Personal Trainer And Business Owner Ellie Burscough's Top 10 Tips To Conquering Telephone Sales

Why is it that some people are literally TERRIFIED to pick up the telephone and call leads?

I remember back in the day when only yuppies had cell phones and 9 times out of 10 when a prospect actually gave you their contact details you were stuck with a home phone number, which meant having to try and avoid calling them during dinner, or too late or whatever.

There has never been a better time than now to actually get the person that you want on the phone thanks to the fact that 99% of the world now carry cell phones with them; yet many trainers still botch or even avoid calling leads simply because they're unprepared.

After reading this guest post by a good friend of mine and massive supporter of My Business Is Fitness; ex tele-sales gun, turned personal trainer and proud owner of Power Mums, Ellie Burscough; you will have no excuse to not kick some ass, because Ellie has VERY kindly given us her top 10 tips to making quality calls and closing deals.

Over to Ellie:

Having worked in telemarketing for 5 years before becoming a PT I, unlike a lot of PT’s, am very comfortable on the phone.

Being brand new to the industry I was unsure at first how telemarketing and phone sales would work in this industry. To be honest I was a little scared at first, but once I got on the phone it was easy.

Picking up the phone is essential not only for sales and marketing but customer service and client retention. People love that you have taken the time to talk to them one on one and really appreciate the extra service.

However the phone mostly comes into play with sales. Emailing back and forth or even worse emailing and getting no response wont get you clients and will waste a lot of time.

Here are my top 10 tips for phone sales for PT’s:

1. Have a script but don’t sound scripted

It’s important to write a script for each different campaign you are doing. This way you will know what to say and know what is working and what isn’t. Use the script as a general guideline that allows for questions and conversation, make sure you don’t sound like you are actually reading a script.

2. Test and measure

Make sure you test and measure different approaches. If something isn’t working or doesn’t feel right for you then change it.

3. Know your objections

You will get the same objections over and over again. Write them all down with objections handles, so that you know how to overcome them next time.

4. Call as quickly as possible

If you have a huge list of hot leads from a recent joint venture, event, open day etc make sure you call them as soon as possible. They don’t stay hot for long. The sooner you call them the more chance you have of converting them in to paying clients. This goes for new enquiries as well.

5. Build rapport

Build rapport at the start of the conversation. That way you will get to know them and have more chance of helping them with what they need. You will sound less salesy and more like you are having a conversation. Use this chance to get to know them a bit more and what they want.

6. Pre-qualify

After building rapport ask them pre-qualifying questions. Things that you would ask in a pre-exercise questionnaire like:

• What are you main goals with your health and fitness at the moment?
• How important is this to you on a scale of 1-10?
• What is your biggest challenge at the moment?

These questions allow you to find out if the person is really serious about taking action. If they say their goal is only a 2 or 3 or they don’t really know their goals you can tell from the start they may not be very interested. Don’t waste your time pushing someone who isn’t ready and give the next person a call.

7. Don’t talk all about you and your business

Don’t tell them all about your business and what you offer right at the beginning. They don’t care. They want to know how you can help them get results. After finding out all about them and what they want then tell them how you can help them reach their goals.

8. Make sure you ask for the sale

If you have gone through all of these steps and they are really keen then make sure you ask for the sale. A good conversation can end with no result if you don’t ask.

On the other hand if they don’t seem that keen don’t push it. Maybe offer a free product like an e-course or sign up to your newsletter so you have them on your database. Judge how keen they are from the conversation and then close.

9. Always be positive

Even if they aren’t interested right now they may be a future client or tell their friends all about you. Always be positive and help as best you can.

10. Don’t be scared, just pick up the phone!

You may feel nervous or even sick in the stomach in the beginning but it gets easier as you go along. Don’t be scared, just pick up the phone. It gets easier with each phone call. You might even have fun!

About Ellie.

Ellie (in black) with some of her incredible Power Mums!

I put on 20kg's in my pregnancy. After giving birth to my daughter in April last year I wanted to lose the weight as quickly but healthily as possible. I couldn't find anything that catered for Mums, where you could take your baby along but have them looked after whilst you work out.

Something where you could train outside and that was affordable. I managed to lose the 20kg's I put on in pregnancy in 5 months and by the end of the year lost a total of 29kg's.

I wanted to help other Mum's through this journey as I know how hard it can be. So Power Mums was born. I started Power Mums in January this year.

At Power Mums we have qualified babysitters to look after the babies and older kids whilst we work out, we train outside in the park, have affordable packages and best of all our a community of strong, powerful women. It's not just about the work outs but building a support network, making new friends and having fun.

Within 3 months I had 30 Mum's signed up to my classes and within 6 months have just set up my second location with 17 Mum's signing up straight away. I love what I do, I love all my Power Mums and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Website: www.powermums.com.au
Facebook: Power Mums
Email: info@powermums.com.au
Phone: 0432 321 046

Ellie

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