Outbound telemarketing is a key aspect in most B2B marketing plans. Done well it is a cost-effective, measurable and scalable activity; done badly it is one of the surest ways of alienating your prospects and ruining your brand.
Sadly, too many companies do it badly. They employ untrained staff, equip them with a telephone and directories, some mumbled advice and no planned training schemes, and then wonder why they have no sales leads and disgruntled telemarketing agents.
Running telemarketing campaigns takes time and effort and the first step is getting the basics right, such as saying the right thing to the right person in the right way – sounds simple but it’s amazing how many businesses get it wrong. So here’s some easy ways to make sure you get it right (and you can always call us if you need some help along the way)
1. The Right Message
It’s essential that you brief your telemarketers on the product or service you want them to sell. Just giving them a script is rarely enough. Most professionals agree that reading from a script will not return the results you will be looking for and reduces the effectiveness of any campaign.
2. The Audience
It’s possible to spend a lot of time trying to sell your product to the wrong person so before you even pick up the phone make sure you have targeted the right person or department. People frequently change job titles so bear in mind that a list that’s older than 12 months will contain a lot of redundant data. It’s also important to cross check all the data to ensure that no one is included who has asked to be removed from call lists.
3. The Medium
B2B telemarketers have very different skill sets from those who work on consumer marketing. Your team needs to be responsive to what your prospects are saying. Forcing people into appointments wastes time and ultimately damages your brand.
4. The Delivery
Everyone has an individual style, but there are some fundamental rules. Successful telemarketers work hard to get gatekeepers (receptionists and PA’s) on their side. They are prepared, confident and always polite.
5. Timing
The best time for making calls varies and can depend on what campaign you are running. Many argue that Friday afternoons are a bad time to call people, but others point out that it can be a good time to catch prospects in a receptive mood, relaxing down into the weekend. Persistence is the key to getting through to your prospect.
6. Motivating Staff
Outbound telemarketing is a tough job that requires a thick skin and an ability to persevere in the face of initially poor results, so it’s important to be able to motivate staff and this will take more than a trip to the local under the guise of ‘team building’. Motivation requires clear, realistic targets and rewards for reaching them and not forgetting support and training which is essential especially if targets are not reached.
7. Getting Help
This advice all sounds great, but the reality is often very different and so it is unsurprising that many companies prefer to bring in external specialists and if you are considering doing this we can help you get the results you need.
We specialise in B2B telemarketing with a large team of highly trained resource specifically recruited for their B2B aptitude, compliant training programmes and agents with years of B2B experience. We can provide smart account management so you get advanced marketing insight backed up by recommendations for enhancement and improvements.
We’ve a proven track record and delivery top quality results consistently with multi channel approaches built to maximise your appointment volumes and sales results over the long-term with popular ‘keep-warm strategies’ to keep your customers focused and engaged with you.
With a strong pedigree and impeccable reputation you’re in safe hands right from the word go with a start-up process that includes pilots projects to make sure your telemarketing experience will be a journey to higher profits and cost savings.
If you need help give us a call, we make telemarketing better, it’s what we do.
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