How do you relate to a customer when you don't know your product that well?

I work for a manufacturer of specialized equipment in multiple industries. It is a mature industry with technology that hasn't changed much in the past 10+ years. Telemarketing is being promoted as something we should be doing. I have done it but I don't feel comfortable with it and I think it may be because I'm not sure what to say. I'm not receiving the assistance I need from work to be successful. I also have limited time to do it. How do you relate to a customer? Is it by asking questions? How do you handle it when they are trying to get you off the phone or it feels that way?

We do direct mail but it's limited. Results are 0. That's become accepted. It is targeted. We usually send to about 200 people. I know telemarketing is a numbers game and I think it won't be successful because we can't meet the numbers. So far, it's been unsuccessful as far as time and effort goes. I get interrupted quite a bit. I never know when. I don't feel comfortable with telemarketing yet. It is incredibly frustrating for me and no one will work with me. Everyone has their own thing and they don't care about what I need to do. We are not a team.
I like doing direct mail more. But also the lists we use are terrible. I've called customers and not known it. How sad is that. That's the reason I have stopped doing it.

I sell software and hate software but somehow am able to sell it. The keys:

1. Your goal is to find out if there is a potential interest. Do this by giving a BRIEF oveview of your product.
2. If they are not interested, move on. There are lots of fish in the sea.
3. If there is a potential interest, find out why, when and how. Follow up religiously.
4. Take lots of notes regarding 3. Tap into all resources your company has to find the answers then get back to the customer.
5. Keep at it. Work hard, follow through on everything, don't let rejection get you down.

Some resources I recommend: SPIN Selling for asking questions and selling, Miller Heiman for positioning, Salesguy.org for prospecting research (will tell you who to call, when to call, what to say, etc.).

Stay with it. I wish you well!

Good question.

The important thing is to know the customer, not the product.

Create a list of the biggest problems your marketplace is facing. What are their challenges? What do they want the most?

Then, create a list of the benefits (NOT FEATURES) of your product and whey your marketplace absolutely cannot live without the benefits your product will deliver.

Now, when talking to prospects, you'll know what their biggest challenges and wants are, and you'll be better equipped to tell them why your product is the solution to those problems.

In the end, the actual product you're selling has much less to do with it than your ability to get inside your prospects head and answer these questions.

A side note: Tell your people that direct mail is much more effective than telemarketing. Or at the very least you should be doing both.

Our company mails millions of direct mail offers a year to our Clients and prospects, and uses a sales team to help close the leads... So I know a little about the subject.

Best wishes to you.

Don't call my house. When telemarketers call, and you tell them to take you off the list....Do they really take you off the list? Holidays, and Sundays...Never had to do it, and never would.......very impersonal way of doing business!