Confidence, Tenacity and Success

Telesales, despite what many people say, is not an easy career to undertake. You need to be able to walk into the office in a morning and know that most of the people you are going to speak to will either say no, swear at you, or simply put the phone down.

For some people, such a level of rejection will demotivate them and maybe even emotionally hurt them. If that’s you, I’ll be honest right now: Telesales is not for you. Don’t do it. Don’t even consider it. Stop reading this now; you’ll only be wasting your time.

However, should rejection leave you unaffected, and you are motivated and driven by success, then continue on to learn the best ways to succeed in a telesales career.

Truth is, you only need two attributes to succeed: Confidence and tenacity. The confidence to inform, and the tenacity to close. With these two skills, you will be able to make as much money as possible and become a success: Be the man (or woman) who every telesales company will want to hire. Now, let’s take a look at both of these in turn.

Confidence

Confidence, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition, is:

1. Trust or faith in a person or thing.
2. A trusting relationship: I took them into my confidence.
3. A feeling of assurance, especially of self-assurance.
4. The state or quality of being certain: I have every confidence in your ability to succeed.

That the first and second definitions both refer to trust speaks reams. Your customer, whether prospective or existing, needs to have trust in you. Faith that what you are selling them is not only worth whatever price, but also genuine, accurately described and suitable for them. It matters not what you are selling; be it telephones, computers, a service, or a way to save them money. If the customer doesn’t trust you, then you won’t get the sale.

How can we build trust with a customer?

Be honest. From the very onset of your telephone, be honest with the customer. Do not under any circumstances ever mislead the customer. Common myths about sales are just that: Myths. Making the customer believe one thing when you intend on doing another will not work. Sure, maybe you’ll get a few sales from lying to customers (which is what misleading them actually is), but it isn’t anywhere as effective as honesty.

Inform the customer of who you are. Use your real name, lest you forget the psuedonym you gave. Make sure they know from where you are calling – company name, not location. Present your product in its entirety. Ensure your customer has all relevant information about the product: What it does, what it doesn’t do, the terms of sale and any stipulations that may be involved with the purchase. For example, if you are selling software; Must the customer undergo any mandatory training? If so, how much will that training cost? Giving all this information to your customer will make them see that you are an honest individual, creating trust.

And it is trust in you, not the product, that will get you the sale. Consequently, then, the money and success you desire.

If your role involves account management or reselling, then I’m afraid to say you have a slightly harder job in maintaining the trust you build with a customer. You need to be consistent. Each and every call needs to be a demonstration of integrity. If not, then your customer will lose that confidence: It doesn’t matter if for the past year you’ve always been honest; one lie and that year is negated.

Surety of Self and The Product

The final two definitions of confidence cover self surety and certainty. Here, they apply to knowing that you are honest, trustworthy, and can get the sale; then also to knowing that the product is right for the customer. But, at the same time, your customer needs to know these things. Needs to be demonstrated these facts. Now, I’ll discuss how to do that.

You’re a salesperson. Your trade is to sell to people. That means when you pick up the phone, whoever answers it is going to buy your product. A joiner, yet another tradesman, doesn’t look at two pieces of wood and think, “I’m not going to be able to fix these together.” Neither should you. In sales, what you think becomes reality.

Your customer needs to be shown that you know how to handle them, how to convince them. There are a few ways of doing this:

• Your manner. Speak clearly. Speak loudly, but don’t shout. Stand up if needs be, while on the phone: You will sound so much more sure of yourself without your lungs being restricted. (Try it and notice the difference.)
• Tone of voice. Don’t be flat. A single tone throughout the call will bore the customer, they’ll stop paying attention, at which point any effort you make to build trust will go unnoticed. Don’t read directly from a script or pre-determined pitch. Speak naturally.
• Attitude. Be focused on your work. Attentiveness is key: Listen to the customer, be patient with their concerns. Be positive. Remember this; your attitude becomes your customer’s attitude.

Certainty needs to be established on both sides. You must be certain of your own abilities, and so must the customer. Your customer will always be a reflection of yourself.

And as such, you must be certain of the product in your own mind. Do YOU believe the product is useful, worth the price or of benefit to your clients? Yes? Fantastic! So will the person on the other end of the phone. No? Then don’t bother for a single moment to even consider speaking to anyone. They won’t think so either.

This is something that, perhaps unfortunately, you can’t fake. You need to have a true and solid belief in whatever you are selling.

Tenacity

Tenacity is the quality or act of being tenacious. So, what does the dictionary say about the word tenacious? Let’s take a look:

1. Holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often fol. by of): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.
2. Pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate.
3. Holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough.

And herein lies the true secret to sales: You need to hold fast to your goals. Be they claimbing up the corporate ladder, or just earning as much money as you possibly can. Keep those goals in mind, because the only way you will achieve them within a sales environment is by hitting, and exceeding, the goals given to you.

Stubbornness and Persistence: Getting Your Customer to Say Yes

Persist, persist and then persist some more. Close your customer at every opportunity. Once you have given the relevant information and built trust, don’t stop closing. Ask for the sale. Every sentence you speak, after providing all relevant information, should be asking for the sale. There are only two points at which you stop: a) Your customer says yes, and b) the phone is put down on you.

This is demonstrating tenacity to the customer, which also shows your confidence and surety. The more often you ask for the sale, the more likely your customer is to say yes.

Hold it together

Maintain your manner, tone of voice and attitude throughout the call. Waver in any of these, and you break the confidence. If you’re certain, why would you suddenly become a stuttering baffoon when a customer gives an objection? Yes, that’s what your customer will think.

Maintain your poise, remain composed, and (as mentioned above) keep on closing at every sentence end.

In conclusion

If you take these points into consideration, your sales career will flourish, and with it so will you. You will become a shining success, a motivator, maybe even a hero to some people – And you’ll be able to stand proud, knowing that your success lies within so difficult a trade.

Be confident. Be tenacious. Be successful.