Not just cold calling
Most people believe that telemarketers only conduct cold calls. However, telemarketing can be used to help businesses turn opportunities into business. Inside the Box Marketing explains how telemarketing can provide businesses with a cost-effective and profitable return.
Businesses with little or no experience of sales can make best use of generating leads through telemarketing. A dedicated, professional telemarketing team will be able to create or qualify leads to help understand the potential customer’s needs. This helps a business to greatly reduce cost per sale and cost per lead.
When looking at prospects it is always important to profile the type of customer you would be looking for to help maximise the conversion rate.
Creating new opportunities to sit in front of new and existing clients is a great way to discuss products and services. A more common use of telemarketing is to help qualify a prospective customer and arrange appointments to do just that.
You may have conducted your appointment – contacting the customer and matching their needs. However, the sale may still not be sealed and a follow-up is needed. Telemarketing is a great way of following-up prospects, even closing the deal. Other ways telemarketing can follow-up could include: e-shots, direct mail letters, website, and general enquiries.
Telemarketing, outstanding invoices, or slow paying customers is a great way of using the professionalism of customer-focused individuals who understand the consequences of losing customers, and are apt at cajoling them to pay.
Telemarketing is an effective way of getting ‘bums on seats’. With any type of event – open days, training, workshops, seminars, customer conferences – telemarketing can help secure the delegate’s place and then make sure they attend.
The obvious use of telemarketing is cold calling, but it can also be used to ensure existing customers who have not used you for a while are contacted.
Regular telemarketing to your customers improves relationships. Customers enjoy that personal touch, and keeping in touch on a regular basis helps improve ordering, debts and the service you can offer.
Telemarketing is also a cost-effective way of contacting customers who haven’t order for a while. It is well documented: creating new customers can cost five times more than selling to existing ones. So, reactivating previous customers can be a real advantage.
Data held in accounting systems, marketing databases, CRM systems and websites can often be incomplete or out of date. Telemarketing you can quickly contact prospects, suppliers, partners and customers to update their details and information. At the same time, why not offer a new promotion or product?
Introducing new products or services can benefit immensely from customer input. Undergoing a campaign of telemarketing to improve market intelligence at the start of the project can help your market planning and provide you with a list of potential prospects for your next campaign.
Done professionally telemarketing can be a very profitable and cost effective way of selling your products, services and solutions. Alongside this, it helps highlight your business as a company that considers its customers first, listens, and builds all-round good relationships.