# GSA Telemarketing Blog — full corpus Generated 2026-10-07 UTC ============================================================ # Knowledge Bank Source: https://telemarketing.blog/ Published: 2018-07-17 Knowledge Bank Learn, develop and power your lead generation Our comprehensive knowledge bank is jam-packed with videos, blogs, infographics, and guides to enhance your business development Select category Data and Research Infographics Lead Generation Marketing Strategy Podcasts Sales and Business Development Telemarketing Telemarketing Training Uncategorised Videos Search Remove filters ------------------------------------------------------------ # Work on Your Call List for Telemarketing Results Source: https://telemarketing.blog/work-on-your-call-list-for-telemarketing-results/ Published: 2026-10-01 > An accurate call list is absolutely worth its weight in gold. Once you’ve defined your sector and targets to which you want to reach out, you need to either purchase data from a quality list provider, build a database of contact details yourself or use an agency like GSA to undertake a database gathering exercise. Check out this blog for tips. https://youtu.be/jv38pkrKVHU Inaccurate data is one of the fastest ways to sink a lead generation campaign. If you're planning an outbound calling programme, getting your call list right is not optional. Businesses that decide to buy a telemarketing call list need to know exactly what they're purchasing, who compiled it, and how recently it was verified. Data Accuracy Drives Better Results A good call list is worth its weight in gold. Once you've defined your sector and target audience to reach out to, you broadly have three options: Purchase data from a reputable list provider Build a database of contact details yourself, or Use an agency like GSA to carry out a database gathering exercise. The quality of your call list shapes the outcome of your telemarketing or lead generation campaign. Good data gets you to decision-makers faster and cuts wasted time in the calling cycle. Poor data breaks momentum, slows engagement and pushes up cost per lead. A campaign built on inaccurate targeting can fail entirely. Do your homework before a single call is made. Give your callers the best data available and they will produce better results. Buying a Marketing List When buying a database from a list provider, choose on reputation and relevance, not just price. Check how often the list is updated and cleaned. Ask for specifics. Ideally the data should be gathered or validated at least every six months, though twelve months is a more common reality despite what some providers claim. Some brokers offer replacement guarantees for bad records. Either way, speak to several suppliers, get quotes and compare like with like. Going for the cheapest option tends to cost more in the long run when poor, outdated information drags down your results. Make Sure Your List Is Legal Make sure your data is screened against the CTPS and TPS telephone preference services before any calls go out. You must also re-screen your contact database for opt-outs every 28 days to stay compliant with current legislation, not just at the start of a campaign. Ask any list provider whether they screen the data before you buy telemarketing call list records from them. Skipping this step creates real data protection risk. Focus on Segmentation Work out where the best list can be sourced. In some cases it makes more sense to build your own data or ask a company like GSA to data gather for you. External providers may combine LinkedIn research with direct calls into your target organisations. If your decision-maker is particularly specialised, such as an Engineering Manager, you will likely need a broker with expertise in that field, perhaps through an industry publication or trade association, rather than a generic list. If your offer suits any industry or job role, a broad-coverage provider such as Experian or Dun and Bradstreet may be the right starting point. The key is choosing the right parameters. For example: Location, national or regional? How far are you prepared to travel for a new prospect meeting? Keep the geography tied to where your field sales team can realistically go and where you can service clients at a profit. Sector Choose the sectors and markets where you have the strongest chance of winning business. Size of business Does your offer suit companies with more than 200 employees, or do smaller businesses make a better fit? Turnover Do you need to target businesses with a turnover above £20m, for example, to justify your fees? Single or multi-site Do you need single-site companies at head office, where decisions are typically made, or can you also speak to branch offices where local decision-makers sit? Job role and named individuals If you need Facilities Managers or Personnel Directors, these job roles may not be available in volume on standard lists. That may push you towards an industry-specific list, or towards researching prospects on LinkedIn and data building yourself. Get the parameters right and you will significantly improve your chances of delivering a return on investment from your lead generation activity. GSA helps businesses become more effective at marketing and new business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaignsinto the UK, Europe and further afield. With our experience, we also provide telemarketing training to help sales teams sharpen their results. If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Handle Inbound Enquiries to Win More Business Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-handle-inbound-enquiries-to-win-more-business/ Published: 2026-10-01 > If you get your marketing right, inbound enquiries will help you grow your business. They have a lower cost of acquisition and should convert more readily since they are theoretically ‘in the market’ for the kind of services you offer. Leads may arrive through PPC, traditional advertising, exhibitions, completion of online forms as a result of email marketing, customer referrals or any number of other methods of other marketing. But how do you handle them? Have you got the capacity and skills to make them count? Read our article to find out more. If you get your marketing right, you should gain inbound inquiries to help you grow your business. Typically, inbound inquiries are a lower cost of acquisition and should convert more readily since they are theoretically ‘in the market’ for the kind of services you offer.But that isn't the full story. Clearly, your marketing needs to work hard if you want to drive inbound leads that are quality opportunities. Leads may arrive through PPC activity, traditional advertising, exhibitions, completion of online forms as a result of email marketing, customer referrals, or any number of other methods of other marketing. Inbound inquiries are the lifeblood of most businesses. But often, prospects contact several potential service providers. They don't just knock at your door.  This is especially true where the inquiry is driven from an online source. The interest is for a particular type of service or product and the prospect typically fills in an online form and contacts several potential suppliers at the same time. They then wait for the various responses. The exercise, therefore, becomes a beauty parade and the type and speed of response to the initial inquiry is crucial. Dealing with them quickly and effectively is essential. The problem though is that this doesn’t always happen. In all types of business, the day job takes over and managers are busy. Some companies don’t have dedicated sales staff and inquiries can take a back seat. Equally, despite their apparent warmth and interest, prospects aren’t always available when you call. They’re in meetings, on voicemail, away from their desk and so on. Therefore, it doesn’t necessarily follow that an inbound lead translates quickly into a warm lead. As a consequence, those that receive the lead need to be on their game. They need to grab the lead and contact the prospect immediately. If they can’t get hold of them, persistence is key. They can’t let it slip since, in business development terms, the early bird catches the worm. Following up swiftly and consistently demonstrates your capabilities. It shows that you care. It shows that you want their business. However, the above isn’t necessarily the real world. In our clients’ experience, there is a lot of dross when it comes to inbound. You need to sort the wheat from the chaff. It’s essential to profile the leads and build the sales pipeline. If you get a substantial number of inquiries, they need to be managed carefully to ensure that they come to fruition. Using an agency to receive, follow up and manage the leads ensures that you don’t drop the ball and that the pipeline builds. It will ensure that sales appointments are booked with the right people. It will ensure that the qualification process is carried out correctly and that there is a constant flow of relevant new leads into the sales function. It means that the opportunity flow is maximized over time. It means that businesses identify the most profitable leads quickly and ensure none drop off at the end. So what are the key benefits of managing the inquiry process using external support: No internal overhead and/or deployment of internal resource to key accountsThe ability to deploy key staff to productive tasksAvoid missing key opportunitiesInstant response to incoming inquiries. Genuine opportunities can be hot-keyed direct to the most appropriate salesperson to handle themProfiling leads to ensure you identify the hot ones and those that are most lucrative and sift out tire kickers and low-value leadsAvoid missing out on opportunities due to lack of effective follow-up and management Building the customer database for future opportunities and enrich the data for further marketingThe organization can clearly identify the ROI for the activity over time through analysis of lead numbers and conversions against the cost. Maximize the effectiveness of marketing that drives the leads. Without proper follow-up, the investment is wasted. New sales are imperative for most businesses. And organizations devote time and money to generating new leads on an ongoing basis. It would be a shame if all that energy and investment go to waste. Using an agency to fill in the gaps and manage the process, where the internal resource isn’t set up to deal with larger numbers of leads, could be the difference between a successful year hitting revenue targets and significant missed opportunities. If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through managing the inquiry management process via telemarketing or you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # B2B Appointment Setting Buyers Guide Source: https://telemarketing.blog/b2b-appointment-setting-buyers-guide/ Published: 2026-10-01 Most sales leaders know the feeling. The pipeline looks thin, the team is busy yet rarely sitting in front of an actual buyer, and a B2B appointment setting agency calls promising to fill the diary for a price that seems too good to turn down. It is tempting. It is also exactly where a lot of your marketing budget quietly disappears.This guide is here to spare you that. It sets out what good appointment setting really looks like, the pricing models you will meet and what drives them, the warning signs to catch early, and the numbers a serious partner should report from day one. We have been doing this since 2000, for clients ranging from specialist manufacturers to global brands, so the advice comes from the calls that worked and the ones that taught us something.What Good B2B Appointment Setting Should Actually DeliverThe first thing to be clear about is what you are actually buying. Not calls, not hours, not a number on a spreadsheet. You are buying time in front of the right people, with enough context that your salesperson can sit down and have a conversation worth having.That one distinction changes how you judge everything else. A good appointment is one your salesperson is glad they took. The prospect has a real need or interest, the timing is roughly right, and they understand why the meeting is happening. A poor appointment is a name in the diary that swallows an afternoon and chips away at your team's belief in the whole idea.So quality has to come before quantity, every time. Booking a lot of meetings is easy if the bar is low enough, because plenty of people will agree to a call simply to move a determined caller along. The real skill is qualifying properly, holding a genuine conversation, and booking only the meetings that stand a chance of going somewhere. We would always rather hand you six strong opportunities than twenty that waste your morning.Who makes the calls decides whether that happens. An experienced, senior caller can talk peer to peer with a director, notice the problem a prospect mentions in passing, and frame your proposition around it. Someone reading a rigid script cannot. That is the difference between a real conversation and a call centre, and your prospects feel it within seconds.Good appointment setting should feel like an extension of your own team, not a supplier bolted on at arm's length. The caller represents you the way you would want to be represented, and feeds back what they hear in the market. To see how the calling fits with everything around it, our B2B appointment setting and B2B telemarketing services pages show the wider picture. Once you know what good looks like, the obvious question is what it costs.What B2B Appointment Setting Costs, and What Shapes the PriceLet us take the question everyone asks first. There is no single honest figure for what appointment setting costs, and you should be wary of anyone who quotes one before they understand your business. The price follows the work, and the work changes enormously from one campaign to the next.You will, though, meet three broad pricing models, and it pays to know how each behaves. A day rate or hourly model means you pay for the caller's time, and the meetings are the product of that time. It rewards transparency and suits complex propositions where every conversation is different.A project or retainer model means you agree a scope and a monthly or campaign fee, usually with a level of activity built in. This suits ongoing programmes where you want a predictable cost and a steady rhythm of outreach rather than a one-off push.Pay per lead, or pay per appointment, means you pay for each qualified meeting delivered. It looks appealing because the cost is tied to the result. The catch is that it only works when the qualification criteria are tight and written down. Leave them loose and you simply pay for volume dressed up as quality.What truly moves the price is the difficulty of the job, not the model you pick. Reaching managing directors of large corporates takes longer than reaching managers at smaller firms. A technical or unusual proposition needs more skilled callers. Poor data slows everything down, which is why accurate records are the foundation of an efficient campaign and worth getting right through proper data validation. Language and the length of your sales cycle feed in too.The sensible move is to ask for a tailored proposal rather than a headline rate, then compare partners on the value of the meetings they expect to deliver, not the cost per hour. A cheap day rate that produces nothing is the most expensive option on the table.The Red Flags Worth Spotting EarlySome warning signs appear before you have signed a thing, if you know what to look for. Catching them early saves you a wasted quarter and a bruised budget.Be cautious of anyone who guarantees a set number of appointments. Outreach depends on your market, your proposition and your data, none of which a new partner controls on day one. A guaranteed volume usually means the bar for what counts as an appointment has been quietly dropped until the number is easy to hit. The meetings may or may not actually turn up. The opportunities definitely do not.Rigid scripts are the next red flag. An approach that marches every caller through the same words, whoever answers, cannot flex to a real conversation. Decision makers spot a script in moments, and it signals that you are running a numbers game rather than offering something relevant. The best results come from callers who listen and respond, not ones who recite.Pay attention to how a prospective partner talks about reporting. If you cannot get a straight answer on what you will see, how often, and whether you can speak to the people dialling on your behalf, assume the worst. Vague reporting is where weak performance hides. You should expect daily, or at the very least, weekly visibility and regular reviews, with nothing held back, so you are always in control of where the campaign goes next.Data and compliance deserve the same scrutiny. If a partner is casual about where data comes from, how it is kept current, or how they handle the rules on business to business calling, that is a genuine risk to your brand and possibly your legal standing. Reputable partners work within GDPR and screen against the relevant opt-out registers as routine. The Information Commissioner's Office lays out the rules plainly, and any good agency will know them cold.Last, be wary of the partner who agrees with everything. A supplier desperate to win the work will nod along to a shaky target list or an unrealistic goal. A real partner tells you when something will not work, even when it is not what you hoped to hear. That honesty feels awkward in the pitch and proves priceless once the campaign is live. Avoiding the wrong partner is half the job. Knowing what to measure is the other half.The KPIs to Demand from Day OneYou cannot manage what you do not measure, and appointment setting is no different. The numbers you set at the start shape everything that follows, because they tell your partner what to aim at. Choose them well and the campaign has a clear target. Choose them poorly and you optimise for the wrong outcome.Begin with the obvious measure, then look past it. The count of appointments booked describes activity, not value. What matters far more is how many of those meetings your sales team judged to be genuine opportunities. Track the conversion from appointment to qualified opportunity and the quality, or the lack of it, shows up fast.Treat qualification frameworks with care. Plenty of businesses reach for BANT, meaning budget, authority, need and timescale, and it has its uses. It can also screen out promising prospects who are simply early in their thinking, which is why we have argued before that rigid BANT qualification can work against you. Agree criteria that match how your buyers really decide, then hold the campaign to them.Cost based measures add discipline. Cost per qualified lead, and where you can follow it through, cost per opportunity, tell you whether the investment is working far better than cost per hour ever will. As deals close, you can join activity to pipeline value and, in time, to revenue, which is the figure your board actually cares about.Then there is the rhythm of reporting. Daily reporting keeps a campaign honest and lets you adjust the moment something stops landing. Weekly reviews with the people making your calls turn raw figures into decisions, because the caller can tell you which objections keep surfacing and where the message needs to shift. For a deeper view of what to watch, our guide to key measurements for telemarketing success goes further.Agree these measures before the first call, put them in writing, and revisit them together. A partner who welcomes that conversation is one worth keeping. With the numbers settled, the last piece is choosing the partner itself.How to Choose the Right Appointment Setting PartnerBy now the thread should be clear. Choosing well has little to do with the lowest price and everything to do with finding a partner whose approach fits the way you want to grow. A few practical checks make the call easier.Begin with the strategy conversation. A serious partner wants to understand your business, your proposition and your goals before quoting anything, often in a proper session that sets realistic targets. If the first thing you hear is a price rather than a question, that tells you how the relationship is likely to run.Look hard at who will make your calls and how they are managed. Ask whether you get direct contact with them, whether they are experienced enough to hold their own with senior decision makers, and how the work is overseen day to day. The answers reveal whether you are buying a real service or a seat in a call centre.Push on data and compliance, because the finest campaign in the world falls apart on a poor list. Ask how a partner builds and cleans data, how they keep it accurate, and how they stay on the right side of the rules. This is also where a strong partner earns its fee, by sharpening your targeting through proper integrated lead generation rather than simply dialling a list you hand over.Flexibility counts for more than most buyers expect. Your needs shift with launches, seasons and results, so a partner who can scale activity up or down without a fuss is worth far more than one who ties you into a rigid contract.Finally, trust your read on honesty. The right partner gives you straight advice, pushes back when your plan needs it, and will tell you if appointment setting is not the answer for your situation at all. For more on the questions worth asking, our piece on five key questions to ask when doing lead generation makes a useful companion to this guide.Common Questions About B2B Appointment SettingHow much does B2B appointment setting cost?There is no fixed price, because cost follows the difficulty of the work. You will usually choose between a day rate, a retainer, or a pay per appointment model, with the seniority of your targets, your proposition and your data quality shaping the figure most. Ask for a tailored proposal rather than a headline rate, and weigh partners on the value of the meetings, not the cost per hour.What counts as a qualified appointment?A qualified appointment is a meeting with someone who has a genuine need or interest, broadly the right timing, and a clear reason to talk to you. The exact criteria should be agreed in writing before the campaign begins, and shaped around how your buyers really make decisions rather than a single off-the-shelf framework.How quickly will I see results?That depends on your market, proposition and sales cycle, so be cautious of anyone promising instant volume. A well planned campaign built on clean data and a compelling proposition tends to find its rhythm within the first few weeks, with daily reporting showing you exactly how it is progressing. Results vary with your own situation, and an honest partner will say as much.Is appointment setting right for every business?No, and a good partner will tell you when it is not. It works best where your sale has real value, your buyers expect a conversation before they commit, and you have a proposition worth a decision maker's time. If those pieces are not in place yet, the honest answer is to put them right first.Making a Confident DecisionB2B appointment setting is one of the most direct ways to put your sales team in front of buyers, but only when it is handled with care. The partners who deliver treat quality as the point, report in the open, work from clean data, and are honest enough to tell you when something will not work. The ones who disappoint give themselves away early, through guarantees that sound too good, scripts that flatten every conversation, and reporting you can never quite pin down.If you remember one thing from this guide, make it this. Judge a partner on the value of the meetings they will create, not the number on the quote. A short, honest plan gets you there:Define what a genuinely useful appointment looks like for your team, in writing.Ask each partner for a tailored proposal and the KPIs they will report against.Test their honesty by sharing a flawed assumption and seeing whether they challenge it.Start with a focused campaign, measure it properly, and scale what works.If you would like to talk it through, the team at GSA Business Development is always glad to give straight, practical advice, even when the answer is that now is not the right moment. ------------------------------------------------------------ # B2B Cold Calling in 2026 Source: https://telemarketing.blog/b2b-cold-calling-in-2026/ Published: 2026-07-23 Cold calling gets written off every year, and every year it keeps booking meetings that email and traditional advertising, amongst other channels, never could. The truth in 2026 is simpler than the obituaries suggest. B2B cold calling has not stopped working. The lazy version has. If your team is grinding through long lists, is poorly trained, reading stiff scripts and praying for a yes, that frustration is fair, because that style stopped paying a long time ago. The stakes are real. Careless calling burns hours, irritates good prospects, chips away at your brand and leaves the pipeline half empty. Handled well, the phone still reaches senior decision-makers faster than any other channel, and it offers the one thing automation cannot, a real conversation in real time. What follows is an honest take on what still works, what to retire, and how to make outbound pay this year. It draws on more than two decades of senior level B2B calling, so you get the practical view rather than the theory. And if you would rather talk it through than read on, you can book a consultation whenever suits. Why the Phone Still Outperforms Email & Ads Your buyers have never had more ways to ignore you. Inboxes overflow, ad blockers are standard, and a carefully written LinkedIn message can sit unopened for a fortnight, or much longer. A well-judged call cuts straight through that noise. It asks for a moment of real attention and, handled with care, it earns one. Speed is the phone’s quiet superpower. One good conversation can establish whether a prospect has a genuine need, the budget to act and the authority to say yes, all inside a few minutes. The same discovery by email can take weeks of back and forth, if it happens at all. For considered B2B purchases, that head start is worth a great deal. There is a human truth underneath it too. People buy from people, especially when the decision carries cost or risk. A call lets your caller read tone, sense hesitation and adjust in the moment, none of which a templated sequence can do. That is why the phone remains the shortest path to a senior decision-maker whose time is genuinely worth your sales team’s. Over the years, outbound has opened doors on behalf of organisations of every size, from global manufacturers to public sector bodies. The thread running through all of it is rarely how many calls were made. It is the quality of the conversation, and the homework behind it. That is the part most teams rush, and it is exactly where 2026 divides the callers who get welcomed from the ones who get hung up on. Before you commit, it pays to weigh the honest pros and cons of telemarketing for your own market. What Still Works in B2B Cold Calling Today The version of outbound that wins in 2026 barely resembles the stereotype. It is calmer, better prepared and far more respectful of the person who picks up. Get the fundamentals right and the phone still delivers, week after week. It starts with research. Before a single number is dialled, your caller should know who they are calling, what that business is wrestling with, and why your offer might matter to them now. Open with a specific, relevant reason and you are treated as a peer. Open with a generic pitch and you are treated as an interruption. That gap comes down to preparation, and training, not luck. Then comes the conversation itself, and this is where GSA has always drawn the line. The best callers have conversations, not scripts. They ask sharp questions, genuinely listen, and let the prospect do most of the talking. Strong questioning technique is what turns a brisk no into an honest discussion about needs, timing and fit. Senior people can hear a script in seconds, and nothing ends a call faster. Experience counts for more than ever. A mature, senior level caller who has held thousands of these conversations builds rapport a junior reading from a card simply cannot. They know how to work a switchboard, when to press and when to ease off, and how to carry your brand exactly as you would want it carried. That credibility is the whole game when you are chasing people who guard their diary. Outbound also performs best as one part of a joined-up effort. Combine calls with LinkedIn and email and you create several relevant touches across the channels your prospect already lives in, so your name feels familiar before the phone even rings. This integrated lead generation approach meets people wherever they are in the buying journey, rather than staking everything on one cold call landing at the perfect second. Timing then does the rest of the quiet work. A new senior hire, a funding round, a site move or a publicly stated growth target are all signals a business may be ready to talk. Call around a real reason instead of a random Tuesday and your hit rate climbs. Bring all of this together and outbound stops feeling so cold. Which begs the harder question, what should you finally stop doing? What No Longer Works, and What It Is Costing You A handful of old habits are still being taught, and they are quietly draining budgets. If any of these sound familiar, 2026 is the year to drop them. Volume for its own sake is the worst offender. The belief that enough dials must eventually land a yes treats prospects as a numbers game and your brand as throwaway. A few well-researched, genuinely interested conversations will always beat a spreadsheet of strangers. Quality has been outperforming quantity for years, and the gap keeps widening. Rigid scripts are next out the door. A caller who cannot move off a block of corporate copy comes unstuck the instant a prospect says something unexpected, which they always do. Worse, they sound like a recording, and people end calls with recordings. Real confidence comes from knowing the subject and the prospect well enough to hold a proper exchange, not from reciting lines. Poor data wrecks more campaigns than anything else, and it does it silently. Calling outdated, incomplete or non-compliant lists wastes your callers’ time and annoys exactly the wrong people. If half the list is wrong, even brilliant calling cannot rescue the numbers. Clean, accurate, permission-checked data is not a luxury, it is the ground everything else stands on. Pitching too soon is another quick way to lose the room. Leaping into features before you understand the prospect’s situation tells them you care about your sale, not their problem. The craft is to earn the right to pitch by asking good questions first, then meeting any resistance with genuine objection handling rather than a rehearsed rebuttal. Finally, there is the urge to chase every lead at any cost, including the ones that were never going to convert. Clinging to rigid qualification boxes for their own sake can cost you as much as it saves. There is a fair case that BANT qualified leads quietly screen out perfectly good opportunities that simply do not tick every box yet. Honest judgement about fit, on both sides, saves everyone time. None of this makes the phone the problem. Careless use of it is the problem. And the place careless habits do the most damage is data and compliance, which has more than earned a section of its own. Clean Data and Compliance: The Foundation Everything Sits On Outbound in 2026 succeeds or fails on two things that rarely get the credit they deserve, clean data and proper compliance. Get them right and everything downstream runs smoother. Get them wrong and the finest callers in the country cannot save the campaign. Begin with the rules, because they are not optional. In the UK, live marketing calls fall under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, and The General Data Proection Regulations, and the regulator is clear about what you can and cannot do. The Information Commissioner’s Office guidance on business-to-business marketing sets out the details, but the essentials are straightforward. Screen your numbers against the Telephone Preference Service and the Corporate Telephone Preference Service, honour anyone who has asked not to be called, and identify yourself properly on every call. Cut corners here and you risk your reputation and, in some cases, a fine. Compliance and data quality pull in the same direction. A list that is regularly cleaned, validated and checked against the preference services is both more lawful and more productive, because your callers spend their hours on reachable, relevant people instead of dead numbers and gatekeepers. Keeping data accurate and legal is ongoing work, not a one-off chore, which is why many teams hand it to specialists through data validation and cleaning. There is a quality dividend on top. Enriched, well-structured data lets a caller personalise their opening, reference the right context and reach the actual decision-maker rather than a general inbox. That is the difference between a call that feels informed and one that feels intrusive. The very same conversation can land either way, decided entirely by the data behind it. Treat data and compliance as your starting point rather than an afterthought and your outbound builds trust instead of burning it. With that groundwork laid, the last question is how to run the whole thing so it genuinely pays. How to Make B2B Cold Calling Pay in 2026 Strong outbound is no accident, and it is not really about heroics on the phone. It is a sound process wrapped around skilled people. In practice, four things separate campaigns that pay from campaigns that drift. It starts with strategy, before anyone dials. A proper kick-off session pins down who you are targeting, what a good lead actually looks like for your business, and how success will be measured. Agree realistic KPIs up front and you keep everyone honest, which stops a campaign sliding into activity that looks busy but books nothing. Transparency keeps it on course. You should never be left guessing how a campaign is doing. Daily reporting, call recordings and direct access to the people making your calls mean you can see what is working and change tack quickly. Weekly reviews turn that visibility into action, so a message that is not landing gets sharpened in days, not months. That is the difference between B2B telemarketing that improves week on week and a campaign quietly stalling in the dark. Flexibility matters just as much. Some businesses want a short, focused burst of appointment setting around a launch or a stretched quarter. Others want a steady programme that keeps the pipeline topped up. The right partner scales up and down to fit your situation rather than locking you into something that does not. If your own team is stretched, good outbound extends it. If you simply want more qualified meetings, outbound telesales delivers them without you recruiting and training from scratch. The most underrated ingredient, though, is plain honesty. The best partners will tell you straight when the phone is not the right tool for a particular goal, or when your proposition needs work before any calling starts. That candour is rare, and it is exactly what protects your budget. Good campaigns are built on realistic expectations, never on promises that cannot be kept. Put strategy, transparency, flexibility and honesty together and outbound stops being a gamble. It becomes a measurable, repeatable way to reach the right people and start the right conversations. B2B Cold Calling in 2026: Your Questions Answered Is cold calling still legal for B2B in the UK? Yes, with conditions. You can make live B2B marketing calls as long as the number is not registered with the Telephone Preference Service or Corporate Telephone Preference Service, the person has not previously objected, and you identify yourself and your purpose clearly.  Screening your data before any campaign keeps you on the right side of the rules and protects your brand at the same time. How is B2B cold calling different now than five years ago? The mechanics are the same, but the standard is far higher. Buyers expect a relevant, researched reason for the call and have no patience for a script. Successful outbound now leans on better data, multichannel touches across LinkedIn and email, and senior callers who can hold a peer to peer conversation.  How quickly does B2B cold calling generate leads? It depends on your market, your proposition, the quality of your data, and the degree of activity, so any honest answer comes with that caveat. A well-prepared campaign can start surfacing genuine conversations within the first couple of days, while consistent, qualified appointments build as the messaging is refined through weekly reviews. Anyone promising guaranteed numbers on day one is overselling. The Honest Verdict For 2026 So, is B2B cold calling still worth it in 2026? Yes, when there is a good fit between the target audience, and the message being conveyed. It works when data is accurate, and, increasingly where you have access to mobile numbers and direct lines.  Doing the calling with research, judgement and respect for the person answering is also a big asset. The phone is still one of the quickest routes to a senior decision-maker and a real conversation, and nothing automated has replaced that. What has moved on is the standard. High-volume, script-led calling has had its day. Thoughtful, well-researched, compliant calling is in rude health. The teams winning with outbound are not the ones making the most calls. They are the ones making the right calls, built on clean data and honest reporting. If you remember one line from this guide, make it this. Quality beats quantity, every single time. To put it into practice: Fix your data first, cleaning and screening it before any campaign begins. Brief your callers on the prospect and the problem, not just the product. Swap scripts for good questions and genuine conversations. Measure honestly, review weekly and adjust fast. If you would value a straight answer on whether outbound suits your goals, the team at GSA Business Development is always happy to talk it through. Book a consultation and start the right conversations. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why CRM Data Management Needs To Be An Ongoing Strategy, Not A One Off Exercise Source: https://telemarketing.blog/crm-data-management-ongoing-strategy/ Published: 2026-06-18 Most B2B teams treat their CRM as the single source of truth. It holds every contact, every prospect, every deal and every relationship the business has built. Yet that source of truth quietly and quickly goes out of date. Good CRM data management is what separates a system that drives growth from one that slowly works against you. What catches people out is the way it fails. Your data does not break all at once. It decays. People change roles. Companies restructure. Email addresses stop working, and buying priorities shift. None of it shows up as a warning. The records just sit there, looking fine, while your team chases contacts who left two years ago. Your own team has significant responsibility for data hygiene. They are the ones speaking to prospects and customers. They can update the CRM system with accurate information at the point of contact.  Treating a clean-up as a one-off project misses the point. The businesses that get real value from their CRM look after their data all the time. They do not fix it once and hope it stays put. By the end of this article, you will know why that matters and what an ongoing approach looks like in practice. If your CRM no longer feels trustworthy, a quick chat with a data specialist is a sensible first step. Your Market Changes Every Day, So Your Data Has To Keep Up The pace of change in B2B is relentless. Companies expand into new regions. Teams adopt new tools. Rivals merge. Buyers do their research quietly, long before they ever speak to a supplier. People move jobs all the time, and very few businesses can track that by hand. Industry research suggests B2B contact data decays by around 22.5 per cent a year. In plain terms, about one in four records in your CRM goes stale within twelve months. Some studies put the figure much higher. The main cause is simple. People move on, and close to a third change roles every year. We all want more responsibility and job promotions!  Email is often the first thing to go. An address that works today has a real chance of bouncing within a year, because the person has moved. This does not mean your original data was poor. Information just has a shelf life, and that shelf life keeps getting shorter. Accept this, and you make sharper decisions. You work from an accurate picture of your market, not a snapshot from two years ago. Bad Data Costs You More Than a Few Bounced Emails When people think about cleaning data, they picture lower bounce rates or a more effective campaign. Those things matter. They are also the smallest part of the story. Left alone, old records drag on the whole business. The effects usually show up as: Missed chances with customers you already have Wasted prospecting time on contacts who have moved on Lower campaign ROI Forecasts and reports you cannot quite trust Cross-sell and upsell, you never spot Lower productivity across sales and marketing Frustrated sales teams that miss targets More compliance risk from inaccurate or non-consented records Picture a salesperson opening the CRM on a Monday morning. Of ten priority accounts, two contacts have left. One company has been acquired. Numbers ring out to deadlines. Half the morning is gone before a single real conversation starts. Multiply that across a team and a year, and it stops looking like a data problem. It starts looking like a business problem. There is a knock-on effect too. Once your team stops trusting the CRM, they build their own spreadsheets and private lists. Now your single source of truth competes with a dozen unofficial ones, and nobody is sure which is right. So data quality is not an admin chore for quiet days. It sits underneath almost every decision you make. Is Your CRM Actually Built for How You Work Now? As businesses grow, the systems that once fitted them start to strain. Plenty of teams still run a CRM set up years ago. Few ever ask whether it still matches how they sell today. A handful of honest questions usually surface the truth: Does the system make data entry easy, or does it fight your team? Are duplicate records flagged and merged, or do they quietly pile up? Can it handle the segmentation and reporting you need? Does it connect cleanly with your other tools? Does it offer multi-channel functionality? Is it simple enough that people use it properly, day to day? The best CRM is rarely the one with the longest feature list. It is the one that fits how your business really works. A regular review of your processes often turns up quick wins that reach well beyond data quality. Make CRM Data Management a Habit, Not a Project The real shift is to stop treating data as a project with a finish line. Strong CRM data management sits inside a wider, repeatable routine. The best teams build it from a few simple habits. Set a rhythm for regular reviews. Do not wait for something to break. Give one person clear ownership, because a job that belongs to everyone soon belongs to no one. Agree on simple rules for how records are created and updated, so quality holds up as more people add to the system. Then comes the part that does the heavy lifting. The only reliable way to refresh business data is to contact each record. A short, professional call confirms who is still in the role, who has moved and what has changed. From there, you validate the details and enrich the gaps with current, compliant data. A proper database clean strips out the duplicates and dead records. GSA does exactly this kind of work. On one project, the team refreshed a database of more than 10,000 contacts and called each company to find gone-aways, changed roles and exact matches. Whilst this is a big task, it is the level of checking that a single export simply cannot give you. It helps to have people who understand a B2B conversation. A senior, experienced caller learns far more from a quick check-in than a rushed script ever will. They also represent your brand properly while they do it. Wrap the whole thing in proper governance. Screen against the relevant preference services. Keep your consent records in order. Stay firmly on the right side of GDPR. Together, these habits keep your CRM healthy as the business grows, instead of letting it slide back into a mess. Prefer not to run this in-house? GSA can review and validate your database and tell you plainly what state it is in. The Quiet Cost of Leaving It Alone Data does not collapse overnight. It wears down slowly, and the damage is easy to miss until results start to slip. Your salespeople spend longer chasing people who never reply. Campaigns return less for the same spend. Reports feel a little less reliable each quarter. The problem is rarely a lack of effort. Teams just underestimate how fast contact data ages. An occasional clean-up cannot keep pace when part of the database has decayed again by the time you finish. By the time the problem is obvious, the cost is already paid. It shows up as missed conversations and ground lost to rivals who kept their data sharp. Acting early is always cheaper than catching up later. Turn Clean Data Into a Commercial Edge More and more, businesses win on relevance and timing. Reaching the right person, with the right message, at the right moment depends on what sits in your CRM. Clean, well-managed data lets you spot opportunities sooner. You prioritise the accounts worth your time. You personalise outreach, so it actually lands. Sales and marketing share one trusted base, which takes a lot of friction out of the business development process. Timing is where good data pays for itself. Knowing a key contact has just changed roles, or a target account has grown, turns a cold call into a welcome one. You can only act on those signals when your records are fresh enough to surface them. This is not about chasing perfect data. Perfect data does not exist in a market that never sits still. It is about building habits that keep your CRM useful, trusted and worth money, month after month. That same clean base quietly powers stronger lead generation, because every campaign works better when it starts from solid ground. Final Thoughts Your CRM should pull your growth forward, not hold it back. As the market keeps shifting, accurate customer data stops being a one-off clean-up. It becomes a permanent part of how you run sales and marketing. The teams that review their systems, tighten their processes and protect their data are simply better placed to spot opportunities and react when things change. The value of a CRM was never in how many records it holds. It is in how much you trust them when a decision is on the line. If you do nothing else, start here: Check your email bounce rate. Anything creeping past a few per cent is an early warning. Give data quality a clear owner and a regular slot in the diary. Validate your most valuable records by phone, then keep them fresh on a set cycle. Task your sales team to participate in the validation process every time they engage with a prospect or customer Want an honest read on your data? GSA has helped B2B businesses keep their CRMs clean, compliant and useful since 2000. Call the team on 0330 335 1380 or book a free consultation, and find out exactly what shape your database is in. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Outbound Telemarketing Tips: 50 Do’s and 50 Don’ts (Updated for 2026) Source: https://telemarketing.blog/telemarketing-tips-50-dos-and-50-donts/ Published: 2026-06-09 > Telemarketing Tips - Telemarketing is still an important route to market for many businesses. Check out or top 50 do's & don'ts for successful telemarketing. See how you measure up and consider ways you can improve how you approach cold-calls. Telemarketing still works. In a world of ignored emails and crowded inboxes, a well-handled phone call remains one of the fastest ways to get in front of a decision-maker and start a real conversation. The catch is that the bar has risen. Buyers are busier, harder to reach, and far quicker to end a call that feels scripted or self-serving. The good news is that the fundamentals have not changed. Get the preparation right, sound like a human being, listen more than you talk, and follow up when you say you will, and you will out-perform most of the people picking up the phone today. Below are 50 things to do and 50 things to avoid, grouped so you can find what you need quickly. Use them to score yourself and your team, then fix the gaps. If you would rather hand the whole thing to specialists, our B2B telemarketing services and telemarketing training are built around exactly these principles. What has changed for telemarketing in 2026 The phone call itself has not gone anywhere, but the world around it has moved on. Here is what is different this year, and what it means for the way you call. ThenNow in 2026Manual list research and dialling ate up your dayAI surfaces intent signals, suggests the right contact, dials, and takes notesYou reached people at their desk, nine to fiveHybrid working means mobiles, direct dials, and calling at less obvious hoursThe cold call stood on its ownA credible LinkedIn presence warms the prospect before you ringThe receptionist was the gatekeeperVoicemail and the inbox are the new gatekeepersClean data was a nice to haveAccurate, compliant data is essential, and still a legal duty The takeaway is simple. Let technology do the legwork so you can spend your time on the part no machine does well, which is building rapport and reading the person on the other end. A warm LinkedIn connection, a sharp voicemail, and a fresh, clean list now do as much heavy lifting as the call itself. If you only change five things this week Short on time? Start here. These five shifts tend to move the needle fastest. Open with your reason for calling, not "how are you today". Aim for a talk-to-listen ratio of no more than fifty-fifty. Call your list when it is fresh, before the data and the interest go cold. Book the follow-up before you hang up, every single time. Keep your pace up. More quality calls means more opportunities. 50 telemarketing do's Ask experienced callers for their golden rules and most would land on the list below. Whether you are new to outbound calling or have been doing it for years, there will be something here worth a fresh look. Before you pick up the phone Plan your calls. Know your products, your market, your competitors, and the problems you solve. You do not need to know everything, but you will sound far more confident when you understand why a prospect should give you their time. Secure a good call list and clean it first. A strong, accurate list is your single biggest asset. Time spent improving data quality before the campaign pays back many times over once you start dialling. Keep your data fresh. Wastage is a common problem in any campaign. Research your target list properly and source it from reputable suppliers so more of your calls reach the right person. Set realistic objectives. Results vary enormously and there are countless variables at play. Use historic benchmarks where you can, and set targets that stretch you without setting you up to fail. Set realistic KPIs. How many calls per hour? How many appointments, over what timeframe? Measure daily and review often, so you can adjust quickly when something needs to change. Prepare your objection handling. You already know the objections you will hear. Brainstorm them in advance and rehearse your responses, so you are never caught flat-footed. Our guide to objection handling techniques is a useful starting point. Use a good CRM. A well-designed workflow lets you find and trigger follow-ups in seconds. The better your system, the more results you will see. Use technology to speed things up. Click-to-dial, number recognition, and AI-assisted research all help you spend more time talking and less time on admin. Check your line is clear. With so much calling now over VoIP, a crisp connection matters. Glitches and delays break the flow and undermine your credibility. Brief your agency properly if you outsource. Weak briefings lead to weak results. You do not need a technical spec, but your agency must understand the real benefits and why prospects need what you offer. Have a pen and paper ready. You will not remember everything, especially the small details outside your main reason for calling. Good notes give you a head start on the next conversation. Have your diary open and ready. Fumbling for dates while a busy prospect waits rarely ends well. Be ready to offer times the moment they say yes. Have a relevant email ready to send. Some prospects respond better to something in writing first. Clarify what they want to see, send it promptly, and agree a time to call back. Getting through to the decision-maker Make sure you are calling the right contact. You cannot assume you have the right person every time, so check, politely, that they look after the area you want to discuss. Stay in control with the gatekeeper. Sound authoritative, keep it short, and remember the gatekeeper can block you but cannot buy from you. Our gatekeeper techniques go deeper on this. Find a Trojan Horse. Give the prospect a reason to engage, especially if they already have a supplier. What is in it for them? The stronger the pull, the more likely they are to listen. Call outside normal hours and at lunchtime. The gatekeeper may be away, and hard-to-reach decision-makers often work longer days. Test the water before nine and after five. Be ready to change your call times. If your usual window is not landing, experiment. A small change in timing can make a real difference to who you reach. Try to outsmart an IVR. Dialling zero, or calling the accounts line and asking to be put through, can sometimes open a route the front door will not. Leave enticing voicemails. A bland message gets ignored. If you have to leave one, make it compelling and finish with a clear reason to call you back. On the call Ask for what you want. An appointment, a demo, a sale. Make your reason for calling clear early on, without being pushy. Waffling wastes the little time you have. Be confident. It carries down the line. Expect to succeed and you are far more likely to bring the prospect with you. Confidence persuades, cockiness repels. Be honest. It really is the best approach, and you will be found out if you are not. Genuine advice, free of over-selling, is surprisingly compelling. Be motivated. People buy people. If you sound flat and bored, why would anyone want to engage? Your energy sets the tone for the whole call. Sound authoritative. Aim to sound at least as senior as the person you are speaking to. It is peer to peer, and a nervous, squeaky pitch will not get you past the gatekeeper, let alone the buyer. Sound professional, with good pace and tone. Match your prospect where you can. Make them feel they are speaking to a credible company with something worth hearing. Smile. "Smile while you dial" is a cliché for a reason. Your mood travels through your voice, and it shapes how the call goes. Be passionate about what you offer. You do not need to be relentlessly upbeat, but real belief in the value you bring goes a long way. Anchor it to a problem you genuinely solve. Talk off script. Few people respond well to an obvious pitch. A call should feel like a conversation, not a presentation. Read more on talking about customer needs. Use natural, engaging language. Keep it simple and human. Plain English builds rapport far faster than corporate speak. Use evocative, compelling words. Words like significant, dramatic, and substantial add impact when they fit. Just do not overdo it. Assume the outcome and ask for it. Approach the call expecting a yes and ask with that quiet assumption in mind. Belief in yourself is powerful. Questioning, listening and rapport Ask great questions. Open questions get prospects talking and giving you information. Closed questions qualify and filter. Blend the two so it never feels like an interrogation. Listen carefully. Two ears, one mouth. Active listening means audible responses that show you are engaged, and replying to what they actually said rather than what you wanted to say. Read between the lines. Prospects are not always direct. Clarify gently if you sense hesitation, and give them room to be honest with you. Summarise the conversation. Replay the key points and the prospect's pains before you recommend anything. It proves you listened and strengthens their reason to engage. Build rapport. This is the single biggest driver of telemarketing success. People will not give you the time of day if they do not warm to you. See our rapport-building techniques. Use frames of reference. Past projects, client names, and industry examples reassure prospects that you understand their world and can be trusted to deliver. Use feel, felt, found. This well-known technique builds empathy, and empathy supports rapport, which in turn lifts your results. Pair it with good open questions. Treat people how they want to be treated. Consider their motivations and pressures. If they are busy, recognise it, empathise, and lock in a better time to talk. After the call Follow up, on time, every time. Weak follow-up is one of the biggest reasons sales are lost. Make sure your system triggers call-backs exactly when you promised them. Agree on a time to call back. Even a no for now can become a yes later. That pipeline of future interest is gold dust, so ask for the next step at the end of every call. Take good notes. Capture verbatim comments, tone, and personality, not just the facts. It also lets a colleague pick up the thread if you are unavailable. Send timely information and confirmations. Strike while the iron is hot. Once the call ends, your prospect has a hundred other priorities competing for attention. Use the phone to follow up on other marketing. Call the people who opened your emails, connected on LinkedIn, or visited your stand. Outbound calling amplifies everything else you do, and the quicker you act, the better the result. Mindset and momentum Be patient. Rejection is part of the job and not everyone is ready to buy at the same time. Keep building your pipeline and the sales will follow. Make the calls, do not delay. Inertia is your worst enemy. Your prospects are not waiting for you to find the perfect moment, so pick up the phone. Keep up the pace. Momentum matters. Avoid long gaps between calls, keep water or coffee within reach, and let the volume of quality calls work in your favour. Change your pitch if it is not working. Treat your call like a good story, with a strong opening, a compelling middle, and a clear ending. If a pattern of nos appears, try a different approach. Role-play or record your calls. Listening back, alone or with colleagues, is one of the best ways to improve. Regular reviews turn small tweaks into big gains. Want sharper results without rebuilding your team? Our senior callers do this every day. Book a consultation and we will show you what a well-run campaign looks like. 50 telemarketing don'ts Now the flip side. Some of these are simply the opposite of the do's above, while others are the small habits that quietly sink otherwise good calls. Read them with your last few calls in mind. Before you dial Do not forget to keep it legal. Screen your numbers against the TPS and CTPS at least every 28 days, as the rules require. Compliance protects your brand as much as it keeps you on the right side of the law. Do not keep your team in the dark. Make sure callers are armed with responses to common objections and clear reasons a prospect should meet you now. Working in isolation rarely ends well. Do not pitch something you do not understand. You will be found out. Go back to your briefing and get to grips with the real benefits before you pick up the phone. Do not call unprepared for objections. You know the knockbacks are coming. Practise your responses so you are never stuck for an answer. Do not over-research before every call. Digging into each company is tempting, but doing it for every dial when you might only reach one or two people an hour will wreck your call rate. Do not set yourself up to fail. Give yourself targets you can hit and exceed. If unrealistic goals have been set for you, raise it early rather than grinding away demotivated. Getting through Do not apologise for calling. You are not sorry, and the prospect knows it. Make your point and avoid sounding insincere from the off. Do not befriend the gatekeeper too early. Their job is to block you, and the more you share, the more they can probe. Keep your eyes on the decision-maker. Do not stalk someone you cannot reach. Persistent nuisance calling gets remembered, earns your company a bad name, and gets you blocked faster. Do not wait for ages on hold. Your call rate is your friend. If you are going nowhere, hang up politely and try again later. Mind your manners Do not eat while calling. Chomping and slurping down the line is grim. Nobody wants to hear it. Do not smoke on a call. You may think no one can tell, but smokers know what you are doing and non-smokers will assume you are a heavy breather. Do not type loudly while listening. The tapping is distracting and tells the prospect you are only half there, even when you are taking helpful notes. Do not keep your mobile on. You will be tempted to glance at it, and the prospect will sense your attention drifting. Do not get distracted by anything else. Texts, emails, colleagues, social media. Focus is essential for good calls, although never ignore a fire alarm. Do not call from a noisy background. It can sound like a call centre, which is rarely the impression you want. A noise-cancelling headset is a cheap fix. Do not slam the phone down. Even after a rude prospect, stay calm and professional. Hanging up in a huff only damages your brand. Do not swear. Profanity is a fast track to a dial tone. You might think it sounds confident, but it simply sounds unprofessional. How you sound and what you say Do not sound bored or uninterested. If you are flat, your prospect will be too. Rejection is draining, but letting it show only makes things worse. Do not speak too quickly. Rushing makes you sound nervous and junior. Be energetic by all means, but use questions to even out the pace. Do not rush the call. Slow down. You will sound more confident, and a well-paced conversation lands far better than a garbled one. Do not um and er. The odd pause is fine and even useful. Sounding lost for words is not. Know roughly what you want to say and relax. Do not open with "how are you today". It is the classic tell of a sales call and marks you out as poorly trained. Drop it. Do not overcomplicate the call. Keep it simple. Your product knowledge may be fascinating to you, but a busy prospect just needs you to get to the point. Do not over-script. Stilted, robotic calls get cut short. A script should support you, not read you. Do not waffle. Be concise. The odd anecdote can engage, but rambling rarely does. Brevity wins. Do not use jargon you do not understand. The prospect will assume you are an expert and reply in kind, leaving you scrambling. Do not force humour. The prospect is not your mate and they are busy. Stories and anecdotes can work, but read the room. Relevance is everything. Do not use slang or pet names. Love, pet, darling, and sweetie all sound unprofessional. Even if the prospect uses such language, do not follow suit unless it is truly natural for you. Do not overuse the prospect's name. Dropping it into every sentence sounds like a tacky hard sell. Use it sparingly so it feels genuine. Do not patronise anyone. Talking down to a gatekeeper or prospect, however irritating they may be, only pushes them towards your competitors. Questioning, listening and honesty Do not be afraid to challenge objections. It is a two-way conversation, so engage with genuine, well-informed discussion rather than agreeing for the sake of it. Our questioning techniques can help. Do not interrupt. Cutting in signals you are not really listening. Whatever the temptation, let them finish. Do not talk over your prospect. An even conversation flow builds rapport and lifts your chances of a good outcome. Do not be rude or dismissive. Brushing aside valid points gets you nowhere. Empathy persuades, even when you disagree. Do not make assumptions. Even seasoned sellers fall into the trap of thinking every prospect shares the same needs. Ask questions and avoid the know-it-all routine. Do not prejudge a call. You never know what is going on in the background. Every prospect is at a different stage, however strong your offer. Do not underestimate mirroring. Subtly reflecting a prospect's language, without parroting, helps you build rapport and earn their ear. Do not lie. You will be found out, and it will damage your brand. If you do not know something, say so and promise to find out. Do not guess. There is nothing wrong with not having an answer. Clarify the question, find the answer, and call them back. Do not forget to ask if it is relevant to others. Even if it is not for your contact, there may well be a need in another department. Closing and following up Do not be afraid to ask for the sale. Plenty of callers meander to the end and leave things hanging. If it has been a good call, ask for what you want. Do not promise what you cannot deliver. Whether it is the product or simply a call-back time, broken promises cost you trust. Keep your word, and you stand out. Do not bully a prospect into a meeting. Push too hard, and the meeting is more likely to collapse. Your sales colleagues will not thank you, so qualify properly and book good appointments. Do not argue with a decision-maker. Some people will not see the value, however obvious it seems. Stay gracious and move on rather than getting frustrated. Do not forget to follow up when you said you would. It is the death knell for sales. So many opportunities are lost to nothing more than poor process. Follow up on the minute you promised. Mindset Do not be afraid to change your approach. Not every method works, and not every prospect buys. When a negative pattern appears, adapt. Do not sit back and wait for the phone to ring. Be proactive. If prospects are not beating a path to your door, go and find them. Do not worry about failure. Before the call, you had no appointment. If they say no, you are exactly where you started. Nothing is lost, so do not let the fear of rejection hold you back. Do not be afraid to invest in training. If experience or results are lacking, a telemarketing training course is one of the quickest ways to improve. Bite the bullet. The do's and don'ts at a glance If you remember nothing else, remember these five pairings. They are the habits that separate the callers who book meetings from the ones who get hung up on. Do thisAvoid thisLead with your reason for callingOpen with "how are you today"Listen at least as much as you talkInterrupt or talk over the prospectCall your data while it is freshLet your list and the interest go coldBook the next step before you hang upForget to follow up when you said you wouldKeep your pace and momentum upSit back and wait for the phone to ring Putting it all together Great outbound calling comes down to a blend of preparation, genuine interest, and momentum. We can all spot a poorly trained caller in seconds. They blunder on, talk at you, and care little about the person on the other end. Old-school, scripted, pushy calling is finished. The callers who win in 2026 prepare well, listen hard, sound human, and follow up without fail. These tips are a strong start, but they are not the whole story. If you would like to lift your results quickly, our team can help, whether that is running campaigns for you, training your people, or making sure your data is fit for purpose. There are plenty more ideas on our Knowledge Bank, or you can talk to us directly about your goals. Speak to us about your B2B lead generation Our appointment setting and telemarketing solutions deliver the quality leads that grow your business. Call us on 0330 335 1380 or book a free consultation and let us show you what better outbound looks like. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 10 Telemarketing Tips for Beginners Source: https://telemarketing.blog/10-telemarketing-tips-for-beginners/ Published: 2026-05-17 > Telemarketing for beginners can be pretty daunting. What are the key components of success? And, what’s the best way to do it and not make a real hash of calls? In this blog, we outline our 10 quick tips that will help you improve your cold-calling results. New to telemarketing? It can feel daunting. You worry a prospect will be abrupt or hang up the moment you say hello. You wonder what happens if your mind goes blank, or how you will handle a tough question when it lands. Every beginner feels this. The good news is that none of it has to hold you back. Professional B2B telemarketing remains one of the most reliable ways to generate sales conversations and grow revenue. Tools have moved on, and you now have AI research, intent data and smarter systems to lean on, but the fundamentals of a great call have not changed. Even the best callers started exactly where you are now, armed with little more than a positive attitude and the willingness to pick up the phone. So, how do you make effective calls without falling at the first hurdle? Below are our 10 quick telemarketing tips for beginners. Before you go, take a look at our 90 second videos for more advice and our infographic on the 50 behaviours every telemarketer should adopt. Small changes here can lead to big results, so let us dive in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aGvdfdhAX8 Don't Sound Like a Telemarketer Ditch the script, not your personality. The best callers sound relaxed and use natural language. People spot a scripted call in seconds, and the more you lean on generic openers and rehearsed lines, the faster they switch off and file you under cold caller. Be yourself, have a real conversation, and you will feel the difference straight away. There is solid logic behind this. McKinsey research found that 71 percent of consumers now expect a personalised interaction, and 76 percent feel frustrated when they do not get one. So drop the robotic patter, listen closely and respond to what the prospect actually says. That is how you build an authentic connection that earns you the next few minutes of their time. Persistence Is Key You will not win customers you never reach, so treat activity as your friend. As a rough guide, aim for around 100 calls across a seven hour day in B2B telemarketing, then flex with reality. If your conversations are longer and genuinely productive, 70 might be your sweet spot. If you are hitting voicemail after voicemail, push the number higher. Persistence pays beyond the first attempt too. Industry research has long shown that around 80 percent of sales need five or more follow ups to close, yet most people give up long before that. Keep going. Every attempt sharpens your approach, and each no quietly moves you closer to a yes. Planning Is Your Bedrock Careful preparation is what separates a confident call from a fumbled one, and it starts with your data. Poor information will scupper a campaign before you have dialled a single number, which is why clean, accurate records matter so much. If your lists are tired or incomplete, our data building and data cleaning services give you a far stronger foundation to call from. Before you pick up the phone, define your ideal customer profile and target the right decision makers in the right industries and locations. Well targeted campaigns generate noticeably more leads, so where you can, segment and profile your data by industry, company size and buyer persona. A simple pre call checklist helps too. Jot down recent company news, the prospect's role and a relevant industry trend, and your call will feel personal rather than generic. Work Out What Floats Your Prospect's Boat Get under the skin of what makes your prospect tick. What problem are you actually solving for them? Why would they choose you over the supplier they already use? If you can answer those two questions clearly, you are halfway there. The fastest route to engagement is uncovering a real pain point. Lead with open questions such as, “How are you handling that at the moment?” and let them talk. The more they share, the better you can position your solution around what genuinely matters to them, rather than reciting a list of features they did not ask about. Get Some Training A quick and unashamed plug here for our telemarketing training courses. Unless you are already skilled across the various calling approaches, a little guidance goes a long way. Most people find talking easy, but the best salespeople know the real skill is listening. Good training sharpens that, builds your confidence and lifts your success rate noticeably. Training is not a one off either. Even seasoned callers keep refining their technique and picking up new skills, because the market keeps moving. For more on raising your game, our guide to the top tips for becoming a better salesperson is a useful next read. Wear Some Armour Telemarketing is not a walk in the park, so a thick skin matters. The rewards are real, but the path is rarely smooth, which is why clear goals keep you steady when a call goes nowhere. Learn to handle rejection and move briskly on to the next opportunity. Here is the comforting part. The next prospect has no idea how your last call went. Every dial is a clean slate. Dust yourself off, reset your tone and start afresh. If rejections start piling up, treat it as a signal to tweak your approach rather than a verdict on you. It rarely is personal. Handle Objections Roadblocks are guaranteed, so expect them and prepare for them. Ironically, the best telemarketers often collect the most objections, simply because they make the most attempts. They have learned to welcome pushback and built reliable ways to work through it. You will be blocked by gatekeepers and waved away by decision makers who are not ready to buy, and that is normal. Our tips on getting past gatekeepers will help with the first hurdle. For the rest, work out the likely objections in advance and have a calm, value led response ready. Whether it is price, timing or an existing supplier, an objection you have prepared for is far less likely to derail you. Build Momentum Strong systems paired with good data make every hour on the phone more productive. Telemarketing is partly a numbers game, true, but consistent calling does something more valuable. It builds a bank of warm callbacks that quietly becomes your pipeline. Call steadily for a few weeks, and a healthy slice of your day shifts to people who are expecting to hear from you, or whose contracts are coming up for renewal. Use a structured follow up process so warm leads never slip through the cracks, and top it up with fresh outreach when activity dips. If you want warm and cold activity working together across channels, our integrated lead generation approach is built for exactly that. Motivate Yourself to Motivate Others Enthusiasm is contagious, so channel yours. If you sound flat, why would a prospect want to keep talking? Telemarketing is demanding, so stay positive and upbeat on the line and treat every call as a fresh opportunity. They have no clue whether your previous call was a triumph or a disaster, so give each one your best energy. It may feel slightly daft, but smiling while you talk genuinely changes how you come across. A warm, energetic tone earns warmer responses, and that lift carries you through a full day on the phones. Protect your energy, celebrate the small wins, and remember that the prospect can hear your mood long before they hear your message. Ask Good Questions At the heart of strong results sit good questions. It is one of the most underrated and most important skills in sales. The top performers diagnose rather than pitch. They blend open and closed questions to show genuine interest, draw out the information they need and gently steer the prospect towards a real conversation. The trick is to make sure the prospect speaks more than you do. A simple question like “What are your top priorities this quarter?” can reveal insights that point straight to a qualified lead. Pair good questioning with sharp listening, and you will learn far more than any script could ever tell you. Telemarketing for Beginners: Frequently Asked Questions How many calls should a beginner make in a day? As a rough starting point, aim for around 100 calls across a seven hour day in B2B telemarketing. Treat that as a guide rather than a rule. If your conversations are longer and genuinely productive, 70 quality calls can be more valuable, and if you are mostly hitting voicemail, you may need to dial more to reach enough live contacts. Do I need a script to make telemarketing calls? No, and a rigid script often does more harm than good. What you need is a clear understanding of your value proposition, the problems you solve and the likely objections, so you can have a natural conversation rather than read from a page. Prepare your key points, then talk like a human. How do I handle rejection in telemarketing? Expect it, prepare for it and try not to take it personally. The next prospect has no idea how your last call went, so treat every dial as a fresh start. If you find rejections mounting, use it as a prompt to adjust your approach rather than as a reflection on you. Our guide on handling rejection in cold calling goes deeper. Is telemarketing still effective in 2026? Yes. Buyers have more channels than ever, but a well researched, genuinely helpful phone conversation still cuts through in a way that email and ads cannot. Paired with clean data, intent signals and a multichannel follow up, telemarketing remains one of the most direct routes to a real sales conversation. What is the difference between telemarketing and appointment setting? Telemarketing is the broader activity of reaching prospects by phone to generate interest, qualify leads and build relationships. Appointment setting is a specific outcome of that activity, where the goal is to book a confirmed meeting between a qualified prospect and your sales team. Ready to Turn These Tips Into Results? These skills are the start of your journey, not the finish. Do not expect an overnight transformation, but do expect steady progress. The more time and effort you put in, the more your confidence and your conversion rate will grow. It is also worth knowing how the landscape is shifting, especially around AI in B2B marketing and lead generation, so the fundamentals you learn now stay future proof. GSA helps businesses become more effective at marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns, book qualified appointments and guide SMEs through the maze of lead generation choices so they spend their budget wisely. If you would like to know more, we would love to hear from you. Speak to us about your B2B lead generation requirements Our appointment setting solutions can help grow your business by delivering quality leads straight into your pipeline. Call us today on 0330 335 1380 or book a free consultation and let us show you what a well run campaign can do. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Measure the ROI of B2B Telesales Training Source: https://telemarketing.blog/measure-roi-telesales-training/ Published: 2026-04-14 Your team is making calls. Some appointments are coming through. But you have a nagging sense that the conversion rate should be higher, that calls are ending too quickly, and that the decision makers your callers do reach are not always the right ones. You’re also concerned about lead quality.  You suspect telesales training might help. But you cannot walk into a board meeting and say you suspect. You need numbers. That is the real problem with B2B telesales training. It is not that the results are not there. It is that most businesses have no system for capturing them, so when someone asks about the likely return on investment, the honest answer is silence. B2B telemarketing is a different discipline from consumer calling. You are usually not trying to close a sale on the first call.  You are opening a conversation with a senior professional, navigating an organisation, earning credibility quickly, and moving a prospect through a buying process that may take months.  GSA’s B2B telesales training is built specifically around those challenges. But even the best training is hard to defend without a clear before-and-after picture. Here is how to build that picture, and how to use it to make a case that actually sticks. Start Before the Training Begins This is the step most businesses skip, and it makes everything harder afterwards. If you want to demonstrate improvement, you need a baseline to compare against. Without one, you are guessing. In Telesales, the metrics that matter differ from those in a consumer call centre. Volume is only one aspect to consider. What counts is what happens at each stage of a conversation with a real business prospect. Before any training takes place, pull together the following: Call to appointment rate. Out of every hundred calls made, how many result in a booked meeting with a relevant decision maker? This is one of the most direct indicators of conversational effectiveness in a B2B context. Gatekeeper conversion rate. In B2B calling, getting through to the right person is a skill in itself. How often does your team successfully navigate past a gatekeeper or receptionist to reach their intended contact? Dials per day. How many calls is each person actually making? Volume matters, but in B2B it also acts as a proxy for confidence. Callers who feel underprepared for complex conversations tend to find reasons to avoid picking up the phone. Hours per Decision-maker hour rate. It’s not always easy to reach the right person. That’s especially the case for more senior people in larger enterprises. So, keep track of this ratio to evaluate data quality and the callers’ ability to get through.  Conversion at each stage. Where do calls fall apart? Are callers getting through to decision makers but failing to generate interest? Are they struggling to handle the first objection? Knowing where the drop-off happens tells you exactly where training needs to focus. Average call duration. Very short calls often indicate avoidance or a rushed pitch. In B2B, a meaningful conversation with a senior prospect takes time. If calls are ending too quickly, that is a skill issue. Lead quality scores. If your sales team rates the quality of the leads they receive, track this figure before training begins. Good B2B telesales does not just generate appointments. It generates appointments with the right people. Build automated reports that give you all the relevant KPIs, and training effectiveness will be much easier to measure in the months following the course.  What to Track in the Weeks After Telesales Training The metrics you track after B2B telemarketing training fall into two broad categories: leading indicators and lagging indicators. Both matter, but they tell you different things and appear at different times. Leading Indicators These are the early signals that something is changing, even before the results fully materialise. Call confidence and tone. Listen to call recordings from the weeks after training and compare them to those from before. Are callers sounding more composed under pressure? In B2B, a caller who sounds hesitant or unpolished quickly loses credibility with a senior prospect. Any shift towards a more assured, peer-level tone is a meaningful early signal. Gatekeeper success rate. If telesales training has covered B2B gatekeeper navigation techniques, this is often one of the first metrics to move. Getting through to decision makers more consistently has an immediate knock-on effect on everything downstream. Objection handling in decision maker conversations. B2B prospects raise specific, substantive objections. They push back on relevance, timing, and budget in ways that consumer prospects rarely do. Track how calls end after training. Are more conversations reaching a next step rather than a flat refusal? Dial volume. One of the most immediate effects of good B2B telesales training is an increase in daily call volume. When callers feel better equipped for complex conversations with senior people, the psychological resistance to picking up the phone reduces noticeably. Multi-stakeholder awareness. Are callers asking better questions about the buying process? In B2B, decisions often involve more than one person. A trained caller will start to identify and map the relevant stakeholders within a prospect organisation, rather than treating every call as a straight yes or no. Lagging Indicators These take longer to show up but carry more weight in any business case. Appointment volume and quality. Is the team booking more meetings than before? More importantly, are those meetings with the right level of decision maker? You can read more about what a genuinely qualified B2B appointment looks like on GSA’s appointment setting services page. In B2B, a meeting with a junior contact who has no buying authority is not a result. Lead quality scores from the sales team. Ask the people receiving the appointments whether they feel better qualified and more relevant than they were previously. This is a direct measure of whether telesales training has sharpened the qualifying conversation. Pipeline value generated. If your CRM tracks the value of leads entering the pipeline, this gives you a direct financial figure to point to. GSA’s approach to B2B lead generation is built around quality over quantity for exactly this reason. In B2B, where individual deal values can be significant, even a modest improvement in appointment quality can translate into a substantial pipeline uplift. Conversion from appointment to opportunity. Good B2B telemarketing does not just fill a diary. It sets the right appointments. If your sales team's conversion rate from initial meeting to active opportunity improves after telesales training, that is one of the clearest ROI signals you can present. How Quickly Can You Expect to See Results? This is the question every sales director asks, and the honest answer is that it varies. But there are reasonable expectations you can set, and B2B has its own specific dynamics that affect the timeline. For most B2B teams, the early behavioural changes, more confident opening lines, better gatekeeper navigation, and improved handling of the first decision maker objection, tend to show up within two to three weeks. These are the leading indicators. Equally, listening to calls will clarify whether the techniques are being implemented. Feedback from the team itself will tell you if they feel things are improving e.g. better conversations, fewer objections etc.  The harder metrics, appointment volumes, lead quality scores, and pipeline impact, typically take four to eight weeks to become meaningful. The precise timeline depends on several factors specific to B2B environments: Call volume. A team making 60 B2B calls a day will generate statistically meaningful data far faster than one making 20. Higher volume accelerates the feedback loop. Complexity of the target audience. Calling into the C-suite of large enterprises is a different challenge to calling mid-market operations directors. The more senior and complex the audience, the longer it may take for the training gains to translate into measurable results. Starting skill level. Teams with significant gaps tend to show the largest early gains. Teams already performing at a reasonable level may improve more gradually, but the improvement is still real and measurable. How well training was applied. Gains that are immediately practised and reinforced embed faster than training delivered and then forgotten. Having a manager review call recordings in the first few weeks makes a significant difference to how quickly progress accelerates. The B2B sales cycle length. This is the factor most often overlooked. In B2B, the appointment is only the start of a process that may take weeks or months before revenue lands. You are likely to see an improvement in appointment volume and lead quality well before it reflects in closed revenue. Build this lag into your internal reporting from the outset. Setting realistic expectations internally before training begins is important. Stakeholders who understand the B2B timeline will be in a far better position to evaluate what they see, rather than dismissing real progress because it has not yet appeared in revenue. Why the Real Return Comes Over Time Here is something that is often overlooked in ROI calculations: the compounding effect of skills development in a B2B context. A single training programme delivers an initial uplift. But the callers who go through it do not stop improving the moment the programme ends.  Hopefully, they carry those skills into every conversation they have from that point on. They learn to read B2B prospects more quickly.  They get better at navigating organisations, identifying the real decision maker, and handling the kind of considered, substantive objections that senior buyers raise. Over months, this compounds into a meaningfully higher-performing team. When you add ongoing coaching, the effect accelerates.  Regular call listening, targeted feedback, and structured review sessions keep the improvement going. GSA’s telesales training is designed with this in mind. It is not a one-day workshop and done. B2B callers who receive ongoing support after an initial training programme consistently outperform those who received training alone, often by a significant margin. This has a direct financial implication. If you calculate the ROI of training based only on the first six weeks, you are capturing a fraction of the actual return.  A B2B caller who has been properly trained and regularly coached will generate better pipeline, higher-quality appointments, and more consistent decision maker access over years. That cumulative value dwarfs the initial training cost many times over. How to Present the Business Case Internally If you need to justify telesales training to a finance director or senior leadership team, the framing matters as much as the numbers.  The most effective approach is to anchor everything in a concrete cost-of-inaction argument, rather than asking people to take the benefits on faith. Start with your current baseline figures, the ones you pulled together before training began. Then build a simple scenario around what a modest improvement would actually be worth. Here is how that might look in practice. Say your team makes 400 B2B calls a week and currently converts three percent of those into qualified appointments with relevant decision makers.  That is twelve appointments a week. Your average deal value is £15,000 and you close roughly one in four appointments. That gives you a rough pipeline contribution of around £45,000 a week from telemarketing activity. Now, suppose training lifts your call-to-appointment rate from three percent to four percent. That is four additional appointments a week.  At the same close rate, you are looking at an extra £15,000 in potential pipeline value every week. Over a quarter, that is north of £180,000. The cost of a training programme is a fraction of that figure, and the improvement in conversion rate is entirely realistic for a team that has been properly trained and coached. Present those numbers side by side. Keep the slide or document simple.  Three or four headline figures are more persuasive than a complex table.  Before and after call to appointment rate. Weekly appointments added. Quarterly pipeline value uplift. Cost of training versus projected return. Finally, build in the ongoing value. A caller who has been trained today will be applying those skills across hundreds of conversations over the next two or three years.  If you also use an outsourced B2B telemarketing service to supplement your internal team, the same compounding logic applies. The return on a one-off training investment is not a six-week calculation. It is a multi-year one. Presenting it that way tends to change the conversation significantly. Want Real Benchmark Figures to Anchor Your Business Case? The worked example above uses round numbers to illustrate the principle. But if you are walking into a board meeting, you want real data, not hypotheticals. GSA Business Development has been running B2B telesales training programmes for two decades.  If you want to understand what a realistic improvement looks like for a B2B team like yours, what metrics typically move first, how quickly, and by how much, the team at GSA can give you that context.  It is the kind of insight that turns a speculative business case into a credible one. Their telemarketing services, appointment setting, and lead generation pages give a clear picture of the standards they apply to every campaign, and the same rigour goes into how they train in-house teams. Read our article on How to Choose the Right Telesales Training Programme for Your Team Get in touch with GSA today. Tell them about your team, your current numbers, and what you are trying to prove. They will give you a straight answer about what is realistic and help you build the case from there. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Choose the Right Telesales Training Programme for Your Team Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-choose-telemarketing-training-programme/ Published: 2026-04-07 Most sales teams do not struggle because they are not trying hard enough. They struggle because nobody has ever properly shown them how to open a conversation that does not instantly feel like a cold call, how to stay composed when a prospect pushes back, or how to move from a pleasantry to a genuine business discussion without the whole thing going awkwardly.  Effort without the right technique gets you so far, and then it stalls. Understanding KPIs and expectations is crucial.  Choosing the right telemarketing training programme is the step that turns low performers into high achievers, and ‘encourages’ those who are not cut out for the job to understand why the role may not be for them.  Training makes improvements happen. But with a range of providers, formats, and price points out there, knowing what to look for is not always straightforward. This guide walks you through the key questions to ask, what each course format actually delivers, and how to tell a genuinely useful provider apart from one that will leave your team with a folder of handouts and not much else. Start with your team, not the course brochure The biggest mistake businesses make when choosing training is picking a course and then fitting their team into it, rather than starting from where the team actually is. Before you look at any provider, it is worth spending a little time thinking honestly about the people you are training. How experienced are they? A team of seasoned callers who have lost their edge needs very different input from a group of new starters who have never prospected commercially before. Refreshing technique and building it from the ground up require different approaches, different pacing, and a different relationship between trainer and delegate. How many people are involved? Small group or one to one coaching allows a trainer to focus on individual strengths and weaknesses in a way that simply is not possible in a larger workshop setting. If you have a team of twelve, a group session can work well.  If you have three people with their own specific gaps, something more tailored will give you a better return. Does the training need to happen in person? There is genuine value in having a trainer in the room with your team, watching how they work, picking up on body language, and adapting to questions and real-life scenarios. That said, well-structured virtual delivery over Zoom or Microsoft Teams can be effective and removes the logistical headache of getting everyone in the same place. Finally, think about whether you need a one-off session or something ongoing. A single training day can reignite momentum and sharpen focus. Sustained improvement, the kind that actually changes how your team performs month on month, usually requires follow-up, reinforcement, and a structure that allows people to apply what they have learned and come back with real questions. Online short follow-up sessions help embed the learning and encourage continuous improvement.  What the different course formats actually deliver Understanding what each format is genuinely designed to achieve will help you match the right option to your team's situation. Don’t forget the pre-work - Before considering format, how will your trainer gain the requisite knowledge to be able to evaluate the current status, to deliver effective learning? Auditing existing KPIs, system interaction, call rates, performance ratios, and even callers' feelings about their role helps shape a program that is more likely to succeed rather than a ‘vanilla’ course with generic slides.  A single day course is often the right starting point. It works well when you want to re-energise a team that already has some experience, cover core technique across a group quickly, or test whether structured training is going to land before you commit to something more in-depth. It is also a practical choice when budget or time is limited and you need to see results fast. Do not underestimate what one well-delivered day can do when the trainer knows what they are doing. A two or three day programme gives you the space to go deeper. You can work through the technique in detail, run live calling practice, address the specific objections that come up in your sector, and give delegates enough time to absorb, question, and adjust before the training ends. For any team running regular outbound campaigns, this level of investment typically pays off within the first few weeks as behaviour changes. Online coaching, delivered across a series of shorter sessions over several weeks, is the format most likely to produce lasting change. It gives your team time between sessions to put what they have learned into practice on real calls, come back with genuine observations, and refine their approach with support alongside them rather than trying to remember everything from a single intensive day. The combination of a bespoke in-person programme followed by online coaching is particularly powerful for teams with ambitious targets. GSA offers all of these formats. Options range from a focused single day right through to a full three-day bespoke programme supported by six weeks of follow-up online coaching. You can explore the full range at gsa-marketing.co.uk/telemarketing-training. What to look for in a trainer The format matters, but the trainer matters more. A mediocre trainer can undermine even the most thoughtfully structured programme, while a great one can make a single day genuinely transformative. So before you book anything, it is worth asking one deceptively simple question: Does this person actually make sales calls? There is a meaningful difference between someone who has studied telemarketing theory and someone who is still deeply embedded in it. A trainer who runs an active agency, overseeing real campaigns for real clients day to day, will bring current and practical insight to the room.  They will know what prospects are saying right now, how buying behaviour has shifted, what works in a particular sector, and what consistently falls flat. That is a very different conversation from one built solely on models and frameworks. GSA's training is delivered by Jonathan Silverman, who runs GSA Business Development as an active telemarketing agency. The techniques he teaches are drawn directly from live campaigns running right now, across a wide range of sectors.  That grounding in real, current practice is something no amount of academic preparation can replicate, and it lands differently in the room than theory from someone disconnected from the day-to-day reality of outbound sales. Training clients include Miele, DialAFlight, HBP Systems, SMI Group, and Tenmat, among others. The broad range of sectors covered means that whatever your team sells and whoever they are calling, the training is grounded in recognisable, relevant experience. Red flags to watch out for when evaluating providers Not every training provider is worth your time or budget. There are a few warning signs that tend to show up in providers who will leave your team underwhelmed. The most common scenario is being sent a standard course outline before anyone has asked a single question about your business. At GSA, we take a very different view. Effective telemarketing training should be built around your team, your sector, and the specific buyers your callers are targeting. If a provider sends you a generic brochure and calls it a proposal, it tells you something important about how the training day itself will be structured and how little it will be tailored to delivering real commercial results. Watch out for providers who cannot point to real examples of teams they have trained and the outcomes that followed. Named clients, recognisable businesses, and honest accounts of what changed are all reasonable things to ask for. Anyone can describe their methodology. Results backed by real names are harder to fake. A third sign worth noticing is a trainer who talks exclusively in frameworks and models without demonstrating any feel for what it is actually like to call a cold prospect and have them cut the conversation short. Empathy with your team's daily experience comes from having been in that situation, not from having read about it. Your team will sense the difference immediately, and it will undermine everything else the trainer is trying to do. For bespoke programmes, GSA starts every engagement with a proper briefing process. That means listening to existing calls, talking to your team, evaluating existing performance, researching your sector, understanding your buyers, and mapping out the objections your team actually faces before a single element of training is designed.  The result is a programme that speaks directly to your team's real world rather than a generic version of it. More detail on how that works is available at gsa-marketing.co.uk/telemarketing-training. The difference between training that sticks and training that fades One of the most common pieces of feedback from sales managers after a generic training day is that the team came back energised and then, within two or three weeks, quietly reverted to their old habits. That is only, in part, a problem with motivation. Rather, it is a structural problem with how the training was designed. Skills stick when they are practised, observed, corrected, and reinforced over time. A single day creates awareness. Repeated application and feedback create genuine capability. If you are choosing a programme for a team that you want to still be performing differently in six months, build follow-up into your selection criteria from the start. Ask any provider what happens after the training day ends. The answer will tell you a lot. It is also worth considering whether the training is genuinely integrated with your broader sales approach. Telemarketing does not exist in isolation. The way your team opens calls, handles objections, and moves conversations forward needs to connect with your lead generation strategy, your messaging, and the sales journey you are taking prospects through. If training is designed with that wider picture in mind, the skills your team develops will reinforce everything else you are doing rather than sitting separately from it. And, don’t forget that management must play its part, by providing calling systems, and robust, accurate target data, for telesales callers to do their job.  GSA takes that broader view as standard. As a company that has been running B2B telemarketing campaigns for over 25 years, we understand the full picture of what makes outbound activity work, not just the individual call. Talk to GSA about which option fits your team Choosing the right telemarketing training programme comes down to matching the format and the trainer to the specific situation your team is in. Get that right, and the improvement in confidence, conversion, and pipeline activity can be significant and lasting. GSA has been helping teams find that improvement for over 25 years. If you would like to talk through what your team needs and which format is likely to deliver the best results, visit gsa-marketing.co.uk/telemarketing-training or call directly on 0330 335 1380. A straightforward conversation about your situation is the right place to start. ------------------------------------------------------------ # AI in B2B Marketing: What It Can Do for Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/ai-in-b2b-marketing-what-it-can-do-for-lead-generation/ Published: 2026-03-05 Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept in B2B marketing. It’s here, embedded in CRMs, data platforms, email tools and content systems. Every marketing director, managing director and business owner is now asking the same question: “We know we should be using AI, but how exactly?” The pressure is understandable. Both marketing, and lead generation have become more complex. Data is fragmented. Decision-makers are harder to reach. Email engagement fluctuates. Sales cycles are longer. And, in diverse sectors such as technology, financial services, manufacturing, industrial, and construction, amongst many others, the buying process often involves multiple stakeholders all of whom respond in different ways to different messages, in different channels.  At the same time, the volume of information available to us has exploded. According to McKinsey (2023), generative AI could add between $2.6 and $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy, with marketing and sales among the largest areas of impact.  