If I were to ask you where the best place to make a sale was, you
would probably answer the Internet, right? You might be surprised
to hear that while the 'Net is still going strong, it's not
necessarily where you could be pulling the bulk of your sales
from.

Even though the Internet is hotter than hot, a lot of major
dot-com's are reverting to the good old telephone to make sales.
Their impressive web sites get lots of interested prospects, then
use a room of veteran telemarketers to make sales.

These firms are finding they can sell small items on the
Internet, but they can get the bigger sales of $500 to $5,000
with a telephone call. The Internet revolution has only increased
the need for telephone marketing. Many of the largest e-commerce
sites ask for your phone number, then have a room of expert
telephone sales reps call you for the big pitch.

Why? Telephone selling works. Here are some simple tips that
will boost your effectiveness on the phone.

**Try to go directly to the person who can authorize a purchase
for your product or service.

**When you get the decision maker on the line, jump into a
concise statement of the main benefit you can bring her. "We
have a new process that can save you 20% on production costs."

**Prospects appreciate courtesy. Begin by asking if it is a good
time to talk. If not, ask the prospect when you can call back.
Have several dates and times ready for suggestion.

**Jot down a few notes before making your call, then use your
talking points to keep your pitch on track. Take a few notes
immediately after the call so you can remember exactly what was
said when it comes time to call again.

**Don't wait too long to ask for the sale.

**Offer to send more information via mail, email, or direct them
to your website.

Figure on meeting up with the 30-30-40 rule when you start
telemarketing. Thirty percent are ready customers, thirty
percent won't buy no matter what you say, and forty percent could
go either way. The quality of your telemarketers and how
skillfully they can convert the forty percent of undecideds is a
big part of your success.

It is far, far easier and less stressful to call people who have
already indicated an interest in what you sell. Use a free
report, e-book, or autoresponder series to find prospects. Ask
for the prospect's phone number when they give you their email
address.

Kevin Nunley provides marketing advice, copy writing, and
promotion packages. See his 10,000 marketing ideas at
http://DrNunley.com Reach Kevin at mailto:kevin@drnunley.com and
801-328-9006.