Know-How Exchange : Copywriting

James,

Whatever you do, don't "pretend" to do something you're not doing. Example: Someone called me from my mortgage company saying "just wanted to make sure you're happy with everything". Answer: "Yes, thanks for the call". Click. They certainly wanted to sell me something.

"This is James from XXXXX, am I catching you at a good time?"

If yes:

"XXXXX works with the marketing departments of newer businesses to help them analyze their results. Do you HAVE a marketing department or do you, like most, where every hat in the office?"

"We use a series of surveys in the analysis. Would you prefer to do those over the phone or online? Online? Great, what e-mail address should I send the survey to?

Over the phone: Ask the questions and then, "Would you like to see how your results compare to other companies?" I'll be happy to e-mail you the comparison. Do you have a general e-mail address or should I send it to a specific person"

Remember to thank them. As with all scripts you must practice it so it sounds natural....almost like a public speaker who practices every er, uh, um etc.

Michael

James,

Whatever you do, don't "pretend" to do something you're not doing. Example: Someone called me from my mortgage company saying "just wanted to make sure you're happy with everything". Answer: "Yes, thanks for the call". Click. They certainly wanted to sell me something.

"This is James from XXXXX, am I catching you at a good time?"

If yes:

"XXXXX works with the marketing departments of newer businesses to help them analyze their results. Do you HAVE a marketing department or do you, like most, where every hat in the office?"

"We use a series of surveys in the analysis. Would you prefer to do those over the phone or online? Online? Great, what e-mail address should I send the survey to?

Over the phone: Ask the questions and then, "Would you like to see how your results compare to other companies?" I'll be happy to e-mail you the comparison. Do you have a general e-mail address or should I send it to a specific person"

Remember to thank them. As with all scripts you must practice it so it sounds natural....almost like a public speaker who practices every er, uh, um etc.

Michael

{quote}What are you trying to sell?
Participation in a online survey designed to help us analyze the perceived value and understanding that new businesses have about branding.{endquote}

That sounds like a problem in search of a question...

I can see what's in it for you. I'm sure that information is valuable - to you.

But what's in it for the person you're calling?

Exactly how does participating in your survey giving you information about their perceived value and understanding about branding help them?

To get any kind of traction of of the telemarketing call, you've got to find an attractive, valuable benefit of participation by the call recipient.

What YOU need, is a decent value proposition for what YOU are doing, that explains the way YOU expect the beauty of what YOU are offering the be seen in the eye of the beholder. And that Value proposition isn't about you. It's about how your prospect feels about what they think you can or will do for THEM.

Just turn around what you are doing, forget what you want for a moment, and try to use what you can do to help the prospect achieve what THEY want.

Whatever that is.

You'll have to work out what they want, first.

Maybe through some kind of a survey...

Such is the nature of marketing.

Hope that helps.

ChrisB

James

Marketing is about a lot more than just BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS through communication.

To quote the founder of MarketingProfs, Allen Weiss,

"Marketing is, in fact, the analysis of customers, competitors, and a company, combining this understanding into an overall understanding of what segments exist, deciding on targeting the most profitable segments, positioning your products, and then doing what's necessary to deliver on that positioning."
(source: here)

Personally, I think most telemarketer-weary consumers would rather hang up than engage in any playful opening spiel or banter with a stranger. So you need to get the WIIFM into the conversation as early as possible.

And while you say you have the WIIFM covered, but you haven't explained that here on the forum, and as a detail pedant, I had to flag that as an issue.

Having said that, I understand you are looking for a precursor to the WIIFM.

You need to be both ingenious and careful, obviously, and I suggest something along the lines of what Peter suggested, which invites a business-oriented response.

You could also try:

Good morning (name), have you had your first cup of coffee yet?

Good day (name), did you see (program) on TV last night?

Good afternoon (name) is it still (raining, sunny, snowing, blowing, whatever meteorological phenomenon is relevant to their location) over there?

Gidday (name) - can you see out of the window from there?

These are all unusual conversation starters more likely to occur in a conversation with a friend than a telemarketer, so may catch the prospect off guard.

Hope something there helps.

Make sure you really do have a valid Value Proposition, too!

ChrisB

I'm not a specialist in the form of telemarketing you are describing (my personal specialty is long term, persistent campaigns to mid-level managers in selected vertical markets)..

... but I'm curious if you have run the numbers to justify making those phone calls. For example, if you get email addresses on 1/2 of the calls (which is high), and you get 5% of folks to open your email, and 40% of them take your survey, and half of those are qualified, then you need to make 200 phone calls per qualified lead...

... and you are bothering hundreds and thousands of busy business folks for no reason, which is why many folks HATE telemarketing.

Isn't there a better way to get email addresses?

James - thanks for the award!

Please let me know how you get on with this, just for fun. I spent so many years on the telephone I hate them now. I don't even own a mobile - probably the only person still alive not to have one.

Peter