Telemarketing with Local Media

Telemarketing with Local Media -

Telemarketing withLocal Media

Thanks for your interest in a Telemarketing (Advertising Sales Agent)position with Local Media Pty Ltd. Our company publishes newspapersacross Australia and is also consistently expanding with new publica-tions elsewhere around the globe.

This planned expansion enables us to offer additional positions.The world’s business environment increasingly includes technology

includes computers, fax, internet and websites. Our company uses thetelephone extensively as a successful way to contact our customers ...and our potential new clients.

We bring good-value advertising opportunities to business people,assisting them to build their enterprises. With those opportunities, alsocome exciting benefits for proficient telemarketers working on our team.

This booklet seeks to explain a little about our company, opportuni-ties for telemarketing people, and techniques that we believe are impor-tant for your optimum success.

A Word About Telemarketingfrom the Publisher of Local Media Pty Ltd, Ash Long

When I started my career in newspapers back in 1969, it was a verydifferent business environment.

There were no fax machines or computers in general use. Most news-papers were made with ‘hot metal’ plates ... with the technique like a bigrubber stamp. Full-colour advertising was a novelty.

Advertisers in newspapers back then demanded that representativesvisit their places of businesses, to arrange even the smallest of ads.

Times have changed and so has the way that the world does business.We like our company to be at the forefront of this progress.

telemarketing.pmd 9/2/2005, 9:15 AM1


In the 1970s, we would not have dreamed of ‘ringing’ an existingclient to arrange their advertising - over the phone. But in those times-of-old, we were also running our offices without calculators and photo-copiers!

Three decades later, a major part of our company’s growth is fromcontacting business people by telephone - and winning their custom.

Actually, Telemarketing is a simple process where everyone wins. Weclearly and concisely present a business proposition, ask for the busi-ness, and win a good slice of it!

The Power of Telemarketing‘Quadrant’ magazine published a survey that showed that almost one-

third (28 per cent) of the Australian population received an unsolicitedsales phone call in the previous 90 days. Some 47 per cent has receiveda telephone call for a charitable donation.

Eighteen per cent of these calls (almost one-in-five) resulted in a posi-tive sales or donation result.

Telemarketing is a science. It involves strategy: conscientiously andeagerly working to a plan. To be the best, we expect our AdvertisingSales Agents to treat our potential customers with the utmost respect.

This respect means that we expect our Agents to be proficient, vi-brant, energetic, truthful, efficient and talented. It means sound productknowledge ... and, above all else, common sense.

Some Day-To-Day Helpful HintsThis booklet attempts to share our thoughts about Telemarketing, along

with some practical hands-on tips that we have gathered over the years.If you have any questions at any time, I invite you to phone me - Ash

Long - any time on 1-800 231 311. Or send me an e-mail:[email protected]

Good fortune in your Telemarketing endeavours in ‘partnership’ withLocal Media Pty Ltd.



There is a successful method of Telemarketing. Conversely, there arealso many unsuccessful ways to approach the profession.

If you aspire to work in association with an ethical company that val-ues its Advertising Sales Agents, and its customers, then we believe youwill be agreeably happy with Local Media Pty Ltd.

We have a proven method of consistently providing you with ‘warm’sales prospects. We use prepared telephone scripts which have been pol-ished over the years, to maximise sales results.

We have established ways of doing business - at competitive prices.We like to be super-efficient in our communications.

If, however, you are looking for a short-term, casual, slap-dash posi-tion, we urge you to look elsewhere.

If you are looking to re-invent Telemarketing, then we think you’llalso be happiest elsewhere.

There are not a dozen alternative ways about going about aTelemarketing sales agent position with Local Media. We have a waythat works, and works well.

What We Do ...Local Media Pty Ltd publishes newspapers. Our major income is de-

rived from the sale of advertising space in those newspapers.We derive our business growth by producing good newspapers that

are read by the maximum number of readers. By doing that, we put ouradvertisers’ messages in front of the most available number of people.

