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Monthly Archives: March 2019

How big should ‘big data’ really be?

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Its true that data and databases are still a vital component of company’s new business activities, however it’s increasing important especially in the light of GDPR to remember the human element that underlies the myriad of marketing disciplines. Too often businesses can fall into the trap of thinking about marketing in its more abstract form, devoid of the vast amount of differing personalities that play an integral part in every aspect, from the most esoteric to the most ubiquitous.

It’s tempting to think that in B2B database terms ‘big is beautiful’. However, this perception is loaded with peril. After all, who wants to be treated like a record on a database? As Jess Marranco writes on ‘The Era of Human Brand’ – In 2013, advertising agency, Hill Holliday, and brand strategy consulting firm, Lippincott, released the “Welcome to the Human Era” report, which evaluates brands and separates those that are Human Era brands as opposed to Industrial Era. What exactly does it mean to be a Human Era brand? According to the report, being a Human Era brand goes beyond merely saying that one is more “human.” It requires an authentic story delivered consistently through an inspiring experience. It requires hard work — establishing organisational values and commitments that are customer driven, while also driving them toward daily leadership decision-making and employee behaviours. Those brands who fit the Human Era brand mould are creatively paving the way for a new world of marketing that sparks an emotional connection with the audience.

 

Success in business to business sales is all about uncovering and engaging the right buyers with a sensitive offer that is built around their needs and wants. So approaching decision-makers with a standardised or shoehorned message of any kind is a fundamentally flawed way of tackling the task of B2B sales. Instead by approaching marketing using a practice commonly described as the ‘segment of one’ enables companies to treat every potential buyer as unique and tailor their messaging specifically around their needs.

 

This means you have to segment the data very carefully and then engage with potential buyers to understand more about what their needs are well before you try to transact with them. Increasingly, service and customer experience have become important as markets continue to become more saturated. Reach Force’ article ‘The 3 Most Popular Methods of Segmentation for B2B’ dissects the protocol for engaging with your potential buyers, segmenting customers by three specific means – firmographics, tiering and, finally, needs. They say “customer segmentation is powerful, because it allows the marketer to draw an accurate picture of their customers, group them according to similarities, and devise pinpointed messages to specific segments of their customer base. Inevitably, these messages are personalised and tailored, which results in a significantly higher number of conversions. But there is no one single way of segmenting customers that is clearly the best option.”

 

Only companies who are able to adapt around the needs of unique customers or prospects will really get the benefits that good customer experience, referrals, and repeat purchase can deliver. For the Human Era brand, two-way communication, focusing on the client’s unique needs and requirements is what sets a company apart. Blue Donkey has seen the benefits in this regard, by understanding that no brand is the same and each client needs that one-to-one experience, in order to forge lasting and mutually beneficial relationships.

If you would like to learn more about how Blue Donkey can support you contact us on 01353 724 880.

Discourse and the language of business

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Nobody could fail to see the impact made by the language of political discourse today. As we potentially enter a new chapter in history, how we think, feel and experience the world sits at the tip of our tongue. Similarly, all good businesses have discourse as one of the major cornerstones of their company – as a business that communicates at every level, succeeds at every level. Across all sectors, discourse is what sets a business apart, both at a major and micro level. As technological advancements have impacted business communication, we have seen business discourse come into its own, developing what some have called its own language. Blue Donkey has understood the importance of discourse in its two decades of operations, specialising in telemarketing and placing a great deal of importance on tailored communication which acts as a bridge between a company and its clients.

The art of discourse is an ancient and elaborate one, first articulated by the Ancient Greeks. From Aristotle to Plato, it was these philosophers who founded the cultural framework of our modern society. Plato’s three works Republic, Symposium and Phaedrus each laid out the rich tapestry of discourse, dissected by Plato in the form of narrative dialogue between characters. As James Henderson Collins puts it, Plato composed dramatic protreptic speeches in which someone converts (or tries to convert) a person to a new way of living.

Focusing on love, aesthetics, politics et al, it’s from Plato’s intense and beautifully brocaded speeches in these three works that form our understanding of just how discourse should work in a society. Its primary functions in forging bonds, winning an argument and most importantly, keeping order, is what businesses need to refresh themselves in.

What we can forever learn from the Ancient Greeks is how to continue perfecting our discourse in the business environment. The art of persuasion, most of all, is imperative for all business structures to subscribe to. This mode of discourse was summarised by Aristotle in three parts: pathos, ethos and logos.

