Our blog this month focuses on the subject of Rejection – if you’ve ever worked in the telemarketing sector, you’ll have heard the word ‘no’ more times than you care to imagine, but one thing we’ve learned is that, despite how it may feel at the time, rejection really is nothing personal!
Falling Foul of the Gatekeeper
One thing to bear in mind is, just because someone has denied your request to speak to their boss or head of department, doesn’t mean that person doesn’t want or need your services – it merely means you’ve fallen foul of today’s gatekeeper. That’s not to say we’d advocate ever pushing and pushing when you’ve been told not to call back as that would be unethical, but it’s always worth revisiting at least once (after a respectable waiting period) as the situation may change. There is some scope in the saying, “persistence is key” (within reason).
Outright Rejection
Obviously, there are some situations when you can tell a downright rejection from the start – you can often hear it in a person’s tone of voice and their “phone language” – you may not be the first person from your company they’ve told “no” to, but you may bear the brunt of their frustrations. They may simply be having a bad day. In these cases, it’s best to stay respectful and not respond with any similar mannerisms; simply end the call politely and move on.
It’s important to note that not all customers who really don’t want your services are frustrated with you; many times, you’ll speak with someone who will explain why they are rejecting your call and why it isn’t feasible for them to work with you. In these cases, be sure to update their notes on your system, so nobody else calls them and turns a happy rejection (but could lead to sales further down the line) into a frustrated one.
Remaining Impersonal
The last thing you want to do is bring your own feelings into the job; it’s never nice being on the receiving end of someone’s frustrations, but even though they may make their feelings personal, it is really a case of being unlucky and calling at the wrong time. These cases are the minority and usually the rudest response you’ll get is being hung up on, but there will be times when it becomes more personal, and those are the times it’s important to take a step back, politely end the call and move on.
Some days may feel like rejection after rejection, which could also be taken personally – “is it something I’ve said?”, but again, it’s important to remember that it’s not you personally that the recipient has a problem with. Of course, it’s important to analyse the reasons why your calls being be being rejected as there could be opportunities for further market research and honing of your products and services, but, inherently, it’s not solely you as a person that they aren’t buying into.
If you find you’re struggling to handle bad calls, or there’s a theme as to why your calls are being denied, it’s worth talking it through with your line manager as they may be able to give further insights as to how you can streamline your approach, and also any other ways you can encourage further discussion. We offer a Telemarketing Training service that may also be of interest; please call us on 0800 085 5574 to find out more or fill in the Contact Us form online!
