Every company wants to grow. And, to achieve this goal, it requires new leads and new opportunities. One of the tried-tested methods to acquire new leads is to resort to telemarketing. If you are just starting and want to learn how to use this marketing technique, iTMunch has got you covered.
The Backstory of Telemarketing
Telemarketing can be daunting for amateurs. This is because every sales executive fears that prospects will be offensive and place the phone down on every occasion. Also, there is a concern that you will get lost, and not understand what to say at a critical time in the conversation. Plus, there is even the threat that you won’t know how to manage tough questions.
In spite of all the hiccups, professional b2b telemarketing is an efficient way to generate sales possibilities and drive income.Â
The ones who are significant in this game now didn’t start out being huge achievers. They had to make their initial call exactly as learners have to start in any role.Â
With time, they had a confident attitude and high energy levels (prerequisites for progress) to convert a cold call into a new customer. Are you wondering what has helped such individuals stick to this marketing technique even after several difficulties? Keep reading to find out.
So, what makes telemarketing so efficient?
- Companies often depend on inbound marketing methods to improve their sales, which can be dangerous as there is no guarantee they will reach consumers. However, telemarketing is a proactive strategy and can assist with the growth of successful leads as you widen your techniques.
- It is possible to pay a massive sum of money to improve your marketing game via social media. Usually, this can be done in vain, as while it is reasonably easy to obtain followers. It can be a strain to turn those followers into paying customers. With telemarketing, you will get the advantages from your efforts.
- Telemarketing is the most dependable method of marketing. It has been practised way before digital marketing, and it can assist in reaching customers that would otherwise remain uncontacted.
- Telemarketers can bring about adequate leads that increase sales. This is because they will be straightaway starting a conversation with the possible buyer, and know what the limitations of the buyers are and how to solve their most essential concerns.
- If you are a telemarketer, it can be simpler for you to follow up with your existing customers and give personalized service. You will further have a better idea of how to cater to their needs thanks to prior experience.
Now that you know why telemarketing still works, we have curated a list of 8 expert hacks. These tricks are bound to help you find the right key to the telemarketing lead generation puzzle. Let’s get started.
1. Work strenuously on your audience
We only require a list, don’t we?Â
That is usually the kind of thing new telemarketers say. It most surely is not merely a list that is required.Â
If you desire to be successful in this form of marketing, you require to work on your database to know who you are calling.Â
This means you need to:
- ensure your consumer databases are up-to-date
- segregate your target audience in terms of work function, nature and size of the organization, area and so on
- recognize the safest source of new data, e.g., Creating data yourself or requesting a company like GSA to do it for you or buying from a reliable list broker
2. Make lots of calls
There is no going away from it. Even if you have built a relevant list, some targets won’t go through the entire conversation when you call.Â
If that is the problem, you need to make a source of steam to be successful. You will meet loads of denial. Even the most skilled telemarketers have to deal with rejections. You might also get wrapped up in IVR loops in big companies. Some organizations will have layers of guards in your way.Â
Therefore, you need to make adequate calls to succeed.Â
That implies about 15-20 calls per hour or 100 calls per day and suitable days calling each week/month to drive sufficient conversations that point to sales opportunities.
3. Avoid weak opening lines
You won’t go far once you approach your target decision-maker if your opening line is expected and scripted.
You must create rapport from the outset.Â
While you require structure and you want to portray your company appropriately, the opening line needs to be engaging.Â
There are plenty of ways for opening lines, and it entirely depends on the type of calls you are making.
One of the ways is where you give regarded power to the decision-maker.Â
For example, I wish to ask for confirmation.Â
That appears less like a pushy telemarketer, also less like all the other callers. Then follow this up with something that is probably compelling (your essential message and benefit). Next, support using appropriate companies you work with to make the customer feel they are in good company.Â
Once again, this is not the only method, and it has to accommodate your style. Still, you do require to create rapport from the start, mainly if the value of the possible sale is high.
4. Transform your message into a WOW
This is not as simple as it seems.Â
What is going to make the consumer fall out of their seat and yell hallelujah the messiah has arrived? Well, not figuratively.Â
In certainty, there are not multiple ways to create excitement in your call.Â
Part of the WOW-factor is you.Â
Your attitude carries weight.Â
Your confidence motivates.Â
Your force attracts.Â
If you can use something that helps your efforts, it will always work as a bonus.Â
Work on what doubts your consumer might have. Are there any significant problems in their marketplace that require addressing with which you can help?Â
Whatever it is, attempt to distinguish yourself and your offering from your opponents by being upbeat and speaking something that resonates fast. Originality, candidness and presence of mind will surely make your call go from “OH NO” to “OH YES” real fast.