Salesforce’s State of Marketing Report (2024) found that 68% of marketing teams are already experimenting with or actively implementing AI,  HubSpot reports that more than 75% of marketers now use AI tools in some part of their work. The adoption curve is steep. AI is moving from experimentation to expectation in a remarkably short space of time. But adoption alone is not strategy. The real question for marketing leaders is not whether AI should be used in B2B marketing. Rather, it is where it genuinely adds value in the lead generation process, and where it does not. AI can enhance data analysis. It can accelerate content production. It can sharpen targeting. It can identify buying signals. What it cannot do though, at least not effectively or legally in outbound B2B environments, is replace meaningful human engagement. And this is where the conversation becomes more nuanced. In lead generation, particularly outbound B2B activity, such as telemarketing, technology has always promised efficiency. CRM systems structured pipelines. Marketing automation scaled communication. LinkedIn expanded access. Data portals improved reach. Each innovation changed how we operate. None replaced the fundamental dynamics of human buying behaviour. After 25 years building GSA, and earlier roles in senior sales and marketing positions at Porsche, Montblanc and Alfred Dunhill, I’ve seen technological waves reshape marketing before. Each changed the mechanics of outreach. None replaced the fundamentals of human buying behaviour. AI is transformative, but, for now, it remains a tool. Used well, it accelerates insight, sharpens targeting and increases output. Used poorly, it produces generic messaging at scale that turns off prospective customers, and clients. AI on B B Marketing The Real Challenge in B2B Lead Generation Before even discussing AI, we need to acknowledge the structural challenges facing B2B marketers: Databases degrade at alarming rates. Messaging quickly becomes commoditised. Buyers conduct independent research long before engaging. Everyone is time poor and swamped by marketing noise  Sales teams are under pressure to deliver more conversations with fewer resources. In practice, the complexity of modern B2B buying makes this even more pronounced. Take technology firms. Selling SaaS or enterprise platforms rarely involves one decision-maker. There’s often a technical evaluator, a commercial lead, a procurement layer and sometimes board-level oversight. Messaging has to resonate at multiple levels i.e. operational, financial and strategic, often within the same campaign. In manufacturing and industrial sectors, the picture is different but no less intricate. Export considerations, supply chain volatility, ESG pressures and fluctuating input costs all influence purchasing decisions. Conversations are rarely just about price; they’re about resilience, efficiency and long-term partnership. Construction companies have long project cycles, regulatory compliance, regional planning approvals and competitive tenders mean that timing is critical. Engaging too early can stall. Engaging too late means missing the opportunity altogether. This is precisely where AI becomes valuable. Not because it replaces conversation, but because it helps marketers and sales teams navigate complexity. It can surface signals earlier. It can identify patterns across large datasets. It can help shape messaging, across all of the marketing channels, that reflects real sector pressures rather than generic positioning. In our world, AI helps us engineer the conversation, and be better prepared, and enables us to structure calls in a more effective way.  Smarter Targeting Through AI and Intent Data One of the most powerful applications of AI in B2B marketing is intelligent targeting. Platforms such as ZoomInfo, Cognism, Salesforce, and Apollo use machine learning to refine segmentation and predict conversion likelihood. More significantly, intent data providers such as Bombora analyse online content consumption patterns to identify organisations actively researching specific topics. Whilst this is far from a panacea, it has the potential to change the dynamic entirely. And, it will only become more refined over time.  Instead of calling down a static list, you can identify: A UK manufacturing business researching automation upgrades. A SaaS company exploring CRM migration. A construction firm investigating sustainability compliance frameworks. When intent signals are layered with outbound activity, whether email, LinkedIn or telemarketing, the quality of conversation improves markedly. It’s a shift from interruption to relevance. That’s especially the case with those entering new roles, who may be agents of change.  This is where AI genuinely supports B2B lead generation. It helps you speak to organisations, and their key decision-makers, at the right time, with the right context. Futuristic Marketing Data AI and Messaging: Acceleration, Not Autopilot Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Claude.ai, and HubSpot’s AI assistant have transformed how quickly campaigns can be drafted. Within reason, white papers can be structured in minutes. Email sequences can be outlined rapidly. Persona-based scripts can be developed with greater depth. We use AI heavily ourselves, to summarise large volumes of technical campaign information, to structure campaign ideas, to inform effective call structures, and even to initiate, and provide first drafts of articles like this one. However, there is an important caveat. The first output is never the final output. Effective use of AI requires careful prompt engineering, iteration and refinement. It requires someone with knowledge to ensure that correct input drives the output. It requires context. Without strong input and repeated revision, the output becomes generic. And, customers can smell the bullshit.  “Garbage in, garbage out” remains true. AI enables greater throughput. It does not replace judgement and experience. Supporting Telemarketing Preparation Where AI becomes particularly valuable in our world is in preparation for live conversation. Imagine calling into a manufacturing group. AI can quickly surface: Recent announcements (export contracts, latest developments). ESG compliance pressures. Hiring patterns. Investment activity. Sector-wide supply chain challenges. For technology firms, AI can highlight funding rounds, product launches or integration partnerships. For construction companies, it can identify planning approvals or infrastructure investments in specific regions. This depth of preparation shortens research time dramatically. It allows telemarketers to approach conversations with sharper relevance. Naturally, this potentially shrinks the audience to fewer companies. That can be good and bad. In certain aspects it means more accurate targeting. In other aspects, it reduces the pool, and misses out companies and individuals who might be in the market if an engaged conversation were to take place.   Regardless of this, once the call begins, something else takes over. Tone. Timing. Empathy. Adaptability. Rapport. Interest.  AI can suggest likely objections. It cannot respond to the nuance in a decision-maker’s voice, or indeed issues that could never be anticipated.  AI Telemarketing Preparation The Compliance Line: What AI Cannot Do There is also a legal dimension that cannot be ignored. Under GDPR and the UK’s Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR 2003), automated outbound marketing calls to individuals are prohibited without specific and informed consent. Regulation 19 of PECR is explicit in this regard. Automated calling systems cannot be used for unsolicited B2B outreach to individuals. Inbound automated agents are permissible where consent exists. Outbound robotic calling is not. This is a critical distinction. AI can assist targeting, research and preparation. It cannot legally replace compliant, human-led outbound B2B calling. And beyond legality, there is credibility. That’s aside from the fact that robot agents haven't quite evolved (yet) to a level where they can totally replace humans in an outbound conversation, even if it were allowed. Believe me, we’ve tested the concept!  High-value B2B contracts, particularly those in technology, industrial services and construction, still depend on trust. It is a technical buying process. Tenders are common. Decision-makers want to see the whites of suppliers’ eyes. They want dialogue. They want reassurance. AI does not build trust. People do. The Productivity Gains Are Real Gartner predicts that by 2026, B2B sales organisations using AI-guided selling solutions will reduce customer acquisition costs by up to 30%. McKinsey estimates that AI could increase marketing productivity by 5–15% of total spend efficiency. Those gains are meaningful. But they come from integration, not replacement. The most effective organisations combine: AI-driven targeting Intent intelligence Personalised digital outreach Skilled, well-prepared human telemarketers, SDR’s and sales teams AI sows the seeds. Humans nurture the opportunity. The Human Edge - Especially in Higher-Value Sales In premium B2B environments, buying decisions are rarely purely rational. They are influenced by confidence, perceived competence and relational comfort. When contracts involve significant sums, buyers want reassurance. They want to ask difficult questions. They want to sense credibility. That remains inherently human. AI can summarise, accelerate and optimise. It can highlight patterns invisible to the human eye. It can reduce preparation time and increase campaign volume. But it cannot replace rapport. Human Edge Partnership A Balanced Way Forward For marketing leaders, and senior decision-makers, the question is not whether to adopt AI. That decision has already been made by the market. The real question is how to integrate AI intelligently without sacrificing compliance, credibility or conversation quality. Used strategically, AI in B2B marketing strengthens lead generation. It sharpens targeting. It enhances messaging. It accelerates research. It increases output. But the differentiator, particularly in telemarketing-led campaigns, remains the human being on the phone, equipped with insight, empathy and experience. If you would like to explore how AI-driven insight and experienced human outreach can work together in your B2B sector, whether technology, manufacturing, financial services, industrial or construction, or any other, an exploratory conversation can often uncover practical ways to test and refine the approach. Because the future of B2B lead generation is not artificial. It is intelligently augmented. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why Cybersecurity Marketing Struggles to Create Sales Conversations Source: https://telemarketing.blog/why-cybersecurity-marketing-struggles-to-create-sales-conversations/ Published: 2026-01-19 Cybersecurity is one of the most active and well-funded areas of B2B technology. Organisations are increasingly aware of potential threats. Boards are engaged, budgets exist, and the need has never been higher. Yet despite this, many cybersecurity vendors and service providers struggle to convert market interest into meaningful sales conversations. Campaigns generate activity. Content gets downloaded. Events attract attendees. But when it comes to qualified meetings with organisations that are actively considering change, results often fall short. The issue isn’t demand. It’s simply when and how cybersecurity firms enter the buying conversation. A visibility problem, not a demand problem Vendors in the cybersecurity market have a number of issues. Not least, how could they possibly know which organisation needs the solution, and when? You could argue that’s always the case in commoditised markets. But, that’s a pretty huge problem when it comes to lead generation.  Cybersecurity buyers are overwhelmed with choice. New tools, platforms and providers enter the market constantly, all promising better protection, or compliance. From a business development perspective, this creates a difficult environment: Buyers research anonymously, and for longer Decision-making is spread across IT, security, risk and procurement Vendors are often engaged late, once shortlists are already formed By the time many suppliers are invited into discussions, the opportunity is already shaped. Requirements are defined, expectations set. And, at the same time, competitors are entrenched. For marketing and business development leaders, this creates a familiar frustration i.e. lots of effort but very few conversations that progress. Why inbound interest rarely turns into sales-ready conversations Inbound marketing still plays an important role in cybersecurity. Educational content, thought leadership and visibility help establish credibility in a trust-led market. However, inbound activity alone rarely delivers predictable pipeline growth. There are several reasons for this: Buyers consume content long before they are ready to engage Early researchers often lack authority and/or budget ownership Security decisions are rarely driven by a single individual High-risk purchases demand internal alignment before contact As a consequence, many inbound “leads” represent curiosity rather than intent. Sales teams inherit contacts that are well-informed but not commercially active, or worse, are gathering information for a future project with no defined timeline. For many cybersecurity firms, this creates a disconnect between B2B cybersecurity marketing activity and actual lead generation, leaving business development teams with little volume, or a bank of leads but little genuine traction. This gap between awareness and action is where many cybersecurity growth strategies stall, and costs escalate. The hidden cost of entering deals too late Late engagement has consequences that go beyond conversion rates. When cybersecurity firms enter opportunities after buying teams have aligned internally, several things tend to happen: Price becomes a bigger factor Differentiation becomes harder Sales cycles become compressed Trust must be established under pressure Marketing teams often respond by increasing activity, more content, more campaigns, more messaging. But volume does not fix timing. In reality, many of the most valuable opportunities are already forming before formal research begins. They exist as emerging concerns, internal conversations, or early-stage risk discussions that are invisible to inbound channels. Firms that rely solely on inbound are simply not present at this stage. How growing cybersecurity firms engage earlier in the buying cycle High-performing cybersecurity businesses take a different approach. Rather than waiting for demand to surface publicly, they focus on early, relevant engagement. This does not mean aggressive selling or indiscriminate outreach. It means being visible before the buying window fully opens. Of course, it’s not easy, or simple to carry out.  This is why many growth-focused providers are rethinking cybersecurity lead generation, moving towards a more proactive, integrated lead generation approach that combines data-led targeting with proactive, human-led outreach, rather than relying on inbound alone. Key elements typically include: Better data, not bigger databases Growth-focused firms invest time in data building, identifying the right organisations, roles and environments, not just job titles. Understanding who influences security decisions is as important as who signs them off. Human-led conversations, not automated noise Early engagement works best when it feels contextual and informed. Human-led conversations, not automated noise, are what make B2B telemarketing effective when used correctly, not pitching solutions but validating relevance, understanding timing and uncovering priorities. LinkedIn used to reinforce credibility, not replace dialogue LinkedIn outreach supports awareness and familiarity, especially when aligned with live conversations. It works best as part of a wider engagement strategy, not as a standalone channel. Intent signals used as prioritisation tools Intent data can help focus effort, but it rarely replaces human qualification. Used intelligently, it helps teams decide where to engage, not how. This combination allows cybersecurity firms to identify opportunities earlier, before buying teams have mentally committed to a short list. Why no single channel works in cybersecurity anymore It’s fair to say that, in cybersecurity marketing, no single channel can carry the full weight of pipeline generation. In reality: Email alone lacks trust and context LinkedIn alone struggles to uncover timing Advertising alone attracts researchers, not decision-makers, and is expensive Cold calling alone fails without insight and relevance In practice, effective B2B lead generation for cybersecurity companies increasingly depends on how well these channels are aligned, rather than how aggressively any one is used. What works is multi-channel coordination. When data, calling, LinkedIn and email are aligned, each interaction reinforces the last. Conversations are warmer, more informed and more commercially productive. Importantly, this approach also respects how cybersecurity buyers behave, cautiously, collaboratively and over time. From lead volume to meaningful conversations For cybersecurity growth leaders, the real challenge is not lead generation. It is conversation creation, and this is where cybersecurity appointment setting plays a critical role. Why should buyers engage with vendors at this point in the cycle? Meaningful conversations share common traits: The proposition is relevant  The organisation fits commercially The contact has influence or authority The timing is relevant, even if not immediate The discussion is exploratory, not transactional When these criteria are met, sales teams perform better, forecasting improves, and marketing activity feels purposeful rather than frantic. The firms that succeed in crowded security markets are rarely the loudest. They are the ones that show up earlier, with relevance and consistency. Building pipeline resilience in a crowded security market As cybersecurity markets mature, growth becomes less about visibility and more about position. Being present earlier allows firms to: Shape conversations before requirements harden Build trust gradually rather than under pressure Reduce reliance on price-led competition Create a steadier, more predictable pipeline For marketing, business development and commercial leaders, this shift often marks the difference between reactive selling and controlled growth. This shift often requires rethinking how telemarketing, LinkedIn outreach, email marketing, and other channels and business development tools support one another as part of an integrated lead generation strategy, rather than operating in isolation. A final thought Cybersecurity buyers are not disengaged. They are cautious. Reaching them requires patience, coordination and a willingness to engage before opportunities become obvious. For firms prepared to take a more proactive approach, this often unlocks conversations that inbound activity alone will never reach. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Maximise Event Investment Source: https://telemarketing.blog/maximise-event-investment/ Published: 2025-10-10 > Every manager of stands at events wants to know how to maximise event investment. The challenge is that events absorb time and money. That's especially true if you're exhibiting. It takes time to set up. It takes money for the stand and event collateral. And, if you have a big stand, you'll need proportionately more in terms of visual aids and support. https://youtu.be/a79MZ0qT6c4 Every manager of of a stand at events wants to know how to maximise event investment. The challenge is that events absorb time and money. That’s especially true if you’re exhibiting. It takes time to set up. It takes money for the stand and event collateral. And, if you have a big stand, you’ll need proportionately more in terms of visual aids and support. Having done shows such as the Cannes Duty Free show, Miami Duty Free show, UK Motor show and the GQ show in my professional life, I feel reasonably qualified to write about a subject that drives me mad. I like exhibitions. They’re tiring, take you away from the day job and give people bad backs. But, they can be a great source of new business if you get it right. So, what’s the secret? In truth, it isn’t difficult. But, it comes down to a few simple factors. Right position Clearly, if you’re hidden away in a dark place near the toilets, that’s not great. Equally, there is a school of thought that says you shouldn’t face the lecture theatre or restaurant. Yet, that does position may deliver eyeballs. In other words, your footfall will be high and sometimes they will be there looking at you for some time. You need to decide what works best for you and for your budget. Get the stand right Of course, budget dictates. However, it’s about interaction. Therefore, think visual. That goes for how you design and decorate your site. Make your graphics and messages strong and bold. This goes for technology too. Subject to cost, can you get video on the stand? And, what about how you and your team look? A suit may be fine but could you create an image by what you wear? Ultimately, it has to fit your brand and company image but you need to use whatever you have at your disposal to attract the right visitors. Train your team Nothing frustrates me more than poorly trained staff. Stand staff need to be clear about their duties. That means not least: not wandering off every 5 minutes understanding the process for engaging and capturing passers by understanding what questions to ask Understanding the key messages and how to articulate these Understanding what data to gather on the customer and their requirements Having a data capture form and method so that they can maximise follow up Ensuring that they fill these forms out correctly (believe me, I’ve seen it go horribly wrong) Consider event take aways Take aways could be information about your business and what you offer or promotional merchandise. Either way, think about what you want to communicate. Do you want something formal or fun or both? Do you want them to have something that sits on their desk for posterity? Or, do you want something sweet that makes the customer think positively about you and remember you? Again, budget comes into this. But, if this is something you can accommodate, think hard about what to do. Prioritise Follow up Follow up starts before the show. You need to consider resourcing early on. How are you going to follow up those lovely leads? But what about encouraging your current customers to come to see you? Sometimes, people are worried that will drive customers into the arms of competing exhibitors. But, it’s likely that if the customer is going anyhow, it’s better to arrange to see them. How about calling your key target prospects to ask them if they’re attending? See if you can arrange to meet at the event. It’s a reason to talk to them. And, if they’re not going, you can see if you can meet them afterwards to talk about your proposition. Maybe even extend your show offer to them. In reality, follow up should have been my first point. The reason is that it’s criminal to miss opportunities by not following up. Your top competitors will likely follow up prospects from the show straight afterwards. Therefore, you need to be ahead of the game and plan to: process the leads quickly after the show grade them put leads on your CRM system. call everyone quickly. continue calling until you have a defined outcome. You might want to consider a post-show offer. Note: many businesses have in-show offers too in order to drive registration, build their database or generate actual sales. Nothing negates exhibition investment and productivity more than failing to follow up. So, work out how you’ll approach the following: Who will make the follow up calls? How will you monitor and measure this? What’s your target for following up the leads in terms of speed and in terms of desired outcomes? We’d recommend an initial call to everyone (including leaving a message for those that are unavailable) within seven days at worst? The early bird catches the worm and we recommend fast follow up even if that results in customers asking you to call back in a week or more. The point is that prospects need to remember you and think positively about you compared to your competitors. And they won’t do that if you leave it 4 weeks. Event telemarketing will maximise the ROI from your exhibition attendance. The other issue here is the importance of continuous follow up. It isn’t just about the first call. We’ve seen situations with clients where B and C grade leads have outperformed the A grade leads from the stand. The reason was simple. The sales team on the stand grab the hottest leads. They start the follow up process then get side-tracked by their day job and the opportunities fall by the wayside. Don’t let that happen to you. There are, of course, other ways to enhance your presence. If relevant, speaker slots increase your visibility. Taking an advert in the event programme might be worthwhile if budget allows. However, as far as lead generation is concerned, I prefer to invest my time and money on the stand. Equally, technology is now playing an increasing role in driving visitors and interactions at the show. So, take a look at what’s on offer from the event organisers. Exhibiting at trade shows is a considered investment in both time and money. It pays therefore to put as much effort into the planning and follow up as it does during the event. If you’d like to discuss exhibition telemarketing, give GSA a call now. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 25 Years, 25 Lessons in Business Source: https://telemarketing.blog/25-years-25-lessons-in-business/ Published: 2025-09-05 This week I celebrated (if that’s the right word) 25 years of running my own business. Where has the time gone? Over the years there have been successes, setbacks, great times, tough times, and a whole lot of learning. Running a business is never a smooth road — more often it’s a rollercoaster. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. So, to mark the milestone, here are 25 lessons I’ve learned in 25 years at the helm — no holds barred. 1. Get rid of the parachute Risk is part of running your own business. My natural inclination is to be cautious, but sometimes you have to ditch the parachute and take the leap. We might have grown faster had I taken more risks. I’ve learned that you can’t play it completely safe. 2. Sales is not a dirty word Coming from a marketing background, I never truly saw myself as a salesperson, even though I’d managed sales teams. But without sales, nothing moves. In the end, it’s about conversations, problem-solving, and persistence. 3. Define your values and stick to them Our values are clear: integrity, pragmatism, honesty. They guide everything we do, even when that means advising clients not to go ahead. Over time, living by your values builds trust, and trust builds longevity. 4. People first It’s always about people. Take a genuine interest in your clients, and they’ll value your advice and buy more. The same applies to your team. When they feel respected and supported, they give their best. 5. Openness is an asset Things don’t always go to plan. Sometimes, despite best efforts, a project falters. The sooner you raise issues with the client, the better. Contact them before they contact you. Transparency builds credibility, even when the news isn’t great. 6. Ride the rollercoaster Business is never a gentle ascent. Recession, market downturns, interest rate rises, political changes, legislation, new tech, and even unplanned events such as Covid. The key is to prepare, adapt, and accept that turbulence is part of the ride. 7. Manage your emotions It’s easy to get caught up in the lows. But if you could go back and tell yourself in those moments that things would improve, you’d worry less. Tough times pass. So do the good ones. Keep perspective. 8. Embrace change If you resist change, you’ll fall behind. Adapting doesn’t mean throwing everything out, but you do need to be open to new technologies, approaches, and opportunities. Change is where growth happens. 9. Be alert to what’s new Our core services have remained consistent, but adding new ones has kept us relevant. From LinkedIn outreach to intent- based led gen, to data building and enrichment, embracing innovation has created value for clients and growth for us. 10. Good and bad times don’t last When business is booming, don’t assume it’ll last forever. When things are tough, don’t assume it will never improve. Planning and resilience are what keep you moving forward through both extremes. 11. Get good advisers I’ve been fortunate to have excellent advisers over the years, and I listen to them. None of us knows it all. Surround yourself with people, internally and externally, that bring knowledge and perspective you don’t have. 12. Don’t sit back In corporate life, I had large teams and agencies to do the work. In my own business, even with support, I’ve had to roll up my sleeves and get stuck in. Sometimes, leadership means leading from the front. 13. Be a leader Leadership isn’t about telling. It’s about guiding, educating, and sharing experience. Even in a small business, leading by example is crucial. When people see you put the work in, they follow. 14. Recognise opportunities One of the best moves we made was looking beyond the UK. Today, much of our work is international. Opportunities don’t always present themselves loudly. You have to spot them, seize them, and back yourself. 15. Manage your finances We’ve always been disciplined with finances. A more pro-risk approach might have meant growing more steadily, but discipline is why we’re still here, 25 years later, trading profitably. Cash flow and financial prudence are non-negotiable. 16. Work–life balance matters Could I have grown a bigger business if I’d worked harder, longer? Possibly. But I’ve also been able to see every school play, football match, and dance show. That’s priceless, and it’s success in its own right. 17. Enjoy what you do If you don’t enjoy your work, find something you do enjoy. Running a business is too tough to do without passion. Creating a positive environment matters, for you, your team, and your clients. 18. Madness is a weakness They say madness is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. It’s easy to fall into that trap. The antidote is learning, changing, and trying new approaches. 19. Working from home works Remote working has pros and cons, but overall it’s been transformative. Flexibility helps the team, reduces costs, and improves work–life balance. I wouldn’t go back to the old way. 20. Recruiting is tough Hiring has been one of the hardest aspects. We’ve spent a lot, kissed a few frogs, and even faced real challenges. But people are your biggest asset. You can’t grow without them, so you have to keep at it. 21. Invest in the right tools From CRMs to automation, data portals, and AI, technology has been a game-changer. The right tools help your team, improve client service, and free up time for what matters most. 22. Market yourself well Out of sight is out of mind. I’ve networked, invested in our website, PPC, and outreach, and maintained an online presence. Staying visible has kept us in the conversation, and on shortlists. 23. People still buy people In an age of AI, email and LinkedIn, nothing replaces real conversations. Pick up the phone. Build rapport. Relationships are still the backbone of business. 24. The early bird catches the worm Inbound leads are gold dust, but they don’t stay warm for long. Following up quickly, whether it’s from a campaign or a referral, makes all the difference. 25. Pat yourself on the back I’m guilty of not celebrating achievements. But 25 years in business is something to be proud of. It’s not about being the biggest. It’s about surviving, thriving, and still loving what you do. Wrapping up I’ve made mistakes, missed opportunities, and taken my fair share of knocks. But I’ve also been lucky enough to work with amazing clients, colleagues, and advisers along the way. So here’s to the first 25 years — and to whatever comes next. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Urgent Steps B2B Businesses Must Take Before the Austerity Budget Bites Source: https://telemarketing.blog/urgent-steps-b2b-businesses-must-take-before-the-austerity-budget-bites/ Published: 2024-10-18 With the UK economy experiencing only marginal growth since 2022, including two quarters of negative growth, and a weak last quarter, businesses are bracing for an austerity budget expected in under two weeks. This budget, forecasted to strike consumers hard, will inevitably affect businesses too. Combine this with the fact that we’re already midway through the first month of Q4, and the Christmas slowdown is fast approaching, and it’s clear that time is of the essence for B2B businesses to act. However, there’s still an opportunity to mitigate looming economic challenges. We’ve been here before. By taking immediate steps to strengthen your business development efforts, you can build resilience and boost your pipeline, ensuring your company enters 2025 on solid footing. The good news? It’s not too late, but action is essential—sooner rather than later. The Budget Lag Effect: Why You Must Act Now Economic impact doesn’t typically hit in one go. There’s often a lag between a budget announcement and the drop-off in consumer spending. But waiting for that downturn could prove detrimental. As businesses across the UK brace for reduced consumer activity, companies that act now to secure and grow their client base will be in a stronger position to weather the storm. One of the key areas B2B companies should focus on is optimising their approach to current and potential customers. This includes actively profiling and segmenting your whole customer base, re-engaging lapsed clients, cross-selling and upselling to current ones, and reaching out to low-spending or infrequent customers. By proactively targeting these groups, you can uncover untapped revenue opportunities that could help offset the impending economic strain. If you lack the internal resources to perform these crucial tasks, check out this article on 10 ways simply picking up the phone can be used effectively to grow your business.  Immediate Steps to Mitigate the Impact of the Austerity Budget Now more than ever, businesses must take a strategic approach to business development and lead generation. Here are a few key actions that should be prioritised right away: 1. Re-engage Lapsed and Infrequent Customers Lapsed and infrequent customers represent a significant, but often untapped, opportunity for many businesses. They’ve already engaged with your company in the past, so there’s familiarity and trust. Now is the perfect time to reach out and understand why their activity has reduced or stopped. A targeted ‘care’ campaign aimed at re-energising these customers can reignite interest and boost your sales pipeline. Tip: Focus on offering value. Recognise why they stopped. Whether you’re introducing a new solution or revisiting a past product/service they purchased, tailor your messaging to address their current pain points and needs. 2. Upsell and Cross-Sell to Your Current Customer Base Your existing customers are already familiar with your brand and services, making them more receptive to new offerings. With the right segmentation and profiling, you can identify new solutions to cross-sell and upsell, increasing the average spend per customer. Now is the time to communicate how your products or services can address emerging needs and challenges in this economic climate. Tip: Profile your customers by segmenting them based on sector, job role, past behaviour, preferences, spending, frequency, and industry trends. A well-structured multi-channel outreach campaign to present relevant offers will deliver maximum ROI. 3. Clean and Build Your Database An outdated customer and prospect database can be a major hindrance to effective marketing efforts. Many businesses struggle with insufficient time or resources to clean and update their data. Now is the time to conduct a thorough review, ensuring that your database is accurate and comprehensive, ready for targeted outreach and lead generation. By refreshing your data, you can launch new initiatives with confidence, knowing your team is working with up-to-date information that reduces wasted time and wasted funds. If you need help with this, give us a call.  4. Prioritise Lead Generation and Appointment Setting Of course, if your current customer base provides everything you need in terms of revenue and profit, and there is also opportunity for growth within, given that it’s more expensive to generate new business, why would you go out prospecting. However, that’s not the case for most organisations.  Building the sales funnel takes time, even amongst existing clients, which is why it’s crucial to begin lead generation efforts now. B2B businesses need to maintain a full pipeline of qualified leads to ensure steady sales opportunities in Q1 of 2025. By investing in getting in front of your customers, using appointment setting and multi-channel integrated lead generation efforts without delay, you’ll be ahead of the curve if an economic slowdown begins to take hold. This is where a cross-channel approach—combining telemarketing, LinkedIn outreach, and email marketing—can make all the difference. Of course, there are all manner of other initiatives, including content development, and distribution, PPC, advertising, and so on. However, targeted, multi-touch personalised campaigns help fill your funnel with directly qualified prospects while ensuring your team focuses on key accounts and inbound enquiries. Ultimately, your business must remain top-of-mind with potential buyers. Longer-Term Strategies: Building Resilience Through Proactive Outreach While immediate actions are critical, businesses must also think beyond the current quarter and prepare for long-term success. Austerity measures and slow consumer spending may be unavoidable, but companies that prioritise proactive outreach and consistent lead generation will stand a better chance of riding out the storm. 1. Systematic Database Profiling and Segmentation Many SMEs suffer when it comes to being able to devote sufficient time and expertise to release the value that a valid customer and prospect database can deliver.  With a large, often outdated customer and prospect database, businesses may struggle to identify who to target and how. Typically that increases frustration amongst the sales team. It also prevents marketing teams from doing their job effectively.  Now is the time to take a systematic approach to profiling and segmentation, ensuring that your outreach is focused on the right prospects and customers. By analysing past behaviour, buying patterns, and market trends, you can target those who are most likely to respond positively to your messaging. But don’t forget to optimise your marketing by making sure that your database is as clean as possible before you kick off any activity.  2. Multi-Channel Lead Generation As businesses grapple with reduced budgets and hesitant buyers, a one-dimensional approach to lead generation will likely fall short. A multi-layered approach, using telemarketing, email, LinkedIn outreach, and additional initiatives, where possible, ensures that your message is reaching prospects across multiple touchpoints. An integrated strategy helps nurture leads through the sales funnel, creating multiple opportunities for engagement and conversion. The Role of GSA in Supporting Your Business Development Efforts Naturally, we cannot claim to be the answer to every problem. And, we are certainly not claiming to be the only solution. However, our experience tells us that it is common that, with limited internal bandwidth, many companies struggle to dedicate the time and resources needed to implement the strategies above. That’s where GSA can help. We specialise in: Database cleaning and building: Ensuring your customer and prospect database is up to date, so you can confidently reach out to the right people. Appointment setting: Helping you get in front of decision-makers, filling your pipeline with qualified leads. Lead generation: Building a robust funnel of prospects ready for outreach through telemarketing, LinkedIn, email, and more. Integrated lead generation: Using a multi-channel approach to engage your audience and convert prospects into long-term customers. Our expertise lies in combing through large, outdated databases to uncover new opportunities, in addition to unearthing the value in new audiences. With the festive slowdown, and 2025 fast approaching, it’s essential to start these initiatives now. Waiting until the budget takes effect or consumer spending drops off could result in missed opportunities and a weakened sales funnel. Time is of the Essence: Let’s Start the Conversation With uncertainty looming and the end of the year approaching, it’s critical to be proactive. Let’s discuss how GSA can support your business in building resilience through a systematic approach to business development. Let’s work together to ensure your business thrives through these tough times and beyond. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Top 7 Challenges in B2B Sales Lead Acquisition and How to Overcome Them Source: https://telemarketing.blog/top-7-challenges-in-b2b-sales-lead-acquisition-and-how-to-overcome-them/ Published: 2024-10-01 Generating high-quality leads in the B2B space is a challenging task. Whether you're selling software, services, or specialised equipment, acquiring the right leads and converting them into loyal customers requires strategic planning, persistence, and a deep understanding of your target market. While every business is different, there are some universal challenges in B2B sales lead acquisition that marketing and sales professionals face. Here are our Top 7, along with tips on how to overcome them. 1. Targeting the Right Audience One of the most fundamental challenges is ensuring you're reaching the right people in the right sectors in the right types and sizes of business. In B2B, the buying process often involves multiple decision-makers, each with different roles and priorities. Simply getting past gatekeepers can be difficult, and engaging those who hold the purse strings is even tougher. So, segmentation and profiling are essential components of effective lead acquisition.  How to Overcome It: Focus on developing detailed buyer personas. Use data-driven tools to segment your audience and ensure your messaging is tailored to the right decision-makers. The more you understand your audience’s needs and pain points, the easier it will be to connect with them once you reach them regardless of which channels you use. 2. Generating Consistent High-Quality Leads Businesses often focus on generating large volumes of leads, but quantity doesn’t always translate to quality. Generating high-quality leads, those who have a real need and interest in your product or service, is a persistent struggle for many companies. That can make it difficult given the pressure to unearth leads and fill the sales pipeline. immediately. But, there’s nothing worse than wasted time, and wasted investment.  How to Overcome It: Quality leads come from well-targeted outreach. It’s important to refine your lead generation strategy over time, using both inbound and outbound marketing tactics, and integrating your channels. Combining methods such as SEO, content marketing, telemarketing, and email campaigns will help you reach a broader but more targeted audience. 3. Engaging Prospects Effectively Once you've identified potential leads, and built your target marketing list, the next challenge is how to engage them. The key is to strike a balance between personalisation and efficiency, which can be difficult at scale. Prospects are inundated with generic marketing messages daily, so standing out can be tricky. How to Overcome It: Use data and insights to personalise your outreach. Whether you’re using email, telemarketing, or social selling, the more tailored your message, the better. Technology like CRM systems can help track engagements and provide insights on when and how to approach leads. Keep your outreach relevant and timely, and avoid the hard sell too early on. 4. Nurturing Leads Through Long Sales Cycles B2B sales cycles are often long and complex. It’s easy to lose a lead’s interest or momentum as time passes. Keeping them engaged throughout the process is a challenge many businesses face, particularly when leads need to jump through multiple decision-making hoops. How to Overcome It: Lead nurturing is essential, and this is where consistent communication comes in. You need to stay on your prospects’ radar without bombarding them. Regular check-ins, offering helpful content, and timely follow-ups can help keep them engaged. Periodic telemarketing can be particularly useful here to maintain a human connection, but only where you’ve got something of value to say. 5. Budget Allocation for Lead Generation Budgeting for lead generation can be tricky. It’s easy to underestimate the costs involved in campaigns, technology, and human resources. Spend too little, and your results may be underwhelming; spend too much, and you risk overextending your marketing budget without seeing a clear return. But how do you establish a reasonable cost per lead for B2B lead generation?  How to Overcome It: The key is to plan strategically. Review past data to understand what has worked and allocate your budget accordingly. Data availability, and accessibility, may drive you to one approach or another, or a combination. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket; diversify your channels, where feasible — digital marketing, telemarketing, and events, etc, so that you’re spreading the risk and maximising reach. 6. How Long to Give Lead Generation to Work One of the most misunderstood aspects of lead generation is how long it takes to see meaningful results. B2B lead generation often doesn’t yield immediate results, especially when dealing with long sales cycles. This can lead to premature changes in strategy or frustration among teams. Remember, it's a marathon not a sprint. How to Overcome It: Patience is key. It's important to set realistic expectations and give campaigns time to build momentum. Review your progress periodically but understand that most B2B strategies require time to bear fruit. Depending on your industry, you may need to wait several months before seeing a consistent flow of high-quality leads, and, more specifically, lead return on investment. 7. Measuring Lead Generation ROI Accurately tracking the return on investment (ROI) for your lead generation efforts can be difficult, especially if you're using multiple channels. It's even more complicated since acquisition can take months or years in some cases. So, when do you measure return? Without clear ROI metrics, though, it’s hard to determine which methods are working and which aren’t, making it difficult to optimise your strategy. But, you need persistence, and a dose of realism and pragmatism where the value of sale is significant.  How to Overcome It: Invest in analytics tools that give you a comprehensive view of your marketing performance. If you’re using external agencies, ensure they give you regular reporting and KPI measurement. From an internal perspective, this should also include tracking how leads progress through your funnel, the cost per lead, and conversion rates across different channels. Telemarketing, for instance, allows for direct measurement of dials, decision-maker conversations and opportunities generated, providing a clear metric for success. Final Thoughts While the challenges of B2B lead generation are significant, they are not insurmountable. With the right strategies and a focus on long-term goals, businesses can overcome these hurdles and drive sustained growth. For more tips on the B2B Sales leads process, check out this blog.  There is undeniably a need for long-term vision in B2B Marketing. Quick fixes, and low-hanging fruit are rare to find.  If you’re struggling with any of these issues or want to explore how telemarketing can support your lead generation efforts, we’re here to help. Feel free to get in touch and let’s discuss how we can assist in driving more leads for your business. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How To Handle Objections in Telemarketing? 8 Proven Techniques Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-handle-objections-in-telemarketing-8-proven-techniques/ Published: 2024-09-20 Handling objections is a crucial determinant of success in telemarketing. Whether you're making cold calls for B2B lead generation, nurturing long-standing prospects, or even calling lapsed or existing customers, you will face resistance.  What separates top telemarketers from the rest is their ability to manage these objections confidently and turn them into opportunities. This article will walk you through essential techniques for handling telemarketing objections effectively. If your team isn’t well-versed in these strategies, it’s crucial to build the expertise needed for success. You certainly won’t succeed every time, but you will magnify your chance of success if you follow our suggestions below for dealing with objections. And, if you can’t, just make an enquiry for our help using our contact form.  Why Objections Are a Natural Part of Telemarketing In the world of outbound calls, objections are par for the course. No matter how good you or your company’s products and services are, buyers are often locked into contracts with other suppliers.  Prospects might hesitate for various reasons—budget constraints, timing issues, or competing priorities. Rather than seeing these as roadblocks, successful telemarketers treat objections as gateways to deeper conversations. If you’d like further Outbound Telemarketing Tips, check out our article on Outbound Telemarketing Tips: 50 Do’s and 50 Don’ts Build Rapport to Combat Telemarketing Objections The first step in heading towards a positive outcome is to build rapport. In high value sales, it is unlikely that a decision-maker will allow you to ask for what you want if you haven’t built up some form of rapport. And that starts with the very first words that come out of your mouth when the prospect answers the phone. That means avoiding classic telesales phrases like:  “How are you today” or “Hello Mr Jones, I’m calling from GSA and I’m calling to introduce my company to you.”  The key is to engage and to sound friendly, authoritative, professional, and consultative. Don’t over-sell. Don’t talk too much from the start and try to engage in a two-way discussion rather than a one-way sales pitch. Using this strategy, you’re less likely to get immediate roadblock objections thrown at you and you’re more likely to be able to anticipate and plan for those objections before they arise. Understanding the types of objections your team will face is critical. Below are some of the most common objections in telemarketing, and some ideas for how to respond effectively. However, before addressing these, it’s vital to understand the approach you need to take and some of the words you need to say.  Ask Good Telephone Objection Handling Questions Throughout an effective telemarketing call, it is important to ask a good blend of open questions, to unearth information, and closed questions for qualification. But take care that it doesn’t come across like an interrogation or a survey. Effective questioning techniques are particularly relevant when the prospect has stated his or her objection. The key is to remain calm, don’t jump in, or overreact, or even more fatally, over-pitch. Rather, pause and take a little time to ask appropriate questions to clarify the objection. This not only shows that you are interested in the prospect, but it also gains more information and gives you time to respond and ultimately move towards the objective. Phrases like, “I understand that price is important” demonstrate empathy. But, don’t jump from there straight to your pitch. Try to focus on benefits and ways you solve pressing problems. Then, when the time is right, identify whatever outcome you can achieve and ask for that.  Listen more than you talk Perhaps it’s not what you’d expect, but telemarketing and listening skills go together. It’s not about being a smooth talker. It’s more about the art of listening and understanding that wins out in the end. Active listening means not becoming distracted. That’s passive listening, or even not listening, while you’re readying your next sales pitch. Don’t jump in too soon and try to ‘persuade’ the buyer of the error of their ways. Don’t be too hasty in trying to ram your solution down their throat. If they explain why your service isn’t appropriate or timely, or don’t have the necessary funds, listen and periodically respond with a phrase like “I see”.   The speaker may divulge a piece of information that will help you sell to them now or in the future. If you don’t listen, the prospect’s next step may well be to slam the phone down. Don’t Rush Things At the first hint of a call not going to plan, salespeople often start defending or emphasising how great their company is. They default to over-pitching their product features when a buyer hits them with an objection. They forget that the buyer may have an entrenched view and there is no point pushing against a closed door. Telemarketers need to get the buyer to leave the door ajar for them. Allowing oneself time to think is a good thing. A pause and a “hmm” or a “that’s interesting” demonstrates how the caller is taking the prospect’s objection seriously. Once again, following this with good open questions (and sometimes specific closed questions to further qualify), will unearth what’s really behind the initial objection and hopefully hold the door open for opportunities. Handling and Responding to Telemarketing Objections The better the questions, and clarification, in the earlier part of the discussion after the initial objection, the more likely rapport will have been established, and the better your ability to handle and respond. When you’re ready, you can use an objection-handling method that you believe will work best for the specific objection. We will cover specific objection-handling techniques later. Sometimes you can challenge the objection head-on e.g. “It’s interesting that you feel we’re expensive when most of our customers tell us we’re well priced against competition….” Sometimes you can reposition the objection in the context of some other factor within the discussion e.g. “I understand your point about price being a factor. In terms of durability, what are you looking for?” The essence is to consider a relevant approach that doesn’t lock horns and alienate the buyer and ensures that the gates of the conversation remain open Check whether you’ve Answered the Objection Once you have responded, it is wise to establish whether the objection-handling worked! You can ask the prospect if they feel that you have answered their question. If the buyer's response is positive and they indicate that they understand the answer to the objection, ask if there are any more concerns. As necessary, handle these new or outstanding objections using the same process before you move on. Go for the Close Of course, handling buyer objections isn’t as simple as providing a response followed by the buyer saying “Okay then” and everyone lives happily ever after. However, our end game is to gain some kind of consensus so that we can move towards our outcome. That may not be immediate. By all means, go for a relevant close IF the prospect indicates their objections have been answered. That might mean booking a face-to-face appointment, setting up a demo, booking attendance at an event, or some other result.  Ultimately, you can’t win them all. Some buyers are immovable and for good reasons. So, assuming that the prospect is the right one in the first place, withdraw to fight another day. But, don't forget to agree on a definite time for speaking again at the end of the call.  Whatever the desired outcome is, it is unlikely that you will achieve this until you’ve satisfied the buyer’s requirements in terms of responding to their objections. How to Handle Common Telemarketing Objections Our overriding approach and recommendation for handling objections is to address them by using the skills above. Equally, typical objections come in different forms, so let’s take a look at a few of these.  Price or Budget Objections Price is a frequent sticking point in telemarketing, especially when dealing with businesses on tight budgets. But, that’s often because you have not garnered sufficient buyer interest, and built rapport, in the early part of the call. Many prospects will say that they don’t have the funds, or they may push for a discount right off the bat. However, price is often a proxy for other concerns, like perceived value. Some prospects just like the thrill of haggling.  How to Handle It: Whilst we all want to win business, we also want to win profitable business. And, we need to value the services that we offer. Therefore, if you can, instead of focusing solely on cost, shift the conversation to value, and try to gain a deeper understanding of why price is an issue. Are they already using a competitor at a lower price? If so, what does the contract look like? Is it like-for-like? Has anything changed? Does what you’re offering mirror what they’re already using, or are there additional requirements and benefits? Before jumping in to debate the price, try to drill down, with questions, to allow you to demonstrate how your product or service solves their pain points, offers ROI, and enhances what they do.  Timing or “Not the Right Time" Timing objections—“We’re not ready” or “It’s not a priority right now”—are common, especially when reaching out cold. Often, this is more about reluctance to change than actual timing. Of course, there may be legitimate reasons for the delay, and, once again, it pays to try to establish if these are genuine, through good questions.  How to Handle It: Reframe the objection by asking probing questions about their current situation. For example, “I completely understand the timing concern—could you tell me when would be a better time, or what challenges are stopping you right now, or how much of a priority is this for you?” This keeps the dialogue open without pushing them into a hard commitment. Ultimately, if you can find a small gap, that allows you to position your service advantageously, this may work. Naturally, price plays a role here. A well-known tactic is using discounts or add-ons to move prospects off the fence. But, do this with care since price discounting is a race to the bottom. So, you could consider statements such as “if you were able to move forward before the end of the month, I can add in / waive the set-up fee / reduce the cost by X.  Lack of Trust or Buyer Inertia Especially in B2B calls, prospects may feel uneasy about trying something new or may question the relevance of your product to their immediate needs. They may say, “We’re already working with someone,” or “We don’t need this right now,” or “It’s a risk to change”. Equally, any change involves extra work for them which they may not be willing to do. How to Handle It: Without getting boring here, building rapport, and asking relevant questions is the best approach. Ultimately, prospects won’t buy if you lack credibility. If you have pertinent examples of recent experience, this will go a long way towards reassuring sceptical buyers. Build credibility quickly by referencing case studies, and testimonials, and offer them the opportunity to speak to satisfied customers. Provide social proof that resonates with their industry and situation. Asking for a short, no-obligation meeting can also reduce the perceived risk of engaging with a new supplier.  Developing a Winning Attitude Toward Objection Handling Your team’s mindset is key when dealing with objections. If they see objections as hurdles, their morale, and call rates, will suffer. But if they view them as challenges that require persistence, and a calculated approach, they can turn objections into victories.  Here are our 8 short tips for how to handle telemarketing objections  Tip #1: Accept That Objections Are Normal Objections are a natural part of telemarketing. They shouldn’t cause fear or frustration for your team. Instead, objections offer valuable insights into a prospect's concerns and provide an opportunity for callers to refine their pitch. The first step in overcoming objections is to embrace them. Tip #2: Build Confidence Through Preparation Preparation is everything when it comes to objection handling. Before any call, get familiar with common objections and be ready with proven responses. The more prepared you are, the more confident you will sound when those inevitable objections arise. Tip #3: Good Questioning and Active Listening are Essential Handling objections effectively relies on understanding the prospect’s true concerns. You can’t do that by doing a sales pitch, without bothering to ask engaging questions that matter to your buyer. Don’t ruin things by just going into a sales pitch to demonstrate that you actually don't care. Active listening is vital. When a prospect voices an objection, don’t rush to counter it. Let them finish their points, and then respond with empathy. Tip #4: Clarify the Objection Sometimes, the objection isn’t what it seems. A prospect may express a price concern when, in reality, they’re unsure about the product’s fit for their needs. Ask clarifying questions, such as, “Can you tell me more about what concerns you about that?” This not only shows interest in their specific challenge but can uncover underlying issues. Tip #5: Acknowledge and Redirect Acknowledging a prospect’s objection can further help to build rapport. Instead of dismissing their concerns, or pushing them aside, validate them, then gently guide the conversation forward. For example, “I hear that timing is an issue right now. Many of our clients had the same concern, but they found that starting sooner gave them a huge productivity improvement, and took them ahead of competitors.” Tip #6: Leverage Social Proof Prospects want to know that they’re not alone in their concerns. If others in their industry have successfully worked with your product or service, mention it. This technique—called social proof—can quickly build trust and help overcome objections. For example, “ and , have successfully implemented our software and saw a 20% increase in efficiency within the first quarter. Their production manager, said that software completely transformed how they manage their workflow and that it's been a game-changer. I can ask him to speak to you if that helps.” Tip #7: Offer a Trial or Demo Sometimes, the best way to counter objections is to offer a low-commitment opportunity to experience your service firsthand. A free trial, demo, or pilot project can help prospects feel more comfortable and eliminate doubts. If that’s feasible, suggest it as an option. But, try to gain something in return. So, get some commitment that if the test delivers an agreed outcome, they will adopt the solution in its entirety.  Tip #8: Don’t Take Objections Personally Telemarketers need to separate their personal feelings from the conversation. Prospects may reject an idea or service without rejecting the caller personally. Build resilience by recognising that objections are not about you but rather about the prospect’s needs and situation. Rejection is par for the course in outbound calling, and you need to build a thick skin. Check out this blog for tips.  Empower Your Team to Overcome Telemarketing Objections Objections are inevitable, but with the right strategies, they become opportunities to build rapport, and trust, and ultimately, close more deals. If you’re managing a team of telemarketers, encourage your callers to embrace objections, stay confident, and continually hone their skills, using some of the techniques above. With time and practice, objections will no longer be seen as obstacles—but rather as pathways to success. If you believe that running outbound calling in-house is the way to go, they must be trained in how to handle objections and other indispensable telemarketing techniques. Find the Right People for the Job If your team isn’t equipped to handle these challenges effectively, it’s worth considering whether outsourcing this function could yield better results. A team of expert telemarketers, such as those we have at GSA, who are well-versed in handling objections, can help you make the most of every call.Want to improve your team’s telemarketing skills, or run an outbound campaign? Contact us about training your telemarketing team, or running a telemarketing pilot campaign, contact us using the form on this website. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Role of B2B Sales Lead Generation Companies in Expanding Market Reach Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-role-of-b2b-sales-lead-generation-companies-in-expanding-market-reach/ Published: 2024-09-19 Expanding market reach, and generating sales are critical goals for any company, yet it's one of the most challenging aspects of business growth. In an increasingly competitive environment, simply waiting for prospects to come to you is not an option. Companies must proactively seek out and engage with potential customers. However, achieving this kind of market reach is far from easy, especially without the right strategies and resources in place. Why Expanding Market Reach is Challenging Achieving effective market reach in the B2B space involves overcoming a variety of challenges. For one, market saturation means that many industries are highly competitive, making it difficult for any single company to stand out. Additionally, sales cycles are often long and intricate, requiring significant time and effort to nurture leads from interest to conversion. Moreover, the behaviour of buyers has evolved, with more decision-makers involved in the purchasing process and a greater reliance on digital channels for research and knowledge-building. These factors make it harder than ever for businesses to gain reach, achieve share of mind, and engage their target audiences effectively. The High Cost of Expanding Market Reach Expanding your market reach is not just challenging—it's also expensive. To effectively reach and engage potential customers, companies must invest in a range of tools and channels, each with its costs. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and Google Ads, for instance, can quickly consume a marketing budget, especially in competitive industries. LinkedIn Sponsored Ads or content, while highly targeted, can also come with a significant price tag. Additionally, content development and distribution are crucial for maintaining a presence across digital channels, but these efforts require substantial time and resources to execute well. Beyond these, other options like email marketing, SEO, and retargeting campaigns all contribute to the overall expense of achieving effective reach. This makes it vital for companies to carefully plan and allocate their resources to ensure that their investment in market reach yields the desired results i.e. an enquiry or a sale. The Role of B2B Sales Lead Generation Companies This is where B2B sales lead generation companies come into play. These companies specialise in helping businesses overcome the challenges of market reach by identifying, engaging, and nurturing potential sales. They leverage their expertise, tools, and relevant channels to, where possible, target the right prospects at the right time. This ensures that your business gets in front of the decision-makers who matter most. Reaching new markets, and penetrating existing markets, requires a strategic and sustained effort. Effective business development is built on the principle that genuine lead generation is about more than just quantity; it's about quality. By focusing on high-quality leads that are more likely to convert, businesses can expand their market reach in a meaningful and measurable way. That’s where professional companies come in.  Types of Reach Achievable Through B2B Sales Lead Generation Event-Based Reach One of the most effective ways to expand your market reach is through events, whether it's an exhibition, conference, webinar, or seminar. Inviting prospects to these events allows you to engage with them in a focused setting where they are primed to learn about your offerings. However, the key to maximising the value of these events lies in the follow-up. Without timely and personalised follow-ups, the investment in organising, and/ or attending events, can easily be wasted. This is where GSA can make all the difference. We help ensure that every lead from your events is nurtured and followed up in a way that drives conversions. For more information on how we support event-based lead generation, visit our event telemarketing page. Direct Engagement Beyond events, direct engagement with prospects is crucial for expanding your market reach. Your best potential customers simply may not find you when they’re in the market for your kinds of solutions. Direct engagement can therefore take the form of setting up product demos, site visits, audits, or virtual meetings through platforms like MS Teams or Zoom. These interactions provide valuable opportunities to showcase your offerings in detail, and to address any specific concerns or needs the prospect may have. B2B sales lead generation companies can facilitate these engagements by identifying the right prospects and setting up the necessary appointments, ensuring that your sales team can focus on what they do best—closing deals. Existing Customer Reach Whilst it may be obvious, the best opportunity to magnify reach and sales, is often within your existing customer base. Yet, through lack of resources, and other factors, good potential customers that are primed for growth may be left on the fringes. They may be left open to being attracted elsewhere by your competitors, through lack of care and attention. A reputable sales lead generation company can take your customer database, work with you on profiling and segmentation, and reach out to a target list of customers for upsell, cross-sell, and so on. Inevitably, this will result in fresh opportunities.  Product Launches and Promotions When launching a new product or service, reaching the right audience is essential for success. GSA can help you target fresh prospects, lapsed customers who may be interested in returning, or identify opportunities for maximising calls to action amongst your existing customer base. Additionally, they can assist in crafting targeted campaigns that increase purchase frequency, ensuring that your product launches and promotions are as impactful as possible. Inbound Lead Management Sometimes, it’s easy to focus on proactive outreach to new customers and new markets. Yet, handling it effectively is critical. Managing inbound leads is a core aspect of expanding market reach. When prospects show interest by filling out a form on your landing page or downloading a piece of content or other knowledge-based resource, it's crucial to respond quickly and effectively. GSA can help streamline this process by picking up these inbound sales with the urgency they require, converting them into qualified opportunities for your team. Following up on Web Visits There are a variety of tools on the market that can help you to identify those companies visiting your website. Whilst it’s not possible to identify the actual person visiting the site, a professional sales generation company can help you to build a target list of the right personas within these companies, along with valid contact details (phone, email address, LinkedIn profile), for you to connect and engage with those prospects that may be in the market for your services having visited your site. However, it’s important to do the groundwork, and to strike while the iron is hot.  The Importance of a Multichannel Approach These days, a multichannel approach is no longer optional—it's essential. By combining traditional methods like phone calls with digital strategies such as email marketing and LinkedIn outreach, content distribution, and other solutions, businesses can create a comprehensive lead generation strategy that reaches prospects across multiple touchpoints. GSA excels in this multichannel approach, ensuring that your business is always visible to your target audience, no matter where they are in their buying journey. Conclusion Expanding market reach is far from easy, or cheap. It can be complex and must be an ongoing process. Equally, it is one of the most important investments a company can make. By partnering with GSA, you can overcome the challenges of reaching new markets and unlock new growth opportunities in existing markets. Our strategic approach, combined with our expertise in appointment setting and multichannel lead generation, even into international markets, ensures that your business is always in front of the right people at the right time. If you're looking to boost your market reach and generate high-quality leads, we invite you to make an inquiry with GSA today. Let us help you connect with the prospects that matter most to your business. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Reduce Ghosting in B2B Sales? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-reduce-ghosting-in-b2b-sales/ Published: 2024-08-14 Introduction: Ghosting in B2B sales is an all-too-common challenge faced by sales professionals and business owners alike. What is Ghosting? Simply, it’s where, after investing considerable time and resources into generating leads, building a relationship, presenting a proposal, or conducting a demo, prospects disappear without a trace. The experience can be deeply frustrating and costly. This article explores strategies to minimise the chances of being ghosted, helping you close more deals and safeguard your valuable time and effort. 1. Understanding the Ghosting Phenomenon in B2B Sales Ghosting, the act of a prospect becoming unresponsive after initial positive engagement, is particularly prevalent in B2B sales. We’ve all experienced this phenomenon at some point in our sales career. A number of factors contribute to this behaviour, including shifts in priorities, internal organisational changes, decision paralysis within the prospect’s company, and, sometimes, just plain rudeness. According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, approximately 58% of sales opportunities are lost due to the prospect deciding to "do nothing." This inaction often manifests as ghosting, leaving the salesperson in the dark about the true reasons behind the decision​ Understanding potential underlying causes is the first step in developing b2b sales strategies to prevent ghosting. 2. The Impact of Ghosting on Sales Professionals Ghosting doesn’t just waste time—it can also lead to missed revenue opportunities and it deeply frustrates the sales team. Equally, it negatively impacts the quality and validity of the sales pipeline. When a prospect goes silent, the sales cycle extends, leading to longer lead times and lower overall conversion rates. According to research by Gong.io, deals that drag out past a certain point have a significantly lower chance of closing. Specifically, deals that extend beyond 90 days see a drop in close rates by nearly 50%​ . This impact is magnified in smaller businesses, where sales teams—or even business owners—are often stretched thin, juggling multiple roles. The loss of a promising B2B lead can feel especially significant, underscoring the importance of having robust strategies in place to minimise the risk of ghosting. 3. Strategies to Prevent Ghosting and Improve Response Rates So, what are realistic approaches for achieving what you want, i.e. a response, preferably positive?  a. Setting Clear Expectations and Timelines One of the most effective ways to prevent ghosting is by setting clear expectations and timelines from the very beginning. Before ending any interaction, always schedule the next step. Whether it’s a follow-up call, a meeting to review the proposal, or a product demo, locking in a concrete next step keeps the momentum going. Research has shown that when a specific date and time are agreed upon for the next interaction, the likelihood of ghosting decreases significantly. This is because a set appointment creates a psychological commitment in the prospect’s mind, making them less likely to disengage​.  Moreover, it’s essential to communicate the mutual benefits of the proposed timeline. For instance, emphasising how sticking to the agreed schedule will help the prospect meet their internal deadlines can create a stronger sense of urgency and importance. b. Creating a Sense of Urgency and Value Creating a sense of urgency is not always easy since some prospects are at the early research, rather than the buying, stage. Sales professionals should strive to position their proposals in a way that emphasises the cost of inaction. For example, if delaying a decision could result in lost opportunities or increased costs for the prospect, this should be clearly communicated. A study by Forrester Research found that 70% of B2B buyers are influenced by the urgency of the solution to their problem when making a purchasing decision. By clearly articulating the risks of delay, such as missing out on market opportunities or facing increased competition, sales professionals can encourage quicker decision-making. In addition to urgency, personalising the proposal to directly address the specific challenges and goals discussed during your meetings reinforces the value you bring. This tailored approach not only differentiates your proposal from generic pitches but also makes it more relevant and harder to ignore. c. Leveraging Multiple Communication Channels Another effective strategy to reduce the chances of being ghosted is leveraging multiple communication channels. Relying solely on email for follow-ups can be risky, as emails can easily be overlooked or deprioritised. Incorporating other channels like phone calls, LinkedIn messages, and even text messages can significantly increase your chances of reaching the prospect. For example, if a prospect doesn’t respond to an email, a quick LinkedIn message or phone call might capture their attention. Research indicates that a multi-channel approach can increase response rates by up to 30% compared to single-channel outreach​. However, it’s crucial to balance persistence with respect for the prospect’s time. Overcommunication can lead to annoyance, so it’s important to space out your follow-ups and ensure each communication adds value, rather than just checking in for the sake of it. That’s despite the temptation to leave a curt message when your impatience gets the better of you!  d. Developing a Mutual Action Plan A Mutual Action Plan (MAP), also known as a Joint Execution Plan (JEP), is an excellent way to keep both parties engaged and on the same page. This plan should outline the steps needed to move forward, assign responsibilities to both the salesperson and the prospect, and set clear deadlines for each task. For example, the MAP could include tasks like reviewing the proposal by a certain date, followed by a call to discuss feedback. This collaborative approach not only keeps the process moving forward but also fosters a sense of partnership, making it less likely that the prospect will disengage.  Equally, by committing to certain actions, prospects are more likely to follow through due to the consistency principle—a psychological concept where individuals strive to align their actions with their previous commitments. This principle, commonly used in behavioural psychology, can be a powerful tool in B2B sales when applied correctly. e. Knowing When to Walk Away Despite your very best efforts, not every lead will convert. Recognising when a prospect is no longer engaged—and knowing when to walk away—can save valuable time and resources. A well-timed disengagement can actually leave the door open for future opportunities, as it shows professionalism and respect for the prospect’s current situation. When deciding to step back, it’s essential to do so in a way that maintains the relationship. For instance, you might send a final email acknowledging the lack of response, expressing your willingness to assist in the future, and leaving the door open for them to reach out when the timing is better. This approach ensures that the prospect doesn’t feel pressured, but also understands that you’re still interested in working with them down the line​. 4. Tools and Technologies to Support Anti-Ghosting Efforts Modern CRM tools and follow-up automation software are invaluable in combating ghosting. Pen and paper, and the odd memory jog just isn’t good enough. You need to use systems and processes. Your follow-up must be task driven. Task management and CRM tools allow sales professionals to track engagement, set reminders for follow-ups, and even automate personalised outreach. For instance, if a prospect hasn’t opened your proposal after a certain period, an automated reminder can be triggered, keeping the communication on track without requiring constant manual effort. Analytics provided by these tools can also offer insights into how your proposals are being viewed to give you a sense of the current level of engagement.  Ultimately, data-driven decisions, supported by CRM analytics, can significantly reduce the chances of ghosting by ensuring that your follow-ups are timely and relevant​. Conclusion: Ghosting in B2B sales is intensely frustrating. You definitely won’t win every proposal. And, some interactions will fail despite your best efforts. Some buyers are just downright rude, and lazy. But, in some cases, it can be a manageable challenge. By setting clear expectations, creating urgency, leveraging multiple communication channels, and knowing when to walk away, sales professionals can reduce the chances of being ghosted. Additionally, using tools and technologies to support these strategies will not only protect your time but also improve your closing rates. Implementing these practices will help you maintain control of the sales process, keeping prospects engaged and responsive until the deal is closed. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Future of B2B Marketing: Trends to Watch Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-future-of-b2b-marketing-trends-to-watch/ Published: 2024-07-31 Generating new business in B2B marketing is a task that is always at the forefront of the minds of most marketers. There’s pressure from above, pressure from sales colleagues who have hungry mouths, and pressure to even justify their existence.  So, staying abreast of trends in B2B marketing is critical as we move into the second half of 2024. Several emerging trends are set to reshape how businesses approach lead generation and customer engagement. This article delves into the key trends B2B marketing managers need to watch and offers insights on navigating these changes effectively. Understanding the Challenges of B2B Lead Generation Generating high-quality leads ready to convert remains a persistent challenge in B2B lead generation. For SMEs, the journey is particularly arduous due to limited resources and budgets. Reaching decision-makers requires multiple touchpoints and sustained efforts over time. Here, we explore how these challenges manifest and what strategies can help mitigate them. Key Challenges: Insufficient inbound leads: In a perfect world, ready-to-buy customers would knock on your door, but, sadly, the real world is not like this in most cases.  Resource Constraints: SMEs often struggle with limited marketing budgets, making it difficult to deploy comprehensive outreach campaigns. Reaching Decision-Makers: B2B decision-makers are notoriously hard to reach, necessitating a multi-channel approach to ensure effective contact. Quality vs. Quantity: Balancing the need for a high volume of leads with the imperative for lead quality is a delicate act. The speed of ROI can be Slow: Whilst we’d all like leads to convert swiftly to business, more often than not, it can take time from awareness to purchase.  So, where should business owners, senior management, and marketers look for inspiration? Below are a few areas where research into the options available might prove worthwhile.  Leveraging AI for Enhanced Lead Generation Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming B2B marketing by offering advanced tools for data analysis, customer insights, and automation. In 2024, and beyond, AI's role is set to expand further, providing businesses with unparalleled capabilities to enhance their lead generation efforts. AI Applications in B2B Marketing: Faster planning: AI can provide much faster go-to-market plans, including marketing plans, content plans, and wider suggestions that can save time and money of expensive consultants. Predictive Analytics: AI can analyse vast amounts of data to predict which leads are most likely to convert, enabling more targeted marketing efforts. Increasingly woven into CRM systems, this kind of data-crunching will add value to campaign execution.  Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: These tools can engage with potential leads in real-time, providing immediate responses and nurturing relationships without human intervention. Personalisation: AI enables highly personalised marketing campaigns that resonate more with individual leads, increasing the likelihood of conversion. The Importance of Data Accuracy in Outreach Accurate data is the backbone of successful B2B marketing campaigns. However, maintaining data accuracy is a significant challenge, especially for companies with large customer databases. Inaccurate data can lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities. Strategies for Ensuring Data Accuracy: Regular Data Audits: Periodic reviews and cleaning of customer databases to remove outdated or incorrect information. Data Validation Tools: Utilising advanced software to verify and update contact information in real-time. Integration with CRM Systems: Ensuring that all customer interactions are recorded and updated across platforms to maintain a single source of truth. Using Intent Data: Whilst no data is perfect, increasingly, tools can identify those companies showing intent to purchase your solutions, those that have raised funding, those that are searching for staff in your area of expertise and so on.  Combining Inbound and Outbound Tactics A well-rounded B2B marketing strategy integrates both inbound and outbound tactics to maximise lead generation potential. While outbound strategies such as telemarketing, offering a more human interaction, and LinkedIn outreach are crucial, combining them with inbound methods can yield better results. Effective Inbound Tactics: Content Marketing: Creating valuable content that addresses the pain points of your target audience and positions your business as a thought leader. SEO and SEM: Optimising your website and using search engine marketing to attract organic traffic. Social Media Engagement: Leveraging social media platforms to engage with prospects and nurture relationships. As suggested earlier, perhaps there’s no quick fix despite, in many cases, an urgency to generate new business. Waiting until too late is a bad strategy. Staring ahead of the time when your sales team needs feeding is wise. So, what other trends might hard-pressed marketers consider.  Further Trends to Watch in B2B Marketing 1. Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Account-based marketing continues to gain traction as it allows businesses to target specific accounts with personalised marketing campaigns. This approach ensures that marketing efforts are highly relevant to the needs and challenges of each account. 2. Sustainable Marketing Practices With increasing awareness of environmental issues, businesses are adopting sustainable marketing practices. This trend is not only about reducing carbon footprints but also about appealing to the growing number of eco-conscious clients. 3. Interactive Content Interactive content, such as quizzes, polls, and interactive infographics, is becoming a popular way to engage potential leads. This type of content encourages active participation and can provide valuable insights into customer preferences. 4. Video Marketing Video remains a powerful tool for B2B marketers. With the rise of platforms like TikTok, and persistence of Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn Video, creating compelling video content can significantly enhance engagement and inbound lead generation efforts. Measuring Success: Key KPIs To gauge the effectiveness of B2B marketing efforts, it is crucial to track key performance indicators (KPIs). These metrics provide insights into what is working and what needs adjustment. Essential KPIs: Number of Leads: The total number of leads generated within a specific period. Quality of Leads: Assessing leads based on their readiness to purchase and fit with your ideal customer profile. Conversion Rate: The percentage of leads that convert into paying customers. Cost per Lead: The total cost incurred to acquire each qualified lead. Sales Value: The revenue generated from converted leads. Conclusion: Adapting to the Future in B2B Marketing There’s no doubt that AI, data analysis, and the enhanced capabilities they bring, will shape marketing going forward. Of course, big companies will probably be early adopters of new ways of working. Yet, smaller organisations can still keep abreast of what’s going on. Using AI to generate content, and to schedule its distribution is one simple way to adopt new trends. It’s worth pointing out, though, that these are not infallible short cuts. A degree of intervention is essential, at least for now, to ensure that it does not appear contrived.  New channels such as TikTok present new opportunities too. Consider where your audience goes for information, and entertainment. Is there an interesting way to present what you do?  New trends and technologies are emerging regularly. For marketing managers and directors, staying informed and adaptable is key to maintaining a competitive edge. By leveraging AI, ensuring data accuracy, integrating inbound and outbound strategies, and keeping an eye on upcoming trends, businesses can enhance their B2B Marketing efforts and drive growth towards the end of the first quarter of the 21st Century.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Pitfalls of In-House Telemarketing Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-pitfalls-of-in-house-telemarketing/ Published: 2024-07-24 The decision as to whether to run in-house telemarketing is always tricky when it comes to the important task of how best to fuel business growth. There’s a plethora of channels and options to generate B2B sales leads. And, there’s rarely a quick fix. What’s more, mistakes can prove expensive. Just one of the options, to which organisations still turn, is telemarketing. But should companies employ internal staff to do the job, or should they look to specialist outsourced agencies? And, what are the pitfalls of in-house telemarketing? Target Audiences to Boost Sales Leads Using the telephone to drive sales leads can take a number of different forms. These include:  Simple cold calling to a fresh marketing list to generate leads Warm calling to existing customers for cross-sell and upsell, or to introduce a new product or service Lapsed customer resuscitation Calls to low-spending clients  Inbound enquiry management, fielding incoming enquiries  Generating attendance at, or to follow up, an event  These are just a small number of the different types of calls that prospectors may need to carry out. And, calling may be used to support a range of other outcomes.  Equally, this form of activity can be utilised as part of an integrated lead generation strategy, to boost results from email marketing, LinkedIn outreach, events, or a range of other disciplines. In-House Telemarketing or Outsource - What’s the Best Route? Some companies prefer to run things in-house. That may be due to a perceived technical nature of the calls and/or buyers, or a desire to have greater control. To some extent, there's no right answer as to whether to DIY or outsource. We’ve written several articles on the subject, exploring both sides. Check out the article earlier in this blog for a more balanced view.  But, this blog isn’t so much about the comparison. It’s more about my experience when it comes to the training I have done with hundreds of in-house callers, and the pitfalls that organisations need to be aware of when running campaigns exclusively with an in-house team.  Pitfalls to Avoid with In-House Telemarketing Below are a number of the key aspects to consider when deciding whether to keep this activity in-house. Productivity / Resource Inefficiency:  In-house calling teams typically deliver a call rate of between 4-8 calls per hour, significantly lower than a specialised agency’s circa. 15 calls per hour benchmark. That means that outsourced suppliers may deliver between 2-4 times more productivity per calling hour.  What’s more, internal staff may get pulled into other tasks that side-track them and reduces call time further. Subject to the nature and length of each call, agencies will generally achieve this ratio every hour. They provide KPIs to support this level of activity. And, whilst call rate is by no means the only basis upon which to measure the success of outbound calling, a disparity in calling momentum will almost certainly result in reduced contact rates with decision-makers. Consequently, this means fewer opportunities for doing business.  Lack of Skills Training: Whilst there are expert in-house callers out there, this kind of work isn’t for the faint-hearted. You get a lot of rejection. Switchboards and gatekeepers don’t want to put you through. And, simply, decision-makers may not want to engage.  Therefore, those responsible for outbound calling, need to know what to do. On many occasions, I find that in-house staff are poorly trained, or not trained at all. They do not deploy appropriate techniques. In addition, they fail to build rapport which is a precursor for any sales success. They over-pitch. They do not understand benefits. And, they focus on what they offer, not on customer problems that they can solve. With these points in mind, it’s essential to ensure that your telemarketers are fit for purpose! Lack of Active Management:  Lead generation is a process that requires active, consistent management. In-house callers can sometimes be left to their own devices. Without appropriate, active, guidance, KPIs can be missed, and campaigns may fail. Fundamental bases for success include daily KPI tracking, reviewing recorded calls, and weekly review meetings with an experienced operations manager who can steer campaign effectiveness. Without this, there is a much greater likelihood that you won’t reach your objectives in terms of leads created.  Inadequate Systems:  This might sound boring, but it’s mission-critical. While most companies have a CRM system, effective outbound calling requires a dedicated workflow to speed up the calling process. Ideally, everything should be on one screen, or, at least, it should be quick and intuitive for callers. This means, for example, that callers don’t have to look at separate screens for info and don’t struggle to schedule, and execute timely follow-ups. The longer it takes to locate, and utilise, call-specific information, the weaker the results will be. Likewise, minimising the use of Google and LinkedIn to 'find' details such as phone numbers, and correct contact names, that callers must key in manually, reduces error rates, and speeds up the process.   Opportunity Cost of Staff Misallocation:  It’s pretty obvious but, using staff members for calling who could otherwise contribute more effectively in other roles diminishes overall productivity. Their skills may be underutilised, where specialised expertise is crucial. We often find that there can be an ‘expectation’ that every member of the sales team should get on the phone. In our experience, it’s not uncommon to find that they don’t enjoy doing this (preferring face-to-face interaction), and they’re not particularly competent at doing it. Many just default to using email as a means for communication, and follow-up. Hence, it just makes sense to allocate key personnel to roles to which they are best suited, and use expert callers for the groundwork needed to generate leads.  Lack of Consistency and Persistence:  To a significant extent, sales success is a numbers game. Of course, you need to focus, profile, segment, and build the right approach. Yet, good results come from consistent calling and persistence. In-house telemarketing callers can sometimes be guilty of not being in a position to consistently deliver high call rates, and to follow through on leads due to other commitments. To some extent, this is connected to our last point. However, everyday tasks just get in the way. Swiftly, following up event leads, or inbound enquiries that come in from a contact form is vital. And, doing so until there is a definite outcome is even more important. When attention switches to other pressing issues, momentum drops, and golden opportunities can be missed.  Recruiting and Retaining Staff:  Naturally, some companies have got in-house telemarketing cracked. They have competent callers, and they've been successful for some time running in-house campaigns. Others have found it to be more of a ‘trial and error’ situation, with callers coming and going. Recruitment of good telemarketers is never easy, and holding on to them may also be challenging. Recruitment is often an expensive headache. This chopping and changing does not help. The smaller your business, often, the more difficult it is to attract and retain qualified people. Experienced telesales agents want an environment conducive to success. And, they like being part of a team. Thus, the inability to provide the right environment for them to thrive may be an impediment to success.  Missed Opportunities with Prospects:  Inexperienced callers may miss opportunities both because they don't know how to generate them, and because they are not credible. Senior decision-maker buyers judge your business by the quality of the caller. Having listened to thousands of calls, the callers I listen to, that do achieve some results, can sometimes just get lucky. It depends on the target audience. I've heard production managers, engineering decision-makers and others who are surprisingly open despite the lack of ability of the caller. Yet, in most cases, that won’t work. Good quality calls must be on a peer-to-peer, unscripted level. Failure to engage appropriately will certainly lead to failure. And, that failure will be swift.  External telemarketing ensures that calls are handled with a degree of professionalism. No calls are made until there is an understanding of the company's offering, making it more likely to succeed where inexperienced callers might fail. Brand Risk from Poor Execution:  Following on from the last point, inexperienced or poorly trained operators can damage your business’s brand reputation during customer interactions. Professional callers are trained to uphold and enhance the brand's image with every call. I have listened to many client calls and the quality can be quite weak, especially amongst younger callers. The person that represents your business is as much part of the sales process as the product or service you’re offering. Therefore, especially for higher value sales propositions, it's crucial that the caller that represents the solution being offered makes a strong positive impression right from the start of the call. The Inability to Optimise Large Customer Databases In-house CRM systems are often full of key account customers, prospects, low-spending customers, infrequent spenders, and lapsed customers. That's aside the outdated legacy records that have been decaying, unvalidated, for years. This significantly impedes success. See below for more on this. However, alongside these outdated targets, there will be those that are ripe for upsell cross-sell, and more. It’s rare that in-house callers focus on these segments since they’re often directed towards ‘new’ business. Field sales teams have nowhere near enough time to reach out to other than key accounts. If they do find time, they don't do it in a concerted manner to call thoroughly through all of the available data. Using an outsourced agency, possibly as a bolt-on to busy in-house callers, will ensure that you maximise latent opportunities sitting on the CRM system. Unnecessary Overhead Costs  Maintaining an in-house team requires investment in people, infrastructure, technology, and systems to drive campaigns. That’s outside of the additional on-costs of National Insurance, and pension payments. Some companies provide further benefits. These costs can be significant compared to outsourcing, where such expenses are absorbed by the service provider. In addition, sick pay, let along covering for absence, causes further cost and inconvenience for the business. What’s more, outsourced calling activity can be focused on, and limited to, key periods, only when required, meaning that unnecessary costs are minimised. Lack of Scalability Scaling an in-house operation to handle peak periods or unexpected demand is often slower and more cumbersome than with an outsourced partner who can adjust resources more swiftly and efficiently. It isn’t easy to pivot with in-house teams that are focused on a narrow number of core tasks. And, if a big sales push is required, it’s often almost impossible to scale up to generate, or meet, demand.  The last thing a company wants is chaos. Mobilising staff that are focused elsewhere presents risks that risk destabilising the core business. Bringing in temporary staff is an option. However, this increases the likelihood of encountering some of the problems above. Poor Targeting Properly managing and utilising large datasets requires sophisticated systems and expertise. When we run external lead generation campaigns, we regularly experience poor data when receiving lists from clients. If they are using the data internally, it's no wonder that the results are not forthcoming. Segmentation, and profiling, are key components of sales success. You can’t sell anything to anyone. Therefore, campaigns need precise targeting to maximise success. In-house teams often lack the tools and know-how to leverage data effectively, leading to missed opportunities and outdated contact lists that impede positive outcomes.  Data Inaccuracy Following on from the point above, inaccurate data significantly affects campaign performance. Data is the lifeblood of lead generation campaigns. Data ages, and one third of B2B data goes out of date every year. There is no such thing as a fully up-to-date target list. Poor data, that slows callers down, massively impacts success, and motivation. Data inaccuracy isn’t just when it comes to prospects. Existing customer data must be kept fresh or there is a large risk of attrition. if data is not handled correctly, campaigns will fail. And, in-house teams are rarely experts in the area of data management  Compliance and Legal Risks Companies must complete a legitimate interest impact assessment to comply with GDPR rules in order to legitimately undertake telemarketing campaigns in the UK. The same rules apply for Europe. In addition, they must screen every phone number against the Opt-out register (CTPS) every 28 days to be compliant. Most companies that we work with are not aware of this. Outbound calling is highly regulated by GDPR, and non-compliance can result in legal issues and fines. Reputable agencies maintain strict compliance with laws, reducing your risk exposure. In our experience, companies that run calling campaigns in-house are often unaware of their obligations.  Conclusion Ultimately, whilst there is no right answer, parochially, of course we’d suggest testing outsource. But, not just any outsourced telemarketing provider. They come in all shapes and sizes. Providers such as those offshore may be cheap, but may fail both in terms of results, and the brand damage they cause. We've all received poor cold calls. Need I say more? The key is to find a reputable provider that has been around the block a few times. We’ve written several articles outlining the reasons why outsourcing is a good idea. A couple of these are below: 11 Reasons to Outsource your Telemarketing Why Use an External Telemarketing Agency There are few guarantees when it comes to the likelihood of achieving marketing success. If it were that easy, we’d all be successful and there would be no need for external agencies. Regardless which channel, or media, you use, you need to assess whether it’s right for your business, and your customer base. Mistakes can be expensive. Equally, being wedded to an approach that fails to deliver is not sensible.  Benchmarking success is essential. And, finding good quality people is probably the most important component of success. Yet, even with good people, campaigns can fail if they are not implemented correctly. Unfortunately, that can be the case when using in-house telemarketing if the aspects surrounding the campaign are not handled appropriately.  If you’d like to discuss your B2B telemarketing requirements, give us a call or complete the contact form on this site.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is Demand Generation an Option for SMEs? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-demand-generation-an-option-for-smes/ Published: 2024-07-22 Demand generation is a term frequently used by marketing, and business development executives. In many ways, it’s heralded as the solution to all marketing woes since the logic is that interest is created in your product or service to such an extent that fresh prospects beat a path to your door..  Nice idea! But is it truly the silver bullet it's made out to be? For many businesses, particularly SMEs, navigating the intricacies, time considerations, and the cost of delivering effective demand generation, it can feel like a bridge too far. Deciphering Demand Generation At its core, demand generation deploys an array of marketing strategies aimed at igniting interest and awareness in a company's offerings. From crafting compelling content and orchestrating email campaigns, to leveraging social media outreach, and fine-tuning SEO efforts, demand generation covers a range of tactics. At its most basic, a B2B prospect sees a piece of content or information from your business that encourages them to contact you. But, isn't that just traditional marketing? In some ways, the answer is yes. However, to a large extent, the drivers are knowledge transfer, through content, that prospects see through either organic reach on social media, or receive through direct messaging on email or perhaps LinkedIn, or through sponsored ads or content.  The Conundrum of Effective Demand Generation The real challenge, though, lies in executing these strategies with precision and impact, without breaking the bank. It's not merely about throwing money at advertising; it's about crafting targeted messages that resonate deeply with your audience and spur them into action. Without clarity on your audience, personas, sectors, locations, size and so on, how can you possibly (1) craft appropriate messages and communications and (2) reach them cost-effectively? And, since social reach is rarely free these days, there often is an associated cost to reach decision-makers that are in the market at any given time.  How Long Does Demand Generation Take to Deliver? Therein lies the problem. It’s often said that only a small proportion of your target market is ‘ready to buy’ at any time. Thus, how much outreach, and at what cost, is required? And, how long do you give it to assess whether it’s working? Finally, how, and when, do you measure success?  These are inherent challenges. It can also be complicated where your audience is narrow. For some organisations, account-based marketing (ABM) is also a key component of their business development strategy. Yet, whilst focusing on a relatively high-value prospect pool provides clarity, it also could perhaps make demand generation harder, and more expensive. How do those specific prospects get to see what you produce in terms of compelling content, and when will they engage?  