Telemarketing: How to Optimize Lost Opportunities

In B2B marketing, you can never refuse the ability of traditional inbound techniques, most especially telemarketing.

If anything, telemarketing continues to be a preferable channel for many decision makers. It is seen as an effective way in fostering nascent business relationships. At least 28% of decision makers say that telemarketing makes them feel valued, based on a slideshow by SCI Sales. On top of that, the ROI it delivers is unmatched by that of any other B2B platform.

But however one sees it, the main issue is more of application. It matters if the company that is handling effective telemarketing operations for B2B lead generation and appointment setting. In many cases, not many marketers are that skilled or lucky enough to maximize their telemarketing opportunities. More often than not, opportunities to set a sales appointment are lost along the way, entailing a waste of time and resources.

No doubt rejections are a fact of life this side of the B2B world. But this shouldn’t hamper you from realizing short-term and long-term company goals.

There are concrete ways to turn rejections into better opportunities, and here’s how:

Re-assess along the way

Your telemarketing strategies need revamping from time to time. And it is necessary for a business to perceive subtle trends in its campaign’s progress. Key metrics such as conversions and ROI should be taken note. Knowing such trends can help in revising your present telemarketing strategies.

Improve your led nurturing via email

On the first contact, it is likely that a prospect defers his or her decision to set an appointment. They will rather reserve their decision for subsequent contacts. In between contacts, your marketing program should send out personalized emails that touch on topics that weren’t discussed during previous engagements. Moreover, emails allow you to control and influence a decision maker’s willingness to buy.

When rejected, move on

Much to your chagrin, you simply cannot do anything about sales prospects who are simply not interested in buying your products. In such a case, it would be best to leave it at that. You can always depend on your B2B lead generation campaign to prospect for decision makers that are sure to partner up with you. It’s tough choice, but with a little persistence in generating B2B leads, you might just improve your sales performance.

Telemarketing is not that easy. It’s not just about calling someone to make a sale. It is more about influencing others and solving pressing issues, tasks that an independent and highly competent outsourcing firm can live up to.

The Anatomy of a Top Notch B2B Telemarketer

One could collect hundreds of small of advice on how to be the best telemarketer in the world, but looking at the bigger picture, it all boils down to being natural and being in action. As long as you do your part, everything else – including all those little, nevertheless significant details – will follow.

Most of the time, aside from maximizing your special individual traits, it’s only a matter of doing the necessary things to achieve your goals.

It's good to know if you possess the required skills and attitude to be the best telemarketer and if you lack one, you could work it out to improve what's lacking.

B2B Telemarketing: It’s not what you say, but how you say it

One of the challenges in B2B telemarketing as a means for lead generation is how telemarketers are able to let prospects “grasp” the sales pitch. Despite of the flawlessness of the script and the amount of substance and information it contains, some still find it difficult to make listeners appreciate it.

During these cases, it would be logical for telemarketers to improve the approach, not the script.

How we say things is just as important – if not more important – than what we say. That is one of the reasons why businesses choose to outsource their telemarketing. Outsourced lead generation services companies may not be 100% well-versed with product knowledge, but they have expert skills in delivery of information.

Here’s how you improve the how instead of the what:

Don't give them everything

An overdose of information about your products and services will only confuse a prospect. In fact, you only need to tell them pertinent stuff, which means you need to break away from your typical marketing recital and choose only what’s necessary. You would want to go for the most persuasive parcels of information to convey to your prospect. That way, they will only be absorbing what they ought to, and it rids the chances of getting perplexed with insignificant details.

Highlight results, not figures

The business world is a numbers game, and that’s a fact. However you would try to sugarcoat it, a business’s success will always be measured by numbers: revenue, clientele base, manpower, number of branches, or number of years in the industry. But talking to a prospect about a potential business deal is not a numbers game. Sure, figures impress. But results matter more. Don't saturate your prospect with percent-rates and dollar signs. Instead, give him a picture of how you can help them grow.

Put things in proper context

Your script should not be generic. You have to make sure that whenever you're describing your products or services, your prospect would be able to ‘apply’ the scenario into their own current situation. For instance, if you're talking to someone from the IT products and services industry, you wouldn’t want to tell him stories of success from the federal or manufacturing world. Putting things in context makes them understand your pitch better, because they are able to see themselves in your offer.

You might also like: 5 Mistakes to avoid when working with Outsourced Telemarketing Companies

B2B Telemarketing and dating - Are there similarities?

The cliché of comparing love and relationships to any other unrelated human endeavor has been used and abused mercilessly by bloggers, book authors, public speakers and even memes. But no matter how commonplace these supposed associations are, its real essence doesn’t get old.

(Spoiler: this article is not any different.)

Even in B2B Telemarketing, love flourishes. The similarities should not come as a surprise to anyone though – after all, they’re both an interaction between two people and in both cases, its fate will always depend on how they treat each other.

So if you’re a budding telemarketer, always remember to treat your prospects as though they’re someone you’re dating:

Follow the social dating rules

When you've just met someone at a bar, the rule of thumb is to not bar banter. Don’t spend most of the time talking about how awesome you are. Don’t do all the talking while your partner stares at you like an impassive goat. Don’t talk so loud that your stories are being broadcasted to everyone around you. In short, don’t smother your date. The same goes with B2B telemarketing. On the initial “date” it should always be about the prospects: what they do, what they need, and what they want to achieve.

