Why Do Some Telemarketing Prospects Hang Up Immediately?

It is the one common situation every telemarketer, sales lead and business fears; a friendly representative from your company calls a prospective client who seems extremely promising on paper, but within minutes or even seconds, they have hung up.

Nearly every telemarketing and direct sales campaign has faced this countless times, where the initial interaction is received so poorly that there is no chance to even make your case for why you might be the solution to their problems.

Whilst this is an issue in all forms of telemarketing, it is particularly unacceptable in a specialist sector such as life sciences; with the market inherently relatively small and filled with highly knowledgeable peers, every hang-up is the loss of not only a prospect but an expert with a huge amount to offer.

We use a conversational approach built as much around building dialogues and establishing relationships as selling a product. All of this helps to create more meaningful interactions and avoids the scattergun approach seen in other marketing campaigns.

Aside from this, there are also several elementary errors that can cause a potential cold prospect to immediately hang up and how very small changes in approach can help avoid them.

Why Are Delays So Bad For Telemarketing?

The biggest and most frustrating reason why prospects immediately hang up is a delay, which harms a potential conversation for several reasons.

The first is that it is a telltale sign that an auto-dialler or predictive dialler system is being used in your call centre, and this will frame the conversation immediately towards sales, even if that may not necessarily be your intention.

The second is that the system may malfunction, creating what Ofcom describes as “abandoned or silent calls”. 

These are calls where a prospect picks up, and your company representative immediately hangs up, or where the call remains silent because nobody is there to take the call, or it assumes that an answering machine has been activated.

Finally, it increases frustration to the point that some people just hang up immediately.

How Can You Avoid Delays?

The best way to avoid delays is to plan your calls effectively and treat each call with the importance and preparation of a client meeting.

Is Starting With A Negative Sentiment Bad For Telemarketing?

Being apologetic is something of a British disease, especially when we are worried about interrupting somebody’s day or calling at an inopportune time. However, actually voicing that can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Besides allowing clients to simply say they are busy and avoid a positive discussion, apologising for bothering someone during a busy time can actually sometimes make them subconsciously think that you are, even if they may not have done otherwise.

How Do You Start Conversations The Right Way?

Any cold call will likely be an interruption, so it does not even need to be said. Instead, focus on your pitch and make them answering your call feel worthwhile.

Should You Read From A Script During Telemarketing Calls?

Whilst there is perhaps more nuance to the use of scripts during telemarketing calls, the short answer ultimately is that you should not, especially if you are calling other businesses and experts in the field you are offering products and services within.

As soon as someone figures out that you are reading from a script, which is usually given away by a caller’s tone or the particular points they focus on, they will stop engaging or may even abruptly hang up.

Whilst having a script can make it easier to ensure you hit key points, it can often be counterproductive.

How Do You Sound More Natural During Telemarketing Calls?

• Work with a high level of knowledge of your product and the particular field.
• Rely on a skeleton of key points rather than a specific script.
• Practice and build your confidence, particularly with specialist ideas and technical knowledge.

Why Does Listening Matter During Telemarketing Calls?

Telemarketing is a dialogue, not a soliloquy. You are talking to a prospective client, not talking at them and going full-bore into your sales pitch. They need to know that your company, service and/or product are actually the correct solution to their problem.

In many cases, the first conversation between a company and a client is about building a rapport and a relationship, learning about what they need and where your business might fit into theirs.

Many life science industries require specific instruments, imaging or processing services, and they need to be certain that you meet detailed and precise needs before they commit to working with you.

This requires a telemarketing expert to listen closely and take advantage of the market research opportunity.