5. Ask plenty of right questions
Questioning methods are essential since they:
- allow you to stop talking and hear
- will enable the prospect to speak to get a higher conversational flow
- let you find critical pieces of information
- lead the discussion towards areas of concern
- prevent you from sounding like generic telemarketers
- establish a rapport and trust
Genuine questions usually support effective selling, so spend time on these in advance of every calling activity.
6. Spend time in recognizing and qualifying actual prospects
Prepare your questions in advance. Make sure you prepare two sets of questions. First, a collection of profiling questions to decide whether the person/company is a bona fide prospect. Second, resolution selling questions to understand the scope of the requirement and notify the next stage of the sales process.
In an imaginary world, your list building method will abolish prospective targets that do not meet your requirements.Â
However, that is not always feasible, and sometimes you cannot only do this through discussion. At that time, you require to ask the correct questions to assess feasibility.Â
These could include:
- Amount of sites
- Examples and amounts of machines
- Amount of workers
- Present suppliers
- Level of difficulties with the latest approach
- Do they do tasks in-house or outsource
These are expected to be essential questions suitable for your business. So use the time working on the important ones and intersperse them in your discussion.
7. Focus on discussions, not presentations
A discussion with a prospect is a conversation. It is not a presentation or a monologue. No one likes to be talked at.Â
You will not have a long time on the phone if this is how you do it. So, attempt to assure that the flow of conversation is at least 50:50. Sadly, all too frequently, it is more like 90:10, and the prospect then disconnects the call.
The answer to efficient telemarketing is developing a rapport. At larger values of sale, you won’t go far if you have not established reliability and assurance with your prospect. So, don’t assume the first part of the call as a presentation of what you do.Â
Consider of it as the time to build rapport so you can get to a spot where the prospect asks you to tell more.Â
However, even then, don’t drive into a pitch or list of features of what you do. Evaluate the consumer first and put what you do in terms of their needs and requirements.
8. Mount to a close – recommend a demo, call, meeting
What is your endgame?Â
What results do you expect from the call?Â
It seems blindingly obvious.Â
However, too many telemarketers are too quickly side-tracked both by an occupied buyer or through liking the ‘chat’ but missing the possibility to close it the call with relevant action.Â
Eventually, if inadequate sales leads are generated, inadequate sales will be the outcome. Of course, the leads need to be profitable.Â
No salesperson desires to travel a significant distance just for the prospect to say, ‘I’ve no idea why you’re here.’ Still, if you wait for each prospect opportunity to be thoroughly perfect, you may be waiting for quite some time.Â
The primary objective of cold calling is to recognize the opportunity and qualify its level of warmth.Â
Contemplative meetings can work very well and generate lots of potential business if they are with accurate size and type of prospect. Not all opportunities will disclose every detail of their requirements on the phone. Hence, a foot in the gate with the correct people can lead to significant long-term business.
Therefore, you need to begin with the conclusion in mind.Â
Tell them you would like to meet or fix a time for one of your team to arrange a demo. You can even invite your prospects to whatever seminar or event you are having. Request for the meeting or at least request a time to call back if the prospect profile matches your internal requirements.Â
That is where you create your sales pipeline.Â
People usually use the following line if there is no urgent need as long as the prospect is essential for us too.Â
“When is a good time to speak again?”Â
Even if the prospect replies, “I’ll call you,” People typically say, “That is great. I will give you a call in X weeks if I haven’t heard. Is that okay?”Â
9 out of 10 times, the prospect will accept, and it stops the following conversation, which hits off with the prospect stating, “I said I’d call you…”And, don’t neglect the need to formalize the appointment. If you don’t, there is an extremely higher risk of the salesperson coming to an absent prospect.Â
Make sure you mail a calendar invitation or ping over a validation email. And consider asking an essential question to make the appointment seem more important or urgent. For instance, you can say, “Do you believe is there any reason why you may not be able to make it because of….. “.Â
This simply tests out the warmth and readiness to meet.
Conclusion
Producing excellent quality leads for your sales team is something that will no doubt be a process and one that needs constant refinement.Â
That being said, if you adhered to some primary steps and set out your expectations clearly, your experience can be enjoyable and rewarding.
Also, by choosing one of the best firms out there can help ensure a successful and prosperous campaign.
Several professional services firms are seeing business telemarketing gives a constant and determined flow of qualified leads and sales appointments.Â
Business telemarketing is a straight marketing way where prospective clients are interested in a high-level conversation to qualify their need for services and products.Â
Picking the correct business telemarketing firm can assist you quickly build a compelling sales opportunity pipeline.
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