make any purchasing decisions. This means that selling to the gatekeeper is pointless. At best, they’ll waste some of their valuable time, at worst the gatekeeper will decide your product or service isn’t right for the business and cut your company off from the decision maker for good.

Make sure they avoid lying

Lying is the worst thing your team can do when trying to navigate past the gatekeeper. If they’re caught out – which is generally the case – it will reflect badly on your business and could well impact on future relations with the decision maker. Ideally, your team should be so skilled at getting past the gatekeeper they won’t need to resort to lying. However, if the gatekeeper is being especially stubborn, telemarketers could try sending an email to the decision maker beforehand. This will allow your team to then legitimately state that they’re following up on an initial contact.

Continually working with your team to improve their communication and telemarketing skills is key to achieving impressive and consistent results. For more advice on getting the best out of your telemarketing team, explore our site, or get in touch.

The art of getting past the Gatekeeper

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Key to gate

Getting past the gatekeeper is one of the most important skills any sales professional can learn. Though no technique will work 100% of the time, learning a few practical tips and tricks will help you to improve your success rate and get your message across. To help get you started, here are some of our most tried and tested techniques for getting past the gatekeeper.

Give the gatekeeper the respect they deserve

Though trying to get past a receptionist or PA can be frustrating and time consuming, it’s important you don’t become impatient, rude or dismissive. Though you might want to speak to someone higher up in an organisation, remember that the gatekeeper can make or break your ambition so make sure you give them the respect they deserve. Be polite, friendly and engaging when they pick up the phone. If you can get the gatekeeper on your side, it’s far more likely your call will find its way to someone who can really help.

Add a personal touch

If you don’t get through the first time, try not to be disheartened. You can still make your initial attempt count by using it to learn more about the person you’re trying to engage with. Make a note of the gatekeeper’s name, the name of the person you’re trying to speak to and any other information you think could be relevant. The next time you call up you’ll be able to add a personal touch to your call and get a rapport going much more quickly.

Be honest

Remember that gatekeepers field sales calls all day, every day; they can smell a cheesy line, or a white lie a mile off and it’s guaranteed to make them less likely to put you through to the decision maker. Instead of trying to manoeuvre your way past the gatekeeper with lies, half-truths and evasive answers – be honest. Your integrity will speak volumes about you and your company and it’s likely to help you achieve your sales goals. Remember though – don’t pitch to the gatekeeper, you should only have a meaningful discussing about your business with the person who has responsibility to make decisions.

Be concise

One of the most important techniques you can ever learn in sales is how to be concise. It’s important to remind yourself that the gatekeeper is busy and probably doesn’t want to spend ten minutes listening to your spiel. If you can cut your intro down to just a few seconds, while getting all of the important information across, you’ll be much more likely to get a conversation going and be put through to the person you’re trying to connect with.

Confidence is key

If you sound confident and authoritative, the gatekeeper will be much less tempted to fob you off with an excuse and will be more likely to put your through to the decision maker. Even if you don’t feel confident – take a deep breath before you pick up the phone, put a smile on as you dial and have courage in your convictions.

If you think your telemarketing team could do with a little coaching and support, we can help. Alternatively if you would like to outsource your outbound calls to dedicated professionals, explore our site today or get in touch to find out more.