A prospect decides within the first 10 seconds whether they will listento, or end, your sales call. Appropriate training is a telemarketer's bestdefense against the "brush-off," and the only way to ensure thatyour telemarketing investment pays off. "There is a specific set ofskills they need to handle this situation and to give them confidence,"says telemarketing expert Helen Berman. As President of Helen Berman &Associates, she has spent the last seven years teaching telemarketing skillsto trade show and other industry executives.

Just how much advance preparation and training is needed depends uponthe telemarketer's experience, and the type of selling they will be doing.How much knowledge will they need to communicate effectively with your prospects?For simple registration calls, training might come entirely from the latestshow brochure, an exhibitor list and an explanation of the registrationform. Booth sales, on the other hand, require the kind of professional presentationonly achieved through a planned training course.

Training essentials

Even the most basic training program should provide an overview of the tradeshow industry, specific information about your show and general telemarketingtechniques. Industry background can be presented by simply explaining whata trade show is, how it works and why it's the most cost-effective marketingmedium. A more comprehensive approach might also present show classifications-- vertical/horizontal, regional/national -- a historical perspective onthe trade show industry and even a list of trade associations and publicationswhich provide further information.

From broad concepts on trade show marketing, a training program typicallymoves into show specific background and product information. The NationalRestaurant Association's one week telemarketing training course does justthat. "We start with a generic overview of what a trade show is, thennarrow the focus to the NRA, its history and growth," explains AndyWroblewski, Director of Convention Sales and Operations.

Key show marketing information such as audience and exhibitor profiles,and a description of competing shows, is crucial to a thorough show background."We use our annual audience survey to illustrate who attends, fromwhat geographic areas, and what products they're interested in," saysWroblewski. Future show goals such as new target markets or major programchanges are also discussed during this phase of training.

The next area reviewed with telemarketers is typically pricing and other"current year" information such as educational programming, venueinformation and advertising/promotional opportunities available to exhibitors.According to Wroblewski, "Ancillary show services make up a big partof an exhibitor's budget, so it's important for telemarketers to be ableto provide prices for these services up front."

Company policies, job responsibilities and performance expectations areoften covered in the training sessions as well. Making it clear, for example,what percentage of the telemarketer's time will be spent on the phone illustratesexactly where your priorities lie. "We tell new telemarketers thatafter the training period is over they will spend 99 percent of their timecalling, and we will expect 'X' amount of contracts every week," saysWroblewski. Targeted goals for the number of calls, contacts and sales perday, week or month helps the telemarketer gauge their performance and budgettime accordingly.

Telemarketing techniques

While individual needs and experience may temper the presentation of industryand show training material, telemarketing basics are constant. Trainingprograms that outline the basic elements of a phone sale help plot a predictablepath new telemarketers can follow from introduction to close. This structuralmap illustrates when to listen, when to ask questions and when to close.More importantly, its usage puts the telemarketer in control.

According to Berman, the elements or stages of a phone sale can be visualizedas an inverted triangle representing the amount of time typically spenton each stage (see Before you make the call...).The information gathering or "qualifying" phase is first, followedby an abbreviated product presentation, and ending with the close.

Within each of these stages there are techniques and skills that newtelemarketers must learn. Although independent consultants and private seminarsoffer comprehensive materials on this subject, many show managers will simplydraw this portion of the training from their own phone sales experience.

The first lesson comes even before the prospect is reached. "Theyneed to know how to get past the secretary, or what I call the 'palace guard,"'quips Berman. The idea is to convince the gatekeeper that your call is importantto the boss. For example, informing the secretary that you're calling todiscuss the company's plans for the upcoming MEGA show may imply a previousinterest. Another technique is to enlist the secretary as an ally, perhapsby asking for advice on when the best time to reach the boss might be. Thepsychology is different in each case -- which is more effective will dependupon the personality of each "palace guard."

Once the right person is reached, the call moves into the introduction,or "opening benefits statement." According to Berman, "It'sa simple sentence that identifies who you are, what you are offering anda reason for them to be interested. It sells them on having the conversation."Rather than announcing that they are calling to discuss the MEGA show, telemarketersinstead might say they are calling to discuss how a booth at the MEGA showwill introduce their product to a wider, more qualified audience than anyother marketing medium.

Show managers are careful to make their opening statements neither toobroad nor too specific. Telemarketers, for example, who introduce themselveswith a promise that a booth at the MEGA show will enhance a company's marketingplans, will usually not catch anyone's attention. On the other hand, appealingto a specific interest such as new product introductions will not appealto the prospects without new products.

