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Telemarketing needs the right sentiments more than the right words

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Love heart sweets to illustrate B2B telemarketing needs the right sentiments more than the right words

B2B telemarketing, like all other channels, is reliant on organisations being able to clearly differentiate their products and services from that of their competition. For a buyer to purchase from one business rather than another, the company has to demonstrate they are different in a fundamental way. Whether they get better outcomes, have a more compelling price point, outstanding customer service, it’s essential businesses tell their customers exactly why they should choose them if they’re going to grow. However, in B2B telemarketing, convincing people you’re special is all but impossible if you don’t believe 100% in the product or service you’re offering.

This is why at Blue Donkey we believe the most important first step in making any B2B telemarketing call is taking a moment to really think about what makes you different. This shouldn’t simply be a list of features but should involve thinking about who you are as a business, what you do, why you’re special and how this can benefit other people. Once you’ve filled yourself with passion and enthusiasm, you’ll be able to make your B2B telemarketing calls stand out, resonate with each buyer, and really get your marketing performing.

Understand the market

As well as knowing your own products and services inside and out, it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the wider market. If you understand what your potential customer may be choosing between, it will help you to better explain how your products and services are different. Though you’re probably already aware of the products and services offered by your competition, taking a few moments to remind yourself where your company falls in the business landscape, will help you predict which objections or resistance your potential customers may have when discussing your sales pitch. Created by the business theorist Michael Porter, Porters % Forces model is a great way to help companies analyse and understand the five main forces of competition in their market. Check it out on Mind Tools where they explain that this model is super-useful, because, when you understand the forces in your environment or industry that can affect your profitability, you’ll be able to adjust your strategy accordingly.

Avoid scripts or any form of prompt

Sadly, too often in B2B telemarketing, managers and other people within an organisation pre-design the telemarketing message for their team’s sales calls. Though this can offer you and your sales team a good starting point when thinking about your products and services, a script can make the call feel more automated and less personal. A scripted call can never replicate the power, passion, and charisma of a spontaneous dialogue, and it’s precisely these three qualities that will help to make your call a success.

Make each call unique

Another drawback of a scripted call is that it makes every interaction the same. This leaves little room for your team of telemarketers to take the different needs, preferences, and goals of each prospect into account and can prevent them from becoming fully engaged in the call. However, if your telemarketers are given the space to draw on their own skills, resources and professional experience, their passion and enthusiasm will shine through. They’ll be better able to create heartfelt interactions and really get under the skin of the people they’re speaking to.

The telephone is unique in its ability to connect businesses with potential clients and enable real two-way communication. By being able to speak knowledgeably and freely on the phone, telemarketers can make the most of this powerful tool, make a positive impact on the people they’re speaking to and boost their chances of success. By empowering our teams with the confidence and the skills they need to communicate, we free them from the script and allow them to make calls that really make a difference. To find out more, get in touch with us today.

How to get B2B prospects talking

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Lady on phone trying to get a prospect talking.

 

There is nothing more painful in telemarketing than the challenge of picking up the telephone and getting B2B prospects talking. In fact, getting strangers talking to us is potentially one of those life skills that defines high achievers from non-achievers. So it’s no accident that the first lesson in sales starts with getting a prospect talking. Most of us find that once the conversation is flowing it’s easy to get our points across and create a comfortable, natural and flowing discussion.

But what happens if the person we’re calling is uncommunicative and cold, does that mean our chances of creating a relationship are diminished? Even though these experiences are an important part of B2B telemarketing, many people are still baffled by how to get prospects talking. While some are held back by fear or nerves, others just lack the human skills required to break down barriers and make meaningful connections.

The time between getting past the receptionist and waiting for the decision maker to answer the phone is important. During these moments you’re taking a breath and are poised to make your call opening. The success or failure of your call is often determined by how well you perform in those seconds. If they go well, you’ll glide effortlessly into your call and connect with the prospect you’re speaking to. If you make a mistake however, you could end up fluffing your pitch, making the call awkward or even crashing out altogether.

To ensure disasters like this don’t happen, we’ve developed a range of techniques to guarantee a great first impression, every time. Keep reading to find out more.

KISS

The old adage ‘keep it simple sweetie’ is definitely a principle worth noting here. Make your opening introduction as quick and as straightforward as possible. Who you are, where you’re calling from and the reason for your call is the means by which you should introduce yourself. The sooner you can get this bit over and done with, the sooner you can ask your opening questions and get the prospect engaged with the call.

Use open questions

An open question is a question that can’t be answered with either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. Your question should be relevant to your call, so you glean useful insight from the answer. Avoid pointless questions like ‘how are you?’ as these are not relevant or sincere since you’re calling someone you don’t know so they won’t further your call, they may even irritate your busy prospects and serve to undermine your call.

