Who else is fed up with the telemarketing calls for health insurance, credit card processing, fundraisers (that only give 15% to the charity) and, of course,” Google”? And I’m not even adding the endless market research opinion calls (gotta love election years.) If we could eliminate those call, think how much more productive we could be! But the question that keeps rolling through my brain is, “Who does business with these telemarketurds?” Enough people must to make it profitable for them to continue dialing for dollars.
One possibility is what I call the “Amazon” mindset. People today are looking for the quickest way to save a buck. Never mind the quality, it’s all about convenience and price. They don’t fully understand the health insurance market today so they listen to the “expert” on the other end of the phone, who, of course, has their best interest in mind. Or the merchant service provider calling from India that says they can guarantee the best rates on the credit card processing. And who doesn’t want to help the fallen police officers with a $20 donation which nets $17 to the fundraisers and $3 to the charity?
In the Amazon mindset, the pitch of the boiler room caller is taken as gospel. After all, they have a whole team of people dedicated to “help” save us money. That must mean they can sell for less, just like Amazon. And local businesses can’t compete with that, right? WRONG!
When you find a quality, local business person not only can offer the same products as the telemarketers, but they can get to know you or your business far better. They can find the perfect solution for you rather than grabbing a cookie cutter solution that probably earns them the most in commissions. The local business person is there when questions arise. They are there when situations change in your life or business to help you adapt. Best of all, you build a rapport that makes them a trusted ally.
But the real question is when it comes to telemarketurds is “When was enough rapport and trust built to earn the sale?” When I first started 800biz Ninja Marketing way back in 2000, my main marketing vehicles were door knocking and telemarketing. I was always shocked and delighted if the first visit with a business resulted in a sale. What normally happened was several follow up phone calls or visits before a new client came on board.
I vividly remember a meeting with a young man freshly out of training with an insurance company. We met at a networking mixer and exchanged business cards. As he was taught in his training, he called and wanted to get together to “see how we could help each other.” Being an old salesman myself, I knew that translated to “let me sell you my insurance.” When we met, he pulled out his little trusty folder and pen. I questioned him about his marketing, who he was looking to connect with, etc. He questioned me about my personal life – all the things needed for his insurance profile. He went so far as to ask to give me a quote. It was at that time, the one on one went downhill. My initial response was “You haven’t gained my trust and haven’t built enough rapport to earn my business.” Needless to say, he left without the sale (and didn’t even try following up.)
When I get those telemarketing calls for merchant services or health insurance, my response is always the same – I have someone local that I trust. If they respond that they are local or have local reps, I reiterate that I have someone that I TRUST and just because they know how to dial the phone and read a script doesn’t mean they’ve built any rapport or trust with me.
My business philosophy has always been to treat my clients as business partners. I strive to meet and exceed the expectations of my clients. The last thing I want to do is be walking down the mall, see a client and duck for cover before they see me because I didn’t do what I said I would. My clients become trusted partners, because I focus on building that golden value of rapport. And over the last 18 years, I still have clients with me today that came on board in the early years of 800biz.
So the next time your tempted by the too-good-to-be-true offer, turn off your Amazon mindset. If you think there’s something new that might benefit you or your business, call your trusted local business person. If you don’t have someone, ask your friends who they recommend. Or ask one of your trusted business partners. They will only recommend someone that they trust, since their recommendation reflects back on them.
Believe and trust your local business professionals before any telemarketurds. Go will be glad you did.
Gary Wagnon is the owner of 800biz Ninja Marketing and the Ninja Marketing Dojo. With a passion for small businesses, we help them improve their search engine ranking, increase traffic and return on investment and convert more browsers into buyers.