Content Development and Distribution Makes Sense The above notwithstanding, we’re advocates of producing content and disseminating that to places where your prospects can consume that information. That means on your website, on LinkedIn, on other relevant social platforms, and through direct messaging such as email, and LinkedIn. If you can afford it, and the topic is sufficiently interesting, you can widen the reach through sponsored ads and sponsored content whether that’s for videos, blogs, slide carousels or other knowledge-based content.  Unfortunately, it rarely comes cheap. Of course, if you have a robust pool of relevant first-level connections on LinkedIn, you can send out your content directly without waiting. The quick way of doing this is using LinkedIn automation tools.  Telemarketing: A Key Piece of the Puzzle? We always say that we’d rather make a warm call than a cold one. Inevitably, a timely call to a prospect that completed a web form with a specific enquiry is much more likely to convert than cold outreach.  Likewise, if you’re running a seminar, webinar or roundtable, which are very much a part of demand generation, on a topic based on interesting research you’ve carried out, a call to invite a prospect to the session should prove worthwhile.  While digital channels dominate the modern marketing landscape, the human touch provided by telemarketing can set your efforts apart. By integrating calls to relevant prospects with demand generation tactics, companies can more quickly generate, and build on, interest through to conversion. Some Interesting Statistics At GSA, we like KPIs. We’re interested in the numbers. So, we thought it might also be useful to provide a few statistics that support some of our comments above.  Whilst we have to accept that some of this research is parochial, and lacks broader context, in that it comes from sources that want to promote that specific type of marketing, it is still useful background information. It also serves to illustrate that one size most definitely does not fit all, and a blend of inbound and outbound marketing tactics is most probably the answer.   Content Marketing: Content marketing generates over three times as many leads as outbound marketing and costs 62% less. (DemandMetric) 70% of consumers prefer to learn about products through content rather than traditional advertising. (Content Marketing Institute) Email Marketing: Email is the third most influential source of information for B2B audiences, behind only colleague recommendations and industry-specific thought leaders. (WordStream) Segmented email campaigns drive a 760% increase in revenue. (Campaign Monitor) Social Media Marketing: Social media has a 100% higher lead-to-close rate than outbound marketing. (HubSpot) 73% of marketers believe their efforts through social media marketing have been somewhat effective or very effective for their business. (Buffer) Search Engine Optimization (SEO): 70-80% of users ignore paid ads and focus on organic search results. (Search Engine Journal) 61% of marketers say improving SEO and growing their organic presence is their top inbound marketing priority. (HubSpot) Paid Advertising: Google Ads display campaigns reach 80% of global internet users. (Google) 52% of PPC clicks come from mobile devices. (WordStream) Telemarketing: Telemarketing has a response rate of 5-9%, compared to email marketing's 1-3%. (DMA) 57% of C-suite executives prefer phone calls as the first outreach from sales reps. (DiscoverOrg) Conclusion Demand generation is a multifaceted endeavour, requiring a blend of creativity, data-driven insights, and personalised engagement. While it may pose challenges for smaller businesses, demand generation is within reach – especially if you keep it simple such as using email, LinkedIn, and phone as a means of reaching your audience.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are Values Important for B2B Lead Generation? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-values-important-for-b2b-lead-generation/ Published: 2024-05-22 There’s a lot of talk about values amongst marketers. Values are supposedly what a brand, or business, stands for. It’s the ‘takeaway’ that prospects and customers might derive from dealing with your business, and people. But, are values overrated? Does anyone care? Do they matter in a B2B context? Are values important for B2B Lead Generation? Why Values Matter I worked for almost half of my career within big brand organisations such as Cover Girl Cosmetics, Dunhill, Montblanc, and Porsche. To consumers of those items, brands mean something. They convey a feeling, a cachet. They make you feel a certain way. To different extents, of course. I’m not suggesting that buying a Porsche 911 is the same as putting on lipstick or mascara. Yet, it’s well documented that brands add value. Why do consumers typically pay extra for Nike, Apple, and Louis Vuitton? And these brands don’t only apply to wealthy consumers. It’s about aspiration and association.  Trust and Integrity are Paramount In the context of B2B marketing, perhaps values manifest themselves in different ways, though. We work with brands like Miele, Veolia, Ansell, and many others. Those brands are trusted within their sector. And, name-dropping helps in B2B. I’ll be honest that, of course, I mention our clients to maximise credibility.  But, that’s not the point of this blog. Do values come into play in purchasing decisions amongst B2B purchasers? In my humble opinion, where this plays out is in your people. Do they espouse your values? Do they embody your principles? And, do they speak the same language? If they do, then your values will play a role in business development, and retention. No Empty Promises Senior decision-makers within SMEs need more than empty promises; they need a partner that embodies integrity, transparency, and collaboration. That’s where values matter in B2B lead generation. Just three of our guiding principles are shown below to illustrate what we mean. How do your values measure up?  Integrity at the Core: Integrity is the cornerstone of our operations. Unlike many lead generation companies that might promise the earth just to win business, we prioritise pragmatism and honesty. This means we provide realistic expectations and avoid overpromising. When you work with GSA, you know exactly what to expect, and we do everything within our power to deliver on our commitments. Transparent Working Relationships: Transparency is key to building trust. We believe in clear and open communication with our clients. This means sharing our processes, strategies, and the rationale behind our recommendations. In addition, we are KPI-focused, and share results with clients daily. By keeping customers constantly informed, we ensure that they’re always in the loop and can make informed decisions about their campaigns. Collaborative Approach: We see our clients as partners. This collaborative mindset allows us to work closely with them to understand, and adapt to, their unique needs and tailor our strategies accordingly. Our goal is to become an extension of their team, working together to achieve business objectives. Living the Values can be Hard At GSA, we try to live our values every day. This is not just a statement; it's embedded in how we operate. And, it’s sometimes hard to do. With approaching 24 years of experience, whilst we don’t always get it right, we’ve learnt a thing or two about business development. That means that pragmatism is our byword. You don’t get fancy promises. Periodically, therefore, it means that clients don’t actually go ahead with campaigns when they measure risk and reward. But, we see ourselves as advisors, not sellers.  Realistic Targets: We set pragmatic targets based on thorough research and realistic assessments. Guarantees are challenging in lead generation, but we aim to meet and exceed the targets we set, without making unattainable promises. Being value-driven is More than Just a Ploy Being values-driven is more than just a strategy; it's a philosophy that yields measurable benefits, including: Enhanced Trust: By operating with integrity and transparency, you typically build strong, trust-based relationships with your clients. This trust translates into long-term partnerships and better outcomes. Higher Engagement: Authentic interactions foster deeper engagement with potential leads. When prospects sense that your business is genuine and values-driven, they are more likely to respond positively. Sustainable Growth: Values-driven strategies focus on sustainable growth rather than quick wins. This approach ensures that the leads generated are high quality and more likely to convert, leading to a healthier sales pipeline. Values Must Run Through Your Business Without buy-in, values won’t work. Hence, every member of your team, not least that interacts with customers, must understand what’s expected of them. Consistency is paramount. Customers pick up on that very quickly. They can smell a rat. Inconsistencies show up that destabilise customer relationships. Every customer interaction must promote the values, even when it’s uncomfortable. We have a principle that we use which is ‘call the customer before the customer calls you’. Simply put, we must not shy away from awkward conversations. Every campaign can’t be a raging success.  Customers must not be under any illusions. From our prospect conversations to our proposals, to daily KPI reporting, through to weekly review meetings, and our campaign wrap up report, we are consistent. That’s why customers use us and come back for more, even when some campaigns don't deliver what we’d both want. It’s never for the lack of trying. Wouldn’t it be great if every company’s marketing campaign filled the sales pipeline every time? Realistic? I don’t think so.  Looking for a Trusted Lead Generation Adviser? Whilst I can’t guarantee your sales success, I can offer a positive working experience with GSA. So, if you are ready to explore how values-driven lead generation can benefit your business, contact us today for a consultation to assess whether our approach aligns with your needs. Let’s work together to grow your sales pipeline with integrity. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The B2B Lead Process: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success Source: https://telemarketing.blog/b2b-lead-process-step-by-step-guide-to-success/ Published: 2024-05-09 Generating B2B leads is hardly a walk in the park. Yet, it’s an everyday, essential task that’s crucial for any business aiming to thrive in competitive markets. Companies, from start-ups to large enterprises, struggle to find good leads that become valuable clients. This short guide will provide ten steps to help improve your business development process. 1. Crafting Your Ideal Customer Profile An accurate customer profile is foundational in lead generation. It's about more than just knowing the industries your prospects are in, or the size of their company. You also need to understand the roles of decision-makers. An essential component is understanding the unique challenges your potential clients face. A well-crafted customer profile, with this in mind, enhances targeting precision, which can significantly boost engagement rates. A study on LinkedIn found that personalised messages using accurate customer information can boost click-through rates by 50%. Tailoring your marketing efforts to meet the unique needs and interests of your audience can increase engagement. This, in turn, improves the likelihood of converting potential customers into loyal clients. And, that goes for whichever channel you use to reach your prospects. 2. Understanding Client Needs and Pain Points Recognising and solving customer problems helps create a bond and demonstrates that your offerings are the ideal solution. Effective sales strategies involve aligning a product or service with customer needs. These needs may include saving money, improving performance, or increasing efficiency. Matching the product or service with these specific needs is crucial for success in sales. For example, a Forrester report shows that businesses that fix customer problems can increase customer satisfaction scores by 30-50%. Match your solutions to what customers want. This will give potential customers good reasons to choose your services over others. 3. Building a Targeted Prospect Database I always make the point that you can’t hit a target you cannot see. And, it doesn't matter if you’re a crack shot if you’re aiming at the wrong target. A forensically compiled database is vital for efficient lead generation. Quality here triumphs over quantity. You can't choose who needs your services at the moment. However, having a targeted list can help save time and resources by focusing on interested parties. Quantity is important for reaching more people, but quality is key for efficiency. Quantity is important for reaching more people, but quality is key for efficiency. According to MarketingSherpa research, businesses that have optimised databases can increase their conversion rates by up to 70%. Updating your database regularly to match your target customer profile can make your outreach efforts more effective. This will lead to increased success in your campaigns. There are plenty of ways you can achieve this, albeit it’s not necessarily a quick fix. This involves ensuring staff input data is accurate, checking data with online tools, and conducting manual research regularly. 4. Blending Push and Pull Marketing Strategies Once you know your audience, this opens the door to efficient targeting. Important to recognise, though, that it's a process that, in an ideal world, uses both push and pull strategies. Knowing what your audience likes and giving it to them when they want it can have a significant influence. Equally, reaching out to targeted influencers and decision-makers may unearth a need.  The synergy between push and pull marketing strategies can create a robust framework for building your sales pipeline. Push strategies involve reaching out to potential customers, through telemarketing or emails. Pull strategies attract leads through SEO or valuable content. Integrating these strategies can help maintain constant engagement with prospects, providing multiple touchpoints that enhance brand visibility and recall. Balancing both strategies can help your brand stay memorable. It can also improve lead quality by 40%. This is according to businesses that have successfully used this approach. 5. Creating Interest Through Thought Leadership Creating top-notch content can help establish your brand as a leader in your industry and attract potential clients. Creating valuable content like articles, white papers, and reports helps establish you as an expert in your industry. Creating strategic content can triple relevant business opportunities, according to a study by the Content Marketing Institute. Your content should discuss trends and challenges in the industry. This will help you connect with and inform your target audience. Ultimately, this will guide them towards a sales discussion. At GSA, we’ve been providing knowledge-based articles on our website, and on LinkedIn, for over 14 years. We have hundreds of advice-centric articles that can help companies in their quest for more leads. Of course, it isn’t a quick fix. Without organic reach, not least with high search engine ranking, it can be hard to succeed. That’s where the blend of push and pull comes in, perhaps with sponsored ads, sponsored content, and SEO. 6. Identifying the Right Channels for Engagement Choosing the right channels to disseminate your message is crucial for reaching your intended audience effectively. Different industries have favourite places for leaders to get information, like LinkedIn for professionals or specialized forums for specific sectors. Customising your channel strategy can improve your outreach effectiveness. HubSpot reported that businesses have seen a 33% increase in engagement by using channels tailored to their target audience. The list of choices for business development is endless. These might include: Email Marketing: Direct email campaigns can be an option for personalised communication and nurturing leads through tailored content and offers. Content Marketing: Produce high-quality, relevant content like blogs, white papers, ebooks, and case studies to attract and engage potential clients. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Optimise your website and content to rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential clients to find you when they are looking for solutions you offer. Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC): Using platforms like Google Ads or LinkedIn Ads to drive traffic to your website, where users can convert into leads. Social Media Marketing: Leveraging platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook to share content, engage with prospects, and run targeted advertising campaigns. LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Utilising this specialised tool to target the right decision-makers, engage with personalised outreach, and track potential leads. Webinars and Online Workshops: Hosting online events to demonstrate expertise, engage with a broader audience, and gather leads through registrations. Trade Shows and Conferences: Attending or exhibiting at industry events to network with potential clients, showcase products or services, and collect contact information. Telemarketing: Using phone calls to reach out to potential clients directly, including following the other channel activity detailed here, offering a personal touch that can accelerate the sales process. Direct Mail: Sending physical items like postcards, brochures, or small gifts can help you stand out and reinforce your brand presence. Referral Marketing: Encouraging satisfied customers and partners to refer new clients to your business. Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Focusing marketing efforts on a clearly defined set of target accounts within a market and employing personalised campaigns designed to resonate with each account. Networking: Building relationships through professional groups, associations, and business networks can provide warm leads and introductions. Retargeting Ads: Using online ads to target users who have visited your website but did not make an immediate purchase or inquiry. Influencer Marketing: Partnering with influential figures in your industry to tap into their networks and gain credibility among your target audience. Podcasts: Either hosting your own or appearing on relevant industry podcasts to share expertise and capture the attention of engaged listeners. 7. Being There When It Matters Easier said than done, but the timing of your engagement can critically impact lead conversion. Being present during key decision-making periods—through targeted ads, search engine optimisation, or timely follow-ups—can significantly influence purchasing decisions. Research shows that companies who interact with potential clients at the right time can increase conversion rates by more than 50%. Understanding the buyer's journey and ensuring visibility during critical phases are paramount for converting interest into sales. Whilst the theory is right, the reality may be challenging. First, you don’t know who is in the market when, and second, demand is hardly consistent. Companies have distinct year-ends. They buy at different times. Organisations are at varying stages of development, meaning they will have diverse requirements at different times. So, it often involves effort across a wide range of disciplines for the visibility to be timely.  8. Patience Pays Off Filling the sales funnel takes time and patience, especially in industries with long sales cycles and high purchase costs. It requires a strategic approach and commitment to see results. Nurturing leads until they are ready to engage meaningfully with your business is essential. Research indicates that nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads. By being patient, you can be there when the opportunity arises to make the most of your efforts. In many cases, this is a tough thing to accept, especially for senior management. Stakeholders want fast results. ROI is a constant requirement. In truth, B2B marketing does not regularly see patience as a virtue. Always pressure to generate new business and to deepen engagement, and spending, with existing clients. But it’s essential to be realistic. 9. Aiming for Long-Term ROI Adopting a long-term perspective in your sales efforts is crucial for achieving sustainable growth. The benefits of building relationships and investing in continuous engagement strategies are substantial, often leading to a higher lifetime value per customer. Studies show that long-term strategic marketing efforts can enhance return on investment by up to 50% over time, as continuous engagement keeps your brand in front of potential leads, encouraging ongoing transactions and fostering customer loyalty. Consider internal experience and external recommendations when making decisions. While some agencies may try to buy your business with lavish promises about how many opportunities they can generate over a short period, be pragmatic when it comes to the speed of the return on investment for quality leads. 10. Consistency and Persistence Consistency and persistence are vital components of a successful lead generation strategy. Regularly refining your approach and maintaining your efforts, even when immediate results are not evident, can build a pipeline that delivers steady returns. A consistent approach ensures that your marketing efforts are continuous and adaptive to market changes, which can ultimately yield a 35% increase in the success rate of your campaigns. A lack of follow-up can seriously hamper your business development efforts. Yet, it’s an issue that prevails in many organisations. Red-hot opportunities are notoriously sought after by sales teams. Of course, we all do. But not every prospect is ready to go. Some are in the evaluation phase. Others are at the start of their journey. While time is valuable, dropping a prospect too soon could prove terminal. Qualification and profiling are crucial. But, with long sales cycles, and high sales values comes a requirement for consistency, in terms of communication, and persistence in terms of regularity of contact. That’s the recipe for better outcomes. Why Outsourcing Might Be Your Best Strategy Mastering these ten steps can significantly enhance your lead flow, transforming sporadic results into a consistent and successful lead acquisition process. However, achieving this level of precision and efficiency internally can be challenging. Outsourcing to an experienced partner like GSA not only alleviates the burden of managing complex top-of-the-funnel activities but also ensures that your efforts are optimised for possible outcomes. Your business can focus more on core activities, ensuring a better allocation of resources and superior results, by letting experts handle business development activities where you have internal gaps. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Navigating SME Peaks and Troughs: Essential Business Lessons Source: https://telemarketing.blog/navigating-sme-peaks-and-troughs-essential-business-lessons/ Published: 2024-04-29 As someone who's steered a telemarketing agency through both calm and stormy seas for nearly a quarter-century, I often find myself reflecting on the journey of highs and lows that characterises SME ownership. With around 40 years of combined corporate and entrepreneurial experience, I thought I'd try to provide fellow entrepreneurs, and those transitioning from corporate life, an honest insight into some of the aspects to running a business that I believe are important. I hope it benefits a few who take the trouble to read this article. I've also added 14 tips at the end. You can skip to these if you can’t be bothered to read the whole post. Corporate Ladder to Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster My professional journey began with an International Marketing Degree, after which I headed into telesales at STC Electronics — a role I despised. The irony of starting in a role I loathed only to establish a successful career in telemarketing isn't lost on me. This was followed by a fruitful stint at Cover Girl cosmetics, leveraging my French language skills to sell directly to supermarket buyers across France, Belgium, and The Netherlands. My rapid ascent from marketing assistant to area manager was fun but after a couple of years, I was already yearning for new challenges. So, just over three years post-uni, I found myself as the European Sales Manager for Alfred Dunhill's fragrance division. The role was a perfect fit, allowing me to indulge in my passion for sales and marketing.  Seeing and Grabbing Opportunities I saw an opportunity. The variety was exciting. I loved using my fluent French. But, I wanted even more. So, one day, I walked into the office of my divisional MD, and told him that he wasn't doing a good job with our USA business, and asked him to give it to me. I Spent the next 2 years travelling to Hawaii, Alaska, NYC, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver and so on. If you don’t ask, you don’t get!  Then, another opportunity arose to look after the UK  to run the Alfred Dunhill and Montblanc Luxury Goods UK Retail operation. Having not worked in retail before, it was enticing, albeit in the UK. It was super-busy, with lots of problems to solve, but I loved it. In conjunction with this, the business also asked me to run Marketing for both brands. I jumped at the chance to go back to what I’d studied too.  The First Uncomfortable Lesson in Ups and Downs Over nine years, I fulfilled a number of other other interesting roles at Alfred Dunhill, but the further up I went, the more politics kicked in. Would I get a General Manager position? Might I be seconded to central Marketing. I was offered a position in Japan. There were rounds of redundancies. I survived. But, it was an uncertain time. To some extent, I felt stuck, and that my 9 year tenure was coming to a natural end.  It’s funny how things transpire. Just as I was edging towards the decision to change, the planets aligned.  Embracing Change and Chasing New Opportunities Out of the blue, I was headhunted by Porsche Cars GB, stepping into a role that saw me as one of a senior team of four running a £250m business at that time. I had a  team of 23 with 4 marketing managers reporting to me. Great times. A great management team, and I enjoyed myself.  Fast forward 3 and a half years, and my boss left. There was a hiatus for 6 months but we turned in the best figures ever. A new MD came in. I won’t comment about that period since it marked one of the ‘downs’ in my career. I wasn’t happy and then came probably the biggest crossroad, or decision point of my career. Do I leave and become Marketing Director, or Commercial director (all my roles were very commercial) in another big brand, or what?? Transition: Corporate Life to Marketing Consultant  I chose to go out on my own. Yet, the transition was far seamless. I’d had experienced marketing managers working for me with teams of marketers, in addition to multiple agencies. Now I was alone, and clients wanted me to do stuff! What’s more, the new reality of dealing with SMEs, often strapped for resources and sceptical of expensive consultancy, was painful. I struggled to communicate the value of what I offered and, frankly, I did not want to do corporate websites, and brochures where I couldn’t earn a living. Yet, it was here in the trenches that I learned some of my most valuable business lessons about clarity of purpose, adaptability and the importance of constant networking and follow-up. A Chance Meeting that Changed my Perspective Through my networking, many years back, I had the opportunity to meet with Mike Southon, who wrote the book, The Beermat Entrepreneur. Mike was offering 15 minute sales sessions at the IOD in London to help small businesses with their business development challenges. Within no time at all Mike identified my issue. I told him that I was struggling to close business. It was low value anyhow. Paraphrasing here, he told me to stop worrying about the two prospects that I was struggling to convert, and start building my higher value pipeline.  Whilst easier said than done, it’s a lesson I have carried with me for perhaps 20 years or more. And, it has served me well. It’s also something which many of our clients fail to do consistently.  I always saw myself as a marketing guy. Yet, that limiting belief completely ignored the fact that a large proportion of my corporate career was in sales, and most of my roles were extremely commercial, and analytical. Another lesson learned. Today, I focus consistently on pipeline-building and, of all the leads I receive (that are valid i.e. not tyre kickers, or unsuitable), I convert two out of every three.  A Slightly Unconventional Route My struggle to be a marketing consultant was getting me down, and was not providing enough income to pay for a mortgage,, and two kids at private school. I began looking for something else. Being interested in data, and segmentation, I started looking at courses. This led me to an affair with Data Protection that lasted several years. To cut a long story short, I engaged with the organisation that ran courses for the Institute of Direct Marketing, and the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Fast forward 6 months or so, and I was presenting many of those courses. This led to data protection consultancy, and that, in turn, led to working on data protection for one year on Congestion Charging for London. And, that led to plenty of high-value data protection audits, and a lucrative period for which I was grateful. Life was good.  Finding a Way Through the Maze Yet, I could not see myself as a data protection consultant for the rest of my career. So, something had to give. I started looking at what I could transition to next. Being a commercial guy, by this time, I realised I was a crap marketing consultant. Nd, business had moved on. The gig economy had arrived, and organisations were going direct to website developers, copywriters, PPC agents and the like. In other words, they were cutting out the middlemen.   So, I needed to pivot again. After some soul searching, I looked at where my wife was working, in telemarketing. It seemed like a business I could understand. It was KPI-driven (I like that), direct, and was on the commercial side of marketing. I didn’t know much about it, but I thought I could add the service into what I was offering.  Building a Telemarketing Agency Subsequently, together with my wife, Laura, I eventually founded our telemarketing agency, GSA, which aimed to carve out its niche in the competitive field of lead generation. The early days were challenging, with sparse clients and meagre earnings. Our first few clients were £250pm for 3 months, and we had to work hard for that (see above comment about SMEs)..  However, as we honed our services and established our reputation, the business began to thrive. We established our processes, embedded our values, and built our model.Our biggest breakthrough came when we secured a small piece of UK business, which opened doors to a larger, international project. Going Global and a Lightbulb Moment Around 6 years ago, we got lucky. We won the above piece of business that wasn’t particularly earth shattering in size, but it was for a large global client. Consequently, they asked us to bid for a European project. We won. And, it went global. There was one problem, though. We didn’t have the language capabilities, or the scale to run the project with our UK resources. So, with client approval, we found a partner in Romania, and delivered a great result and were awarded with a terrific testimonial which sits proudly, alongside a case study, on our website.  Lightbulb moment ahead!  I thought ‘if we can do that, there must be other opportunities, and other providers’. So, I headed to the Department of Industry and Trade, and asked them to help me find other complementary partners. Fast forward, we now work with partner agencies in Spain, Hungary, South Africa, and Colombia. We get international multilingual projects for telemarketing that are larger, that are coordinated through our UK base.  Other Business Dalliances Of course, the above isn’t the whole story. Along my journey, I worked as General Manager for Lenco Mobile, a mobile marketing provider based in the US and South Africa at a time when Mobile messaging just wasn’t the right solution for the UK market. I also jointly set up Sticky Communication with my friend Grant Leboff Sticky Marketing but we were ships in the night, heading in different directions. Other initiatives have come and gone along the way.  And then COVID-19 And just when I thought the upward trajectory would continue forever, COVID-19 hit. Everything stopped for the second time in my career. We’d built a decent business. Those old fears resurfaced, though. The 2008 recession dealt us a severe blow, erasing major clients overnight and testing our resilience. What if it was going to be another long hard road back to the summit?  The team went on furlough but, as a director of my own business (alongside my wife who is co-director), I got nothing. It was a scary time in every respect. Yet, once again, it’s during these tough times that you learn what makes you strong. Again, we solidified our business model. We looked at our services and our model. Pivoting just wasn’t an option so we decided to ride it out. And, thank goodness, it worked. We’re stronger, with better revenue and net profit than pre-Pandemic. We’ve recruited. We have bigger clients. Client values have grown, thereby reducing complexity. We’ve added additional services. We’ve acquired tools to make life easier and to better serve clients.  Lessons Learned Along the Way I’m sure that I’m not alone in this, sometimes, bumpy journey. I don't think I’ve even necessarily arrived at my destination, even at my tender age!  I’ve learned a few things though. Encapsulating those learnings is not easy. But, below, I’ve attempted to jot down a few things that I hope will assist those of you that have either bothered to read this whale article, or skipped to this point.  Resilience is Crucial: Business cycles are inevitable. Your response to these fluctuations defines your long-term success. Stay Vigilant for Opportunities: Always be on the lookout for the next growth avenue or efficiency gain. Maintain Momentum: Inactivity can be detrimental. Keep pushing forward, even when the path is unclear. Learn Continuously: Every mistake is a learning opportunity. Reflect on what works and what doesn't. Failure is temporary, and it’s actually a way to learn what doesn’t work in the pursuit of what does work.  Uphold Your Values: Consistency in your principles ensures stability amidst chaos. It's Business, Not Personal: Not every loss is a defeat; it's all part of the entrepreneurial journey. Follow-up Relentlessly: Whether for sales or networking, the follow-up is where relationships are forged. Allocate Resources Wisely: Invest in areas that will yield the highest returns. Ideally invest ahead of the time you need it.  Take Risks: This is perhaps one of the areas where I have sometimes fallen behind the curve. I could have taken more risks.  Keep Curious: Never stop exploring new ideas or questioning old ones. Build your pipeline: And, keep it full.  Be prepared to embrace change at all times.  Build lasting relationships: It’s always about people.  Conclusion While these insights are drawn from my own experiences, I hope that they will resonate with those that have navigated the unpredictable waters of SME management. Whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned entrepreneur, I believe that embracing these principles can help pave the way to sustained success and fulfilment. Of course, they’re not the only ones. I’m sure some can be replaced, or added to, with others.  Finally, I hope sharing my journey and the lessons I've learned inspires you to reflect on your own path and the endless possibilities that entrepreneurship offers. Feel free to share your experiences and insights; I look forward to hearing how others navigate the complex yet rewarding world of business ownership. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Unlocking Lead Generation Secrets for SMEs Source: https://telemarketing.blog/unlocking-lead-generation-secrets-for-smes/ Published: 2024-02-29 Lead generation for new business is tough. Sadly, in most cases, prospects aren’t rushing to buy what you provide. Unless you’re a big player in your industry, they may not even be aware of what you do. And, they may just not be in the market at the very moment when you need an uplift in sales. Quick fixes are rare. Low hanging fruit may not exist. These concepts are somewhat of a fallacy. Valuable business development usually takes time and effort. Successful sales development activity rarely comes cheap. Whether you rely on in-house resourcing, or you outsource, a clear strategy for business development is crucial. Flying by the seat of one’s pants isn’t generally a good option.  This blog takes a look at ten elements that we feel are essential to develop your sales pipeline, empowering directors of SMEs to build successful lead generation campaigns and to achieve tangible results. Profiling and Segmenting Your Audience: It would be wonderful if everyone had a plan. Yet, sometimes, a business just evolves. In other words, it may have started with an idea, and that idea resulted in a direction that, over time, has taken a few twists and turns. Clients may have been, and continue to be, diverse. There may not have been a pattern or clarity of purpose.  Yet, before launching any marketing outreach, truly understanding and profiling and segmenting your audience is a significant early task. Who is your primary target audience? Where does your product or service sit most comfortably? Is there a clear reason why a purchaser in a certain area would buy from your company?  Perhaps you can sell to anyone. But, would every company benefit from transacting with you? Which are those that would benefit most, and that are more likely, than others, to be in the market?  By segmenting via demographics, but also by preferences, and pain points, you can tailor your messaging to better resonate with your target market. Research by HubSpot underscores the power of personalisation, with personalised emails boasting a 14% higher click-through rate and a 10% increase in conversion rates. The same principle applies to other channels. The more ‘vanilla’ and commoditised your approach, the less likely you are to succeed. Therefore, a more data-driven approach ensures that you focus on businesses, and decision-makers, that are more likely to need what you offer. This improves the likelihood that every interaction with your prospects is more relevant, laying the groundwork for a successful sales strategy. Understanding Your Client's Needs and Pains: Effective marketing outreach usually benefits from a good understanding of client's needs and especially their challenges and pains. Having a good appreciation of likely market triggers that influence purchases, is paramount.  Try to uncover prospective challenges and aspirations that your company can address. Ask your current customers if you’re unsure. Do some research. The reality is that those who are in the market for your products or services are there for a reason. Buyers don’t buy randomly. Something prompts them to start making enquiries. What is that factor in your business? Do you understand why customers buy?  If you can align your business, and your primary proposition, with the reason why buyers are in the market, you’ll be more able to demonstrate why you’re the perfect partner.  According to Salesforce, up to 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience. By positioning your organisation, as a trusted advisor and problem solver, through evidence of catering to customer needs, you can cultivate trust and credibility, paving the way for enduring partnerships.  Carry that through in messaging across all of your marketing channels, in your content, and on website service pages, and you’re more likely to encourage inbound leads. What’s more, your proactive outreach will be more compelling.  Identifying a Target Database: One of the main pillars of successful outreach is the identification of a precise target database, or marketing target list. By researching and compiling data on potential leads, SMEs can ensure that their efforts are directed towards the most promising prospects. Utilising advanced analytics tools and market research, businesses can segment their databases based on factors such as industry, company size, decision-maker role, and purchasing behaviour.  According to a study by Aberdeen Group, organisations with a well-defined target database experience a 7.8% annual increase in revenue, highlighting the crucial role of targeting in driving business growth. With a robust database in hand, companies can better execute targeted outbound marketing campaigns that yield high-quality leads and tangible results. There are so many platforms and tools available. No data is perfect. But, better data is essential. There’s no panacea. Artificial Intelligence is helping. But, even tools such as Sales Navigator, which individuals complete, and update, themselves, are far from perfect. So, it’s a constant challenge, and ongoing data management is usually required.  Blending Push and Pull Strategies: Demand generation and proactive lead generation are likely bedfellows when it comes to a business development strategy that works. Some businesses are in the extremely fortunate position where they’re well-known, perhaps specialists in their field, and new business finds them rather than the reverse. However, that’s not the norm. Some blend of push and pull is necessary.  An integrated strategy is preferable. Warming up potential leads, and encouraging them onto a landing page with a strong call to action is ideal. Whether the start point is SEO, PPC, sponsored content, Email marketing, a well-drafted thought piece, or a webinar on a hot topic, stimulating inbound enquiries makes them warmer, and more likely to convert.  While traditional B2B outbound calling remains a cornerstone of business development, complementing it with inbound marketing strategies enhances effectiveness. By creating compelling content, such as blog posts, whitepapers, and webinars, companies can attract prospects to their website and nurture them through the sales funnel. Research by Content Marketing Institute reveals that businesses with blogs generate 67% more leads than those without. By seamlessly integrating push and pull strategies, time-poor business developers can increase the likelihood of success in their lead generation efforts.  Creating Interest through Content: It's an overused expression, and it’s perhaps less true nowadays than in the past, due to the amount of clutter we all see all the time, but content is king. Thought leadership reigns supreme in capturing the attention of potential leads. If you can establish your business as an industry authority, by consistently producing and disseminating high-quality content that addresses the pain points and challenges of your target audience, you’re on the right track.  Whether through informative blog posts, insightful case studies, or engaging video and social media updates, businesses can position themselves as a valuable resource for prospects seeking solutions. According to Demand Metric, content marketing generates three times as many leads as traditional outbound marketing, underscoring its pivotal role in driving lead generation success. But, once again, it’s not a quick fix. We've been producing content for more than a decade! We have over 500 pieces of content on our website. That’s why Google likes GSA Business Development.  By including content development and distribution in your strategy, even smaller SMEs can cultivate interest, build brand credibility, and ultimately, stimulate and convert leads into customers. It doesn’t have to be complicated. There are plenty of tools out there to help with the content distribution. And, if you’re no Shakespeare, there are content writers on various platforms that can assist.  Identifying the Right Channels: Where does your audience go? Where do your buyers consume Information? Understanding where your audience spends their time online is essential for effective lead generation. Which platforms do they use? Who, and what, are their influencers? Are there events that they attend? Do they attend networking industry events? And, who are the intermediaries that might recommend your services?  Whether it's social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter (X), or new channels such as TikTok, industry-specific forums and communities, or niche publications and blogs, identifying the right channels enables businesses to tailor their messaging and outreach efforts for maximum impact.  To be fair, you can’t be everywhere. Budget and time play a significant role in where you put your energy and effort. However, research by HubSpot reveals that businesses that prioritise channels relevant to their audience experience a 72% higher conversion rate. By strategically targeting where your prospects congregate, you can enhance visibility, amplify the message, and connect with leads in meaningful ways. Strike While the Iron is Hot: Timing is crucial in the world of sales lead generation. If prospects don’t knock on your door, there’s no way of telling when they may be in the market for goods or services. Market factors may improve the odds though. These could be economic, legislative or social. Purchase decisions are driven both by internal, and external factors. The problem is that internal factors can be hard to identify.  It's conceivable that a business that has just received funding may be more likely to be in the market than those companies that are retrenching, or those that operate within a declining market segment. If a business posts a job vacancy for a software developer, they might need software development solutions.  Once again, this calls for a more considered, strategic approach to marketing and engagement. Business leaders must be alert to market changes, and leverage data insights to cater for, and anticipate, the needs and behaviours of their target audience. By aligning their messaging and outreach efforts with buying cycles industry trends and drivers, sales teams can position themselves at a time when prospects are ready to start the purchasing cycle.  Research by Gartner indicates that businesses that engage prospects with relevant content at the right time enjoy a 73% higher lead conversion rate. By identifying these critical buying windows, businesses of all sizes can maximise their chances of capturing qualified leads and driving conversions.  It Won’t Happen Overnight: No marketing budget is limitless. In fact, some smaller SMEs don’t have one. Yet, lead generation is a process. Patience is needed, and is a virtue that organisations must cultivate in their pursuit of sustainable growth. Building a sales pipeline from scratch takes time and no small amount of persistence. It may involve multiple touchpoints and interactions before a lead converts into a prospect, and then into a customer. Senior management must adopt a long-term mindset and resist the temptation to expect early wins. Whilst it is possible, and it’s great if that happens, success depends on a number of factors, many of which we’ve already discussed in this article.There are so many variables, and a test and measure approach is often necessary.  Research by Salesforce reveals that it takes an average of six to eight touchpoints to generate a viable sales lead. This emphasises the importance of refining your approach, before activating a marketing programme, and recognising that perseverance and endurance in the sales process are essential. Taking a Long-Term View of ROI: With the above in mind, success cannot solely be measured by immediate results but rather by the long-term return on investment (ROI) that sustainable strategies yield. That’s perhaps a bitter pill to swallow. Sometimes, this makes financial decision-makers sweat. They may feel that it’s a way for marketing executives to justify failing campaigns. But, how do you measure success? How long might it take? How attractive is your business to potential buyers? It’s hard to adopt a ‘forward-thinking’ approach that focuses on nurturing prospects over time when the pressure is on. Realising the full benefit of marketing efforts may not be immediately apparent. Gestation periods can vary dramatically, especially where they involve committee decisions, multiple stakeholders, and the value of sale is significant.  However, studies show that companies with a strong focus on long-term value generation achieve higher profitability and ROI compared to those that prioritise short-term gains. Of course, measuring success is essential. You need to believe that the efforts will, indeed, bear fruit. There’s no merit in continuing where it’s patently obvious that progress is some way off in the distance. Some evidence of progress is required. Momentum needs to be ongoing. It can take time to build from a zero base, though. But, regular stop-off points, and consistent KPI measurement should reassure those in positions of authority that progress is being made.  Being Consistent and Persistent in Equal Measures: Consistency and persistence are fundamental for effective lead generation. To establish a strong presence in the market, and maintain top-of-mind awareness among prospects, businesses must deliver a consistent and cohesive brand message across all channels and touchpoints. This requires planning, and execution, to ensure that marketing efforts remain aligned with business objectives and resonate with the target audience.  What’s more, persistence is key in overcoming obstacles and setbacks that inevitably arise along the path to generating leads. In the early days, cost per lead may be high. However, as the pipeline builds, the amount each lead costs should fall.  Some degree of failure is also inevitable. Remember that a large proportion of those businesses with which you want to trade simply are not in the market at any given time. It’s therefore important to minimise wastage, in any outreach. Lots can happen over time. Things change. Requirements vary, and market factors move the goalposts.   So, whether it's navigating rejections, refining strategies, or adapting to changing market dynamics, those responsible for business development must demonstrate resilience and determination in their pursuit of success. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Building Sustainable Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/building-sustainable-lead-generation/ Published: 2024-01-03 B2B Sales professionals understand that identifying target prospects, building a sales pipeline, and, ultimately, closing deals is far from easy. Yet, expectations often run high, while budgets can be tight, and timeframes short. Perhaps through necessity, companies sometimes seek a magic bullet, a quick fix, and instant results. Building sustainable lead generation is the goal. However, the outcome is rarely straightforward. This blog aims to shed some light on the importance of a long-term mindset in B2B lead generation, providing statistics and KPIs that illustrate the value of taking a sustainable approach. High Expectations, Limited Resources Generating sales leads can be a thankless task, particularly for mid to large-sized organisations targeting other such businesses. Decision-makers are often well-guarded. Response rates can be disappointingly low, regardless of which channel you use. Moreover, in many cases, companies regularly start with a cold target database and no inbound leads to leverage. They’ve also probably tried and failed many times.  So, generating quality leads is, by no means, a walk in the park. Research indicates that approximately 61% of B2B marketers find generating high-quality leads to be one of their most significant challenges. This challenge is exacerbated by the stop-start nature of much marketing outreach. The idea behind this staccato approach to business development is that if efforts don’t bear fruit relatively quickly, in around 2-3 months, they never will.  B2B Buying Decisions are Rarely Swift But, certainly, with big ticket items, decisions are rarely taken swiftly or lightly. And, committee decisions can mean that your target decision-maker is hard to track down, regardless which channel you use to do so.  Thus, expectations are high, but the resources, and time, allocated are often limited. Pipeline development is crucial. And, in an ideal word, multiple touchpoints should be the go-to approach. However, logic will tell you that nothing is going to happen overnight. And if you spread your activity too thinly, you’re guaranteeing failure.  The Misconception of Quick Wins Many businesses turn to lead generation agencies as a last resort. Content development and distribution may be slow to generate inbound leads. Advertising may be frustratingly expensive, delivering weakly qualified enquiries.   So, business developers may look for alternate routes to try to deliver 'quick wins', especially when it comes to peer-to-peer contact i.e. picking up the phone. One could say that they expect miracles. Yet, achieving success from a standing start, from a cold database, is extremely challenging. The pressure to deliver results immediately can, therefore, lead to uncomfortable conversations. Given that generating quality inbound leads can be very costly, and take a considerable amount of time to yield results, the pressure is on. With limited patience and high management expectations, in-house business development decision-makers may be forced into adopting an unrealistic view of what’s possible, and how quickly. The Value of a Long-Term Approach B2B lead generation, especially in high-value sales scenarios, demands a long-term approach. Building a sustainable lead generation system takes time and effort. Decision-makers must understand that nurturing leads and developing relationships can lead to significant long-term benefits.  Simply, not every target prospect is in the market. Many will have incumbent, long-contracted, suppliers. And, your offering may not fit their requirements no matter how much you want it to be the case.  According to MarketingSherpa, 79% of marketing leads never convert into sales. This underscores the importance of a long-term approach. Studies also show that it can require 10 marketing-driven "touches" or more to convert a lead into a customer. This demonstrates the need for continuous nurturing and relationship-building Identifying the Most Productive Segments It's crucial to collaborate with your lead generation agency to identify the most productive segments within your audience. A targeted approach is more effective than casting a wide net. This is where working hand in hand with your supplier becomes essential. Whilst there is some current argument about the value of segmentation and profiling, a report from Marketo found that segmenting your audience and delivering targeted content can increase revenue by up to 760%. This substantiates the importance of identifying the most viable profiles and personas within your target audience, since ‘selling anything to anyone’ will never yield success. The Overlooked Value of Client Wins Businesses often fail to consider the long-term value of a client win. Or, perhaps, they choose to ignore it. That may be through budget necessity. It’s likely there’s pressure from above. Yet, whilst the initial investment may be high, the lifetime value of that client can be substantial. So, it's not just about short-term return but the overall impact on the business. It should not just be about the initial sale; it's about the long-term value of a client. Therefore, organisations must shift their focus from quick, one-off wins to lifetime value, and to the long-term benefits of client retention and loyalty. Otherwise, they will constantly end up with a stop-start outcome from any business development efforts.  Think of it this way. If you could guarantee that your best client, that remains with you for years, would come out of your ongoing lead generation efforts, would you stop if there was a period when lead numbers drop?  Look at the Numbers  Let's take a look at some key inputs, and KPIs that further emphasise the value of a long-term approach: Client Lifetime Value (CLV): The CLV is a metric that calculates the total revenue a client is expected to generate over their lifetime as your customer. This metric demonstrates the long-term financial impact of a single client win. Lead Nurturing Success Rate: Measure the effectiveness of your lead nurturing efforts. A high lead nurturing success rate indicates that your long-term approach is paying off. Cost per Acquisition (CPA): The CPA is a key metric that reveals how much it costs to acquire a new client. A lower CPA over time signifies the efficiency of your lead generation efforts. Of course, this will relate to the value and complexity of the sale.  Client Retention Rate: This metric shows how well you retain clients over the long term. A high client retention rate is a testament to the quality of your services and the long-term relationships you build. Lead Conversion Rate Over Time: Analysing your lead conversion rate over a more extended period provides insights into the effectiveness of your long-term lead nurturing. Collaborative Effort Circumstances change. Market triggers come and go. Some audiences may be more receptive than others. That’s both at a sector level,and for specific job functions. Geographic markets differ. And, there are different degrees of competition.  That’s why, where possible, the key to successful B2B lead generation is a collaborative effort between your organisation and your lead generation agency. Building a sustainable lead generation system involves working together to continuously enhance your campaign. That means integration as far as possible. That could be following up events, email click-throughs, or even reaching out to set up discussions with LinkedIn connections. It certainly extends to chasing down inbound contact form enquiries where internal recourse is limited.  Conclusion There are rarely shortcuts to success. The value of a long-term approach cannot be overstated. It's essential to collaborate with a lead generation agency that understands the importance of nurturing leads and building relationships. All of the statistics and KPIs demonstrate the substantial benefits of a sustainable lead generation strategy. That’s certainly been our experience working with a wide variety of high quality B2B clients for the past 23 years.  To learn more about enhancing your B2B lead generation efforts, please contact us.  We're here to help you achieve long-term success in lead generation. Visit our knowledge bank for more valuable insights on this topic. At GSA Business Development, we prioritise building lasting client relationships as opposed to over-promising and under-delivering. We understand the value of the long game in B2B lead generation. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Don’t Leave it Too Late to Hit Your New Year Targets Source: https://telemarketing.blog/dont-leave-it-too-late-to-hit-your-new-year-targets/ Published: 2023-12-21 For most directors steering the sales and marketing strategy for small to medium-sized enterprises, the start of a new year brings forth fresh aspirations, targets, and objectives. It also starts the build-up of pressure to deliver results. However, a critical aspect often overlooked in this drive for new business is the lead generation timeline. Get Ahead of The Curve Lead generation is the lifeblood of business growth, the driving force that propels companies toward their revenue objectives. Yet, this journey from budget-setting to hitting targets demands more than enthusiasm; it requires meticulous planning, decisive action, and proactivity. As the calendar inches closer to January, for some, the realisation dawns that the planning phase for 2024 should have commenced well before the first day of the new year. The Time Factor The process of client acquisition takes time. Certain products and services align better with certain market sectors. Market drivers, and triggers, lead to demand in some areas and not others. And, some decision-makers, and budget-holders, are more open to new initiatives than others. What's more, gestation periods differ, and the decision-making process can be simple or complicated depending on the organisation.  So, advanced planning is essential. Leaving it too late, and suffering the consequences of poor decision-making isn't a good place to be, especially when targets need to be achieved.  Avoiding Inertia's Trap Initiating these efforts as early as possible presents an invaluable advantage – a head start. Early implementation not only accelerates the learning curve but also facilitates a quicker grasp of actionable insights. This paves the way for testing and refinement, resulting in a more resilient and effective approach that propels sustainable growth objectives. The temptation to delay the launch of business expansion strategies can lead to significant repercussions. Waiting for the perfect moment might, unknowingly, lead to missed opportunities and stall the acceleration of growth. Why let competitors surge ahead while you’re contemplating the ideal timing? That delay could ultimately impede your progress and market positioning. The Early Bird Catches the Worm The crux of success lies in the early initiation of sales strategies. You can be sure that your competitors aren't hanging back. Timely implementation doesn't merely grant a competitive edge, though; it sets the foundation for a rapid learning curve. A proactive approach allows for regular adaptations, where necessary, based on real-time insights. This fosters agility and nimbleness in strategy execution, and the ability to react to changing circumstances. The process of rapid initiation bolsters the capacity for learning, enhancing sales strategies through continuous iteration and adaptation. Fast action enables you to change things around if they're not working, not losing to much ground in the process. In other words, 'the early bird catches the worm'. Testing and Measurement The inherent value of decisiveness extends beyond mere timing; If you want valuable output, you need significant input. Things don’t always go to plan. They also don’t always run to time. And, targeting potential customers can sometimes feel like herding cats. What’s more, not every strategy you deploy will be a success. You’ll probably fail a bit; sometimes a lot.  Of course, if you have a tried and tested method for business development, keep going. If you need more, you’ll need more activity. Testing different approaches and measuring their success is key. This iterative process of refinement and recalibration forms an integral part of sustainable growth strategies.  Set the Pace for the Year Ahead Commencing lead generation strategies at the inception of the year isn't just about initiating; it's about setting the pace and trajectory for hitting and surpassing revenue targets for the year ahead. It's the art of setting sail early, capturing favourable winds, and steering the course towards business success and sustainable growth. The longer you leave it, the more difficult it becomes.  A runner that sits at the back of the field for too long, may struggle to accelerate to win the race. Keeping up with the pace from the get-go is almost certainly the best way to remain with an opportunity to win the race in the final straight..  It's ‘Almost’ Never Too Late While the early start offers advantages, it's vital to note that the window of opportunity doesn't shut as the year progresses. The critical factor is action. As long as inertia doesn't stifle progress, there's always room for impactful initiatives. Even in the midst of the year, adaptation and immediate action can still yield substantial results. The key lies in a proactive approach, swiftly initiating marketing and business development campaigns and leveraging the lessons learned for swift yet impactful progress. Time may be limited, but the potential for growth remains as long as action overcomes inertia. Conclusion The urgency of early action cannot be overstated. It's not merely a matter of starting; it's about proper planning, proactive decision-making, leveraging the advantages of time, learning, and adaptability. Directors responsible for sales and marketing in small to medium-sized enterprises must heed the call to action now, initiating lead generation strategies with intent and commitment. Because in the race for business growth and revenue targets, the early bird captures not just the worm but the entire market landscape ripe for expansion. For more blogs on this subject, check out the following:  https://telemarketing.blog/5-essential-businesses-tasks-to-complete-before-the-new-year-starts/  https://telemarketing.blog/sustainable-growth-is-a-marathon-not-a-sprint/ ------------------------------------------------------------ # End Your Year-End Sales with a Bang Source: https://telemarketing.blog/year-end-sales-development-strategies/ Published: 2023-11-14 What are your Year-end Sales development Strategies? We might be a little premature, but, as the year draws to a close, business development decision-makers are presented with a unique opportunity to make the most of their lead generation efforts. The year-end period can offer fertile ground for engaging with prospects, closing deals, thereby setting the stage for a successful new year. If you're looking to end your year-end lead generation with a bang, here are some strategies to consider. Review and Refine Your Target Audience Before you dive into your year-end lead generation, take a moment to review and refine your target audience. It’s probably the Number One priority when it comes to lead generation. You cannot hit a target you can’t see, and it doesn’t matter how skilled you are if you're firing in the wrong direction, or at the wrong target.  Have you identified the key decision-makers and your ideal customer profiles? Are your marketing efforts aligned with the requirements and priorities of your prospects? A well-defined target audience ensures that your business development efforts will remain on the right track. Check out our blog on segmentation. Leverage the Holiday Spirit The holiday season is a time of increased goodwill and positivity. Use this to your advantage in your lead generation efforts. Not everyone disappears early for Christmas lunches, or takes the whole period off.  If you want to ‘theme’ your outreach, to some extent like this end of year blog, create festive campaigns but make sure that they resonate with your prospects. A well-crafted holiday message can capture attention and encourage a sense of connection. It could be the perfect time to send warm greetings, express gratitude, whilst sharing your plans, and new initiatives, for the upcoming year. Nurture Existing Leads Your existing leads and prospects are a goldmine waiting to be explored. Use the year-end period to nurture these relationships. Send out personalised messages, offer exclusive discounts or incentives, and provide valuable content that addresses their pain points. A little extra care can turn lukewarm leads into hot prospects. Check out our blog on how to make warm calls rather than cold ones Capitalise on Year-End Budgets Many businesses have year-end budgets that need to be spent. In many cases, this is true whenever financial year-end approaches. This presents a fantastic opportunity for timely outreach. If you know there's an opportunity, in a certain target segment, don’t wait. Set up an outreach campaign to highlight the value of your product or service and how it can help your prospects use their remaining budget effectively. Position your offering as a strategic investment for the new year. Check out our blog on the importance of timing in lead generation  Engage in Social Selling Social selling is not our core. However, content is the currency of demand generation. Offer valuable insights to gain visibility and credibility. We've been doing that for 15 years, and have over 500 knowledge-based blogs, videos, infographics and podcasts on our website. That means Google likes us and we generate organic leads. But, it takes time. Social media platforms are buzzing with activity during the year-end period. Leverage the power of social selling to engage with your audience. Share valuable content, participate in discussions, and connect with potential customers. Social selling allows you to build relationships and establish your authority in your industry. Host Year-End Webinars or Workshops Whilst it’s perhaps not as simple, or inexpensive, as it sounds, webinars and workshops are effective tools for lead generation. Hosting a year-end event that provides valuable insights or solutions can attract a significant number of prospects. Promote the event through your channels, and partners, to encourage attendees to register and engage with your content. Investment in events can be significant, so effective follow-up is essential. Check out our video and blog on how to maximise your event investment.  Follow Up and Close Deals Effective follow-up is the key to converting leads into customers. Ensure that you promptly follow up with prospects who have shown interest in your offerings. Address their questions, provide additional information, and create a sense of urgency by highlighting the benefits of closing the deal before the year ends. Lack of continuous, and prompt, follow-up is the death knell to sales development. So many good leads are lost through inactivity. Check out our blog on the importance of follow up  Plan for the New Year Year-end lead generation isn't just about closing deals; it's also about setting the stage for the upcoming year. Use this time to plan your lead generation strategies for the new year. Identify areas for improvement, assess the effectiveness of your current methods, and set clear objectives for your lead generation efforts in the coming year.Success doesn't happen by chance. If insufficient leads came into your business this year, what will change going forward into the forthcoming year? If it isn't working, change it.  Measure and Analyze In the midst of year-end lead generation, it's essential to continuously measure and analyse your results. Which campaigns are performing well? What strategies are delivering the best ROI? Use data and analytics to refine your approach and make data-driven decisions for your future lead generation efforts. In the end analysis, ending your year-end lead generation with a bang is not just a possibility; it's a strategic imperative for business development professionals. By reviewing your target audience, leveraging the holiday spirit, nurturing existing leads, capitalising on year-end budgets, engaging in social selling, hosting year-end events, following up effectively, planning for the new year, and measuring your results, you can make the most of this crucial period. The opportunities are abundant, and with the right strategies, you can close out the year on a high note and set the stage for a successful year ahead. ------------------------------------------------------------ # What is a Reasonable Cost per Lead for B2B Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/what-is-a-reasonable-cost-per-lead-for-b2b-lead-generation/ Published: 2023-11-01 The pursuit of high-quality, high-value leads is an ongoing challenge for most businesses. Companies devote significant effort to connect with senior decision-makers and buyers. They deploy various tactics to secure those elusive SQL (Sales Qualified Leads) or BANT qualified leads (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeframe). Their aim is ultimately to convert them into loyal customers. With these objectives in mind, the cost of each lead becomes a critical consideration. In this blog, we delve into the factors that influence cost per lead (CPL) and explore what can be considered a reasonable cost per lead for B2B lead generation. The Challenge of Reaching Decision-Makers Let’s be clear. If it was that easy, we’d all do it. And, we’d keep doing it. Yet, it’s not a straightforward task to identify when high-value organisations are ready to buy. Market triggers can drive change. Whether it's a legislative change, changes in a particular industry, the drive for sustainability, adoption of new technology, or the use of artificial intelligence, there will always be factors that encourage change, and the search for new solutions. Unfortunately though, not everyone reacts to change at the same pace. Budgets dictate. Priorities prevail. And, incumbent suppliers, and competitors get in the way.  Limiting Factors What’s more, the above are only a few of the limiting factors. A further issue that confronts most business development executives, contributing to the cost of a B2B lead, is the sheer difficulty of reaching senior decision-makers who possess the authority and budget to make purchasing decisions. These individuals are notoriously challenging to identify, and even harder to reach and engage. The time, methods, channels, and resources required to connect with them can significantly impact CPL. Low Response Rates from Senior Management Even when businesses manage to identify potential target leads,through profiling and segmentation, the response rates from senior executives can be low. These budget-holders are busy, and they are bombarded with communication, making it hard to capture their attention. The multi-channel, multi-touchpoint, cost associated with repeated attempts to engage these high-level prospects can add up quickly. The Importance of Differentiation To stand out in a crowded marketplace, businesses must differentiate themselves from the competition. That’s easy to say, but not so easy to do. And, differentiation alone is not sufficient, if your prospect isn’t in the market. Differentiation involves creating compelling messaging and content that resonates with prospects. Developing unique value propositions and tailoring outreach efforts to address individual pain points is crucial. Yet, these activities require time and investment. In an ideal world, customers will find you, rather than the other way round. But, prospective buyers rarely just happen upon your business offering. It takes significant effort for prospects to find your business when they are in change mode.  The Challenge of Timing Timing is everything in B2B lead generation. The difficulty lies, though, in identifying when the right time is. This is where pipeline building and nurturing come into play. Investing in these processes, ahead of time, is essential for lead identification and conversion. Building relationships with valuable leads over time can be costly though, but is often necessary. Engaging Influencers and Message Carriers While the primary goal is to secure SQL or BANT qualified leads, in some cases, the focus needs to shift to identifying influencers, or message carriers, within an organisation. These individuals might be the ones experiencing the pain points that your product or service can address. Whilst they may sometimes be less difficult to reach, in larger companies, it still requires a targeted approach since decisions are rarely taken in isolation. Thus, you need to build the strategy in order to bind in as many influencers as possible. That may mean reaching out in different ways to different message carriers.  Inbound Lead Generation It goes without saying that a lead will be considerably warmer, and easier to convert, if it comes to you rather than the opposite. That’s where a blended approach to lead generation comes in. Integrating outbound with inbound may be the answer. Encouraging prospects to make an enquiry is key. But, getting to that point usually takes some considerable effort. Inbound lead generation methods, such as content development and distribution, advertising, webinars, and other events, are effective but costly. Building awareness and credibility takes time and investment, contributing to a higher CPL. Proactive Outreach is Inevitable While encouraging leads to come to you is the ideal long-term strategy, proactive outreach through methods like telemarketing, email marketing, and LinkedIn outreach is often unavoidable. Hence, the more targeted you can be, whilst utilising any levers you may have, the better. Sometimes, there’s no way to know when someone is in the market for your solutions without engaging with them on a one to one basis, and asking the question. That’s where you find out contract end dates, budget periods, and other drivers of change .  Peer to Peer for Higher ROI For high-value sales, peer-to-peer engagement is generally crucial. Large scale purchases are unlikely to be conducted remotely. People still buy from people. Telemarketing, and other peer-to-peer approaches, can be expensive on the surface, but are essential for building meaningful connections with high-value prospects that convert to big ticket, long-term revenue..  Quality Comes at a Price We’ve alluded to the fact several times in this article, but there’s no way around it. Quality leads don’t pop up in a vacuum. They also don’t come cheap. In an ideal world, every business would aim to drive down its cost of lead acquisition. That is a sensible objective. However, high-quality leads often require more time and investment. Success might come from the 6th, 10th, or even 20th interaction with a lead. Patience and persistence are required. Is Cost-per Lead Even the Right Measure Whilst a cost-per-lead calculation makes sense, we might ask whether this is the right basis for calculation. Ultimately, return on investment is what businesses must seek. The pressure is always on for business developers. Yet, measuring the CPL too early may result in an incorrect assessment of the true value. But, when, and where, do you draw the line? Marketers often talk about lifetime value. If you calculate the value of every customer against the absolute cost of acquisition, you will gain a different perspective versus the same measurement over a period of 1-3 months, for example.  What is a Reasonable Cost per Lead? I don’t want this blog to opt out of providing a figure. Yet, inevitably, the cost of an individual lead will vary massively. The first consideration is to define what a lead actually is. Requirements differ, and company viability criteria also differ. What’s more, the value, and complexity, of sales can vary wildly. So, it is far from easy to simply provide a simple number. Equally, the cost of an individual lead will differ based on the level of investment that goes into unearthing that lead. And, that is influenced by the cost of each channel.  So, What’s the Number? Specific figures can vary wildly depending on the industry, business model, and target audience. In our experience, a reasonable cost per lead for high-value B2B lead generation typically ranges from £300 to £1000, but, in some cases, it can be more, rarely less.That’s why it's so essential to both define what a lead means at the front end, and to assess the lifetime value of a customer when determining the worth of a lead. Making Informed Decisions Understanding the factors that influence the cost per lead in B2B lead generation is crucial for making informed decisions. While there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer to what a lead should cost, businesses should focus on the quality and value of the lead rather than fixating on CPL. But, that takes patience. It's a complex landscape, and a balanced approach that combines various tactics is often the most effective strategy to deliver leads in the first place. Ultimately, the budget you apply to marketing, and lead generation, will define what you can do with that budget, and the amount and type of leads you will attract. Remember, in the world of B2B lead generation, it's not just about how much a lead costs but the value it brings to your business. Visit our Integrated Lead Generation page to learn more about our lead generation services. ------------------------------------------------------------ # What are the Types of Lead in Lead Generation?  Source: https://telemarketing.blog/what-are-the-different-types-of-lead-in-lead-generation/ Published: 2023-10-24 For most businesses, lead generation is essential. They require a steady flow of fresh prospects into the business to keep the wheels turning. Few organisations can rely solely on repeat business, referrals, cross-sell, and up-sell to existing customers to provide sufficient revenue and profit, and to grow. Whilst that would be the ideal situation, it’s just not realistic for most companies. But, lead generation comes in different shapes and sizes and is far from straightforward. So, what are the Types of Lead in Lead Generation? There are several types of leads, each with its own characteristics. What’s more, we can dig deeper to find ‘shades of grey’ when it comes to establishing what’s a good lead, and what’s not. Below, we will delve into the different types of lead and try to provide a bit more detail.  Cold Leads:  One might argue that cold leads aren’t leads at all. These are businesses,and specific roles within those companies, that have shown no previous interest in your product or service. They are unaware of your company and what you offer.  Whilst some lead generators call these leads, we prefer to term this ‘a qualified list’. Yet, in many ways, they aren’t fully qualified. They may meet certain criteria such as location, size, sector, job role and so on, but, at this stage, nothing more has been accomplished. Without awareness, are they really at the top end of the sales funnel? Ultimately, segmentation and profiling are important at this stage, but all you have is a list of targets. Hopefully, that includes: The right contact names Their email address Phone number LinkedIn profile The above can be used as the basis for targeting, taking them, hopefully, from cold to warm.  Check out our data building services  Warm Leads:  How warm is warm? It’s an important question. We’ll deal with hot leads below. Yet, there are also degrees of warmth. That includes the role of the person with whom you’re engaging, their decision-making authority, timing, level of need and so on. Warm leads could include influencers as opposed to decision-makers or actual purchasers.  A relevant individual may have shown some interest in your offerings but may not be ready to make a purchase. They may have engaged with your content or expressed mild interest, such as signing up for a newsletter. Or, as a result of a call, there may be some intelligence regarding end of contract dates, or when a new budget becomes available. Ultimately, what’s crucial here is that, however it’s done, you need to identify where the prospect is at in the buying cycle, and you need to make sure you follow up religiously at the correct time.  Hot Leads:  Hot leads are the holy grail. They have the highest chance of converting, and are usually the highest value to the business. Theoretically, they are highly interested and engaged with your business. They are often close to making a purchase and require timely and targeted follow-up. Yet, the work is far from done. You may be part of a beauty parade of potential suppliers. This may be a tender. You may be one of 3 providers to have made it to the shortlist. This is the stage when your sales and marketing teams need to do their best work. Every sector, and business, has its own ratio for success from hot lead to conversion. Whatever that is, if you have identified a particular individual or organisation as a hot lead, you’d better make sure that every step is taken to get them over the line.  Different Levels of Lead Going deeper, and picking up on points made earlier in this blog, there are many different types, and levels, of lead. We will detail some of them below. Each will require a different approach.  Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs): These leads have been identified as prospects who are more likely to become customers based on their behaviour and demographics. They have met certain criteria and are passed from marketing to sales for further nurturing. They may have responded to PPC, left their details on a contact form, or attended a relevant event. However, there’s still work to do to sort the tyre-kickers, from those that are genuinely in the market for your products and services.  Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs): SQLs are leads that the sales team has determined to be more likely to convert into customers. They can also be referred to as BANT leads. They have been qualified through direct communication and are in the final stages of the sales process.  Inbound Leads: Inbound leads can be either MQL or SQL. Assuming that you can control the quality, to avoid being flooded with poor quality enquiries, inbound leads have a higher likelihood of conversion. And, importantly, depending on what marketing led them to your door, they may cost less than the alternative below. They can arrive through content marketing, SEO, PPC, or other marketing efforts. They show interest by seeking information or solutions related to your industry. Outbound Leads: These leads are generated through proactive outreach, such as telemarketing, cold emailing, or direct mail campaigns. They involve reaching out to potential customers who may not have shown initial interest. Whilst they may sometimes cost more, especially in the case of B2B appointment setting, the big advantage is the ability to laser target. In other words, having segmented and profiled your audience, you can reach out directly to more potentially lucrative targets, thereby also reducing wastage.  Referral Leads: Referral leads come from existing customers or partners who recommend your products or services to others. They often have a higher conversion rate due to the trust associated with referrals. Some companies use incentives to encourage referrals. Others have agreements in place to reward the referral giver with a commission. Ideally, referrals come just from doing great work.  A Variety of Channel Options Leads can come from a wide variety of channels from online to offline. If you exhibit at events, run webinars or round tables, the leads can be more intimate. Likewise, if telemarketing is used to initiate the relationship, and identify the need. Clearly, organic web enquiries are more likely going to be more robust, but that’s not always the case in our experience. Ad campaigns such as PPC, and LinkedIn sponsored ads and content can generate a mixed bag of leads, and warmth.  Few organisations have an unlimited budget. So, marketing decision-makers need to select the channels that they feel will deliver the best bang for buck. And, it can be a case of trial and effort, unfortunately.  The Lead is not The End of the Story Ultimately, as mentioned earlier, lead quality varies dramatically. Some leads are weak. Others are blazing hot. While others can be nurtured until they become ready to convert. Therefore, understanding the different types of leads is crucial for tailoring your lead generation strategies and effectively nurturing prospects throughout the sales journey.And, long-term value is often lurking in your sales pipeline in addition to those leads that are ready to go now. Perhaps inevitably, sales people may choose to focus on the ones that demonstrate the biggest potential right now. Yet, nurturing a robust sales pipeline, or funnel, is often the answer to the requirement for sustainable growth. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 8 Essential B2B Telemarketing Script Writing Tips Source: https://telemarketing.blog/essential-b2b-telemarketing-script-writing-tips/ Published: 2023-10-17 If you want to do a good job when it comes to B2B Telemarketing, the first thing you should probably do is to ditch your script. Whilst that’s possibly a strange way to start a blog about Essential B2B Telemarketing Script Writing Tips, to a large extent, it's true. Scripts sound like, well, scripts. And, from a human relationship standpoint, the more natural you sound, the better. And, the better you sound, the better your results will be. A Well-Crafted Approach is Vital So, what to do? In the world of B2B telemarketing, having a well-crafted introduction can make all the difference to achieving a successful outcome. It serves as a blueprint for engaging prospects, conveying your message, and ultimately closing deals. However, scripting goes beyond mere words on a page. An effective approach includes an understanding of: Target industry  Buyer personas Call structure Tonality Pace Customer challenges/pains The best way to scope your core proposition  Understanding benefits Market triggers Timing  And, it’s essential to avoid stiffness in your delivery. If you get the above right, you can enhance your lead generation effort,s and boost your conversion rates from conversation to desired outcome. Structure is Everything The structure of your telemarketing is crucial in capturing and maintaining the attention of your prospects. By organising your initial approach effectively, you create a logical flow that shapes the conversation, and ensures your key points are communicated clearly in a way that doesn’t turn off prospects from the get-go.  According to recent studies, telemarketing approaches with a well-defined structure can increase conversion rates by up to 20%. When I run telemarketing training, I always emphasise that the best way to do outbound calling is to not sound like a telemarketer! So, understand the nature of your call, respect your customer’s precious time, and work on the points above. If you do that, when you deliver your intro, you will sound more at ease. That’s especially important in those all-important first few seconds of the call which determine whether the call will proceed.  Start with a Strong Opening This is probably the most vital element of your call. If you fail at this point, the chances are that the call won’t last long. Prospects are busy. They may have had lots of similar ‘sales’ calls in the past days or weeks, all pitching their wares. So, you need to get to the point fast. And, what you say needs to be interesting.  To grab your prospect's attention right from the beginning, craft a compelling opening statement that conveys value. Start by addressing their pain points, or challenges, and offer a solution. Statistics reveal that a captivating opening can boost engagement by up to 30%.  Emphasise Benefits, not Just Features Customers need to quickly understand that you care. They don’t want to be sold to, and certainly not something they don’t need or that isn’t top of their priority list. So, you need to swiftly engage and capture their attention.  Highlighting the benefits of your product or service, in a customer-centric way, is crucial for maintaining your prospect's interest. Instead of simply listing what your product does, emphasise how your solution can address their specific needs. Provide tangible advantages and examples. Reference similar customers of situations.  Studies indicate that 70% of B2B decision-makers are more likely to engage with telemarketers who focus on benefits. Avoiding Stiffness The way you deliver your telemarketing script significantly impacts how prospects perceive your message. Adopt a conversational tone. Few people like to be pitched at. Maintaining a conversational tone throughout your call helps build rapport. Avoid sounding robotic. This can create a disconnect and decrease the chances of building a relationship.  Research shows that telemarketers who adopt a conversational tone achieve 40% higher conversion rates. Find the Right Pace Anxious telemarketers typically go one of two ways. Either, they clam up and struggle to get their words out in a logical order that makes sense. Or, they bombard prospects with a stream of words like a jet-wash. Maintaining an appropriate pace during your telemarketing call is essential.  Relax. Speak clearly, and avoid rushing through your script, as it may leave prospects feeling overwhelmed. They will switch off fast. Conversely, speaking too slowly can make you sound bored (and boring), and detached. As a consequence, this may be the impression your prospects gain of your company.  Finding the right balance contributes to a more enjoyable conversation, and better results.  Studies indicate that telemarketers who match their pace to the prospect's rhythm have a 35% higher degree of success. Avoid Sounding Rehearsed Sounding ‘over-rehearsed’ can put off prospects and hinder your chances of success. Of course, there are some sectors where compliance is compulsory, where regulation dictates the approach. But, outside of these areas, try to avoid sounding too slick, like you’ve rehearsed a monologue that you’re desperate to deliver in its entirety.  Instead, be natural and spontaneous. Allow room for improvisation within the script to adapt to the prospect's responses.  According to surveys, 75% of B2B decision-makers appreciate telemarketers who can think on their feet and adjust their conversation accordingly. Understand Pain  There’s plenty of evidence that people are more likely to buy when they’re in a distress situation. In other words, when they need to urgently find a solution to a pressing problem. That doesn’t mean you should adopt a sleazy, arch-salesperson, style of presentation. However, pain is a compelling motivator. Remember that, at the same time, you need to show you care, and that you’re calling at least with their interests in mind.  However, illustrating that other similar companies, or similar roles to theirs, have found solutions to their pressing issues, by working with you, is a much better stance. It’s much less likely to trigger the phone going down.  Conclusion The word ‘script’ may strike fear into the hearts and minds of high quality organisations that sell high value products and services. The personal approach generally wins out when it comes to big ticket sales. But, that doesn’t mean that successful telemarketers just wing it, and rely only on their experience and intuition. Effective callers plan their strategy. They know their stuff. Experience tells them what works. Yet, they don’t assume they always know the answer. They understand that one size doesn’t fit all. They are open to exploring change when change is necessary.  Crafting an effective telemarketing script is therefore a skill that requires a good understanding of your target audience, and mastery of tone, pace, and structure. By following the tips outlined in this blog, you can significantly enhance your telephone technique. Remember, a well-crafted structure with a conversational tone, appropriate pace, and an avoidance of stiffness can pave the way for successful B2B telemarketing campaigns. Embrace these strategies, adapt them to your unique business needs, and watch your conversion rates soar. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are Segmentation and Profiling Still Vital for Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-segmentation-and-profiling-still-vital-for-lead-generation/ Published: 2023-10-10 The effectiveness of organisational marketing strategies can make or break a business. New business development isn’t easy. And, every marketer is looking for an edge to drive competitive advantage.  Account-based marketing, the importance of unearthing unique selling points, developing Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL), analytical segmentation and profiling, and other such disciplines have long been used as the basis for running effective marketing campaigns. But, are segmentation and profiling still vital for lead generation? After all, the principle of targeting has been around for decades. Is Segmentation Outdated?  Mark Ritson's recent online article in Marketing Week posits that segmentation, long considered a cornerstone of marketing, may be losing its sheen. He argues that marketers sometimes include segmentation in their plans because they feel they have to do so. The reality, he claims, is that a single, compelling message can resonate across diverse audiences. He challenges the assumption that there will always be a need for exhaustive segmentation. Don’t Throw Mud Against Walls  When it comes to lead generation, though, one could argue that segmentation, profiling, and database selection are still core components for success. What’s more, we could also make a case for them being more crucial than ever in a world where consumers' preferences and behaviours change at a breathtaking pace. Tracking down the right individual that makes buying decisions is tougher than ever. So, why would we hit and hope? The Marketing Evolution The digital age has ushered in an era of unparalleled connectivity, data abundance, and automation. With Artificial Intelligence, we’re hurtling forward at even greater speed. Where will it stop?  These advancements have transformed how brands interact with their audiences and how marketers tailor their messages. That’s as much the case in the B2B Marketplace as it is for B2C.  With this backdrop, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that traditional practices should be up for reassessment. Segmentation: Navigating the Data Maze To some, perhaps the jury is out on the value of segmentation in B2B marketing. A look at a few statistics reveals a mixed picture: According to B2B Marketing, 60% of B2B marketers feel their segmentation efforts are only "somewhat effective." On the flip side, MailChimp's study demonstrated that segmented email campaigns achieved a 14.31% higher open rate than non-segmented campaigns. Moreover, segmented campaigns boasted a remarkable 100.95% higher click-through rate compared to non-segmented ones, as per the same MailChimp study. Ultimately, statistics are only as useful when they relate to one’s own business. And, different personas may behave differently depending on their industry. They may respond favourably to particular messages and not to others. Certain buyers may engage more from one means of communication while others may prove elusive. And, timing plays a huge role in decision-making.   When I talk about marketing and lead generation, I somewhat flippantly say: ‘if it was that easy, we’d all do it…’ Targeting: Precision vs. Pragmatism Ritson's critique extends to targeting, emphasising the diminishing returns of hyper-targeting. While precise targeting can yield results, it often comes at a high cost. But, couldn’t that also be said about campaigns that remove differentiation? How do you identify those that are more likely to buy? Hit and hope is a rarely effective strategy.  Throwing mud against a wall generally results in a sticky mess! One challenge with deep segmentation is that marketers may end up whittling down the audience to such an extent that all their eggs are in one basket. If those few key targets don;t respond, what then? So, a degree of pragmatism is needed to widen the audience. That includes reaching out to influencers in addition to decision-makers. Who feels the pain? Can they carry the message up the chain of command? Could the industry type, and size of company be varied? Again, this comes down to judgement, and company goals.  Is Intent all it’s Cracked up to be? Increasingly, we’re hearing about intent as a driver of activity. Of course, if you can isolate those potential buyers that are ready to buy, and that demonstrate interest, surely that’s the holy grail. There are probably plenty of triggers that point towards the right timing for marketing outreach. Technology solution providers suggest that’s possible. Maybe it is. But, it’s still not straightforward. Ask yourself how many buyers in your target audience are ready to buy right now? And, will they make themselves known?  I’m a big fan of analysis. I like to look for trends. Data analytics can flush out interesting opportunities. But, it’s not all about the data. Buyers don;t buy just because they have a need. There are several hurdles most buyers need to overcome before making an initial enquiry, and before taking that to a considered purchase. Being visible, and accessible, when that happens is not simple.  Positioning: Remembering the Customer  Ritson's final point focuses on positioning, urging brands to simplify their approach. He contends that consumers don't necessarily seek brands with unique attributes; instead, they value consistent messaging and presence. This suggests that the pursuit of differentiation might not be as vital as previously thought. In lead generation that could also be true. Our experience is that every campaign should be customer-centric. Hence, it’s less about what you offer, and more about the customer pain. Positioning your key benefits in terms of the customer’s view of the world is rarely a bad thing. Check out this article on the subject of why many sales people don’t understand benefits.  Aligning Modern Practices with Traditional Wisdom In the face of these changes, it's imperative to strike a balance between modern marketing practices and traditional wisdom. Segmentation, profiling, and database selection remain essential components of lead generation, despite evolving trends. The more analysis that sheds light of customer trends, usage patterns, requirements, and behaviour the better. Big data, AI, data analytics and other methods of enhancing targeting must surely be the way to go.  Of course, the theory is that by undertaking these measures, it allows businesses to identify and engage with the right audience at the right time. Well, that’s the theory anyway!  Does Brand Play a Role? Our world is certainly more focused at the business end of marketing. Without sales, businesses can’t grow. This isn’t the article to discuss the merits of brand development. However, whether it’s consumers or business buyers, trust is likely to be a key element within the buying decision.  Whether that’s having a compelling website, developing engaging content, promoting thought leadership, running webinars or roundtable events, or even conference-speaking to bolster credibility, and raise awareness, knowing your target audience is essential.  Database Selection: Quality Over Quantity The foundation of effective lead generation lies in having a high-quality marketing database. Our article, "The Ultimate Guide to a High-Quality Marketing Database," underscores the importance of database quality. A clean and well-maintained database ensures that your marketing efforts are reaching the right prospects, improving conversion rates and ROI. Maintaining data integrity is crucial. In our piece on "Database Validation for Lead Generation," we delve into strategies for data cleansing and validation. By ensuring data accuracy, your brand can communicate its message consistently, enhancing brand recall and resonance. GSA Business Development: Your Lead Generation Partner At GSA, we understand that things are changing. We also try to adapt our approach to reflect that. That means using technology, and analysis, wisely and pragmatically.. That’s why there remains the enduring significance of segmentation, profiling, and database selection. Our Lead Generation Services harness these principles to deliver qualified leads that convert into valuable opportunities. ------------------------------------------------------------ # B2B Telemarketing: Value-Driven versus Commission – Only Models Source: https://telemarketing.blog/b2b-telemarketing-value-driven-versus-commission-only-models/ Published: 2023-08-15 Rethinking B2B Telemarketing In this blog, we unravel the layers of misconception surrounding B2B telemarketing and shed light on the tangible advantages of cultivating long-term partnerships with professional telemarketing agencies.  In the realm of B2B marketing, where strategies like advertising, content generation, and social media have become staples, there exists a subtle yet significant disparity in perception when it comes to the deployment of B2B telemarketing services.  Understanding What Adds Value While companies readily invest in a range of marketing avenues to generate awareness, interest and sales leads, the narrative around B2B telemarketing often veers towards paying per lead, commission-based models, or results-driven compensation. That’s very different to how other methods are handled.  To a great extent, this perspective fails to acknowledge the significant value that lies in the professional input and expertise, and the strategic acumen required to orchestrate a successful lead generation campaign.  Streamlined Operations Through Outsourcing When a company chooses to partner with a professional telemarketing agency for their lead generation needs, they unburden themselves from a multitude of operational complexities and managerial challenges. These include, amongst others: The intricate and resource-intensive aspects of recruitment, from sourcing suitable candidates to conducting interviews, are entirely offloaded.  Training, a continuous and time-consuming process, is expertly managed by the agency, saving the company the effort of ensuring their internal team is up to speed.  National insurance and pension costs, which can accumulate significantly, are no longer on the company's ledger, as the agency takes care of these financial commitments for their staff.  Investing in specialised systems to facilitate effective and efficient calling becomes unnecessary, as agencies already possess cutting-edge infrastructure for seamless communication. Expert Management and Enhanced Productivity Additionally, the company doesn't have to grapple with challenges such as providing sick pay or addressing gaps in resourcing due to absences for holidays and illness. This is in addition to the following: Employee motivation and performance management, two demanding responsibilities, are expertly handled by the agency, which has a vested interest in maintaining a highly productive team.  The inherent hassle of juggling lead generation campaigns while not being experts in the field is eliminated, as the agency brings their specialised skills to the table. Moreover, poor productivity rates that might plague an in-house team are mitigated by agencies that often deliver up to four times the call output for B2B campaigns.  