subject: Human Interaction: The Driving Force Of Business-to-business Telemarketing Success [print this page] Out of all marketing methods ever conceived, there is one that is known for its notoriety and power to invoke negative feelings, and that is telemarketing. All too often, sales calls or solicitation calls are replied with a resounding NO from an irate secretary or gatekeeper, or a deafening, slamming sound of a telephone being hung up. For telemarketers, being put through to a voice mail is more subtle, but is equivalent to saying We're not interested.
In the realm of business-to-business marketing, telemarketing has constantly been questioned and debated on. Is it still a practicable way to reach out to customers? While most people will say NO, the answer is yes, but only if executed with caution, professionalism, and a broad understanding of business-customer relationships. Responsible telemarketing is good telemarketing.
Business relationships are one of the major factors that determine the failure or success of any outbound B2B campaign. An ATA (American Teleservices Association) spokesperson reported that in higher-end outbound campaigns, success rate is as high as 25% and in most cases. The quality of human interaction is a deciding factor.
Skill sets and personality traits both play significant roles in achieving B2B outbound calling success. It is essential for the caller to be enthusiastic, empathic, have genuine interest in the prospect, and be able to listen actively and handle rejection effectively. The telemarketer should also have the skills needed to deliver the campaign message efficiently, negotiate, organize and manage time and stress.
For SMEs, telephone marketing can be cost-effective and productive, and for these reasons, small to medium size businesses integrate telemarketing in their business development efforts to generate leads, set appointments, conduct market researches, strengthen their inside sales force and improve customer relationships.
While telemarketing technology has been proven to be both valuable and sophisticated these days, it does not complete the picture of success. It still boils down to the human interaction that speaking with a human being gives. Company owners and executives still prefer to conduct business with a LIVE person who understands and recognizes their issues and problems. A telemarketing project that lacks the human aspect is bound for failure.
The value of the organization's image in its business relationships must be top of mind for a company that is contemplating to launch a telemarketing campaign. The organization's business principles should always be taken into account in any kind of B2B cold-calling project.
There are key steps to help companies improve current relationships or create new ones:
1. Establish objectives. It is important to know what the purpose of the campaign is - to enhance customer relationships or acquire more leads. Identifying the purpose of the project and creating a clear-cut campaign description keep the telemarketing effort moving into the right direction.
2. Develop a well-targeted list. It is extremely helpful to engage the services of companies that specialize in business list development than just ripping a page off directories. Contacting customers and prospects from a well-targeted list has a greater chance of success.
3. Utilize script and call guides. This entails providing the company name, reason for the call and obtaining permission to proceed with the call. Some prospects tend to say NO to the request to continue but keep in mind that the objective is to cultivate or create a business relationship, not hinder it. If the prospect or customer on the other end of the line refuses to proceed with the call or declines for whatever reason, the telemarketer has to show courtesy and respect. If the person is busy, the salesperson can politely ask when it is better to call back. The call guide has to be pliable, open for modifications and includes questions to address the prospect or customer's interests and concerns.
4. Measure outcome and manage data. Success can be evaluated through a comprehensive analysis of results. This includes a number of different factors such as customer response reviews, call recordings and constant assessment of the existing and potential customer profiles.
Human interaction in B2B telemarketing should not only mean speaking with a live person or throwing questions forth. Companies should execute goal-oriented outbound calling campaigns with the ultimate purpose of building long-lasting and successful business relationships.
by: Anne Geller
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