We assume you are reading this booklet because you wish to derivean income from selling advertising by telephone, using our methods.

Telesales:This isnot an

experiment



Working From HomeLocal Media Pty Ltd has a policy that all Advertising Sales Agents

work best from their own Home Offices.Our decision to ‘de-centralise’ originates from our opposition to

telemarketing ‘boiler rooms’, where operators work in noisy, tight cu-bicles ... a bit like a battery of hatch hens.

Your best results do not come from surroundings like that!It also means our Advertising Sales Agents manage their time to the

best efficiency!

An example was one of our people who was originally working withanother company. She was travelling by train from Dandenong to theMelbourne CBD every day: 1½-hours to work every morning; another1½-hours back every evening.

Three hours a day in unproductive travel. Multiply these three hoursby five days a week, totalled 15 hours a week. By working at home, shere-gained those 15 hours - splitting that time ... half of it now goes toearning extra cash with us; the other half goes towards herself and herfamily. This includes a daily 30-minute walk to maximise her health -and lose weight at the same time!

We also have selfish reasons for deciding that our Advertising SalesAgents work ‘off-site’. Their calls are more productive. They work inquiet - the perfect phoning environment.

Our customers HEAR the difference. They do not perceive they arepart of some mass-marketing exercise.

Working from your Home Office naturally means that our newspaperproduction costs are kept to a minimum. That means our advertisingrates are consistently more economical than our opposition. And thatmeans more sales success - for us, our agents and our customers.



There’s a favourite old line sharedin business: “Your pay rise becomeseffective immediately that you do.”

At Local Media Pty Ltd, we areunashamed that our AdvertisingSales Agents have the opportunity toconsistently earn a seriously good in-come. No upper limits.

We pay weekly ... and we are ea-ger to ensure your cheque is the bestamount that it can possibly be!

We believe that the best rewardcan be achieved by our AdvertisingSales Agents with a straight 20 percent commission rate. No cap!

Maximum ShareA few applicants for our Advertising Sales Agent positions some-

times ask for a retainer, and a lesser commission rate.Or could we pay less commission, andsubsidise their phone costs?We politely disagree. Why should we pay you less than maximum?Will you respect us in the long term if we pay you less than best?Our annual business budget provides for 20 per cent of our sales rev-

enue as ‘cost of sales’. 20 dollars in 100 is paid to our Advertising SalesAgents, on their own sales. It is a straight-forward happy arrangement.

Doing Your SumsWe are able to pay 20 per cent commission to our contractors, be-

cause we keep our direct costs to a minimum.You work as a Contractor. This means your provide Tax Invoices to

us (with your ABN number) each every week. You pay your own costssuch as phone calls, taxation, any insurances, WorkCare, annual andother leave provisions, etc.

You must take advice from your financial advisor if this arrangementbest suits you and your business plans.

Paying youwhat you’re worth



‘Warm’ selling:coming in from the coldCan you think back to the old cartoon characters of vacuum sales people,going door-to-door, with their shoe in the door?

It’s known as ‘cold-selling’ ... probably the most difficult sales job inexistence. Hundreds of soul-destroying ‘knock-backs’, hours of wastedtime. We don’t work that way.

Working SmarterAt Local Media Pty Ltd, we like to work smarter rather than harder.We provide our Advertising Sales Agents with fresh lists of the ‘warm-

est’ sales prospects available.These can be delivered to you by mail (Express Post if necessary) -

and we also include a copy of each potential client’s latest print ad.Our research team scans all available print advertisements from every

newspaper in capital cities and our other distribution areas.We analyse the best possible clients, and distill these into lists which

give you a list of clients, their phone numbers, and other ‘source; infor-mation.

Few media companies give such complete back-up to their teams.

Your Time Is Used EfficientlyWe believe in using time to its best advantage.Our time. Your time. And the time of our clients.Our unique method of prospecting means that Advertising Sales Agents

can spend 100 per cent of their time in touch with clients.And that means you can earn to your maximum.