By outsourcing to a telemarketing agency, companies can streamline their internal operations, focus on core business activities, and harness the benefits of expert-driven lead generation without the weight of these administrative and managerial burdens. Beyond Cold Calls Lead generation services are not merely about making cold calls and compiling a list of contacts. It's a meticulous process that involves understanding your business, crafting personalised approaches, and identifying the right decision-makers within your target market. A professional telemarketing agency will spend a considerable amount of time working with its clients to establish the right audience with a view to building a valid target list. They leverage their expertise to create authentic conversations that nurture potential prospects into high-quality leads. The Distinct Role of Appointment Setting Services Appointment setting is more than a mere task; it's a bridge between interest and action. A skilled telemarketer doesn't just secure appointments but also sets the stage for fruitful discussions. Unlike other forms of outbound marketing, appointment setting requires a delicate blend of persuasion, empathy, and understanding of the client's offerings. A long-term partnership with a telemarketing agency enables consistent refinement of this process, leading to higher conversion rates and stronger relationships. The Multifaceted Skills of Telemarketing Professionals Telemarketers often get bad press. However, typically, when a B2B product or service provider hires a telemarketing agency, they're not just paying for calls; they're investing in a team of professionals who have honed their skills over years. These experts undergo training to become adept at navigating conversations, addressing objections, and adapting to various industries and decision-maker personas.That’s even more the case when considering multilingual telemarketing scenarios. A nuanced approach translates into higher-quality interactions and more effective lead generation. Accountability Through Long-Term Partnerships One of the often-overlooked aspects of B2B telemarketing is the accountability that comes with a long-term partnership. Unlike commission-based models, where agencies are only compensated when a sale is made, a committed relationship ensures that the agency is equally invested in your success. This commitment extends to comprehensive account management, streamlined calling systems, and efficient campaign execution, effectively freeing your internal resources from the hassle of recruitment, management and maintenance of in-house campaigns. Defining Parameters and Crafting Propositions It's crucial to recognise that your agency doesn't control every parameter of the campaign. That’s where it is similar to handling outreach internally. Not every potential prospect is ready to bite your hand off to acquire your services. Client input is instrumental in shaping the target market, decision-maker roles, and the proposition being offered. Yet, a collaborative approach ensures alignment with your business goals and values. The agency's role is to elevate those campaign elements with their expertise..  Beyond Timing: A Holistic Approach to Success In reality, success isn't solely determined by the timing of the call. Not every prospect is in the market right now. Most have incumbent service providers that offer what you do. Factors like the suitability of the offer, the perceived quality of the proposition, budget availability, and the prospect's immediate priorities all play pivotal roles. Engaging with a professional agency means tapping into a wealth of experience that's vital for navigating these dynamics successfully. Event Telemarketing: A Strategic Advantage Events are expensive. They are a big company commitment. Yet, failure to derive sales and ROI is common due, typically, to a lack of follow-up. In the realm of event marketing, telemarketing offers a unique advantage. It's a personal touchpoint that can turn event awareness into an engaging opportunity. A professional agency can ensure that you're enhancing the event's impact. And, since follow-up is a key determinant of event success, a call to those attendees with whom you’ve engaged, can maximise event ROI.  Investing in Lasting Success B2B telemarketing services stand as a cornerstone of effective lead generation and appointment setting. That’s why a large number of the world’s largest and most prestigious organisations still use this form of route to market.  And, when it comes to optimising the success of your business development outreach, working on a pure cost per lead basis can damage a campaign. It can lead to weaker quality leads with lower qualification, frustrated telemarketers, when they are not achieving results and thereby not gaining commission, and, ultimately, an agency that gives up. Would organisations run internal business development in that way? If they did, how has that panned out over time?  To truly harness its potential, it's crucial for B2B marketing buyers to recognise the multifaceted expertise, strategic partnership, and accountable commitment that a professional telemarketing agency brings. Embracing the value of a properly-funded, long-term, collaboration in the same vein as other marketing agencies will pave the way for lasting success in the dynamic landscape of B2B marketing. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Crucial Role of Telemarketing for Exhibitions  Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-role-of-telemarketing-for-exhibitions/ Published: 2023-08-08 It's coming up to exhibition season. Companies, large and small, use exhibitions as a key part of their B2B sales lead generation strategy. Event organisers promise the earth. They claim the most robust, targeted audience that hits the business development sweet-spot. Whether the delegate or attendee list actually measures up to the promise is one thing, But, companies that invest in these kinds of events, also need to do their bit in terms of maximising their effectiveness.  In this blog, we look at the crucial role of telemarketing for exhibitions in terms of delivering the best results for your investment.  How to Maximise Exhibition Investment  Whilst exhibiting at events is hard work, especially for those managing them for your business, they are exciting. Having run The Cannes Duty Free show for Dunhill, The Motor Show for Porsche and many other events during my corporate life, I know that it can be a slog. And, managing both the leads that come from the activity, and the people gathering the leads, can be a pain.  Yet, events and exhibitions can play a pivotal role in connecting companies with prospects, current clients, potential resellers, and partners. Assuming that your target audience, or at least a proportion, attends, it presents a unique opportunity to engage and do business.  With the advent of digital, and event portals or platforms, some may argue that event telemarketing has lost its significance. However, it can play an important role before and after, and it can complement and enhance your overall exhibition marketing efforts. Check out our video on How to Maximise Exhibition Investment The Value in Pre-Exhibition Telemarketing Preparation is the key to success in any marketing activity, and events and exhibitions are no exception. Pre-event telemarketing involves reaching out to customers, partners, and prospects before the event takes place. A personalised approach can generate interest and excitement about what you’re offering on your stand. If you’re launching something new, it can significantly boost attendance rates, when they may otherwise not make it to your stand. There is an added benefit of pre-event calling. Not everyone will be able to visit a show. If that’s the case, a call to invite decision-makers may not result in an appointment at the event itself. But, the call may culminate in an opportunity at another time that further builds your pipeline. After all, exhibiting or attending an event is a good reason to engage with someone in the industry you are targeting whether they attend or not.  Don’t Wait for Visitors to Come to You Depending on the size of the show, and the amount of time prospects may devote to attending, they may or may not stop by your stand. Therefore, telemarketing allows you to: Target Specific Visitors: According to a study by DMA, targeted telemarketing campaigns can increase response rates by up to 50%, as event prospects are more likely to engage following a call. Promote Special Offers: If you’re planning something special, flagging this ahead  of time will encourage relevant attendees to head to your stand.  Answer Queries: A report by Bizzabo states that 82% of attendees are more likely to visit if they receive quick and helpful responses to their queries.Telemarketers can address issues promptly, providing reassurance and encouraging attendance. Leveraging Telemarketing During the Event The usefulness of telemarketing doesn't diminish once the event starts. In fact, it can be a valuable tool for keeping targeted attendees engaged and ensuring the event runs smoothly for your business. Inevitably, you won’t reach everyone ahead of time. So, a timely call may prompt a visit. Equally, during the event, telemarketers can: Confirm Appointments: According to the Harvard Business Review, confirming appointments through telemarketing can increase the likelihood of keeping those appointments by 70%. Announce Sessions and Workshops: A survey by Event Manager Blog found that 60% of event attendees appreciate timely reminders about sessions and workshops. The Power of Post-Exhibition Telemarketing Perhaps the most essential part of lead generation for events is how you follow-up the activity. The event may have ended, but your marketing efforts should not. Post-event telemarketing is a key step in nurturing relationships and maximising the benefits of your participation. It prevents leads from going cold. The longer you leave it, the weaker the leads will become. During the show, prospects have a habit of seemingly getting excited about your solutions, only for that perceived enthusiasm to dissipate quickly afterwards.  With post-event telemarketing, you can: Optimise Hot Leads: According to MarketingSherpa, immediate follow-ups on leads through telemarketing can increase lead conversion rates by 72%. Build the Pipeline: Not everyone will convert, and not everyone is in buying mode, so a timely call can identify real buying timings to drive top of funnel leads.  Express Gratitude: A study by Experian found that making a post-event follow-up call can result in a 20% increase in customer retention. Gather Insights: A report by Eventsforce states that 86% of event planners believe that post-event surveys are essential for gathering insights and feedback.  Integrating Telemarketing with Digital Throughout Telemarketing should very much be seen as an integral part of your overall marketing strategy. Combining telemarketing with digital strategies can yield impressive results. Some of the integrated methods include:  Personalised Follow-ups: A survey by Salesforce found that personalised follow-up emails have a 29% higher open rate and a 41% higher click-through rate compared to generic emails. Social Media Amplification: According to Hootsuite, integrating telemarketing with social media efforts can lead to a 60% increase in brand loyalty and customer engagement. Email Campaigns: The Direct Marketing Association reported that telemarketing followed by email marketing results in a 10% increase in response rates compared to standalone email campaigns. Conclusion Exhibiting, or running events is a significant investment. Yet, it can yield enormous benefits and produce a robust sales pipeline. However, it’s essential to avoid wasting that investment. One way to do that, is to upweight your engagement with potential customers, clients, resellers, partners, and even suppliers, by engaging on the phone as part of your outreach strategy.  From building excitement before the event to nurturing relationships afterwards, telemarketing complements digital strategies and provides a personal touch that no other method can replicate. By leveraging the power of pre-exhibition, during-event, and post-exhibition telemarketing, you can maximise your return on investment and establish meaningful connections with your target audience. ------------------------------------------------------------ # When is the Right Time to Run a B2B Telemarketing campaign? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/telemarketing-timing-for-maximum-success/ Published: 2023-08-01 If you’ve decided to conduct a b2b telemarketing campaign as part of your go-to-market strategy, there are several factors to consider. These include the nature of the market, trends, segmentation of your target audience, your proposition, and much more. Timing is a further consideration. Assuming that this form of marketing is one of your options, when is the right time to run a telemarketing campaign? Is There a Right Time?  They say that timing is everything. Of course, if you strike at an opportune time, perhaps when a competitor has dropped the ball, or at contract end date, you stand a better chance of success.  Equally, it’s clear that certain sectors are busier than others at different times of year. Some organisations are flat out during the summer period. Others have their prime time at Christmas. And, some won’t consider looking at anything new during their busy periods.  Yet, external factors inevitably play a role. Market and economic triggers can drive demand for certain products and services.  General legislation, such as GDPR, or sector-specific rules such as The Building Safety Act, may push management to seek solutions. Disasters such as Grenfell, prompted significant demand for organisations in fire prevention for example. Consider Response Rates Statistics suggest that timing is indeed vital. According to the Data & Marketing Association (DMA), the average response rate for a direct marketing campaign is around 9% within the first 30 days. However, this response rate drops to approximately 5% after 90 days. This decline suggests that waiting too long to initiate a campaign can, indeed, result in reduced effectiveness and lower response rates. Of course, to some extent, statistics have to be taken with a pinch of salt. It’s important to assess the nature of your market, seasonality and market drivers. However, striking while the iron is hot is rarely a bad ploy!  Pick the Perfect Time  It’s fair to say that there is unlikely to be a right and wrong in pure terms. Some industries may be quiet in the summer, and at Christmas. Others may be super-busy during those periods. Some industries may be too busy to focus on non-essential activities at certain times of year. All of this may be true. Yet, to some extent, this could also be a limiting belief. In other words, without even testing the assumption, a decision may be made that customers will be too busy, or particularly unavailable at certain times. But, if your competitors choose to delay, isn’t there an opportunity for competitive advantage when there is less ‘noise’ in the marketplace?  In reality, It’s probable that your key competitors will receive the same business intelligence. And, they may also be planning their own marketing approaches. So,waiting, and being late to market is unlikely to be a good strategy.  Don’t Wait for a Sales Slowdown The decision as to whether to wait until your own business is quieter to initiate a campaign, depends on your specific goals, your target audience, and the nature of your product or service. The problem can be that the later you leave it, the more difficult it will be, and the more desperate you may become. In most cases, leads won't fly in from Day 1 of your outreach. It can take time, especially where the decision-making process is complex.  A slowdown may also mean that cash is tighter than when business is stronger. Therefore, a slowdown may make decision making much more difficult for you. The temptation may be to cut marketing investment at precisely the wrong time. Hence, one school of thought may well be to act while things are buoyant in order to keep them that way in traditionally quieter periods.  Recognise Business cycles  Most businesses have quiet periods when they need to boost sales leads. If so, that may well dictate the timing of your outreach. Equally, whilst some sectors may be inactive, others may not.  If your target businesses have specific periods of high or low activity, it may be beneficial to plan your telemarketing campaign during quieter periods. Or, you may consider starting in the middle of a busy period so you have a pipeline for your quieter months. This can increase the likelihood of reaching decision-makers especially where decision-making timeframes are lengthy.  Innovation Drives Interest  The best way to get inactive prospects off the fence is often being able to demonstrate to them something genuinely new and innovative. That’s especially the case where what you’re bringing to market is a game-changer, or at least something that makes clients' lives easier. Whilst it’s hard to find truly unique solutions, these do come along. For example, there is increasing activity around solutions that deploy AI and Blockchain enabled solutions.  If your product launch delivers genuine benefit, especially to resolve a persistent problem in the market, timing becomes less important. Whilst not everyone is ready to buy, prompting awareness in advance of the buying cycle is imperative for pipeline building.   Lengthy Gestation Periods If you have a restricted market, or a niche where gestation periods are long, it pays to kick off activity with this in mind. The driver behind slow decision-making may be down to budget periods, long contracts with incumbent providers, or simply due to other activities taking a higher priority. Don’t wait until your pipeline is completely dry before you start your efforts to refill it.  If the value of sale is high, decision-making may involve multiple layers and influencers. It may even go up to the board. Whilst you may get lucky, it’s unlikely these scenarios will produce quick wins. So, you need to build and nurture a pipeline. The only way to do that, until things come to fruition, is to start ahead of time.  Lead Generation Objectives Ultimately, each business has its objectives. Management sets its targets that sales and marketing teams need to hit. If your new business run rate is such that the sales objective is achievable without additional effort, there will be less of an incentive to kick off significant new marketing campaigns.  However, if your primary objective is to generate leads or gather information, as opposed to delivering direct sales, initiating your telemarketing campaign during busier periods might be beneficial. Decision-makers may be more available during these times as they actively seek solutions, or explore business opportunities.  Given potentially longer timeframes for higher values of sale, sometimes the process is multi-tiered. You may publish a report or white paper. You might invite potential prospects to an event or webinar, well in advance of a potential sale. If that’s the case, it pays to plan in advance and kick off ahead of the time you need to close sales.  Review the Competitive Landscape  As mentioned earlier, you probably need to consider the competitive landscape and the timing of your competitors' marketing efforts. If you have a unique offering or want to gain an advantage, launching your campaign sooner could help you establish a foothold ahead of competitors. If you have already established, from previous outreach, when competitor contracts are coming to an end, timing is paramount. If you haven’t, perhaps you need to initiate a campaign to establish these follow-up contract end dates for future calls at the perfect time.  Grab Market Share In highly competitive markets, being the first to engage with potential customers can provide a significant advantage. According to InsideSales.com, 50% of sales go to the vendor who responds first. By initiating your telemarketing campaign early, you increase the chances of being the first point of contact, establishing credibility, and building relationships before your competitors do. If your market is large and open, that’s great. If there is a massive opportunity that isn’t being gobbled up by competitors, that’s wonderful. However, delaying your telemarketing campaign can put you at a disadvantage in a fiercely competitive market, especially where the market is awash with commoditised providers. . Being proactive and reaching out early can help you secure market penetration, and a position of advantage, and increase your chances of capturing market share.  Time-sensitive Offers Some telemarketing campaigns involve time-sensitive offers, promotions, or discounts. Studies have shown that urgency and a limited time-frame can significantly impact consumer response rates. For example, a study by the Journal of Advertising Research found that campaigns with deadlines had response rates 3.7 times higher than those without deadlines. By delaying your campaign, you may miss out on leveraging the power of urgency to drive customer action. Don't Miss Market Opportunities Timing is crucial when it comes to capitalising on emerging trends, market shifts, or new business needs. Waiting too long to run your telemarketing campaign means missing out on potential opportunities to address customer pain points or to provide innovative solutions. The earlier you engage with your target audience, the more likely you are to seize those opportunities, and position yourself as a frontrunner in your industry. Big opportunities don’t come along that often. Sometimes, you have to be brave, bite the bullet, and deploy appropriate resources to fire up your business development. Budget will almost always be tight. No-one has unlimited funds. However, don’t neglect market opportunities by undertaking weak lead generation, or by not doing it at all.  Erosion of your Own Customer Base Sometimes, we can be so focused externally, which in most cases is a good thing, that we forget that competitors are approaching our customers. Hence, it pays to keep on top of customer relations. It’s essential to continue to reach out on a systematic basis to current customers, even those that perhaps are lower spending or that purchase less frequently. A regular customer care call can unearth new opportunities to do business through cross-sell, and upsell.  Typically, sales teams are focused on dealing with key accounts, higher spending customers, and new business. This leaves the internal team to deal with existing customers. But, sometimes, internal resources are stretched. They just don’t have the time to reach out, leaving customers on the fringes feeling unloved. These clients are most at risk of being tempted away by your competitors. So, make sure you have a regular systematic process for customer retention. This kind of phone call will rarely be a bad thing, even if it’s perhaps later than it should have been.  Conclusion  Delaying a telemarketing campaign can directly impact your company's profitability. Telemarketing can generate leads, close deals, drive revenue growth, and enhance retention. By postponing the campaign, you extend the time it takes to start generating sales and revenue, potentially affecting your financial performance. It's important to strike the right balance between careful planning and timely execution when it comes to campaign execution. By understanding your target audience, and being proactive, you can mitigate the risks of leaving it too late, and maximise the potential benefits for your company. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 8 Essential B2B Telemarketing Script-writing Tips Source: https://telemarketing.blog/telemarketing-scripts-for-maximum-success/ Published: 2023-07-25 If you want to do a good job when it comes to B2B Telemarketing, the first thing you should probably do is to ditch your script. Whilst that’s possibly a strange way to start about entitled 8 Essential B2B Telemarketing Script Writing Tips, to a large extent, it's true. Scripts sound like, well, scripts. And, from a telemarketing standpoint, the more natural you sound, the better. However, if you feel you need a solid, more scripted, base for your calls, read on. A Well-Crafted Approach is Vital In the world of B2B telemarketing, having a well-drafted script can make all the difference to achieving a successful outcome. It serves as a blueprint for engaging prospects, conveying your message, and ultimately closing deals. However, script writing goes beyond mere words on a page. An effective approach includes an understanding of: Call structure Tonality Pace Customer challenges The best way to scope your core proposition  Market triggers Timing  And, it’s essential to avoid stiffness in your delivery. If you get the above right, you can enhance your telemarketing efforts and boost your conversion rates. Structure is Everything The structure of your telemarketing is crucial in capturing and maintaining the attention of your prospects. By organising your initial approach effectively, you create a logical flow that shapes the conversation, and ensures your key points are communicated clearly in a way that doesn’t turn off prospects from the get-go.  According to recent studies, telemarketing scripts with a well-defined structure can increase conversion rates by up to 20%. When I run telemarketing training, I always emphasise that the best way to do outbound calling is to not sound like a telemarketer! So, understand the nature of the call, respect your customer’s precious time, and work on the points above. If you do that, when you deliver your intro, you will sound more at ease. That’s especially important in those all-important first few seconds of the call which determine whether the call will proceed.  Start with a Strong Opening This is probably the most vital element of your call. If you fail at this point, the chances are that the call won’t last long. Prospects are busy. They may have had lots of similar ‘sales’ calls in the past days or weeks, all pitching their wares. So, you need to get to the point fast. And, what you say needs to be interesting.  To grab your prospect's attention right from the beginning, craft a compelling opening statement that conveys value. Start by addressing their pain points, or challenges, and offer a solution. Statistics reveal that a captivating opening can boost engagement by up to 30%.  Emphasise Benefits, not Just Features Customers need to quickly understand that you care. They don’t want to be sold to, certainly not something they don’t need or that isn’t top of their priority list. So, you need to swiftly engage and capture their attention.  Highlighting the benefits of your product or service, in a customer-centric way, is crucial for maintaining your prospect's interest. Instead of simply listing what your product does, emphasise how your solution can address their specific needs. Provide tangible advantages and examples. Reference similar customers of situations.  Studies indicate that 70% of B2B decision-makers are more likely to engage with telemarketers who focus on benefits. Avoiding Stiffness The way you deliver your telemarketing script significantly impacts how prospects perceive your message. Adopt a conversational tone. Few people like to be pitched at. Maintaining a conversational tone throughout your call helps build rapport. Avoid sounding robotic. This can create a disconnect and decrease the chances of building a relationship.  Research shows that telemarketers who adopt a conversational tone achieve 40% higher conversion rates. Find the Right Pace Anxious telemarketers typically go one of two ways. Either, they clam up and struggle to get their words out in a logical order that makes sense. Or, they bombard prospects with a stream of words like a jet-wash. Maintaining an appropriate pace during your telemarketing call is essential.  Relax. Speak clearly, and avoid rushing through your script, as it may leave prospects feeling overwhelmed. They will switch off fast. Conversely, speaking too slowly can lead to you sounding bored, and detached, and this may be the impression they gain of your company.  Finding the right balance contributes to a more enjoyable conversation, and better results.  Studies indicate that telemarketers who match their pace to the prospect's rhythm have a 35% higher degree of success. Avoid Sounding Rehearsed Sounding ‘over-rehearsed’ can put off prospects and hinder your chances of success. Of course, there are some sectors where compliance is compulsory, where regulation dictates the approach. But, outside of these areas, try to avoid sounding too slick, like you’ve rehearsed a monologue that you’re desperate to deliver in its entirety.  Instead, be natural and spontaneous. Allow room for improvisation within the script to adapt to the prospect's responses. According to surveys, 75% of B2B decision-makers appreciate telemarketers who can think on their feet and adjust their conversation accordingly. Understand Pain  There’s plenty of evidence that people are more likely to buy when they’re in a distress situation. In other words, when they need to urgently find a solution to a pressing problem. That doesn’t mean you should adopt a sleazy, arch-salesperson, style of presentation. However, pain is a compelling motivator. Remember that, at the same time, you need to show you care, and that you’re calling at least with their interests in mind.  However, illustrating that other similar companies, or similar roles to theirs, have found solutions to their pressing issues, by working with you, is a much better stance. It’s much less likely to trigger the phone going down.  Conclusion Crafting an effective telemarketing script is a skill that requires a good understanding of your target audience, and mastery of tone, pace, and structure. By following the tips outlined in this blog, you can significantly enhance your telemarketing efforts. Remember, a well-crafted script with a conversational tone, appropriate pace, and an avoidance of stiffness can pave the way for successful B2B telemarketing campaigns. Embrace these strategies, adapt them to your unique business needs, and watch your conversion rates soar. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Make Warm Telemarketing Calls for Sales Success Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-art-of-warm-vs-cold-telemarketing-calling-for-sales-success/ Published: 2023-07-19 Marketing and lead generation are tough disciplines. They’re not easy to get right. And, they’re costly to get wrong. What’s more, if it was that easy, everyone would be doing it, right? Therein lies the problem. And, that’s why the more integrated you can make your marketing efforts, the better. That’s certainly the case when it comes to B2B telemarketing. All too often, organisations rely on cold calling in isolation to try to fuel growth in their business. But, why make a cold call when you can make a warm one?  Warm Calls not Cold Ones Connecting with potential customers, across channels, is essential. While cold calling has been around for years, and is a traditional approach which is sometimes necessary, it makes total sense to reduce the ‘cold’ nature of a call and to maximise its warmth.  Warm calls involve reaching out to individuals who have already shown interest or have an existing relationship with your company. Warm calls will always be more engaged, and likely to convert, than cold ones. That means, where possible, focusing on scenarios like following up on event leads, engaging lower-spending customers, re-engaging inactive customers, and reaching out to website visitors and form fillers. Let’s take a look at some of these scenarios.  Following Up on Event Leads  Following up on event leads is a prime opportunity to make warm calls. When attendees show interest in an event, they are more likely to be receptive to a follow-up call. By making a warm call, sales representatives can reference the shared experience, reinforce the value proposition discussed during the event, and build upon the established rapport. This personal touch increases the likelihood of converting event leads into valuable customers whether you have met them on your, or their, stand, or just attended the same event. Increasingly, webinars also provide a good source of leads that demand further qualification. If you’re running your own webinar, or partnering with another company, the sooner you follow up attendees that have demonstrably shown interest in the topic, the better. And, don’t forget that those that signed up but didn’t attend can also form part of a warmer calling cycle.  Engaging Lower-Spending Customers  Not every company is fortunate enough to have a large pool of repeating customers that they can nurture. Even those that do experience this kind of pattern, may have customers on the fringes i.e. those that spend infrequently, or that spend low amounts.  Existing customers who are lower-spending often represent untapped potential. A warm call to these customers demonstrates genuine care and interest in their business. By acknowledging their loyalty and understanding their specific needs, sales representatives can provide tailored solutions and unearth upsell opportunities. Warm calls enable a personalised approach that strengthens the relationship, increases customer satisfaction, and ultimately leads to higher spending and customer retention. Re-engaging Inactive Customers There are various reasons why Inactive customers may have drifted away. These include changing needs or competing offers, and changes in management amongst other reasons. It’s important to not allow this to drift too far or the bond will be truly broken.   This form of ‘warm’ resuscitation calling can be a powerful tool to rekindle dormant client relationships. By reaching out to inactive, low-spending and/or infrequent purchasers, you demonstrate that you value their business. You show that your company is committed to addressing any latent concerns. This type of outbound calling provides an opportunity to understand the reasons behind their inactivity, and to provide targeted solutions. It allows you to re-acquaint them with your company's products or services, and tempt them with offers and promotions. Reaching Out to Website Visitors and Form Fillers  When visitors explore your company's website, and provide their details through a contact form, this generally indicates an interest in the products or services offered. Whilst these inbound enquiries are by no means all of high quality, they do suggest a degree of intent. Work still needs to be done to profile, filter and qualify the leads before you can deem them ‘hot’. Yet, this type of lead at least means that they are aware of your company, what you offer, and have taken an active interest.  Making a warm call, swiftly, in response to these interactions can significantly enhance their early customer experience. By initiating a conversation based on their expressed interest, organisations can offer personalised assistance, answer questions, and provide additional information. This approach creates a human connection, establishes trust, and increases the likelihood of conversion. Opens, Click Throughs, and Connections Whilst statistics that show those individuals that have opened and/or clicked a link in an email do not always demonstrate genuine interest, it does provide a base for a call. If your initial segmentation and targeting are accurate, you’d like to think that opens and click-throughs are another sign of positive intent. Often, a simple click through isn't an enquiry per se. However, it is a stage of the customer journey that warrants a follow-up. Naturally, you need valid phone numbers to do this. Nevertheless, assuming you have these contact details, making a quick call may move your chance of a sale forward.  Online to Offline Warm calls can also be employed in other scenarios. For instance, when customers have interacted positively on social media platforms, a warm call adds a personal touch and solidifies the relationship. Taking an online relationship, such as a connection on LinkedIn, offline to a call, can provide proof that you’re not just a connection gatherer. If there’s a good reason to call, such as for an event, white paper or some other useful reason, a call at the right time can stimulate potential enquiries.  Quid Pro Quo - Resellers Back-scratching is usually a good reason to engage. Whilst a cold call to someone that could resell your services isn’t exactly warm, where there is mutual benefit, the nature of the call becomes less ‘cold’. We have run plenty of campaigns where there is mutual gain. For example, a Financial Advisor/Wealth Manager relationship with an accountant, or a small video production agency with larger agencies that may need to outsource overflow work. There are lots of examples where partnering with vendors in the same field can bear fruit if a call is made at the right time.  Conclusion  Sometimes, a cold call is both warranted and necessary. Some organisations may just not be in the position to benefit from inbound leads from a web form, responses to an email broadcast, or attendees from an event. There is certainly a place for cold outreach. However, warm calls offer a multitude of advantages over cold calls.  By focusing on individuals who have already shown interest or have an existing relationship, warm calls provide a personalised and targeted approach. Whether following up on event leads, engaging lower-spending customers, re-engaging inactive customers, or reaching out to website visitors and form fillers, warm calls allow for meaningful connections to be established, leading to higher conversions, better customer satisfaction, and long-term loyalty.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # Unlock the Power of B2B Telemarketing: Compelling Success Ratios Source: https://telemarketing.blog/unlock-the-power-of-b2b-telemarketing/ Published: 2023-07-13 Telephone marketing may feel a bit last century to some. It may be an irritation to others. Yet, huge global companies still use the phone to search for new business, increase existing client sales through cross-sell and up-sell, resuscitate lapsed customers, and to enhance customer satisfaction.  So, how can your business unlock the power of B2B Telemarketing? Ignore False Assumptions B2B Telemarketing sometimes gets bad press. This is perhaps down to the perception gained from unscrupulous B2C sellers using cold calling to dupe potential buyers. Fraudsters have also used the phone to damaging effect. And, poor quality callers can increase annoyance from those that receive poorly constructed sales pitches.  Despite this, reputable business continue to use person-to-person communication, such as telemarketing, to enhance their brand reputation, and to develop their sales pipeline. Why is that the case? The Numbers Don't Lie The numbers don’t lie. And, the results are compelling. Check out the statistics below to understand why telemarketing should still form part of a B2B marketer’s toolkit.  According to a study by InsideSales.com, phone calls are 8 times more effective at engaging decision-makers than email campaigns. Whilst it's still possible to block unwanted calls, and contact rates vary, phone calls are more personal and direct than email campaigns, which can be easily ignored or deleted. Decision-makers are more likely to engage with someone who can speak to them directly and answer their questions in real-time, which can help build rapport and trust. A study by BIA/Kelsey found that the conversion rate for B2B outbound telemarketing is 10-15%, which is significantly higher than the conversion rates of other channels. Outbound telemarketing allows companies to reach potential customers who may not have been aware of their product or service before. Speaking with a live person can help answer questions and address concerns in a way that other marketing channels cannot, which can increase the likelihood of a conversion. For higher value sales, it may take time, but the wait can certainly be worth the effort. According to HubSpot, 78% of decision-makers have taken an appointment or attended an event as a result of a cold call, which indicates the power of telemarketing in generating leads. Cold calls can be a powerful tool for generating leads because they allow companies to reach out to potential customers who may not have otherwise considered their product or service. Decision-makers are often busy and may not have time to seek out information on their own, so a proactive approach can be effective. That's especially the case when you have something new, something of genuine interest, and/or there is a compelling reason for for prospective customers to change. A study by Rain Group showed that B2B companies that use telemarketing services to follow up on leads generated from other channels have a 50% higher conversion rate than those that don't. Not every call needs to be cold. Following up on leads generated from other channels (such as email, LinkedIn outreach or other social media) with a phone call can help establish a personal connection and provide additional information that may not have been included in the original message. This can help increase the likelihood of a conversion by addressing any remaining questions or concerns the potential customer may have. Failing to follow up events massively reduces their ROI. Therefore, a series of well-times calls can maximise the value. The DMA's Response Rate Report found that the response rate for B2B telemarketing is 5.6%, which is significantly higher than the response rates of email marketing (0.6%) and direct mail (4.4%). B2B telemarketing has a higher response rate than email marketing and direct mail because it is a more personal and direct form of communication. Decision-makers are more likely to respond to a phone call than an email or piece of mail, which can help increase the effectiveness of the marketing campaign. Conclusion These statistics highlight the importance and effectiveness of using B2B telemarketing services as a part of an integrated marketing strategy to generate leads, engage decision-makers, and convert prospects into customers. Telemarketing shouldn't be considered in isolation. You'll benefit from its use being part of an integrated lead generation strategy. What's more, a short-term approach, where you expect immediate results, probably won't work. Telemarketing also won't compensate for a proposition that is ill-defined, and an audience that is unlikely to take up your offer. So, think through your message, and audience. Work on your proposition. And, make sure that your callers present the professional face of your organisation. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Art of Persistence: How Long Should You Chase Sales Prospects? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-long-should-you-chase-sales-prospects/ Published: 2023-07-04 In the dynamic world of sales, where success hinges on building relationships and closing deals, the question of how long to pursue sales prospects before giving up is a common dilemma. While persistence is often lauded as a vital trait for sales professionals, it is crucial to strike a balance between determination and practicality. In this blog, we will explore the factors that influence the duration of your pursuit and provide insights into when it might be time to reevaluate your efforts. Understanding your Sales Cycle  To determine the appropriate timeframe for chasing sales prospects, it's essential to recognise the typical sales cycle for your industry. Different products or services require varying degrees of consideration and decision-making. If yours is an established business, you’ll probably know this already. If not, research and analyse your target market to identify the average length of the sales cycle and adjust your expectations accordingly. Recognising the stages a prospect moves through, from initial contact to final conversion, will help you gauge the progress and adapt your approach as needed. Assessing Engagement and Interest  One key indicator of a prospect's potential is their level of engagement and interest. Sometimes you get a gut feel from the get-go. Other times, it’s not so clear. Regularly evaluate their responsiveness to your communication, their willingness to schedule meetings or demonstrations, and their involvement in the decision-making process. If a prospect consistently displays disinterest or fails to engage after multiple attempts, it may be a sign that your efforts would be better directed elsewhere. But, that’s also dependent on the point below regarding the potential value of sale.  Measuring Return on Investment  Time is a valuable resource, and as a sales professional, you must evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of your efforts. Consider the amount of time and resources you have invested in pursuing a particular prospect. If the cost outweighs the potential benefits, it might be prudent to redirect your focus toward more promising leads. Remember, successful salespeople know how to prioritise their efforts for maximum efficiency. Yet, with account-based marketing, organisations may focus on a more limited number of leads that have the potential to convert at high value. In those cases, it’s perhaps sensible to keep going until there is a clear outcome.  Building Relationships and Nurturing Leads  In sales, building relationships is vital. It takes time and effort to establish trust, demonstrate value, and address the specific needs of prospects. By nurturing leads and maintaining regular communication, you can deepen the connection and understand their evolving requirements. However, there may come a point where your efforts yield diminishing returns. Be attentive to any signs that suggest the prospect is no longer interested or has shifted their priorities. Knowing When to Pivot  Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a prospect simply isn't the right fit or doesn't align with your product or service. The wrong timing, and/or priorities that are elsewhere, can mean that things just don't work out. If prospective customers have existing solutions, whether that’s in-house management or external incumbent suppliers, they may just not be ready. Recognising when to pivot and redirect your attention is crucial. It's better to reallocate your time and resources toward prospects with a higher probability of conversion than to continue chasing leads that are unlikely to yield results. Remember, it's not a sign of failure to let go; it's a sign of adaptability and focus. How Much Time Does it Take? With marketing automation, much of today’s heavy-lifting has been removed from time-poor salespeople. If prospects see periodic emails and newsletters, receive invitations to webinars or events, and they’re potentially seeing content posted on social platforms, that’s all part of the engagement and nurturing process. Let’s also not forget that fresh prospecting takes time too. So, how much time does your sales team actually devote to following up on a regular or periodic basis. If it’s a phone or personal email call from time to time, that’s hardly onerous if the prize is valuable.  Conclusion  As you might expect, there is no right or wrong. The pursuit of sales prospects requires a delicate balance between persistence and practicality. It’s also about understanding what tasks are down to the marketing team, and what falls into the remit of the sales team. By understanding your industry's sales cycle, assessing engagement levels, measuring ROI, nurturing relationships, and knowing when to pivot, you can make informed decisions about the duration of your pursuit. Remember, while persistence is essential, it is equally important to recognise when it is time to move on. By striking this balance, you can optimise your time and resources, increase your chances of success, and achieve sustainable growth in your sales endeavours. ------------------------------------------------------------ # What’s the Best Way to Identify Buyer Intent? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/whats-the-best-way-to-identify-buyer-intent/ Published: 2023-06-27 Too many marketing campaigns shoot in the dark. That’s not surprising since, whilst many organisations might be looking for your products or services at any given time, the challenge is to identify which ones these are. Unless they knock on your door, you may never know who’s looking right now.  So, what's the best way to identify buyer intent? Buyer Signals Of course, there are signals. For example, recruitment patterns may suggest a gap in skills or resources that you may be able to fill. The recruitment of a compliance manager may herald a need for more compliance solutions. And, market drivers may trigger requirements in particular sectors. That could be changes in legislation (e.g. Data Protection rules or financial services regulation), economic factors (unemployment, inflation, growth or recession), environmental factors (i.e. the drive towards sustainability), and so on.  Needle in a haystack Nevertheless, actually pinpointing those individual buyers that are in the market right now, is tough. And, the task can be expensive. Where do these golden purchasers go for inspiration to find new suppliers? And, competitor activity is everywhere. Is your business visible and credible when it counts?  It's a real challenge. Yet, identifying buyer intent is crucial for the success of any lead generation campaign. Knowing what your potential customers are interested in and what they are looking for can help you create more targeted and effective campaigns. So where do you start?  Ways to identify buyer intent: Conduct Market Research:  Conducting market research can help you understand the needs and pain points of your target audience. You can use surveys, focus groups, and customer feedback to gather insights into what your current and/or potential customers are looking for and what their pain points are. This can help you shape your marketing outreach efforts in terms of proposition and channel choice. Analyse Search Trends:  Analysing search trends can give you an idea of what topics are currently popular among your target audience. You can use tools like Google Trends or SEMrush to identify keywords that are trending and create content or campaigns around those topics. Whilst organic reach can take a considerable amount of time, getting your content right to attract buyers that are in the market to you, is vitally important. Monitor Social Media:  Social media can be a great source of information about what your potential customers are interested in. You can use social listening tools to monitor conversations and mentions of your brand and industry to identify common pain points and interests. You might just pick up an immediate need, and be able to engage in conversation that turns into a valid sales lead. Track Website Behaviour:  Tracking website behaviour can also give you insights into what your potential customers are interested in. You can use tools like Google Analytics to monitor which pages on your website are most popular and which content is getting the most engagement. Some solution providers purport to tell you who visited your website. That's fine, but the challenge is that whilst they may claim to tell you that a particular company visited a particular page on your site, there is little value in knowing that Microsoft is interested in the products you offer if you don’t know where and who.  Intent Data Suppliers:  Real intent data is the holy grail but probably the most difficult area, and probably the most expensive. If you're considering committing to a tech solution in this area, it's important to consider factors such as data accuracy, coverage, and pricing if you’re choosing a supplier that says that they offer intent data.  In the past, we’ve found that some tools are better for certain locations, such as the USA, and not for others like Europe, or The UK. Likewise, some provide good coverage for high-level company details but are much weaker data on phone numbers for telemarketing. They can also deliver poor email data for the specific personas that are being targeted. What's more, you should consider whether the provider's data integrates with your existing marketing technology stack and whether their insights align with your target market and goals. The best provider for your business will depend on your specific needs and goals. Below are a few of the top providers of intent data for marketing: Bombora: https://bombora.com/ TechTarget: https://www.techtarget.com/ ZoomInfo: https://www.zoominfo.com/ DiscoverOrg: https://discoverorg.com/ Aberdeen: https://www.aberdeen.com/ Listening Tools Perhaps a bit further removed from actual intent, there are also a few social listening tools available that can help you identify buyer intent, for example on LinkedIn.  Below are some options: LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Navigator enables you to create lead lists, track leads and accounts, and receive updates on potential buyers. You can also use its advanced search filters to identify leads that match specific criteria, including the technologies used.  Hootsuite Insights: This tool helps you monitor social media channels, including LinkedIn, to identify keywords and phrases related to your business. You can set up alerts for specific keywords and track mentions of your brand to identify potential buyers. Brandwatch: This is a social listening tool that helps you monitor social media channels, news sites, blogs, and forums to track mentions of your brand, competitors, and industry. You can use its filters to identify potential buyers based on their interests, behaviours, and location. Mention: This tool allows you to monitor social media channels, news sites, and blogs to identify mentions of your brand, competitors, and industry. You can also set up alerts for specific keywords and track trends to identify potential buyers. Owler: This tool provides insights on companies, including their financial information, leadership team, and competitors. It can help you identify potential buyers based on their industry, size, and location. Events and Exhibitions Events can be perceived as somewhat ‘old school’, and expensive. Yet, buyers do congregate at exhibitions, and conferences. Therefore, if the event is well-targeted, having a presence that acts as a lead magnet may be beneficial. What’s more, it’s a more direct way to establish buyer intent. But, watch out for the tyre-kickers that attend every event! And, make sure that you don't fail to follow-up swiftly and until there's an outcome so you maximise your event investment. Old-fashioned Cold-Calling  Like event exhibiting, telemarketing can be an expensive way to identify buyer intent if that's your only objective. But, it's personal, and direct. Along the way, you will almost certainly pick up immediate business opportunities rather than having to wait for them with other channels. However, establishing future buyer intent (i.e. building your sales pipeline) takes time and can mean that ROI can be slow. Hence, this works better as part of a long-term lead generation strategy, and where your value of sale is higher.  Regular Customer Service Calls Keeping in touch is important. Buyers change. Requirements change. And, if you don’t keep on top of customer and prospect data, you will lose any foothold with customers on the fringes that don't get much attention. Therefore, effective database management is key. This includes picking up the phone perhaps every 6 months to every target or existing customer on your database. By doing this, you can refresh the contact information, in addition to being able to identify contract renewal dates and emerging requirements. Whilst this may, again, be a more traditional approach, it cannot be ignored as a direct means of gauging byer intent.  Conclusion Identifying buyer intent is crucial for the success of any lead generation campaign. It can be challenging and expensive to pinpoint individual buyers who are currently in the market for products or services, especially when there is intense competition. Ultimately, the best approach depends on your company's specific needs and goals, the importance you attach to the task, and the available budget that you devote to the exercise. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Power of Personalisation in Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-power-of-personalisation-in-lead-generation/ Published: 2023-06-20 Do people still buy people? Even in today's digital age, where consumers have access to vast amounts of information and can make purchasing decisions without ever speaking to a salesperson, the human element is still a critical factor in many buying decisions. When it comes to parting with substantial amounts of money, both in-store for individual purchases, and for B2B buying decisions, purchasers demand a deeper buying experience. They like to feel understood, valued, and connected to the brands from which they buy. At this level. And especially with B2B acquisition. trust and personalisation typically play a larger role in the purchase decision.  The Evolution of Buying from People This psychological aspect of buying is why salespeople, marketers, and customer service representatives are still important in the buying process. Personalised experiences help build relationships with prospects and customers that go beyond just the transaction. This leads to enhanced loyalty and better retention in the long run.  That being said, the way in which people buy from people has certainly evolved with technology. Social media platforms, email, and other digital communication channels have made it easier for consumers to connect with brands, and vice versa, on a more personal level.  Bridging the Gap Between Physical and Digital Those channels in addition to Video conferencing tools like Zoom, MS Teams, and Google Meet have, to some extent, made it possible for salespeople to conduct face-to-face, voice, and text-based  meetings with customers even when they are not in the same location. The Metaverse is gradually taking that further. Providers of such ‘digital video shopping’ solutions that bridge the gap between in-store, or in showroom, and digital are growing. This allows much greater personalisation, even remotely. Check out this solution from Distance Sales that can be applied both to B2C and B2B. The Importance of Human Interaction for Certain Buying Scenarios Software solutions can also facilitate a degree of personalisation. Automation is everywhere, and artificial intelligence increasingly enables marketers to personalise at least some aspects of the seller-buyer process. Yet, thus far, it does not offer the degree of intimacy that comes with face to face and voice-to-voice communication.  Some buying scenarios simply demand face-to-face interaction. Site audits, demos, and more involved or technical sales, usually necessitate an on-site, face to face, visit. However, even before that point, due to the nature of the purchase, a human-to-human interaction is likely to be required before the actual meeting takes place.  Passive Versus Active Sales  If you’re blessed with a large number of enquiries that flood into your business, customer service representatives, or inside sales people, can field the enquiries and, hopefully, move them towards the sale. They can encourage buyers to fix a time to meet or speak to a more experienced sales person. Appointments, demos, and even sales, can be booked or made during the initial call. It goes without saying that those that handle these types of passive inbound calls need to be able to build rapport, and to deliver the results you need.  If leads don’t come to you, there’s usually a requirement for more proactive outreach. Outbound telemarketing allows businesses to directly connect with potential customers and to convey their message effectively. Whilst telemarketing can also be perceived as intrusive and impersonal, to make these kinds of campaigns successful, businesses must understand the power and value of personalisation. What does Personalisation for Lead Generation Mean? Personalisation is the act of tailoring marketing messages to the individual needs and preferences of the potential customer. It is the opposite of mass marketing, where the same message is delivered to a broad audience. Personalisation in telemarketing therefore means understanding the customer's pain points, interests, and needs and using that information to develop the conversation. Personalisation in telemarketing has become more critical than ever before. With the ubiquitous nature of information, significantly upweighting buyer knowledge, high-value customers expect a personalised experience from every business with which they interact. According to a study by Salesforce, 75% of customers expect a personalised experience, and 76% of customers are willing to share personal information to receive that tailored experience. So, with that in mind, below are further reasons why personalisation is crucial for lead generation: Increased Conversion Rates It may go without saying, but tailoring the conversation and developing buyer rapport,  can help businesses increase their conversion rates. When potential customers receive personalised messages, both digitally and personally, they are more likely to engage with the salesperson and listen to what they have to say. This can increase the chances of converting a lead into a sale. For example, instead of making a generic pitch to a potential customer, a good telemarketer will use examples, stories, specific product knowledge, and understanding of similar client challenges, to create a better intro, and to encourage a more compelling discussion. This will empower them to more readily address the customer's needs and pain points. In turn, this will make the potential client more engaged in what the salesperson has to offer, and more likely to convert. Improved Customer Experience This more refined approach can also help businesses improve the customer experience. When a salesperson takes the time to understand a potential customer's needs and preferences, they can deliver a more bespoke and relevant message, and proposition. Most customers believe that their particular situation is different. Adapting the approach accordingly helps the potential customer to feel valued, which can create a positive customer experience. For example, a telemarketer can use effective questions, reference previous interactions with the business, or offer a solution that is specific to their needs. This can help the potential customer feel more connected to the business, and more likely to have a positive experience. Enhanced Loyalty and Retention - The Holy Grail A report by Harvard Business Review found that increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can increase profits by 25% to 95%. And, loyalty starts from the very first impression that a buyer has of your organisation.  When potential customers feel valued, they are more likely to remember the business and develop a connection with the brand. This can create a positive impression that can lead to repeat business and referrals. For example, a telemarketer can use this deeper customer understanding and personalisation to offer exclusive deals or promotions to customers. And, being able to reference experience of a certain industry issue may convince the client to not look elsewhere. This makes the customer feel special and more likely to choose the business over competitors in the future. Competitive Advantage Whilst most industries are crowded with similar purveyors of services, differentiation starts with your people. The individuals that interact with customers and prospects are as much part of your brand as your products and services.  Good callers, and internal customer service representatives, are worth their weight in gold. This allows successful organisations to differentiate themselves from competitors that use a generic approach, and poorly trained executives. This can make potential customers more likely to choose the business over competitors. Conclusion  In conclusion, personalisation is crucial if you want to attract and retain higher value customers, encourage them to spend more with you, reject competitors, and become advocates. When businesses take the time to understand their potential customers' needs and preferences and use that information to tailor their campaigns, they can create a more effective campaign. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Pros and Cons of Telemarketing for B2B Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-telemarketing-for-b2b-lead-generation/ Published: 2023-06-13 Companies that sell B2B products and/or services often utilise telemarketing as one of their primary tools for lead generation. Equally, there are a few reasons why some companies choose not to select telemarketing as an option for their B2B lead generation.  In this article, we look at the pros and cons of using this method of business development to generate B2B sales leads.  The Cons Not every method of marketing works. And, not every channel is right for every situation. If prospective customers arrive in droves without the need for proactive business development, that’s great. But, it rarely works that way, and some form of active marketing is usually needed. So, why would organisations decide to omit telemarketing as a route to market?  Value of Sale versus ROI This form of outreach is more resource-heavy than most other forms of business development, aside from perhaps recruiting field sales professionals that are tasked with closing business. As a consequence, to support the relatively high initial outlay, the value of sale needs to provide sufficient opportunity to achieve a positive ROI over time. If the gestation period between contact and sale is long, coupled with a low value of sale, telesales, or telemarketing, is probably not the best route to choose.  Changing Buyer Preferences:  In recent years, there has been a shift towards digital channels. B2B buyers increasingly conduct their research online, engaging with content marketing, and reaching out to companies on their own terms. As a consequence, companies are adapting their lead generation strategies to align with these changing preferences. Since cost per lead and cost per conversion have risen, due to the difficulty to reach and convert the right buyers, there has been a natural shift towards more remote selling.  Time and Resource Constraints:  Telemarketing requires dedicated staff and resources, and a not insignificant amount of planning. It probably requires more management than other forms of marketing. Companies may find it more efficient, therefore, to allocate their resources towards other, more arms length, lead generation methods. These include content marketing, social media, pay-per-click advertising, sponsored LinkedIn ads, search engine optimisation, and email marketing. These alternative methods take time to build and tend to generate leads that require further qualification. However, these business development options can potentially generate leads at scale and require less immediate human interaction. Scalability and Reach:  While telemarketing can be effective for one-to-one interactions, it is not as scalable as other digital marketing strategies. Companies aiming to reach a larger audience, increase brand awareness, and/or expand their market presence might prefer methods that can generate leads in higher volumes. That's where pay-per-click advertising, email marketing, and social media marketing, may come in. Compliance and Regulatory Factors:  Most marketing disciplines are subject to legislation of some sort. Telemarketing is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018. Other countries in Europe have equivalent legislation. And, beyond Europe there are other regulations in place in most developed markets. This restricts the ability of organisations to call those that have opted out, or registered their number on a do not call list.   Companies need to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations. This can add a layer of complexity, cost and risk, and slow down positive outcomes. Evolving Sales Processes:  B2B sales processes have evolved, and companies are increasingly focusing on relationship-building, consultative selling, Account-Based Marketing (ABM), and personalised interactions. While telemarketing can play a key role in lead nurturing, companies may find that combining it with other sales techniques, such as email outreach or in-person meetings, can yield better results than solely using a scattergun approach to target a large list by telephone. Perceived High Cost: Perceived cost, not least compared to some digital measures, is a significant factor when considering the up-front cost of telemarketing for B2B lead generation. In-house staff costs including National Insurance, pension costs, sick pay, management time, and the provision of equipment all add up. If you’re considering using an external agency, they need to make their margin. So, compared to the relatively light costs for email marketing, content marketing and LinkedIn outreach, the up-front cost may be perceived as high for what could be a slow payback timeframe, especially for large ticket items.  The Pros  Positive ROI  No method of marketing is guaranteed to work, and costs for other channels can stack up quickly. While telemarketing does require an investment in resources, it is essential to consider the potential return on investment (ROI). When telemarketing is executed effectively, the benefits can be significant. These include identification of immediate, sales-ready, qualified leads, building a pipeline of future sales opportunities, and developing customer loyalty. The benefits can, therefore, outweigh the initial investment. Businesses must, therefore, assess the perceived cost in relation to the potential advantages, and align it with their overall marketing budget and goals.  Personalisation Adds Value for Customers Telemarketing can still be a valuable lead generation tool in the B2B space, particularly for high-touch industries or complex products and/or services that require direct communication. Telemarketing enhances personalised communication, and direct engagement plays a crucial role in building trust and securing business wins. Whilst email newsletters, and periodic emails can play a role in nurturing, nothing beats a more personalised approach for encouraging those prospects that are wavering to cross the finish line.  Amplifying the Impact of Other Channels Most successful companies adopt a multi-channel approach to business development. This combines telemarketing with other strategies to diversify their lead generation efforts and reach their target audience effectively. Following up events by phone is essential to ensure that sales opportunities don't go cold. Leads that come through to a landing page from social media need fast, and deeper qualification. Email click-throughs, and opens, need follow-up. LinkedIn connections can benefit from taking the conversation offline.  It’s not Just Cold that Matters There is an erroneous perception that telemarketing is all about cold calling. In reality, that’s only one aspect. It makes sense to make warm calls as opposed to cold ones. Many organisations have lapsed or lapsing customers. Companies also have large customer databases that have not been contacted for some time, leaving them open to competition offers. Typically, these are the lower tier customers, but that could still provide excellent opportunities for revenue development. With in-house resources occupied with dealing with higher spending clients, a customer care call can work wonders for revenue generation. Regular check-ins, upselling opportunities, and cross-selling efforts can all be conducted. You can’t Relationship-Build Remotely in the Same Way  Whilst email nurturing tools allow some degree of proactive ongoing outreach, it’s not the same as a person-to-person interaction. Telemarketing provides a unique opportunity to establish and embed personal connections with potential prospects and customers. Through effective communication skills and active listening, telemarketers can build rapport, address concerns, and tailor their approach to individual needs. Building strong customer relationships increases customer retention, encourages repeat business, and promotes positive word-of-mouth referrals. Deeper Qualification  A call facilitates real-time conversations, enabling marketers to qualify leads more efficiently. By engaging in dialogue, organisations can gather valuable information about prospects' needs, pain points, and budget constraints. This data helps prioritise leads, ensuring that sales efforts are focused on the most promising opportunities. This simply cannot be accomplished in other ways.  The Advantages of Immediacy With most channels, feedback is slow, and may never arrive. When a caller speaks directly to a prospect or customer, this provides instant feedback that can be valuable for refining marketing strategies. Direct conversations with prospects reveal insights into their perceptions, objections, and preferences. This feedback can guide marketing messaging, product positioning, and the overall sales approach, leading to more effective lead generation efforts. Market Research and Insights  Following on from the point above, telemarketing can serve as a valuable market research tool. Beyond lead generation, conversations with prospects can uncover market trends, competitive intelligence, and customer preferences. These insights can inform product development, marketing campaigns, and overall business strategy. The Ability to Adapt   Telemarketing allows for quick adjustments and flexibility in sales approaches. Marketers can tailor their messaging, overcome objections, and address concerns in real-time, increasing the chances of converting leads into customers. This adaptability enables marketers to pivot strategies and capture emerging opportunities effectively. Conclusion Every channel has its pros and cons. Every marketer must decide what fits best when considering its target market, and its proposition. It’s usually sensible, where practical,  to strike a balance and combine lead generation strategies to optimise results. Integrated marketing campaigns that encompass digital channels, content marketing, and targeted advertising can complement telemarketing efforts, maximising the reach and impact of lead generation activities. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 11 Reasons to Outsource your B2B Telemarketing Services Source: https://telemarketing.blog/11-reasons-to-outsource-your-b2b-telemarketing/ Published: 2023-06-06 There are any number of reasons why companies may choose to use an outsourced B2B telemarketing agency rather than doing telemarketing in-house. Ultimately, there is not necessarily a right or wrong answer since there are pros and cons of both approaches. Check out this short video on that subject.  There is a whole industry dedicated to outsourced calling. Typically, call centres cater for large BPO-type activity for large corporate entities. They may require hundreds of bums on seats, both taking and receiving calls. But, in this article, we’re more interested in B2B lead generation, and where organisations need to feed their sales team, whether it’s large or small.  So, what are our 11 reasons why B2B Telemarketing makes sense?  Management expertise:  Organisations can’t be experts in everything. Whilst, the decision whether to recruit roles in-house is always a consideration, this comes down to whether the role is core to the business, and what other roles may be required within the sales and marketing team.  B2B telemarketing agencies specialise in telemarketing and have extensive experience in designing and executing effective telemarketing campaigns. They have a deep understanding of the best practices and strategies that work in B2B telemarketing and can leverage this expertise to generate better results. What’s more, it’s the day job of agency management to make campaigns work whereas internal management usually has many other priorities.  Professional telemarketers with experience:  B2B telemarketing agencies employ professional telemarketers with extensive experience in B2B sales. These telemarketers have the skills and expertise necessary to engage decision-makers and to build relationships with potential customers. They are trained to understand the most effective approaches, and understand how to deploy the best tips and tricks where feasible.  This is supplemented by specific information on a business's products and service. Coupled with learning about the needs and pain points of its target audience, effectiveness is enhanced. Callers can deliver persuasive and effective messages that resonate with potential customers, and they can handle objections and questions with confidence and professionalism. Flexible resourcing:  B2B telemarketing agencies have the necessary resources, including a trained sales team, advanced technology, and data analysis tools, to run successful telemarketing campaigns. This means that businesses can avoid the cost and hassle of building and maintaining an in-house telemarketing infrastructure. The need for sales may be ongoing or it may ebb and flow. Therefore, flexibility in terms of resourcing may be essential e.g. for events, product launches, key seasonal periods and so on, yet not be so critical at other times.  Scalability: Agencies usually have the capability to scale up or down telemarketing campaigns based on the needs of the business. This means that companies can quickly adjust their outreach efforts to respond to changes in the market, such as shifts in customer behaviour or changes in demand for their products or services. It’s a pretty rare organisation that has staff just sitting around, waiting for things to do. And, it’s even rarer for those same team members to have skills in terms of picking up the phone to generate sales leads when required.  Higher contact rates:  Contact ratios are the lifeblood of successful telemarketing campaigns. This is often a hidden failing of internal management of lead generation exercises. It’s partly understanding what ‘good’ looks like. But, it’s also about consistently making the right number of calls to reach the appropriate number of decision-makers.  B2B telemarketing agencies are used to mobilising their team to deliver the right numbers. They typically have sophisticated systems, tools and techniques to increase the chances of reaching target buyers. They may also have access to profiled databases and cloud dialling systems, which enable them to reach more people in less time. This means higher contact rates, which in turn can lead to more opportunities for lead generation and sales. Flexibility to turn agencies off and on:  Whilst there’s no doubt that a consistent, ongoing campaign of activity is likely to generate more positive long-term outcomes, outsourcing telemarketing provides businesses with the ability to turn telemarketing on and off as needed. For example, if a business needs to ramp up its telemarketing efforts during a busy period, it can easily increase the number of agents working on its campaign. Conversely, if a business needs to reduce its telemarketing efforts, it can quickly scale back its campaign without having to worry about HR implications. HR management is often a headache that businesses don’t need. Ongoing staff management can be a drain on time, energy, and finances. The flexibility that comes from paying a little more when needed more than counterbalances the hassle that’s removed alongside not paying more at other times.  Systems that optimise calling success: In our experience, few, if any, companies have systems that are geared up for making regular telephone outreach. Most organisations utilise CRM systems to simply hold their prospect and customer data. Some are linked to accounting systems. Others are more marketing-oriented automation systems for email marketing. Most are simply not configured for fast calling, and outbound call rates can drop as low as 25-50% of those achieved within an agency. That’s double the productivity, aside from better quality calls, using outsourcing.  B2B telemarketing agencies often have tailored telemarketing systems in place to facilitate effective outreach. For example, everything the caller needs is at their fingertips, often on one screen. This facilitates speedy follow-up, which is essential, and allows management to track and analyse customer interactions, which can in turn, help them to identify trends and adjust the approach accordingly. Targeted ongoing monitoring and control:  Without effective management and measurement, most campaigns will flounder regardless where they are carried out. Agencies constantly have their eyes on the ball. After all, if they don't succeed, they get fired!  So, most good B2B telemarketing agencies have dedicated account managers that build effective call structures. They regularly listen to calls, and use call recording and monitoring tools to ensure that their callers are delivering consistent and effective brand messages. They will also use cloud dialers to minimise downtime between calls to continuously maximise productivity. Expertise in data sourcing and list building:  An often overlooked key success factor in effective lead generation is the quality of the target list. If the data is inaccurate, it will slow down the success of the campaign. If callers need to use Google, LinkedIn and other tools to constantly check information, it will sap the life out of their momentum. Callers need to call. Hence, loading a robust list on the calling system is essential.  Good agencies should have expertise in profiling and segmentation, and data and audience list building. They may have access to, or be able to build from scratch, databases that contain accurate and up-to-date information about potential customers, including their contact information, company size, industry, and other relevant details. The lower the wastage, the higher the success rate.  Zero on-Costs:  With outsourced resourcing, there is no need for additional tax, pension, sick pay, and national insurance costs. Outsourcing to a dedicated B2B agency can save businesses a significant amount of money on fixed overheads. These expenses can add up quickly when employing an in-house telemarketing team, whereas outsourcing telemarketing to an agency eliminates the need to pay for these additional costs. This can result in substantial savings, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses with limited budgets. Less drain on internal manpower:  Using an external agency can also provide businesses with a significant reduction in the hassle and drain on internal resources. Instead of spending time and effort on recruiting, training, and managing an in-house telemarketing caller or team, businesses can use their agency to handle all aspects of the telemarketing process.  This can be particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized businesses that may not have the resources to dedicate to handling this themselves. It thereby allows those businesses to focus on their core day-job, leaving the sales and  business development effort to the experts. Conclusion Whilst there are inevitable costs attached to using an outsource, using a B2B telemarketing agency can be a cost-effective and efficient way for businesses to generate leads and sales, freeing up resources to focus on other critical areas of the business. There are several advantages, including higher contact rates, flexibility, higher hit-rates, better productivity that ultimately results in more bang for buck.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Qualify Leads from Telesales Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-qualify-sales-leads-through-telemarketing/ Published: 2023-05-30 How to qualify sales leads is the key task facing most marketers and sales professionals. Certainly, where the value of sale is elevated, the more you profile your target audience, and encourage prospects into your world, the better. Achieving sales objectives is a time-consuming business and filling the sales funnel with tyre-kickers and time-wasters is far from ideal.  As a consequence, having a robust process for lead qualification is essential.  You Can’t Control Inbound Leads Yet, it can be challenging to identify which leads are worth pursuing. Qualifying leads is a critical part of the lead generation process. Leads that arrive at your door through content creation and distribution, or paid ads may well be perfect, though that’s unlikely.  Despite your best efforts, some folk that fill out contact forms on your website just aren’t in the market for your products and services. You need to filter the wheat from the chaff. And, doing that can be a challenging task. Unfortunately, though, it’s a task that needs doing swifty. If you don’t follow-up quickly, valuable leads could go cold. But, which ones are the best? If you don’t pursue them all, you won’t know. Not everyone provides all the info you request, and some put false info just to receive your download.  Fast Qualification is Essential A tight, swift call is what’s needed. Here are some startling statistics about the importance of follow-up: According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, companies that respond to leads within an hour are 7 times more likely to qualify the lead than companies that respond after an hour, and more than 60 times as likely as companies that wait 24 hours or longer. A study by InsideSales.com found that 35-50% of sales go to the vendor that responds first. The same study by InsideSales.com found that the odds of contacting a lead decrease by over 10 times in the first hour after the lead is generated. In a survey by Velocify, 78% of customers buy from the company that responds to them first. Define Your Ideal Customer Profile For every marketing channel, profiling is crucial. If you don’t know who and where your target customers are, how will you be able to find and attract them? It’s really tough to try to sell anything to anyone. Therefore, whatever means you use for lead generation, everything starts with targeting.  Yet, once the leads start to flow, a further level of qualification is needed. That’s to establish which ones are most valuable, and which ones to distribute to your sales professionals.  Before you start making follow-up calls, it's essential to have a clear understanding of your ideal customer profile. This includes demographics, firmographics, pain points, and challenges. By defining your ideal customer profile, you can target your efforts more effectively and increase the chances of generating high-quality leads. Ask the Right Questions Asking the right questions is critical to qualifying leads effectively. Open-ended questions are particularly effective because they allow the potential customer to provide more detailed information about their needs and pain points.  Closed questions aren’t bad. Yes or no answers to these kinds of questions help steer the direction of the conversation. But, ensuring that you follow these with more open questions is likely to provide the right blend to keep the conversation flowing. A few questions you might ask include the following areas:: What prompted prospects to consider your product/service? What are the specific pain points or challenges they’re facing? What's their timeline for making a decision? What are they using/doing currently? What alternative solutions have they sought? What’s their budget? Who are the decision-makers in the process?  Of course, there are tons of questions you could ask. The key is to recognise that it’s supposed to be a two-way conversation so, resist the urge to swamp them with every piece of information on what you offer.  No Pain: No Gain One of the most effective ways to qualify leads is to focus on pain points and challenges. If the leads you’re qualifying are inbound leads, it’s much easier since they’ve come to you. You’ll need to work much harder if the lead is cold.  By understanding the potential customer's pain points and challenges, you can position your product or service as a solution to their problems. This can help to build trust and increase the chances of converting the lead into a customer. Use a Lead Scoring System Presumably, you have criteria for what makes a great long-term customer as opposed to one that is a low-spending, infrequent buyer.  A lead scoring system can help you to prioritise leads based on their fit to your target profile, and the level of interest and engagement. Lead scoring is a process of assigning a numerical value to each lead based on their behaviour and engagement with your company. This can help you to identify which leads are worth pursuing and which ones you should focus less attention on. This can include the number of touchpoints with that prospect. For example, if they’ve opened 3 emails, connected with you on LinkedIn, clicked on your links and filled out a form, that probably means they will gain a favourable score. If they also provide a sizable budget, that may take them up to the top of your chart.   Ongoing Follow Up Not every buyer is ready to buy. Some are in the research phase. Some will never buy. We mentioned the importance of swift follow-up earlier. But, following-up doesn’t only relate to the immediate time period. If the profile is right, continuously drip-feeding communication is an important part of the lead management process. ,  It's essential to stay top of mind with potential customers, and to nurture them through the sales funnel. By following up regularly with a periodic call at an agreed time, and through providing valuable content and information, you can increase the chances of converting the lead into a customer down the line. Make Sure Someone Owns the Process Ultimately, it is crucial for someone to own the responsibility for the sales qualification process. By doing so, it helps to ensure that leads are properly evaluated and prioritised, and that sales resources are allocated effectively. Without a clear owner, there is a risk of inconsistency and inefficiency in the way that leads are evaluated, and valuable sales opportunities may be missed. By assigning ownership for the sales qualification process, a company can establish clear criteria and processes for evaluating leads, and ensure that all sales representatives are aligned and working towards the same goals. This can ultimately lead to better sales performance and increased revenue. Conclusion In conclusion, qualifying leads effectively through telemarketing is critical to the success of your lead generation efforts. By defining your ideal customer profile, asking the right questions, focusing on pain points and challenges, using a lead scoring system, following up, and monitoring metrics, you can increase the chances of generating high-quality leads and converting them into customers. With the right approach, telemarketing can be a powerful tool for growing your business. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Manage a B2B Telemarketing Team Effectively Source: https://telemarketing.blog/managing-a-b2b-telemarketing-team-effectively/ Published: 2023-05-25 Whether you have one or 100 telemarketers working within your business, managing a b2b telemarketing team effectively is a critical determinant of success. Leaving them to their own devices will not work. Starving them of support will guarantee failure.  In today's competitive business landscape, having a well-organised and motivated team can significantly impact the success of your telemarketing campaigns. This article explores key strategies and best practices to get the most from your B2B telemarketing team. Effective Telemarketing Team Management According to a study by InsideSales.com, effective team management can boost telemarketing productivity by 30%. What’s more, research conducted by Gallup revealed that engaged teams outperform their peers by 21% in profitability. With that in mind, why would organisations allow these key sales staff to fend for themselves? They represent the business and are the face, or at least the voice of, the brand. But it’s fair to say that some companies, and some managers, don;t actually understand what support is required. They don’t know what ‘good’ looks like.  Below, are just a few of the main areas of support required to manage a B2B Telemarketing Team. Provide Systems that Make Life Easy Leveraging CRM systems for efficient lead management is a fundamental determinant of success. Slow, cumbersome systems, impede call rates, and frustrate telemarketers. The fewer clicks needed the better. Automating repetitive tasks for increased productivity is sensible. Remove as much manual activity as possible so that they can concentrate on what they’re good at, i.e. calling customers.  Remove Unnecessary Tasks Do your callers spend way too much time on Google, searching for information? Do they need to check your accounts system for past orders? Is a credit check necessary for their role? The more that your telemarketing team can focus on calling, the more leads you’ll see through the door. And, that will happen more swiftly. What’s more, telemarketers that genuinely enjoy the interaction with your customers will quickly become disheartened if they’re prevented from making calls.  Build a Strong Foundation: Maybe it’s obvious, but don't put people on the phone that don’t want to be there. It might sound obvious, but having done hundreds of training courses in my time, I’m in a position to state that many callers don’t actually like doing it. And, many others have poor techniques and skills. So, make sure you start with recruitment. Check out this article on whether telemarketers are born or made.  Don’t Neglect Training Training is always important. But, that doesn’t always mean training on specific techniques and scenarios. Good telemarketers should be adept at handling objections, dealing with gatekeeper blocks and handling rejection. However, everyone hits roadblocks. That’s where effective management comes in to discuss fresh approaches, look at alternate scenarios, consider different target audiences and so on. So, make sure you engage regularly with your callers to avoid them flogging a dead horse.  Provide Clear Goals Research by Forbes indicates that setting clear goals and metrics increases employee performance by 30%. Targets are essential. Unrealistic goals are demoralising though. Hence, it’s important that the targets you set are based on some kind of benchmark, or at least with an understanding of the market and the size and difficulty of the task. Every company wants to grow. But, putting undue pressure on those that are the face of your organisation may be damaging.  Measure and Communicate KPIs An Aberdeen Group study revealed that companies using analytics in their sales processes experience a 15% higher win rate. Tracking KPIs on a daily, weekly and monthly basis is paramount. Don’t wait until it’s too late to make a change. Compare telemarketers too if that’s possible. Understanding what’s viable is enhanced by comparing performance. Even if you don’t have a call centre with digital performance monitors showing success on a minute by minute basis, you can still provide daily stats on your campaign results.  Establishing Clear Communication Channels Regular team meetings and updates make the life of a telemarketer much more bearable. It’s a tough job. Why make it more difficult by providing limited input? A study by McKinsey found that effective communication improves productivity by 25% on average. So, try to provide ongoing feedback to enhance skills and performance Ensure the Campaign Briefing is Comprehensive  Garbage in, garbage out is a well-known expression. The same goes for briefing. If your callers don’t thoroughly understand the brief, their success will be compromised. That means understanding the target sector, the challenges experienced by the companies, and more specifically the decision-makers they are going to call. It means being updated on the data parameters and whether they’re going to follow-up email opens and clicks, LinkedIn connections, or go after cold targets. Are they calling existing or lapsed customers, or fresh prospects? A full understanding of what’s in front of the caller will enhance their ability to generate leads.  Give Them the Tools to Hit the Target Poor contact data will cause every campaign to fail. You can’t hit a target that you can’t see. You also won’t hit the target with a bow without arrows. If either your targeting or your proposition is out of kilter, your results will suffer. So, it’s the responsibility of management to equip their callers with a good set of accurate contact data, and a compelling call to action that enables them to generate the appropriate number of leads.  Additional Factors It goes without saying that the above are not the only elements for telemarketing success factors. You need to pay your callers appropriately, and give them some incentive to achieve success. A positive office working environment is also important, albeit, these days, working from home is becoming more relevant. In some companies, the opportunity for progression may be a motivating factor. In others, it may be flexibility such as working part-time.  Conclusion By understanding the significance of each of the above components, you’ll be better placed to support your telemarketers to generate success for your business.   It starts with recruiting and training the right talent for your B2B telemarketing companies. You need to establish clear communication channels, set achievable goals, and provide ongoing coaching and feedback. A positive work environment is essential, whether that’s office or remote-based. And, technology will certainly facilitate better output and allow you to measure it. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is LinkedIn Losing its Edge? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-linkedin-losing-its-edge/ Published: 2023-05-16 Is LinkedIn still the 'go-to' place for doing business? Whilst everyone who is anyone may still 'be' on LinkedIn, is there perhaps a question mark over its longevity? Facebook has seen a steady decline in developed markets, certainly for the younger generation. The arrival of TikTok, with its high engagement levels for both personal and business use has seen explosive growth. And, the arrival of ChatGBT and other AI-based initiatives already threatens the omnipotence of Google. The question is perhaps ' Is LinkedIn next' in the firing line? Is LinkedIn fit for purpose? LinkedIn was once considered the go-to site for professionals and job seekers. Despite being a hub for networking and career opportunities, LinkedIn has been facing several challenges that are causing its popularity to dwindle. In this short blog, we try to explore some of the more relevant issues: Saturation leads to low engagement One of the major reasons why LinkedIn may be in decline is its saturated and impersonal nature. With over 750 million registered users, LinkedIn has become crowded with people who use the platform solely for self-promotion, making it increasingly difficult to stand out and build meaningful connections. Moreover, the focus on quantity over quality has led to a lack of authenticity and genuine engagement, making it challenging for users to connect with others in a meaningful way. Lack of user-generated content Another issue plaguing LinkedIn is the lack of user-generated content. Unlike other social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, LinkedIn has failed to cultivate a culture of content creation among its users. The majority of content on the platform comes from company pages or influencers, making it difficult for individuals to showcase their expertise and stand out from the crowd. A major drop in reach  Additionally, LinkedIn's algorithm is often criticised for being opaque and unpredictable. Many users have reported that their posts and updates are not reaching their connections, which can be frustrating for those looking to build a personal brand or grow their business. This lack of transparency has led to a decline in engagement and user satisfaction, as people feel that their efforts on the platform are not being rewarded. Growth in competitive offerings Another issue that may be contributing to LinkedIn's decline is the rise of alternative platforms. Platforms like Clubhouse and TikTok are attracting younger generations and are providing new ways for individuals to network and showcase their skills. That’s even the case of B2B brands. These platforms offer a more personalised and creative experience that many users find lacking on LinkedIn. Lack of granularity with Navigator According to LinkedIn's Q3 2021 earnings report, Sales Navigator's revenue grew 23% year-over-year. This suggests that the tool continues to be widely used by sales professionals and businesses. Additionally, Sales Navigator has over 100 million registered users. However, its lack of granularity in search, gaps in functionality, in particular with regard to the absence of intent data may become more of an issue. Equally, the simple fact that its accuracy can be open to question due to self-completion of the core data, this means that it is questionable as to whether its value as a sales tool has longevity.  Limited development Whilst LinkedIn may disagree with this statement, the primary user interface on LinkedIn has remained relatively unchanged for several years, making it feel somewhat outdated and unexciting. The platform lacks the innovation and excitement that many other social media platforms offer, making it less appealing to users who are looking for a dynamic and engaging brand experience. In addition to the challenges mentioned earlier, LinkedIn is also facing changing usage trends that may contribute to its decline. Shifting recruitment patterns One trend that LinkedIn is experiencing is a shift away from passive job-seeking to more active career management. Rather than waiting for job opportunities to come to them, users are now proactively building their networks, creating content, and engaging with others on the platform to advance their careers. This shift in mindset means that users are now looking for more value from the platform beyond job postings and recruitment. Decline in organic reach Another trend that LinkedIn is facing is a decline in organic reach. As the platform becomes more saturated, it is becoming increasingly difficult for users to get their content in front of their target audience. As a consequence, some users are now resigned to having to turn to paid advertising and sponsored content to reach their desired audience. The rise in remote work and freelancing This change in the dynamics of supply, with the advent of platforms such as Fiverr and Freelancer, is changing the way users interact with the platform. With more people working remotely and freelancing, there is a growing need for networking and collaboration tools that can help users connect and collaborate with others in a virtual environment. Conclusion  Overall, while LinkedIn is still an overwhelmingly valuable platform for professionals and job seekers, it is facing several challenges and changing usage trends that are impacting its popularity.  From its saturated and impersonal nature to its opaque algorithm and lack of user-generated content, LinkedIn is struggling to keep up with the changing demands of its users. Unless the platform addresses these issues and adapts to evolving needs, it may lose its relevance in the social media landscape. To remain appealing to users, LinkedIn will need to adapt to these trends and continue to provide value beyond job postings and recruitment. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Ultimate Guide to Effective Database Marketing Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-a-high-quality-marketing-database/ Published: 2023-05-09 Maintaining a high-quality marketing database is crucial for the success of any sales and marketing campaign. A clean and accurate pool of target contact data ensures that your messages reach the right audience. That, inevitably, helps to improve engagement rates. What’s more, it reduces wastage, drives down marketing costs, and ensures that the efforts of your sales team are focused, and more effective.  Check out our ultimate guide to effective database marketing: Don’t Miss the Bullseye Through Poor Targeting Large organisations may deploy teams of analysts to ensure that their data is valid and accurate. But, most organisations simply don’t have the resources to do this. And, human error is often the cause of data obsolescence. Data ages, yet companies sit with significantly out-of-date data sets in their CRM systems. Therefore, when it comes to marketing outreach, campaigns miss their intended target.  Data accuracy is perhaps not the most exciting subject in the world. Devising and running sales and marketing campaigns is much more interesting for most marketing and sales executives. However, data hygiene, and effective data management are crucial elements in the success of sales lead generation campaigns.  Tips to Improve Marketing Database Quality Data management is a discipline that needs to be adopted throughout your business. Systems, and tools, are only as good as the people that administer them. And, without data processes, and data rules, the old adage is true. Garbage in, Garbage out.  So, check out our tips below for some of the processes that you should put into practice to minimise B2B data obsolescence in your business.  Remove Duplicate Records: Duplicate records can clutter your database and lead to wasted resources. Use a data deduplication tool to identify and remove any duplicate records. Or, use an external provider to validate or enrich your data. Verify Contact Information: Verify the contact information of your database regularly to ensure it is accurate and up to date. You can use data enrichment tools to fill in missing information, and to update outdated records. Perform Periodic Data Cleanses: Whether you allocate internal resources to this, or use the services of an outsourced provider, keeping prospect and customer up-to-date should be part of a data ritual. Ideally, perform the activity annually. But, also ensure that staff that interact with the data understand their ongoing role in keeping it clean following every customer interaction.  Standardise Data Fields: Standardise the format of data fields in your database to prevent data entry errors and make it easier to search and segment your data. For example, standardised formats for names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Segment Your Database: Segmenting your database into smaller groups based on specific criteria can help you target your messages more effectively. For example, you can segment your database by industry, job title, company size, type of customer, by age, or geographic location amongst many other criteria. Tighter segmentation, and allocation of ownership of those records, means there’s less to go wrong.  Monitor Engagement: Monitor the engagement rates of your marketing campaigns and remove any inactive contacts from your database. This includes email bounces, job movers, new buyers, and so on. This will help to keep your database up to date and ensure that your messages are reaching a more engaged audience. There are plenty of ways to keep this up to date, including the use of LinkedIn, sales team input, email gone-aways and so on.  Keep Your Data Fresh: Data can quickly become outdated. There are so many variables that can degrade with time. So it's important to regularly refresh your database with new leads and fresh contacts. There are many different data tools on the market, or you can use lead generation platforms and providers to build up new leads, or purchase high-quality data from reputable vendors. Whilst some AI tools claim to massively improve the quality of data, caution should be the name of the game.  