If the opening statement is successful, the caller can segue into the"qualification and needs analysis" stage. "The purpose isto find out if there is a match between what their needs are, and what weare offering," says Wroblewski. Short of actual "quizzing,"the telemarketer needs to ask enough questions to discover exactly how theshow would benefit this prospect, or why it wouldn't. "While you uncovertheir needs through questions about their marketing plans, you are alsobuilding your case for the sale," Berman states. Qualifying questionsdiffer from event to event, but most show managers try to uncover a company'sshow participation history and marketing plans. The information gatheringstage of the phone sale ends once the telemarketer has verified the prospect'smarketing needs.

At this point the caller begins the "presentation" stage byrelating the exact show benefits that meet a prospect's particular needs."The presentation can be very short because you only have to talk aboutbenefits that will have meaning to the client," explains Berman. Ifthe presentation sounds like the easiest part of the phone sale, it canalso become the most intimidating when objections enter the picture.

Handling objections

Forewarned is forearmed when it comes to handling prospect objections. Bermanrecommends that the telemarketing training session include a list of everypossible objection and practical responses for each. In many cases, uncoveringthe real objection is half the battle -- and critical if a proper solutionis to be found. "If they say it's a money problem, you need to askwhether it's actual show costs, or the cost of product distribution to gonational, or staffilng costs to man the booth," says Wroblewski.

In this way, the salesperson can advise the prospect on solutions basedon experience with other exhibitors. "It's more often a case of puttingthings into perspective for a client than actually proving them wrong,"Berman relates. If a telemarketer is trained to think like a problem-solver,he is less likely to slip into an adversarial role with the prospect. Themost successful telemarketers are those who think of themselves as peoplewho help exhibitors achieve their goals -- not as people who sell boothsfor a living.

A caller may attempt many closes in a single sales call and be met withobjections each time. "You have to learn to recognize when a prospectis ready to close, and have the courage to move on it," says Berman.She recommends the "assumptive close" as the most effective closingtechnique. The "assumption" is made by shifting the conversationfrom a discussion of IF, to talking about HOW. In practice, a telemarketerwould ask what size booth the prospect needs, rather than asking if theywant a booth. This close must always be based on the reality of the conversationBerman warns. "If used prematurely, the prospect may feel manipulatedand hang up."

Scripts and role playing

With the staff fully trained, there remains one final program decision.Should you use a standard script -- a call guide with responses to varyingsituations -- or let your callers ad lib? The level of experience and confidenceamong your salespeople will determine your best choice.

Scripts are ideal when you're after a consistent message in large-scaleregistration calling or market surveys. But the highly structured formatwill sound stiff and inappropriate for the kind of individual interactionrequired of exhibit sales. In such cases, less structured call guides cangive confidence to the inexperienced. "It's a planned dialogue whichcontains a variety of introductions, complete product information organizedinto categories, a list of objections and appropriate responses and a listof qualifying questions the caller needs to ask," says Sandra Pernick,Past President of the American Telemarketing Association, and Presidentof S. Pernick & Associates, a telemarketing consulting agency.

Incorporating new information and sales techniques into a call takespractice. Yet working the bugs out on real prospects is too risky. Thisis why role playing is so critical to telemarketing training. Role playingscenarios need to be specific so all situations are tested in advance. "Notonly should different objections be practiced, but different types of prospectsshould also be rehearsed -- like those who have never exhibited in the showversus those who have," advises Pernick. Scenarios might include differentindustries, varying titles, even different geographic locations if pertinent.

Motivating callers

Self doubt and lack of enthusiasm has lost as many sales as inexperience."Phone work exposes a salesperson to a tremendous amount of rejectionevery day," says Berman. "It has to be OK to hear 'no' withouttaking it personally. " But keeping morale up after the tenth rejectionof the day can be difficult. Because of this, turnover is a constant threatto a telemarketing department's efficiency. Occasional motivational boostsprovided by management will reduce, if not entirely ward off, this occupationalhazard.

"The best way to keep telemarketers motivated is to make them feelthey are successful and that they make an important contribution to thecompany," advises Pernick. Keeping your salespeople informed and emphasizingsuccesses regularly is the easiest way to instill this positive outlook.And since a person's self-worth is often tied to a pay check, it's importantthat telemarketers feel they are receiving adequate compensation. Some showmanagers use an occasional contest rewarding the top seller of the day toput enthusiasm back into lackluster presentations. Berman warns, however,that this technique should be used cautiously. "Competitions that pitsalespeople against each other leave only one winner, and could inadvertentlysink the confidence and morale of the others."

A weekly sales meeting is often the perfect place to hand out these motivationalboosts. Wroblewski's meetings are a place to applaud progress towards salesgoals, share tips on what techniques are working and create two-way communicationthat fosters a "team" spirit. "We ask them what they needfrom us to make them more successful," he adds.

Armed with information, technique and motivation, the telemarketer isready to face the phones with an attitude of confidence. And that may bethe most important outcome of a telemarketing training program says Berman."How the telemarketer views himself is at least 50 percent of the game,"she observes.

Sidebar: Before you make the call...