Whatyou will

needApplicants for our Advertising Sales Agents contractor appointments

are provided with our latest Information Kit. After the interview process,you may be offered aposition on a trial basis.

Our arrangements are based on the Agreement, a sample copy of whichis included in the Information Kit.

If this occurs, you will become a Contractor to Local Media PtyLtd.You do not become an employee. This is a legal agreement which placesobligations upon you. You need to pay your own costs such as all yourphone calls/rental, your stationery, your office expenses, your taxation,your insurances, leave provisions, work care insurance payments, etc.

You must your own professional advice to assess if these arrange-ments suit you. We cannot and do not advise you in this regard. Youmust weigh this up for yourself.

If we reach agreement to proceed, you will need:■ A current ABN. This should appear on the Tax Invoices that

you send us weekly. You apply to the Australian Taxation Officefor your ABN.

■ A good workable Home Office. This should include a good,standard landline telephone. We advise against using mobile andportable phones - customers hear the difference.

■ A quiet working environment.■ Easy access to a fax or e-mail to send/receive communications.

You will need to send your sales informationto us on a daily basis.We send written confirmation advice to all your customers ona same-day basis.

■ An acceptance of working within our method.Stick to our script ... it works!

■ A smile in your voice, persistence and optimism.A real desire to earn well.



Some handy tipsOver the years, we have developed some handy Telemarketing Tips,which lift our results markedly:

■ Headsets. It took us years to covert to using one ... but our successrate zoomed. It enables you to work hands-free. It eliminatesa surprising amount of noise. Our customers hear the difference.We use the ‘Jackson’ head-set, which you can buy from Officeworksfor under $70. Not compulsory, but vcry handy!

■ Have the ad in front of you. In addition to a Sales Leads sheet,we provide a copy of the potential client’s latest press ad.Have it in front of you - so you can quickly include any ‘copy’changes that the client may request.

■ Work with a pen. If you are working hands-free, have your penhandy ... be ready for the sale. We personally work with threecoloured markers for our Sales Leads sheets: Red for ‘No’,‘Yellow’ for ring-backs; and glorious Green for sales.Your progress at a glance.

■ Stick to the list. Stick to the script. You want the hottest, freshestleads ... so we provide a fresh list of quality prospects.They are selected on criteria including industry, ability to pay,client history. Over a number of years, these have proven to bethe most effective client lists to use. We update these lists daily!

■ Phone manners. If you are using a standard telephone, pleaseremember some elementary phone manners. Have a smile in yourvoice; don’t wear a bangle or a bracelet that knocks against thereciever; don’t bang your phone down on a wooden desk - it’snoisy’, say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’; avoid having backgroundnosies (especially children, dogs, babies, radios, etc.)

■ Never be afraid. If you don’t know the answer, there are simplewords to use: “I’m not sure. I’ll find out and I’ll ring you backimmediately.” Never be afraid to admit that you do not knowsomething. Your customer will appreciate your honesty.



The Script

It has come to the time to make your first call for Local Media Pty Ltd.If you phone someone and say nothing, you can be certain you will get

a zero result.If you phone someone and say “Wanna buy an ad?”, you might get a

1-in-100 success rate?If you phone someone -and USE OUR SCRIPT - you should aver-

age a consistent and healthy sales rate.

Publisher Ash Long relates his experiences:Over time, you will become increasingly expert at the Telemarketing

script we have developed over the years.Every word is there for a definite reason. Please stick to the script.

We have consistently found that Telemarketing works like a lawof arithmetic.

When you start, you may average a success rate of 1-in-14.As you become more familiar with the script, you could start to see

about three sales in 14, or even better.This is between one-in-three or one-in-four customers. ‘Wow!’

You will probably start processing calls at the rate of 14 leads an hour.The successful calls average about six minutes - including time to

process customer information, payment details, etc.Your call rate will probably slow during the day - unless you are very

disciplined.You CAN earn wonderful commissions - if you are very disciplined.



