In a highly competitive marketplace, it is more important than ever to pro-actively seek business through outbound activities. Having a well-defined process in place is vital to achieving leads and appointments. Telemarketing fits nicely into this remit. Yet, Telemarketing is increasingly being seen as outdated in this age of digital marketing. But, when done correctly and a process is followed, it becomes the integral component of any modern multi-touch marketing campaign. Here's how to get it right:
The outbound calling process
First and foremost, we need to define the data that we intend to contact and be clear about the types of businesses that we need to target. In tandem with this, we need to define the business message and establish how the sales proposition meets the needs of your prospects. When preparing to make a call we need to know:
- - Most importantly – what's in it for them!
- - Who we are calling and the position they hold in the company
- - Every aspect of the sales proposition and why that person would be interested
- - What the possible objections are going to be and how we will overcome them
- - What the purchasing cycle and process looks like for the prospect
- - The budget that the prospect may have
- - Any pain points that can be used to influence the decision of the prospect
At the preparation stage conducting some initial research about the target audience is crucial. We may not find out everything we need to know about the prospect however the more information we can gain about them, their competitors, the issues they face and the types of problems they are trying to solve, the more prepared we are for the call.
Unscripted approach to calling
When it comes to the call itself, this is where experience and an unscripted approach pays dividends. Through being fully prepared, you should know exactly how to position the call so that it meets the needs of your prospect and addresses problems they may be facing, carefully aligning your solution with their challenges.
Having a thorough understanding of your sales proposition enables your team to converse confidently with your target audience without the need for a script and they are quickly able to establish a connection and rapport with them that builds confidence. Once the connection has been made and the confidence has been established then it’s all in the follow-up.
Following up after the call
Before the campaign begins it should be agreed on the information that will be captured during every call. For example budget, schedule and timescales. All this information should be tracked and either directly update your CRM system and/or provide daily, weekly or monthly updates in a format that suits you. This information is vital as it affects the prospects decision making and informs the next stage of the process.
Call-back activity can then be scheduled and further follow-up activity, such as emails that inform your prospects about your proposition, be sent. You can then start to build a relationship with your prospects and nurture them throughout the process. This is the key to delivering highly qualified leads for your business.
The value of targeted outbound calling
Targeted outbound calling is a sensitive process that needs to be handled professionally, as it’s the starting point for building a relationship with your target audience. Through intelligent targeting, research and profiling, you are able to proactively engage your target audience and convert them into potential leads for your business. This is the value of targeted outbound calling rather than waiting for your phone to ring through a purely inbound process. Being able to prioritise the strongest prospects that have a propensity to buy and guide you through the lead generation process.
Making a connection
Taking the time to make a connection with your prospect will centre on being able to showcase your knowledge of the industry and services, and the ability to attribute this to your prospects problems.
The outbound appointment setting process is only part of the sales strategy. You also need to consider your objectives, forecast, pipeline management, training and reporting. We outline how to put together a well-constructed sales strategy in our guide "The Ultimate Guide to Sales Strategy":
