Should B2B Use Telemarketing?

by | Oct 17, 2019 | Blog

Marketers use telemarketing to generate leads, profile customers, for events promotions or email follow-ups, and for many other reasons. As part of a B2B campaign, cold calling a potential client can:

  • help you research potential customers;
  • raise brand awareness;
  • direct you towards new growth opportunities; and
  • open discourse with potential customers.

In a highly competitive market, telemarketing helps you maintain profitability. Reaching out for new business and being proactive in your search is the best way to maximise your ROI.

Targeted telemarketing campaigns that ensure high volumes of quality prospects can be difficult to strategise. Your overall goal is to create a relationship with the initial cold call. To do that you need:

  • trained sales staff who understand your product or service and the industry as a whole
  • a scripted guideline of talking points
  • efficient appointments software
  • list of pre-qualified leads

While it all sounds simple, it is not. Cold calling businesses requires an understanding of who you are calling, their workflow and the company structure. For example, if you are interested in selling your SaaS to an independent hotel, you should first be aware of the check-in and check-out times. If you call when the reception or administration team is busy, you are likely to be met with a curt ‘no thank you’ before you can discuss the advantages of your product. Your research matters.

Telemarketing that is effective opens a discourse. When your sales team makes calls, they need to understand the benefits, limitations and applications of your product. They need to know who to ask to speak to. While the administration team might be very interested in what you want to sell, they are likely not the decision-makers. It is this person who can make you an appointment to discuss your business further, so it is also very important that you establish a good report with this person.

When the sales team have secured an appointment and a report, it is time to book in a follow-up call. Telemarketing requires you to follow up. Often people do not keep appointments with sales representatives, so it is important to schedule a follow up in case the appointment is cancelled.

The most important thing is a great sales team who really understand your product and the industry. Informed and knowledgeable sales representatives who are approachable, invested and engaged are hard to find. That’s they need to be trained. Securing leads can be a challenge. Providing your sales team with all the tools they need to drive sales is the investment that pays off. While content advertising, website presentation and social media outreach are vital to your sales, the people behind your product are more valuable in B2B. Establishing long-lasting relationships that often require sensitive negotiations and drawn-out contract possibilities mean that your sales team are a vital investment.

Telemarketing for B2B operations is a necessary growth driver. However, for the strategy to be effective, investing in sales team training, research and the right appointments software will see you get the best ROI.

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