21 Actions You Can Take Today to Improve Your Tele-Sales Results

This is a great list from tele-sales expert Jim Domanski that will get you selling more over the phone right away!

Want to kick start some life into your telephone selling efforts? Want to get out of that rut? Achieve more? Sell more?

The secret to improving your success is to stop wishing and to start DOING. DO SOMETHING! Take action. Get moving. Shake things up a bit. Get the ball rolling.

In the spirit of the strategy here are 21 ACTIONS you can take today and every day to create momentum and increase your sales.

1. Send 5 handwritten thank you cards to existing clients. Tell them you appreciate their business; that you don't take them for granted. This builds equity in you ... and improves loyalty

2. Ask your manager to monitor some of your calls and provide you with feedback. Additional perspective might provide you with a tip, idea, technique or perspective to give you an extra sale or two.

3. Get into your office and at your desk 15 minutes earlier each day this week. That amounts to 2.5 extra hours of dialing ... and that means more opportunities.

4. Revamp your opening statement. Try a new approach to your opener. Make sure to include a strong benefit. Practice it. Implement it. Stick to it. Change can be very good.

5. Invest in yourself. Go out and buy a book on selling. Then crack it open. Get new ideas, new perspectives, new ways of doing things. It can only help.

6. Stay 10 minutes later every day this week. That's just under an hour more per week. See what happens when you make time for opportunities.

7. Ask 5 customers for a referral. Referrals close at a higher rate and in less time. And they're a lot easier than cold calls.

8. Find an industry related article on the web or in a trade magazine that your clients might find valuable. Send/e-mail this article to 10 clients. By doing this, you become a value added resource. It builds your equity and improves loyalty (see Point #1).

9. Swap 5 of your prospects who are not returning your call with 5 prospects from a co-worker. Sometimes a new voice and new approach generates a sale or a lead. It works! Do it now.

10. Eat lunch at your desk and explore the internet looking for selling articles, blogs and newsletters that can help improve your sales game. Subscribe to those you like and read them every day.

11. Call 5 of your best clients and ask them what you are doing well from a sales perspective ... then ask them what you could do better. You'll be amazed at the little things that mean a lot. And they'll be flattered.

12. Create a master list of 30 top prospects on a spread sheet or a yellow legal pad. Put their names, companies and phone numbers. Use the list as a fast way to make cold calls when you have a few minutes here and there.

13. Monitor 5 calls of a top performing co-worker. Get additional insights on what they do and how they do it.

14. Make a conscious attempt to cross sell or up sell every time you get an order. Use a Post-It note to remind yourself and prompt the effort. This increases the value of your sale ... and that's a good thing!

15. Check your e-mails at 8:00, 10:00, 12:00, 2:00 and 4:00 ... And not in between. Constantly checking e-mails destroys focus and concentration and distracts you from your calling effort. Be disciplined.

16. Ask 5 customers for a testimonial. Ask them for a simple quote that you can use in an e-mail or letter. Send them an e-mail, confirm the quote and start using them.

17. Change your voice mail ... daily. It takes about 17 seconds but it tells callers that you are there and attentive to messages they might leave.

18. Compliment one or two or three of your co-workers on calls they have made. It creates a positive atmosphere. Typically, they return the favour ... and that can give you an extra 'boost' when you need it.

19, Start keeping a sales journal. Get a 'black book' and record your victories and triumphs. Note your 'losses.' Jot down a good idea or technique. Use it at meetings. Make it a selling job aid. Review it every week on Monday and remind yourself of the things you learned.

20. Check your voice mails at 8:05, 10:05, 12:05, 2:05 and 4:05 (i.e., after you have checked your e-mails- Point #15). Batch non-urgent activities like these so that they don't interrupt the flow of your call.

21. Establish a set of specific personal goals every day. Set activity goals (dials, contacts) and set performance goals (sales, leads, revenue). Post them and drive.

By Jim Domanski of Teleconcepts Consulting. Please visit Jim's web site at www.teleconceptsconsulting.com for additional articles and resources for tele-sales professionals."