Now that everything’s in place, what next?

PROSPECT LISTS AND SCRIPTS

So now you have everything in place, right? What’s next? What you need now to compliment your workstation is a good reliable prospect list. Or, as it is sometimes called, a suspect/prospect list.

Everyone on list is a suspect that, based on your findings and conversations can turn into a sales prospect and then hopefully a client/customer. This list includes people who are possible candidates for whatever you are selling or marketing. It could be just a survey that you’re doing that could turn into sales in future.

Depending on you needs these list are available at various costs to you or your company. Even with your online business you will eventually talk to one of your clients or a possible prospect to your business. No matter how many emails you send back and forth, to be successful you must talk to someone eventually.

O.k., so now you have a list that should contain contact information. What do you do now? It doesn’t make any difference if your doing tm for local screen or garage door company within your local home geographical area or nationally. And, if contacting corporations to sell services or products is your thing, premise is same.

You need a good accurate list! Make sure that list you have has right contact information and is not outdated. What good is a contact list if people listed have moved, changed companies or have phone numbers that are not accurate or no longer listed? More about prospect/contact lists later in this book.

Now comes a very important part. What are you going to say and ask when you speak to contacts? What you need before you start is a good tm script. Of course, knowledge of your product or service whether it’s online or off is most important aspect of any tm program.

How can you ask your suspect/prospect right questions or more importantly, answer their questions correctly without detailed knowledge of your product or service? So, before you start sit down and write out what you are going to ask and at same time develop some key prompt notes as part of your script that will enhance your ability and knowledge on phone.

It is very difficult and next to impossible to conduct a detailed successful program without a script. Many telemarketers have contact lists that require hundreds of calls over a certain period of time. Time is money and most companies running tm programs have time constraints placed on tm program so that they get prospect information in a timely and efficient manner.

A booklet is both a profit center and a marketing tool. Every time you sell a copy of your informational tips booklet, it brings you direct revenue while promoting you to a larger audience.

Every person who reads your booklet is a ready-made marketing representative for you and your company. As a single-copy buyer, they could be a decision-maker for buying large quantities of your booklet to use for their company's promotional purposes. A company or association who purchases a large quantity of your booklets as a promotional tool for their own purposes promotes *you* with each and every booklet they distribute. They have paid you to promote you. Life doesn't get much better than that!

They may also be or know of a reporter or producer to schedule you for an interview. The reader might have contacts in another country or a community in your own country who have interest in licensing your booklet into another language or different physical format. You may be just person to consult or train on an issue. Or, if you are also a speaker, they may need a series of speeches in different locations or departments within their organization. Any of that and more can happen from a booklet.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to how a booklet can serve your business. Write on topic you enjoy most so your client can have a choice of booklet or any of your other services when they are in buying mode. The client may want to purchase booklets first, and buy your book or your articles or hire you to speak later, or buy both product and service at same time. Everyone benefits either way.

What will your first booklet be?

© 2002, Paulette Ensign

Paulette Ensign has personally sold over 500,000 copies of her own tips booklet, '110 Ideas for Organizing Your Business Life', in 3 languages and various formats without spending a penny on advertising. She is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Visionary of her San Diego-based company, Tips Products International. Learn how you can easily leverage your knowledge into booklets to serve you as a marketing too, profit center, or both. www.tipsbooklets.com