Page 24 - The Compass 2017 | Volume 12 | Issue 8

MANAGEMENT
by Bill Weaver

5 Ways to Make outBound Calling suCCessful

t’s that time of the year where many of you are noticing reducing the likelihood they’ll have you come back out on
iyour call counts slowing. I know there will be a temptation an unsolicited call.
to start dumping money you didn’t anticipate spending into
some marketing. Before you go off budget and get a little
crazy with your hard-earned dollars, let’s talk about another 3. develop an outline—not a sCript
tool you should be using to augment your marketing efforts: Once upon a time outbound scripts were a must-do. Howev-
I’m talking about outbound calling. er, in today’s world, call scripts can be deadly! I highly rec-
You can fight it if you want, but outbound calling is a very ommended that you create an outline of how the call should
important piece in the sales-and-service arm of many suc-
cessful organizations. If you’re not outbound calling your be handled, but not a detailed script a person is expected
current customer base during slow times, you’re losing out to read. A good outline will sound far more natural. What
on a world of opportunity. should an outline look like? It’s simply a series of talking
That said, outbound calling can be done poorly, and when points. Those points should only help prompt what should
it’s done poorly, it can be a terrible experience for the caller be said; it shouldn’t be completely written dialogue.
and the person receiving the call. However, when it’s per- The reason we frown on complete scripts is people don’t
formed properly, it can be a magical win for you—and your like being talked at. A good outline will help you or your
customers. team keep the goal of the call in-focus, as well as guide you.
On an outbound call, you initiate a call to a prospective This way you are better able to concentrate on what is being
buyer or existing customer with an aim to achieve a goal: said, and you can better tailor the call to the customer.
It might be to increase revenue by helping the client under-
stand options that were presented at a previous service call;
it might be to upsell products and services never offered to a 4. Handle oBjeCtions & ConCerns
customer; or it might be to fill the callboard or provide home-
owners with club-membership information. Let the person making the outbound calls know they’re go-
If you or your team are outbound calling, here are 5 tips to ing to face hang ups, and they’re going to face objections.
separate you from your competition. Here’s the great thing about objections: If they’re talking
to you, it means they’re at least open to the idea of having
you out to the home. If they found you to be a waste of time,
1. explain tHe value & knoW your goal they wouldn’t talk with you.
Before you dial a number, know what it is that you’re sell- To best handle objections, brainstorm every single objec-
ing. Ask yourself, “What is the VALUE you are presenting tion imaginable. Write them down on a sheet. Just as you
to your client?” Link the features to the benefits and really created some talking points for your call outline, I suggest
understand what the product or service is designed to do. doing the same for each of those objections. Once you have
To be successful, you really need to explain the value of the them written, you should use that material to assist with
product or the service to your customer and remember what regular training. The goal should be that the individual can
your end goal is.
For example, if you’re asking if they’d like to have a repair handle objections without any materials to act as assistance.
made they previously rejected, you must be able to provide a
few benefits as to why the person should move forward this
time. Will it provide long-term peace of mind? Will it save 5. suCCeed tHrougH iMproveMents
them money? How will it make their life better? Have those & MeasureMent
answers prepared, and you will see success. As much as you probably don’t like to hear yourself, record-
ing and reviewing your calls—as well as receiving feedback
from others—is an essential step to improvement and suc-
2. knoW your Clients cess when outbound calling.
You can’t make successful outbound calls without know- Also, make sure you take clear notes on all your calls, as
ing—at the very least—the names of the people you are you may be able to rework your list later and turn previ-
trying to reach. Otherwise you create problems and look un- ous rejections into successful calls and sales. Your notes also
prepared. Before punching those numbers into your phone, will prompt you to record information about customers who
be sure you find the name in your paperwork or software. insist you not solicit them again. No need to anger anyone
If you’re not already, you should be capturing notes on further. Finally, be sure you constantly track your results
each of your customers—and those notes should include
proper pronunciations of names. It should also contain and measure your success!
how the person prefers to be addressed: Do they go by their Outbound calling isn’t always a favorite way for compa-
middle name? If a customer’s name is William, does he go nies to generate calls. But when you’re struggling for leads,
by Bill? People buy from those who they feel connected. it can be highly effective. Implement these strategies, and
If you don’t even know your customers’ names, how con- we’re confident you’ll enjoy far more success and far fewer
nected will that customer feel to you? Not much. You’re hang ups.

24 THE COMPASS | Issue 8 | 2017