Saturday, November 15, 2008

Six Mistakes That Will Get Telesales Managers Fired!

By Terry Stanfield

Business to business telemarketing can be challenging for both call agents and telesales managers. Many people do not respond favorably to outbound telemarketing and managers face the challenge of keeping all their agents up to date with the latest training and techniques. It is easy for both call agents and telesales managers to make mistakes when conducting calls as more and more innovative techniques become necessary to close sales.

If your telesales team is not performing as well as you would like it to, you may be making some common mistakes. Here are six mistakes telesales managers should avoid to ensure that their team is as productive and successful as possible.

Many telesales managers do not adequately prepare their call agents with tips and techniques specific to the target market they will be working with. A lack of preparation can cause both agents and managers to miss out on many potential sales.

When call agents talk too much and listen too little they loose potential sales; this is one of the major mistakes telemarketers make. The same is true for telesales managers; they need to listen to the concerns and ideas of their team to be able to manage effectively.

When telesales managers fail to implement positive change they also risk forfeiting success in business to business telemarketing. New techniques, scripts, and approaches are always evolving so be sure to embrace change for your team to stay on top.

Another common mistake is failing to follow up with team members when a change has been made or new policy implemented. When a telesales manager does not follow up to ensure changes are working or being implemented properly these innovations are wasted.

Some telesales managers have a hard time dealing with challenges and finding solutions. Because telesales is a tough field to be successful in telesales managers must be able to identify and solve problems instead of ignoring them.

As with managers in any industry, telesales managers are responsible for their entire team and their success as well as their failures. Don't make the mistake of passing blame when something goes wrong or if your team is underperforming; the success of your team is your responsibility.

Business to business telemarketing is a challenging field, but with the right attitude and strategy you can be a successful telesales manager. Avoid these common mistakes and you will be on your way to the top. - 15246

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