Powownow gives some advice on how Aristotelian methods of persuasion can help us win over a meeting: “Firstly, in terms of logical (Logos) appeal, it is smart to make sure your meetings and calls have solid content and agendas, with clear facts and evidence to back up your points. Secondly, in terms of the character elements (Ethos), it is important to run meetings fairly and honestly so that people can trust your advice and lead, based on your background and experience. Finally, all the writers and research over the years reinforces that it is smart to recognise the emotional (Pathos) content too; we can add creative openings and bring our business ideas to life with good examples, stories and personal information – to bring the right level of emotional engagement into a meeting.”

In The Guardian, Jules Evans lists 7 methods from Ancient Greek Philosophy, from the likes of Plutarch and Epictetus, that help business leaders become better at fostering an atmosphere of positivity and personal growth for their employees, which ultimately leads to a successful business culture. Scouring the mountains of knowledge the Greek philosophers imparted to us, Jules has sourced such pearls of wisdom as how to let people seek fulfilment, daring to disagree, keeping track of your ethical progress, the art of happiness, building a resilient mindset and being a good role model, each can easily be incorporated into every business model. “I’ve met and interviewed hundreds of people who have used ancient Greek and Roman philosophies to help them live their lives better” he says “Including soldiers, astronauts, politicians and business leaders. They all used philosophy to help them achieve “eudaimonia”, by which the Greeks meant “flourishing” or “the good life”.”

The diversity of knowledge businesses can apply by simply taking the time to understand what the Ancient Greeks meant by healthy discourse, is indeed a formula for success.

If you would like to know more about how Blue Donkey’s effective telephone communication techniques could support your business contact us on 01353 724 880.

 

On the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web the phone is still your best sales tool

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Suppose all the information stored on computers everywhere were linked. Suppose I could program my computer to create a space in which everything could be linked to everything.

– Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web

 

The internet has become a powerful force in the world of sales and marketing. Social media networks, online ads, banners and email campaigns have been utilised by millions of people around the world, with many businesses seeing great results from their online efforts. Incredibly powerful, virtually ubiquitous and versatile, the internet has transformed sales for good. However, there is still one sales tool that’s stronger than the internet: the telephone. Tried and tested, the telephone will always be the best tool for an equal balance of personal and professional. A great way to connect with clients, customers and collaborators, the telephone can help companies to boost their brand awareness, build business relationships and grow sales.

If you’re still not convinced of the power of the telephone, here are a few reasons why this established sales tool is still the best there is.

Businesses and the telephone

Though many companies spotted the potential of the telephone when it was developed in the 1870s, it wasn’t until the mid 20th century that businesses really started to take advantage of this powerful communication tool. Telemarketing really came into its own in the 1970s, when companies began to use the telephone to contact potential customers and to network with other businesses.

Building business relationships

In the world of B2B sales, relationships are everything. This is because, even in the largest companies, it’s often up to individuals to make decisions on purchasing products and services, and individuals are much more likely to buy from people and businesses that they know. In fact, according to Marketing Donut, only 2% of sales are made at initial meetings, with the other 98% made once two companies have built a relationship.

For building a business relationship, the telephone remains king. It’s a lot easier to discern humour, pathos, sincerity and other emotions over the phone than it is by email. What’s more, callers can expand the topic of conversation, allowing them to answer client queries and enabling them to really get to know a customer, their needs and their requirements.

Building trust

When we speak to someone over the phone, we automatically analyse everything they say, the subtleties of their tone of voice, as well as the words they actually use, to decide exactly what the person we’re speaking to means and to decide whether or not they’re trustworthy. The more we speak to someone, the more trustworthy we’re likely to believe they are. Companies that trust a supplier are much more likely to do business with them, both initially and in the long term.

Showing commitment

It doesn’t take long to write a generic sales email and fire it off to a number of potential clients. According to Smart Insights, on average only 13%-25% of emails are opened, with an average click through rate of just 1.3%-5.4%.

Making a phone call however takes time. Not only does this show you value a company’s potential business enough to take a few minutes out your day, it also shows a commitment to your on going business relationship and demonstrates your company values the personal touch.

Personal, professional and direct, the telephone is a confident and powerful sales tool. To find out more about developing an effective B2B sales strategy, give our team a call today on 01353 724 880.

4 Sure-fire ways of growing customer satisfaction

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Most markets are saturated, and these days there’s rarely such a thing as a truly USP (unique selling point). In fact, most of us now have a whole collection of competitors that are in some way comparable to us. It’s harder than ever to win and retain customer loyalty, so how can companies nurture a culture that listens to the customer voice in order to build a sustainable future?

In today’s busy workplaces, most of us are guilty of complacency from time to time. The demands of the day mean we attack tasks in order of urgency. In his famous time management framework, the great late Stephen Covey said we should organise priorities by differentiating between those activities that are important, and those that are urgent. Important activities, he suggests, are those linked to the business goals, where urgent activities are those that need immediate attention. He helpfully pointed out that most of us focus on the urgent most of the time, and many don’t ever manage to achieve the important goals, due to time limitations.

