We exist because the world is driven by sales. Think about it. Everything we have is tied back to a sale that was made from a conversation that was had, which all started by generating that first lead.
Most businesses have a goal to grow and in order to do that, they need new leads and new opportunities. So, what’s the magic sauce? How can you get more leads and how can you make sure that your sales team is capitalizing on those leads?
Every business is different. However, I will tell you that after running hundreds of B2B telemarketing lead generation programs, there are several helpful processes to make sure your team is generating strong leads and your sales team is capitalizing on those opportunities.
Follow these tips to see improved results.
5 Important Telemarketing Lead Generation Tips
Tip #1: Multiple Touch Points
One of the hardest and most time consuming aspects of telemarketing lead generation is just getting the person who actually makes the decisions on the phone.
Regardless if you are generating your own leads or using outsourced telemarketing, the days of people sitting at their desk all day are dead. We are truly living in a mobile age.
So, how can you more effectively reach prospects? You must use a multiple touch approach. Call them, leave voicemails, send emails, connect on LinkedIn, and join groups with people you know need the product or service you are selling.
Implement a process for these contact methods, including on what attempts you will try a different or multiple touch approach. Also consider the amount of time you are spacing between contact attempts.
You do not want to call, leave a voicemail, send an email, and connect with them on LinkedIn all on the same day. Honestly, that is too much and will more than likely push them right into your competitor’s hands.
Tip #2: It’s Not an Interrogation
One of the biggest mistakes I see when launching a B2B telemarketing lead generation program is the use of an overly interrogative script.
I understand you want to ensure your sales team has as much information as possible going into the sales call to be successful. However, think about if you had to sit on the phone for 15 minutes answering questions, only to find out the purpose of this call is to set up another call with more questions. Would you stay on the phone?
Don’t get me wrong, valuable information needs to be collected. But if you are skilled enough to get C-level managers on the phone, respect their time and know they probably have better things to be doing.
Keep it to the bare necessities. Part of the follow-up call from your sales team should be engaging in the conversation and asking more questions to build a relationship with the potential client.
Tip #3: Setting Up the Sales Call
I cannot stress enough just how important this is. If your outsourced telemarketing team does not have a proper process in place to set up the follow-up sales call, your leads will run cold.
With that said, first and foremost, time is of the essence. The time between the follow-up call and the original lead generation call impacts how successful you are going to be. I recommend a 2-day gap at most for the follow-up call process, and that should only be exceeded if there is a very valid reason.
If your prospect wants to push past a week, don’t set the appointment. Instead, schedule a time to call them back when there is a smaller window. This will keep show rates up and the likelihood of your prospect recalling the initial interest much higher.
Secondly, send the prospect a calendar invite while you’re on the phone with them and get them to commit to adding it to their Outlook calendar. If the time is blocked off, although not impossible, it is a lot less likely they will back out of the appointment.
Lastly, walk them through next steps. If they clearly know what is going to happen after you get off the phone, they are more likely to be prepared for the next level of conversation.
Tip #4: Create a Lead Rating System
Every lead is not created equal, so why do people classify them as such? With any lead generation program, you get the bad, the good and the great leads. The key is to know the difference so you can appropriately prioritize the time frame in which you contact these prospects.
While conducting B2B telemarketing lead generation, you should have a method in which prospects are rated on how they answer specific questions you believe are “essential” within the script.
You can use the old “hot” or “cold” method, however, I typically prefer a bit more detailed approach of A, B, or C.
“A” leads want to make a decision now, have been looking, have the budget, and want a call right away. They are informed and you can tell they have done their research.
“B” leads are prospects who are interested in having further conversations, however, their time frame for a decision might be several months out. You will know when talking to them that they are interested, but they just don’t have a plan in place.
Lastly, “C” leads are those who don’t necessarily want to have a phone call or in-person conversation but would like more information sent to them for future reference.
Because timely follow-up is so critical with prospects, having a system in place for your outsourced telemarketing team that clearly conveys who is priority #1 helps increase the likelihood of you closing deals.
Tip #5: Synergize Lead Generation and Sales Teams
Finally, one of the most important pieces of a successful B2B telemarketing lead generation program is to open the lines of communication between your lead generation team and the sales team. Although these teams both play separate roles, the endgame is the same and you should never create silos.
A strong lead generation team should always know what the sales team is looking for in new leads, the results of leads sent, and what they need to do to improve the quality of leads that the sales team is receiving.
I recommend a weekly or even monthly call between the two teams to ensure everyone is on the same page. The time spent is worth it.
Benefits of Outsourced Telemarketing for Lead Generation
Generating high quality leads for your sales team is something that will no doubt be a learning process and one that requires constant refinement. That being said, if you stick to some basic processes and lay out your expectations clearly, it is one that can be very fun and rewarding.
Outsourced telemarketing is a great way to quickly supply your sales team with the amount of opportunities they need to meet your growing business goals. Quality Contact Solutions is proud to be a part of the AnswerNet family providing call center, BPO, and telemarketing services. To see our full suite of services, click the button below. If you would like to get in touch with our team, give us a call at 1 (866) 963-2889 or submit a request for a customized price quote here.
A.J. Windle is the Director of Client Engagement at Quality Contact Solutions, an AnswerNet Company. A.J. is responsible for ensuring innovation and key initiatives are accomplished for each client on an ongoing basis. A.J.’s deep background in call center management, including training, operations management, and his recent role as Director of Operations is skillfully leveraged to produce better results for each client’s outsourced call center budget dollar. A.J. is a hands-on leader and he loves to win! He can be reached at aj.windle@qualitycontactsolutions.com or 516-656-5106.