Show and create interest

People like people who are interested in them. Ask questions and listen carefully to the answers. Probe relevant details, and be ready to illustrate how your product, or service, aligns with their needs. Rather than listing off the benefits of your products and services all at once, prioritise the information you give, according to your prospect’s particular requirements, preferences or business.

Enjoy the ride

Though your call should always be professional and on point, as a skilled communicator you should also be able to inject an element of enjoyment into the conversation. If you’re confident and charismatic, then this sense of fun will automatically enter your call as most people get a lot of enjoyment from doing a job they’re good at. The more success you have, the more you will enjoy yourself, and the more your enthusiasm will be communicated to the person you’re talking to.

At Blue Donkey, we’re always looking for ways to improve our techniques and our success rate to ensure our telemarketers are doing a job they find meaningful and rewarding. To find out more, or to learn how we can help boost the success of your telemarketing team, get in touch with us today.

The great thing about B2B telemarketing

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More than ever, successful companies are seeing stronger links between their customer experience levels, sales, and the ability of their sales team to get under the skin of buyers, to understand what they want and deliver the best service possible.

Its no accident that we buy the most expensive cars or houses from the people who deliver exceptional service. And where staff are ambivalent, complacent, or lack charisma, most of us will walk away.

The connections made by sales teams in B2B have never been more important. And in turn B2B telemarketing offers an almost unique opportunity to reach out to potential buyers, lots of them in a systematic and measurable way, to find out what they need and what we can do to meet those needs. Done well telemarketing can make a powerful and measurable difference to sales success.

Well executed telemarketing will enable a business to connect with clients, research potential new markets and promote a product or service. It can test small segments to inform and empower innovative marketing strategies on scale. More and more companies are recognising the need for outsourcing their B2B telemarketing because it has become such a specialist skill. So much so, internal team members can struggle to learn the competencies and disciplines associated with successful, systematic B2B telemarketing. Often doing it in-house, at best works for a while and then quickly loses its effectiveness.

However, many – if not most – telemarketing campaigns are not done to this high standard. Companies often use the tool as an afterthought or don’t utilise it to its full potential. As a result, a lot of businesses have the wrong idea about telemarketing and a number of myths have built up around the industry.

To help you sort the telemarketing facts from the fiction, we’re dispelling some of the most common modern telemarketing myths.

Telemarketing for complex solutions

Skillful telemarketing is all about distilling key business benefits down to a few pithy points. Whether you’re talking about scientific equipment, or a simple consumable, what captures the interest of your buyer will always be associated with business benefits, namely improved time, effort, cost, or security advantages delivered by your product or services.

Invariably they want to know ‘what’s in it for me’, and communicating this succinctly and compellingly in the opening of the call will lead to a richer more informed dialogue.

Getting the buyer involved

Using hard closes, scant detail, or pushy techniques to get in front of buyers is unlikely to position the selling organisation as a potential partner or supplier of choice. In Blue Donkey’s 22 years of experience, we’ve found there is no substitute for a detailed two-way conversation, where criteria has been properly established on both parts, so the buyer knows how they would benefit meeting with a potential supply organisation, and the supplier knows that the buyer satisfies criteria for them to potentially enjoy a valuable mutual long-term partnership.

Investing more time and effort at the telemarketing stage will not only save costly wasted meetings, it will set the selling organisation apart as a best in breed compared with competitors. More importantly, your telemarketing will reflect your brand values.

Avoid written scripts

If B2B telemarketing is about connecting with the right people and building a relationship, then using a script, or any kind of formulaic process will be a hindrance to that objective. Where in life would you speak with somebody using a predetermined script. Scripts are designed around assumptions about what a buyer will want and the basics of the product or service on offer. It’s far more rewarding for the maker and the receiver of a call if the dialog is based on sensitive questions and sound product knowledge. After all people buy from people.

Stop hating cold calls

We all dislike receiving calls that are irrelevant, banal, or pushy. The telemarketing industry has been awash with shocking examples where the telephone as a business tool has been abused. Fortunately most marketers today understand the importance of customer experience and are therefore far more tuned with the principles of good database management, understanding customer needs, and the importance of structuring campaigns to touch the right buyers.

What’s more, most business decision-makers accept that being effective depends on them keeping the channels of communication to the outside world very much open, they don’t want to receive irrelevant or scripted calls, they might welcome a call from a supplier who can help their organisation achieve its objectives. Indeed in such cases the way a call resonates will determine whether or not a buyer even considers it a cold call. Our experience tells us, people only perceive a call to be a cold call where it leaves them feeling cold.

Gently does it!

