Telemarketers have a script and a data base from which to work, but their main tool is their voice and that says it all. Your voice tells the listener if you are courteous and confident. These qualities project a professional image. The words you speak must have a pleasing tone, be delivered at a reasonable speed for understanding and evoke enthusiasm. Without these elements, you will get no farther.
The potential customers will combine what they hear from you with your product or service. If you sound bored and tired or tense and anxious, it doesn’t matter what you are offering, it will not sound appealing.
In order to present what you have to offer in the best possible light over the telephone, you must be aware of your tone, pitch, inflection, enunciation and articulation, audibility and breath control.
You tone sends a message that is not in the words. The message it sends is directly from your emotions. How you feel at the time will be expressed in your tone. You may feel angry, disgusted or bored for any reason. It may not have anything to do with your job, but this is what a potential customer will hear. They will equate that feeling to your product. If your tone is cheerful, there is a greater chance the listener will continue listening.
You may not be able to control your pitch much because it is determined by heredity, age and gender. A natural sounding voice is always best, but if you speak naturally with a high pitch, it is best to speak more slowly.
Inflection will fill the void of nonverbal communication which is impossible over the phone. A voice sounds monotonous if it has no inflection. It sounds artificial if it has sing-song inflection. When you feel interest, your voice will rise and when you arrive at a conclusion it naturally falls. Inflection is something you can practice to make perfect.
In casual talk, most people run words together. They do not speak each word clearly and most people understand what they mean. Over the phone, especially with a person you don’t know, each word counts. If you customer hasn’t got a clue what you are saying, they won’t bother to find out.
A normal speaking voice is the best for a telephone conversation. Shouting into the phone is aggressive and unpleasant. Speaking softly into the phone may show a lack of confidence and can be very irritating to the person who is trying to hear. Good posture so your lungs can breathe easily will help you sound confident.
Potential customers are hearing your script for the first time. By the sound of your voice, you need to make them feel like they are the most important person to you, which they are at that moment. These tips for getting your voice right need to be refreshed for each and every call. If you do this, you will have a chance to get on with the rest of your script.
Your aim is to make the customer believe that they need what you are offering. They will feel that they are missing something and you can give them what they are missing. In order to do this, you need to ask the right questions and honestly listen to the answers. They will pour out their desires and expectations, and if you listen well, you will be able to respond in a way that proves your product or service can fulfill their need.
Listening is the key, even though telemarketing is about speaking. Listening properly will give the customer the feeling that they matter to you, and they will give you the information you need to sell your product.
Begin each call with a fresh, positive attitude. This is the main work of a telemarketer. Problems you had with the previous person you called, and the activities that are going on near you should not distract you from giving each customer your enthusiast attention.
Jacob Pettit is a blogger, marketer, and communication expert. His fields of expertise include modern means of communication in marketing, with special insight into contact centre and telemarketing in general.