Related post: Rapport and Telemarketing: They Go Hand in Hand

Wear your best dress on each date

You need to put your best foot forward during every encounter, and that means your clothes should be at its best, too. But make sure it’s also appropriate – you don’t need to be in a tuxedo when your date is at Seven-Eleven. And while prospects don’t see your dress during a telemarketing call, the concept is the same. Wear a sense of professionalism and pride in what you do. Talk like one, respond like one. Prospects always know whether they’re talking to neophytes or seasoned veterans.

Related post: How to Properly Meet with Sales Leads Executives

Make your intentions clear

During a date, the worst thing you can do is send the wrong signals to your partner. Make sure that you’re making them feel at ease, and that there’s nothing to worry about while you’re around. When talking to prospects, clearly convey your purpose. Don’t drag them around in circles only for them to find out (much) later that you’re just selling something. Make sure you both are in the same page to avoid misunderstanding down the road.

Related post: To Be Better In Appointment Setting, Be Boring

Keep it simple but romantic

Dinner’s done, and now it’s time for the cheesy words. You can do it straightforward or the Shakespearean way; whatever it is, keep it real and simple. Target their soft spots. Acknowledge their emotions and show a sincere desire to listen and help. Prospects, as long as you tickle the right spots, can be suckers for sweet talk, and when they do take a bite, be prepared to walk the talk.

Related post: Do pictures of people affect Facebook Engagement? A new study reveals

Why Business Still Need B2B Telemarketing

As a marketer, you know that reaching out to your business prospects quickly is an important element for your B2B appointment setting campaign. That is why we invest in a lot of communication tools, like social media and B2B telemarketing. Yes, the latter method may not be as desirable as the other means for people to promote their business, but you cannot believe the various benefits that business enjoy when they properly implement an B2B appointment setting campaign. I know that have your own plans in marketing your products and service, but using a method that has been tried and tested over the years might just be what you need to shine. And what kind of benefits can you enjoy here?

1.You can identify the main pain of sales leads prospects – a business is in business because they have a pain they can solve. But this requires that the prospect is aware of what you are offering. There is no point to promote your business in a market that is least likely to do business with you. By conducting a good telemarketing campaign, you will know just who exactly to sell to.

2. You are connected to the market – be that once a month marketing call to your business prospects or a full-fledged marketing campaign, you know that staying connected to market trends will help you be more effective in your marketing effort. The information you gain can be a big help in making your work easier to handle.

3. You can better understand the nature of the need – for a business to thrive, it needs to first analyze the nature of the problem. Once you know how it works, it will become easier for you to craft a solution that all B2B leads prospects will need. You really have to be sensitive in this regard, since the ones with the sharpest intuition or thinking will be able to see these challenges and turn it into the greatest advantages.

4. You can target your market niche better – entering a market niche can be more productive than actually going for the entire market. Now, for you to be sure who your prospects are, try conducting some phone surveys once in a while. It can help you identify the prospects you should be working on, as well as the kind of marketing process that you should ideally use on them. You have nothing to lose here if you try.

5 You can better decide on the future of your business – you know, the future is the one thing that business managers are unable to actually predict with accuracy. More often than not, you just go for the most trending topics today and use it to help your business move forward. Honestly, with all the information that you will obtain, you can probably assume that you are heading towards the right direction.

That is how it is, and you can be sure that your B2B telemarketing campaign would be a great success.

What The Future Holds for Telemarketing

More and more people are hating cold calling. Hanging up is their last resort. Telemarketing is just so getting into their nerves that they barely want to pick the phone for the reason that an annoying telemarketer might be on the other line. People are hating them more than ever.

Well, the old ways of telemarketing are over. The world of selling is continuing to evolve and change. Business after business is rising worlwide. Partnerships between nations are simultaneously built. Every company is striving to be globally competitive.

Seeing this flow of trends, telemarketing companies are hanging on to stay in this very complicated and risky world of b2b sales and marketing. The reason? Demands are mounting to the extent that the quality assurance of every product or service is highly considered to ensure the smooth relationship between business partnerships.

Face-to-face selling is indeed dead in the midst of a virtual world in the present, which only gives way to telemarketing industry to do the opposite. Wth the convinience and the advancement that it provides, it is close to possibility that it will continue to be productive in the years to come with b2b appointment setting.

Further, the increase in the competition is gradually augmenting as well. And this means that more and more will leap forward to lead generation with telemarketing in an effort of advancing the race in the marketplace.

Sooner, new breeds of professional telemarketers will also invade the world of selling. And with the demand seen by the telemarketing service providers especially in the field of technology, will surely be pressured to hire qualified and skilled telemarketers as well. Professional trainings will rise significantly in order to provide the them with the essential skills and abilities to sell complex products and services.

These are only few of the many trends that await the industry of b2b telemarketing and diverse ones are on the line. However, the question is, are telemarketing companies ready for a legion of changes in the marketplace? Are they equipped enough to face the unpredictable trends in the business? Perhaps yes, perhaps not. Uncertainties are just around the corner.