3-3-2 TELEPHONE CALLS

It is highly likely that much of your marketing time will be spent on the telephone. By calling prospects, you will save yourself a great deal of time and be able to obtain the business clientele you need quickly.

Many people are uncomfortable about "cold-calling" someone out of the blue; therefore, it is a common practice to send a brochure and then follow up a few days later with a phone call. Following are some ideas that could be used with a prospective client AFTER they have received a brochure:

Hello. Could I speak to _______? This is ______ from XYZ Company and I am calling to ask if you have received the literature I sent to you about our Information Reporting Service?

If YES… How could I help you develop a program for your company that would save you time and allow you to communicate vital information throughout your organization in a very timely manner? (This is an OPEN-ENDED question to get your prospects to give you vital information about their needs. You should be taking lots of notes while your prospect is talking.)

If NO… "We are offering a very efficient service of Information Reporting that will allow you to create documents through real time reporting into most word processing applications. Is this something that could be of interest to your Company?"

If your prospect is interested in your service then continue to ask OPEN-ENDED questions so you can understand as much about their needs as possible. Once you have their interest, ask a closing question:

"When would you like us to start information reporting for your company? (Make sure you wait for an answer before you talk!) One very important lesson - do not be afraid to ask for the business. Most people will not volunteer to use your services unless you ask them.

Once the prospect says he is interested in using your services, you can arrange to meet and finalize any details of times and prices there and then with your new client.

If the prospect says he needs to think about it, then go back and ask some more OPEN-ENDED questions to clarify any doubts the prospect may have about your service. You must address ALL objections before he becomes a client. After you have addressed all issues, again go back and ask if the prospect would like to meet with you to finalize the details to begin work.

You may not get everyone interested in your service, but you will make them aware of the cost-saving opportunity of using your Information Reporting Services. In addition, you may want to follow up from time to time or send prospects another piece of literature in 3-4 months along with some of your satisfied clients' references.

Finally, one very important item you will need to remember is that much of your new business can come from referrals from happy clients. Ask your existing clients if they know others who would be interested in your service. You should send them the literature and follow up with a phone call.

BACK TO "PROMOTING THE BUSINESS" - ADVERTISING -BROCHURES - PERSONAL LETTERS - INTERNET