Quick guide to telemarketing
Some say telemarketing is a dead end and no longer effective. Advances in technology such as opt-outs, voicemails, and going through several gatekeepers have made it harder to reach decision-makers via phone. Hence, to make telemarketing work for your business, you have to develop innovative ways to reach these decision-makers.
So how do you use telemarketing and make it work for your business in this day and age? We bring you six(6) quick techniques you can apply that will improve your telemarketing campaigns. By following this guide, you should see tremendous changes in your conversion rate and sales. Let’s begin!
1. Verify your data
Preparation is a necessity when it comes to gathering correct info. Poor data is one factor that derails telemarketing in a lot of cases. Thus, your pre-call preparation should involve the identification and development of your target group. Planning can mean purchasing or creating a list of decision-maker job positions. These decision-makers should work in a company or industry that you can profitably trade with.
Most campaigns fail because they target the wrong people. Call on the companies to establish that the contacts you have are of people within your area of interest, as their job title may be misleading. Verify your contacts on phone, LinkedIn, and other social media or communication platforms if necessary.
2. Cross-sell telemarketing
For the majority of business people, time is the most important factor. So if you get their attention, be sure to make good use of it. Many of your consumers would buy more from your company if they knew you provided other products or services. That is particularly true if they have long purchased the same items.
So how do you reach them? An inquiry call in the form of customer service will help you identify new cross-selling opportunities within the current client base. When you know the specific services or products that a customer uses, it would be easier to pitch to them.
3. Recommend online demos instead of appointments
Getting a salesperson to meet with you face-to-face may be the hardest part of telemarketing. An online demo is a lower risk partnership for a prospect. This is because they don’t have to go anywhere or make out time to meet with you physically. Who wouldn’t find that appealing? Telemarketing can effectively run brief online demonstrations or convert prospects via a web page designed to create an action call. That is a much more efficient way to grab their attention than setting appointments.
4. Don’t let rejection deter you
You need to build resilience to accept denials from companies without feeling discouraged. If you don’t, it’s going to be a challenge as it gets increasingly overwhelming. Of course, to improve your effectiveness, you need to be target-driven and focused on those you can successfully convert. However, not all deals will be smooth sailing.
So, learn to handle rejection and move on to the next possible opportunity. The next candidate, after all, has no idea what happened during your last call. Start anew and learn from your mistakes.
5. Ask relevant questions
Good questions are key to performing well. This is such an overlooked sales ability but it’s necessary. You can use a combination of open and closed questions to express interest, ensure that the prospect talks more, provide the details they need, and lead the prospect to further conversation that will ideally lead to a sales opportunity.
Ask about their business problems, supply issues, industry dynamics, etc. This increases the flow of discussion and encourages debate. Plan your questions ahead of time and make sure you switch it up for each prospect you call.
6. Make sure you follow-up
Follow-ups have quite an impact in the telemarketing and appointment setting. It’s awesome when our first call leads to a deal or appointment, but that’s not always the case. Often, to finalise the deal, you might need to make more calls.
Remember to verify that all information is sent out on time if needed. Keep the prospect updated in the interim on activities you’re doing without spamming. Wherever applicable, you can connect with the person on LinkedIn. Above all else, make sure that you call back, whether it’s within a few days, weeks, or months. Every case is different.
Bottom line
There you have it! One of the most important factors of successful telemarketing is that you must be open to change and adapt to new trends and technologies. If you can keep up with the above guide, telemarketing will no longer be a challenge for your business.