Inside Sales Tips Blog

Breaking the Telemarketer Stereotype

Let’s face it. We’re inside salespeople. But we don’t sell gadgets or widgets over the phone. We sell something more important; an idea or vision that is worth 30 minutes or more of a prospect’s time to meet with our client. We’re not just appointment setters; we go several steps further in order to identify qualified decision makers and speak directly with these executives to arrange introductory interactions for our clients.

In representing our clients, it is important to break the cold calling, telemarketer stereotype.

How we do this:

• Pitch and Tone. Little enthusiasm or too much enthusiasm will signal to the prospect that we’re just another vendor call. Having the right amount of enthusiasm is critical.


• Pace. Slow down. Talking to a prospect does not mean trying to fit every bit of information you can in to a 30 second window. Which brings me to my next point:


• Have a conversation. We are not calling a prospect merely to ask for time on their calendar. We do not follow a formulated script. We are calling to identify if the prospect is a right fit, has the correct responsibilities, and to see if we can meet their needs, not just our own. This can be accomplished in the course of a back and forth conversation. Ask questions.


• Listen. No one wants to be "talked at."

A telemarketer calls people and tries to sell them a subscription to a daily newspaper. On 20% of her calls, there is no answer or the line is busy. She sells subscriptions to 5% of the remaining calls. For what proportion of calls does she make a sale?