"The Program"

[calzephyr]

One of the more interesting things I have found in my basement is a script from when I worked briefly as a telemarketer. In 1994-1996, it seemed like it was so freakin' hard for a young person to find a decent job in Calgary. This was a time when you couldn't even seem to get into McDonald's :-P

My two week stint came between the time The Quilted Bear went bankrupt and before I worked at the public library. The phone centre was located in a top floor in the historic Lougheed Building downtown, which was kind of neat. I was paid minimum wage - $5.20/hour.

My job was to phone residents of a British Columbia city and sell them newspaper subscriptions. I can't remember which city or paper, but I hated the deception involved. We had to tell people we were local, and if they asked questions, put them on hold and then ask a supervisor. Some residents of this town were a little savvy and lived outside of the city limits, but I was told that "Yes, we would deliver there!"

I was supposed to master all the steps by the fifth day, but I didn't manage to do it after ten days. Telemarketing was a truly desperate move for me because I hate phones and can't hear well over them :-P I think I only ever made three sales in 40 hours of calling. My breaking point came when I phoned an elderly lady twice - she was on her way to a funeral. Whether that was true or not, she savaged me twice in a row.
However, the script does have some valid points for doing cold calls.

Thankfully the library hired me and well, sorting books for $11 an hour was quite a step up in the world, even if it was just in the basement.


YOU MUST

A) MEMORIZE THE NUMBER: 331422

B) KNOW THE ABC'S
a) FIRST 3 ON "HOW YOU SOUND"
b) NEXT 3 ON "ENDING PARAGRAPHS"
c) 7 IS A "NEVER" AND STANDS ALONE
d) NEXT 4 ON "ALWAYS"
e) NEXT 2 ON "THE CLOSE"
f) "KNOW THE FLOW" AND THE "THREE P'S"

C) MEMORIZE THE RULES

3 - DON'T PAUSE OR HESITATE
AVOID MONOTONE
SOUND ENTHUSIASTIC
DO NOT PUT QUESTIO IN YOUR VOICE

3 - DO NOT ASK YES OR NO QUESTIONS
ALWAYS END WITH OK
ALWAYS USE OK WITH AN UPSWING

1 - NEVER ATTEMPT TO PROVOKE AN OBJECTION AFTER JUST THE FIRST SECTION

4 - ALWAYS CONTINUE TO CONVINCE
ALWAYS ATTEMPT TO PROVOKE AN OBJECTION
ALWAYS AGREE AND SYMPATHIZE BEFORE OVERCOMING
ALWAYS END WITH THE "SUNDAY ONLY" PRESENTATION

2 - USE THE CLOSE QUICKLY, SMOOTHLY, WITHOUT HESITATION, WORD FOR WORD

Comments

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

I haven't done cold calling, but I've done signature gathering for friends running for union offices, and I suspect there are similarities. It's an interesting experience, I feel I learned a lot about what people think of the union through talking to them like that. I don't particularly enjoy doing it though.

[calzephyr77.livejournal.com]

At least that way it's something you're interested in (even if mildly) and you got to chat with people instead of trying to sell them something! Sometimes I get survey people and I do love talking to them, although I try not to ruin their call to time ratio :-)

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I try not to take up too much of people's time, and if they tell me they're not interested I thank them and leave.