Employees are the Missing Link As suggested above, staff play a primary role in keeping data clean. Your employees play a crucial part in ensuring the accuracy and freshness of the data. Here are some ways that employees can help to keep your data fresh: Encourage Accurate Data Input: Your employees can help to keep your database up to date by encouraging better data input. They can gather contact information from customers and prospects and enter it into your database promptly. Make it a discipline that they’re encouraged to follow. Review Data Regularly: Your employees can review and update data fields regularly to ensure that information is accurate and up to date. For example, they can verify email addresses or update job titles as soon as they become aware of a change. Provide Feedback: Encourage your employees to provide feedback on the quality of the data in your marketing database. They may be able to identify patterns or errors that you haven't noticed and suggest ways to improve the quality of the data. Identify New Leads: Your staff can identify new leads and contacts that should be added to your marketing database. For example, they may meet current and/or potential customers at industry events or conferences. Either remotely, or when they’re back in the office, they can add the new contact information to your database. But, make sure they avoid duplication, and that they replace old records when they become aware of the change.  Use CRM Tools: Your employees can use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools to track customer interactions and update contact information as needed. This can help to ensure that your data is accurate and up to date. Train Your Team: Provide training to your employees on the importance of data accuracy and compliance, and  how to maintain a high-quality marketing database. This can help to ensure that everyone in your organisation is committed to keeping the data fresh. Inaccurate data is non-compliant, and damages campaign effectiveness, and customer credibility.  Conclusion By involving your employees in the process of keeping your marketing database up to date, you can ensure that your data is accurate and relevant. Encouraging input, providing regular feedback, and using data enhancement tools can help to maintain a high level of data quality and ultimately, lead to more successful marketing campaigns. By following these tips, you can improve the quality of your marketing database and ensure that your messages are reaching the right audience. A high-quality database can lead to increased engagement rates, more qualified leads, and ultimately, more revenue for your business. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 5 Essential Steps for New B2B Telemarketers to Succeed Quickly Source: https://telemarketing.blog/5-essential-steps-for-new-b2b-telemarketers-to-succeed-quickly/ Published: 2023-05-02 Businesses use telemarketing as an effective way to generate leads, increase sales, and build relationships with customers. However, finding good callers that represent the brand and the business appropriately isn't easy. Good telemarketers are in short supply. That’s possibly because becoming a successful telemarketer takes time, effort, and practice, and no shortage of determination. Some time ago, I wrote an article entitled ‘Are Telemarketers Born or Made?’ It was a serious question since some skills are intuitive and some are learned, and yet more are earned through hard graft.  So, in order for businesses to fast-track telemarketers, as far as possible, to success, below are my first five things a new telemarketer needs to do to become effective quickly: Set Clear Goals:  If you have no clarity of objective, it’s hard to see how you’ll deliver on the company’s sales targets. Measurement is essential. The best salespeople know their targets and organise their level of activity to hit them.  According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, individuals who set specific, challenging goals perform better than those who set vague or easy goals. The study also found that goal-oriented people performed on average 16.7% better than those that don't set goals. Setting goals can help you stay focused and motivated, increasing your chances of success.  Of course, most targets are set by the company. However, even if that's not the case, you still need them. So, make sure that you focus on the key inputs. That means the number of dials, dials per hour, decision-maker conversations, and number of desired outcomes. Your ratios are your friend when it comes to successful outbound calling. . Research your Prospects: Targeting, and audience definition, can make or break a campaign. You need a good, accurate list or you’ll fail to meet your targets.  A study by B2B Marketing Zone found that 61% of B2B marketers send personalised content based on their prospect's behaviour and interests. By researching your prospects, you can tailor your pitch to their needs, making it more relevant and effective. Prepare a Solid Script or Call Structure Whilst I am no fan of overly formulaic, scripted calls, according to a study by Velocify, having a script can increase call volume by 26%. This means that having a foundation for your call can help you make more calls and improve your chances of success. Your call structure should include a strong opening statement, a brief introduction, the purpose of your call, and a call-to-action. It’s important that this does not sound contrived. And, you must avoid tired old telemarketing intros that immediately flag you as an annoying cold-caller.  Practise your Approach: According to a study by Gong.io, the average talk-to-listen ratio of successful sales calls is 46:54. That’s in those scenarios where the caller does a good job. Sadly, I’ve heard calls where it’s 90:10. Such a call is doomed to failure.  This means that successful telemarketers need to listen more than they talk. That also means they need to get good at asking great questions that encourage the prospect to talk. By practising listening and questioning skills, you will become more confident, concise, and engaging, making it easier for you to listen and respond to your prospects' needs. Follow up:  Following up effectively is a crucial determinant of success. It’s an area that lets down many poor telemarketers.  According to a study by Marketing Donut, 80% of sales require five follow-up calls after the initial meeting. That’s in addition to the multiple calls, and other marketing stimuli, that succeed in getting the horse to water in the first place.  Following up with your prospects can help you build rapport, establish trust, and increase your chances of closing the sale. Your follow-up strategy should include a schedule, a clear purpose, and a call-to-action. Conclusion Sadly, success for a telemarketer can partly be a numbers game. Without making enough calls, there will be little chance of achieving a positive outcome. Yet, no amount of activity will work if the other factors above aren’t in place.  By following these five steps, you can become an effective telemarketer quickly. You’ll also more likely enjoy your role more. Remember that success takes time, so be patient, persistent, and open to learning and improving your skills. With dedication and practice, you can achieve your goals and build a successful career in telemarketing. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Boosting B2B Sales with Long-term Strategies Source: https://telemarketing.blog/why-b2b-companies-should-take-a-long-term-view-of-business-development/ Published: 2023-04-25 Frankly speaking, any investment in B2B marketing should be carefully considered. Organisations need to strike a balance between investing for sustained growth, and keeping costs under control to maintain the corporate bottom line. There is a bewildering choice of channels and marketing options. One route to market that remains popular is the use of telemarketing. But, is this method a quick fix? In this article, we explore why B2B Companies should take a long-term view of telemarketing, and for business development in general.  An Effective Way to Drive Sales B2B telemarketing campaigns can be a highly efficient way for businesses to generate leads, nurture relationships, and, ultimately, to drive sales. However, many companies make the mistake of taking a short-term view of their business development efforts, focusing only on the pressure to generate immediate results. Whilst, mostly, this is driven by corporate necessity, this means that they fail to recognise the long-term value of a well-executed campaign and often turn the tap off too soon.  To truly maximise the ROI of your lead generation campaigns, it’s essential to adopt a long-term perspective. Success rarely happens overnight. That’s especially the case where you want to land a big fish. This means focusing not just on the immediate urgency to generate leads, but also on the whole process from initial audience definition and segmentation, through to developing messaging and genuinely compelling calls to action, through to nurturing relationships over time, in order to build a strong sales pipeline. The Importance of Nurturing for Larger Contracts One key factor to consider is the value of the sale. While it may be tempting to focus on trying to generate quick wins, it’s important to remember that larger, more complex sales are harder to identify, involve more decision-makers, and usually require a longer sales cycle. There may be multiple points of entry. Reaching the right person is hard. Market penetration can require significant research and  groundwork before a door is unlocked.  Marketers talk about the need for multiple touchpoints. They point to the fact that it’s rare that a high-value prospect will simply shout hallelujah after the very first contact. Hence, multiple attempts to reach decision-makers tends to be the norm rather than the exception. That necessitates regular reach-outs, building relationships, and nurturing leads over time. This is generally how organisations win larger, more valuable contracts. When to Measure Payback While the immediate cost of any marketing campaign may be a concern, it’s important to remember that the return on investment can be significant, particularly over the lifetime value of a client. By allowing campaigns the time to ramp up and work, companies can develop a robust pipeline and stream of fresh leads that convert at different times.  Some leads will inevitably fall by the wayside. Quality will vary. Yet, by generating a steady stream of qualified opportunities, you can ensure a regular flow of new business. This results in achieving a much higher ROI than you would with a short-term, quick-fix approach that can fill the funnel with poor quality prospects due to the urgency to see results. . Leads Emerge at Different Speeds Profiling and segmentation are at the heart of any successful business development strategy. Target audiences can be fresh prospects in new sectors, They can include reviving lapsed customers, to exploring cross-selling and upselling opportunities with existing clients.  Opportunities may also come from inbound leads generated from advertising, social media, email or LinkedIn campaigns, where prospects express interest by requesting information or downloading a white paper. Equally, events can be a good source. Each type will have its own gestation period and will require different amounts of effort to get them over the line.   Building the Sales Funnel By taking a long-term approach to generating and managing these opportunities, you can ensure that this pipeline is managed effectively, and remains healthy.  One of the most important drivers of success for most sales teams is the value of the pipeline. The ultimate goal for most marketing campaigns is to generate high-quality leads that can be converted into sales either remotely or via a team of experienced sales professionals. However, generating leads is just the first step in the sales process. It’s crucial to nurture those leads as they move through the sales funnel. This is where a long-term approach to business development must come into play. By taking the time to build relationships with prospects, companies can increase the chances of converting them into customers. This process of lead nurturing requires a consistent ongoing effort, since it may take some time to see results.  Relationships that Lead to Sales Should companies focus more broadly on business development rather than simply chasing sales? It’s perhaps easy to say, especially when you aren’t under pressure to meet revenue targets. Yet, it is, to some extent, a mindset.  Account-based marketing is a common approach these days, especially within larger organisations.  While closing sales is undoubtedly the endgame, it is equally important to recognise that big ticket sales require a more consistent approach that takes into account the long-term goals of the company. By adopting this perspective, companies can focus on building relationships with clients and prospects, learning more about their needs and preferences, and developing a deeper understanding of the market. This can ultimately lead to a more efficient use of resources. But, it isn’t a short-term fix.  Building Reputation Takes Time In addition, when it comes to a long-term approach to lead nurturing, telemarketing can help companies build a strong reputation in the marketplace. Peer to peer outreach, and one to one personalisation means a deeper engagement is possible compared to other channels. Supplementing direct tactics such as telemarketing with content creation and distribution, webinars and other knowledge-based activity makes sense. These enhance awareness and boost credibility. And, opportunities that arise from inbound activity are, after all, generally more likely to convert quicker than pure cold outreach. By consistently delivering value to clients and prospects, companies can establish themselves as a trusted and reliable partner in their respective industries. When the time is right, this can help to attract new customers, and ultimately increase the value of those sales since there is less resistance in the early stages of the sales process. Consistency Manages Peaks and Troughs Unfortunately, companies can often take a stop-start approach to business development. Yet, filling the sales funnel isn’t as easy as flipping a switch. And, it’s dangerous to leave it too late since efforts to generate valuable sales opportunities often take time to come to fruition. Hence, a consistent approach is needed. That’s a valid argument regardless of the channel you use.  Having someone regularly reaching out to prospects and customers helps companies to weather the ups and downs of the market through having a bigger pool to fish in. To achieve that, it’s sensible to adopt an integrated approach using LinkedIn, email and phone to ensure that you maximise the value of every interaction.  Conclusion You don’t know when a prospect may be in the market for your goods and services. But, you’ll never know if you don’t contact them in the first place. You need to be visible and credible. Consistency in marketing  helps provide a more stable lead and revenue stream, and a higher ROI over the long term. Telemarketing is not the only option. However, it has been shown to be a valuable tool for some of the world’s largest companies (alongside smaller businesses)  looking to generate leads, close sales, and build strong client relationships.  Nevertheless, it is important to play the long game in order to maximise the value of campaigns. By focusing on ROI, and the lifetime value of sales, companies can build a more effective and sustainable strategy that delivers long-term results. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Sustainability: Leveraging Telemarketing for Increased Impact Source: https://telemarketing.blog/sustainability-leveraging-telemarketing-for-increased-impact-and-engagement/ Published: 2023-04-18 Telemarketing has long been a successful marketing channel for businesses looking to increase reach, generate awareness, stimulate leads, and to close deals. Traditional business sectors have been successfully using this form of marketing outreach for decades.  Despite the emergence of a whole sector devoted to sustainability, with a plethora of goods and services, it’s fair to say that telemarketing might still not be top of mind as a means to promote this new set of solutions.  Sectors and Issues Suitable for Net Zero Marketing However, if we take a look at some of the sectors and issues that organisations targeting Net Zero might deploy, there are certainly areas that lend themselves perfectly to this form of marketing. These include: Climate change and other sustainability consultancy Renewable energy provision Sustainable transportation Water conservation Waste reduction and management Sustainable food systems Corporate social responsibility and sustainable business practices Environmental education and awareness Green buildings and sustainable infrastructure Sustainable tourism Sustainable fashion and textiles An Effective Tool for Sustainable Business Promotion These examples are just a fraction of the many issues that require awareness, and solutions to be brought to the attention of both small and large businesses. As the number of sustainability personnel increases, with a corresponding need for products and services to achieve their goals, marketing outreach is becoming increasingly important in meeting these objectives. As telemarketing involves peer-to-peer promotion, it can serve as an effective tool for companies operating in the sustainability sector. With a growing awareness and concern about environmental issues, an increasing number of businesses are prioritising sustainability, and telemarketing can play a vital role in assisting them to achieve their objectives. Whether there's a requirement to generate B2B new business appointments, drive adoption, or simply to enhance awareness of a particular solution or offering, the human touch can often be the way route to achieving that outcome. Telemarketing for the Sustainability Sector: Applications. The sustainability sector covers a wide range of businesses, from eco-friendly products to sustainable energy solutions. Each type of business has unique challenges that can be addressed with the help of telemarketing. Below are some applications:: Green Products: Many companies in the sustainability sector offer eco-friendly products such as organic foods, green cleaning supplies, or biodegradable packaging. These businesses face a lot of competition from larger, more established brands. Telemarketing can help them stand out by reaching out to potential customers and explaining the benefits of their products. Sustainable Fashion: The fashion industry is one of the most polluting in the world, but sustainable fashion brands are trying to change that. These companies use eco-friendly materials, reduce waste, and pay fair wages to workers. However, many consumers are not aware of the environmental impact of fast fashion. Telemarketing can help these businesses by educating potential customers about the benefits of sustainable fashion and why it's important to support these brands. Renewable Energy: Renewable energy solutions such as solar panels and wind turbines are becoming increasingly popular as people become more aware of the need to reduce their carbon footprint. However, many businesses may not be aware of the financial and environmental benefits of switching to renewable energy. Telemarketing can help renewable energy companies reach out to potential customers and explain how they can save money on energy bills while also reducing their carbon footprint. Recycling and Waste Management: Waste management and recycling companies play a vital role in reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. These businesses often face challenges in educating businesses and consumers on proper waste management practices. Telemarketing can help these companies reach out to potential clients and explain how they can help them reduce their waste and recycle more effectively. Green Building: The construction industry is responsible for a large percentage of global carbon emissions. Green building companies offer solutions such as energy-efficient buildings, sustainable materials, and smart home technology. Telemarketing can help these companies educate potential clients on the benefits of green building and how it can help reduce their carbon footprint. Boosting Sustainability: How Telemarketing Can Help Companies Achieve their Environmental Goals. Raising Awareness: Telemarketing can be used to educate potential customers about the benefits of sustainable products and services. A telemarketer can highlight the importance of sustainability and how it can benefit the environment, society, and the business itself. By doing so, they can help businesses understand how they can contribute to a better future by making conscious choices about their operations. Generating Leads: Telemarketing is typically used to help companies identify potential customers interested in sustainable products and services. With the right approach, telemarketers can identify key decision-makers and create a list of potential leads. By providing information about sustainable products and services, telemarketers can then generate interest and make appointments for sales representatives. Conducting Surveys: Telemarketing can also be used to conduct surveys that help businesses gain insights into their customers' attitudes towards sustainability. With the right questions, telemarketers can determine what sustainable products and services customers are most interested in, what barriers they face when trying to make sustainable choices, and what motivates them to choose sustainable products and services. Providing Customer Support: Telemarketing can be used to provide customer support for sustainable products and services. By having a dedicated team to answer questions and provide guidance, businesses can ensure that customers have a positive experience with sustainable products and services. This can increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, sales. Conducting Follow-up: Follow-up is one of the most important elements in the sales process. This can be after discussions, or following receipt of a brochure. Or, it could even be after a sale is made. Telemarketing can be used to conduct follow-up calls to ensure that organisations optimise their lead generation. Calls can establish whether customers are satisfied with their purchase. It can be used to answer any questions they may have. This can improve customer satisfaction and increase the likelihood of repeat business. Personalisation: One of the biggest advantages of telemarketing is its ability to personalise interactions with potential and existing customers. With data analytics and customer relationship management (CRM) software, telemarketers can gather information about customers' preferences, behaviours, and pain points. This information can be used to personalise interactions, tailor products and services to customers' needs, and ultimately, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Statistics About The Rise of The Sustainability Sector According to a report by Forbes, consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, with 88% of consumers saying they want brands to help them be more environmentally and socially responsible. A study by Accenture found that 62% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products and services, and 72% of respondents said they would recommend a company that has a strong sustainability plan to others. A survey by Nielsen found that 81% of global respondents felt strongly that companies should help improve the environment. According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, companies that prioritise sustainability outperform their peers in terms of financial performance, with a 4.8% higher return on assets. Conclusion Whilst telemarketing certainly isn't the only available form of promotion, it can be a valuable tool for companies operating in the sustainability sector. With booming consumer demand for sustainable products and services, telemarketing can help businesses tap into this growing market. It can also enable sustainability managers to increase sales, maximise customer satisfaction, and build loyalty.  And, let's not forget that, certainly compared to means of sales where travelling from A to B is required, the use of telemarketing as a means of sales promotion, is itself pretty sustainable. ------------------------------------------------------------ # GSA Business Development Launches Revamped Website Source: https://telemarketing.blog/gsa-business-development-launches-revamped-website/ Published: 2023-04-13 We're excited to announce the launch of our revamped website! After months of hard work, we're thrilled to share our new online home with you. .  Our website has been completely redesigned to offer visitors an improved experience with more informative and engaging content than ever before. We understand that staying ahead of the game in today's fast-paced business world is more challenging than ever. That's why we've focused our website knowledge-based content, and service menu, on a number of key areas around business development and lead generation that are essential to success:  Lead Generation - This includes areas such as appointment-setting, b2b telemarketing, multilingual telemarketing, event telemarketing and customer care.,  Training - we offer telemarketing skills training to help your team get the most from their calls  Data management - Probably the most important success factor when it comes to lead generation. Get this right, and the other factors will fall into place.  Integrated Lead Generation - Taking a multi-channel approach to building your business.  Our new site is designed to help you elevate your knowledge and skills in these areas, so you can take your business to the next level. There is a wealth of resources and insights to help you stay up-to-date, and to make informed decisions. From blog posts to infographics, case studies to videos, we offer a variety of content to help you better understand the world of telemarketing, lead generation, and business development. We've also made it easy for you to get in touch with us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about our services. We're confident that our enhanced website will provide you with a better user experience and help you achieve your business goals. We’d love to know what you think. We welcome any feedback or suggestions you may have, as we're committed to continuously improving our website to better serve our clients. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to connecting with you soon! ------------------------------------------------------------ # Key Steps for Telemarketing Campaign Preparation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/key-steps-for-telemarketing-campaign-preparation/ Published: 2022-12-13 What are the Key Steps for Telemarketing Campaign Preparation? Not least with the potential risk of a looming recession, we are all under pressure to generate sales. We all want to see a sales pipeline full of the right kinds of leads. We need to get on enough PSL’s (preferred supplier lists) to drive growth, and to see enough prospective clients to stack the odds in our favour. Yet, in many businesses, a lack of momentum in the sales process scuppers business objectives. A past over-reliance on marketing activity to generate inbound leads means that sales personnel risk taking their foot off the gas in terms of the level of proactive activity needed to generate fresh business opportunities. That can be particularly damaging if business slows down.  More Activity is Required Does that sound familiar? Ultimately, companies need more activity to deliver more leads to fill the sales pipe. That’s not to say that any activity is good activity. There’s no point travelling down a road in the wrong direction. That situation is something that I believe many of us can relate to with our own sales teams. Let’s face it, business development is far from easy.  So, if outbound lead generation is on your agenda, this blog will provide a few pointers that should help when it comes to preparation for your sales campaigns using the telephone. You can also check out more tips that I use when providing telemarketing skills training. Planning for Calling When planning prospect calls, there are many things to consider. Even if your calls seem as plain and simple as any activity could get, it will still require a degree of preparation. A conversation with your perfect prospect that falls flat on its face is something every sales professional would like to avoid at all costs. And, no one wants to be perceived as the worst kind of insistent cold caller with poor technique that risks damaging your company reputation.  Yet, many telemarketers are ill-prepared, perceived as annoying and unprofessional, and they lose their way during calls. That’s because their planning and preparation are inadequate. Calling activity should be well orchestrated in advance and not left to chance.  Campaign plans should include: Strategy and approach Understanding the audience A good target list from which to call  A CRM set-up that facilitates quick and effective calling  A tailored approach including what to say Gatekeeper handling techniques Methods to handle objections  KPIs and measurement Goals for the call and the campaign overall It’s pretty unlikely that your prospective customers will jump into your arms straight away. They may have other priorities, incumbent suppliers, and they simply may not need what you offer.  So, here are the most important things to remember to prep before your calling campaign: Be Clear About Your Strategy? You need to think about your strategy ahead of time. It is certainly better than having to make things up on the spot. Lack of clarity regarding your campaign, not least related to your audience and your message will, almost certainly, lead to failure. Poor selection of prospect lists alongside an ill-conceived proposition definitely won’t lead to a full sales funnel.  If you’re uncertain regarding either of these elements, and you keep chopping and changing, your approach when on the phone won't sound as tight and compelling as you need it to be. That’s because most callers find it difficult to come up with effective messages and responses off the cuff. Consistency supports momentum and familiarity, which are both essential for productive call sessions.  Understanding the Audience Most sales teams would probably argue that they know their target audience. After all, they’re specialists in their field. They generally don’t lack experience. They keep up to date using trade magazines and other online resources, all the time. They’re constantly engaging with customers. They have had product training. Most understand what the proposition is and think they know how to sell it. Surely, therefore, it’s just a numbers game. There shouldn’t be anything else to it.  Yet, for many sales people, schooled in the old way of selling, the problem is that whilst they know all of the elements of what is required, how they put these together can impede successful selling. Ultimately, it is not so much about understanding the dynamics of a sector and grasping what your company offers. It is much more about identifying what challenges you solve for the customer and articulating these in terms of genuine benefits as opposed to features. Then, and only then, it’s about putting in the hard yards in order to reach, and engage with, your audience.  Build a Good Target List Identifying the companies that are going to be most receptive to your product/service seems simple and logical. Yet, when you purchase a list from a list broker/owner, or compile your own database, remember, no list is perfect. The data is only as accurate as of the date the information was gathered and/or last verified. This may mean you will have an element of data cleansing/validation in advance of or during your calls. If your target decision-maker role is niche, those job titles may not be found on most data broker lists. This may result in additional work to identify and isolate the right person. Rather than slowing the calling down by being blocked by no name policies, or through needing to Google or go on LinkedIn, it makes sense to factor data cleansing into your prep time. There’s nothing worse than planning to spend seven hours prospecting to generate interest in your next product launch/seminar when in actual fact you need to spend 60% of those hours researching the correct names. A CRM System to Supports Callers You need your callers to be productive. Anything that slows them down will reduce their outcomes. If telemarketers need to use multiple screens (or heaven forbid, spreadsheets) to find and record information, this will reduce their productivity.  Call speed and throughput will plummet when workflow isn’t built into your systems. Ideally, everything should be on one page. It should be intuitive and enable callers to prioritise calls and to schedule follow-ups with ease.  Whilst an investment in a good CRM may be something that is a considered purchase, if calling is a key part of your marketing outreach, these will be funds well invested.  Decide in Advance What to Say Having something to help you crystallise the message you are going to deliver to prospects is critical to the success of your telemarketing campaign. Different sectors, and different roles, have different  motivations. You need to be able to adapt your stance to what drives their purchase behaviours. An FD and an MD will have different needs to the Marketing Director. This needs to be reflected in messaging.  I am not a fan of scripts. I find them stiff and robotic. However, even if you have to streamline your opening statements to a certain extent, this will help you ensure you don’t beat around the bush, and that you have something succinct and compelling to say. If your opening gambit fails to cover the “what’s in it for me” concern, then save your breath and don’t say it. Don’t be Surprised by Gatekeepers It should not come as a surprise that you will encounter gatekeepers. The higher up you go in terms of company size and decision-maker role, the more of them you will meet. We’ve talked about planning what you will say to the decision-maker. The same should apply to the gatekeepers whose aim is often to block you. So, have something up your sleeve that will help you overcome these roadblocks. You can check out some gatekeeper techniques here. Keep control, don’t make your pitch to someone that is not equipped to make a decision or buy from you. Your aim should be to get through to the person who writes the cheques!  Don’t Let Objections Stop You Objections are a fact of life for those using the phone as a means of building their sales pipeline. As a consequence, like the other elements in this blog, you need to plan for them. Some objections are obvious. The fact that they are currently supplied by a competitor shouldn’t be a shock.  Many prospects will have other priorities. Budgets are tight.  Brainstorming typical objections and planning for these, and other typical blocks, will ensure that your team improves its hit rate when it comes to dealing with inevitable barriers to doing business.  The Importance of KPIs Ratios are important when it comes to improving the success of your outbound calls. Benchmarks enable you to measure and compare performance. Your company has objectives and targets to hit. It’s likely that every manager and employee has core objectives. The same applies to telemarketing. Work out your statistics and work to improve them.  Typical top-line measurements, for which you can establish ratios, include: Number of calls over a given timeframe Decision-maker contacts Leads created Your business may have additional KPIs and it's important to keep track of how each member of the sales team performs against your historic benchmark and against the expectations for the specific campaign.  Have a Goal in Mind You need to know where you are going with your call. When running training, I hear so many calls that meander with no outcome in sight. At the end of the call, they just evaporate. There is no basis for follow up.  Most of us live in a goal-oriented world. That’s particularly the case for sales people. Qualification is essential since not every lead will fit your criteria and not every prospect will have the funds to purchase your products or services. Many won’t be in the market at the time of your call and will require a call-back.  Therefore, whether the objective is to establish a future need alongside an agreed date to call back, or an immediate demo or lead based on your chosen profiling criteria, you need to have a goal in mind. Without one, your prospect bank will shrink to nothing.  Without campaign preparation at management level, callers will be left to their own devices and will often flounder. Clarity of direction is essential and business that use the telephone as part of their business development must provide the best possible environment for the campaign to succeed  ------------------------------------------------------------ # Show Customers you Care: Sell More Source: https://telemarketing.blog/show-customers-you-care-sell-more/ Published: 2022-11-15 It may or may not surprise you, but your potential customers have lots on their minds. They are busy. They have deadlines to meet. They have budgets and people to manage. Priorities dictate their working patterns. And, they ideally want an easy life.   As a consequence, customers don’t really care about you or your company. They are unmoved by your products and services. You may have the best solution on the market, and have outstanding customer service and reviews, yet your prospects, and even current clients, are only really interested in one thing; themselves. Their interest is primarily focused on their day job. In other words, on their challenges; their profitability; their projects; their staff issues; and getting their job done.  Responsibilities Get in the Way We all have daily priorities. Our working hours are taken up with fulfilling the tasks associated with the role we have in the organisation. That’s what is uppermost in our mind. That may include solving problems that your business is uniquely positioned to alleviate. However, sometimes those issues take second or third place to other more pressing challenges. It also may perhaps be the case that, despite the fact that your target decision-maker would ‘like’ to initiate a new project or purchase a particular product, a lack of time, budget or bandwidth prevents them from doing so. Sales People Don’t Understand Customers And then you come along, disrupting their flow and interrupting their day. Whether it is during a face-to-face meeting or a Zoom call, quickly and genuinely demonstrating that you understand their challenges, and empathising with their plight is paramount.  Yet, many sales people are at risk of turning off prospective new clients right from the beginning of the conversation. They talk at them, seemingly being only interested in their products and services. They fire a long list of things they do at their prospects. They love the sound of their own voice and spend a woefully inadequate amount of time listening.  Many sales personnel may claim that's not the case. However, sadly, their actions demonstrate otherwise. If you’ve ever found yourself in a sales meeting endlessly talking’, however enthusiastically, about your products and/or services, this could be you.  Customers are Interested in What Affects Them  Ultimately, it isn’t what you sell that resonates with customers. It's what your solutions can do for them. Despite this, so many salespeople insist on trying to ram their solutions down customer throats.  From the standpoint of making a telemarketing call, let’s illustrate what we mean.  "Hi, I'm Jonathan. I'm calling from GSA. We're a telemarketing company. We do outbound calling for a wide range of customers, and we'd love to talk to you about your lead generation and see if you have any projects with which we could help."  If I received that call, it wouldn't last very long. What about the customer? What about their problems? This poor introduction to a sales call is uninteresting, only focusing on the seller’s interests not those of the buyer. Yet, I routinely hear this kind of approach when running training courses for clients.  No one Cares What you Know Until they Know you Care It’s maybe going too far to say that it’s always possible to gain the time from your prospects to chat about what’s going on in their world and what’s ailing them. However, some degree of rapport-building and empathy is essential in every interaction whether you’re on the phone or at a meeting.  Given that, on the telephone, the time you have to make a good first impression is restricted, a better way perhaps of doing that same call might be to lead with something such as:  "Hi, I'm Jonathan from GSA. I don’t know if it's relevant for you, but we're doing a lot of work with companies like X, Y, Z, who are struggling to generate qualified sales leads for their business. Have you got a second to talk?"  Naturally, it won't work every time because some people are just not in the market. Equally, there will be gatekeeper blocks, out of office, no name policies and many other roadblocks to contend with. There’s also a lot more to this. And, you need to be prepared for either a positive or a negative response to the question at the end.  Equally, some might disagree on the precise words and/or approach used. So, it's far from perfect. However, the point is that you should stop talking about features, in other words, what you do, and start talking about benefits, i.e. what you can do for them. That will help you build rapport and sell more.  Do you Know What Your Customers Care About?  To maximise the impact of the above, you need to be well-informed. What you say needs to have relevance. And, the only way to be relevant is to understand your customers’ world.  Are you aware of what's going on in their marketplace? Do you know what upcoming changes might affect their business? If you don’t know, go and find out.  Factors could be environmental, political, economic, financial, or even legal. And whilst you don't need to be an expert in every area, a better understanding will help you engage more with your customers, and show them that you care. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Focus on Customer Pain – Build your Sales Source: https://telemarketing.blog/focus-on-customer-pain-build-your-sales/ Published: 2022-11-15 > Learn how understanding customer pain drives buying decisions. Recognise when prospects are ready to act and close more deals through targeted telesales. Do you find that potential customers spend way too much time sitting on the fence, not making a decision? Do they also ghost you after initial communication? And, after a period of inactivity, do some suddenly respond just to say that the project has been cancelled or delayed?  Simply put, it’s probably that the project you discussed is not a sufficient priority. Your potential customer may just have been putting the feelers out. They may have had an idea for a project, or an opportunity or issue arose that subsequently disappeared. Budget may not have been approved or funds may have been withdrawn.  There are plenty of reasons why projects don’t go ahead. On one hand, you can just accept this and move on. Or, you can perhaps consider where you went wrong.  Understand Prospect Pain  Fundamentally, a prospect is unlikely to commission a new initiative if there isn’t a compelling reason to do so. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, there may be some spare budget at year-end that prospective customers use to take advantage of new opportunities. Perhaps there’s a major new launch. There are always reasons why action is required. Yet, often, inertia sets in if the need isn’t pressing. And, lead generation can become extremely frustrating.  We discussed this, to some extent, in this video on whether customers are lazy and stupid! On a slightly different tack, we also explored the 4 reasons why customers won’t buy from you.  Ultimately, not every customer will buy. Not every prospect is genuinely in the buying cycle. One thing is for certain though. The more pain they are experiencing, the more likely they are to do something about it. That’s where you and your services come in.  A Useful Analogy Imagine a situation where you've got a really painful abscess in your mouth that’s pressing on your nerve. What would you do? You can't sleep, you can't eat, you can't think. You need it removed fast. As it happens, there are two local dentists, both of which advertise regularly in the local media. They're both offering £3500 promotions. The first is for abscess removal. The other is for the creation of a Hollywood smile.   Which of those two will you choose? Of course, it’s obvious. You’re not in the market for teeth whitening at the moment. Rather, you need to solve your painful problem fast? Even if there was no promotion on offer, you’d still be pretty motivated to get rid of the pain, almost at any cost.  To some extent, business is just the same. The wrong proposition to the wrong audience will fail every time, especially at the wrong time. And customers are more likely to buy from you when they're in pain, when they have challenges that they need to resolve. Understand Client Triggers Work out what pains you alleviate for your customers. It could be a production line that's bound to break down if they don't get something fixed, or some roadblock that's intrinsic to their business that they need to remove.  What market triggers are creating discomfort? There are lots of historic examples in every sector. Many of us remember Y2K and the Millennium bug. More recently, we’ve had GDPR data protection implementation, or in financial services with KYC compliance. Currently it's Net Zero implementation.  There are likely to be lots of situations in the market with which your customers will need to deal. They will regularly need to accommodate change. How can you align your products and services to those stimuli? And, what can you do to identify those drivers of action in the first place? The simple answer is research but also it’s about being in regular contact and posing good questions. Ask your customers about their business. Find out what ails them and you'll be much better positioned to sell to them. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Prospecting vs Nurturing – What’s Best for Your Business? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/prospecting-vs-nurturing/ Published: 2022-11-15 > Find out why retaining customers costs four to five times less than acquiring new ones. Learn how to balance prospecting with nurturing for better profit Pretty much everyone knows that the cost of acquiring a new customer is four to five times higher than retaining an existing one. It’s fair to say, therefore, that nurturing your existing client base is a powerful way to enhance your sales and your bottom-line profit.  It’s also probable that existing customers will be more likely to buy from you on an ongoing basis, and they’re more likely to welcome new product launches. They provide upsell and cross-sell opportunities that are usually not present during the prospecting cycle.  Chasing New Business Yet with more than 20 years experience in the business development world, I can reliably say that very few of our clients really focus on nurturing customers. They may feel that their sales team does an effective job at managing client relationships. But, the problem is that sales personnel are busy. And, incoming leads and fresh opportunities demand immediate attention. What's more, customers that shout loudest usually take the lion’s share of internal resources.  Therefore, things can slip through the net.  Equally, few companies can survive without new business. So, it’s understandable that significant time is allocated to sourcing new leads and generating new business. That’s especially true when you see a significant degree of customer attrition or where much of your revenue comes from one-off purchases. .  As a consequence, it’s possible that a disproportionate amount of energy goes into chasing new business as opposed to cultivating opportunities with customers at hand. That doesn't mean that businesses ignore their best customers, rather they miss opportunities with those on the fringes.  Customers on the Fringes Many organisations can point at a relatively large pool of clients over time. This includes big customers, ones that order periodically, and ones that may have last ordered some time ago. The database often also includes customers that may have lapsed, and certainly ones that are inevitably in the process of speaking to competitors.  Things change fast in business. Unless concerted efforts are made to keep in regular contact, it’s impossible to know when fresh requirements pop up. It’s also hard to keep on top of client changes both in terms of personnel and in terms of their specific business needs. Companies only have limited resources. What's the best route to Growth?  Mostly, our client work consists of cold outreach to a new audience of target prospects. You might wonder what the problem is with that since there are very few businesses that genuinely don't need new business alongside client retention.  One option should not negate the other. However, prospecting is harder than nurturing. And a lot of work needs to go into effective lead generation when it comes to unearthing fresh prospects. So, whilst outreach for new business may need to be on your agenda, it also makes sense to consider alternatives. This is where nurturing is essential.  Change is Constant Buyers come and go. Many companies have large databases and it's impossible to keep track of the comings and goings in every client business. Things change. Organisations grow and contract. As a consequence, it's essential to be well placed when opportunities arise, but that's hard to do when it's 18 months since you were last in touch, and that contact was just via an email or a newsletter. In addition, the larger your customer database, the harder the task.  It's natural to focus on large accounts. Therefore, some potentially valuable, but smaller, customers can feel neglected and slip through the net. Many may be at risk of deserting to competitors who tempt them with offers. And, relationships often die with personnel changes. What's more, it’s an impossible task to track when buyers change.  Unfortunately, those situations lead to a weakening of the relationship and that leads to attrition. Without reasonably frequent contact, it's probable you'll miss opportunities to do more business. Peer to peer interaction is what's needed, and that means a call or a visit. So what's the solution?  The Answer Lies in Client Data  The best approach is to take a good look at the data sitting in your systems to ensure that you've got accurate contact details. Whilst you don't need to write a book on every company, profiling by sector, number of employees, size, past spend, types of products or services purchased, and other key parameters will help you assess their potential, and then you can work out a segmented approach.  You need to construct a plan for how to approach and nurture these targets. If you've got limited internal resources the temptation might be to send an email again. If these are low value customers and you can establish that there really isn’t more potential,  it might be the best way to do it. Yet the most sensible option is often a call to qualify them, to check that the decision-makers are still there, to ascertain their needs, and to develop the relationship.  If you don't have the staff to do the exercise in a reasonable timeframe, maybe consider an outsourced solution to take the task in hand and to provide the output seamlessly and swiftly. Ultimately, any cost associated with nurturing exercises should be set against the opportunity cost of not doing it. That's to say setting the cost of losing clients to competitors against the revenue that can be generated by timely customer care calls. In the end analysis, if you believe there may be big potential lurking in your unloved customer database, take time to run a customer nurturing campaign. You will definitely see the benefits. ------------------------------------------------------------ # What is Telemarketing? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/what-is-telemarketing/ Published: 2022-11-15 Some people get confused when they hear the term telemarketing. Or, they don’t know they’re confused. That's because it is often lumped together with cold calling or telesales, and it just isn't the same.  So, what is telemarketing? And, how does it differ from other ways of using the phone to generate business?  What type of Selling do you do?  First and foremost, we need to consider where in the sales cycle the phone is used. Businesses have multiple objectives with both prospects and customers. They may need to: Make customer care or customer service calls to unearth new opportunities to do business Enable cross-sell and upsell to existing, lower spending clients Contact lapsed customers for resuscitation  Invite prospects and/or customers to a webinar, conference or round table event Follow-up exhibition or event attendees Schedule a demo  Contacting a cold prospect list to drum up interest for a product or service    There are plenty more. The telephone can be used to satisfy a number of different objectives. Sometimes, the start point is cold and sometimes it’s warm.  If you have a large database of contacts that you struggle to reach via other channels, picking up the phone at the right time just might generate a new stream of sales. Consultative Selling or Just Selling?  In some ways, it's the difference between solving a problem for a business and selling a product to a business. We view this form of business development as a marketing channel that facilitates the process of selling, not just the selling process alone.  Wikipedia tells us that it is a method of direct marketing in which a salesperson solicits prospective customers. But to me, that sounds quite mercenary.  In our opinion, it is a process in itself, and it's a part of the marketing toolkit that should be integrated with other channels to market. The point is that customers rarely go from a no (or zero awareness) to a yes in a single call. And it's equally unusual to simply identify a list of all the potential customers that are ready to commission projects, whatever the field. There’s much more work to do.  Warming Prospects up  Typically, prospects require some warming up. We might get lucky with the right timing, and it may be that a good caller can stimulate an interest that was latent. However, normally, a combination of calls and other marketing touchpoints over time will achieve the best outcome.  Perhaps a range of outbound direct marketing including mailers, emails, invitations to events, a webinar, coupled with a call or a series of calls, will do the job. In addition, inbound marketing supports sales goals. Content, in the form of videos and blogs, white papers and the like, can really enhance brand awareness, perception and brand credibility for the time when the shortlisting process begins. So a call now may not bear fruit, but it may result in an email or adding the prospect to an email database.  The First Call is Just the Start  The initial conversation may in turn, identify a future project or need that paves the way for a warmer call further down the line when the time is right or contract renewal is due. So it's not just about the phone call. Phone-based outreach can be effective in helping organisations to build target lists through data validation, for example.  This could simply be through address checking or contact building or through telephone research. We can also have pre-sales calls to establish interest and qualify leads in or out of the sales funnel. This form of marketing can equally drive immediate revenue by unearthing hot leads or opportunities to do business. It can also contribute to the overall marketing effort by increasing the number of email sign-ups for a monthly newsletter, for example.  Depth of Qualification The use of the phone can, without doubt, enhance the depth of qualification that can be achieved amongst your target prospect audience. Its use enables sellers to profile prospects much more tightly and stimulate the nature of leads your business requires.  The type, and quality, of lead you require may vary. As suggested above, a lead could range from a demo to an on site audit to a zoom call to an event invitation, all the way through to a F2F appointment to explore options. Of course, the phone can be used to actually close the sale at an appropriate time.  Ultimately, the approach and use is determined by a number of factors including your budget and the level of activity.  Make a Warm Call not a Cold One In an ideal world, telemarketing shouldn't be considered in isolation. It should be part of your overall marketing mix alongside the other activities that drive leads into your business. If you can make a call following up a warm prospect that filled out a contact form on your website indicating interest, that approach is likely to be far more productive than a pure cold call. Likewise, calls to existing clients will be more welcome than fresh calls to businesses that have never heard of you.  So, perhaps it isn't quite as straightforward as it seems. What is certain is that the more tightly you can define your requirements, the more likely you are to achieve your goals.   ------------------------------------------------------------ # What is Lead Generation? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/what-is-lead-generation/ Published: 2022-09-20 In many ways, what represents B2B lead generation is best defined by the decision-maker in an organisation who wants to generate sales leads. The simple reason for this is that leads come in all shapes and sizes and the depth of qualification required also varies depending on: The stage is the sales cycle The requirements of the business The role of the sales team In some respects, we should also split the definition into a definition for a lead and also for the tasks required to generate that lead. What do we mean by that? What is a lead? Our core business is lead generation. Yet, client requirements vary widely in terms of what they expect from us. Some clients thin of a lead as an accurate piece of data that contains one or all of the following: Company name Company address Contact name(s) for the desired function(s) Job title Email address (direct or derived but usually not generic such as info@) Phone number (ideally direct line or mobile but at least the company number) LinkedIn profile and URL These ‘leads’ may also be based on a profile or set of criteria. These include location (postcode, town, country, region), size (employee numbers or turnover or both), sector and so on. The aim of providing these kinds of leads is to allow the marketing and sales teams, usually within a business, to target them using one or more channels. In essence, what we’re talking about here is a set of refined data for marketing. At this stage, it is only profiled but not qualified. We will deal with that later. Hence, this is a data building or data validation exercise and not pure sales activity. Nevertheless, it still adds value since it removes wastage from the sales and marketing process. Qualified leads The next level up from the above is a qualified lead. Once again, there are numerous levels. The deeper the qualification, the more difficult it is to unearth the lead. Some organisations demand BANT qualification. This is deep qualification that usually needs to be done over a phone call but could feasibly be the result of gated content whereby the recipient of a white paper or report can only gain access by answering a specific set of questions. These include their budget, level of authority, requirements and the timeframe. For some companies, lighter qualification works too. It allows them to start to nurture the relationship in advance of the prospect being ready to buy. It still may require either face to face or phone interaction such as at an event or following a webinar. The lead may not be hot but the organisation may be relevant and regular communication over time may lead to an opportunity. Lead generation methods Marketing is often tasked with the process of identifying and converting leads into something with which the sales team can work. There are almost too many channels and methods to list here. Yet, once again, we need to consider the level of warmth when it comes to what constitutes value in the process. Some of the most common methods include: Events - exhibitions, conferences, round-tables, webinars, seminars etc Content marketing - using white papers, reports and thought-pieces to drive downloads Social media content distribution - once again to drive enquiries and downloads Email marketing - to targets on your CRM database or beyond Telemarketing - allowing a deeper level of qualification to move the led closer to BANT SEO - with the aim to encourage leads onto your website Pay-Per-Click - either Google or other sources to drive lead using keywords LinkedIn ads or sponsored content - to a focused landing page where there may be gated content and an enquiry form Influencer marketing - reaching out to those that carry weight in your sector Sponsorship - generating visibility and credibility that could result in greater interest in your products and services Naturally, the list can be expanded enormously. We should ignore marketing to past or lapsed clients. Newsletters sometimes play a role. Syndicated content and native advertising can be relevant. Partnering with other organisations to cross-promote can be beneficial. Budget, accessibility and triggers Ultimately, the budget for your exercise and the accessibility of your target audience will drive the choice of method and channel. Your level of exiting awareness and whether what you offer is a hot topic will also play a part in your decision. Relatively recent examples of this could be GDPR, Net Zero, KYC in financial services. Finding a valid trigger will definitely assist you in increasing the number of leads into your business. Different target roles behave differently in terms of how you might reach them. The higher the seniority, the more elusive they will be and they will be less likely to respond to any marketing. And, we shouldn’t forget that, whilst these decision-makers may sign the cheque, they may not experience the immediate pain that prompts the search for a new supplier. Hence, identifying influencers within an organisation with whom you can engage is also a key part of the sales process and could equally construe a valid lead. Conclusion Of course, we could stick with a simplistic view and use the Oxford Dictionary definition which states that it is the action or process of identifying and cultivating potential customers for a business's products or services. Yet, there’s so much more to it and that’s not least why so many businesses operate within this space. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why Telemarketing is the secret weapon for your events Source: https://telemarketing.blog/why-telemarketing-is-the-secret-weapon-for-your-events/ Published: 2022-08-22 https://youtu.be/v_z1GqrEFDk It seems like telemarketing has been around forever. It has been called many things such as cold calling, telesales, prospecting, tele calling and a few other derivatives. Ultimately, though, it involves a caller picking up the phone to reach out to another individual with the intention of, ultimately, selling something.  Outbound calling gets a bad name Yet, to simplify telemarketing in that way does it a big disservice. This makes the assumption that it is a short-term sales pitch, and that the seller is not interested in the buyer at all. That approach is the worst type of selling and it's what has earned outbound calling a bad name over many years. Effective B2B telemarketers, that are the highest achievers, don’t operate that way. They demonstrate genuine interest in their prospects and are adept at asking excellent questions, listening and sharing information.  A good caller understands that prospecting is a two-way exchange. It isn’t a sales pitch. It’s essential that the recipient of the call feels valued. The caller needs to build rapport very swiftly or the likelihood is that the phone will go down early in the call.  Using events as a trigger Having a reason for your call is essential and events are an excellent way to start to build a level of engagement. There are several types that benefit from telephone contact to either encourage attendance or to follow up the day.  Exhibitions where your company exhibits, attends or speaks Conferences Webinars Seminars Round-tables Workshops  Each of the above has a different style and objective, but usually, the overall aim is the same. The purpose is to generate interest in the types of products and services that you offer. This could lead to short-term sales or longer-term engagement that leads to a future opportunity.  Some are opportunities to sell from a stand whereas others are more about knowledge-sharing. Regardless of the nature of your particular event, the ideal situation is to encourage a steady stream of relevant potential buyers to engage with your sales personnel.  Where do exhibitors go wrong? Whilst it is entirely logical to feel that it is the exhibition organisers’ role to generate attendance at large exhibitions, that isn’t the whole story. You should not rely on this since you don’t always know the profile of attendees and you can't guarantee that they will swing by your stand.  For webinars, round-tables, or workshops that your company organises, you don’t have the luxury to rely on the organisers to drive attendance. Hence, you need to pull out all the stops to make sure you have high levels of attendance.  Visibility is key Whether you ensure your stand is well-placed or place an advert in the show brochure or you provide some eye-catching gimmick on your stand to attract attention, you need to be visible. And, if you need attendees for a webinar or seminar, and these include prospects as opposed to customers, you need sufficient marketing activity to generate the required number of delegates.  For customer events, it may be easier, all the while accepting that customers are busy, often need to travel and will only attend if it is relevant and interesting.  Timing is essential  With busy calendars, and inevitable drop-outs, timing is key. Usually, it helps to allow 6-8 weeks ahead of the day to kick-start your marketing activity. If you can allow for more, all the better. And, if you run several sessions throughout the year, it helps to offer choice in case your customer cannot attend on a specific date.  Plan your outreach  How are you going to get bums on seats? And, how are you going to maximise the value of your investment? Essentially, there are three elements to this, namely: Before  During  After It’s pretty obvious really. One would hope that a schedule of activity includes a number of marketing tools across all three timeframes. Once again, this depends on the nature of the activity. Pre-show offers, presence on the show website, and activities on your stand all support engagement and data capture. Ultimately, you want to reel in as many targeted prospects as possible.  Email outreach is often a core part of most activities in advance of whichever form of event you’re running or in which you are participating. Naturally, success rates will depend on the relevance of the agenda, and on the quality of data used for marketing outreach.  Nurturing using some form of automation is also important in addition to regular reminders ahead of the day.  Direct messaging is important Getting in front of as many targeted audiences is vital. Some of this will come from staff engagement with customers, from newsletters, LinkedIn posts and other methods. However, the level of investment on events is usually significant. Hence, the more outreach you can generate the better in order to maximise the ROI.  That's why we always encourage the use of LinkedIn direct messaging. If you have Sales Navigator, that allows you to build lists for targeting. You can also reach out using InMail, via groups and by connecting and messaging the right audiences.  Why is the phone your secret weapon? Telemarketing is hardly new. Yet, perhaps the most overlooked aspect to its use for events is its ability to laser target individual prospects. That’s not to say you can guarantee to speak to everyone you call. However, if you understand your audience, it’s likely that you can build a robust target list of the right kinds of prospects for your business. And, alongside email marketing and LinkedIn, you can reach out to precisely the right individuals to encourage them to attend.  The specific strategy will differ depending on the nature of the activity whether it’s an exhibition, webinar, conference or whatever. Yet, what’s certain is that you can tailor messages and create a positive impression of your business even if they aren’t ultimately able to attend. Engaging with prospects and customers for something that is relevant, timely and interesting is one of the best methods of lead generation. What’s more, the higher the value of what you sell, the more important it is to get in front of the right people and that’s where human contact is vital in the sales process.  Remember the ‘before and after’ As indicated above, it’s important to reach out in advance of the day to encourage attendance. But, it’s even more crucial to follow-up straight after the event as soon as possible. And, that means days not weeks. If you’re fortunate enough to generate a good number of leads, these prospects will go cold very quickly if you don’t call them in the few days after you’ve met them. Other priorities kick in. Interest can cool. You also need to filter genuine prospects from those just wasting your time.  If your sales team has the bandwidth to make those initial calls, that’s great. However, it’s often not the first or second call that counts. It’s the ongoing management of this important sales lead pipeline that matters. Further prospect qualification following the event is important. Calling back at the right time is essential. That could include those calls that take place weeks and months afterwards.  Don’t allow lack of follow-up to damage the value of all of your hard work and effort.  Ultimately, the time devoted to making sure that no prospect or customer is left hanging after this potentially expensive form of marketing activity is a worthwhile investment. And, usually, it’s best accomplished by picking up the phone and not relying on email automation to do the job.    ------------------------------------------------------------ # Flexible B2B Lead Generation is the Answer to recession Source: https://telemarketing.blog/why-flexible-b2b-lead-generation-is-the-answer-if-we-have-a-uk-recession/ Published: 2022-08-15   Many organisations have technical products, skills and services upon which their clients rely. They offer solutions that ensure that their customers can run their business effectively. Often, companies have skilled personnel that are product or solutions specialists. However, it’s perhaps rare to find product experts that are also proficient in sales lead generation.  We’re talking here about skilled lead generators that can unearth prospects. To distort a well-known phrase, these knowledgeable executives know how to make the horse drink but they can’t find the horse and lead it to water. Sales People are expensive Of course, that’s perhaps both underestimating the value of some salespeople and overplaying the capability to sell amongst other managers and directors. Sales personnel are regularly the most costly resource because they deliver oil to the engine that keeps the wheels turning. Ultimately, without sales lead generation, most businesses will flounder. Yet, recruiting and retaining good people for sales roles is both challenging and expensive. Scrutinising productivity is essential Yet, when times are hard, businesses must take a close look at internal overhead. Productivity comes under pressure and, frankly, it gets tougher to generate new business. That’s where customer retention is crucial, not least because it’s generally cheaper, and more profitable, to keep a current customer than to locate and convert a new one. Senior executives know how to convert Account managers, product managers, directors and business owners are experts in what they do. They have a strong understanding of the benefits of what the business offers. They can solve clients’ problems. They’re pretty good at that. Unfortunately, the most common comment we hear is ‘once we’re in front of a prospect, we’re fine. The problem is the lead generation part’. Flexibility is the answer Of course, removing all sales lead generation is a dangerous game. However, flexibility becomes more important. Do you need a full-time resource? Do you need to absorb costs such as national insurance, pension, holiday and sick pay? And, is there a way to fragment the process of sales lead generation to make it work effectively when costs are under scrutiny? Significantly enhanced productivity in the sales process It sounds like this is a big play for outsourcing and it is. I do a lot of telemarketing skills training. I have trained hundreds of in-house telemarketers, and sales teams. Part of this training is an evaluation of productivity. Simply, I analyse the productivity of those involved in generating leads, especially through telemarketing outreach.  What I find is the following: Typically, the difficult task is lead generation while those involved in running the business are generally confident in their ability to convert the leads Call rates for in-house telemarketers are woefully inadequate. I see rates of perhaps 4-8 calls per hour, made on a sporadic basis even when there is no other lead generation activity to mitigate this. Note: We task our team to achieve 12-20 calls per hour for high quality lead generation. And, that’s every hour worked! Internal calling systems are usually inadequate since they are not configured for quick and effective sales outreach Data selection and quality, for targeting, is poor, leading to poor results Amongst senior sales personnel, there is always a promise of future business but it often doesn’t materialise It’s cheaper to have in-house telesales One argument we often hear is that ‘we can hire someone internally much cheaper.’ That’s a comment that is also worthy of further analysis. It is usually true that a business can hire a member of staff to do the ‘farming’ so to speak for a lower initial hourly rate than an agency. However, that’s not the full picture. Is it really a like for like comparison? We need to make a few observations and ask a few questions. For example: What are the recruitment costs? How long do they stay, potentially necessitating further recruitment costs? How much investment in internal time goes into getting them up to speed? What internal resources are absorbed to train and manage them on an ongoing basis? What systems investment is needed? How qualified are the callers? Naturally, the more skilled, the higher the cost. What about holidays, sick pay, national insurance and auto-enrolment costs? And, most of all, what is the productivity? With an agency, you should get account management as standard. Systems are built for workflow and high productivity. KPI reporting should be daily. Reviews should be weekly. And, if it’s not working you can stop! Are employees on payroll always the answer? Simply put, some business owners and boards of directors are wedded to the idea of having internal personnel. The argument is that they are closer to the business. The theory is that they should build a deeper understanding of the business and be at hand for any requirements. However, the flip-side is that they are less flexible. They also may be absorbing costs that are not necessary if the process were to be configured differently. Lead generation isn’t just an internal skill Lead generation is a specialist service. And, I’m not just talking about the telesales / telemarketing aspect of outbound calling. Product knowledge can be acquired. Key parts of the process include market segmentation and profiling, strategy, database building, reporting and KPI and performance management. There’s a whole host of things that go into a successful lead generation campaign in which internal management may not be capable and/or have the time to handle.  Managing overhead is crucial Of course, it would be naive, and incorrect, to suggest that every in-house sales resource is a waste of money. That’s not true. Yet, there is an argument that it makes sense to use flexible external support that can be turned off and on, upweighted and down-weighted, increased for key periods and reduced during low season. That means you don’t pay unnecessary costs and you only pay for the tasks you need, not the ones you don’t. There is no right or wrong? Despite my passionate plea for outsourcing, I say to clients that there’s no right or wrong. It’s what works for you and your business. However, what I stress is that it must be a business decision not an emotional one. Often, it seems that the decision to go in-house is based on somewhat shaky logic. Despite proof to the contrary, the comment I sometimes hear is that ‘we just feel we’d prefer to have someone internal that can sit next to us and hear what’s going on’. Whilst the principle is sound, the practicality isn’t always so. It also must be said here that not every outsourcing exercise works either. That’s why I stress that it’s absolutely an individual choice. But, when cash is tight, productivity must come to the fore. So, if you haven’t considered outsourcing, or it’s been a while since you looked at it, as we seemingly approach a downturn, perhaps now is a time to look at the option.   ------------------------------------------------------------ # 10 Actions to Mitigate a UK Recession on Your Business Source: https://telemarketing.blog/10-actions-to-mitigate-a-uk-recession-on-your-business/ Published: 2022-08-08 There are some pretty gloomy predictions right now in the UK alongside alarming economic indicators. Inflation is predicted to hit 13%. Interest rates recently saw the largest hike for 27 years to 1.75%. And, according to the Bank of England, a 5 quarter recession that’s equivalent to the 2008 downturn is ahead of us for the end of 2022. It all makes depressing reading. As a consequence, businesses need to be prepared. Sitting around doing nothing whilst burying one’s head is definitely not a strategy. Of course, there will be winners and losers as there was during the recent pandemic. But, a robust business development and activation strategy should definitely be on the agenda for most businesses. Below are our 10 tips for an effective approach: 1. Take stock of your customer base Consider how resilient you might be to the ravages of recession? Are customers likely to bail out? Which ones are at most risk? How can you guard against this? What can you offer to encourage them to remain with you? 2. Which sectors are resilient? As explained at the start of this blog, there will always be winners and losers. Are there segments within your current customer base that are likely to grow and require more of what you offer? And, what plans do you have to find more of these types of customers? 3. Pro activity First It’s often said that businesses that invest during a downturn are more likely to survive and grow. Whilst that may be unrealistic for some, there’s definitely merit in being active whether that’s with current customers or actively targeting new business. 4. Avoid panic decisions We all need new business. But, not at any cost. Price-cutting is a negative spiral to the bottom. Where possible, add value rather than reduce costs if you’re feeling pressure to do so. What can you do to make your offering more attractive, especially versus competitors? 5. Reduce direct overhead Flexibility is crucial in times of hardship. Businesses that are adaptable are more likely to endure. So, consider where you have inflexible spending that is unnecessary. However, make sure you don’t cut expenditure that supports growth. Of course I’m talking about not chopping marketing. 6. Analyse everything No business can afford to blindly continue investment without evaluating the benefit of doing so. Whilst we advocate continued investment, we also recommend valid analysis of spending. Sadly, nothing is guaranteed, especially in tough times. So, look carefully at what you spend and how it contributes. That’s both internal and external overhead. 7. Focus on benefits In good times, to some extent, you just need to be present and visible to win business. Yet, when times become more challenging, you need to better articulate the value you offer. So, stop telling and selling and start listening and demonstrating the benefits you offer and the challenges you overcome for your customers. 8. Compare internal and external resourcing Some decisions are tough to take. This was definitely the case during the pandemic when internal overhead came under pressure. Ultimately, recessions are times that demand both flexibility and productivity. You cannot afford to pay for low productivity. Do you need full-time resourcing for certain tasks? Are the on-costs such as NI, Auto-enrolment and so on justifiable? Or, could an external specialist support be feasible? 9. Be decisive Delays can be costly when things turn. That doesn’t necessarily mean making hasty or rash decisions (see points 6 and 8 above) but assertiveness is important when it comes to running an efficient business in a recession. Procrastinating is not usually a good strategy. 10. Play the long game Perhaps this is the hardest one of all. It’s tough to take the long view especially when cash is tight. However, recessions come and go. We’ve seen and weathered a few in our 23 years running GSA. We’ve learned from good and bad decisions, both our own and those of our customers. Generally, we’ve come out of every downturn stronger. The 2008 recession was tough when many organisations cut spending and were slow to return. Yet, that led us to look at overhead, resourcing, flexibility and our core offering. The recent pandemic was followed by two years of significant growth where our strategy of further service development, internationalisation, and diversification bore fruit. And, once again, we are investing now. We plan a new website, more video content, further services, and development of new markets. What are you and your business doing to ensure you mitigate the impact of any prospective decline in the UK and global economy? ------------------------------------------------------------ # Do USP’s Exist in Lead Generation? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/do-usps-exist-in-lead-generation-in-2022/ Published: 2022-07-05 Have you ever heard the expression ‘it’s a no brainer’? What about the old chestnut ‘low hanging fruit’? Or even, ‘the path of least resistance’? You may well have a great product or service. But, sadly, so do many of your competitors. You may believe that you have something special and can reel off a list of unique selling points (USP's). However, do USP’s really exist when it comes to using them for lead generation? Clients Believe Everything is Unique If you’ve ever worked in a lead generation or other agency, and been briefed by clients, you may well have encountered one or all of the expressions above. Unfortunately, some brand owners either overestimate the attractiveness of their offering or they don’t fully understand their market, including the competitor set. Or, perhaps, they just don’t care. Prospective clients aren’t stupid. Often, they simply aren’t interested in what you have to offer. Now, they may be wrong. It’s quite conceivable that what you provide is indeed the answer to their prayers. However, there are a multitude of reasons why customers don’t bite your hand off. Let’s look at some of these. Lack of understanding of wither their need or your offer Lack of time to make a change Lack of priority compared to other more pressing challenges Lacy of sufficient pain to drive action Poorly explained benefits Presence of incumbent providers  Strength of competition Lack of differentiation of your offering versus what they use now  Lack of budget for additional expenditure  Complex decision making processes Fear of failure as it could affect their career Acceptable current solutions that may not measure up but they do the job Missing triggers to overcome inertia Just not interested There are probably quite a few more reasons for lack of action. However, they are likely to be more or less within the above categories. Clients don’t Care about your Targets You see, whilst you and your senior management may have big targets to hit with your super-duper new product, customers just don’t care. Of course, if your prospect is experiencing significant challenges that cannot be resolved in other ways, you’re much more likely to achieve some traction. However, that presupposes that they have been made aware of what you do in the first place. Awareness is key. Yet, that’s not as simple as it sounds. Visibility is expensive. Reaching potential customers is far from easy. It can be a costly exercise. Whether you advertise the hell out of your product or service, spend time and money on content marketing, nurture through marketing automation, pick up the phone or send an email, response rates inevitably vary. It’s About the Long-Haul Whatever form of lead generation you select, you usually need to be in it for the long haul. It isn’t a quick fix. Where the value of sale is significant, the difficulty, time and cost usually rises too. And, the requirement for a multi-channel integrated approach also increases. That is likely to enhance awareness, reach and penetration. Regardless of how ‘unique’ your proposition is, you still need to locate your target audience. And, you need to position what you or your product does in the customers’ terms. In other words, it’s not what you do but what you do for the customer that counts. Brand Strength is only Part of The Answer The problem is that many organisations rely on brand or company strength. Perhaps correctly, they leverage brand credentials, past experience, and customer relationships and use these as a launch pad. However, that will only take you so far. At some point, new markets need to be opened. Prospects that are unaware, need to be made aware. Conversations need to take place. Market triggers naturally play a role in adoption. The more there are factors that drive change, the more likely customers will be to sit up and take notice. Examples include changes in legislation, increased requirements for compliance. Current hot topics in 2022 include sustainability and Net Zero. These market drivers increase adoption of services and technology. Uniqueness is Hard to Find Ultimately, everyone has to sell. However, truly unique propositions are hard to find. If you’ve genuinely got one, that’s great. My advice is to promote heavily since competitors probably won’t be far behind. That will certainly be the case where market factors drive adoption as mentioned above. If you have something that seems unique, but doesn’t overcome the inertia of current solutions that do a good enough job, you’ll need to work harder to find those prospects that are currently seeking new solutions and you’ll have a harder job to convince them to invest in change. Competition isn’t Just Like-for-Like If, like many, your services are relatively commonplace in the market, this is where you need to work hardest. What’s more, it will take longer and cost more. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible. But, it does mean that you need to somehow differentiate and focus your efforts. That could be by positioning your solution , or your pitch, to specific vertical sectors. It could be adapting the product itself to solve an industry issue. Unfortunately, it isn't just about comparing A with B. Sometimes, inferior products and different approaches preclude adoption. So, your competition isn't always traditional, on a like-for-like basis.  Whatever way you look at it, there is rarely such a thing as a no brainer even if it seems like that to you. Whichever lead generation approach you take, make sure that you do your utmost to find some way to differentiate what you do. It will save you time and money and increase the chance of success. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s easy. It’s never easy and it can be expensive. However, if the value of sale and ROI potential are present, it’s worth the effort.   ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why BANT-Qualified Leads are a Bad Idea Source: https://telemarketing.blog/why-bant-qualified-leads-are-a-bad-idea/ Published: 2022-06-27 https://youtu.be/sCtxXECEJvc If you’re unfamiliar with the acronym BANT, it stands for Budget, Authority, Need and Timeframe and it’s an age-old way of identifying the best quality leads. Quite simply, your chances of success are magnified if the prospect has: the budget to spend the decision maker status to make the decision to purchase a challenge that compels them to act and a timetable for implementation. You also sometimes hear the term SQL, or Sales Qualified Leads. This is another way of identifying those leads with deeper qualification that are more likely to be those that your sales team will feast upon. Is there an over-reliance on BANT?  Having been in lead generation for over 20 years and in Sales and Marketing for nearly 40 years (yes, really), I worry about the over-reliance on such supposedly deeply qualified leads. That’s not to say that they aren’t what we all want. Or, indeed, that deeply qualified leads are a bad thing. They aren’t. Of course, the hotter the lead, the better it is. Yet, it often feels like, in the pursuit of the ‘perfect’ lead, sales teams almost abdicate the work that’s necessary to bring a new prospect to the boil. Strong words perhaps, and I’m being somewhat controversial. The comments aren’t meant to offend. But, the point is that there is an expectation that the marketing department will deliver leads through their efforts in advertising, content development and social media engagement. These are usually unqualified. The next step is that internal or external resources will qualify them further to take them to the BANT level before handing them over to a skilled salesperson. It’s Far From Easy to Identify BANT leads Latterly, marketing nurturing and automation systems such as Hubspot or Marketo have emerged to support this qualification process. CRM systems help sales teams to manage large or smaller pools of prospect data. Scoring, based on engagement, increases the importance and relevance of certain leads. This qualification  could be based on email opens or click throughs or LinkedIn connections or some other action. The addition of artificial intelligence to identify intent certainly enhances the ability of marketing teams  to prioritise and target more effectively. What Role Should Sales Adopt? In many respects, I feel that a lot of the above removes the core role of a salesperson. That is to take a prospect from interest to conversion. Marketing should, indeed, support the process whether that’s running an event, producing a white paper or attending an exhibition. But, few prospects that arrive at your door are ready to buy. A recent survey by Ehrenberg-Bass, published in Marketing Week, concluded that only 5% of prospects are ready to buy at any given time.  Thus, the core role of a salesperson is to build rapport, establish the relationship and to flesh out the need. They then need to nurture that relationship until there is evidence of genuine interest or lack thereof. But, We all Love BANT We all love BANT. But, BANT also tends to be where the prospect is in the market and you can bet that they will be looking at competing offerings at the same time that they are looking at yours. That begs the question about the ability to ‘create’ the need. There will generally be a large pool of ‘’potential’ targets in the market. However, as mentioned above, it’s likely that, at any time, 95% won’t be in the market for your services. That’s not to say that they won’t need them at some time in the future. You could argue that this is where the nurturing and automation comes in as described earlier. However, marketing can only profile so far. There’s only so much a machine can do to discern intent from online activity.  There is no Substitute for Conversation.  Whilst no sales person has the free time to chat with everyone and anyone, effective sales people carefully select those prospects with which they want to do business and they nurture those relationships. That often starts before they’ve been qualified at BANT level. So, what’s my recommendation? In today’s lean organisations, division of labour is the answer. The marketing department still needs to do its job to identify and profile target audiences. They need to define the proposition and drive demand. Systems that support that activity are essential. However, sales teams also need to recognise that no marketing is perfect. Wastage happens. You will always see some prospects that don’t fit your model. You only need to look at LinkedIn to see how out of date ‘self administered ’ data can be. Accuracy is a work in progress. A Final Plea to Sales So, my plea to sales is to work hand in hand with your marketing colleagues to tightly define your targets. Don’t abdicate responsibility. We all want BANT. Be rigorous with how you apply your time. However, that should absolutely not reduce your activity level. Run with some leads that aren’t ready to buy now. Build those relationships. The results may surprise you.   ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is Telemarketing a Lead Generation Magic Wand? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-telemarketing-a-lead-generation-magic-wand/ Published: 2022-03-30 Is there a silver bullet when it comes to B2B lead generation? Is any marketing guaranteed to deliver a flood of leads to your sales team? Does your sales team convert every lead? Of course, we all know that’s the stuff of fantasy. If it were that easy, we’d all be doing the right things right every time! Delivering effective growth through a programme of lead generation is not easy. There are so many choices, so many channels. There are plenty of ways to invest hard-earned marketing funds. Is Telemarketing a Magic Wand? Having experienced or run lots of marketing campaigns over the years, sometimes, I feel that B2B outbound calling is perceived and judged differently from other lead generation solutions. It’s the almost unspoken assumption that it automatically ‘should’ perform, and work better, since it’s a human to human marketing channel. Given the ability to proactively target the right individuals with the right message and thus profile and qualify prospects, there's almost an expectation of success from the outset. And, the pressure is often on from the outset since other channels have failed to deliver the necessary results in a world of digital and social marketing where prospecting has become more remote. Should Leads Flow Immediately? When it comes to potential lead-flow, there seems to be an expectation, with outbound calling, that you make 10 calls and you get 5 leads. Simple. The problem is that there’s a whole lot of work, and time, that goes into identifying and securing each valid lead. That’s perhaps less the case for other channels that may bring leads to your door but where more effort subsequently needs to go into qualification before that lead becomes a valid opportunity to do business. With telemarketing, work needs to be done to: Identify a target sector that has a better than average chance of needing your products and services Build a target list which has valid phone numbers and, of course, the right decision-maker names Make 15-20 calls each hour to reach perhaps 1-3 decision-makers due to voicemail, out of office, wrong numbers, switchboard bocks etc Engage the right decision-makers in conversation since the call is an interruption to their day and to other priorities Find prospects that are in the market for your products and services at the right time Realism and Patience are Essential Depending on the size and type of organisation being targeted, and the nature and strength of the proposition, results may or may not not flow almost immediately. Yet, there remains an expectation that it ‘should’ work quickly despite the hurdles and despite the fact that the proposition may not resonate or be at the right time. Hence, if the lead flow is weaker than desired and anticipated, the exercise may be viewed as an abject failure. This is unlike campaigns on other channels. What’s more, inevitably, budget allocation plays a role in terms of being able to devote sufficient time and activity to build up a sales pipeline from which most leads will come. The shorter the campaign, the fewer the number of leads will be produced since stopping too soon removes the opportunity to call back at a time, perhaps 1-6 months hence, when the prospect is in the market. Are other channels viewed in the same way? I’m talking about pretty much every other channel such as PR, traditional or banner advertising, sponsored ads and many others. Chasing the 5% Not the 95% Research by Ehrenberg Bass, showcased in Marketing week in July 2021 explains that B2B marketers have perhaps got their focus wrong. They target sales that will never happen since most of their ‘prospects’ are not in the market for their services at any given time. The article suggests that organisations need to look towards more long-term sales goals and nurturing. Despite the points made in the article, requirements usually remain high, amongst B2B marketers, for immediate conversion. Sadly, the demands don’t take into account the grunt work needed to establish intent and prospect needs, and to find those prospects that are actually in the market now. Like other channels, despite good research in advance of calling to establish those best prospects, there will inevitably be wastage. You need to kiss a few frogs. You need to cast your line to see which fish bite so to speak. And, the more limited the time and budget applied, the less likely you are to find ‘hot to trot’ prospects that are in the market right now. Investing for Long-Term Gain Multi-channel outreach and prospect-nurturing are essential, especially where the value of sale is significant. Challenges with short-term thinking include: Decisions are rarely  quick in large organisations and for big-ticket decisions Committee decisions may mean multiple conversations, different points of entry and an elongated sales cycle Incumbent suppliers may be entrenched Priorities may be elsewhere Change cycles may not be imminent Budget may be restricted In reality, B2B marketing isn’t getting any easier. Commoditisation is the norm and differentiation is difficult to prove. Buyers find it difficult to decipher truth from fiction from your website and those of your competitors. Buyers are also increasingly time poor and under pressure. They have demands from their shareholders, their parent company, their boss, clients, staff and so on. Therefore, at the point of impact, marketing has a tough job to do. Can Success be Guaranteed? Ultimately, it is hard to ‘guarantee’ success whatever the channel. You need solid benchmarks. You need to test and measure. And, you need a level playing field. This is especially so when talking about products and/or services that are undifferentiated. It’s harder still in competitive markets and more so when there are negative economic or other influences in the marketplace. The stronger the commercial, or other, imperative, the more likely those conversations your caller has will turn into leads. Companies continue to either ‘happily’ or ‘resignedly’ pay for advertisements that are reactive (i.e. you have to wait for response), for email marketing (much of which ends up in the bin or in spam) with terrible response rates, for websites (that often don’t drive traffic) and PR (that doesn’t either reach the target audience or doesn’t drive response)? Yet when it comes to a proactive route to market where a qualified telemarketer actually picks up the phone to a defined prospect and has a conversation, suddenly some clients want to only pay by results and expect the earth. Why is that the case? Build Breathing Space into Your Campaigns Ultimately, results are what counts. However, if telephone marketing is a channel you’re considering using, you should recognise that your investment into telemarketing is in a number of areas including: Data-building - you wont hit a target you can’t see Message development - so your pitch won’t fall on daf ears Systems - to facilitate swift and accurate calling Telemarketer skills and experience to get past gatekeepers and to engage decision makers Persistence - to overcome regular rejection and t handle objections It takes time to reach a decision-maker. Perhaps only 5-10% of all calls actually reach your decision-maker. That’s not least because data may be inaccurate to start with. Once you get through to the company, the people you want to talk to are usually shielded by gatekeeper PA’s, voicemail and so on. Therefore, once you finally reach them, you’d better have something compelling to say. Why Should Prospects Listen? Unfortunately, most b2b propositions aren’t compelling. It isn’t enough to be great at what you do, to have fantastic clients or credentials. Your prospect probably already has an incumbent supplier that does exactly what you do. So you really need to give prospects a reason to believe you, to see you and to engage with you. To generate telemarketing results, you need to have a clear message, something compelling, and a strong call to action. If this isn’t the case, why would a potential prospect engage? Your proposition must be differentiated. PA’s shield decision-makers from undifferentiated commoditised callers and propositions. And, your decision-maker will cut the call short if you sound like every other sales-person. Senior decision-makers are time poor, They have busy schedules and are under pressure to deliver on their tasks. It isn’t easy, therefore, to convince the prospect to take some positive action as a result of the call. What’s the Punchline? Telemarketing is the most proactive method of lead generation in the b2b sector. It is especially effective where the value of sale is high since the ROI can be significant. Its use should, ideally, form part of an integrated lead generation strategy. It can amplify the results from other routes to market through calling LinkedIn connections, past customers, current customers for upsell and cross-sell, lapsed customers, inbound lead qualification from landing forms, and through calls to opens and click-throughs from email campaigns. However, it is not the stuff of miracles. A good caller will use lead generation to produce good results. Yet, they cannot work in isolation and it remains hard to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear no matter how much effort you put in. ------------------------------------------------------------ # What Triggers Could Accelerate Your Lead Generation? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/what-triggers-could-accelerate-your-lead-generation/ Published: 2021-11-23   What do you mean by ‘trigger’ I hear you ask? Well, a trigger, at least in my estimation, is anything that makes your prospect or customer get off the fence. It makes them sit up and take notice. It encourages them to act.  Buyers can be frustratingly slow. Decision-making can run at snail’s pace sometimes. Despite your best endeavours, they just won’t budge. Of course, there are plenty of reasons why they don’t buy. That’s aside any issues prospective buyers might have with those doing the selling.  Possible reasons for inertia include: Lack of budget The presence of equivalent products or services  Timing  Different priorities taking precedence  Committee-based decision-making slowing the process down Lack of urgency or need The absence of risk or pain The above is far from an exhaustive list of hurdles. But, it is illustrative of the reasons why your prospects may not engage and/or buy. It just isn’t important enough. So, what can you do to increase your chances?  Focus on Pain or Gain Typically, if you think about it, we generally buy based on these two drivers. We either need to solve a problem or benefit from an opportunity. This is where understanding the nature of triggers comes in.  Sadly, too many sales people focus on what their company offers. You might think that statement is a bit odd perhaps. Yet, buyers simply don’t care about what you offer. They are only interested in what’s in front of them. They are preoccupied by matters at hand in their business. Those could be: Achieving sales targets Reducing wastage or risk Improving productivity  Removing damages on a production line Upskilling their team to meet new demand  Reducing staff attrition Meeting new industry guidelines  Once again, this is only a fraction of the things that your customers are concerned with on a daily/weekly basis. So, your communication is an interruption to what they’re doing whether that’s in the form of a call, an email, a LinkedIn message, an advertisement or a piece of content.  With that in mind, bland and uninteresting messages are likely to fall on deaf ears.  What Kind of Messages are Best? As explained earlier, if you can tap into things that benefit the customer through either taking away issues that they have or presenting opportunities for them, you are onto a winner.  But, what triggers might do that in your business? Often, you need to look externally, not internally, to find the answer. What’s going on in your industry? More importantly, what’s happening in your clients’ world? Examples of triggers might be the following: Legislative drivers - e.g. GDPR, or new laws relevant to their sector  Industry drivers - e.g. KYC in financial services or new food standards   Financial or economic drivers - e.g. the forthcoming plastic packaging tax  Environmental drives - e.g. sustainability, emissions etc Technology drivers - to save money or improve productivity e.g. electric cars Of course, there will be many others. There will likely be quite a few industry drivers that impact directly on your clients. That’s aside from factors that influence decisions in particular sectors.  For example, in the past, we worked for a secondary packaging company that provided stability wrap for fragile goods in transit that reduced damages and cut packaging costs all while helping the environment.  We have also worked for a provider of legal tech for law firms that increased access to litigation funding, something that is extremely pertinent for this audience.  