This tendency to be always firefighting means we often don’t find the time to reach out to customers and to talk about the things that are important to the changing backdrop of their business. This fundamental chink in our service provision can leave gaps for our competitors to jump in. So how can we make sure we connect with customers well enough to maintain and grow precious customer satisfaction levels? Read on for 4 sure-fire ways of capturing the hearts and minds of your customers.

 

Survey your customers at least annually

As online surveys continue to decline, or become disproportionately weighted by customers with extreme views (very happy or very unhappy), companies are increasingly deploying alternative methods for reaching their customer voice. Outsourcing surveys to professional researchers like Blue Donkey has become an effective way of demonstrating care, whilst generating valuable impartial insight about the key factors your customers consider to be strengths and weaknesses. Such surveys provide robust evidence for ISO:9001 or other quality management systems, as well as providing valuable data to help companies cement their relationship with customers.

 

Pick up the phone

Covey’s penetrating insights include being proactive. In his famous 7 Habits he promotes the benefits of proactively reaching out to people and listening carefully to the things that are important to them, in order to better meet their needs and, in doing so, to become more successful ourselves. This kind of customer-centred activity leads to valuable, company-changing insights. It also gives the customer a sense of service and care that they are unlikely to experience from your competitors.

 

Keep digging for the unwitting messages

Becoming attuned to the subtle unwitting messages communicated by customers is undoubtably one of the valuable skills we learn with experience. Customers cannot be happy all the time, but unless we listen carefully to the things they’re not saying, as well as the things they are, we may not capture the full picture. At Blue Donkey we use techniques such as Probing, to help dig a bit deeper. This might include prompts such as, ‘That’s interesting, tell me a bit more about it.’ Only by uncovering a true picture of how a customer feels can we ever get close to meeting their needs sustainably.

 

Get to the Nitty-gritty

Even today, some companies deal with the big challenges using the FANBOSASYHI  method (find a nice bit of sand and stick your head in it). Undeniably there is sometimes an argument for Watch and Wait, the strategy that a surprising number of us have adopted for dealing with Brexit for example. However, almost always there is merit in engaging customers in an honest, open dialogue about what an organisation can do to better meet and adapt to the changing needs of their buyer base, even if this means we have to face some painful truths. Getting to the nitty-gritty means we can flex the control-levers that make customers happy, instead of the ones that make us happy.

Without knowing what clients and customers are thinking, we are powerless to adapt to the changing face of our markets. In most B2B environments the key success factors are related to quality of service, the human element and the ability to flex around the changing needs of customers. As is often the case in life, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

 

If you would like to find out how Blue Donkey can help with customer satisfaction surveys or market research contact us on 01353 724 880.

 

 

Are you having a laugh?

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Like any human interaction, telemarketing should engage, enrich and be interesting for both parties. Drawing a potential customer into an intelligent two-way interaction takes a bit of nifty open question technique, coupled with the emotional intelligence to read between the lines of what your respondent is saying and using this to decide where your discussion should go next. Is there room for humour? Unfortunately we think not. As the psychologist Freud suggests, people often use humour to deflect and endure difficult situations. So while it’s perhaps understandable that humour may help us deal with the awkward feelings that telemarketing can bring, we have some advice about why you should leave your jokes at the water-cooler.

 

Humour is highly subjective

If you can’t see the response or read the body language of the person you’re communicating with, using humour in an attempt to warm up your dialogue is a potentially risky strategy, as the things that make us laugh are subjective. Most people use humour with friends or colleagues they know well because they have a shared interest or insight that makes them laugh. Using humour with a stranger is therefore likely to flop, especially given that the telephone compromises communication by reducing the five human senses to just two .

 

Getting people in the right mood

Colleagues who find themselves constantly injecting humour into their conversations can be (let’s face it) a little irritating, especially if you’re in the middle of a busy working day and dealing with issues that are not funny or trivial. Laughter might be good for the soul but like that nice glass of wine, there’s a time and a place. Cold calling is probably not the time to practice your best puns, and whilst it’s polite to share a little laugh with someone who said something funny to us, we wouldn’t respond in kind.

 

Keeping it professional

We are all the face of our business, so we have a responsibility to reflect the specialness of our brands in the way we conduct ourselves. Few B2B brands would benefit from the funny-man persona. In fact, the most successful business brands present themselves as polished, professional and sharp. So if funny is not one of your brand’s differentiating factors, keep your dialogue professional – after all, we will never fail to win the hearts and minds of customers by not being funny enough.

 

If you would like to speak to experts about making professional B2B telemarketing calls on your behalf contact Blue Donkey on 01353 724 880.