Coming on too strongly, being pushy or using aggressive tactics is counter-productive in telemarketing. Call recipients are likely to put the phone down if a telemarketer overwhelms them, something that’s not useful or productive. Instead of using aggressive tactics, our telemarketers try to connect with the people they’re speaking to, developing a two-way conversation instead of a monologue. More likely to get results, and more pleasant for the call recipient, this technique helps to build trust and rapport between telemarketers, the business they represent and the companies they’re calling.

One of the most powerful business tools available, telemarketing can be used for a wide range of purposes and in a variety of industries, to find out more, take a look at Blue Donkey’s website today.

 

Throw away the script!

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In a world where information is abundant, and where we all understand that the warmth of a human voice can make all the difference to way our brand resonates in the mind of buyers, there are few things more annoying than a caller reading from a script. Not only does this make you want to put the phone down straight away, it also gives the impression that the company calling has no idea who you are. This makes it unlikely you’ll listen to them, let alone buy their products or services.

Use a script and the best case scenario is you’ll put the person you’re calling to sleep – worst case, they’ll hang up the phone. To help ensure you’re not putting potential customers off with your opening pitch, it’s important you tear up the script and redraw your telemarketing strategy from scratch. By using intelligent questions, good information and a team of callers able to engage and inform, you can transform the success of your telemarketing campaign and give potential clients something meaningful to think about.

Know your audience

When it comes to telemarketing one size definitely doesn’t fit all. Every company or individual you contact will have different requirements, with all of your potential customers having their own specific reasons for needing your products or services. In order to make calls intelligent and informative, you need to take the time to understand these individual motivations. The more you think about why a company or person may want your products or services, the easier it will be to tailor your call to ask the right questions and peak their interest.

Be interested

The first questions you ask when you make a telemarketing call can make the difference between success and failure. Create a series of questions that are insightful and that get to the heart of your potential customers’ interests. It’s also very important to listen and respond to the answers you’re given. Blindly ploughing on with question after question tells the caller you’re not really interested in them as a business and is a real giveaway you’re reading from a script.

Be different and give them a reason to act

The majority of the people who cut you off in the middle of your intro do so because they see no difference between you and other callers. To ensure they see the value of your products or services as soon as possible, you need to be different, compelling.

Use the information you glean from your questions to tailor your discussion. The more you learn about the person or business you’re calling, the easier it will be to demonstrate the value of your products or services to that business. Once you’ve showcased the benefits of what you’re offering, you need to give the person you’re calling a reason to act. This call to action should be clear during your call, so both you and the potential client have a clear sense of objective.

To find out more about creating intelligent telemarketing  and connecting with your target audience, contact a member of our team today.

In telemarketing the right sentiments are more important than the right words

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Row of lightbulbs with one lit

As all business leaders know, in order for individuals and companies to buy from one business instead of another, the company has to demonstrate that they’re different in a fundamental way. Whether it’s that they get great results, can’t be beaten on price or have outstanding customer service, it’s essential businesses tell their customers exactly why they should choose them if they’re going to grow.

However, convincing people you’re that little bit special is all but impossible if you don’t believe 100% in the product or service you’re offering. This is why we believe the most important first step in making any sales call is taking a moment to really think about what makes you different. This shouldn’t simply be a list of benefits, but should involve thinking about who you are as a business, what you do, why you’re special and how this can benefit other people. Once you’ve filled yourself with passion and enthusiasm, you’ll be able to make each and every call count and really get your message across.

Understand the market

As well as knowing your own products and services inside and out, it’s a good idea to really familiarise yourself with the wider market before making a sales call. If you understand exactly what your potential customer may be choosing between it will help you to better explain how your products and services are different. Though you’re probably already aware of the products and services offered by your competition, taking a few moments to remind yourself where your company falls in the business landscape will help you predict which objections or resistance your potential customers may have when discussing your sales pitch.

Avoid pre-designed messages

All too often in telemarketing, managers and other people within an organisation pre-design the telemarketing message for their team’s sales calls. Though this can offer you and your sales team a good starting point when thinking about your products and services, a script can make the call feel more automated and less personal. A scripted call can never replicate the power, passion and charisma of a spontaneous dialogue, and it’s precisely these three qualities that will help to make your call a success.

Make each call unique

Another drawback of a scripted call is that it makes every interaction more or less the same. This leaves little room for your team of telemarketers to take the different needs, preferences and goals of each prospect into account and can prevent them becoming fully engaged in the call. However if your telemarketers are given the space to draw on their own personal experience, passion and enthusiasm, they’ll be able to create heartfelt interactions and really get under the skin of the people they’re speaking to.

