By Megan Hottman, Brand Evangelist
Let’s face it, the buying process has changed significantly for organizations. Potential customers are overwhelmed with so much noise from vendors and have done most of the research BEFORE we even come into the process. It’s important for us to find new and different ways to not just acquire leads and ultimately turn them into our customers, but also to examine our process of how we are treating our prospective customers while generating leads and moving through the cycle. With the abundance of information readily available online, businesses have become more comfortable with making decisions to purchase products and services online and over the phone. It’s imperative that we make every interaction count and really connect with our targets. The landscape today demands that the process of lead generation provides high quality and relevant information, understanding what business challenge you’re solving for and being diligent with follow up all while providing the best experience for your target.
Telemarketing Companies Must Provide Both Quality and Quantity
The idea of throwing something at our potential customers to see if it sticks just doesn’t work. It’s critical that we are providing a positive interaction with each and every touchpoint. The quality of information we are providing is essential to help create that positive customer experience, which will in turn help foster an environment of trust. We need to provide insight to illustrate that we understand the business issues/challenges these organizations are faced with. When we share quality information that reflects our understanding of the business challenges, that can help define us as subject matters experts in that area and help establish credibility.
Telemarketing Companies Must Understand the Business Challenges
We know that customers don’t buy products, they buy solutions. But you can’t offer a true solution unless you know what problem they are trying to solve, and understanding your customers will give you the insight you need to hold a productive conversation regarding those challenges and how to work towards a recommended solution.
Understanding the customer’s problem is sales 101 right? It’s been said that people buy solutions to internal problems that they feel. If we can identify that internal frustration, clearly illustrate how we can help address the challenge, it will resonate with them and we will bond with our customers. They feel understood. They engage with the rest of our message in a more meaningful way. But before we can identify that internal frustration or problem is, we need to understand it. Right out of the gate, if you pitch a product without doing your homework, you automatically are classified as a “vendor” and can lose credibility with your target; if you can discuss how you can serve their (company, department, business segment) you start to take on more of an advisor role and perhaps are viewed as an extension of their team and ultimately can gain their trust.
Telemarketing Companies Employ the Power of Persistence
The likelihood of generating a well-qualified lead right out of the gate is probably the equivalent to grabbing a cup of coffee with a unicorn…it just isn’t going to happen. The real magic happens when persistence is met with the ability to pivot and listen to the queues your prospective customer is giving you. Perhaps the timing is right today. Maybe your leading message did not resonate. The message here is just don’t give up.
In many cases, leads are never followed up with. A senior level executive recently shared with me that he is amazed at the number of sales calls he receives, the creative emails and messages that are sent via LinkedIn but they are never followed up on! Most of the time he does not pick up the telephone or respond initially but sometimes he has an interest once he hears the voicemail or skims the content that was sent. It’s critical that we follow up on what we’ve started. It takes multiple touchpoints to generate a quality lead.
One of the reasons Quality Contact Solutions has been so successful with lead generation is that through 11 years of experience, we’ve learned how to narrow down the right prospects by continually refining our process and working closely with our clients. We’ve been able to turn prospects into well-qualified leads and have guided them through the sales process while building strong relationships along the way. Let’s discuss how Quality Contact Solutions can help your company grow through lead generation efforts.
If you’re looking for a team that has the ability to meet metrics and provide a great experience for your prospects give us a call at 1-866-963-2889 and press 1 for sales. Or send us an email at sales@qualitycontactsolutions.com
Other Articles You Might Find Interesting:
Considerations of Lead Gen through Outsourced Telemarekting
Top Ten Tweaks for Peak Success
Megan Hottman is a Brand Evangelist for Quality Contact Solutions. Megan’s experience includes working as an outbound telemarketing manager for a Fortune 100 company for many years. Megan has been both a client and an employee of QCS so she knows first hand the quality, productivity and passion the team brings to work on a daily basis. As Brand Evangelist, Megan is a freelance contributor to our website. You can reach Megan at https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganehottman/