Not Everything is Unique  Not every business has a shiny new solution with which to go to market. Where that’s the case, it’s about thinking about your clients’ needs and positioning what you do to cater for those in a way that’s different to your competitors. That’s not easy. It’s hard to differentiate. Part of that differentiation though is how you come across. It’s how your messages fit with client needs.  Too often, sales messages are bland and the same as every other provider of similar products and services. Therefore, consider how you can position your offering in a way that makes sense to the prospective buyer. It may be that change cycles and renewal dates are long. That’s a fact of business life in some industries. But, it’s certain that you won’t gain traction by looking and sounding the same as everyone else including the incumbent supplier.  That means finding a way to differentiate your business in emails, in LinkedIn messaging, in blogs and videos, on the phone and elsewhere. Try to tap into the buyer's psyche. What makes them tick? What keeps them awake. What stresses them out? Can you shape your solutions to fit?  Research the Hot Buttons If it isn’t obvious, such as the current groundswell of opinion to save the planet, or the need for face masks and sanitiser, do your research. That could simply be by asking a section of clients about what challenges they’re facing. It could be via a formal research study. Or, it could be through industry research or investigating how forthcoming legislation or industry changes might affect certain businesses.  Ultimately, at least in our opinion, pain is stronger than gain. If your buyer is likely to get it in the neck if something goes seriously wrong, that’s a much stronger imperative than the possibility of improving something that is working perfectly well right now. You may have the best widget in the world, but if the buyer already has a widget that does a decent job and he or she has other priorities, it will be harder to get them to budge.  What if you Can’t Find a Trigger? It isn’t always easy or obvious. Despite the fact that there’s stuff going on in most businesses and industries all the time, identifying triggers isn’t always easy. Clearly, if there aren’t drivers for action, change will be less frequent and stimulating that shift is likely to be more costly. That’s because you may need more activity in terms of marketing to generate relevant opportunities.  As mentioned earlier, in this case, you need to be clever. You need to think about your messaging. That includes your people. Your people are your business. They are your brand. Whether that’s on an exhibition stand, presenting at a webinar, at prospect meetings or on the phone, how they engage with customers will make the difference.  Turn Your Approach on It’s Head A consultative approach in B2B marketing is rarely wasted even if clients aren’t ready to buy. Understanding buyer challenges and relating to those is best practice. Demonstrating understanding and empathy is essential. Overt pitching rarely works. Talking about what you do isn’t the way to do it. It is much better to ask good questions and listen before responding and tailor your response to buyer challenges.  Every sale is triggered by a need. Some are routine purchases for commoditised products and services. Some are simply replacement purchases from entrenched suppliers. That isn’t what we’re really talking about here. We’re also not really talking about situations when incumbent suppliers screw up. That’s definitely a trigger. However, it’s almost impossible to isolate when that situation occurs. You just have to hope that your business is visible at the point when that buyer is in the market. Regular communication with the right profile of target customers is important.  However, there’s no doubt that the more compelling the trigger for change that you can identify, to which you can attach your services, the more likely you will put yourself in with a chance of converting more business.    ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why Persistence is the Key for Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/why-persistence-is-the-key-for-lead-generation/ Published: 2021-11-15 I had a conversation with a prospect recently. They need help with lead generation. We spoke about the level of activity their internal team had been putting into business development. The client told me that they had ‘exhausted’ their primary sector audience with emails and LinkedIn sponsored advertising and didn’t know what to do next.  He advised that the account managers were very ‘active’ on LinkedIn. They were also regularly in contact with potential clients and he didn’t want to overdo it.  Are Internal Teams Active Enough?  What was enlightening was that when questioned about the depth, breadth and degree of activity, he was less clear. His knowledge was more shaky. The more questions I asked, the more it became obvious that he didn’t actually know how much activity had taken place. He was also unsure as to what actually might constitute ‘overdoing’ the amount of contact. What’s more, the approach to deciding which target audiences to engage with, how often and when was also a bit foggy.  In fact, it appeared that there was far less activity than he thought and much less than needed in order to drive growth.  It’s about Priorities It wasn’t that his internal sales team was lazy. They were active. Typically, though, they were busy with clients that were of highest value and with those prospects that were the best chance of turning into paying clients.  However due to workload, they weren’t able to reach out regularly to smaller clients with potential, and lapsed clients for resuscitation. They weren’t able to follow-up past prospects that requested contact at a later date. And, they were definitely unable to dedicate anywhere near enough time to proactive prospecting. Business Development Efforts are Often Half-Hearted The reality is that, often, the level of business development activity is insufficient in the first place, and it stops too early. There is a lack of persistence and many sales people, that are not tasked with pre-sales, and with filling the top of the funnel, give up too soon and lack follow-through. That may not be their fault since businesses have differing priorities. If only prospects responded first-time, every time. Sadly, that’s just not the real world. Decision-makers are busy. They have issues that absorb their time. Incumbent suppliers and alternative solutions are commonplace. There are budget considerations. Sometimes multiple decision-makers mean committee-based decision-making that slows things down. They are, sometimes, resistant to change the status quo. Check out this video about why customers don’t buy from you. As a result, sales teams can spread themselves too thinly to be effective in any one area.  Focus is Essential  Ultimately, sales people can be pulled in lots of directions. Working out which target audiences are likely to provide the best bang for buck is crucial. It could be that there are opportunities aplenty with current customers e.g. other decision-makers, departments, sites and even locations. It may be that cross-sell and upsell solutions are the best business growth options for your business as opposed to fresh prospecting.  You may be running events that generate leads to follow-up. Equally, advertising and social media content distribution can drive inbound leads that need to be profiled and triaged for qualification. And, focusing on specific industries, job roles and market triggers (such as new legislation) can provide great clarity for lead generation.  Whether you decide to use internal resources or an outside agency like GSA, focus is essential. That allows you to put the right amount of energy and activity into your prospecting to reduce the risk of failure.  Prospecting is a Discipline Good systems are the engine for business development. Nurturing is everything since prospects aren’t all ready to buy and they’re not all beating a path to your door. But, a random call, and an email here and there, is simply insufficient. What’s more, when you’re prospecting in large organisations, the pool is big. There could be several points of entry.  With that in mind, how frequently do you need to ‘attempt’ to make contact with your key targets? And, what channels should you use? Ultimately, there’s no right answer here. It depends. However, you won’t turn into a stalker and you won’t exhaust your market, especially when targeting large organisations with multiple target decision-makers, if you make regular calls, send emails and try to engage on LinkedIn.  Multi-channel Targeting is Important You can reach your audience through a variety of channels. Aside from those above, there are also events, exhibitions, webinars, sponsored ads, and many other routes. Everything depends on your budget of course.  I have said many times though that high-quality lead generation is a marathon not a sprint. At least, it’s a 3000m steeplechase as opposed to the 100 metres. Buyers of high-value products and services rarely take buying decisions lightly and rarely make them frequently or quickly. Therefore, it’s a case of keeping visible in advance of the time that they do want to change. So, you need to make sure that you keep in touch.  Persistence is the Only Answer If you think of it simply, your buyers are busy. They only have one budget that they need to allocate wisely. They have competing priorities. They have trusted suppliers. There are lots of other considerations. Despite the advent of digital marketing and social media, which has to some extent become saturated, a multi-touchpoint approach is likely to be the key. That means online and offline.  Clearly, the bigger your company, the more resources you’ll have at your disposal. You may have the bandwidth to attend events, run webinars, and set-up round-tables. You may publish white papers and thought pieces, and advertise where your audience can spot your presence. You may be able to do all of this at the same time. You may have a large internal inside sales team or engage the services of an agency. However, smaller businesses don’t have that luxury. They usually need to place concerted effort on a few initiatives.  The Best Approach to Take There is most certainly not one size that fits all here. Every business is different and buyers vary. Therefore, there is no single answer or recipe for success. Whatever your approach, make sure you consider the following:  Segment and profile your targets - consider the various audiences and how you will engage with them. Build a plan by audience - perhaps lapsed clients simply need an email or a call. Current clients will potentially need a customer care call for the personal touch. Prospects may engage with knowledge-based content online.  Decide which methods to use - different roles respond differently to marketing so work out whether to focus on driving inbound leads through advertising and social, or direct outreach using LinkedIn and/or telemarketing or some other approach. Be consistent - you need enough input to be able to assess whether your outreach is working so give your activities time to work. Measure the results - flogging a dead horse is never a good idea but consider the value and frequency of sale to best judge the likely ROI.  Be persistent  - your dream clients probably need a more persistent line of attack and concerted effort. So, don’t dabble and don’t give up.  Salespeople are rarely idle. They usually have a lot on their plate. Extra support may be needed to ensure that your business maximises opportunities and reaches its primary target audiences. Whatever route or method you choose, make sure that it isn’t half-hearted.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is there a Quick Route to Lead Generation for Technology Vendors? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-there-a-quick-route-to-lead-generation-for-technology-vendors/ Published: 2021-10-27   Is there a Quick Route to Lead Generation for Technology Vendors? You might have the best thing since sliced bread and every customer should bite your hand off for it. But, reality is somewhat different to theory. Whilst, no doubt, many technology vendors do indeed have great innovations, sometimes the market just isn’t ready to embrace these solutions. As a consequence, lead generation for technology vendors is often a marathon not a sprint.  Why are Vendors Impatient? It’s understandable that vendors want fast results. Often, advanced tech solutions have been funded by hungry investors. Even without investors, often the cost of development is high and ROI weighs heavily on the minds of the senior management team.  New solutions including artificial intelligence, robotics, apps and the like have a clearly defined benefit that can significantly enhance the business of customers that purchase. Yet, inertia can still be the case when confronted with this brave new world of innovation. Maintaining the status quo is easier and, often, less softly in terms of disruption and up-front cost. So, buyers take the easy route.  Identify Early Adopters and Change-Makers Marketing aficionados will talk about early adopters. These are the innovators and early adopters that make up around 15% of any market. These are the individuals and business people that are early to market to test new solutions. Naturally, in business, there are many factors that influence the adoption of what you offer. These include budget, timing, risk and so on.  But, not every tech vendor has a true innovation. There are plenty of me-too products that are undifferentiated. Tech buyers are usually savvy and time poor. They have ongoing projects and have committed to new projects within the budget period. However, most businesses are looking to streamline what they do and technology solutions usually drive improved productivity. S, it’s a case of trying to unearth these change-makers at the right time.  Awareness and Persistence Drive Acquisition With the above in mind, whilst there may be a massive audience for your technology solution, how many are ready to buy now? Change cycles can be long. If implementation is complex, this is another hurdle to overcome. Multiple decision-makers can be involved. And, if awareness is low and user-case examples are few, adoption may be slower than ideal. What’s more, awareness and engagement are not always fast or cheap. Arguably, where the value of sale is high, why would that be the case anyhow? It almost goes with the territory that, for considered purchases, it takes time and time costs money. Multi-Channel Outreach is Key Target market identification is crucial when it comes to successful lead generation. There’s no point firing at the wrong target. And, to give your sales teams the best chance of success, deploying a number of different channels is important. There are any number of routes to market and all have their merits. The challenge is that tech buyers are elusive. They can be unresponsive. They are definitely busy.  Whether you run email nurturing campaigns through HubSpot, Mailchimp or similar, advertising and outreach using LinkedIn, trade media and the like, and/or utilize more traditional routes such as outbound calling, it’s not a quick fix. The more integrated the approach, the better the likely results will be.  Elusive Buyers Need Nurturing  Tech buyers can be less responsive than other buyers. It’s perhaps the nature of their job. In most cases, the needs of the business should drive purchase decisions. This means that committee decisions can slow things down and it may not be the CTO, IT Director, CIO or Ecommerce Director that is the best initial contact. Therefore, identifying the right decision-makers can prove problematic.  What’s more, big projects don’t come around that often. The tech world moves at such a pace. If we add to this the fact that customers are increasingly demanding, these decision-makers can be hard to pin down. So, a considered approach, and nurturing, across a number of channels over time is probably necessary.  Inbound Versus Outbound Wouldn’t it be great if your buyers simply knocked on your door. If there’s enough buzz around your product launch, that may be the case. However, advertising and PR and not necessarily quick fixes either. And, however you play things, that also won’t come cheap.  In an ideal world, it’s always better to encourage buyers to come to you. Leads are warmer and, usually, easier to convert. However, depending on the business needs, that may not be at the required pace to fuel growth. Usually, some outreach will be necessary. Most technology suppliers use a blend of inbound and outbound including telemarketing to follow up leads generated from advertising and social media.  How Quickly can Success be Achieved? ROI is essential. We all want the maximum bang for buck. Usually, we want fast results too.Yet, there’s no silver bullet, and the speed of your return on investment is the 64,000 dollar question.  Different channels will have different response rates. If advertising is the route, whether it’s pay-per-click, sponsored ads on LinkedIn or other avenues, you may be able to at least ballpark the costs to deliver marketing qualified leads that hit your website or landing page. A lead generation agency such as GSA can estimate the likely number of leads from telemarketing in any given period of time..  However, estimates may or may not be accurate since there are so many variables. There are few, if any, guarantees. What's more, leads from indirect sources such as social media and advertising will absorb management or agency time to qualify them further. Therefore, the headline expectations may not provide the full picture. The more deeply qualified the requirement and lead criteria are, the longer it will take to identify such leads and the higher the cost will be.  What’s the Answer Perhaps the argument about quality over quantity might seem like a cop-out by service providers that aren’t confident in their ability to generate sufficient leads. Yet,this is often what technology vendors claim they’re looking for. But, when push comes to shove, they need leads in the pipeline whether they’re MQL, SQL, or BANT. Of course, the more deeply qualified the better. And, therein lies the challenge. Qualification takes time. And, time is money.  A sensible approach, using different channels, is to build a bank of leads that go into your nurturing and account based marketing approaches. Tight persona-based segmentation, to refine the target audience, is needed to reduce wastage. And, using a blend of content development, relevant social channels, email and LinkedIn direct outreach, advertising, and human intervention though telemarketing relationship-building is probably your best route to success.   Key Considerations for the Future It may feel like we’re presenting a depressing picture of lead generation for technology companies. That isn’t the intention.  Effective lead generation is definitely feasible. However, vendors should be under no illusions. A number of key considerations are important to keep in mind when building your technology sales pipeline: Senior decision-makers are hard to reach.  You may need to reach out using multiple channels and marketing methods  Integrate channels where possible e.g. drive prospects to a landing page and call them.  Test and measure but be brave enough to give your efforts time to work.  Committee decisions can play a part so work out who you need to reach.  Buying cycles can be long, especially for high-value products and services. Risk and cost-based inertia can impede the speed of adoption. How can you de-risk? It may not be a marathon but it’s certainly not a sprint unless you have deep pockets Try to be realistic in your expectations based on the strength of competition, typically change cycles and the level of marketing at your disposal.  Be persistent. Rome was definitely built in a day so think long-term.  If you’d like to discuss your technology lead generation project, give us a call and we will share our experiences and ratios.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # 5 Key Questions to Ask when Doing Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/5-key-questions-to-ask-when-doing-lead-generation/ Published: 2021-08-17 Lead generation isn’t easy. If it was, we’d all have enough leads to grow our business. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Marketing and sales would almost be redundant.  But, sadly, it’s not like that. Every business has competitors. Some are stronger than others. Products and services come in all shapes and sizes. What’s more, customer needs vary in types, timing and level of requirement. It’s a corporate minefield out there.  Maximise Your Chance of Success In this blog, we provide 5 questions to ask when doing lead generation. With so much competition, and so many options for business development, companies looking for growth need to maximise their chances. They also need to keep costs down and deliver ROI. To be able to give themselves a fighting chance of success, businesses need to take into account a number of factors when working out the best approach.  Which Target Audiences are Most Receptive? This sounds obvious. Yet, many organisations have a variety of potential targets. They also have a set of different products and services that could be applied to those targets. The problem is that you can be all things to all people and spreading your efforts too thinly may result in failure. Marketing investment and sales support need focus to be effective. So, drill down into the various audiences for your service and ask yourself a few key questions: Which audiences most need our solutions? Which decision-makers suffer the most pain by not having what we offer? Where is the best likely return? Who is likely to buy most? Which audiences will deliver the quickest results? How easy is it to identify the audience and build a target list for marketing? What Differentiates Your Offer from Competitors? Of course, differentiation isn’t everything. There are very few companies that can offer true differentiation that is so strong that it acts as an immediate driver of purchase intent.  However, if your offer is so niche that no-one needs it, your business development efforts will amount to nothing. So, it’s a blend of identifying what marks your business out from the rest with what is compelling enough for target customers to want to buy, and, most importantly, to buy now.   This relates very closely to the point above. The two go in tandem. If you can identify a sector and a decision-maker that is in urgent need of something that only you offer, it’s happy days. But, this requires research. It needs your sales and marketing teams to have their finger on the pulse. It means adapting to market opportunities that arise. Change is constant and that can present fresh opportunities. Good examples of this are changes to compliance in both financial services ‘Know Your Customer (KYC) and for Data Protection with the relatively recent GDPR rules. The same can be said for PPE providers during the Covid pandemic. Service providers in these areas will have benefited from the upswing in interest.  Which Channels are Most Effective? Once again, this is a hard one. It may be that you’ve successfully utilised one method or another for years. That’s great if it’s true. If the ROI is positive, keep on going. However, there are so many routes to market from which to choose. Marketing budgets will ultimately dictate. Clearly, the larger your organisation, and the higher your revenue, the more funds you will have at your disposal.  However, budgets are always scrutinised and payback is always at the front of the minds of hard-pressed executives. Traditional marketing wisdom suggests that you should focus on multiple touch points (channels) with multiple touches. In essence, that means reaching out to prospects using several methods and doing it over a period of time on a regular basis.  Deciding how to allocate your money and time is the challenge. Spread yourself too thinly and you’ll be more likely to fail and miss opportunities. So, it’s always important to consider which methods and which blend will work best for your business. The key is to try to identify which channels will, most likely, cut through and reach the intended target. It’s not a precise science though and some element of testing may be needed. Therefore, do your analysis. Ask customers the best way to reach them and apply that to prospecting. Check out different methods and providers for costs versus likely benefits.  How To Measure ROI Business development is all about a positive return on investment. Yet, measuring the payback isn’t always straightforward. How long is the gestation period before purchase? What is the typical value of sale? What about inclusion of future purchases after the initial sale i.e. lifetime value? How much additional work needs to go in before conversion. And, what’s your lead to conversion ratio? There are many more factors to consider.  Clearly, it is going to be more of a challenge to identify and win a large piece of business that is worth tens of thousands than it is to secure smaller sales. Therefore, each lead would arguably be more valuable. That means that your cost per lead can be higher and potentially take longer to come to fruition. So, when looking at potential payback, it pays to consider a number of elements including: The length of the sales cycle The value of sale The state of the ongoing pipeline of leads The ability to deliver those types of opportunities without the investment in lead generation i.e the opportunity cost. How are Awareness and Lead Generation Linked? A recent article in Marketing Week questioned whether organisations in B2B are being too short-termist in cutting investment too soon. The idea being that since sales cycles are long, your business needs to be visible at the time that decisions are made. That’s easier said than done since it’s tough to discern when a specific potential prospect will be in the market. However, one thing is for sure, if you aren’t present, you won’t secure the business.  That suggests that a long-term approach is essential. That doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind and a good deal of money with it. You must be rigorous in approach, analysis and measurement. Few businesses have unlimited funds. However, it does mean that a sensible approach to outreach is needed to avoid knee-jerk reactions. Industry approaches will differ. Some sectors will be more receptive than others. Some methods of marketing will be more effective than others. And, decision-makers vary. The list goes on.  Lead generation is possibly the most difficult aspect of marketing regardless of the size of your operation.  So, it pays to think long and hard about your approach. That could be perhaps account-based marketing using brand awareness activities such as content development and telemarketing, through to the use of email nurturing or pay per click marketing. The options are almost endless.  Whatever you decide, your approach to business development should be well thought out and not something that is simply delegated to your sales team as just another task.    ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Need for Long-term vision in B2B Marketing Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-need-for-long-term-vision-in-b2b-marketing/ Published: 2021-08-10 Of course, it’s easy for a B2B Telemarketing agency to promote a long-term approach to lead generation. The longer the duration of a campaign, the better it is for the provider.  But, surely when it comes to  B2B, everything is about the monetisation. Do brands, and brand awareness, matter for the average company that sells to other businesses? What is the long-term vision in B2B marketing?  Sales and Marketing Needs Time If you take a step back for a moment, all sales and marketing activities inevitably have a long-term aspect to them. Expensive sales teams, and marketing staff, whose task it is to bring home the bacon, is a big investment over a significant period of time. You have to pay their salaries and fund the activities. What’s more, generally speaking, those employees aren’t fired if there are no results after a month or three! Therefore, there’s a broad understanding that business development needs time. And, at higher values of sale, into larger organisations, and with long sales cycles, it is far from a quick-fix.  Buyers are not Beating your Door Down No matter which method you use to reach your target audience, it is likely to take either time or money, and most likely both, to achieve the result. For example, enterprise-level decision makers aren’t immediately accessible. They are time-poor. They have competing priorities. And, they have one budget with competing demands for their marketing funds.  According to research conducted by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, 95% of B2B buyers are not in the market for your products. This is logical. How many organisations are planning an investment in your kind of services at the time you want to sell to them? If you have a product or service that is low value, which is in high demand, there will be a much higher number of prospects. However, in those situations, it’s probable that there will be a lot more competition. Therefore, to stand out from the crowd may also be an expensive exercise.  Audience First Business growth decisions need to be taken regarding where to allocate resources. That’s both in terms of people and budget. So, it’s important to minimise risk and expensive mistakes by focusing on the target audience.  In many ways, this is a simple exercise but that’s not always the case. Location, sector, size, decision-maker role and other factors play a role in the decision. Ultimately, the key is to identify audiences that will be more receptive to what you offer. This will reduce wastage of time and money if you get it right. However, requirements change over time. Replacement cycles vary. New projects come along infrequently. So, keeping a close eye on potential sector opportunities is essential to focus business development activity. Multiple Marketing Routes Make it Harder   Given that most prospects aren’t actively looking for your products or services, what’s the solution? The key is to be visible when they are in the market. In an ideal world, we would allocate unlimited funds to the different marketing channels in order to find elusive prospects. Investing in your website is rarely a bad idea to drive prospects to make inbound enquiries. Visibility through content production and distribution is sensible if your audience consumes information online. Trade shows, exhibitions and webinars may be options again moving forward. SEO, coupled with a robust backlink strategy, is a positive approach. And, sponsored content on LinkedIn may be a route to take if your audience engages on the platform.  You also need a range of proactive measures to get closer to your target customer. Since buyers rarely invest heavily without some form of peer-to-peer engagement, face to face meetings, Zoom calls and telephone contact will probably play a role in the acquisition strategy.  Balancing Long and Short term Goals   The need for fast returns is usually uppermost in the minds of those responsible for the bottom-line performance. Few Finance Directors will give sales and marketing teams carte blanche to just spend without consequences. And, they want to know when they will see a return.  So, it's hard to talk in general terms about investment about ‘brand awareness’ and the need to build a longer-term sales pipeline without some hard evidence of likely future value. Therefore, some effort needs to go into generating short-term returns. That might be cross-sell and upselling to existing customers. It could be mining your current customer base for lower-spending customers with unexploited potential. You might consider promotions and offers to stimulate demand, especially at quieter periods. It Takes Time to Land Big Fish.   It usually takes time to reel in bigger fish. Sadly, it’s rare for them to just jump into your net. Visibility and credibility are two of the key components for success. Your business needs to be present at the right time, and attractive enough to get onto shortlists. That means a strong presence online and offline.  Most businesses need to build a robust sales pipeline from which business flows. But, this generally takes time to construct. Whilst online presence may, in some cases, encourage prospects to check you out, it’s invariably the relationship you build that will lead to higher value business.  Is Account-based Marketing the Answer? Account-based marketing (ABM) is a concept that has come more to the fore in recent times. The idea is that you focus on a select band of target clients and focus all your energy on these. The idea is compelling. It means that you allocate full resources to a clear goal. Yet, payback can be slow. And, if the approach doesn’t produce leads in a reasonable amount of time, it could be costly. How do you judge whether the strategy is working? And, how long do you allow for it to work?  If you are considering an ABM approach, the key is to identify your audience (once again) including influencers and decision-makers. Speak to them. By all means, reach out on LinkedIn and via email. Gather insight on their businesses. Build a picture of the kinds of projects and requirements they may have. Some of this can be accomplished via desk research. But, usually, there’s no substitute for a conversation. That can be driven through the use of other channels such as advertising that encourages prospects to visit a landing page where they can request a call. Or, perhaps test out email or LinkedIn outreach to encourage dialogue.  What’s the Conclusion? In truth, there’s no simple answer. Reality and ambition both come into it. Whether it’s about ROI for shareholders, or simply paying the bills if you’re an SME, decisions need to be made. Convention tells us that brand investment is rarely wasted. Typically, the strongest brands have the best revenues and make the most profit.  But, does this apply to B2B? We’d argue that the answer is yes. There are plenty of strong trade brands. The technology world is littered with big players. Well-known advertising and PR agencies dominate their sectors. These companies are usually on most shortlists when it comes to partner selection. In most sectors, there are dominant B2B providers. And, most of these invest in marketing well ahead of conversion.  Trying to shoehorn payback into a very short space of time rarely works. There are very few quick wins. Some degree of ongoing activity and investment is required. Keeping in mind that most prospects aren’t in the market for what you offer, a mindset shift is needed to measure return on investment. Trust is needed that you’re doing the right thing, and that your partners are on track. Milestones are essential. Hopefully, it’s not a marathon, but it’s unlikely to be a sprint.   ------------------------------------------------------------ # Business Development is about the Numbers Source: https://telemarketing.blog/business-development-is-about-the-numbers/ Published: 2021-08-03 I did a calculation today. Of the good number of leads, from multiple sources, that we have received over a period of time, the breakdown is as follows: Business Development is about the Numbers A deeper dive, of course, reveals all kinds of interesting information. However, the basics are quite clear. We convert roughly 1 in 5 leads. Of those that are relevant, our conversion rate increases from 18-21%.  That probably taught me what I already knew, that business development is about the numbers Feedback is Essential to Learn  I go out of my way to gain feedback when we don’t win business. This is hugely important. I need to know what we’re not doing right and where we can improve. Every so often we lose on price but generally that’s where it’s a smaller exercise and I’m comfortable with that given that we win our fair share. We are usually competitive, not the most expensive and not the cheapest. We also ask for Google Reviews and testimonials once we have completed a successful campaign so that our hard work can contribute to our SEO.  A Good Ongoing Pipeline is Imperative Ultimately, you can’t convert a lead that you don’t have. Therefore, ensuring that you have sufficient sales leads in your funnel is vital. There will be inevitable peaks and troughs whether that is due to seasonality, the economy or other factors. However, some means of business development is essential to fuel growth. You Can’t Win them All Perhaps it’s down to age, but I have become pretty sanguine. Naturally, I want to win every (good) opportunity. But that’s not reality. Many of those we lost were situations where we got down to the final two combatants and we simply lost out. There was nothing we could have done and it was just a ‘gut feel’ decision. The feedback was invariably positive but, once again, it is a numbers game.  On the odd occasion, when our competitors have under-delivered, we do get the opportunity to pick things up and win subsequent work. Sadly though, it’s often a case of ‘once bitten, twice shy’.  Get Used to Tyre-Kickers I don’t really feel comfortable using this heading since it’s not true that the large majority of those that make an inquiry are tyre-kickers. They almost always have a need for business development. However, many arrive with limited knowledge of their options and are casting around to investigate what might work for them. There are many channels from which to choose. Budgets differ. Expectations differ. The urgency can be different. And, things change e.g. suddenly winning a large client.  So, not everyone is a time-waster, but you do need to be prepared to invest your time and energy into some leads that simply will never convert.  You’ll Get Some Dross Thankfully, our level of leads that are not suitable is not as high as some. It could be higher. Yet, we do receive incoming leads that are just not viable for us. This is often down to budget or expectations. We are totally transparent, pragmatic and flexible in the way we work. If that doesn’t suit some, so be it. In many cases, it’s not their fault if they don't know what the likely success ratios are. For others, their expectations are wholly inappropriate, expecting us to work for nothing, anticipating ridiculous levels of success or imagining that there is a silver bullet that creates success overnight.  We can’t legislate for these. I’m not sure that I’ve always been successful in sniffing these out, as I like to invest time to provide advice to everyone. However, you can’t run a business without the need to kiss some frogs along the way.  A Good Spread of Leads is Important It’s essential not to be over-reliant on one means or channel for lead generation. If that fails, your business will suffer. We’re pretty pleased with our spread. Around a third comes from Google and similar online sources. We also have a third from repeat clients which is pleasing given that most of our business is campaign-driven. Another third or so comes from referrals and recommendations. Hence, we get a good blend of warm leads. What’s more, we don;t spend a penny on SEO, advertising and other marketing other than producing informative content such as this blog which helps our search engine rankings.  Have you got sufficient spread in your lead generation efforts?  What’s the Conclusion? In reality, the conclusion is what we all know. Most businesses need a healthy and regular pipeline of leads to prosper. Those leads can come from existing customers for new work, or from fresh prospects. Leads can come in from any channel and, ideally, a good number will be from referrals and repeat business. However they arrive, work hard to respond swiftly and maximise the chance of success. However, recognise that a dose of realism is required. Don’t be overly discouraged by those you don’t win but do your best to convert.  I have an expression that I regularly use when I run telemarketing training. It is not meant to be taken literally, or out of context. However, the principle is key to keep in mind. Some will. Some won’t. So what. Move on! ------------------------------------------------------------ # Telemarketing Magic – How to Handle The ‘No’ – Infographic Source: https://telemarketing.blog/telemarketing-magic-how-to-handle-the-no-2/ Published: 2021-07-28 Telemarketing success is dependent upon gaining a decent percentage of ‘Yes’ responses i.e. prospects saying yes to whatever we’re promoting. That’s why we bother. That’s what telemarketing activity is about. But, we have to accept that there are all manner of things that negatively impact telemarketing success and, what’s more, rejection is a fact of telemarketing life. Almost certainly, we’re going to hear more ‘No’s’ than ‘Yes’ replies. And, there will be occasions when factors that are out of our control conspire against us. Our blog post explains some tips on how to handle rejection in telemarketing. Click here to read the full blog post Telemarketing Magic – How to Handle The ‘No’ ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Get Better Results from Your Telemarketing Team – Infographic Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-get-better-results-from-your-telemarketing-team-2/ Published: 2021-07-28 If you’re using telemarketing to generate sales leads, you want your team to perform? But, are they delivering the number of leads you need to oil the wheels of growth? If not, maybe you need to think first about the input rather than the output. What’s happening (or not happening) that means the results aren’t at the required level? In a perfect world, you’d like to be able to flick a switch and identify how to get better results from your telemarketing team. Sadly, it’s not quite that easy. Our blog post gives some tips on how to get better results from your telemarketing team. Read our blog post here  How to Get Better Results from Your Telemarketing Team ------------------------------------------------------------ # 8 Success Hacks for Telemarketing Lead Generation – Infographic Source: https://telemarketing.blog/8-success-hacks-for-telemarketing-lead-generation-infographic/ Published: 2021-07-28 Check out our full blog posts for more 8 Success Hacks for Telemarketing Lead Generation ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why are Businesses Obessessed with Prospecting rather than Nurturing? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/why-are-businesses-obessessed-with-prospecting-rather-than-nurturing/ Published: 2021-07-28 Most marketers and salespeople would agree that it makes sense to cultivate storing relationships with their clients. By doing this, it encourages them to spend more. So, why are businesses obsessed with prospecting rather than nurturing? You might think that the above is a false statement. Yet, with over 20 years experience in the business development world, I can reliably say that very few of our clients really focus on nurturing. They often prefer to chase new business as opposed to cultivating opportunities with customers at hand. That doesn’t mean they ignore their best customers. Rather, they miss opportunities with those on the fringes.  What’s the Best Route to New Business?  The majority of the work we do is prospecting for new business. Our clients typically ask us to help them open doors. And, mostly, this is cold outreach to a fresh audience of target prospects.  You might wonder what the problem is with that. Of course, lead generation is a valid exercise when it comes to the ongoing need for business development. There are very few businesses that genuinely don’t need or want new business. It’s a constant challenge for most marketing and business development managers.So, prospecting is a discipline that is important to most enterprises, large and small.  But what’s the best way to go about it? Is it best to chase new prospects or harness potential opportunities within the existing customer base?  Of course, one option does not negate the other. However, from a standing start, it’s hard to deliver a stack of high-quality, well-qualified, leads where there is an immediate need for products and services. This type of lead doesn’t grow on trees. Yet, targeting high-value new leads may be just what’s needed rather than chasing after smaller fish.  Prospecting is Harder than Nurturing  Whilst prospecting may not quite be like finding a needle in a haystack, there are many factors at play to determine success and ROI. These include the target sector, job role, and the relevance of the proposition, the value of sale and how urgent it is for the prospect to make a change or find a new supplier.  What’s more, this kind of exercise can work out relatively expensive. That’s especially so when compared to generating more revenue from clients that already trade with your business.  A lot of work needs to go into effective lead generation when it comes to fresh prospecting. Often, each lead can take time. That's fine if the value of sale means there’s a good potential for a return on investment. But, patience is needed. Retention is Better than Acquisition It’s a well-used expression that it’s cheaper to retain a current customer than find a new one. So, whilst outreach for new business may need to be on your agenda, it makes sense to consider alternatives alongside pure new business development. Many companies have large databases. With that in mind, it’s impossible to keep on track of the comings and goings in every client business. Things change. Buyers come and go. And, organisations grow and contract. Therefore, it’s essential to be well-placed when opportunities arise. But, that’s harder to do when it’s 18 months since you were last in touch and that last communication was an email or newsletter.  The larger your customer database, the harder it will be.  Missing Big Opportunities with Current Customers  For many organisations, and their sales and customer service staff, it can be a case of ‘he who shouts loudest’. In other words, attention is devoted to bigger customers and those that are simply more demanding. It’s natural, and profitable, to focus on large accounts. Yet, with internal overhead and resources often under pressure, it can be difficult to keep up with customer demands. So, some potentially valuable customers can feel neglected and slip through the net.  Many will be at risk of deserting to competitors who tempt them with offers.  Relationships Die with Personnel Changes A further issue can be the frequency of changes in personnel in those companies with which you are not in regular contact. How do you know when buyers change? Unfortunately, those situations often lead to a weakening of the relationship. Ultimately, this leads to customer attrition. What’s more, without reasonably frequent contact, it’s probable that you’ll miss opportunities to do more business. How do you know which companies have the potential for growth? And, when might purchasers be in the market for other solutions you offer?  Emails and newsletters can only take a business so far. Peer-to-peer interaction is what’s needed? That means a call and/or a visit.  Profiling and Segmentation  So, what’s the answer? The best approach is to take a good look at the data sitting in your systems to ensure that you have accurate contact details. It’s also important to consider the other information you hold on each customer. What do you know about their business? How can you best profile their needs if you don’t know anything about them?  The more information you can gather about the business the better. Whilst you don’t need to write a book on each company, profiling by sector, number of employees, type and other key parameters will help you assess their potential.  Don’t forget to consider the last order date since this will probably determine the warmth of the relationship. And, of course, order value and the type of products and services purchased can also be revealing.  Beware though that past order value may not denote potential order value. Just because they only ordered a small amount in the past doesn’t mean it will always be like that. It may be that a proportion of their spend is with a competitor and you aren’t aware of this.  Work out your Best Approach Once you have determined these key elements, you can categorise customers into A, B and C targets or whatever breakdown suits you best. Perhaps, your key account team already deals with the larger clients. Maybe they aren’t even on this list since they are handled elsewhere in the organisation. It may just be companies below a given order value that you profile like this. You then need to consider how to approach and nurture these targets. If you have limited internal resources, the temptation may be to simply send an email. If these are low-value customers, and you can validate that, this may be the best approach. Yet, the most sensible option is often a call to qualify them, to ascertain their needs and to develop the relationship. It may be that a multi-channel approach will pay dividends. That means reaching out via email and phone and even connecting via LinkedIn. However, given that these are existing customers, a positive customer care call might simply be the way to best unlock their potential.  Think Ahead for Profit If you have the manpower to accomplish this using your in-house team, decide on a timeframe and set them to work on the process. Make sure that they record the information in a systematic manner on your CRM system that allows you to further analyse the output from their work. Good notes are essential. Some form of scoring would probably be useful. It will allow you to classify them by opportunity and split them up for account management to follow-up. If you don’t have the staff to do the exercise in a reasonable timeframe, perhaps consider an outsource solution such as an agency like GSA to take the task in hand and to provide the output seamlessly and swiftly. Any cost associated with this kind of exercise should be set against the cost of not doing it. That’s to say the cost of losing clients to competitors. Also, it’s important to balance with the cost of other marketing to generate new business. Ultimately, if you believe there may be big potential lurking in your unloved customer database, take time to run a customer campaign and you will see the benefits.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # Where Should Small Businesses Focus Efforts Post-Covid Source: https://telemarketing.blog/where-should-small-businesses-focus-efforts-post-covid/ Published: 2021-07-13 Does anyone know whether we are at the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning? Restrictions are lifting yet cases are rising. It remains to be seen whether post-summer will see a significant rise in hospitalisations and, sadly, deaths that threaten to derail any hope of a recovery. So, with those sombre thoughts in mind, where should small businesses focus efforts Post-Covid to ensure that they put their businesses on the fast-track for growth?   Focus Forward This may seem an over-simplistic point to start with. What’s more, many sectors could justifiably argue that it’s easy to say and impossible to accomplish. Plenty of industries have been severely impacted by lockdown. Countless organisations, small and large, will never recover. Alongside the human cost of the past 18 months or so is the economic impact.  History shows us that things do turn around. This is the case following every downturn. Stock markets recovered 4 years after the Great Recession of 2007-08 and took a similar amount of time after the 2000s crash. Fitch Ratings expects 2021 world GDP to grow by 6.3%, How will you benefit?    Focus on Creativity Inevitably, there are winners and losers and, with every disruption, things change. Trends shift. Adaptations become the norm. The boom in online shopping is unlikely to revert back anytime soon. Perhaps town centers will be irrevocably changed. But, that opens up more opportunities for those that want them. The residential market may benefit from the demise of department stores. John Lewis has announced plans to move into residential developments using its own real estate. This is in addition to looking outside of their own property portfolio. And, each development will have its own John Lewis mini-supermarket. Imagination is a tough skill to cultivate. However, there will be opportunities. Coming out of this big dip, certain sectors will explode as latent demand bubbles to the surface. How are you placed to capitalise? What creative solutions can you unearth?    Focus on Technology  What has changed in your business and industry? How can you harness new technology to develop your business? There is no doubt that there has been a plethora of new solutions over the past few years. From app ordering to the use of artificial intelligence almost everywhere. Whether it’s smart glasses, smart devices or smart houses or Virtual Reality Gaming, Driverless cars or medical microchips that monitor your vital signs on your mobile, we are awash with gadgets and new technology.  These innovations are not going away anytime soon so you need to open your mind to how you can harness these to make your business more efficient, more attractive and more resilient in your particular niche.    Focus on the Customer There has been a lot of talk about ‘pivoting’ during this recent Covid period. Some businesses have been able to switch away from their core offering to a clever alternative. This allowed them to keep going during this difficult period. For some, this will present future opportunities. For others, the opportunity may evaporate as we get back to normal. However, one thing that never goes out of fashion is customer orientation. Think about what you can do for your prospects and customers more than you think about what they can do for you.  Simply put, the more you focus on customer needs the better. Understand your audience and what drives them. Consider what challenges your customers have and how you can solve them. Understand how the downturn has affected them and what you can do to better support them. Many businesses are emerging with lower headcount through necessity. That means resourcing is more difficult. So, consider how your solutions can empower them and how you can help them overcome these difficulties.  Understanding your customer will never go out of fashion so place emphasis on them and you’ll be more able to identify the opportunities as things open up.    Focus on Positive Communication Perhaps this is obvious. However, in the fog of indecision, and with battles that need fighting, sometimes what’s in front of us can be missed. Whilst it can be hard to be positive, especially after a tough ordeal for some, how you’re perceived is everything. That means on the phone, in emails, on LinkedIn and, hopefully, face to face. People buy people and you and your colleagues are the face of your business. So, your energy needs to shine through. In some ways, the expression ‘fake it till you make it’ springs to mind. Even if things aren’t where you’d like them to be, presenting a positive image must be a priority.   Focus on Business Development  For most organisations emerging from the gloom, new business development will be on their agenda. The first place to look should be your current customer base. They are likely to be more loyal and easier to convert. Can you sell the same or different products and services to your base that has perhaps reigned back over the past 18 months? Is there potential for significant growth amongst a segment of your core customers?  If you have developed new offerings, are your customers aware of this? And, what about new sectors and/or new prospects? There is likely to be a degree of latent demand that you can exploit with a concerted effort to develop new business.  How can you stimulate fresh leads? What channels do you need to use to drive prospects to your door? Whether content distribution of knowledge-based white papers is for you, using social media to reach your audience, or it’s traditional telemarketing you turn to, consider how best to utilise your marketing funds to generate leads and to grow your sales pipeline.    Focus on Data  Be aware that many organisations will have experienced change during the recent period. That’s likely to accelerate once government support disappears as companies have to face increased overhead. Inevitably, some of your buyers will have left their companies. Therefore, validating your customer and prospect data as part of your lead generation strategy will be essential. If you want to build your business post-Covid, that will be hard if you’re aiming at a target you can’t hit. So, spend time and resources on maximising the accuracy of your target data or you will be throwing good money after bad.  Sadly, there’s no silver bullet. We can’t waive a magic wand and make it all go away. And, some restrictions may be with us for some time. In many respects, this is finally the new normal. But, with a forecast of strong growth ahead, small businesses must focus on their own growth plans to take advantage of the opportunities that arise.    ------------------------------------------------------------ # Does Telemarketing Have a Role in Integrated Marketing and ABM? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/does-telemarketing-have-a-role-in-integrated-marketing-and-abm/ Published: 2021-07-07 Does telemarketing have a role in integrated marketing and ABM? It’s a fair question to ask with the explosion of digital channels awash with content. Inbound is all the rage. So, why would you go ‘cold’ prospecting when you can embrace ‘warm’ leads? Some marketers would argue that lead generation using the phone is well past its sell by date. Yet, others, including many large corporations, still include outbound calling as part of their sales and pre-sales strategy. So, what’s the answer? Horses for Courses Of course, the choice of which route, or routes to market to deploy is never that simple. The answer is that it depends. Your target sector will play a role in your decision. Your desired level of integration will be important. Equally, your level of niching in terms of your audience will drive certain decisions about your chosen approach. And, it may depend on your brand strength and awareness. What's more, the options are almost endless. Likewise, the higher the value of sale, the more economic the use of outbound calling could be. There are lots of factors to consider. Types of Calling The other consideration is your audience selection. Somewhat incorrectly, telemarketing is often labelled as ‘cold calling’. Some calling is undoubtedly to fresh prospects. Yet, there are plenty of other options for the use of the telephone for lead generation. For example, if you have a large customer database and don’t have the internal resources to regularly reach out, why not call those customers to promote a new product or service? There are various alternatives to pure cold calling. These include: Calls to follow-up event attendees Calls to respond to inbound enquiries e.g. from your website or from social media Cross-selling and up-selling to existing customers Lapsed customer resuscitation calls Updating your database with new contact details to support email or LinkedIn marketing Research calls including profiling your audience as part of an ABM strategy Blending Social and Telemarketing Some audiences are hard to reach no matter which channel you use. And, we’ve already mentioned that social channels are awash with content. Yet, good content can open the door to an initial engagement and, potentially, provide those warm leads for phone follow-up. These are often called ‘Marketing Qualified Leads’ or MQL. The idea is that your content reaches the target recipient through either sponsored posts, advertising or simply via organic posts on social channels. But what happens when those leads come through the door? Inevitably, some won’t be relevant. Many people just download the whitepaper or other content simply out of interest or even for competitor evaluation. So, those individuals need qualification and profiling. This may include lead scoring. How is that possible with limited internal resources that are often focused on other tasks? That’s where outbound calling can be extremely effective in focusing the time, for internal sales, on those prospects most likely to convert. Proactive Lead Generation With the clutter and noise now associated with most social and digital outreach, there has been an appreciation that peer to peer marketing still has an important role. And, with that in mind, the one to one nature of telemarketing can be important in building relationships. Despite the advent of new media, channels and solutions, the discipline of ‘telesales’ persists. It is still used successfully by many large and small companies to market their products and services. In many ways, it is the only channel that remains largely unchanged since telephone marketing became a thing during the 1970s. And, despite all of the hype surrounding newer channels, this form of business development means you don’t have to wait for prospects to come to you. Simply, you go to them! Efficiency Enhancements Calling as part of the lead generation process is a relatively simple concept. Ultimately, you need a list of target contacts and organisations with phone numbers, and off you go. There’s a lot more to it than that but the essence is that you need a good caller who can articulate your proposition to the right prospects. Thankfully, improvements have been made to data quality through targeted databases. We also have sophisticated CRM systems, the arrival of LinkedIn, increased use of artificial intelligence, and other tools to enhance data integrity and the accuracy of the calling. Nevertheless, the core component is largely the same. Ultimately, it’s about one person calling another and having an engaging conversation built on good communication and rapport about a mutually relevant subject. The Law Permits Continued Use of Calling It’s important to say a few brief words about the legal position regarding outbound calling. The GDPR rules that came in during May 2018 continue to permit the use of telephone marketing under two main conditions. Firstly, all numbers (both for individuals and businesses) must be screened every 28 days against the opt-out registers (TPS and CTPS). If a number is registered, you cannot call and this is a breach of the legislation. Secondly, if an individual requests you to stop calling and to take them off your list, you must do so immediately. Outside of these two circumstances, calling is perfectly legitimate and reputable companies will operate correctly. Expectations have Changed Certainly, in the last 10-15 years, expectations have changed. The speed at which calling exercises need to deliver has accelerated. Could that be due to the fact that we have become accustomed to having everything at our fingertips instantly? But how immediate are other routes to market? Is the use of social media a silver bullet? How long does it take for other marketing channels to bear fruit? Marketing results are usually hard-earned. Whatever the reason, it appears that calling campaigns are under more pressure than ever. Maybe the pressure is down to the relative overhead cost. However, the overall cost of a telephone marketing campaign is perhaps no different to other channels. Ultimately, it is driven by client budgets. And, outbound peer-to-peer calling delivers deeper qualification that should lead to bigger business wins. Ultimately, if your budget is £5000 or £50,000, that is your budget and you need to decide how to spend that amount to get the best return on investment. What Factors Influence Success? To some extent, this is an impossible question to answer since there are a wide range of components. Some lead generation exercises do very well right from the outset since the stars are aligned. In those cases, there are usually a number of factors that contribute to success including: Market triggers such as new technologies, legislation, the drive, and necessity, to change etc Who you are calling e.g. customers, cold prospects, inbound leads from advertising and social etc The strength of your offer/proposition The quality of the caller - this is crucial since perception is everything The price you charge for your products and services - some sales have long gestation periods Timing The level of disruption that adoption of your service would require for the customer The speed at which the right decision-makers can be reached The quality of the target data including valid names and numbers There are lots of factors that play a key part in your likelihood of success. Cold is Harder In the most basic terms, regardless of which channel you use for business development, cold calling is harder than warm. It takes time to build a solid pipeline, not least due to some of the factors above. Targeting other than ‘new’ business is often overlooked. We’d always recommend warm as opposed to cold calls if at all possible. However, if cold outreach is essential, results generally won’t come overnight. Momentum in calling is essential. That’s in addition to making sufficient calls in the first place. This will enable your caller works through the data to: Validate the decision-makers Reach enough prospects to whom they can present your proposition Identify immediate interest (the quick wins) Build a pipeline of current interest (call-backs in 1-2 weeks) Build a pipeline of future prospects (follow-up in 3-6 months) How Long Should Success Take? Unless you have a ‘no-brainer’ proposition to a target market that is desperate for a solution to a problem, few marketing methods will deliver quickly. Yet, every channel needs to provide results and very little is guaranteed. No matter which avenue you use for your lead generation, there is rarely a sure thing. It’s about testing and measuring. How long should you give the activity before questioning its effectiveness? There are inevitable barriers to faster results such as: low response to email lack of response to LinkedIn outreach poor quality leads from advertising slow response to social voicemail, out of office, gatekeeper blocks and other hurdles for telemarketing There will always be hurdles to jump over. You need to have patience. This is to allow the pipeline to build and the leads to flow. Therefore, we’d recommend allowing for a 3-6 month initial programme of activity. The more ‘blended’ this can be with other activities the better. Calling LinkedIn connections, email click-throughs, and MQLs from contact forms is likely to give a better immediate output than going for entirely new targets. Making sure that you have an ongoing view of KPIs is essential with at least weekly reviews that will enable you to steer a good course during the period of activity. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are Your Salespeople too Lazy to Achieve Your Goals? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-your-salespeople-too-lazy-to-achieve-your-goals/ Published: 2021-05-19 Good salespeople are assets to any organization. Outside of pure online sales, some form of interaction between Person A and Person B is necessary to conclude a sale. For higher value transactions, committee decisions are common so there may be multiple decision-makers. And, where services are concerned, buyers often want to see the whites of the seller’s eyes before agreeing to buy into what they offer. What’s more, the process may include some due diligence, proofs of concept, and trials before the sale goes ahead.  So, selling is no easy task. It may have several stages and managing the steps in an effective manner is essential for success Driving Buyers to Your Door  The sales process can be broken down into many component parts. It’s unlikely that a prospective client will just ‘find’ your business, make a call to you and make a purchase there and then. There are often many component parts. This is where effective marketing is essential. A credible and attractive website is key. Increasingly, buyers check out your credentials on LinkedIn, Instagram and other social platforms relevant to what you offer. Hence, it can take time for buyers to reach your door. This is where inbound marketing plays a key role and investment in measures to attract prospects is crucial.  Proactive Measures Generating new clients can be a costly business. Whether you select advertising, PR, Pay per Click, Sponsored ad,  email marketing or some other method, your expensive sales teams need feeding with juicy leads. And, ideally, they need to be good ones. Unfortunately, you can’t always control this and there will always be some degree of wastage whether that’s email bounces, lack of response from LinkedIn outreach or through poor quality leads from landing pages where prospects ‘request more information’.  The Battle for ROI  It’s a constant battle to promote lead-flow whilst also maximising ROI, and optimising the level of investment. Sadly, there’s no silver bullet. The degree of pre-qualification can vary. Content, such as whitepapers, on a landing page can be offered free to all or gated based on answers to specific questions. This is where you identify either marketing qualified leads - MQL (where they simply provide their email address to download the item) or Sales Qualified Leads - SQL where you ask for more information about their needs, budget etc.  The above can, to some extent, pre-screen for quality. However, this is by no means fool-proof. Outbound calling through telemarketing can deepen the degree of qualification. But, it can take time to unearth the pearls. And, the work isn’t always done once a lead has been identified. There may be ‘interest’ but what’s the timing on the project? And, how hot is the interest? The Value of Sales  Ultimately, time is money and sales teams are expensive resources. Therefore, it makes sense to provide those in the front line with worthwhile opportunities. But, how far should this go? Where should a salesperson take over? There is a fine line between the provision of leads that are weak and unqualified and those that are so deeply qualified that the seller needs to just turn up to win the deal. Of course, it isn’t as straightforward as that. However, sometimes resentment can build up between sales and marketing over the level of qualification required before the lead gets to the door of the field representative.  On occasions, there will be a pre-sales function within the organisation that takes the lead from ‘cold’ to a sales-qualified prospect. This is an additional layer in the process and costly addition to your cost of sale. It only really applies where the value of sale supports such an investment. And, to some extent, this can be accomplished by using an outsource agency to manage the process.  The Marketing Challenge It’s perhaps a sensitive subject but there can sometimes be friction between sales and marketing. On one hand, marketing invests time, money, and skills with multi-channel and account-based marketing approaches to identify, and reach out to prospective prospects. This is not easy or cheap. There are few, if any, guarantees and it is often trial and error before hitting on an approach that works. And, it rarely works all the time! On the other hand, sales professionals need leads upon which they can work to generate the revenue needed.  So, you can appreciate the frustration experienced by marketing management when advised by ‘Sales’ that the leads are worthless. Often, that feedback can come in the form of throw-away comments about poor lead quality. This may be based on qualification criteria such as BANT (budget, authority, need, timescale) with one or more of these not being satisfied for the leads.  Lead Quality is Subjective The problem is that lead quality is subjective. And, there are all sorts of definitions for leads from MQL (marketing qualified) through to SQL (sales qualified), and BANT, as explained earlier. Organisations differ as to the nature of the leads generated and what they expect the front-line sales team to do with those leads. It is somewhat obvious that certain leads are warmer than others. That’s inevitable since buyers are at different stages of the buying process when they engage with you. Some are ready to buy. Others are evaluating the market. Some organisations have lower-level management doing due diligence before devising a shortlist of prospective suppliers. And, companies have extremely different budgets and timeframes. So, it’s a tough task.  In our experience, it can also be made more difficult.  Sometimes, either through workload, the need to focus on key accounts, previous experience with poor leads, or due to other circumstances, the sales team may not follow-up the leads that have been loaded onto the CRM system. Once again, this causes friction in the sales process.  Do Front-Line Salespeople Have it Easy? There is no right or wrong when it comes to lead generation. Arguably, lead scoring and lead criteria should dictate and there are lots of solutions for lead nurturing using multiple channels that, hopefully, means that the salespeople receive good quality leads. That is an ideal. However, not every organisation has the luxury of being able to deploy such resources and tactics and, in many smaller companies, the account managers need to take a more proactive approach to managing and nurturing the leads from initial enquiry to proposal.  Does Every Lead Need to be Piping Hot? Wouldn’t it be great if every lead was hot and at the top end of the scale for value. That just isn't reality and, especially with higher value target clients and leads, it takes time to bring a lead to fruition. Some are top-of-the-funnel leads and some come further down.  That means a proactive approach is essential. Regular contact is vital and effective lead generation means working hard throughout the life of a lead. The leads can certainly be plugged into whatever marketing automation the company uses. Yet, where the value of sale warrants it, there is usually no substitute for human interaction. This includes identification of client needs, due diligence, proof of concept, and other factors that come into play when closing down a sale. That’s where the real skills of salespeople come into sharper focus.  Are Your Salespeople Lazy?  Undoubtedly, some salespeople want an easy life with hot juicy leads served on a plate. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the real world for most organisations and most sellers. Salespeople need to refine their skills. They need to be able to: ask good questions in order to unearth needs and flush out requirements.  build rapport to engender trust.  understand customer benefits as opposed to pushing features.  There is no doubt that companies need to deploy this expensive resource wisely. Yet, there is rarely a silver bullet. Marketing can’t just wave a magic wand and produce leads ready to convert and hand them over on a silver platter. It’s a joint effort. That includes not just sales and marketing personnel. This includes senior management since they need to set the tone and clarify individual roles based on the requirements of the business.  In our article on Account-Based Marketing, we discussed that senior management's patience is needed. If you want to land the big fish, it takes time and you need to be constantly fishing in waters where other fishermen are present since everyone wants the freshest fish. And, you’ll need someone to identify where to fish, and skilled fishermen to land the catch. Laziness and inaccuracy anywhere in the process will lead to everyone going hungry.   ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Run a Successful Telemarketing Campaign – 10 Tips Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-run-a-successful-telemarketing-campaign-successful/ Published: 2021-05-18 > Discover the disciplines that make telemarketing work, from data segmentation to message clarity. Read our full guide and contact GSA Business Development to Despite the advent of more online ways of selling, telemarketing remains important as a means to generate new and repeat business for many b2b marketers. This could be due to the fact that it is a direct peer to peer channel in a world where, thankfully in most high quality, high value business deals, people still buy people. Given that even in product-based businesses, service is very much part of the decision-making process, the human element is one of the factors in the ultimate decision. As a consequence of these and other aspects, b2b telemarketing persists alongside other lead generation routes to market. It’s fair to say here that not all telemarketing is cold where prospecting is the order of the day. Many outbound calls are for customer care, product launches to existing customers and cross-sell and up sell communication. And, of course, there are research/customer satisfaction calls and other contact that isn’t straight prospect calling to a cold data pool. So, whilst a lot of focus goes on telemarketing as a proactive means to generate new business, there are elements to it that can relate to contact with infrequent or lapsed customers and even current customers with whom you don’t have frequent communication. Whatever the reason for the call, telemarketing is a process. There are disciplines and success factors that play a big role in success. And, it pays to learn how to run a successful telemarketing campaign. Check out our key factors below: 1. Segment and profile your data at the outset Good telemarketing starts with good strategy. It shouldn’t just be about spraying calls around and hoping someone (anyone) will be interested. You need to align your approach, target audience, management and measurement in order for telemarketing outbound calling to be effective. With por data you’ll definitely achieve weaker results. The more targeted the calling the better. There are so many variables so you have to decide what those are for your specific campaign. And, it will likely vary each time. You could segment by last order value. It could be based on location or company size or sector or all of these. It could be based on the last contact date. Or, if you have a proposition for a specific job role, perhaps that may be your key criterion. However you approach segmentation, it pays to focus the calling on a specific audience not least for consistency. But, make sure that you have good contact information in the first place. A poor marketing list with outdated contact details will certainly derail your telemarketing efforts. It will slow down the calling, reduce positive outcomes, take more time and cost more money. You will receive more gatekeeper blocks and hit more organisations with no name policies, all of which serves to reduce effectiveness. So, make sure that the data you provide to your callers is accurate and recent. 2. Identify the right message It seems simple but it isn’t always executed in a way that ensures that the desired outcome is achieved. Why is it that many telemarketers still persist with tired old opening lines that are focused on themselves and prefaced with an insincere “how are you today?” As if they cared! The key to how to make a telemarketing campaign successful in this respect is to focus on the recipient of the call, their woes, their issues and challenges. Try to work out what, typically, keeps them up at night. It isn’t about your products and services. They don’t care about them. They are only interested in their priorities and how what you offer helps them to achieve their goals. So, ensure that your opening gambit and core message resonates. Base your entry point on things that will matter to them. 3. Proactive Management is key When we run campaigns for clients and training courses for telemarketers, we often find that one of the main things that detailed past campaigns was lack of proactive management. As mentioned earlier, it shouldn’t be about simple giving a telemarketer a list and telling them to make calls. For example, there are many different outcomes from a telemarketing call. To start with, you need to identify the desired outcome. Is it a face to face appointment for a field sales representative that’s required? If so, why would the prospect (or customer) want to see you? Do you need to have a prequalification call? Is it an online demo or webinar or attendance at an event that’s needed. Is it a customer care/customer satisfaction requirement? There are lots of options and being crystal clear about the right one and/or options is important. Equally, what are the KPIs that will provide the desired ROI? What benchmarks do you have? And, how and when do you measure success? Over what timeframe? How do you monitor results and what should they realistically be? Having an account manager that understands how to make a telemarketing campaign work is essential. Leaving telemarketers to do their own thing is a bad option. Failing to track performance and the inability to provide guidance and constructive feedback is guaranteed to produce failure. Even if you have only one caller, they need input especially where they hit inevitable roadblocks. 4. Measure and report Whilst proactive management is crucial, it’s hard to be proactive if you don’t have the right systems and measurement in place. A poorly configured CRM system or, heaven forbid, no system, slows down calling and makes those crucial follow up calls much more difficult. Telemarketing is very much a process and your system needs to provide simple ways for the telemarketer to make initial calls and subsequent follow up calls. They need past notes, order history and other information at their fingertips and, ideally, on one screen in order to speed up calling. The right layout allows for momentum which is essential if you want good results. And, whoever manages the calling process needs access to information to evaluate performance. They need this regularly. We’d recommend daily reporting and benchmarking. Monitoring the right KPIs will ensure the campaign doesn’t go off track. You should measure the amount of time calling, admin time, call numbers, decision-maker conversations, outcomes by type and ratios for all of these and more. By comparing results by telemarketer, by day, by sector and so on will enable you to tweak whee necessary to ensure you get better results. Without measurement, it’s hard to deliver the success. 5. Watch Your Call rates We always say that you’ll never do any business with someone you don’t call. Of course, that doesn’t take into account inbound leads and online enquiries. We’re purely talking about outbound calls here. What’s for sure is that poor call rates, often driven by failure to action the elements of the campaign mentioned above, will cause a telemarketing campaign to fail. Voicemail, gatekeepers, out of office, no name policies and other factors mean that even if your database is 100% perfect, you will not get through to everyone. If you get through to 25% of the contact list, that’s not a bad benchmark from a day of calling. With that in mind, if you only make 40 calls as opposed to 100, you’ll be at least 60% less likely to reach your goals. A bad call is a bad call and 100 bad calls isn’t as useful as 40 effective calls. But, that notwithstanding, 100+ dials is where you should be aiming so that you maximise the value of the 25 decision makers you do speak to. 6. Focus on Motivation  Let’s face it, telemarketing is a rough job. It can be repetitive when you’re not having many conversations. Push backs, blocks and rejection are part and parcel of the role. Therefore, keeping your telemarketers motivated is a crucial part of the success story. Some sectors are tougher than others. If you have an undifferentiated proposition to an audience that is locked into contracts, it may well be a thankless task. This is where motivation comes in. Management needs to consider how to change things around to provide greater impetus where telemarketers are having a hard time. Leaving them to their own devices rarely works. Regular meetings and reviews and/or conference calls keeps them on their game and provides necessary stimulus for continued success. Allowing them to provide their input and feedback can unearth new ways to improve performance. 7. Be Flexible Flogging a dead horse is never a good idea. And, some b2b telemarketing exercises are difficult. Perhaps other marketing routes haven’t proven successful and telemarketing is another option. But, not every campaign is successful and an effective account manager needs to know when to say no, when to change things and when to stop. Having appropriate KPIs and measures in place allows that flexibility. And, those managing telemarketing campaigns need to know when a tweak is needed and when to be patient if results aren’t coming immediately. There are any number of elements that could potentially be causing the campaign to fail. It could be poor data. The telemarketer may not get the proposition or they may be struggling to overcome a particular objection based on lack of knowledge. It could be that this sector is just too hard to penetrate when the cost of sale is high and contracts are long. Successful telemarketing campaigns result from flexibility alongside transparency with a big dose of persistence and pragmatism. 8. Pay Attention to Detail Sometimes callers can get carried away. They can focus on one section of the calling database at the expense of moving on. They can move on too quickly without working across individual companies. The role of an account manager is very much to have an eye for details. Is the list becoming tired or have calls been out in too sparingly. Is one sector providing better results than another and should you change the caller if they’re not getting it? Those running outbound calling exercises need an eye for detail to ensure that they don’t trundle on and result in failure. 9. Take Care with Pipeline Management Whilst headline results are the most important aspect of success, what sits behind that is the driver of that success. It usually takes time to build up the sales pipeline. It can require multiple calls and emails to qualify relevant opportunities. Some prospects just aren’t ready to buy but may be open to further dialogue in 3 or 6 months when they’re closer to contract end dates or new budget periods. Recognising and managing this is key to developing a bank of leads that aren’t necessarily ready to convert immediately but that are in the market. Certainly, where higher values of sale are concerned, it’s rare that prospects will commit straight away. Sometimes, a telemarketer strikes lucky and calls at just the right time. However, it’s unwise to rely on this and pipeline management is usually crucial for long-term results. That means following up by sending a relevant email, call backs at the agreed time and using other channels such as LinkedIn to keep in touch. Policing this approach is fundamental to ensuring that your lead generation campaign goes to plan. 10. Training and briefing your callers A good telemarketer is skilled in handling objections, blocks and swerving curve balls. Some of those skills may be innate but some results come from effective briefing and training. A good account manager will ensure that the callers have clear briefing about required outcomes and the reason why a prospect or customer should engage. And, it shouldn’t just be what your company offers. Once again, any briefing need to reflect client needs and challenges. The telemarketer also needs clarity on typical industry acronyms and trigger points to use in the call. Selecting the right telemarketer and briefing them well is vital and, changing the caller is also important if things don’t go to plan. It’s better to change swiftly than to leave things running where there’s a risk of brand damage. Excerpt  Telemarketing isn’t the easiest job in the world. Sometimes, it’s tough and, to achieve results, everyone in the team needs to pull together. One of the most important aspects of telemarketing success is account management. That means aligning all of the elements to make a campaign work. Check out our blog for 10 tips on how to run a successful telemarketing campaign.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # New Year Lead Generation Checklist  Source: https://telemarketing.blog/new-year-lead-generation-checklist-10-things-you-must-do-asap-to-be-successful/ Published: 2021-01-11 > A checklist of 10 key tasks to help United Kingdom B2B teams start the year with a lead generation plan, customer contact strategy and the right channels. New Year Lead Generation Checklist  10 Things you Must do ASAP to be Successful As we approach the dawn of a New Year, thoughts turn to ensuring that the year gets off to a strong start. Below are 10 key tasks you need to consider now if you want your sales to flow in the forthcoming year.  Devise a lead generation strategy Identify customers with more potential  Develop a customer contact plan to maximise revenue from current customers Work out the right channels to reach your target audience Calculate Marketing ROI  Work disproportionately hard on your data Don’t neglect new business Really identify the customer challenges you resolve  Be proactive and don’t wait for the perfect moment Build credibility and visibility View Infographic  Devise a lead generation strategy Of course, a plan was always going to be first. But, a plan of action is what’s needed when it comes to lead generation. Understanding the shape of your sales and profit now is key to establishing where you will be in 12 or 24 months. So, it’s important to build a picture of where you want growth to come from. Inevitably, there will be some customer attrition and sector contraction. There are always ebbs and flows and reduction in some areas will be counterbalanced by growth elsewhere. So, do your research and write at least a high level growth plan.  Identify customers with more potential In most databases, there are various tiers of customer groups. There are those cherished high-spending customers and lower spending customers all the way from those that spend frequently to those that spend small amounts on an ad hoc basis. Equally, there will be lapsed customers that used to trade with you and prospects that range from warm to cold.  The key to outbound marketing is to profile these groups and to identify where there is more potential. It could be different sites, departments or decision-makers within individual organisations or it could be sectors that will prosper due to changed circumstances either economically or for some other reason.  Develop a customer contact plan If you want to maximise revenue you need a properly segmented customer contact plan. This is different to your high-level business plan. This goes one level deeper.  Once you have identified and profiled target customer segments, you need to pull together a plan to contact them. What’s your message for each group? It is likely to differ in a number of ways. It’s probably that a different proposition is required to lure lapsed customers back to you than is needed to encourage current clients to spend more through purchase of other products and services. Work out the right channels to reach your target audience The nature of your business and proposition and the type of audience will, to a large extent, dictate the approach you take when it comes to marketing. Are your key prospects and customers on LinkedIn? If so, reaching out on that platform may be a good solution. Equally, if your business is highly visual, platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and even TikTok could be relevant. Facebook is huge so it may not be a channel you can ignore.  There are so many routes to market so think carefully about which options are most likely to reach and convert your various target segments  Calculate Marketing ROI Marketing needs to be measured. There’s no point investing in activity that simply doesn’t deliver. Equally important is the need to give marketing time to work. Rome wasn’t built in a day and it sometimes takes time for the sales pipeline to build. Turning the tap off too quickly means starting afresh and flip-flopping consumes both time and money. So, identify, where possible,  your best route to market and work out the return on investment and timeframe needed to justify the initial investment.  Rather than work out your return based on a one-off sale, think about how much clients spend with you on average over the lifetime of a typical customer. Work out your prospect to customer conversion rate and evaluate your marketing ROI against the Lifetime Value.  Work disproportionately hard on your data You can’t hit a target you can’t see and if you fire in the wrong direction, you are guaranteed to miss. It’s great if you know the sectors, sizes of companies, decision-maker roles and so on of your target audience. But knowing what you want and having accurate contact data to support your efforts are entirely different things. Marketing and business development will fail if the data is inaccurate. And, sadly, most data is just that.  Data that dates back more than 12 months is probably out of date given the rapid change that goes on in most organisations. And, even if you know that John Smith is the IT Director you need, do you have his email address and phone number? Time and money spent on data will never be a bad investment.  Don’t neglect new business It’s often the case that organisations chase after new business at the expense of looking closer to home. As mentioned before, there is likely to be great potential for growth within your existing client base. However, there are companies that would use your products and services that are just not aware of what you offer. There are organisations that have similar characteristics to your best clients that have the same issues as your customers. You’re simply not on their radar. So, assuming you’ve identified the profile of business you want, reach out now using the most appropriate channels.  Really identify the customer challenges you resolve Too many sales people focus on what they offer. They emphasise the products and services that they take to market. Yet, they spend insufficient time to identify the core benefits to the customer. They do not focus sufficiently on customers’ pains and genuine needs.   Inertia kicks in when there is no pressing reason for change. So, unless you can convince a senior buyer to listen, you won’t get far. And, they will only listen if you tap into their real needs. So, spend time on your proposition and messaging to ensure that it’s positioned from the customer’s point of view, and don’t simply spew out what you do and what you offer.  Be proactive and don’t wait for the perfect moment Is there a perfect time to do lead generation and business development? Personally, I don’t think there is. Of course, a good website, a strong LinkedIn profile, a nice brochure etc support effective selling. But, customers are busy. They are focused on their own issues and priorities. And, they are out there now looking for new suppliers for your products and services. So, whilst the above are important, don’t make the mistake of waiting until the perfect time when everything is in place. It could be months before that’s the case. Don’t risk missing the boat and don’t waste the opportunity to contact your future best customer due to being too late to the party.  Build credibility and visibility Content is king. This has been the case for some time now. The Internet is awash with content in the form of blogs, white paper downloads, videos, infographics and the like. Not all of it is read of course. However, you will appear higher in search engines if you produce interesting content. With good content, your credibility will be enhanced and customers will engage with you more. You will also raise your profile on social channels with relevant and compelling content. You can’t go from 0-100 overnight. We have 400 pieces of content on our website that we have compiled over the years. Therefore, there’s no time like the present to start devising content, like this article, that your customers will hopefully appreciate.    Competition is always ferocious. Customers are always looking for ways to improve what they do. They need to cut costs. They want to do things faster and better. No matter what the economy may throw at us, there is business to be done. So, make sure you’re at the front of the queue by being proactive in your approach to business development. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 25 Quick Tips for Effective Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/25-quick-tips-for-effective-lead-generation-infographic/ Published: 2020-12-01 > Discover practical lead generation tips you can apply immediately to boost new business development and improve your sales pipeline. 25 Quick Tips for Effective Lead Generation ------------------------------------------------------------ # 25 Quick Tips for Effective Lead Generation  Source: https://telemarketing.blog/25-quick-tips-for-effective-lead-generation/ Published: 2020-12-01 To succeed in your Lead Generation efforts, there are a number of success factors that are necessary to enhance your chances of success.  Check out our 25 fast-paced tips to maximize your opportunities in the coming year. They are only a snapshot but if you focus on these, your business will see growth.  You can’t hit a target you can’t see - customer profiling is crucial to your success. Know the parameters that define your best customers and look for more of them.  Good data is essential - without accurate contact data, your campaigns will fail and they will cost more. So, invest in a good target list for your marketing for each channel  Rapport is king - when it comes to high-value and peer to peer selling, rapport is essential so work on that from the moment you engage with your prospects and through every interaction  Focus on them not you - customers don’t care what you know until they know that you care. Work out what’s in it for them and focus on that rather than what you offer. Be interested and interesting in equal measures - who wants to spend time with the most boring person at the party? Demonstrate genuine interest in your prospects and customers. Provide useful insight and reference points for greater engagement.  Perfect the art of asking great questions - since people love talking about themselves. encourage them with a good blend of open questions to stimulate discussion and closed questions to qualify, narrow and filter Advice first. Selling never! - if you focus your efforts on pitching your products and services, customers won’t trust you. Sales will come if customers trust you based on the advice you give.  Benefits not features - it’s not about what you do. It’s what you do for the customer that counts. So, frame what you say in terms of how you can help them. It’s a dialogue not a monologue - a sales call should be a conversation not a presentation. Don’t speak more than you listen.  Failure is aiming in the wrong direction - it doesn’t matter how good you are at what you do if you select an audience that isn’t receptive. So, identify those most likely to need your services now. People still buy people, so make friends - thank goodness we still live in a world of human interaction so focus on building your network and connections Use your network - spend time cultivating a rich network of customers and contacts. They know people that know people so if leads don’t just naturally come to you, use your network  Momentum breeds momentum - sometimes you have to fake it to make it and being active in the right areas will bring success to you. Persistence is essential - you don’t always know when your best prospects are in the market for new suppliers. So, keep going and don’t give up too soon. Following up is possibly the most crucial aspect of sales - so many sales people fail due to lack of follow-up. We’re all busy but don’t let potential business slip through your fingertips through inattention and poor systems. Promptness is an asset. -  If you’re late to the party, you may not get in. Make sure you follow up all leads promptly and keep doing so until there is an outcome. Use social reach for visibility and credibility - by extending your network and being active on social media, you enhance your presence and make your business more credible to potential buyers that check you out. Share your knowledge - it isn’t about giving away the family jewels but Google and potential customers value the knowledge you share so provide tips in the form of videos, blogs white papers and other content. Post regularly - visibility keeps you top of mind amongst your peers and the way to do that is to create compelling content that you post out to your network regularly on platforms relevant to your target audience.   Multi-channel gives more opportunities for customers to find you - not every customer or prospect will respond to every approach. So, the more you use multiple channels, the more you will be seen.  Integrate - subject to available budget, integration makes sense. You’ll never get 100% out of any marketing method. Connect on LinkedIn, send an email then follow up with a call. Choose your channels based on likely cut through. Flexibility is a good basis for retention - you may have terms and conditions and internal ways of working that are hard to adapt but customers value flexibility. It’s rarely about price - price is important but trust and demonstrable ability to deliver are more valuable in the long term so try to avoid selling on price alone. Be confident in your business.  Crash through your fears - if you fear picking up the phone, that’s often understandable. But the next prospect doesn’t know the mess you made of the last call. Every engagement is a fresh opportunity to do business.  Make friends with those who can refer you - there may be businesses servicing the same audience with which you can partner and cross-refer making that an additional sales channel. These 25 tips aren't the only ones you'll need. However, master these and you'll be more likely to propel your business to the next level. 25 Quick Tips for Effective Lead Generation ------------------------------------------------------------ # How Small Businesses Can Build a Robust Sales Pipeline Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-small-businesses-can-build-a-robust-sales-pipeline/ Published: 2020-11-24 > If you run a small business, generating a sales pipeline may be the hardest thing you have to do. You know how to operate your business but not everyone is a sales person. How do you get the sales enquiries to flow? Check out our tips. If you’re a small business, generating a sales pipeline is perhaps the hardest thing you have to do. You know how to do what you do best which is to deliver your products and services. Perhaps you’re also adept at ‘running’ your business operationally with skills gained over the years from your experience in corporate life. However, not everyone is a sales person and the ability to sell comes hard to some. Selling is not a Dirty Word In many ways, selling is perceived as an art form and as a professional career in the USA. It isn’t so much the case in the UK. Perhaps, it has connotations of slimy old-style car sales people. The legacy of timeshare and double-glazing sellers won’t go away. And, ambulance-chasing cold calls have once again come to the fore with PPI, accident claims and the like. So, if you’ve spent your career in a discipline outside of sales, it’s possible that the mere thought of having to go out there and sell makes a shiver run down your spine.  Yet, we all sell every day. We live in a world of people and every interaction is a sales exercise. Mostly, we want people to like us. Therefore, every contact is an opportunity to communicate with others effectively. Whether it’s in a store, on the phone or face to face with a potential client, it’s a people thing. In many respects, it’s a game we play every day. Buyers are People Too When I left corporate life 20 years ago, I very much viewed myself as a marketing guy. I did my degree in International Marketing and had spent a lot of my career in a variety of marketing roles. Yet, when I look back, I did run sales teams and even sold direct on the phone and face to face to international buyers.  However, there was one big difference. I had never sold for my own business. In the corporate world, to some extent you’re shielded. That doesn’t mean you’re protected from losing your job if you fail. Quite the contrary. But, you have back up. It’s rarely personal. When you set up and run your own business, you are exposed. It’s absolutely about you and how you come across.  The thing to remember though is that buyers are people. They have their good days and bad. They have their priorities. They have challenges and opportunities. And, on the whole, they want an easy life and to get things right. They are human.  Tap into The Human Element It was very much when I stopped taking things so personally and realised that, to a large extent, it isn’t personal that I began to increase my success rate. Other things also occurred to me, and helped me, over time including: Recognising that It’s partly a numbers game If you show interest in the customer, they will show more interest in what you’re selling  If you focus the conversation more on them, and less on you and your products, the buyer will engage more  If you focus on solving their challenges, they will pay more attention  Some will never engage or buy regardless of what I do or how good a service we provide Trying to force someone over the line rarely works. You sound desperate and it has an impact on your ability to negotiate effectively People buy people and solutions especially when it comes to higher values of sale. If that’s the case, stop over-focus on products and services and increase focus on people Benefits sell. Features don’t. So stop ‘telling’ customers what you offer and start working out what’s in it for them Be a good actor. Even when things are tough, sound positive. Whilst they may empathise with how you’re feeling, negativity rarely helps your ability to sell.  Some will. Some won’t. So what. Move on. Ultimately, you can’t win them all.  There are plenty of other things I’ve learned from running my own business. However, in reality, it’s the first bullet point above which I have learned is perhaps the most important.  When I run training courses, I always say two things: You can’t hit a target you can’t see, a reference to profiling, targeting and good data and If you don’t have enough prospects, you can’t convert enough business I went on a sales course when I first set up my business. I’ve been on a few over the years. We were asked to present our greatest challenge. My issue was simple. I was struggling to convert prospects to customers. The trainer asked me a couple of questions then, very quickly, informed me that he knew what my problem was. He explained that my problem wasn’t so much about conversion but the volume of prospects from which conversion would come.  Sales Pipeline - The Lightbulb Moment That piece of advice completely changed my mindset and my business. It was less about the one, two or three prospects that I was agonising about and more about finding new ones that meant I was less reliant on the few.  