More Random Hints■ Stay Clear. Be clear, pleasant and well-modulated. Avoid ‘um’, ‘er’ ...we have scripts, we have answered to Frequently Answered Questions.

■ Total No-No. No eating, no drinking, no smoking, no chewing - whileyou call. All these things can be heard at ‘the other end’. You are part ofthe finest Telemarketing Team ... please ensure it sounds that way!

■ Answering Machines/Voice Mail. Don’t bother leaving messages.Call back instead. Stay in control of the timing.

■ Stay Happy. Smile before you are connected. Draw a ‘smiley’ face toremind yourself. Sound happy and relaxed, no-one wants to deal with agrouch.

■ Don’t Allow Yourself To Get Angry. You don’t win phone argumentswith potential clients. No-one can make you angry - without your con-sent! This is a numbers game ... simply move on to the next prospect.

■ Don’t Take It Personally. Don’t take too much time wondering whyyou didn’t get a particular sale. Stick to the script, and you will achieve aregular level of success.

■ Dressing For Work At Home. Dress for work as though you aregoing to call on your customers personally. Wear a dirty tracksuit - andyou’ll get tracksuit results. It’s all about mood.

■ Create A Sense Of Urgency. You want to acheive a sale in THATphone call. If you are asked when the deadline is, you can reply: “Becausewe have an early deadline, it’s right away.That’s why I’m offering you thisat such a special price.”

■ Stay In Control. If a customer asks for our number, and they say theywill call back ... try this. Give our phone number: 1-800 231 311. Thensay: “I am just going to the Production Department, can I phone you backin 15 minutes?” Most people agree. This means you keep control of yourtiming. Phone back at the agreed time: “Hello, it’s (first name) from theMelbourne Observer, phoning back as promised ...”



Telemarketing Truths

■ Manners Do Count. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephonein 1876 ... 130 years later, some people have yet to discover phone cour-tesy. Don’t be an offender. If you get a troublesome person, simply endthe call with “I’m sorry, I’ll withdraw the offer.” Problem solved.

■ Courtesy. It is amazing how many don’t say ‘Please’ and ‘ThankYou’. You may be surprised how use of these little words will increaseyour sales rate. And it costs you absolutely nothing.

■ Use Their Name. get their first name early ... and repeat it during thecall. (You gave your first name at the start of the call.)

■ Accents and Names. A thick accent will not help you in aTelemarketing career. Neither will a difficult first name; you may con-sider using a short, easy-to-use substitute name with your clients. This isall about being ‘user-friendly’

■ Technique. Stay close to the mouthpiece. Speak clearly. Listen care-fully.



Avoiding thehazards in a

Telemarketingcareer

■ I’ve made more than 100,000 sales calls in my newspaper career:And it’s easy to make some conclusions.

■ Telemarketing is a numbers game. If you stick to the script, if youhave ‘a smile on your dial’, you should achieve a regular sales rate.Over time, I’ve calculated that I sell an average $42.56 worth ofadvertising on each call ... whether I actually sell it on THATcall or not.

■ I am no different to any other Telemarketing person ... exceptperhaps that I’ve been doing it for longer than most! My realenemy is not the person on the other end of the line. My realenemy is a natural reluctance to make the next call. ‘Get over it!’

■ Working from a Home Office can have its disadvantages as well asadvantages. “I’ll just go for a call of nature ... I’ll just go and makea cup of tea ... I’ll just go and phone so-and-so”. Thirty minutescan slip away easily ... five or more calls that are never made up.

■ Telemarketing needs disciplines. You need to set targets foryourself. A set starting time. 10 calls before morning tea.Another 10 before lunch. All supplies in place. Keep measuringyourself - so you can lift your game. Keep score. Beat yesterday.

■ Telemarketing with Local Media can be lucrative. Your earningslargely depend on your own self-discipline. Keep phoning.Hang up, ring up. Good habits will work for you.This is as much about your own personal growth. I recommend it.


Telemarketing with Local Media

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