NLP for Telemarketing - NLP tricks and tips for successful Telemarketing

I remember very distinctly the first time I noticed someone trying to use NLP fortelemarketing over the phone - they slipped up. There is a description of this incident in the article Is it ethical to use NLP for sales?

NLP is often used for telemarketing and particular elements of NLP lend themselves very well to the medium of telephone conversations.

Firstly, rapport. Now some people may think that your ability to gain and maintain rapport during a phone conversation is limited, but so is your ability to mess it up. The key elements to match are voice tone and tempo. Read up on NLP Rapport Techniques for more details.

The classic yes frame is often used, personally I'm not mad on this as I think its about as subtle as a brick, but in case you'd like to try it out, this is simply where you ask questions that are bound to receive a yes response such as 'do you want to save money?', prior to asking the question where you want a yes answer to. Subtle it isn't.

The usual language patterns are useful, I specifically like the future pacing pattern that I described in the NLP Sales Techniques. This is a very useful technique especially at job interviews. Actually most of the information in that article is relevant for telemarketing with NLP.

Another language/rapport technique that can make a huge difference is the use of sensory language. This is a dynamite way to improve your rapport, and ensure that the customer feels that you are both on the same wavelength, and you understand what they say.

Learn some Milton model patterns. Linkage patterns are useful - 'the more you think about the more sense it makes', as are embedded commands - 'I don't know if you want to BUY TODAY', and presuppositions - 'Are you able to decide to buy today, or should I let you think about it overnight'.

Also to make the most out of the language techniques remember to listen. You can only list back the customers wishes and concerns (using the correct sensory language) if you actually listen to them, and you can only listen if you allow them to speak.

The biggest logistical problem a telemarketer has is stopping the person simply putting the phone down. If you can find a way to intrigue the customer then you are half way there.

It is important that you are in a positive and friendly state yourself, otherwise no one will let you get past the first couple of sentences. Practice NLP state management to ensure that every call you make has the best chance of success possible.

Finally, practice, practice, practice. Write out language patterns you want to use in your calls. The best way to do this is to pick on pattern such as embedded commands and list as many as you can, then pick a handful and keep them by the phone. Experiment to find out what works for you, and keep learning.