I was asked the other day what my best telemarketing tip was and as boring as this may sound, my answer was “ensure you have a qualified sales pipeline”. But can it really be that simple? In my humble opinion, it’s only as complicated as we allow it to be. It’s not going to shock you to hear that your sales numbers are at risk if your pipeline is not steady and strong enough to help you achieve your sales targets. If we are not generating enough qualified leads and qualifying prospects in AND out, how will we generate sales? And what would we do without that lovely little word otherwise known as ‘momentum’…well we could start slinging mud at the walls and hoping it sticks! Or we could embrace the reality that successful telemarketing requires effort and consistency. So, if you think your next big client is going to slink over tomorrow morning for tea and biscuits and sign up with you without any effort on your side, then it’s time to quit your dolly daydreaming! (And if your next big thing does come knocking tomorrow, I take mine with milk, no sugar and with a dash of embarrassment!) Every business has a defined gestation period before sales leads and profit begins to flow. So how many hot/warm leads do you have in your pipeline at the moment? And how many calls, conversations with a Gatekeeper / Decision Maker and encountering Voicemail etc does it take you to generate a sale or appointment? Are you truly aware of the above? As a true sales person we just have to know what activity we need to put in in order to achieve our targets. Once we’re aware, we’re in control. And when we’re in control and aware of our stats it’s very natural to consistently deliver results because we know what we need to do to fill any gaps. With the possibility (and no need to mention probability) of rejection the only way you can achieve your sales quota is to generate the maximum number of leads and qualify the maximum number of prospects out of them and thereby increase the chances of selling. It’s time consuming but certainly worthwhile working on each lead and prospect diligently so that not a single one is wasted. After all, intelligent telemarketing is not just about qualifying prospects in, but also about qualifying them out. If you’re looking for the practical tools and solutions required to make your new business development campaign a success, feel free to drop me a line or call me on 0845 658 8192. Samantha Oggelsby www.getsoundadvice.co.uk