The CRAP Report

As 2009 comes to a close, I’m thinking about the fact that I love lists – you know, countdown lists.  The “top ten” this or the “top five” that.  Whether I really agree with the person making the list or not, I still like reading someone else’s opinion.  Over the course of the next week, I want to share with you a few thoughts on what I want for your teleprospectors in 2010.  You can call it my top five “wants” for your teleprospectors in 2010.

If your BDR’s are like mine, chances are they spend most of their day trying to get in touch with people who don’t want to be spoken to.  If and when they get those folks on the phone, they are, at times, subjected to some of the most “not so nice” attitudes that prospects can conjure up.  I don’t care how tough you are, teleprospecting can take a lot out of you; and it can drain your confidence if you’re left hearing a lot of “no’s” all day.

That being said, what I want for your teleprospector in 2010 is more confidence.  I want your telepropsectors to feel like no matter what they come across on the phones, they’re ready for it.  Help your BDR’s to prospect better by building their confidence on the phones in 2010.  I see three ways that we can do that:

1.  Knowledge is power – help your BDR’s to be as confident as they can be by making sure that they’re as knowledgeable as they can be about the solutions or services that they’re calling on.  Having a solid understanding about how things work brings confidence with it.

2.  If you build it, they will (be)come – help your BDR’s to be as confident as they can be by involving them in the process of developing the messaging that they’ll be delivering to your prospects.  If your BDR’s feel like they’ve been part of the creation process, they’re going to feel a greater sense of ownership to their teleprospecting script.  A greater sense of ownership means they’ll feel a sense of pride while using “their” script, thus becoming more confident in their work.

3.  Practice makes perfect - help your BDR’s to be more confident in 2010 by spending time role playing with them.  Put some thought into it, too.  Don’t just role play for the sake of saying that you’ve done it.  Put together a plan to take your BDR’s through the toughest role plays you can think of, and then take them through them again.  Will all of their prospecting calls go the same way?  No, not at all, but if they’ve got practice dealing with tough calls (even fake ones), chances are they’re going to feel more confident when the really difficult ones come their way.

That does it for today – stay tuned, though!  Tomorrow brings with it Part 2 of What I Want for Your Telepropsectors in 2010.  See you then!