What Are The Worst Opening Lines In Specialist Telemarketing

First impressions are never not important, but in specialist telemarketing fields such as life sciences, they can be the difference between a revolutionary product getting into the hands of researchers who need it and a startup company closing down far too soon.

According to Startups Magazine, over half of new businesses in the UK close within three years, and almost a fifth fall apart within a single year.

Possibly the biggest reason for this is not being able to quickly and decisively make the case for your product or service, and a major cause of this is not knowing how to start a new conversation with a new client.

According to Psychology Today, you have just seven seconds to make your first impression, so your opening line is especially vital, but it is also quite difficult to get right.

As specialists in talking to experts in scientific marketing, we know how important it is to establish a respectful, knowledgeable and personal dialogue with target customers who are themselves experts in their field.

We have seen what types of approaches work and which ones do not. To help you understand the difference, here are some of the worst opening lines in telemarketing and why they do not work.

“Sorry, Did I Catch You At A Bad Time?”

It is possibly the most well-known opening line in telemarketing, and theoretically, it is one of the best.

It puts the receiver in control, respects their time, asks an open-ended question and naturally feels more comfortable to use, particularly in a cold calling situation where you have very little information on your lead to work with.

Maybe at some point it worked, but for many professionals it is the immediate signpost of a cold call and sets up the most obvious and immediately call-ending rebuttal.

“Yes, this is a bad time.”

Rather than immediately leading with an almost defeatist attitude, focus on what they are struggling with and a relevant business need that ensures that you are catching them at the perfect time to help.

“I Promise This Is Not A Sales Call”

The dark irony of such a self-defeating line as this is that the first call to a prospective lead is almost never a sales call, especially in a specialist field.

Exactly how many calls it takes on average to nurture a client from initial contact to a meeting is contested heavily amongst experts, but it is exceptionally rare for a business to be in the position to even discuss a serious proposal.

However, opening a call promising that it is not a sales call feels inauthentic and puts callers immediately on the defensive. After all, why would you ever say a call is not sales-related unless it absolutely is?

Instead, be honest and respectful of your caller’s time; explain why you are calling, begin with an opening question tailored to your particular caller and allow the conversation to progress organically.

“How Is Your Day Going?”

Much like starting a call by apologising for catching a caller at a bad time, asking how someone is feeling is not a terrible way to start a conversation ordinarily, but can become an issue in the context of an initial call.

Maybe you genuinely care how your caller is doing today, maybe you do not. It is almost impossible to tell from an initial interaction whether this is an attempt to create a relationship or simply make small talk before a business pitch.

Instead, you should get to the point, be clear about why you are calling, how you got a contact number, be clear that you have done some research into the business or research your customer has done and ask an open-ended question related to the field and your products.

However, once you have that initial call, starting up a follow-up call with how their day is can be far more effective, as it feels like there is more of a personal rapport.

Any Immediate Attempt To Sell/Convert/Arrange A Demo

Whilst getting to the point is important to show you are respecting your lead’s time, be careful that you do not go too far in the opposite direction and demand an immediate decision from whoever you are calling.

Very few companies have the initial point of contact also serving as the main decision maker, and being pushy can put callers on the defensive and make them feel somewhat lazy.

After all, if you do not understand or make the effort to learn who you are talking to or their process, why should they give you the time of day?

Instead, learn more about the company’s pain points, processes and current fields of interest, opening the door to a more personal, real conversation.