Easier said than done you might say. However, it shifted my focus to trying to identify all the ways to fill the funnel. Of course, we had some advantage in that our business is telemarketing. So, we did run some campaigns. Equally, I made sure to attend as many relevant networking events as I could. Equally, I started to invest time to create interesting content in terms of blogs and videos. And, I built my network on LinkedIn.  Naturally, the best way to generate fresh enquiries is through testimonials and referrals. So, we started asking for recommendations and encouraged clients to provide testimonials for us that we could use on our website. Latterly, we’ve started using Google Reviews as this helps our SEO.  This is far from an exhaustive way to fill your sales funnel. but, you must find a way to generate relevant leads on a regular basis. Whether you can identify a good email list and broadcast a sequence of enticing emails or PPC can work in your sector, or whether a well-placed blog or white paper is the answer, you need to evaluate what will work for you.  What works for us? Our business is not your business so what worked for us may not work for you. Equally, we’ve had some failures along the way. However, over 20 years in business, we have found the following to be the things that worked for us.  Always focusing on the needs of our customers so that, even when sometimes things haven’t worked out, they feel positive about us and recommend us or try us again in the future.  Persistence on the phone through telemarketing to the right people, staying in touch with periodic calls and emails and always calling back at the time and date I say.  Producing regular and relevant content for our website and LinkedIn Working hard on the above for our website as enquiries now come to us due to the 400+ pieces of content we’ve producers over the past 10 years or so Building our network on LinkedIn and posting regularly  Keeping in touch over long periods of time with relevant contacts - you never know when they will have a need or know someone that does Being flexible - customers value and remember flexibility and it helps for their future project needs Asking for referrals and testimonials and posting those on our website  There are lots of other routes to market for your company. Test and measure is the best approach but doing nothing simply is not an option when you need to build your sales pipeline.    ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Only Way is Integrated for Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/what-does-integrated-lead-generation-mean-for-your-business/ Published: 2020-10-20 > How do SMEs make decisions about where to spend time and money? Where will the best leads come from? How do we ensure ROI? And, what’s the timeframe? Check out our tips in this article TOWII (The only way is Integrated) isn’t as well known as TOWIE but it’s a lot more important when it comes to lead generation. When you’re running marketing and business development campaigns making decisions is hard in terms of where to spend time and where to invest hard-earned funds. Yet, it’s no different whether you work in a large corporate enterprise, or an SME. The choice is wider but the challenge is the same. How do we ensure bang for buck? How do we magnify response? Where will the best leads come from? How do we ensure ROI? And, what’s the timeframe? Inbound Beats Outbound It's obvious that when warm leads arrive at your door, they will be easier to convert. It's often said that 'content is king.' To a large extent, we are advocates of this, even though our business is outbound marketing.  A significant proportion of our leads simply come to us through Google. And, those leads are both within the UK, and internationally. Some are small, but many are from large enterprises. That's because our knowledge bank is full of blogs, videos, infographics, and other content that provides insight into topics in which our clients have an interest. Yet, if we didn't back that up by regularly engaging with prospects through email, and phone, few would convert. But, demand-driving content takes time. Hence, finding a number of sources of leads to fill the sales funnel is essential. Build a Robust Sales Pipeline. The source of those leads can take various forms including: Contacting current customers for cross-sell and up-sell Re-engaging lapsed customers Pure prospecting for new business Inviting prospects to events and webinars Securing quotes Increasing LinkedIn connections and securing leads Reaching out through LinkedIn direct messaging Generating insight for decision-making The list goes on and on. Lead generation is a multi-faceted, multi-discipline activity. Whether it begins with networking and extends to straight advertising, business development can incorporate a variety of tools, channels and techniques. How many Touch Points are needed? It’s a generally well-accepted principle amongst marketing folk that there needs to be a number of customer touch points. That's before a prospective client will consider bringing on new providers. In some ways though, we could liken the statement about touch points to the old joke ‘How many…. does it take to change a lightbulb?’ It’s a heavily marketing-jargonized expression that asks us all to consider how many times a prospect needs to see you or hear from you before they will engage. I’m sure that there has been a lot of empirical research on the subject. However, whether it’s 2, 4, 6 or 8, the reality is that, at any given time, only a small percentage of prospects will engage. Every so often, you get lucky and hit the bullseye first time. Sometimes a chance contact will lead to immediate opportunities. More realistically though, it’s likely that there will be a period of consideration and a beauty parade of prospective suppliers before the purchase of goods and services where a sizable value of sale is concerned. The Lead Generation Headache If only every method of business development worked like a dream. Sadly, that’s rare. Even big brands deploy a variety of different tools and channels in order to identify fresh business opportunities to feed their hungry sales teams. Large companies recognise the need to profile and segment their audiences, to craft compelling propositions and messaging and to use a multi-channel approach. Organisations spend a lot of money crafting white papers and videos and distributing them across social media platforms. They hire expensive sales people. They spread the net wide. The reason they do this is not least that many prospective customers are time-poor and/or locked into supplier contracts. They have other priorities. There are a multitude of different reasons why customers don’t buy and specifically why they won’t buy from you. There are also often multiple routes into each company and multiple decision-makers. The other thing is that, simply, no channel is guaranteed to work. Customers engage at different times, in different ways at different speeds and frequencies with different channels. They are busy and some are just plain not interested in what you have to offer. Ratios Count Whether you’re using straight advertising, sponsored ads on Google, Facebook or LinkedIn, email marketing, LinkedIn InMail and automation tools, telemarketing or some other route to market, there will be a degree of wastage. It’s inevitable that a proportion of your target market won’t respond immediately and some will never engage. Due to the elusive nature of target decision-makers, it’s important to reach out using different methods and to do this consistently. Test and measure are the bywords of marketing. There’s no point in flogging a dead horse. It’s a case of identifying the most appropriate channels for your target audience, the value of sale and the importance of the client. However, it’s important to consider what drives response. Is what you’re offering innovative or commoditized? Do you have something tailored for a particular sector or is your solution vanilla? Do your credentials and case studies work in your favour? The more focused you can be, the more chance you have of success, assuming of course that you back the right horse! Focus is Crucial There are a myriad of factors that influence response. When I run telemarketing training, I always emphasize that you can’t hit a target that you cannot see. Equally, you won’t hit the target if you don’t fire at it. Ultimately, business development cannot function without proper evaluation and identification of the target market. And, you need to be active in trying to reach your prospective customers. So, a strategy of sitting and waiting for customers to come to you won’t work for most. Momentum is essential. By all means, spend time considering your audience, what prospects are likely to respond to. Certainly, consider messaging and putting together your ‘elevator pitch’ for your website, brochure and sales patter. But, don’t let inertia stop you. What does Integrated Marketing Look Like? That’s all well and good you might say. We don’t have unlimited funds. That’s true. If you’re a micro-business or one that’s just starting out, you will need to focus. That focus should be on identification of the sectors, companies and job functions that would logically use your services. Then, consider how to reach them. Are there industry networking events (online and offline)? Who could recommend you? Are there groups on LinkedIn you could join? If you can easily identify your audience on LinkedIn, then perhaps now’s the time to write a targeted blog or to produce a relevant video. Share that on your profile, in relevant groups and send it to specific individuals. Connect with the right people. It’s worth getting LinkedIn Sales Navigator to be able to accurately refine your search and build a target list. Given that only around 15-25% of targets will connect on the platform, consider using InMail to bolster your activity. Consistency and Momentum To make it work, you need to be consistent. Giving up after a week or two is a big mistake. There are plenty of tools nowadays that can semi-automate some of your work on LinkedIn. Think about deploying something like this to help you. If you know your target, email marketing may play a role. It’s relatively inexpensive, subject to the volume of data you use, and if you can once again identify the target audience, it can be effective albeit response rates can be very low. It also makes sense to reach out on a peer to peer basis. Take the conversation offline. Make a call to those that connect and respond. If you send out 500 targeted LinkedIn invitations and 75 connect with you, think about finding the phone number and calling them to set up a virtual coffee. If you have something of genuine interest, a percentage will respond. Activity or Inactivity? Ultimately, integration will differ by sector and by the nature of the proposition. There are so many different channels. Budget naturally plays a large role too. It is far from simple. Doing nothing is simple. Nothing is guaranteed. You have to put in the hard yards as they say. It all starts with the task of target market identification. Once you know this, you’ll understand how big the pool is to fish in. It will make budgeting easier too. If there are 1000 targets, you can calculate how much it would take to reach them on each channel and then make your decision accordingly. ------------------------------------------------------------ # What Does Account Based Marketing Really Mean? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/what-does-account-based-marketing-really-mean-for-your-business/ Published: 2020-09-02   Marketing and sales folk have a tendency to talk in acronyms that baffle most people outside of the marketing world. Whether it’s CRM, SEO, CRO, ROI or KPI, MQL, or BANT, we like a good abbreviation. The latest in this long line is ABM. But, what is ABM and should you sit up and take notice? What is Account Based Marketing (ABM)? ABM simply means Account Based Marketing. And, perhaps surprisingly, at its heart, it’s a simple concept. And, if done well, it can reap dividends. Historically, marketing has been about what marketers call reach. In other words, if you could group all of your target prospects together, how many of them are reached by your marketing activities? Whilst that concept hasn’t disappeared, ABM is a more focused approach. In the past, we marketers also spoke about eyeballs. That’s to say that we need to get our marketing to as many relevant people as possible. The problems with that are (1) it’s expensive (2) there’s a lot of wastage and (3) there’s little to no guarantee it will work. Whilst the above can take a segmented approach by sector, size of business, location etc, it is still, to some extent, wide in its reach. And, that makes communication difficult to personalise other than at a high level based on role or industry. A Change of Approach ABM changes this approach. The aim is to define your audience tightly so that you can focus on a much more targeted set of businesses that allows your team to focus and tailor its energy and communication. Typically, these are classified as ‘whales’. In other words, if you land one, it’s a big deal! In some ways, this is entirely logical. It’s fair to say that you can’t sell everything to everyone. It’s impossible to fulfil the needs of every customer in every segment, every time. ABM allows you to laser target a select group of high value prospects. Yet, despite this common sense, there are risks and the approach raises a few valid questions, not least: What if these customers are unresponsive? Is your offering well-suited to this target audience? How long will it take to convert these prospects? What if your marketing is ineffective? What are the best channels to use? What if a resultant lack of care to your previously core customer base means they’re alienated and go elsewhere? Of course, ABM doesn’t mean you abandon the past and do an 180 degree turn. It means that you refocus activity towards potentially higher spending accounts. Is it as Simple as it Sounds? It sounds fine in principle. However, how do you define the best sectors and the right business targets? Well, clearly, your most lucrative accounts are a good place to start. That demands a proper analysis of your core verticals and an assessment of revenue against costs including manpower to service those clients. Once you’ve done that, it’s about identifying other businesses that have similar characteristics and needs, and going after them. A multi-channel approach would make sense thereafter. That could mean amongst other initiatives: Identifying a tight set of target companies that meet certain criteria Researching the kind of requirements these clients have Identifying appropriate decision makers and influencers within those companies Unearthing accurate contact information for these including phone number, email, and LinkedIn profile Developing compelling content that fits the defined needs e.g videos, blogs, white papers, infographics, and webinars, etc Distributing the content in places where the audience will see it Segmenting the audience and advertising, where possible, to this tight set Broadcasting sequential personalised emails to the right individuals Telemarketing to build relationships using a range of stimuli e.g inviting them to an event or offering your white paper Reaching out on LinkedIn to begin a relationship and gain connections that will see the content you post The above list is not exhaustive but the point is that the approach is segmented, tailored and focused. Yet, it depends on the ability to identify the right targets and the data for those and then creating compelling reasons for them to engage with you. Patience is Required An ABM-oriented approach is not a short-term strategy. Big clients have incumbent suppliers that are often contracted and embedded in the organisation. Change can be slow and difficult. It’s often essential to dig deep to identify reasons for change. To a large extent, it’s a waiting game until contract reviews come up. Yet, you need to be in position to know when this is. That means you need to build up your knowledge, insight and data so you’re ready when the opportunity arises. ABM is reliant upon effective research and insight, and using that intelligence wisely to create a pull strategy so that your target audience notices you and has ample reasons to engage. This is where content development and distribution and targeted advertising come in. This can be combined with creation of opportunities to engage such as webinars, breakfast or lunch events (when we are able to meet face to face again) on specific topics of interest. Data is one thing but people still buy people. It’s still about human contact. This is where disciplines like outbound calling can be effective as means of engagement. A call can be research-oriented. You may want to ask a set of questions, the responses to which go into a white paper that you offer to the respondent. This can be the start of a relationship.  Or, the purpose of the call may be to invite them to a webinar with a topic expert. This can further develop the engagement. And, an invitation to meet to review a new approach or product can start the sales conversation. It’s not Business as Usual Ultimately, ABM isn’t business as usual even though, to some extent, it may seem that way since segmentation, profiling and targeting have been buzzwords for ages. For ABM to succeed, it requires an integrated approach. It also means decisions need to be taken that mean sales and marketing teams are allowed and encouraged to ease away from focus on short-term wins for long-term gain. That requires a change in emphasis from top management since it means that sales and marketing professionals may at times seem to be in a marathon that never seems to end. Large customers don’t typically make quick decisions so the fruits of ABM labours may not be seen for some time. So, it’s important to try to focus, where possible, on quick wins and smaller projects within those accounts and on being present when the bigger opportunities arise. This is definitely a mind shift. We recently had a client refocus its criteria three times. Each time the qualification criteria went higher meaning that fewer prospects reached the desired benchmark. In that case, organisations must stop chasing every prospect that comes along. It’s not easy to generate BANT qualified leads, especially with large corporations. Hence, marketing spend allocated for telemarketing, content development, LinkedIn and other channels will require patience. ABM activity will also require funds pulled from elsewhere which will almost inevitably cause friction inside the organisation. Yet, ultimately, a long-term strategy to chase profitable business has to be a good thing. As they say, revenue is vanity and profit is sanity. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why the Humble Phone is your Best Friend Source: https://telemarketing.blog/why-the-humble-phone-is-your-best-friend-in-the-current-climate/ Published: 2020-06-30 > Telemarketing is forecast to grow hugely due to fewer face to face meetings.Check out our blog on how the humble phone can help you develop your business The water is hardly warm and inviting right now. We are sailing in stormy waters. However, every storm eventually subsides. And, now is not the time to lock yourself in your cabin, shut the blinds and hope for the best. Without someone to steer the ship, it is likely to run aground or sink.  Unless you are in a sector that is resilient or able to take advantage of the storm, it is likely that you are experiencing turbulent times. Easy to say perhaps and harder to accomplish, but what is your plan for sailing through this storm?  What is your plan for short and mid-term? Okay, so a sailing analogy might not be the best, but you do need to steer your business in the right direction. Many would argue that now is not the time to sell. However, that is not necessarily correct. It may not be the time to ‘overtly’ sell and to pitch to all and sundry. But there are plenty of businesses and customers that still need to purchase. So, what is your plan to reach out to those organisations that are still capable of buying? Now is absolutely the time to plan and to act. Who are they?  Who makes decisions?  What do they need?  What services are products can you offer that meets their needs?  The Human Touch is still the best way Buyers are at home doing work that needs to be carried out like every other member of staff that are still operational. And, that work is, in many respects, no different to the work pre-crisis. Their role, for the most part, has not changed. Most business that have a reasonably high value of sale have historically relied on face to face meetings to build the sales funnel and to seal the deal so to speak. However, web conferencing technology has led to a vast number of business interactions moving online. Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, Citrix and other licence-based software solutions have sprung up that facilitate human interactions without the need to shake hands. Phone Calls are Easier to Set up So, it is still about the human touch. And, those interactions have become more virtual. That’s why not being able to set up face to face meetings should not be the end of your lead generation. Of course, once we emerge from lockdown, it may be that many sales transactions move back towards face to face meetings. However, there is no reason why we should ignore the benefits of both direct phone calls and online meetings that can be scheduled in the same way as previously. They are easier to set up and buyers feel less pressurised compared to a normal meeting. What is more, people are sitting at home with (relatively-speaking) less to do. So, why not use telemarketing to secure telephone appointments, web demos, webinars, and conference calls. It’s about Relationships The likelihood of buyers buying from you is reduced where there is not a good relationship. Where your proposition is a considered purchase, it is important to build rapport and to be able to demonstrate that you care. You cannot unearth opportunities, do a needs analysis, and show you understand buyer needs without human interaction. Whether that is over a virtual coffee or a real one, the use of the phone to set up these interactions is crucial. Whilst there is a plethora of marketing channels these days, few of these can compete with the telephone for the ability to engender rapport and to kick off the relationship building process.The Early Bird Catches the WormThe wheels of business must not be allowed to stop. People and businesses need to consume, or we will find ourselves in deep water. So, what is your reason for procrastinating? If you really think about it, there is no reason. If we assume that people need to buy, or at least plan for whatever purchasing may be needed in 1, 3 or 6 months, you should ask yourself the following questions: Isn’t now the right time for decision-makers to research their market for solutions?  Isn’t now the time for purchasers to build supplier shortlists?  Aren’t buyers look at their processes and suppliers with a view to freshening things up and reducing costs? Perhaps cash is tight. However, that is not the case in every sector. And, even if it is, by getting in early to build the relationship, you put your business ahead of competition for share of mind when they are ready to buy again. Competitors are Holding Back Everyone wants to stand out. In a sea of competition, it is hard to do so. It is even harder when everyone has the time and money to target their chosen audiences. And, it is well known that in tough times, successful brands are more visible and outspend weaker brands that retreat into their shells. So, what is your business doing to raise your head above other market players? Are you maximising your opportunity to gain visibility? Find a Valid reason to Talk to Customers and Prospects. Who needs a reason? We should always remain in contact with customers. But it does not have to be a sales pitch. It could be an industry survey that you can use to publish a press release and on social media where you offer to send them an early copy of the results of your research in return for their answers. It could be simply market scoping to understand how they buy and to establish whether they are right for you and vice versa. It could be the offer to help them during a time of difficulty. Whatever it is, now is a great time to reach out to customers and to initiate a conversation since they are likely to be more available while working at home. Build your Mid-term Sales Pipeline Not every sale is for now. Filling the sales funnel is crucial. Some sales have exceptionally long gestation periods. Sometimes multiple decision makers need to be involved. Capital investment is often required. Contracts with incumbent suppliers must come to an end. And, internal scoping can elongate the process from start to finish. So, it pays to start the process early through database building, profiling, and qualification and through ensuring that there are enough prospects in the funnel to plan for growth and to hit sales objectives.  One of the best ways to do that is by having conversations with the right people. That can take time especially where you do not necessarily know who makes buying decisions in an organisation. That is where pre-qualification comes in through telephone contact to establish the right targets and then by engaging with them. Even if it means you establish the ‘right time’ to call back, when they will be in the market, work carried out to do that now will be invaluable to build the prospect bank for when they’re ready to buy. What Have you Got to Lose? We are living in challenging times. Yet, surely, it cannot be sensible to hide away. When I train telemarketing skills, I always say  "you will never generate opportunities with those you do not call" Of course, online transactions continue to grow, and the further demise of high street retailing is likely. But we are not talking about consumer or low value sales here. This is about higher value B2B sales and B2B appointment setting. In that context, it is likely that a sale will not take place if you do not build relationships, engage with the right buyers, and ask useful questions that unearth needs. That can only be accomplished through person to person communication. In a tough business climate, it still pays to engage.Whilst the phone is not the only marketing method open to businesses, it remains a key tool in your B2B toolkit. And, even in this strange and tough market environment, rarely will a mutually beneficial conversation over the telephone be a bad thing. So, focus on cost reduction where necessary, entrench your operations, but do not neglect the value to be gained by speaking to prospects and customers in advance of an upturn. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Rebirth of Telemarketing Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-rebirth-of-telemarketing/ Published: 2020-06-09 > Discover why telemarketing drives productivity gains, reduces field team expenses, and generates more qualified leads than traditional face-to-face sales With lockdown meaning that we can’t attend sales appointments, shake hands and go within 2m of each other, there has been a surge in the use of Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and other online meeting tools. Increasingly, we are turning to virtual meetings that are scheduled in the calendar, online demos, webinars and so on. This just might be the new normal. Less Travel and More Productivity Reports suggest that there has been an almost 50% increase in the use of telemarketing since lockdown. With the productivity gains, due to less travel time, with increased homeworking going forward, it’s likely that this is a trend that will continue.  As a consequence, we’re all increasingly getting used to this virtual form of customer engagement. Whether it’s using meeting software or the humble phone, we are all going to have to work out how to engage in different ways to the past.  Lower Cost Routes to Market  Let’s face it. Salespeople are expensive. Could this shift to everything virtual ultimately lead to a long-term reduction in field teams and more telephone-based staff for sales enablement? It’s entirely feasible that the current status has lessened the perceived need to meet. There is a greater appreciation and acceptance of remote contact that is unlikely to go away anytime soon. This provides opportunities for expensive personnel cost savings on one hand and provides a lower-risk engagement for your prospects on the other. It has always been much harder to encourage prospects and customers to accommodate face to face meetings than it has to tempt them into exploratory phone calls. Whilst the requirements of effective prospect qualification remain, perhaps this heralds a shift that will generate greater numbers of positive outcomes for sales and marketing teams going forward.  Check out our B2B telemarketing services Telemarketing is a Key Skill Whether it’s face to face, on the phone or, indeed using a meeting tool, there are skills that are crucial to success. To help you maximise the value of this move back to the use of the phone to generate leads, we’ve put together 10 telemarketing tips that are guaranteed to improve your results. These are relevant whether the contact is purely by phone, or where you're using more face to face methods on Zoom and Skype. Benefits not Features Whether you’ve got the best product or service in the world, you need to recognise that no-one is interested in you or your products. They’re only interested in how it benefits them. Benefits are not what you do or offer. They’re what you deliver to the customer. So, if you offer 24:7 helplines or service, the benefit is the reduced risk that the customer will be without that service or product which, in turn, may keep production lines moving and/or reduce complaints. So, focus on what you do for the customer not what you do. Pain is a Motivator If you’re in pain, you search for something that will take the pain away.The more severe that pain, the quicker and more urgent the requirement is for a cure. So, customers that are struggling will be more likely to purchase from you. Therefore, while we don’t want to be perceived as ambulance chasers, it is important to dig into what customer problems are that you can help to resolve.  Nothing Beats Rapport People buy people. Whilst Amazon, Ocado and the like are lessening the grip by retail on our purchasing habits, human interaction still drives higher value purchases. Therefore, all things being equal, if you can develop early and durable rapport, you will almost certainly put yourself ahead of others in the race for the contract. That starts from the first interaction. Make Your Intro Count You have so little time to make a first impression, you’d better get good at making the first words out of your mouth good ones. And, if they’re over-salesy, smarmy, too much about you and your products, you can kiss goodbye to rapport. You will turn more prospects off than on if you don;t craft a compelling intro that engages them in the first few moments of the call. Focus on the Cues There will always be cues that you need to pick up during a call. From an initial sigh, to a dour tone to a sunny disposition, all of these and more are audible in the first few seconds and you need to be sensitive to this. A sigh means they’re bored or they’re short on time. So, don’t just blunder on. Break the pattern and find a way to get things back on track.  Ask Good Questions This is such an important skill for securing your telemarketing success. Remember that the customer isn’t interested in you. An, people like to talk about themselves. Therefore, encouraging them to do so with relevant, thought-provoking questions will increase rapport and get to the heart of their problems that you can resolve. Listen then Listen Some More  There’s no point asking effective questions if either you ignore the answers or you interrupt while the prospect is talking. It doesn’t come across well and is more likely to end in a negative outcome. Listening, as opposed to talking, is not an easy skill to master. So, take a breath, ask a good question then shut up until the prospect has finished speaking. Take Clear Notes This might seem like an odd one when we’re talking about B2B telemarketing. However, telemarketing success does not necessarily arrive immediately. It’s infrequent that success comes on the first call. That means a second or third or fourth call is likely. You can enhance rapport and demonstrate capability if you’ve made no notes and have nothing to refer to. Equally, making sure you use the expressions that resonate with the prospect is important and if you can’t remember what they said 3 months ago, how will you do that? Belief is Paramount If you don’t sound compelling, why would the customer bother to listen, engage and buy? If you can’t convince yourself, you’ll have a hard time coming across as positive and knowledgeable. Conviction is powerful. So, find ways to describe what you do using positive and natural language (not stilted scripts) and you’ll get better results. Never Forget to Follow-Up One of the main reasons why businesses fail in lead generation is the inability to follow up. We often win business by keeping going when others falter. The timing may not be right. Internal issues may come up that impede progress. There are lots of reasons why prospects don’t buy immediately. But, they definitely won’t buy if you drop them like a stone and don’t follow-up. So, religiously observe calendar reminders. Get agreement on a time to call back. And, call back when you say you will.    There are many other components for a successful telemarketing exercise. These include handling objections, dealing with difficult gatekeepers, enhancing data quality and much more. Perhaps those are topics for another article. But, you won't get far at all if you don't master these core elements of telemarketing success. ------------------------------------------------------------ # What is the New Business Normal? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/what-is-the-new-business-normal/ Published: 2020-05-27 > Business needs to change. Things are going to look different to the way they once looked. What should you do to change? Check out our blog for considerations I haven’t written a blog in a while. That’s unusual since I tend to do one or more each week. In truth I’ve been focused on other things. In lock-down, I’ve been working to ensure that the wheels still turn and that we are operational. There is so much uncertainty that, outside of key industries, few have been untouched by the crisis. The Need to Pivot I’ve read a lot about the need to ‘pivot’ one’s business. What are you doing to pivot? It’s isn’t always possible. I like the idea that some restaurants are moving to offer takeaways. Obvious perhaps, but even in these tough times, opportunities pop up for business development. Clearly, that isn’t the case currently for tourist destinations, and for leisure destinations. But, let’s hope that they can continue to operate, that they can be innovative and resourceful, and that they are supported by the public once lock-down ends in the summer. Flexibility is the New Normal It’s likely that the business landscape will be different when we emerge. Many businesses will re-evaluate how they do business operationally and otherwise. Can staff work from home more frequently? Do they still need the expensive premises? Can flexible working actually work? There are lots of decisions to be made. Flexibility is going to be vital from employers and employees. We must not let bureaucracy and inflexible rules dictate how the future looks. Big companies take note. New Models will Emerge  New ideas will come out. Business development will also demand greater creativity and thought. Undoubtedly, there will be a move to online, to the virtual world. However, it’s important that we ensure that peer to peer communication remains. Relationships count for a lot. We don’t want to live in a virtual world. Let’s hope that, at both a local and national level, we see opportunities for working together to put local first. It’s probable that there will be a move towards online but perhaps there will also be a shift in how we purchase and a move away from large format retailing.  Local is Beautiful Buying locally is most definitely not a message for a Brexit-induced isolation. Rather, we should support local communities by considering local purchasing to help them flourish. We will be sad when they’ve gone if they don’t have the ability to weather the storm. The over-reliance on foreign-produced goods is a risky strategy. There will be opportunities for UK businesses as we emerge. But, how far will consumers go to pay for locally produced goods? How far can the government go to support those providers? Habits Need to Change This is a time for us all to reconsider. I don’t believe that habits will change easily. Once we are allowed to do so, will we flock to UK coastal resorts, the Lake District and beyond for our summer holidays? Let’s hope they see a Renaissance. Will leisure businesses that service customers still be open if we do? Or, will we resume our old patterns for travel and for other consumption.  Large Businesses Need to Take the Lead The situation in which we find ourselves challenges us all to think outside the box. Let’s all be supportive of each other.  And, here’s a plea to large businesses that they should make it easy for small businesses to trade with them. That includes: favourable contract terms simplifying compliance and, fair payment terms.  I’d welcome Government action in order to encourage this. It’s a joint effort. Every business and employee needs to take responsibility and do what’s right for us to come out of this in a positive manner. We can’t get through the other side just to resume business as ‘normal’. Normal is where we were. A new normal needs to be constructed. And, that’s likely to be a more flexible pattern of working, buying and of doing business. Let’s hope those that make the decisions in every respect grasp the opportunity.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Improve your Sales Skills Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-improve-your-sales-skills/ Published: 2020-04-16 > Learn the 8 core elements that strengthen your sales approach, from building genuine rapport to asking smarter questions that close deals. I spent some time earlier today working my way through a seminar on sales and negotiation skills. I thought I’d use my time wisely alongside doing my usual client and prospect work. We are in a unprecedented climate and it’s important to ensure that we all keep occupied and add value in some way. So, I thought I’d write an article about what I learned. It's Partly Common Sense I’m pleased to say that the bulk of the seminar was straightforward and basic stuff to me. I graduated a million years ago in International Marketing and have spend 30+ years in sales and marketing roles and many of those being senior positions in large brands such as Cover Girl Cosmetics, Alfred Dunhill, Montblanc and Porsche Cars GB. I’ve run retail operations (Dunhill and Montblanc), sold to retail (Harrods, Boots, Delhaize and Albert Heijn) and worked selling to distributors (Cover Girl and Dunhill). I’ve also sold through upmarket car dealers and run my own business for 20 years where I have had to undertake B2B sales to prospective clients. I’d like to think, therefore, that I have learned a thing or two on the front-line. Yet, I’ve never seen myself as a salesperson per se. I like to build relationships, and, in many ways, that was the theme of the seminar. It’s about people. It’s always about people. Certainly, when it comes to parting with hard-earned funds in a B2B setting, it’s unlikely that prospects will buy from you if there’s no relationship. So, it makes sense to use your people skills to their fullest extent. That’s just common sense. The best salespeople do this effectively. 8 Core Elements for Sales Success So, what were the key learnings regarding sales and in terms of persuasion and negotiation. My main takeaways were as follows: There are broadly 8 elements that support an effective sales process. These are: 1.      Remember reciprocity – this is the principle of mutual benefit. In other words, it’s not about you. It’s about what you can do for the customer and, in turn, they will pay you for the privilege. Help them and they will help you. 2.      They need to like you – it’s simple but people buy from people they like. If you haven’t built rapport, you will struggle. So, find common ground. 3.      Social Proof is key – name drop to show credibility. If you’ve done work for companies like theirs, all your sales communication needs to demonstrate that. It helps support and validate their decisions. 4.      Be an expert – you need to showcase your expertise in some way. Trust is a key driver of purchasing decisions. How can you elevate yourself above your competitors so customers will entrust their projects to you? 5.      Asking intelligent questions – this achieves several objectives. It supports your proposal as you can tailor it better. It also ensures you come across as less salesy. And, it allows you to use consistency to you advantage since you can play their responses back to them to demonstrate you’ve delivered what they ask for. 6.       Scarcity – Pain is more potent than gain. Showing customers what they stand to lose by NOT using your products or services is a compelling method to encourage them to select your business. 7.      Compare and Contrast – everything is relative so it’s important to select the best comparisons. Decisions are never made in isolation. So, make sure you show your products and services in the best light compared to what they do today. 8.      Emphasis – Facts without back-up are insufficient. The use of a word such as ‘because’ validates and emphasises your point. In our world, we might say that ‘clients used our service because they struggle to resource the sales efforts adequately internally’. Key Learning Each of the above is a large subject. Therefore, I thought I’d flag up a few of my favourite concepts. These can be used effectively during the selling process. Scarcity Do you have something they can’t get anywhere else? That’s great. It creates demand. But most customers have something they use now that does a similar or the same job. It might not do it as well as what you offer. However, change can be painful, and it takes time, effort and money. Inertia is easier. It may not be one thing in isolation that illustrates scarcity in your business sales approach. It may be a collection of things or it could be that you offer a one-stop shop to avoid the hassle of multiple suppliers. According to the renowned psychologist, Daniel Kahneman: 'loss aversion says that the pain of loss is stronger than the joy of gain. Human beings feel loss 2 to 2.5 times more than the pleasure of gaining the same thing'. Take-away thought: Try to find a way to showcase what you offer to demonstrate what they’d lose by not using your products or services. If you want to sell them a higher priced product or service, explain what they forego if they don’t go for the higher price. Presentation It doesn’t matter how much time it takes to make a first impression. We all know it’s quick. And, that impression lasts. We make instant judgements. Therefore, if you’re meeting someone face to face or over web conference, you need to dress for success. It isn’t about wearing the most expensive suit. Sometimes a smart jacket, sharp shirt and smart jeans will do the trick in the right circumstances. There are a few key factors here. Be clear though, these components are 100% part of your sales technique and the first element of your closing technique down the line in the negotiation phase. So, pay attention to each aspect and you’ll deliver better results. Value their time – don’t be late and don’t outstay your welcome How you dress Grooming Personal hygiene Your opening line/intro A firm handshake A smile Eye contact Uncover Needs with Good Questions I’ve written a lot about this in the past and you can find more detailed blogs on this subject on our website. Ultimately, asking the right questions achieves many objectives: It shows you’re interested in the customer It prevents you over-talking and helps you come across as a better listener It unearths needs that can be used later It primes you for your sales presentation It enables you to identify what sets you apart from competition It allows you to replay back to clients what they said they need which helps your close since if they said it, they’re less likely to disagree down the line when you show you’ve met their needs (consistency) If you structure good qualification questions from the outset, you’ll be better prepared. A good one that I like is ‘What exactly would it take for you to select us?’ Once you’ve unearthed the key needs, another one that I favour Is ‘If I can meet those requirements, is there any reason why you might not go ahead?’ Less is More In some ways, it’s less risky to bid low to avoid being priced out of the game. But as I mentioned earlier, it’s about showing the value in what you offer and demonstrating what the client would lose (scarcity) if they didn’t select your solution or the higher priced solution. Psychology suggests that we often go for the middle ground and that our brain can’t process too many options. Traditional selling therefore tends to suggest 3 options works well where buyers often go for the centre ground. So, keep the choices simple. Differentiate them clearly and show why the highest price option is the best by emphasising what they’ll lose by not going for this selection. Get Comfortable with Objections You’re going to get them. That’s a fact of sales life. Once again, I’ve done quite a few videos and articles on this subject that are available for free on our blog. Good salespeople embrace objections. They plan for them. It’s fair to say that they enjoy them. They address them early. If cost is an issue, hit it up-front. Use adaptations of techniques such as feel, felt, found. This is a well-known and over-used technique, but the principle is good e.g. ‘I know how you feel, Bob. Budgets are always tight. A lot of our clients felt that way. What they found was that the effectiveness of using our solution meant that they got better results, so they allocated budget from things they felt were less of a priority.’ Walk away with a Deal This is interesting. We do it, on holiday, in foreign markets where we haggle and somehow come to a deal. Perhaps, in a less obtrusive way, we can do this in our negotiations. If the rest of the process above has gone to plan, we can make concessions and come to an agreement. If they like you and like what you’re offering and price is the last remaining issue, a challenge at this point is a condition of sale. Also, if you’ve started high in terms of price as opposed to starting low (see above), then a concession is easier to achieve especially if they’ve indicated a propensity to use your firm. Make sure you ask the right questions at this point. For example, ‘If I can do something for you towards what you’re looking for, are you okay to get things moving?’ The key thing is to win the deal, but you need to know your stopping point. If it’s unprofitable, walk away. Closing If you’ve done your job well, this should be smoother than if you haven’t built rapport, unearthed needs and managed their objections effectively. You should start closing early in the discussion. If asking for the deal comes as a bolt out of the blue, you’re in trouble. In our world, doing lead generation in-house is a consideration either with current staff or through recruitment. A good, early question might be ‘what would you need from us for you to not approach this by doing the work in house?’ Then, once you’ve demonstrated that you’ve offered what they asked for, or close to it, they will find it harder to go back on what they, themselves said at the outset. Human nature doesn’t like contradictions. If they use the standard line ‘I need to think about it’ or ‘I need to discuss this internally’, you can perhaps use a line such as ‘I realise this is an important decision and I imagine you’ve already discussed it at length internally so I’d really appreciate it if you could help me understand whether something has changed since our original discussion where you said that you were struggling with lead generation and didn’t want to do the activity in-house?’ Summary There are many sales techniques, and some have been outlined in this article. They aren’t the only ones and you may prefer others. However, for me, the core of effective selling is common sense. If you build rapport, ask the right questions to unearth needs and meet those needs, you will convert more than you lose. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Don’t Let Coronavirus (COVID-19) Kill your Prospects Source: https://telemarketing.blog/dont-let-coronavirus-covid-19-kill-your-prospects/ Published: 2020-03-09 > Catch it; Bin it; Kill it is a slogan that’s being used a lot right now. But, don’t let the Corona Virus panic kill your business. Perspective is hard to find a the moment but businesses must carry on and the use of the telephone for business development is one way to ensure your business mitigates the worst impact of the current malaise. Check out our blog for more.. Catch it; Bin it; Kill it is a slogan that’s being used a lot right now. But, don’t let the latest panic kill your business. In large organisations, employees are being advised to stop travelling and, in some cases, stop going to meetings. Events are becoming something that companies and employees are wary to attend for fear of infection. People are seen wearing masks in the street and on public transport. The media is awash with stories of global panic and measures being put in place to mitigate likely spread of the virus. This is all bad news for business. Many remember the paralysis of the last recession. The inertia of Brexit and pre-election worries is fresh in the mind. Neither large nor small businesses want further disruption. Few can afford a period of stagnation and inactivity. Business must go on. But, how does that happen when everyone is fearful of shaking hands and meeting face to face? There’s one obvious answer. Nowadays we have a proliferation of software available for carrying out meetings via video call and so on. With some employees consigned to home until the panic is over, why not think about other ways to interact? The use of the humble telephone won’t result in you catching anything. So, perhaps for the short-term at least, consider switching your face to face meetings to phone meetings when running prospecting exercises. It doesn’t all have to stop. Businesses must plough on and transact. Things need to be purchased and projects mustn’t be allowed to stand still. At the heart of all of that is communication since most business gets done in a person to person manner. So, if you’re concerned that your customers aren’t getting the attention they need though lack of visits and if you’re concerned about sending sales teams to prospect premises, consider the use of telemarketing to do the grunt work to set up phone appointments, web demos, webinars and the like. Outbound calling can have a range of uses from: Prospect calls to new targets: There will inevitably be prospects that will never have considered you for their needs since they are simply unaware of what you offer. Event support: Where you are running webinars or need to set up online demos Inbound Enquiries: A system of triage for inbound enquiries  Customer Care: Ensuring that customers with potential don't forget about you due to the absence of face to face visits Cross-sell and Up-sell: There will always be opportunities to position new products and services to segmented audiences within your database to increase average spend etc Research amongst customers and prospects: to provide insight for new opportunities  Lapsed customer resuscitation: calling those with whom you haven't traded for some time These are just a few ways you can keep your business going while the current situation persists. It’s likely that large organisations have measures in place for staff homeworking and to ensure that those individuals are accessible through diverted calls to mobile and through switchboard extensions and transfers.  So, it’s important to be proactive. Business shouldn’t remain passive even in this uncertain time. Be decisive and ensure that your business doesn’t catch a cold!  ------------------------------------------------------------ # 12 Christmas Tips to Grow Your Business Source: https://telemarketing.blog/12-xmas-tips-business-growth/ Published: 2019-12-10 > The market is crowded, and competitors are desperate to grab a share. Many will do that at any cost and therefore, you need to be active, visible, credible and proactive to win and retain business in the coming period. So, what are our 12 Christmas Tips to ensure your business prospers in the next 12 months? Christmas is almost upon us. New Year is not far behind. Let’s hope that Santa brings you everything you wish for in terms of growth for this year and next. But, have you been good boys and girls this year? Have you done everything you promised you would? Did you follow your New Year’s resolutions in so far as your business development and marketing was concerned? The market is crowded, and competitors are desperate to grab a share. Many will do that at any cost and therefore, you need to be active, visible, credible and proactive to win and retain business in the coming period. So, what are our 12 Christmas Tips to ensure your business prospers in the next 12 months? 1.    Get into Content Perhaps, whilst content development isn’t a direct method of marketing, it does hit the mark when it comes to attracting and engaging prospective customers. It can make your business more visible and distinguish you from competitors that don’t have articles, blogs, videos and the like on their website. Of course, it isn’t just about your website. Platforms such as LinkedIn and YouTube are ever more important when it comes to what we in the marketing world call ‘eyeballs’. Customers don’t just find you via your website. YouTube is the second largest search engine and many believe that 80%+ of all web searches will involve video in the coming year. Therefore, you can’t ignore content. A well-thought out article or blog or a good short video that provides a knowledge-based approach as opposed to a sales pitch will endear you to prospects and customers alike. Research your keywords. Look at competitors and what they produce. And, if you can’t write blogs yourself and you don’t have a face for video, consider using a writer and perhaps use other forms of video like cartoon explainers and so on. 2.    Up your Proactivity It’s all well and good waiting for prospects to find you but how likely is that? If you’re a big brand and market leader, it may be that any enquiry starts with a look at your website. If you’re super well-known and you’re the ‘Hoover’ of your industry, you’ll most likely get lots of leads. However, that isn’t the reality for most businesses and, eve the large ones don’t always get onto shortlists. So, whilst we’re advocates of good content and social media engagement, don’t make the mistake of thinking your whole lead generation strategy will be sorted by a few blogs and videos. Take action in the coming months to ensure your sales funnel starts the year full and continues that way. 3.    Integrate your Marketing Somewhat related to our last point, integrated marketing makes sense. Whilst spreading your marketing too thinly rarely works, it is important to ensure that you’re consistent in both the channels you use and the messaging you put out. It’s often said that you need multiple touch points for a customer to decide to reach out to your organisation. Of course, that may not be practical for some. But, if you can at least engage by perhaps attending industry events in your target sector, sending an email (or a series of emails), connecting and messaging on LinkedIn and perhaps conducting an outbound telemarketing campaign, you’ll more likely succeed that if you rely on one sole method of communication. Of course, these are just a few methods. If PPC or exhibiting at events drives your leads, that’s great, However, make sure you’re visible in as many locations as possible so your customer picks you as opposed to one of your competitors. 4.    Work out who to Target Sounds obvious but it certainly helps focus all aspects of your sales efforts if you hone your target market. Many companies can sell to a wide range of organisations. However, those that specialise (in the right areas!), can refine their approaches to be more relevant for their target decision-makers. Focusing in this way allows you to craft targeted messages for whatever route to market you select. It helps for face to face sales people, those on the phone, in emails and LinkedIn messaging, advertising and so on. If you invest your time, money and effort in a sector that you feel best able to penetrate, it means you won’t waste expensive resources elsewhere and drain your budgets. 5.    Make Data your Friend We know it’s boring. But data analysis can seriously positively impact your profitability. You can segment your customers into high, medium and low spending. They can be categorised into current, at risk and lapsed. You can break the down by type of product or service purchased. Prospect data can be analysed using several criteria. LinkedIn contacts can be segmented by industry, job role and even 1st, 2nd and 3rd level contacts. Ideally, your campaigns should be driven by data analysis. However, data quality is always an issue. Ensure that you devote time and resources to updating your database on a reasonably regular basis. Ill targeted marketing will fail. If your target decision-maker or customer to whom you haven’t spoken to in a while has left the organisation, you’d better find the right contact. An investment in data building and validation will reap benefits in the long run. 6.    Focus on the Customer The trouble is it’s always about you! Too frequently, communication goes out that is internally focused and motivated. It’s all too often about products and services and features as opposed to genuine benefits to the customer. Work out what challenges your customers face. Understand why they buy in addition to knowing what they buy. Try to ensure that any collateral that you produce comes at things from the customer perspective. If you’re on the phone or face to face with a prospect or customer, learn to ask good questions. Ensure you listen carefully. Demonstrate that you care. Rarely is it a bad thing to spend more tie listening than talking. Most individuals like to offload and whilst your role isn’t to be an agony aunt, rapport-building will help to secure larger orders if they trust you and your communication isn’t like a sleazy salesman. 7.    Work the Numbers in your Favour To some extent, despite what we’ve said in terms of focus and targeting, it is still a numbers game. If you undertake an insignificant amount of activity to fill your sales funnel, it’s likely that it will remain empty. Not everyone has unlimited funds so, once again, you need to really identify what means of marketing is likely to give you the best bang for buck. However, lack of impetus rarely works. In telemarketing, for example, whilst a lot of time goes into audience definition and list building, people are out of the office. They are off sick. Some have left. Others are in meetings. Therefore, an insufficient number of calls is likely to mean failure. If your objective is significant growth, it’s probable that significant action will be required, and you need to work the numbers. 8.    Devise a Strong Call to action Why should customers bother? They probably have incumbent suppliers who are doing an okay job. The products they use are probably good for a few more months or years. Inertia reigns. Often prospects and customers make do with the status quo. They have other priorities. They are busy. They can even be lazy and/or risk averse. They may be restricted by limited budgets. So, you need to give them a reason to get off their personal fence. You need to give them a reason to engage with you. Perhaps, it’s early days in their buying cycle. Whatever their situation, a strong call to action can worm wonders. It doesn’t have to be some crazy 75% off deal that’s too good to be true. It could be an insightful white paper. It could be a breakfast event. It could be a unique new product. However, you do it, a good call to action will support your new year’s lead generation. 9.    Don’t Give Up Flogging dead horses is a bad strategy. Yet, persistence is a key determinant of success. Building a bit of a backbone helps.  Business has its ups and downs. You get rejection. Customers come and go. The big client you were counting on landing decided to go elsewhere. Doors get slammed. Phones get put down. Email bounce and go unread. It happens. The best salespeople pick themselves up, learn from errors and move on. They get back on the horse. It’s well documented that the famous basketball player, Michael Jordan said that the reason for his success was that he missed more baskets than anyone. The number of attempts enabled him to also score more than anyone. Plan to succeed and focus on your new year goal and you will be less likely to miss your targets. 10.   Use Systems to your Advantage A good CRM system is worth its weight in gold. It ensures that you don’t miss opportunities. There are lots of low-cost CRM systems on the market that can be adapted on a per-user basis. It means that everything is in one place and you can integrate campaigns across multiple channels. It also means that multiple users can interact with information. Using spreadsheets is so last decade. Whilst they have come a long way too, it isn’t the way to manage your marketing. Investment in systems to improve your productivity is a good idea. Systems facilitate analysis as we mentioned above and allow you to build those targeted campaigns. Good notes on your system ensure that follow-ups that are made at just the right time with your targets aren’t wasted due to poor records. 11.     Put a Smile on your Face We had a pretty tough time during the last recession. The tap was well and truly turned off for many marketing companies and we found that it became harder to retain and recruit new customers. Stuff gets inn the way of being positive. Life doesn’t always turn out the way you planned. Without for one second minimising the things that some people go through, whatever your situation, it rarely pays to mope around and act negatively. Burying your head in the sand is a bad strategy too. People still buy people. And, prospects and customer sense if you aren’t upbeat. It can be a challenge sometimes to act positive if you don’t feel it. However, it’s essential if you want to attract business to you and your company. 12.    Set Ambitious Targets Clearly, silly targets don’t help anyone, and they demotivate when their patently out of reach. But, we believe that there is law of karma that if you set your sights on a goal, you’re more likely to reach it. Momentum creates more momentum. And, even if you don’t hit your maximum target, you’re more likely to get closer to it than if you lowball. We all remember Roger Bannister and the 4-minute mile. Commentators felt it was impossible. Yet, immediately after he achieved the milestone, others followed. In personal and business life you must push the boundaries if you want to achieve good things. If you set an ambitious goal, you’ll always be focused on how to achieve those targets.  And, you’ll build plans that take you towards those objectives. Make the New Year your best yet. We hope that, in some small way, these tips propel you to great heights in your business. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Improve Gatekeeper Handling Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-improve-gatekeeper-handling/ Published: 2019-12-03 > The ability to get past gatekeepers during a telemarketing call is an essential skill. Some gatekeepers are simply there to provide a call forwarding service to take you to the decision maker. That's often the case in smaller organisations but these types of gatekeeper are not what we're referring to in this blog. In larger companies, reaching the decision-maker when being blocked by the gatekeeper requires skill and persistence. Check out our tips. Getting Past Gatekeepers If you’re using B2B telemarketing as a marketing channel for your business, you’re likely to have come across an issue that threatens to derail your efforts.  In almost every case, on every call, you will reach a switchboard, assistant or some other person that stands between you and the person with whom you'd like to speak. In the world of outbound calling, these individuals are known as 'Gatekeepers'. And, this is a bridge you need to cross before you reach your target decision-making prospect. Gatekeepers stand in the way of you and your business target Whilst not all gatekeepers are the same, many zealously guard their boss and the senior management team with whom you’d like to speak. Ultimately, if you want to be successful and deliver qualified leads from your calls, you will need to find a way to overcome this hurdle. No technique in the world will work every time, and you may not succeed if the gatekeeper is particularly difficult. However, in this blog, we outline a couple of techniques to help you. Embedded Commands Senior PAs and other gatekeepers value their job. Therefore, they won’t just put everyone through to their boss. They certainly won’t just wave you on through if you sound junior and uncertain. So, the first thing you need to do is to be clear and concise and sound professional, senior and authoritative. A high-pitched squeaky voice that trembles won’t cut it. Be very clear about your approach. Plan what you are going to say and say it with conviction. And, try the technique below called an ‘embedded command’. Note. It’s is not meant to be said as a question. It is supposed to sound like an instruction! You: John Smith, please. GK: Who’s calling? You: Yes, it’s Jonathan, thanks/thank you GK: And can I take your surname, Jonathan You: Yes, of course. Would you tell John, it’s Jonathan Smith on the line, thanks. GK: And which company are you calling from? You: Yes, Would you tell him, I’m calling from GSA, thank you. Some gatekeepers will put you through at this point since you will sound important and authoritative if the above is said correctly. The words ‘would you’ convey an instruction and the words ‘thank you’ suggest that you’re finished talking with them so now ‘put me through’.  If the gatekeeper persists, as some will inevitably do, we recommend one of two further techniques. Either 'blind them with science' or use a strong 'reference point'. Blind Them With Science Note. This will very much depend on your business but the aim is to say something that you can justify and explain that the gatekeeper is unlikely to fully understand. It must sound relevant and important. And, make sure that you have a fallback if the first attempt doesn’t work. You need to hold your nerve. GK: And what’s your call regarding? You: Of course, it’s with regard to lead channel optimisation, thanks. GK: I’m sorry, I don’t understand. What do you mean?  You: It’s to do with revenue maximisation from John's customer database.  Remember, you need to know your stuff and hold your nerve or this won't work. You need to be able to substantiate what you are saying if asked by either the gatekeeper or the decision-maker when the gatekeeper puts you through. Reference Point Another option is to use some kind of reference point. This could be called a name drop or something current that is topical and of interest e.g. new legislation. GK: And what’s it regarding? You: Of course, it’s with regard to work we’ve done with (name competitor or client in their industry) on channel optimisation, thanks. GK: I’m sorry, I don’t understand. You: I’m sorry, it’s to do with John’s revenue maximisation from his customer database. Thank you.  The above can be varied to suit. Tough gatekeepers don’t let go. However, our aim here is to improve your ratios. As we said earlier, it won’t work all the time. However, if you improve your decision maker conversations by even 5% per month, what would that do for your business development? If you want to talk about our telemarketing services today, get in touch with GSA and learn how we can help you! ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is Social Media Better than Telemarketing? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-social-media-better-than-telemarketing/ Published: 2019-11-26 There are many naysayers on social media who perpetually state that cold calling is dead and who’d want to receive nasty, smelly, outmoded cold calls. They glorify social media, content development and inbound marketing as the new anchors, the new standard bearers of the future of marketing as if their solution is the only way forward. Before I challenge the assumptions to some extent, I want to be clear that I am a fan of all the above. Our core business at GSA is lead generation and, within that, for our clients, we undertake telemarketing, emerald marketing and proactive LinkedIn marketing. However, we also gain a great deal of business from inbound leads generated from Google, from LinkedIn and from other sources. These come to us since we have over 400 blogs, podcasts, videos and infographics on our website and on the various social channels. We post new content and re purpose past content on a very regular basis. Therefore, we are visible and credible, and this supports our place at the table when companies are looking for suppliers of our services. So, what’s the challenge? It’s so easy to knock telemarketing or cold calling ‘ as is the favourite expression used as a catchall to denote the use of the phone to do business. It lumps together cold callers who chase ambulances after an accident, ask if you’ve had PPI and whether you have been unwisely advised about your pension. This is just part of the problem. Not al l telephone marketing is the same and not all callers are the same. GDPR, GDPR, GDPR... GDPR is touted as just one of the reasons why telephone marketing is unacceptable. Yet, in the legislation and guidance issued by the Office of the Information Commissioner pertaining to both GDPR and PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations), telephone marketing is permissible. Under GDPR, you can undertake outbound calling using legitimate interest as a basis for processing personal data. Therefore, there is no issue in terms of legislation. Of course, for b2b calls, you need to screen your data against the opt-out register every 28 days and hold a suppression file for those that ask you to no longer contact them. However, there’s nothing to stop you using telemarketing as a channel. The annoyance factor How many cold calls do you receive in your day job? How frequently do you receive calls? Is it 4x per day which is almost how some protagonists position it? The fact is that most well-structured outbound calls are well-received. Not all of them have positive outcomes since not every prospect is looking. Yet some of the world’s largest companies still use telemarketing to promote their services. And, they use telemarketing alongside other methods and channels. Is outbound marketing all bad? You will always find some individuals that have a negative view of outbound calling as a means of lead generation. Are these the same people that complain about email marketing overload? We all receive too many emails. That perhaps strengthens the argument of the naysayers. Is outbound marketing all bad? The thing is that you could also argue that about sponsored advertisements on Facebook. They’re in your face all the time. And, what about YouTube video ads? And, LinkedIn ads? And, even social media posts? Clutter is all around us. Standing out is hard to achieve... We’re swamped with messages from all channels and all angles. Distraction is everywhere and stand out is very hard to achieve especially for those occasional producers of content. Content takes time to produce. And, good content not only takes time, it is not cheap. Video has become the go-to method of content development. And, whilst you can produce inexpensive videos on your iPhone, compelling videos with good sound and content reign supreme. People have short attention spans and will switch off if the content doesn’t grab them quickly. What’s more, how do you ensure that your content hits the right person? In amongst all the clutter and the day job, it isn’t a simple task to reach the right target. Telemarketing is all about targeting... At the outset, I stated that I am a fan of developing and distributing great content. This blog is an example of that. However, with so much noise online competing for attention, it’s difficult to ensure that your specific targets will see your content and engage in conversation with you. Of course, you can try to connect with them on LinkedIn. You can pay for sponsored ads. You can select many other methods of marketing. Yet, if you’re among a sea of other content, and you don’t produce enough content of a sufficient standard, you may be invisible.  ...And targeting is all about laser targeting What is clear about telemarketing is that you can select and target precisely who you want. You don’t have to wait to see if your target will hopefully see the content you post or find you on one of the social platforms. It’s not just about the size of your network. You can go to them directly when you want.  With telemarketing, you can build a list of contacts and make a phone call to each as long as you’ve checked for opt-outs. Then you’re free to engage in conversation. That doesn’t mean you should pitch at every opportunity. Telemarketing is as much about engaging in conversation as social media. It is about relevance. It is about listening more than talking. Bad telemarketing is like bad content and bad advertising and any bad marketing. You can do it right and you can do it wrong. To summarise: social is not the only game in town! The problem with social media exponents is that, in many cases, they exclude any other option. Telemarketing is not the only choice. Every business must select a combination of marketing choices that suit their business and their target customers. There’s no right or wrong. But telemarketing isn’t all bad and social media isn’t all good! Want to chat to a telemarketing agency who knows what they're talking about? Get in touch with GSA, here. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why Does Telemarketing Still Exist in a Digital Age? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/why-does-telemarketing-exist-digital-age/ Published: 2019-11-21 We live in the technological age. Things have sped up. Data is everywhere. Content is King. And, there is a proliferation of marketing channels. It makes marketing decision-making challenging to say the least and traditional channels such as direct mail and telemarketing can sometimes be overlooked. Why Pick Up The Phone? Yet, many of the world’s largest organisations still use the telephone to do a job. They have inside or internal sales teams that use the phone to target specific individuals. They use agencies for data validation and building for more targeted marketing. And, they utilise the services of specialist telemarketing companies for appointment setting. They outsource calling for events, lapsed or dormant customer resuscitation and for projects including cross-sell and upsell to their customer base. They also need to make calls to resellers and partners. Because of this level and type of requirement, outbound calling persists. There still remains a perception that cold calling is dead. Is Cold Calling Dead? It is fair to say that, in some cases, it has become more challenging. There are more voicemails than in days gone by. Regulations mean that screening data against the Opt-out CTPS register every 28 days is mandatory for B2B calls in addition to B2C. And, organisations must hold suppression files against those that have previously asked to be removed from marketing calls. Technology also increasingly supports the removal of unwanted calls. We feel these are good initiatives to weed out unwelcome calls. However, the thing that possibly poses the biggest threat isn’t regulation or voicemail or any of the other factors mentioned. It’s poor calling technique. An effective, engaging caller that uses good telemarketing technique to have an engaged conversation with a decision-maker allows organisations to reach out to the people with whom they want to do business. No waiting around to see if the decision-maker responds to an email or LinkedIn request. No more hoping for the right person to happen upon the video or blog you’ve produced and decide to contact you. Persistence Is Key Whilst there’s no guarantee that your target decision-maker will be available at the time of your call, you can at least make a diary note to call back at another time. And, persistence without stalking pays dividends. Why would you give up on your prime target audience after the first call if you genuinely feel you have something from which they’d benefit? Other Methods Of Reaching Your Target Of course, we started this blog with the fact that there are multiple  channels. We recommend that clients utilise more than one route where possible. And, we’re big fans of content development and building networks, but, ultimately, it’s about engaging and a well-schooled caller that enjoys his or her art, understands the clients’ challenges and how they can help, is worth their weight in gold. It’s about ROI. Sales and marketing decision-makers worth their salt will evaluate the return from all their marketing investments. It’s essential to test and measure. What Makes For Good Telemarketing? Some telemarketing activity won’t be fruitful. Other calls will produce great return. It’s mostly down to the balance of the quality of the data and clarity of your target audience and the value of your proposition to the recipient of your call. A poor message to the wrong target audience will fail every time. Yet, a clear and compelling proposition to the right individual at the right time will be welcomed. Too often, telemarketing is tarnished by a B2C, call-centre chicken coop, high volume, low quality brush and reputation. Despite this, it persists, and large companies have not abandoned the approach. But, it’s important to focus the calling on activities that are likely to bear fruit. In some cases, that may be well-designed cold calls to a qualified database. Other calls may be to customers that haven’t ordered in 12 or 24 months. Communication could focus on customer satisfaction surveys or customer care calls. There are all manner of options where the telephone can still be used to good effect. So, to intimate that telemarketing is redundant is wide of the mark. It has its merits and it isn’t the solution to every requirement. But that can be said of most marketing. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Failing To Profile Your Customers Is Costing You A Fortune Source: https://telemarketing.blog/failing-profile-customers-costing-fortune/ Published: 2019-11-19 > It’s amazing how many opportunities some companies miss due to failing to profile and segment their customers. The day job often takes over and tasks like data analysis get pushed to the bottom of the pile of priorities. However, there’s no doubt that it’s vital to be able to identify what makes a good customer from a poor one. It’s amazing how many opportunities some companies miss due to failing to profile and segment their customers. The day job often takes over and tasks like data analysis get pushed to the bottom of the pile of priorities. However, there’s no doubt that it’s vital to be able to identify what makes a good customer from a poor one. There are so many attributes that can provide useful information for targeting. The basics include: Sector Size of business Decision maker Location But you can also measure... But there is so much that can be analysed, over and above the basics, within the data that you have about those customers including: Products and services purchased Types and categories of purchase Value of purchase Frequency of purchase You need to analyse for results The trouble is that without robust analysis, it’s difficult to make valid decisions. Sometimes a formal customer survey is needed. If the numbers are large, it can be done by email. We’d recommend that you offer some form of incentive to encourage response. A survey can also throw up new opportunities since it shows you care and prompts the customer to consider their needs. If your customer base is smaller, it may be that an in-depth phone survey is viable or preferable. That allows you to pick up potential customer service issues that could otherwise have led to a lost customer. Ultimately, we all want our customers to feel loved. It’s all too easy to become bogged down by the day job and with those customers that shout loudest. It is, though, rarely a bad thing to undertake both analytical research and formal customer research that supports better targeting to sell more to current customers, reduce attrition and to generate new business. If you’d like to sell more to your current customers, check out our video.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # 4 Reasons Your Customers Won’t Buy From You Source: https://telemarketing.blog/reasons-customers-wont-buy/ Published: 2019-11-15 > Love it or hate it, cold calling is part of the day job for lots of sales people. And to achieve telemarketing success with decision makers that hold significant budget in larger organisations, there are key skills that have a major impact on results. Below are our 7 Essential Telemarketing Skills that every caller needs to master if they want to reach their goals. Also, don't forget to also take a look at lots of other telemarketing tips on our blog and on our Knowledge Bank. You need to generate new business but perhaps things aren’t going quite as smoothly as you’d like. Surely, customers should be flocking to your door given the quality of your products and services and your focus on delivering outstanding customer service.  The reality is that even ‘no-brainers’ quite simply…. aren’t. Whilst you may feel that you’ve got a great proposition that every prospective customer should desire, the fact is that they have other priorities. Budget is allocated elsewhere. And, the timing may not be right. Equally, any change means extra workload for those responsible for implementing new solutions and taking on new suppliers. So, you need to do as much as possible to stack the odds in your favour. In this video and blog, we provide 4 reasons why your customers won’t buy from you despite the fact you may well have something they need. You’re boring Whether it’s on the phone or F2F, how energised are you about your business, your products and prospective clients’ business? If you’re not, you need to become more motivated about those 3 things. You need to get excited without going nuts and you’ll be more compelling. Your products are boring Do you do what everyone else does? Is there loads of competition? If so, what can you offer that isn’t run of the mill? Work out what differentiates your products and services from the crowd. You look boring If your website looks dull and lacks clarity and your LinkedIn profile could do with a good wash and brush up, you probably need to make that a priority for investment in the coming months. Today’s consumer is time poor and they make quick judgments about your online presence. If you don’t look like someone they want to do business with, they won’t. What you’re communicating is boring Today, content is king. Content is how your customers view your business and its credibility as a potential provider of products or services. If you provide useful info, you’ll attract more customers to you. If your competitors communicate better, you’ll be relegated down the shortlist of providers.  So, if you want to generate more inbound sales leads, work on these 4 things to energise your business. And, if you need some help, give GSA a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 7 Tips To Successful Improve Your Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/7-things-you-must-master-if-you-want-to-succeed-at-lead-generation/ Published: 2019-09-04 Lead generation is far from easy. It’s a process and one which demands a great deal of effort and focus. Yet, there are so many choices when it comes to routes to market and so many ways that things can go awry and cost you money. It pays to focus on some of the things you can control. So, check out below our 7 things you must master if you want to succeed at lead generation.   Clarity of Target Audience  Ultimately, you can’t hit a target that you can’t see. One of the most important aspects of lead generation is segmentation. The more refined your audience, the more you can tailor your communication to the right decision-makers. Too often, sellers go to market with an approach that is wide and generic that instantly turns off their target market. So, start where possible with a focus on an audience that will be most receptive to your advances.  Clarity of Purpose It’s important to be clear on your desired outcome. Whether it’s via email, LinkedIn, by phone or through some other channel, the woollier you are with your call to action, the less likely you are to achieve your goal. Be precise about the outcome you want. If you want them to be open to receiving some samples, be clear about that. If you need to set up a face to face meeting, make sure that is evident. If it’s a web demo or webinar or an event you’d like them to attend, make sure that it isn’t hidden and is loud and clear in all communication.  Clarity of Proposition Why would customers buy from you rather than go elsewhere? What is going to encourage them to meet with you or submit to a phone call or demo? They’re busy people, so you need to be very clear as to why they should devote their time to you. Try to understand why they buy what they buy as opposed to focusing on what you sell. If you can be clear on what challenges you solve and the opportunities you provide through your products and services, your proposition will resonate more with your target market.  Clarity of Message Like the above, your message is all-important not least in your opening gambit whether that’s on email, phone or social media post. Your opening statement is your advert for your business and if you get it wrong, there’s no going back. That means in your subject line, your telemarketing intro, your headline and in your choice of topic for your blog posts and videos. If the core message doesn’t interest your prospect, there will be little chance to move towards and engaged conversation about your services.  Clarity of Customer Needs Can you honestly say that you know your customer needs? Or, do you and your colleagues focus more on what you do and what you offer than the benefits that you offer to the customer? Ultimately, it’s about them not you. The only way you’ll develop rapport with your prospect is to tune in to their needs. They aren’t interested in what you ‘offer’. They only have one thing in mind and that relates to their priorities, challenges, projects and so on. Therefore, if your phone approach is to blunder in and pitch at them, it fundamentally won’t work. Focus on establishing rapport and building empathy. Understand what floats their boat. Start with that in mind and you won’t go far wrong.  Clarity of Questions In telemarketing, questioning is undoubtedly a skill. The art of asking the right questions is much under-used. But, if you focus on the right approach, it will pay dividends. Not least, it stops the caller from dominating the conversation. It ensures a more natural flow of conversation and, to some extent, reduces the chance of a sales pitch. It also interrupts the pattern of seller-buyer by demonstrating that the person asking the questions is genuinely interested in the needs of the other person. That assumes, of course, that you’re asking intelligent and relevant questions as opposed to just asking questions to which you need the answer and where the prospect doesn’t gain genuine benefit from the discussion.  Clarity of Differentiation Not only do you have to differentiate the proposition and messages from competitors, it’s also about differentiating your company and you as a representative of your business. Differentiation can include how your website looks and, increasingly, how you present yourself on social media. That could be visually on Instagram or Pinterest, and professionally in terms of your profile on LinkedIn. It includes the quality of content you post such as the videos and blogs you create. And, very importantly, if you’re on the phone or face to face, it’s how you come across personally. If you come across as a slimy salesperson, your chance of success will be minimised.  If you’d like help to formulate your lead generation strategy, just give GSA a call.    ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why Salespeople don’t Understand Benefits Source: https://telemarketing.blog/why-sales-people-dont-understand-benefits/ Published: 2019-08-06 People buy emotionally. We don’t mean that they burst into tears at the mere thought of working with you or buying your products. We mean that buyers don’t purchase what you do or what you offer. They buy what it does for them. They buy into what it means for them.  Don't tell and sell The trouble is that sales people often sell by telling rather than by enlightening, listening and understanding. They state what their company offers rather than asking effective questions to establish the customer needs in order to diagnose problems that their solutions can solve. They’re too focused on their side of the sales equation.  If we agree with the premise that most individuals are only interested in one thing, i.e. themselves, surely the most effective way to sell to someone is to tap into that psyche. Yet, sales people insist on talking rather than listening. They talk about what they think are the benefits of what they offer but which are really features. 24-hour delivery is great but why is that useful for the customer? It may mean they don’t have to hold stock which ties up space and capital and that means they can more quickly satisfy their customers reducing the risk of problems and penalties.  Check out this blog on how to emphasise benefits on a telemarketing call.  Customers don’t care about what you know until they know that you care The old adage states that ‘Customers don’t care about what you know until they know that you care’.  It’s one that should resonate with every sales person. It’s about building rapport. It’s about showing empathy. It’s about understanding what’s required and acting more like a consultant than someone that wants to make a sale. We’re not saying that every sales person comes across as wanting to make a fast buck. And, we’re not suggesting that every sales interaction is bad. Clearly, some sales result from a clear need and the buyer just wants to make a purchase without any fancy dialogue or engagement. Yet, when it comes to considered purchases and significant investments, there really is only one way.  Pain or Gain? When it comes to the above type of purchase, customers typically buy based on either pain or gain. They’re either trying to alleviate a problem or improve something. Of course, it isn’t that simple, but it boils down to enhancing something they feel could do with improvement or trying to stop something happening that is detrimental to their business. That’s why the sales person needs to tap in to that need and the psychology of buying.  Customers aren’t stupid for not wanting your products. They have lots of competing priorities. Hence, you need to quickly get the to the point where they see the benefit.  Customers buy you in addition to your solutions Ultimately, benefits should answer the question ‘what’s in it for me?’. They’re the things that get buyers off the fence and drive them to action. They aren’t what you do. There are likely to be lots of competing suppliers that seemingly offer the same products and services as you do. That means it’s as important to differentiate yourself as it is to promote your solutions. You may make the difference if everything else is equal. But, it’s essential to position what you offer in customer terms. That means you need to work out an approach for any given product or service that helps the customer to achieve something. You need to carefully position what you say in that manner rather than overtly talking about the aspects of what you do.  Benefits make a Good First Impression If you remember to always ‘think customer’, you’ll be more likely to engender trust from the start of any customer engagement. You’ll also be more likely to reach customer shortlists for new suppliers once they’ve done their initial online trawl and engaged with several ‘potential’ providers. That first impression is all-important. You want to ensure that is more about how you help the customer and what you represent than what you offer. You don’t want to sound like every other sales person that is low on interest in the customer and that is fixated on the sale.  Conclusion Ultimately, if, for every customer and prospect engagement, you start with the customer in mind, you won't go far wrong. Forget about your products and services for a moment. Remove the focus on selling and telling. Understand the genuine benefits of using your company as a supplier. Consider the challenges that your customer has. Within reason, try to remove any preconceived notions of what you want to promote. And, listen to the customer's needs first and foremost. If you do that. you'll me more likely to gain the attention of the decision-maker, earn their trust and, ultimately, win more of their business. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 10 Ideas to Help Your Business Grow Source: https://telemarketing.blog/10-ideas-to-help-your-business-grow-in-2016/ Published: 2019-05-17 > At the start of 2016, consumers and businesses are more forward looking. We've got more money in our pockets. There are still risks but, in general terms, organisations have started to invest again in all kinds of products and services. Has your business taken advantage of growth in the economy? Was last year a good one? And what are you doing to prepare for a positive new year? In this blog, we take a look at some of the things you might want to consider for 2016 in terms of your growth plans. Another year is whizzing by. We've been through a period of sustained growth since the last recession but, once again, there are clouds on the horizon. Some would argue that, this time, any wounds will be self-inflicted. With Brexit, the shape of how we trade will change. New relationships will be required and UK PLC may see some instability that will affect us all personally and in business. Emerging from the last recession, people and businesses became much more positive and had more money in their pocket. Yet, debt persists both personally and economically. There are still risks and not everyone is quite so positive looking towards the short to mid-term horizon.  How has your business taken advantage of the growth of the past few years? Are you set up to grow further? Was last year a good one? Is this year looking healthier than the last? And what are you doing to prepare for stability and growth in a more challenging climate? In this short blog, we take a look at some of the main things you might want to consider for the year ahead in terms of your growth plans. 1. Make a plan It might be that you already have a plan. That's great. But if you don't, now is the time to start. If you have clarity of objectives, you're more likely to achieve them and more likely to take the right decisions that move you towards those objectives. So, make sure you have a plan for your business for the 1-3 year timeline ahead. That's in terms of financial numbers (revenue, margin, profit etc), number of customers, average value of sale, mix of business, products and services upon which to focus and so on. 2. Embrace video This may seem an odd one to feature so highly in this list. However, video is crucial if you want your online presence to work in your favour. We recently featured an interesting blog on the importance of visuals. Our brains process visual info so much faster than text. How to videos are all over the web and YouTube is a massive search engine. Video features highly on Google. Social video is massive. So, if you haven't already, embrace video. Our video shoot is next week by the way! Check out some of our videos to see what we mean. 3. Drive inbound enquiries The cost of acquisition for enquiries that come to you is so much lower than where you're forced to use your marketing budget and people. They're also more likely to be in the market for your services and will probably convert quicker. So, how much time do you spend on cultivating inbound? That includes asking for referrals, making your website look fantastic, having calls to action on your site and ensuring that your content pushes Google ranking higher (see below). If the phone doesn't ring now and you don't get web enquiries, make this one of your key goals going forward. 4. Generate interesting content We mentioned content above. Google favours fresh and original content. Content showcase your expertise and enhances credibility when potential buyers reach your site, it also encourages better Google ranking. It won't happen overnight. However, make content part of your marketing and part of your daily or weekly tasks. This includes video (of course), blogs, tips, white papers, infographics, podcast (see our two latest podcasts here), how to guides, product updates and so on. 5. Build your network We didn't always recognise the value of this. That was until someone from the past, with whom we'd lost contact, referred us to a great piece of business. It's both a game of numbers but certainly a matter of quality. How are you building your network of influencers? Influencers carry relevant messages to your target market. On LinkedIn, how many good connections do you have? If you regularly blog, you can add those articles to both your company page and personal profile. Connections will see those blogs when they're on LinkedIn. That adds to your credibility. How strong is your Twitter network? How about offline? What networking do you do? Strong networks provide credibility and knowledge. How many people now consult their Facebook friends if they want to know something? Make your network an asset in the coming year and you'll see the benefits. 6. Build your social profile Allied to the point above, you need to dedicate time to building your social profile. We're not necessarily saying that you need to use some social profile tool to check your score. But how often do you check out someone's LinkedIn profile before a meeting? Do you take a peek at the company LinkedIn page alongside the website? How about Twitter? If they've got a poorly worded LinkedIn profile and last posted 12 months ago, how does that make you feel about their business? And don't forget, millennials have grown up with social media. They expect you to be social and to be active. They are the buyers of today and tomorrow. So, work on your profile across the main platforms relevant for your business. Get a decent profile picture. Think carefully about how you describe yourself and your business. And make sure that when prospective customers check you out your profile doesn't do you a disservice. 7. Don't forget testimonials We've been guilty in the past of not asking for testimonials. In the lead generation business, sometimes it's tough to deliver the results that clients want. And expectations are always sky high even though we work hard to agree what success looks like. We like to think we do a good job or our clients and thankfully they agree. So, we routinely ask for testimonials to put on our website. They feature on our home page and on a separate page for each aspect of our business. Once again, when prospects check us out they need to feel reassured that clients feel we deliver. So, work on your testimonials and case studies. 8. Have some long and short term strategies for lead generation. Not every method of lead generation or marketing will work for your business and some will take more time than others. There is little in the way of guarantees. Therefore, test where you can but take care not to spread too thinly. Have a balance between inbound and outbound not least since inbound leads take time to build. Recognise that good potential clients probably already have a supplier (possibly contracted) that offers what you offer. Hence, renewal dates and review dates are important and you need to schedule follow ups when that trigger comes up. 9. Get to know your customers Of course that's important in every respect. It is certainly the case that the better they know and value you, the more they will recommend you. Equally, to sell more, you need to understand how you add value. That means how you help clients to either alleviate problems or enhance opportunities. Once you know what these typically are for your prospects and customers, that should be the basis for your approach whether for telemarketing lead generation, content marketing, video production, events and so on. Focus more on the customer and less on what you do and you'll generate more business. 10. Build Alliances Who gets to your customer before you do? Who offers services that are complimentary to yours? For our business, that might mean working with business consultants of providers of email marketing or direct mail specialists. We've had business in the past from PR agencies. Work out where alliances could be formed. They could just be referral based. They could involve commission. Or they could just add value to the customer so they get a better service. Some of the above involve allocation of funds to make them work effectively. Others involve just time. All require an acceptance that these are the right things to do to build your business. If you don't agree with all of them, that's perfectly fine. Just identity the replacement actions that will deliver on the objectives of lead generation, credibility and brand building and customer satisfaction. If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation or you’d like to book one of our business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 11 Steps to Build an Effective Telemarketing Campaign Source: https://telemarketing.blog/11-steps-to-build-an-effective-telemarketing-campaign/ Published: 2019-03-26 Telemarketing is simple but not easy. It involves one person picking up the phone to another and promoting their products and services. What could be easier? But, there are all manner of barriers in the way from voicemail to people being in meetings to gatekeeper blocks. To help you create an effective telemarketing campaign for your business, check out our 11 steps below. It starts with targeting Targeting is all important. You can’t hit a target you can’t see. That means you need to consider and understand the target audience that is likely to be most interested in your product or service. The most basic parameters for B2B segmentation are shown below.  Market sector Location Job role Business size (employees or turnover) Data is the Holy Grail It’s all well and good “knowing" where to target but, without accurate data, you’ll spend lots of wasted time going in the wrong direction. So, spend time creating a database of target prospects with correct phone numbers (of course). You may be able to purchase a list from a good broker but, often, building your own list is worth the investment in time. Work out what keeps the customer up at night The worst telemarketers ‘pitch’ when they eventually get the prospect on the phone. Don’t do that. Work out what headaches they have and identify a way to hel0 them alleviate the pain with your product or service. Position what you do in those terms. It’s benefits not features. They don’t care what you know until they know you care! Define a gatekeeper strategy You know that you’ll reach a gatekeeper in most cases when calling large companies. So, work out your strategy. What will you say? What shouldn’t you say? And, consider why they might want to put you through. Check out this blog for techniques. Craft your decision maker intro You only have a few seconds to make your first impression. Don’t waste them. Be upbeat, positive and concise. Use the ‘pain based’ intro you’ve developed that helps them solve their issues. Each few seconds of your intro helps you build the next step of the call. So, spend time working out what you will say. Set your objectives All too often, telemarketing calls meander. As a consequence, the prospect slips through the fingers of the telemarketer and they allow the customer to wriggle free. Be clear on the outcome you want and ask for it. You need to build rapport first, but once that’s in place, ask for what you want. Confidence is king Over-confidence is bad. Positive energy and confidence are good. So, inject some warmth and oomph into your calls. No-one wants to be bored rigid b6 a dullard. So, make sure you’re full of beans at the point of your call. Make sure you’re compliant Compliance is boring but essential. There are two sets of rules that apply to telemarketing in Europe. These are GDPR and PECR. Make sure you comply. This includes deciding the lawful basis for your call. For marketing, this could be ‘consent’ if you have a relationship e.g. where they have signed up on your website, or ‘legitimate interest’ where you need to carry out an assessment before you call. If you’re making a genuine customer service call, it may be that your basis for processing may be as par5 of a contract of sale. However you handle this, if you don’t have consent or a contract, you will need to screen the data every 28 days against the CTPS/TPS opt-out registers. Remember, these apply to consumers AND businesses. Don’t forget that you also need to screens any calls against suppressions i.e those individuals that have asked you to stop contacting them. Systems are crucial Good telemarketing systems are not the same as good systems. A CRM system will definitely help your marketing and customer relationships. But, does your system facilitate effective telemarketing. Is everything on one screen so that the callers don’t need to look elsewhere for info before, during and after the call? A good workflow is the difference between 10 and 20 calls per hour. And, since telemarketing is, in part, a numbers game, productivity is everything. Provide other stimuli You won’t reach every customer on every call. Far from it. That’s why you need to ideally provide other impetus. That means being visible through( content, like this blog. It means using targeted email marketing. It could be a creative piece of direct mail. Perhaps it’s PR aim trade media. There are lots of other marketing methods you can use. The more visibility and awareness you have, the greater the likelihood of them welcoming your call. Follow up and don’t give up Too many telemarketers fail to follow up or give up too soon. Too many fail to make enough calls to stack the odds in their favour. We don’t mean carrying on in the face of obvious rejection. Check out our techniques for handling objections. But, you need to recognise that telemarketing is a discipline. It is a process. Part of that is consistent calling over a period of time, all the while ensuring that you build rapport and ‘touch’ the customer using other methods if you can e.g. LinkedIn, email, mail etc. Telemarketing is a straightforward marketing method that is simple to put into place. However, you can easily set yourself up for failure if you don’t follow these steps to success. If you’d like to speak to GSA about your telemarketing campaign, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are you missing big customer opportunities through lack of database management? