Do you want to know how to maximize your sales potential? Those in sales know that it is not always a simple procedure. It takes commitment, charm, and persistence. Most businesses may have the first two attributes in mind; they will know make an effort to sell and will treat the customers well, but sometimes that is not enough.

Professionals providing telemarketing services will tell you that following-up on preceding calls can make all the difference. These calls are not all "sales" calls they are "relationship-building" calls. The more contact you have with your customers, the more familiar you will become with them and vice versa.

The numbers

Have you ever thought about how many calls it could take to make a sale? Did you know that most sales are not made within the first couple of calls? Let's take a look at some statistics:

- 2% of sales are on the 1st contact
- 3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact
- 5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact
- 10% of sales are made on the 4th contact
- 80% of sales are made between the 5th and 12th contact

These statistics are not shown to inspire discouraging sentiments; they are shown to prove a point: Persistence will make the difference in sales. Follow-up calls are necessary and effective.

Professional tips

We will give you some tips on how to be persistent and successful:

- Emails serve as effective means of communication. If you contact a customer, this will increase the likelihood that they will get back to you. Turn on the" return receipt requested" feature in your email software. Now you will have a time reference of when the receiver has opened your email.
- You can use other areas of a business to collect important information. The payroll and accounts receivable departments are good departments to talk with in gathering information before asking to be transferred to another department.
- Have you ever thought about calling yourself? It sounds a little silly, but it really isn't at all. If you are not well-experienced or are anxious about leaving message, it would be a good idea to practice. Calling yourself and experimenting with your "phone voice" will make you more confident in leaving messages for others.
- Have you ever thought about putting in some time off the clock to make the time on the clock more effective? Look at the statistics above - you want to get in the area of making the 5th contact or beyond. If you make several calls during off hours, those same customers will fall into the success category at a more prevalent rate if you set things up that way. Plan your dialing so that you are available to receive calls during prime business hours.