The telephone is unique in its ability to connect businesses with customers and enable real communication. By being able to speak knowledgeably and freely on the phone, telemarketers can make the most of this powerful tool, make a positive impact on the people they’re speaking to and boost their chances of success. By empowering our teams with the confidence and the skills they need to communicate, we free them from the script and allow them to make calls that really make a difference. To find out more, get in touch with us today.

How can salespeople get their prospects talking?

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Get prospects talking

One of the biggest challenges in sales is getting a prospect talking. Once you’ve started a conversation, it’s easy to make your pitch, get your message across and begin to develop a relationship. However, if the prospect won’t engage with you, your chances of a successful call will be all but gone. Though this is an important part of sales, a lot of people are still baffled by how to get prospects talking. While some people may be held back by fear or nerves, others may simply lack the communication skills needed to break down barriers and make meaningful connections.

One of the most important moments of any call, is the second between getting past the gatekeeper and waiting for the decision maker to pick up the phone. In this moment, when you’re taking a deep breath and are poised to make your pitch, the success or failure of your call is often determined. If the next few seconds go well, you’ll be able to glide effortlessly into your call and connect with the prospect you’re speaking to. If you make a mistake however, you could end up fluffing your pitch, making the call awkward or even crashing out altogether.

To ensure disasters like this don’t happen, we’ve developed a range of techniques to guarantee a great first impression every time. Keep reading to find out more.

Quick and basic opening

Make your opening introduction as quick and as straightforward as possible. Introduce yourself, say which company you’re calling from and the reason for your call. The sooner you can get this bit over and done with, the sooner you can ask your opening questions and get the prospect engaged with the call.

Ask an open question

An open question is a question that can’t be answered with either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. Try to make the question relevant to your call, so you can glean an insight from the answer. Avoid generic questions, like ‘how are you?’, as these are not relevant and won’t further your call.

Be interested and be interesting

If you want to get a prospect talking, you have to show that you’re really interested in what they’re saying. Listen to their answers, probe relevant details, and show how your product, or service, aligns with their needs. Rather than listing off the benefits of your products and services all at once, prioritise the information you give according to your prospect’s particular requirements, preferences or business.

Have fun

Though your call should always be professional and on point, as a skilled telemarketer you should also be able to inject an element of fun into the conversation. If you’re confident and a good communicator, then this sense of fun will automatically enter your call as most people get a lot of enjoyment from doing a job they’re good at. The more success you have, the more you will enjoy yourself, and the more your enthusiasm will be communicated to the person you’re talking to.

At Blue Donkey, we’re always looking for ways to improve our techniques and our success rate to ensure our telemarketers are as happy, confident, and successful as possible. To find out more, or to learn how we can help boost the success of your telemarketing team, get in touch with us today.

The difference between intelligent questions and stagnant scripts in successful telemarketing

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An old phone with note paper

There are few things more annoying than answering the telephone only to hear the caller begin reading from a pre-prepared script. Not only does this make you want to put the phone down straight away, it also gives the impression that the company calling has no idea who you are. This makes it unlikely you’ll listen to their pitch, let alone buy their products or services.

Use a stagnant script and the best case scenario is you’ll put the person you’re calling to sleep – worst case, they’ll hang up the phone before you’ve even read the first line. To help ensure you’re not putting potential customers off with your opening pitch, it’s important you tear up the script and redraw your telemarketing strategy from scratch. By using intelligent questions, up to date research and a team of callers able to engage and inform, you can transform the success of your telemarketing campaign and give your customers something to think about.

Know your audience

When it comes to telemarketing one size definitely doesn’t fit all. Every company or individual you contact will have different requirements, with all of your potential customers having their own specific reasons for needing your products or services. In order to make your calls intelligent and informative, you need to take the time to understand these individual motivations. The more you think about why a company or person may want your products or services, the easier it will be to tailor your call to peak their interest.

Be interested

The first few questions you ask when you make a telemarketing call can make the difference between success and failure. Create a series of questions that are insightful and that get to the heart of your potential customers’ interests. It’s also very important to listen and respond to the answers you’re given. Blindly ploughing on with question after question tells the caller you’re not really interested in them as a business and is a real giveaway you’re reading from a script.

Be different and give them a reason to act

The majority of the people that hang up after a few minutes or who cut you off in the middle of your intro do so because they see no difference between you and other callers. To ensure they see the value of your products or services as soon as possible, you need to be different.

Use the information you glean from your questions to tailor your discussion. The more you learn about the person or business you’re calling, the easier it will be to demonstrate the value of your products or services to that business. Once you’ve showcased the benefits of what you’re offering, you need to give the person you’re calling a reason to act. This call to action should be clear and compelling ad should be repeated a few times during your call.

To find out more about creating intelligent telemarketing questions and connecting with your target audience, contact a member of our team today.