Telephone
canvassing is the business of calling people on behalf of a client to obtain
and/or disseminate information.
It
is valuable service that can be difficult for business men in your area to
obtain elsewhere. Large cities have their "boiler room" operations
that employ commissioned based telephone solicitors and pollers.
They
use a bank outgoing Wats (800) lines to call potential prospects all over the
country and try to "qualify" them as leads. Their products include TV
viewing polls, magazine subscriptions, office products, polls, real estate,
investments and specialized sales of all description.
Canvassing
by phone is a viable alternative to other forms, such as door to door or
canvassing by mail. It is relatively inexpensive (compared to door to door) and
has the advantage of immediate response.
Some
companies use computers to call, present a short recorded message and ask if a
salesman can call back later (these machines sell in the $1,000 range and up).
However,
some 70 percent of people who receive such calls dislike being called by a
computer and will not corporate; many hang up the moment they realize WHAT they
are "talking to."
Nevertheless,
the business of selling, polling and developing leads by phone canvassing is
here to stay!
Starting
your own phone canvassing business to obtain leads requires a relatively small
investment and is not difficult.
A
telephone and some "leg work" is all it takes to begin.
Work
out your plan, and have some brochures or flyers printed and start contacting
businesses that sell.
Call
them first and if they show any interest send them a brochure.
Explain
to prospective clients that they don't pay for the calls -- only actual
appointments or leads that you get for them.
This
way, the canvassing costs the customer nothing. He won't mind paying for a
qualified prospect (either a fee per appointment or percentage of the sale),
because he will make a profit in the process.
Your
fees can be a set fee per appointment or lead, the actual amount being governed
by the size of the sale
A
lead for a possible $100 sale might be worth $2, but one for $1000 should be
worth a good deal more.. The alternatives is to be paid a percentage of each
sale that is made to names you have provided.
Consider
this alternative only when you are confident your client will be honest with
you.
Polls
and questionnaires are usually priced by the number of successful records
obtained and/or the amount of call made and amount of information recorded.
Calculate your charges on the amount of time it will take you to accomplish the
assignment.
Your
profit margin, by the way, will increase as you become more proficient and make
more successful calls.
When
you reach an agreement with a client to do telephone canvassing, put it in
writing -- a contract.
Write
out what you consider to be a fair contract in general terms, then have a
lawyer look it over (his fee will be half of what it would cost to have him
write if from the beginning).
The
contract should state that you agree to make a certain number of calls to
people's homes ( or businesses) located in a stated area, and that a list of
those who meet certain qualifications will be provided daily (or?).
The
client agrees to pay a fee for each name, each sale, or a percentage of each
sale for all sales made to names on the list for a period of (one year) after
the termination of the contract.
In
your discussions with the client, he will state what he considers to be proper
qualification -- things like, do they own their home; can they afford to make
payments on a washing machine, and if they are currently employed.
Both
you and the client should agree on what would be fair qualification for the
type products involved.
For
percentage sales, the contract should state that any additional sales for an
agreed period in the future are also subject to the percentage.
This
clause is your protection against seller fraud -- honest clients will not mind
paying you your earned percentage. Spot check phone calls can be used to detect
any sales for which you are not paid.
Once
your telephone canvassing business has been established, the same clients
should be apprised of any additional capabilities you acquire. Place ads, send
out brochures or CALL potential clients.
Contact
opinion poll companies, mailing list companies and don't forget to contact both
party headquarters about 6 weeks before election time!
The
step from telephone canvassing to telephone sales is a short one that requires
essentially the same equipment and know-how.
Sales
can be more profitable than canvassing because each sale results in a profit
for the client and a commission for the telephone sales person.
The
actual profit depends on the price of the merchandise, sales volume, popularity,
sales presentation and incentive (commission). Another lucrative variation is
to sell your own items by phone.
A
good way to start would be to find a product that does not compete with any of
your present accounts but might appeal to those you call. In this situation,
you would bring up your own product until you had satisfied your client's
interest.
Records
keeping in this business is the same as other businesses, except that you
should keep separate records of each client and copies of all names referred to
that client, as well as all financial details. And, the major warning is to
keep your word. If you say you will call 100 names a day, DO IT!
When
you agree to do something for a client, you are OBLIGATED to fulfill that
promise. If you are tempted to take short-cuts, remember that it is the success
of your business that you may be placing in jeopardy.
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