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-you-missing-big-customer-opportunities-through-lack-of-database/ Published: 2019-03-26 Most companies have databases that have, over the years, become a bit stale. Typically, field and in-house sales and customer service teams focus on the highest spending customers and those that shout loudest. It’s inevitable since resources are scarce and there’s only so much time. Missing opportunities The problem is what’s lurking beneath the surface. It’s likely that your customer database is a mixture of the following: Customers that only buy from you Customers that buy from you and from other similar suppliers Customers that are delighted by both your price and service Customers that are ‘satisfied’ but who could be tempted away through offers and incentives Lapsed customers that went elsewhere but you didn’t know due to lack of regular contact Customers in buying mode who are evaluating several suppliers to see what’s on the market Dissatisfied customers of whom you were not aware since the6 didn’t complain Infrequent buyers who drop down the priority list for that very reason Low value customers that could prove to be significant customers due to their expanding business or through simply more attention Individuals on the database that left the organisation some time ago There are many more probably segments or profiles of customer deep within your database. And, we haven’t even mentioned past and current prospects. Resource and time gaps The problem, as I mentioned earlier, is partly resource and partly the time to carry out a profiling and segmentation exercise. But, the problem is compounded by the fact that you can only profile based on what you know and what you believe. For example, are the buyers on your database still in their roles of have they moved on? And, is the new buyer aware of your products and services and do they have any affinity to your business? Equally, a low spending customer may not always be so. Many could have big potential. But, have you taken the time to establish the potential and to profile their business based on a formal customer service call? It’s almost certain that, before reaching out for new business, an interrogation of your current database coupled with proactive contact and communication will reveal hidden opportunities. There are likely to be opportunities for: Cross selling and upselling Launching new products or services Selling them services they did not know you offer (especially for new buyers) Reducing customer attrition (thus maximising profit) through customer care calls Validating and cleaning your database to ensure that your marketing is more targeted and effective Validation is too slow Often, organisations overlook the value in their databases, relying on periodic emails to do the job. They might rely on bounce rates to find out that people have left the business. However, how often does someone follow up to identify (1] the new buyer and (2) where the last buyer went so that they can be targeted elsewhere. And, how frequent are the emails that deliver this priceless information? This is where a consistent exercise of database cleaning and validation comes in. You can do this by segment (type, size, frequency etc), level of spend or some other parameter. Then, why not contact each customer by phone armed with a series or relevant questions, whether they relate to customer satisfaction, type of products they buy, frequency of need, timetable for their next requirement or some other basis. Once you have the information, you can recategorise your database based on genuine opportunity, value and so on. It’s very likely that in the process of doing the calls, you’ll unearth: New business from existing customers Those customers that would have gone elsewhere had you not called New buyers that can develop into a fruitful relationship Avenues for new products Insight into your marketplace upon which you can act A better targeted and more accurate database for future marketing Ultimately, this exercise often falls between sales, who are focused on sales to larger customers and prospects, and marketing who are focused on outbound marketing campaigns for new leads . ------------------------------------------------------------ # 4 Things that Marketers can Learn from Crypto Currency and Blockchain – GSA Source: https://telemarketing.blog/4-things-that-marketers-can-learn-from-crypto-currency-and-blockchain/ Published: 2019-03-05 Cryptocurrency is the hottest of hot topics. Even if you’re living a nomad existence, it’s likely that you won’t be immune from the avalanche of publicity, good and bad, surrounding crypto and blockchain. You might be a promoter or a detractor. You might be a current or past investor or you may have never invested and wouldn’t wish to do so. Whatever your personal situation, it’s unlikely to be something that you haven’t seen on Facebook, LinkedIn, news alerts or somewhere else online. Whatever your opinion, as to whether it’s a scam or the best thing since sliced bread, there is no doubting the fact that Crypto, in its broadest sense, has been an incredible success. Whether blockchain has the potential to change the world or not is, to some extent, immaterial. At least it is for this blog. What is interesting is that there are several things that marketers can learn from rising and falling and the rise of these alternative ways of carrying out transactions. We’ve detailed a few below: Innovation is crucial It seems obvious but it’s true. Blockchain and Cryptocurrency are new ways to do business and new ways of paying for things. Not so long ago, they didn’t exist except for in the minds of the creators. Those creators started with a vision to change the way traditional things are done. We could say the same for disruptive solutions such as Amazon, Uber and Airbnb amongst others. What have you got to shout about in your business? How can you innovate in your market? That could be new product or service innovation but it could also just be a new way of packaging what you do. Risk is everywhere. Embrace it. Is there really such a thing as a dead cert? Unless you have a one horse race, that isn’t generally the case. If you invested in crypto at the right time, you possibly made a fortune. And, you lost your shirt if you invested at the top of the curve. You can almost never guarantee success. Business is a risk and you need to take calculated risks to grow. Some decisions will prove wise. Other options will be poor choices. Yet, successful entrepreneurs and business people continue to take risks. They take decisions. They accept the ups and downs. And, if it doesn’t work, they brush themselves down and start over again. Survival of the fittest There is so much talk in the financial press about whether bitcoin, ethereum, ripple or one of the many other cryptocurrencies will be the ultimate winner. No one actually knows. Maybe there’s room for more than one, or many, winners. Each cryptocurrency has its own unique aspect. They don’t all do the same job. And, even if they did, investors may have different requirements for their investment choices. Traditional business is the same to some extent. Competition is everywhere. You can’t hide from it. And, you can’t just sit back and wait for competitors to take your place. You have to be focused in terms of your market. You need to believe in the benefits of your solution over others. Being alive to change The blockchain is a disruptive influence on business. It is likely to change the way we operate and may lead to the demise of some elements in the supply chain. It will probably enhance the way we do business in the future and many shake up traditional processes and industries. It may even change the dynamics of your business. Change is everywhere. The workforce is being invaded by millennial and their new ways of thinking and their changed expectations. Technology is ever advancing with AI, VR, AR and other concepts that will forever change the way we work. Not every change will be relevant to your business, or be relevant right now. But, If you don’t keep up, you will get left behind. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you’d like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is Social Media a part of the lead generation process? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-social-media-a-part-of-the-lead-generation-process/ Published: 2019-02-26 https://youtu.be/3IhGVs_xmII Is there a silver bullet for lead generation? It’s unlikely. Does the method you use for generating new business work consistently? And, is that for ever? The reality is that nothing is guaranteed. Even agencies that ‘guarantee’ leads are often criticised for providing poor leads that don’t meet agreed criteria. The thing is that lead generation is difficult. If it was easy, everyone would quickly find that hidden pot of gold. Social - The new kid on the block Of course, there’s a new kid on the block. Social media has been around for a while. However, there has been a move towards positioning social media as an intrinsic part of lead generation. To establish whether social media plays a role in generating sales, it’s important to understand what lead generation is & what it isn’t What is Lead Generation? Lead generation comes in many forms. For example, some might say that it is the creation of a cast-iron opportunity to do business with a prospect that’s in the market for your products or services. That’s the best lead in my book. But they come at a premium in terms of time & cost. Whether that’s an investment in outbound techniques such as telemarketing, email marketing or direct mail, inbound marketing such as content development & distribution or measures such as exhibitions, we all want fully rounded sales leads to be driven into our arms. Leads come in all shapes & sizes though. They could be, amongst others: BANT qualified (budget, authority, need, time) Telephone appointments Web demos Webinar & seminar attendance Exhibition follow-up Lapsed customer resuscitation A qualified contact that you know is still in their role You see, leads can be at various levels of warmth & timeliness. You have to face facts. Not everyone is ready to buy from you now. Many prospect purchases have long gestation periods. Those gestation periods are likely only to be communicated by direct conversation with the purchaser where they advise you when they may be looking to conclude a purchase or review suppliers. By virtue of that interaction, that suggests some form of direct communication is needed. That’s often the case especially for higher value of sale purchases. Hence, traditional marketing methods such as telemarketing work well for the scenarios above. But, as we mentioned earlier, in an ideal world, you want your customer to find you & to seek you out. It’s cheaper & more effective if the customer is already looking for your kind of services & has sought you out. Content, content, content What intrigues me is the assertion from many that social is a key part of the sales funnel. The implication is that by being ‘on social media’ you’ve a greater chance of channelling lots of leads into your large funnel. In our opinion that’s false. Being ‘on’ social media means nothing. Buyers make the same determination of you, your business & your products in an online environment as they do if they meet you face to face or speak to you on the telephone. The question is whether they like to look of you. The key factors are credibility & visibility. &, those come at a price. Not only because organic reach has diminished but also because the quality of your content on social media is crucial. It’s not so easy these days to push out one single blog & hope everyone sees it, engages & shares. Those days have gone. Nowadays, you need to populate your profile & company pages on LinkedIn with interesting content that prospects genuinely want to read. Increasingly you need video. That’s been the case for a while on platforms such as Facebook & Instagram. Social without content is like a guitar player without their guitar. You may well be a great guitar player but no-one would know if they don’t hear or see you play or at least see you in pictures with your guitar. They won’t be aware of your skills if you don’t post stuff about your guitar playing. You need credible content that gets shared. Over time, like osmosis, your potential prospects get to know you. They come to understand you can deliver results in your area of business and expertise. They start to see you regularly &, ultimately, when they do have a need, you will feature in their beauty parade of new suppliers. So, is Social part of the sales pipeline? In our opinion, whilst you can’t consider social media as a method of marketing, it is a channel and it is the way many of us choose to communicate these days. As such, and given that your target audience uses social channels to look for information, education and fun, you’d be foolish to ignore the power of social media. Are all social platforms born equal? Almost certainly not. Twitter has a different purpose to Instagram which, in turn, is different to LinkedIn. Hence, one size doesn’t fit all. You need to consider where your customers congregate. You need to look for influencers who can carry (share) your message with others. But, above all, remember that social won’t work without content. Content is king. You won’t gain the credibility and visibility and get on supplier shortlists if your content is poor or absent and your profile is lacklustre. So, spend time on content first so that you can get head of the pack. Patience is a virtue It won’t happen overnight. That’s both for your content and the results. It takes time and money to generate interesting stuff that people want to view. Equally, just because you’re visible doesn’t mean prospects will champ at the bit to race to your door. You need to engage. On LinkedIn, you need to build your network of relevant connections. And, you need to take conversations offline once you do engage. What’s more, a blend of inbound and outbound is the perfect scenario. For example, pick up the phone to interesting connections. Invite people to your webinar or seminar. Send them a piece of creative direct mail. If you don’t, you may have a long wait if your social presence isn’t up to scratch. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is your Lead Generation Lopsided? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-your-lead-generation-lopsided/ Published: 2019-02-19 Are you too reliant on one form of lead generation at the expense of every other method? Sounds obvious doesn’t it? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Choose a blend of activities to get the most from your lead generation efforts. Amplify your chances by using a variety of channels. All good advice but, sometimes, it’s not that simple. Budgets, resourcing, priorities and other factors get in the way. Right first time We’d all like our efforts at lead generation to work first time every time. Regardless of the method deployed, it would be wonderful to think that, no matter the approach, leads will come flooding in. Unfortunately, unless you’ve found the perfect answer for your business, it’s unlikely that one size fits all and that one marketing method will deliver consistently now and for ever more. Clearly, if you test and measure and you understand and monitor your ratios, you will stand a better chance of reaching your goals. Consider your timeframe For many businesses, new business isn’t an overnight thing. Success can take a while and, sometimes, it can be difficult to judge success on a limited timeframe. That’s especially true where the value of the sale is high, and gestation periods and sales cycles are long. Of course, whilst you should measure the true value of a customer over years as opposed to the first sale, it’s natural to want quick payback.  Horses for courses Some methods of marketing do, indeed, work quickly and. Perhaps pay per click delivers a string of qualified leads into your sales funnel at an acceptable cost. Maybe there are targeted exhibitions that generate enough sector-specific new leads to keep your sales people busy for most of the year. Perhaps targeted telemarketing allows you to reach defined buyers of a certain type and size on whose radar you wouldn’t otherwise have been. And, possibly Google loves your business due to excellent content ensuring that your search rank provides ample sales opportunities through target customers visiting your website and making an enquiry. The above methods are only a tiny proportion of options available. And, a solution that works for one business may not work for another even if they offer similar products and services. There are so many variables that help and hinder success. A range of tactics What is likely, however, is that most businesses will need to deploy a range of tactics to keep the sales funnel topped up with fresh sales leads. And, integration is key. The more you can blend your approaches the better. One method reinforces the other. If a customer sees an advertisement, receives an email, spots your post on LinkedIn and, ultimately, receives a call, it’s more likely that they will at least recognise your business. If the methods you use are effective and credible, awareness and perception improve, and the prospect will be more inclined to come to you when the need arises. And, they’ll be more receptive if you call. Integration 101 One of the best examples of integration is pretty basic. That’s where you identify your target audience on LinkedIn, you gather valid email addresses for that same audience and you plan a calling campaign to those same decision makers. Of course, integration in this instance depends on the ability to tightly define your targets and on the availability of accurate data for multi-channel marketing.  Successful integration also needs clear and compelling messaging. It’s all well and good having the right gun and the right target but if you’re firing blanks, you won’t succeed. That means being clear on why customers buy your services and what’s compelling about your proposition. Then you need to turn that into a strong message or series of messages for each channel. It’s this combination of factors that will give you the best chance of delivering the right outcome. People are busy and it’s often the third or fourth communication that prompts the response. And, that’s amplified if the touch points are across different channels. For LinkedIn, you can, of course, utilise multiple solutions. You can target individuals using LinkedIn advertising, via connection requests, using inmails and so on. If you’re posting regular and interesting content, even better. Ultimately, there’s no right or wrong. It’s what works for your business. If one method has worked well, and continues to do so, stick with it. But, regardless of the methods you use, the more integration the better and the more you can increase your visibility to your target market, the more likely you’ll be to catch them in buying mode. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Do you Love your Customers as much as you should? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/do-you-love-your-customers-as-much-as-you-should/ Published: 2019-02-14 It’s Valentine’s Day. Maybe it’s over-hyped and it’s certainly expensive. However, we’re not talking about sending chocolates or flowers or going to see a top West End show. The most expensive aspect of Valentine’s day is not loving your customers sufficiently. There are many amorous competitors out there who would only be too delighted to take your best customers into their embrace. And, you don’t want your customers to fall willingly into their arms. So, what are you doing to prevent the above from happening? It’s easy when you’re full of love. Everything runs smoothly when you’re in regular contact and your customers feel valued. But, how often do you engage with the customers that are on the fringes? In other words, those that aren’t as demanding as those that shout loudest. It may be that they’re infrequent purchasers or the value of sale is relatively low. The problem is that the 80:20 rule usually applies. And, that means some customers are receiving insufficient love and care. The problem is that you may not know which ones have potential for a deep and meaningful (profitable) long-term relationship. Unless you engage with them properly, you may never know. And, when you do find out, it may, sadly, be too late. During our formative years, we’ve all experienced rejection. It hurts. And, it feels like you’ll never heal or love again. In business, the damage may be longer-lasting especially if a trickle of customer defections becomes a flood. What do you need to do? It all starts with getting to know the customer. Of course, one would hope that the fact that they’re customers means that you know each other well. But, is that always the case? With online sales and infrequent purchasing, can you genuinely say, hand on heart, that you know every customer? If you can’t, it’s time to put a plan in place to engage and build on the relationship you have now. Customer satisfaction surveys are a good start. They make the customer feel ‘listened to’. However, that only happens when you listen to what they tell you and respond. A customer service call takes things one stage further. It’s possible that the numbers mean you can’t call every client and speak to every buyer. Of course, that’s where GSA can help, through a programme of customer care calls to ensure that your customer feels loved. If you’re doing it yourself, pull together a programme of calls across the year so that larger customers have more regular calls, but every customer has a minimum of one call (ideally more) each year. Unfortunately, without making enough calls, you’ll never know if a small customer now can blossom into a wonderful long-term customer. Clearly, we don’t all live in a perfect world of roses and cherry blossom. Commercial realities dictate, however, it’s much more expensive and time-consuming to embark on a round of dating following the end of a relationship than it is to be warm and cosy in a loving steady relationship. So, don’t neglect your customers and drive them into the arms of another suitor. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Do you need to rethink your lead generation strategy? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/do-you-need-to-rethink-your-lead-generation-strategy/ Published: 2018-12-05 Whilst the perfect world would be to have a significant bank of profitable customers that never leave your side and a crowd of prospects beating a path to your door, that isn’t the reality for most businesses. Even the biggest and the best have fierce competition and suffer attrition. Therefore, lead generation and retention are ongoing challenges. Most businesses need to generate new business and to stimulate further sales from existing customers in order to survive, develop and grow. Lead generation has become more complex In the old days, it was perhaps more straightforward. Visit a trade show. Go to a networking event. Place some advertising. Push out some press releases. Knock on some doors even. But, nowadays we have a snowstorm of opportunities, channels, communication, messages and methods of sales lead generation that make things complicated and that stretch budgets and resources. Alongside the relatively new entrants to the party, some traditional methods have become more sophisticated.  And some, such as direct mail and come back into favour. Of course, how you choose to go about your new business development activity will depend on many factors. These include not least: Your market position vis a vis your competitors Budgets Targets for new business Sector The target audience  Resource both internally and externally Strength of your proposition New options abound Whether it’s retargeting, content syndication, native advertising, the use of artificial intelligence, big data or marketing automation, it’s hard for businesses to keep up to date. If you operate within a large business with functional heads, you may be able to allocate resource to look at the various methods. In small to medium sized businesses, it’s tough to keep pace with change. But, it’s an essential aspect of new business development. Marketing methods change and adapt and what you did yesterday may not be effective today. What’s more, your competitors may deploy tactics that steal a march on the market and attack your client base. What’s the solution? In truth, there isn’t a total solution or one size that fits all. You need to keep abreast of developments. LinkedIn adds new features regularly. New tools for marketing come out all the time. Market entrants pop up. And, of course, traditional marketing methods persist such as email, direct mail and even telemarketing despite what some ‘social media’ experts might suggest. We found it amusing the other day to learn that an inbound lead generation specialist generates the bulk of its new leads from telemarketing and, likewise, we know of an SEO agency that gained its largest client via the same route.  A blend is what’s needed Whilst budgets are never unlimited and spreading them too thinly could result in ineffective and insufficient lead generation, you can’t ignore one method at the expense of others. That doesn’t mean flip flopping as each new opportunity arises. However, subject to suitability, it does mean that you need to consider the various options. PPC is a relevant option for many whilst the cost per click and subsequent quality of those clicks may not be what some organisations need or can afford. SEO is clearly important for most businesses since search is king. Equally, even the best SEO expert, working on a poor website that lacks relevant content is likely to falter. Likewise, content that is insufficient and/or ill-targeted is tantamount to being useless. And, good content is one of the main drivers of rankings and engagement. If you need to reach a large audience, there are several options ranging from pure advertising to native to PR, for credibility, and so on. And, of course, in a b2b context, you cannot ignore LinkedIn but even that absorbs time if you want to maximise effectiveness and do it properly. Nowadays, there are tools available to automate some of the operational processes for LinkedIn, but you must take care not to flout LinkedIn T&Cs. We’re fans of content syndication to drive leads either on an MQL (marketing qualified lead) or SQL (sales qualified lead) basis. But, you need the wherewithal to generate interesting and compelling content and you need to be broad enough in your audience choice to generate enough leads in the first place. However, some people downloading your content may be researching not buying. Get Sound advice This maelstrom of choice and is where good advice comes in. You either need to spend time investigating your options or you need to speak to an expert. Even marketing consultants may struggle to keep up to date. GSA stands for ‘get sound advice’ (we were once ‘Get Sound Advice Limited!) . That means no sales pitches and total transparency. Check out this video for more about that. That also means that, whilst we aren’t agnostic, we do not always promote what we do to everyone since it may not be appropriate for individual business needs. However, we keep fully up to date on lead generation options and can either run a campaign or signpost clients to appropriate solutions elsewhere. Our own services include: Telemarketing - appointment setting and lead generation LinkedIn marketing Database building Content development Telemarketing training Integrated lead generation We also offer effective blended lead generation solutions that can include bespoke database building, email marketing to warm up the contacts, telemarketing follow-up, LinkedIn network building and targeting and content development and syndication to generate inbound leads that once again can be followed up by phone. We also work with partners to provide most other marketing services We spend all our time in the lead generation world. So, feel free to check us out and give us a call to discuss your lead generation challenges. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is Brexit a Red Herring for your Sales Efforts? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-brexit-a-red-herring-for-your-sales-efforts/ Published: 2018-11-26 You can’t turn on the TV now without seeing significant coverage on Brexit. The radio airwaves and newspapers are also awash with Brexit news. Of course, that’s inevitable. The outcome of Brexit is likely to have a profound effect on UK PLC and its 66m citizens and, possibly, for generations to come. Check out our light-hearted video on Brexit following the referendum result The numbers at a glance I found myself wondering this afternoon what proportion of the business carried out by most UK businesses is outside of the UK and the level to which this should frame our thinking. Now, this is not the place to get into a debate about Brexit. That’s far too divisive. Let’s look at a few statistics. Clearly, exports make up an important part of our economy. According to recent research in the House of Commons Library, The EU, taken as a whole is the UK’s largest trading partner. In 2017, UK exports to the EU were £274 billion (44% of all UK exports) while UK imports from the EU were £341 billion (53% of all UK imports). Exports made up 30.5% of UK GDP in 2017. Services accounted for 40% of the UK’s exports to the EU in 2017. Financial services and other business services made up 52% of UK service exports to the EU. How concerned should you be? Brexit nervousness is all around us. The discord in the Conservative party is plain to see and, with no viable alternative plan, we may be hurtling towards a ‘no-deal’ Brexit since divisions across all political parties mean that getting the deal through parliament may be impossible. So, we’re living in troubled times. Lack of clarity is the new norm. And, there will undoubtedly be organisations that are holding off investment until we have a defined outcome. However, it’s fair to say that uncertainty is not a new phenomenon or only related to Brexit. In every sector, there will be situations that change through new rules, legislation, new market entrants, technological advancements and so on. In business, things move on. Nothing stands still. We need look no further than developments in artificial intelligence, robotics big data, machine learning and virtual and augmented reality to know that many professions will experience deep change in the years to come. What’s more, disruption has been evident for some time. Look at new market entrants and solutions such as Uber, AirBnB, Just Eat, Tesla, Alexa, Netflix, Cryptocurrency, and 3d printing. Just look at what organisations like Amazon have done to traditional retailing and what happened to Nokia who were market leaders in the mobile phone market until Apple and other subsequent entrants came along and wiped out their market share? Change is constant, and it shouldn’t stop you My point is that change is constant. Things are always evolving and, successful businesses don’t allow change to stop them. They get on with the tasks at hand. They are proactive. They adapt. They push forward and embrace change. They are single-minded and goal-oriented. They take advantage of market shake-ups and they act while competitors sleep. In our business, we’re pushing ahead. We’ve added new services. We are using new tools. We are proactively trying new solutions. We are investing in marketing for growth. We’re taking advantage of opportunities. We now have clients in Australia, Germany, France and Finland that we did not have before Brexit became a word in the dictionary and before GDPR reared its head. The weakness of Sterling means that exporters in Europe and further afield want to target the UK.  We’re well-placed to take advantage of companies that want to generate sales leads in the UK and into Europe. We have developed partnerships that allow us to operate in multi-languages. What always fascinates me is that there are those that act and those that are inactive. There are those that look forward and those that look behind them. The problem is that if you constantly look backwards, you’ll end up banging your head on something in front of you and you’ll set yourself up for a big fall! Sales lead generation should never stop The fact is that there will always be something to concern you. Brexit is a genuine concern. There may be some seismic shifts ahead, especially when it comes to a no-deal Brexit. Yet, trade continues. It will continue internally within the UK which makes up 70% of our overall trade. There will be bumps in the road. But people and businesses still need goods and services. They will still buy. You just need be visible and credible at the time they decide to make their purchase. And, if you hide, stick your head in the sand and come across as a business that isn’t positive about the future, why should they buy from you? Focus on business development So, make a new year’s resolution to focus on lead generation and customer development. In your database, you are likely to have inactive customers, lapsed customers and customers to whom you can cross-sell and upsell. Communicate with these and see what you can offer them. Segment your target audience and develop campaigns to reach out for new business. Consider multi-touch campaigns using a variety of channels including email, phone, LinkedIn and whatever method is most likely to reach your audience. But, above all, don’t sit back. Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, and others make it happen. If you’d like to speak to GSA about helping your business improve its lead generation, you can contact us on 0845 658 8192 or complete the form here. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Do Procurement Managers Care about Added Value? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/do-procurement-managers-care-about-added-value/ Published: 2018-11-21   I don’t know whether this is a rhetorical question to be honest. Recently, I read a post on LinkedIn that talked about the aspects of the sales process that buyers value. It talked about some of the following; They expect salespeople to really know their stuff They want sellers to demonstrate business understanding They want insights that help them improve They want to discuss their business well in advance of making a buying decision They want information that is tailored and relevant to them and their situation They want to talk to people on their level in their own “language” They want to make the buying process easy They want to trust They don’t want to be oversold The thing that surprised me most was the absence of price in the whole list, of which the above is only an excerpt. Of course, we’re told that price is actually well down the list in terms of decision-making if they seller has done his or her job in demonstrating value. Yet, price pretty much always rears its head. Price should be a four letter word Price should be a dirty word and one that may salespeople don’t want to talk about. However, it occupies the thoughts of most buyers looking to either increase their gross margin or improve what they do at the lowest possible cost. Is this a legacy from recession? We all had to tighten our belts. We had to fight for profit anywhere we could. New ‘mom and pop’ type businesses grew as people came out of corporate roles allowing skilled individuals to offer services at lower rates than established businesses that carry weighty overheads. Technology has improved to such an extent that small businesses can, in the main, compete with large businesses. The rise of portals such as freelancer.com, Fiver and the like has also driven prices down as brokering services has never been easier. And, of course, businesses are hungry to win business in commodities marketplaces. So, competitive price pressure abounds before we even get to the pressure exerted by procurement teams. Has procurement driven value out of negotiation? So, my question is whether the rise and rise of procurement has driven away the need to offer value. Of course, the right solution is the right solution. And, we should all strive to add value even though that’s an overused term. But, differentiation is a difficult thing to achieve in a commoditised world where the concept of a USP is under threat. There are a huge number of suppliers in every field. Choice is plentiful. Each supplier ‘talks the talk’ so to speak and they can all point to compelling testimonials. So, how do functional buyers evaluate who walks the walk when some suppliers submit to procurement pencil sharpening and others refuse to play ball? And, how do buyers convince procurement that a supplier that’s 25% more expensive is the one to select when, often, bid platforms drive buying decisions at the higher level? It’s not all about price, or is it? Of course, procurement buyers will point to the fact that it’s not all about price and that most bids include other parameters and factors. But, the complexity of large company bidding processes threatens to overturn the good that has come out of recession I.e. entrepreneurship and innovation, and greater competition and service coming from small businesses. Increasingly onerous legislation requirements such as GDPR, for all of its good intentions, potentially means that small businesses may struggle to cope with the increased admin burden and the demands of large customers for compliance and swathes of documentation to tick boxes. What is true value? Perhaps I’ve gone off topic somewhat but it all adds up to requirements that move away, to some extent, from the point of this blog. Clearly, when a purchase is initiated by a functional buyer, they want to look at how the potential supplier will satisfy their specific needs. Can the supplier alleviate their pain? Can they deliver the necessary improvements or solutions? Do they have the capabilities and credentials? Have they got the necessary resource? There are a whole host of value-led factors that are directly relevant to the buyer needs. Of course, every buyer needs to compare apples with apples and some standardisation is essential for comparison. But, in many ways large businesses have sanitised the buying process. It’s the same issue with banks. The demise of the branch manager and the increase in automated decision making is much maligned. Procurement isn’t all bad Procurement is a specialised function within large businesses that serves an important role for the business. It streamlines the process and ensures that rogue or inappropriate decisions aren’t made based on the whim of a departmental head that might be making a poor decision for the wrong reason. So, this blog isn’t about denigrating procurement as a discipline. One could argue that once procurement levels the playing field, added value is able to become more apparent. I think that there is some merit in that. However, the more procurement requirements, restrictions and onerous payment terms that are put upon smaller suppliers, the more commoditised the responses will be. What’s more, innovative, nimble and service-oriented companies will be discouraged from adding value and from attempting to supply to large customers. If that happens, there’s a risk that it will end with large suppliers supplying large buyers. And, then it will be a clash that may end in blood. If you’d like to speak to GSA about helping your business improve its lead generation, you can contact us on 0845 658 8192 or complete the form here. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Can you Predict Results for your Telemarketing Campaign? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/can-you-predict-results-for-your-telemarketing-campaign/ Published: 2018-10-30 I was asked today what a client will achieve from a telemarketing campaign. They wanted us to provide a definitive answer to the question ‘if we spend X, what results will we achieve?’ That is a common question or request. It stands to reason that clients want value for money and a return on their investment. They want as close to a cast iron guarantee as possible. But, how many methods of marketing and lead generation are guaranteed to work? How many can you precisely measure to within a small margin of error? The reality is that whilst benchmarks, KPIs and the like are useful and give some indication of likely results, those ratios are only workable when all of the defined parameters are the same and you calculate results over a significant period to iron out anomalies. Equally, one must ask the question whether one client is the same as another even in the same industry. Are they all targeting exactly the same prospects, and the same job functions, with similar products and services at the same time of year with the same amount of activity? And, with the same level of marketing support e.g. LinkedIn, mailers, case studies etc? Damn lies and statistics Perhaps when you’re talking about selling insurance or relatively commoditised products or services to large numbers of businesses and making many thousands of calls, it is possible to establish likely outcomes. And, those results may be consistent month in month out. However, the fact is that unless you benchmark over time and specialise so you can reliably predict outcomes for calling the same decision-makers in the same sectors in the same size and types of companies, the ratios aren’t likely to be compelling. So many factors come into play in b2b telemarketing, not just the quality of the caller. Below are some of the variables that go into establishing benchmarks for a successful b2b outbound telemarketing campaign. Data We always start with data. That’s because it’s the most important factor. If you have a good twist from which to start with the right names, job roles, phone numbers and so on, you won’t invest (waste) a good amount of the time reaching the wrong people. That’s assuming you know what job role makes the decision concerning your products and services in the first place. Get that wrong and you bounce from person to person, all the while reaching voicemails and gatekeepers. This sucks time, and cost, out of campaign and slows down the pace at which you can expect results. So, make sure to undertake a disproportionate amount of work on data before you start off. Proposition Is every proposition the same? How strong and compelling is it? Why should a prospect see you if they do it in house or already have a contracted supplier? You have to think long and hard about what would make your number 1 prospect take your call and get off the fence. If you don’t have anything differentiated, the best telemarketers won’t succeed. Timing and receptiveness With the best will In the world, if the prospect isn’t looking for new suppliers or has no budget or is tied in for 2 years, your likely success rate will fall. Once again, it’s hard to overcome that inertia. That’s why consistent calling over time to build a sales pipeline of timely call-backs is essential. As much as we’d like to build Rome in a day, that may not always be possible. Nurturing, on some lead generation exercises, is a necessary part of success. Seniority levels If you absolutely need to speak to the CEO or other C-suite decision maker of a Fortune 500 of FTSE 100 company, that’s a challenge however you look at it. There are layers of IVR routers, gatekeepers and inevitable meetings and trips that get in the way of the availability of these senior level contacts. Therefore, either you need to be patient or you need to fish in a shallower pool. Regardless of this, you will need to find something that ensures that they’ll engage once you do eventually reach them. Qualification If you only want opportunities that are pre-qualified and that have an immediate need for a substantial requirement, those hot ones are less plentiful than more lightly qualified leads. And, it takes more time to unearth them in the first place. Think about your level of qualification and what constitutes a good, valid lead for your sales team. The greater the depth, the longer it will take unless you devote a significant amount of calling time. Investment in time Building the sales pipeline needs to take into account all of the above. Of course, it depends on all of the above factors and some exercises will be more successful than others. Some kick off successfully straight away. Those are generally leads with lighter qualification at less senior level. The results will be partly commensurate with the amount of time you put in. Value of sale and ROI In many ways, this is related to our previous point. The fact is that if your value of sale is high, decisions are typically slower, often made by committee, need to be budgeted and planned and have several layers in the process. If your average value of sale is significant, telemarketing can be a great door opener. But, conversion may be slow. Therefore, once again, either you need to devote a significant amount of time in the early days to pipeline build you have to accept that payback may take a while to come to fruition. Caller quality We could let an article about telemarketing success factors end without mentioning the quality of the caller. However, you shouldn’t have a caller on the phone representing your business if they can’t do the job. Once again, all telemarketers are not made equal. Some are better than others. Some suit certain propositions and campaign types more than others. Therefore, caller choice is important. Yet, regardless of this, even the best callers will struggle if the parameters above aren’t aligned. So, is it easy to predict and guarantee results from any given telemarketing exercise? Not at all. Is it reasonable that clients would want to know likely returns? Of course. If you need to generate new business for your company and you need to re-engage with lapsed customers, introduce new products or services to current customers, book sales appointments, demos or generate quotes for your sales team, give GSA a call now. We can help with; High quality bespoke data building to generate fresh targeted marketing lists Data cleaning and validation to ensure you have up-to-date information on your customer database Telemarketing Appointment setting for you or your sales team Lead generation Customer care telemarketing to drive customer satisfaction and to unearth new opportunities to do business Cross-sell and up-sell to your current customer base LinkedIn network building Integrated marketing including email and LinkedIn campaigns ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Measure Telemarketing Results Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-measure-telemarketing/ Published: 2018-10-23 How to measure telemarketing ROI is a subject which is both important and frustrating. Having appropriate KPIs for telemarketing is as essential. Yet, that’s the case for any marketing and lead generation activity. However, in many cases, telemarketing is viewed differently to other methods of marketing even though, to a large extent, they all have the same objectives. The desired outcome is generally sales. Of course, some marketing is rightly focused on brand development and awareness, but doesn’t that ultimately arrive at the same end-point? Different levels of scrutiny It seems though, that telemarketing is often subjected to different and stricter levels of scrutiny and expectation. Perhaps it’s because telemarketing is one of the very few person-to-person marketing methods that persists. Perhaps, it’s because the outcome is very clearly defined i.e. lead generation. However, you could argue that for any number of marketing and lead generation methods. Perhaps it’s just that business expectations and needs have changed. What is telemarketing? Maybe this is an irrelevant question since we all know that telemarketing is where an individual picks up the phone to another person with a desired sales-related outcome in mind. That could be an actual sale, pre-sale qualification, booking a face to face sales meeting, setting up a demo, booking a webinar or gaining attendance at an event. Yet, to some extent, several aspects of the intrinsic value derived from telemarketing are lost. These are minimised in favour of the need for immediate payback. In many ways, other marketing disciplines aren’t subject to this level of immediacy. Of course, the end game for telemarketing is usually precisely defined. Typically, those utilising telemarketing want a given number of sales appointments or demos or sales. However, whilst that can be said of advertising, PPC and alternative methods, other marketing solutions are judged by different rules even though telemarketing can deliver some of the same outcomes and, in some cases, more. Naturally, telemarketing doesn’t have the power to provide large-scale brand awareness that can be delivered by an advertising campaign or through PR. But, telemarketing usually comes at a much lower cost. What’s more, can you “guarantee“ that your specific target decision makers will see your advert, a piece of editorial or a post on social media? With telemarketing, you can laser target the individual decision maker for your specific product or service without much of the wastage associated with traditional marketing. Basis of remuneration In many instances, purchasers of telemarketing expect almost instant payback that isn’t required from other methods. As a consequence, there can be an expectation of a basis for remuneration that is ‘pay per lead’ regardless of the difficulty of reaching the desired decision makers and of the quality and uniqueness of the offering. Are other marketing methods evaluated similarly? Of course, there are hybrid models for remuneration and some methods such as pay per click are based on solely paying per lead. Yet, there can be a significant level of wastage with other methods. With telemarketing, you’re investing time to target the specific decision maker for your business. How to measure telemarketing ROI So, how do you measure telemarketing ROI. The key here is the timeframe. There is clearly value in a sales pipeline that can develop and bear fruit over time. There is value in the awareness that is created amongst the target audience. There is value in identifying the businesses with a future interest alongside identifying those with immediate opportunities. But, how and when do you measure overall success and, specifically, ROI? This comes down to what’s reasonable for what time-period and how much you pay. It’s also very different if you’re pitching a new product to an existing customer as opposed to a commoditised product to a cold prospect. Equally, a clean database will deliver better than where the contact information is years out of date.Of course, budget will dictate your ability to generate leads regardless of the target. And, there is no hard and fast rule for the number of leads per day or per pound/dollar spent. It depends on factors such as: Budget available Timeframe for calling activity (to build the pipeline) Quality of the data used Strength of proposition - uniqueness, solving a problem etc Depth of competition Likeliness of prospects being in contract elsewhere Seniority of the decision maker Size of the organisation There are also other factors, But, the ones above usually dictate the likely outcomes. In many ways, it also depends on the typical value of sale. Clearly, if your value of sale per customer is £100, you will need many more leads to demonstrate ROI than if the value is £10,000. Yet, a high value sale is harder to achieve and, often, has a long gestation period which calls into question the timetable for lead conversion and, thus, measurement. Does the lead need to convert before the end of the telemarketing campaign and is that achievable? So how should you measure telemarketing ROI? In all fairness, it should be subject to no more or less scrutiny than other forms of marketing. And, equally, it should be given the same amount of time to work. When it comes to hard to reach decision makers, it probably needs more time to work. Typical measurements There are several measures you can use to judge the value you’re getting out of telemarketing: Leads - for leads, also read sales, appointments, demos or whatever other metric or outcome is relevant to your business. Agree what a reasonable number of leads is with your provider and ensure that you measure progress on a daily/weekly basis. Awareness - making your specific target decision makers aware of your solutions is crucial. You can measure this by the number of decision-maker conversations and emails sent following a discussion with the decision maker. Data building and validation - building targeted databases of the right decision makers for your services is essential for targeted marketing. This includes valid email addresses, LinkedIn profile and accurate contact information. Having a ready to market list of profiled prospects is an asset since well targeted marketing is essential to maximise results and reduce wastage. Qualification - identifying contract renewal dates and those in the market for your business services is the lifeblood of good lead generation. Pipeline building - identifying those with current and future interest that feed the sales funnel over time is a fundamental part of an effective sales process and good business development. Lead nurturing - making customer service calls through to keeping in touch with relevant prospects to move them into the sales funnel is another core element of lead generation. Calls can be to fresh prospects but also to current customers, to lapsed customers or simply those you haven’t been in contact with for some time Market insight - providing timely market intelligence on your services and competitive offerings can allow you to identify best approaches and change direction where needed. In some ways, telemarketing persists as a route to market due to the inadequacies of other methods to reach and convert business. After all, in our online world, it is still a person to person method of communication where you don’t have to wait for customers to come to you. And, for higher values of sales, where prospects don’t find you online. that’s essential. Enhancing your chance of success It isn’t a panacea. It can’t deliver the impossible. It isn’t a quick fix. And, you need to ensure that you are compliant with the relevant data protection laws when running telemarketing campaigns. Telemarketing doesn’t work for every requirement. But, what marketing solution is genuinely guaranteed? Telemarketing still offers a range and breadth of benefits that other channels can’t deliver. The best thing you can do for telemarketing measurement is to evaluate success over time. You need to give your telemarketing the time it needs to build your database, qualify the prospects, nurture them, identify quick wins, stimulate interest and generate awareness and to fill the sales funnel. How GSA can help If you need to generate new business for your company and you need to re-engage with lapsed customers, introduce new products or services to current customers, book sales appointments, demos or generate quotes for your sales team, give GSA a call now. We can help with; High quality bespoke data building to generate fresh targeted marketing lists Data cleaning and validation to ensure you have up-to-date information on your customer database Telemarketing Appointment setting for you or your sales team Lead generation Customer care telemarketing to drive customer satisfaction and to unearth new opportunities to do business Cross-sell and up-sell to your current customer base LinkedIn network building Integrated marketing including email and LinkedIn campaigns ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are you missing big opportunities through lack of customer management? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-you-missing-big-customer-opportunities-through/ Published: 2018-10-16 Most companies have databases that have, over the years, become a bit stale. Typically, field and in-house sales and customer service teams focus on the highest spending customers and those that shout loudest. It’s inevitable since resources are scarce and there’s only so much time. Missing opportunities The problem is what’s lurking beneath the surface. It’s likely that your customer database is a descendant up of the following: Customers that only buy from you Customers that buy from you and from other similar suppliers Customers that are delighted by both your price and service Customers that are ‘satisfied’ but who could be tempted away through offers and incentives Lapsed customers that went elsewhere but you didn’t know due to lack of regular contact Customers in buying mode who are evaluating several suppliers to see what’s on the market Dissatisfied customers of whom you were not aware since the6 didn’t complain Infrequent buyers who drop down the priority list for that very reason Low value customers that could prove to be significant customers due to their expanding business or through simply more attention Individuals on the database that left the organisation some time ago There are many more probably segments or profiles of customer deep within your database. And, we haven’t even mentioned past and current prospects. Resource and time gaps The problem, as I mentioned earlier, is partly resource and partly the time to carry out a profiling and segmentation exercise. But, the problem is compounded by the fact that you can only profile based on what you know and what you believe. For example, are the buyers on your database still in their roles of have they moved on? And, is the new buyer aware of your products and services and do they have any affinity to your business? Equally, a low spending customer may not always be so. Many could have big potential. But, have you taken the time to establish the potential and to profile their business based on a formal customer service call? It’s almost certain that, before reaching out for new business, an interrogation of your current database coupled with proactive contact and communication will reveal hidden opportunities. There are likely to be opportunities for: Cross selling and upselling Launching new products or services Selling them services they did not know you offer (especially for new buyers) Reducing customer attrition (thus maximising profit) through customer care calls Validating and cleaning your database to ensure that your marketing is more targeted and effective Validation is too slow Often, organisations overlook the value in their databases, relying on periodic emails to do the job. They might rely on bounce rates to find out that people have left the business. However, how often does someone follow up to identify (1) the new buyer and (2) where the last buyer went so that they can be targeted elsewhere. And, how frequent are the emails that deliver this priceless information? This is where a consistent exercise of database cleaning and validation comes in. You can do this by segment (type, size, frequency etc), level of spend or some other parameter. Then, why not contact each customer by phone armed with a series or relevant questions, whether they relate to customer satisfaction, type of products they buy, frequency of need, timetable for their next requirement or some other basis. Once you have the information, you can recategorise your database based on genuine opportunity, value and so on. It’s very likely that in the process of doing the calls, you’ll unearth: New business from existing customers Those customers that would have gone elsewhere had you not called New buyers that can develop into a fruitful relationship Avenues for new products Insight into your marketplace upon which you can act A better targeted and more accurate database for future marketing Ultimately, this exercise often falls between sales, who are focused on sales to larger customers and prospects, and marketing who are focused on outbound marketing campaigns for new leads . If you need to generate new business for your company and you need to re-engage with lapsed customers, introduce new products or services to current customers, book sales appointments, demos or generate quotes for your sales team, give GSA a call now. We can help with; High quality bespoke data building to generate fresh targeted marketing lists Data cleaning and validation to ensure you have up-to-date information on your customer database Telemarketing Appointment setting for you or your sales team Lead generation Customer care telemarketing to drive customer satisfaction and to unearth new opportunities to do business Cross-sell and up-sell to your current customer base LinkedIn network building Integrated marketing including email and LinkedIn campaigns ------------------------------------------------------------ # What Opportunities have you missed to grow your business? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/what-opportunities-have-you-missed-to-grow-your-business/ Published: 2018-10-10 At time of writing, it’s only 11 weeks until Xmas. 2018 is flying by. How has your year been so far? Some businesses will have seen significant growth. Others will be lagging behind their targets by some way. Some organisations will have financial years that start and end outside of the traditional Jan-Dec calendar, but it doesn’t matter when you start and finish, a year is a year and we have entered the final quarter as we hurtle towards the festive season. How have your decisions impacted on your sales and profit? As you look back, how have your decisions impacted on your sales and profit? Have they delivered the numbers of new leads you anticipated? Has your positive action made the difference or has inertia set in? Have you waited for the ‘perfect moment’ to take decisive action? Have you focused inwards leading to a stagnation or a decline? Do you feel you’ve taken decisions too late? Often, we get so consumed by what’s in front of us that we fail to move forward. We look down not up. We look back not forward. We ‘decide’ to design new brochures or recruit the right person. We ‘intend’ to launch a new website and it takes an eternity to deliver. We deal with customers that shout loudest while customers with big potential look elsewhere for their supply through inattention. Don’t take your eyes off the goal Whilst important, the above aspects of marketing and business development can serve to take our eyes off the ball. They can deflect our attention from crucial aspects of customer management and development, lead generation and so on. How many customers do you have in your CRM system that you haven’t formally spoken to since January 1? How many of those have serious potential for growth? What do you know about their plans? How many prospects have you missed out on through lack of proactive lead generation because your focus was elsewhere? The usual festive season slowdown isn’t far away. If you’ve got stretching targets for 2018 and beyond, how close are you to hitting them? What clear business development action plans have you prepared? And, what are you going to do to deliver the results before the end of the year especially if you’ve let the year drift by thus far? There’s a perception that less business is done in December and the first week of January. If that’s true for your business, and you need results and want to deliver on your sales and lead generation targets, you need to act ahead of time. Most businesses have a time lag, a gestation period before sales and profit flow. So, you have even less time to drive for growth for year-end and set your business up for the forthcoming year ahead. If you need to generate new business for your company and you need to re-engage with lapsed customers, introduce new products or services to current customers, book sales appointments, demos or generate quotes for your sales team, give GSA a call now. We can help with; High quality bespoke data building to generate fresh targeted marketing lists Data cleaning and validation to ensure you have up-to-date information on your customer database Telemarketing Appointment setting for you or your sales team Lead generation Customer care telemarketing to drive customer satisfaction and to unearth new opportunities to do business Cross-sell and up-sell to your current customer base LinkedIn network building Integrated marketing including email and LinkedIn campaigns ------------------------------------------------------------ # Social selling has killed cold calling. Or, has it? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/cold-calling-is-dead-or-is-it/ Published: 2018-10-02 How often have I heard that cold calling is dead? Social media devotees proclaim its death with glee as a direct correlation to the inexorable rise of social media and what they proclaim is ‘social selling’. But, there’s something distinctly disturbing about both assertions i.e. that cold calling is dead and social selling is the new black. Is there only one way? The first aspect is that we’re all supposed to believe that there is now only one way; that everyone must go social to survive since it’s intimated that it’s now the only ‘sensible’ way businesses can generate valid sales leads. The second is that cold calling is a flawed concept and is the wicked witch of marketing to the white witch of social. Both of these assumptions are incorrect. There is no right or wrong. It's what works that counts. As readers of my blogs will know, I am a fan of what social media marketing can bring to a business. The fact that I’m writing this blog, and that we have almost 400 pieces of content including, blogs, videos, and infographics on our website illustrates that point. Content, delivered through social channels, increases credibility and visibility if you build a social network for your target market. Without the network, you don’t get the reach and your efforts will fall on deaf ears.  True Social selling is hard to deliver However, organic reach through social media has become increasingly hard to achieve. LinkedIn, for example, wants you to pay for advertising. It’s the same with Facebook and other social channels. Social media reach is no longer free. With the above in mind, the concept of social selling held up on a pedestal by many, is tough to deliver for most SMEs and for a fair chunk of large businesses. It is not just about posting a few blogs and videos and hoping for the best. That’s where you need internal staff to manage the whole process from cradle to grave (content development to content distribution and syndication) or engage the services of a social media expert and software. It’s far from a quick fix. No channel has all the answers Awareness, credibility, visibility are key objectives for every business if it wants to succeed whether that’s at a local, national or international level. Yet, social can only go so far in the same way as advertising or any other marketing. There’s never a guarantee that your target customer will see what you post or have a need at the time they happen upon your content. It’s no different to other methods in that respect. Whilst you can, of course, be proactive (e.g. to build your network and engage with them) you must often wait for your prospects to find you and engage. Telemarketing isn’t always cold Now, this isn’t a rant against social media marketing or social selling. Indeed, as explained earlier, I am a fan if done correctly. Yet, all too often, social selling is proposed as an alternative to the ‘recently deceased’ cold calling. But, so many large and small companies still effectively utilise telemarketing as a route to market. I prefer the term telemarketing to cold calling. Whilst there is usually an element of cold calling to a fresh prospect list involved in this aspect of marketing, it doesn’t tell the full story when you label every kind of calling with the term cold calling. There are many types of call. Calling current customers for customer service Calling for research Promoting a new product or service to a current customer base Lapsed customer calls Database validation and cleaning calls Inactive or low purchase request resuscitation calls Calls to respond to inbound enquiries e.g. from your website I could go on. And, yes, we can add cold calls to a targeted list to the above. If the data is good, even cold calling can be effective. Proactive vs reactive The thing is that with telemarketing, you are being proactive. You don’t have to wait until they come to you. Of course, a tailored target list is essential if you’re making calls of the cold kind. But, whilst there is inevitable wastage (prospects that have left the business, no name policies, gatekeeper blocks etc), that wastage is no different to other channels and where prospects on social media either don’t see or ignore your efforts. The difference is that you can laser target your prospect. LinkedIn also allows you to do this via inmails and messages to your first level contacts and we’d encourage you to do this too. But, not everyone is ‘active’ on social media. A quick search on sales navigator will confirm that, since it shows you who has been ‘active’ in the past 30 days. A search we ran in the last few days found 557 results. Of these, only 35 had posted on LinkedIn within the last 35 days. That’s not to say they haven’t been on LinkedIn, but it does point towards their level of activity. It's about revenue not ‘engagement’ Through telemarketing, we’ve generated significant numbers of leads and revenue for a myriad of different businesses in different sectors with wildly varying services and target sectors. We receive new leads daily for our services, since businesses operating in the b2b arena still look for effective routes to market and include telemarketing in their search. That’s sometimes when other routes have failed and/or where those other methods aren’t delivering enough qualified leads. The reason they still utilise telemarketing is that you can qualify your prospect directly when you speak to them. So, my message is to all those social media groupies out there. Promote social selling as a discipline, by all means. I advocate the use of valuable content to generate visibility, credibility, awareness and interest through social channels. But, stop trying to do promote social selling as the answer to everything by dissing traditional methods of lead generation. Those methods have worked and continue to work for many businesses. Perhaps, millennials may respond less well in time. Despite this, telemarketing remains one of the best ways to generate qualified sales leads and is still perfectly acceptable under new GDPR rules for companies both large and small. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you’d like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 5 Tips to Power your LinkedIn Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/5-tips-to-power-your-linkedin-lead-generation/ Published: 2018-09-05   There are two types of people on LinkedIn. The first, are about as visible as a name in a phone book. The second type are those that use it as a two-way channel for communication with customers and prospects. In order to make sure that you and your business are type two not type one, here are five things you can do in order to power your LinkedIn lead generation. Work on Your Profile  First, your LinkedIn profile is absolutely crucial. It's the CV for you and your business. You wouldn't go to a job interview, and not tailor your CV to the role. If you do nothing else, make sure your summary and description tell your customers the issues you can solve for them. You need to communicate the benefits of working with you, not features. It’s not what you do, it’s what you do for them. Don’t Forget your Company Page Sometimes, the company page can be a bit of an afterthought and gets little love and attention. However, it pays to think about how your company is represented on LinkedIn. It’s the shop window for you and your business.  So this is where you should post articles, blogs, vlogs, videos, podcasts, etc. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t post them on your profile. But, key knowledge that you want to share should be on the Company Page. Post things that educate the customer, and that they’d be interested in and make you look credible.  Content is the lifeblood of Social Media This point is as relevant on LinkedIn as it is with other channels. Whether the content sits on your personal profile, your company profile, or you publish posts through groups to stimulate content debate, that's the key. It’s about enhancing your visibility, and presence to set you up as someone that knows. Build Connections And that content brings me to my fourth point, connections. This should probably be pretty obvious. If you don't have sufficient relevant connections, no matter what you publish, it won't be seen by the right people. You can perhaps hope to rank organically on LinkedIn, but that’s tough. And, even if you have some good connections, consider who might be in the market for your services at any one time.  Relevant content will bring you some relevant connections who are attracted to the kind of stuff you put out on LinkedIn. In addition, though, you should go after connections that can: Carry your message to others to a wider network. Become customers  Refer you to others who can carry your message  Likes, shares and comments are hard to procure but they are valuable. Spend the Necessary Time The fifth and final point is that you’ve got to devote time to LinkedIn. Again, it seems blatantly obvious. But, we often find that clients dip in and out of LinkedIn. They post infrequently. They send out the odd connection request here and there. And, they spend a wholly inadequate amount of time on the platform. That’s not to say you need to be a slave and spend every waking hour. Tools abound and are useful to help you to schedule posts if you have content to share.  However, you need to use what’s available. We are fans of Sales Navigator. We use this frequently to seek out new contacts. My network is large since I have sent time nurturing relevant professionals. I don’t over-sell. I publish thought-based content for my network.  Ultimately, nothing happens by chance. To use LinkedIn effectively, you need to consistently prioritise the various activities. And if you can’t, you need to find someone who can, whether that’s a colleague or someone that can do it for you. LinkedIn is too important to ignore. It has become a fundamental platform for business communication and potentially sales.  So don’t just be a name on a list, and if you need help; give GSA a call and we can explain how we help our clients build their business using LinkedIn.. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 4 Reasons your customer won’t buy from you Source: https://telemarketing.blog/4-reasons-your-customer-wont-buy-from-you/ Published: 2018-09-05 https://youtu.be/sD2xiy6ONMk You need to generate new business but perhaps things aren’t going quite as smoothly as you’d like. Surely, customers should be flocking to your door given the quality of your products and services and your focus on delivering outstanding customer service. The reality is that even ‘no-brainers’ quite simply…. aren’t. Whilst you may feel that you’ve got a great proposition that every prospective customer should desire, the fact is that they have other priorities. Budget is allocated elsewhere. And, the timing may not be right. Equally, any change means extra workload for those responsible for implementing new solutions and taking on new suppliers.So, you need to do as much as possible to stack the odds in your favour. In this video and blog, we provide 4 reasons why your customers won’t buy from you despite the fact you may well have something they need. You’re boring Whether it’s on the phone or F2F, how energised are you about your business, your products and prospective clients’ business? If you’re not, you need to become more motivated about those 3 things. You need to get excited without going nuts and you’ll be more compelling. Your products are boring Do you do what everyone else does? Is there loads of competition? If so, what can you offer that isn’t run of the mill? Work out what differentiates your products and services from the crowd. You look boring If your website looks dull and lacks clarity and your LinkedIn profile could do with a good wash and brush up, you probably need to make that a priority for investment in the coming months. Today’s consumer is time poor and they make quick judgments about your online presence. If you don’t look like someone they want to do business with, they won’t. What you’re communicating is boring Today, content is king. Content is how your customers view your business and its credibility as a potential provider of products or services. If you provide useful info, you’ll attract more customers to you. If your competitors communicate better, you’ll be relegated down the shortlist of providers. So, if you want to generate more inbound sales leads, work on these 4 things to energise your business. And, if you need some help, give GSA a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 5 Ways to Improve your Listening for More Sales Source: https://telemarketing.blog/5-ways-to-improve-your-listening-for-more-sales/ Published: 2018-09-05 ------------------------------------------------------------ # 2018 checklist 5 things to do right now Source: https://telemarketing.blog/2018-checklist-5-things-to-do-right-now/ Published: 2018-09-05 ------------------------------------------------------------ # Database Building and Validation for Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/database-validation-leadgen/ Published: 2018-09-05 > Poor quality or ‘dirty’ data means wasted time and money, inefficiency and slower results. Managing and updating your data accurately, regularly and legally enhances the possibility of generating profitable new business. What's more, in today's age of 'Account-Based Marketing, it's imperative to have and maintain good quality information and contact details on your most cherished prospects. Check out our video for tips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dADRKFrFMbs Database Building and Validation for Lead Generation are vital components in efforts to ensure that marketing campaigns deliver the right results. Poor quality or ‘dirty’ data means wasted time and money, inefficiency and slower results. Managing and updating your data accurately, regularly and legally enhances the possibility of generating profitable new business. What's more, in today's age of 'Account-Based Marketing, it's imperative to have and maintain good quality information and contact details on your most cherished prospects. Keep it Clean Regular database cleaning & validation are critical to drive lead generation. Accurate list gathering and data building are essential to any outbound direct marketing or telemarketing campaign. Whether you use LinkedIn for lead generation and data gathering or Google to research names and companies, good, reliable data is the platform for a successful telemarketing campaign. Data Ages Fast Frustratingly, data goes out of date fast. People change jobs frequently. With changes in the unemployment rate, company mergers and acquisitions and with organisations going out of business, there is an inevitability that data ages and it's a real task to keep it clean so your Sales and Marketing teams maximise value and minimise wastage. Aim at the Right Target Resources are always scarce and budgets are frequently tight. Therefore, aiming at the wrong targets drains cost out of lead generation efforts faster than anything else. Yet, many executives are more concerned about developing the latest shiny marketing initiative than spending essential time, energy and funds to ensure that those activities hit the right target., Hence, a penny or cent invested in database management now, will almost certainly reward you with a pound, dollar or euro down the line, and more! The Problem with Bought Lists The challenge with off the shelf lists, which is the most common source of data, is that they are inherently out of date. Despite the best efforts of data brokers to maintain the integrity of those data sources, they are fighting a losing battle. It's almost impossible to call every key executive in every company sufficiently frequently to prevent obsolescence for the reasons mentioned earlier. Hence, database management is a cross-company task. Every member of the sales and marketing teams is directly responsible for keeping the database clean. That's  not to mention anyone in other departments that engages with those same customers. Accuracy is Paramount All too frequently, when we run lead generation campaigns using client data, the data is poor. It lacks core data such as phone numbers and accurate email addresses. Often, there is rogue data in contact data fields. This means that exercises cannot function as required and results are impaired. It's important therefore that data is at the start and at the heart of every marketing and business development activity upon which you embark. Without this, it's certain that cost per outcome will increase and the relative number of warm leads will diminish. Data Building is a Discipline The above notwithstanding, most organisations need help. Despite best endeavours, it's a mammoth task to ensure that data is in good condition and complete. By nature of the fact that people move jobs, companies launch new products, legislation changes and issues pop up in organisations that need solving, there are always new opportunities. And, new decision-makers arrive due to job changes, promotions and needs within their specific department or sphere of operation. Hence, there will always be a need for fresh data. It makes sense, therefore, to engage with specialists to validate, clean and enhance the data on a reasonably regular basis. This takes the burden off internal resource, tasked with other work, and ensures that contact details and decision-maker info is as fresh as possible. Ultimately, database management is a joint effort. It's a cross company task supplemented by specialist external support where needed. With that approach, there is a greater chance that database building and validation for lead generation and marketing activities will result in a stronger pipeline and better ROI. More information ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Karma of Business Growth Source: https://telemarketing.blog/karma-business-growth/ Published: 2018-05-29 > Is there such a thing as Business Growth Karma? And, does the law of attraction and the rule of karma relate in a business context? We believe that it does. Check out our blog to find out more I’ve just read a lovely book. The Dalai Lama’s Cat by David Michie. It’s a lovely novel. It is based in the house of the Dalai Lama and sees the world through the eyes of a cat. Aside from the fact that it is a relaxing read, it has quite a few interesting concepts, mostly based on Buddhist teachings. Whilst it doesn’t claim to be a book about personal spiritual enlightenment, it does have some nice lessons for us all. That's especially with regard to living a fulfilled life through committing ourselves to the happiness of others. The purpose of this blog, though, isn’t to convince readers to change the course of their personal or business lives. It most certainly isn’t to convert anyone to different religious beliefs. Simply, that the more I pass through life, the more I believe in the law of attraction and the rule of karma. The Law of Attraction People buy people. We surround ourselves typically with people that share our beliefs, not just religious ones. I’d like to think that we also seek out positive people. It’s probably that those that are less positive attract like-minded souls too. Who said that we should surround ourselves with people like whom we’d aspire to be? Not in a jealous way. Rather in terms of admiration for who they are and what they do. This extends well beyond the business world. In business, what can we conclude from this? I’d like to think that it means that prospects and customers will be attracted to those that are open-minded, confident and positive. Success breeds success. However, if you’re just starting your business and have no customers,or you’re going through a bad patch in your business, how do you behave? It’s easy to lapse into a spiral of negative thoughts. It’s hard to be upbeat all of the time. Yet, it is crucial to success. Positive Things Happen to Positive People. In corporate terms, goal setting is essential. Consultants and trainers will advise that you won’t achieve a goal you haven’t set, and that you can’t see. I’d go even further and say that if you believe it, you’ll be more likely to achieve it. Read any book by successful individuals, in different walks of life, and there is a common theme. They visualised their success well in advance of achievement. Positive things happen to positive people. Decision-makers achieve more than procrastinators. Is this the law of attraction? I’d also like to think that behaving in a positive way in life and business generates a certain karma that propels you forward and those decisions and behaviours are factors in success. Momentum Will Work in Your Favour We have definitely seen the above in our business on many occasions. The last recession was hard. COVID-19 was far from a good time. Our customers cut spend dramatically and quickly. Yet, our model and our approach allowed us to survive relatively unscathed. Throughout those tough periods, externally, we maintained a very positive outlook. We didn’t stick our heads in the ground. We worked tirelessly. We wrote blogs and offered guidance and support to companies that needed help to grow. It took some time for customers to return yet they did and our business is stronger than ever before. Customers now find us through the content we developed. We now have over 400 blogs, videos and other content that offer guidance and advice to businesses and individuals. Look Outward Not Inward Equally, we took the decision to undertake larger business projects for clients. We sought out international partners to offer greater scale, multi-languages and lower costs. What happened? Suddenly, we began to receive larger enquiries for just the kind of business we want and that utilises that resource. Was every decision we made the right one? Certainly not. We’ve made mistakes. But, we have never buried our heads in the sand. We have actively taken decisions. Is our success karma? Who knows? But, a few things are sure. A positive outlook is attractive. Action is infectious. Decisions-making, right or wrong, is essential. And, success breeds success. Look Forward Not Back Maybe there’s no such thing as karma. However, on many occasions in my personal life, I’ve looked back at things that haven’t gone my way at a moment in time only to find, later on, that it was the best thing that could have happened in those circumstances. Maybe, that’s me looking at the outcome through rose-tinted spectacles. Maybe that’s true. Or maybe it’s just karma. GSA helps businesses, large and small, become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results. If you’d like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 10 techniques for better telemarketer results Source: https://telemarketing.blog/10-techniques-better-telemarketer-results/ Published: 2018-04-17 > Why do telemarketers fail so often? Some detractors may feel it’s because cold calling is dead. But there are a number of factors that contribute to success when it comes to telemarketing. These include having good data and a strong proposition. But, even with these in place, some telemarketers will still fail to hit the mark. Check out our 10 reasons why they fail and how to overcome the hurdles. It puzzles me to work out why telemarketers fail so often. Reading this, some may feel it’s because cold calling is dead. No one responds to a cold call anymore. But, before we enter that debate, we should consider first what success actually means. If I make 1000 calls at a cost of £2000, for example, and I deliver a client that generates a one-off £2500 that just happens to mean break-even on the exercise, is that failure. Or, is zero new clients the measure of failure? Measuring success What’s more, should we measure success over 100, 1000 or 10,000 calls? And, over what timeframe? Of course, that depends on so many factors. The complexity and value of sale comes into this determination. The typical gestation period plays a role. There are lots of factors that enhance or impede success and that determine the likely ROI payback period. ROI Like with any methods of marketing, we need to work out what the likely ROI is going to be. Until we have a valid benchmark, that’s often difficult. Hence, we need to test and measure to establish the parameters for success. But, how do we ensure that any test is valid in the first place? That’s where good data and a clear proposition come in. Equally, you need to define your target audience as tightly as possible to decrease wastage. Telemarketing basics You’d possibly anticipate here that we are about to talk about the telemarketer. But, the basics are really accurate data on the right job roles with individuals that are still in their job. Sounds obvious. But b2b data for marketing is notoriously inaccurate. Hence, data building is essential. Once you have the right person, you need to work out what floats their boat. And, don’t forget that it needs to be compelling since most buyers already have something similar to what you offer. Once you have a good database and a clear proposition, why is it that so many telemarketers still fail to hit the mark? In our experience, it comes down to the following, given the above. They simply fail to make enough calls. I recently ran a training course for a company where the quality of the callers was high. The calls to decision maker ratio was strong. And, the proposition was clearly defined. They were calling into the healthcare sector which is quite a tough nut to crack but, once again, the engagement rate was good. The simple fact was that the call rate was far too low. Hence, they were setting themselves up for failure. More calls equals more conversations. More conversations means more leads. The intro fails to hit the spot. Often, we hear introductions that are product or service centric. They start with a pitch or a long list of features. It kicks off with a monologue about what the company offers. Telemarketers need to realise that the customer doesn’t care. They need to quickly believe you’re credible, that you care, that you understand and that there is merit to staying on the line. So, switch around your telemarketing introduction and your opening line and you’ll be more successful. The tempo and tone is all wrong - an approach akin to a machine gun is going to fail. The pace should be even. The tone should be upbeat without being overbearing. If you can’t sound excited by what you do and what you offer, why should the prospect respond? So, make sure you work on your pace and tone. Get colleagues to give you feedback. Record yourself and ask yourself whether you’d buy from you. If you get your tone and pace right, you’ll be on the right track. They fail to get past the gatekeeper - now this isn’t easy. Many gatekeepers are professional blockers. However, the start point here is point 1 above. Not every company has hard-nosed Rottweiler guard dogs. Make enough calls and you’ll get through more often. But, it’s also about techniques. Don’t engage if you don’t have to. Be purposeful, assertive and concise and you’ll reach more decision makers. Getting past the gatekeeper is essential if you want to reach your lead generation targets. So, devote some time to working on gatekeeper techniques. They panic in front of senior decision makers - this isn’t uncommon. But, what telemarketers need to remember is that the buyer is human, if you have something they need, that’s good news and if you can genuinely support them to do better, look better and make more money that’s a win: win. This is where preparation comes in. Know your buyers and their needs. Take the time to brief yourself well. Keep things simple. You need to be clear about your objective and why they should talk to you. You need to boil it down to one or two sentences at the outset. And, remember that, once again, enough calls will mean enough leads, especially with the correct approach. They use stiff, stilted language - why is it when telemarketers finally reach a decision maker, they go all weird and start using words they would never use in a normal conversation. This is a conversation like any other. Treat the buyer as an equal. Don’t defer. Don’t over-illiterate. Once again, keep it simple and talk in their language, using their words ideally. They fail to pick up on cues - a busy buyer will be a busy buyer whether you have something of interest or not. Too many callers ignore the basics. From the moment a buyer comes on the line, a good callers feels the pulse. I have often said to a prospect within seconds of the start of a call that it sounds like they’re super busy and isn’t the right time. I’m looking for approval to go on. If not, I want their approval to call back. Likewise, very early on, you can sense whether you’re hitting the spot or not. There’s no point banging your head. Stop and ask. They fail to ask the right questions - why do telemarketers talk and talk and pitch and fail to ask questions? And, when they do they ask the most banal questions such as “is that of interest?” It’s no wonder that it isn’t. Make questions a key part of your call. Establish rapport at the outset with a good intro and credibility statement. But, then pause and ask a good open question that hits at the heart of why they might use your products and serviced if you sense that you have built rapport. They just don’t stop talking - we all love to talk. I love to talk. But, and it’s important, on a prospect call I talk about the customer and their issues and I ask lots of open questions which forces me to stop and encourages them to talk. Do you like sitting passively just listening for several minutes when you have 100 tasks on your desk, a customer screaming at you and your boss demanding the outcome of a task he or she gave you last week? No? Well, nor does a buyer. You need to make the call worth their while. And, talking at them all the time just won’t cut it. They don’t qualify - like buyers, sales people don’t want to waste their time. So, shoehorning a buyer into a meeting that’s Ill-qualified is bad news for all. It’s worse that no meeting. A fully criteria based and qualified meeting is worth its weight in gold. And, in the process, through asking the right profiling questions, you’ll have more conversations and generate more leads. Of course, the above aren’t the only reasons that telemarketers fail. They may fail to overcome objections. They may not have prepared sufficiently for the call and done their research. It may be that the data is genuinely awful. But, even with good data, telemarketers won’t achieve positive outcomes if they don’t do the basics right. If you’d like training on successful telemarketing or you’d like to run an effective telemarketing campaign, give GSA a call.   ------------------------------------------------------------ # The 4 golden rules of telemarketing Source: https://telemarketing.blog/4-golden-rules-telemarketing/ Published: 2018-04-04 > Telemarketing is a simple discipline. Make some calls. Speak to people. Promote your products and services. And, you’ll deliver some results. However, it is easier said than done, GSA have come up with 4 golden rules of telemarketing to help you achieve more success. Of course, it’s nowhere near as simple as that as many exponents will tell you. There is much science behind successful telemarketing. Whilst this is not everything you need to know about telemarketing, we have come up with 4 golden rules of telemarketing to help you achieve more success. Telemarketing is a simple discipline. Make some calls. Speak to people. Promote your products and services. And, you’ll deliver some results. Of course, it’s nowhere near as simple as that as many exponents will tell you. There is much science behind successful telemarketing. Whilst this is not everything you need to know about telemarketing, we have come up with 4 golden rules of telemarketing to help you achieve more success. Define your target If you call the wrong people, your chances of success drop. Now, that is simple. But, often, telemarketers call targets where the contact data is wrong (wrong numbers, contacts etc). They call companies that are likely to be in long-term contracts meaning that if they want quick results, that’s unlikely to happen. They call the wrong decision makers since they don’t have the name for the right person. As a consequence, they get blocked. Tip: spend a disproportionate amount of time getting your data right before you start your calling campaign. Focus your message Every decision maker is different, what floats one boat doesn’t float another. Even the same job function in different companies is likely to have different drivers and issues. It’s definitely the case that an operations director will have different issues to the finance director and likewise for the M.D. Tip: spend time considering the different buyer persona for your products and services and focus your message as much as possible to their likely needs. Make enough calls Now, this sounds simple. But, so often, it’s a major failing of telemarketers that become distracted by other tasks. Sometimes, it’s because they just don’t like calling. For others, they are pulled away by other business priorities. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should call anyone and everyone. Segmentation, prioritisation and profiling are all important. Tip. Aim for circa 100 calls per 7 hour day dependent upon the number of conversations you have. Learn to engage All too often, companies undertaking b2b telemarketing think that telemarketers can either ‘wing it’ or work with an ill-conceived and stilted script. Certainly, at higher value and higher level sales, scripts will fail. And, making an important call on the fly is doomed to failure. Good preparation and rapport skills are paramount. Tip: Work on a good intro, ask good questions, listen to the answers and build a conversation, not a presentation. There are so many more facets to an effective telemarketing call. For more tips and skills, check out our blog where you can find articles, videos, podcasts and infographics to help increase your telemarketing success. Telemarketing results don’t come by chance. Typically, effective telemarketers work on their technique. They build targeted calling lists. They understand the challenges that their customers have and how they can help alleviate them. And, they’re persistent. They make enough intelligent calls to build their sales pipeline and they don’t give up at the first roadblock. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you’d like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why don’t Telemarketers ask Questions? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/dont-telemarketers-ask-questions/ Published: 2018-03-21 > Telemarketers love to talk. And, generally, it isn’t always because they are happy go lucky people that love their jobs and the businesses they represent. It’s often because they are nervous and are struggling to keep the seller-buyer conversation going on the phone.... Continue reading. Telemarketers love to talk. And, generally, it isn’t always because they are happy go lucky people that love their jobs and the businesses they represent. It’s often because they are nervous and are struggling to keep the seller-buyer conversation going on the phone. It’s also perhaps that they are poorly trained and forget that the buyers are only interested in themselves, their problems and opportunities and not in what the telemarketer has to say. Stop Talking: Start Listening Too busy taking and not enough time listening is the point. I watched this wonderful TED talk video by Celeste Headlee last week about ‘how to have a better conversation’ that almost stopped me in my tracks. Over the years, I’ve always taught telemarketers how to engage on the telephone. I’ve taught them rapport skills, communication skills, how to capture the attention of the decision maker, and listening techniques like how to make use of nods, ums and ahs to demonstrate listening and so on. And, according to their video, it’s all hogwash. Of course, the techniques are still good and valid. But, and it’s a big BUT, the point is that the problem that telemarketers have is that, in the main, they don’t care. They’re not genuinely engaged in the conversation. And, if they were engaged they wouldn’t need most of the ‘forced’ techniques. Conversation not Presentation Let me explain. All too often, telemarketers just spew out lots of information about their products and services, their company, what they offer and so on. If the prospect does manage to get a word in, the telemarketer interrupts and resumes their patter for another few minutes and on it goes. Typically, the flow of conversation between seller and buyer should be skewed towards the buyer. Let the buyer talk. Don’t crowd them. Avoid dominating the conversation. Make sure they don't feel like they’re being hit with a high power jet wash. That’s what telemarketers, at least the less effective ones, often do. They talk and talk at the prospect trying to explain what a great solution they have for their company. Maybe it’s because they’re so excited about their services? At least I hope that’s why they do it. Or maybe it’s just because they don’t know how undertake effective telemarketing. Either way, if telemarketers actually took the time to be genuinely interested in their prospects, they would succeed more often. That means not entering the conversation with some pre-conceived notion of what you want to shoehorn into the discussion. No, I understand that telemarketers are eager to close the deal. But, when was the last time you enjoyed being talked at for ages at an event or party only for the other person to walk away at the end of the conversation without asking anything about you, your business or your life? How did that make you feel? You probably felt that they were rude and not interested in you. So, why do telemarketers insist on taking that approach and talking at their prospects incessantly without asking many, or any, questions? Be Genuinely Interested in your Prospect Telemarketers need to learn to ask good questions. Not because they have to. But, because they should be interested in what their prospects do. They should be concerned about the challenges the prospect has and how to really help them. Above all, they should be engaged in a conversation not a monologue or presentation. If they demonstrate genuine interest, they will win create more opportunities and win more business since they will engender more trust. And, they will be more likely to have more buyer conversations in the first place. So, if you’re tasked with making outbound telemarketing call, stop trying to plan your next sentence while the buyer is speaking. Stop interrupting. Let them finish. Ask pertinent questions that elicit good responses. But, above all, be present. Stop being distracted. Stop distracting yourself. Turn off outside stimuli (email, phone, LinkedIn etc). If you concentrate, you won’t have to demonstrate that you’re engaged in a conversation, you will do it naturally. In a sales scenario, it will help you stand out from the crowd and help you win more business. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you’d like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is B2B marketing becoming ever more difficult? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/b2b-marketing-becoming-ever-difficult/ Published: 2018-03-13 > It isn’t easy being a b2b marketer these days. There has been a proliferation of channels and marketing options. Pressure to deliver ROI has intensified not least due to margin pressure in most businesses. Social media, content and video are the new black. Marketing can be a minefield littered with failures. But, successful people have generally tried and failed until they find the thing that works. Check out some tips to increase your efforts to achieve your goals. It isn’t easy being a b2b marketer these days. There has been a proliferation of channels and marketing options. Pressure to deliver ROI has intensified not least due to margin pressure in most businesses. Social media, content and video are the new black. Yet, is there a quick payback for social and content? Traditional methods such as direct mail, telemarketing and mainstream press advertising have become less attractive for some businesses. And, all the while, regulation intensifies. We have GDPR, PECR and every other acronym that, whilst that certainly moves us to a more consent-based society, makes marketing just that bit more challenging.  The Times, they are changing In the old days, it was so simple. Advertise. Do some PR. Send a creative piece of direct mail. Make a call. Whilst that isn’t an exhaustive list of channels, we didn’t have the complications (or opportunities) that we do today. And, if you’re old enough to remember pre-internet days, that was also before the advent of websites. Focus is crucial Where should b2b marketers focus? Pull marketing has actually become harder. And, one might say, more expensive. Trade magazines had a key role in the past. Networking allowed you to engage more speedily with your target market since events, trade Magda and push marketing were the main ways you found out about stuff of interest. And, whilst events have perhaps improved the targeting you can achieve through the use of technology, that’s still an expensive way to market in relative terms for a few days burst of activity.  Cut through has become challenging Cut through was easier. Stand out was more straightforward even though we complained about it. Now, I must point out here that I love technology. I am also a big advocate of content. We have over 350 blogs, videos, podcasts, infographics and other content on our website. And that has produced great results in terms of web traffic, enquiries and business with some huge well known clients. So, I’m not complaining albeit it has taken some time to achieve. 350+ pieces of content don’t happen by themselves or overnight! Reach is hard to achieve But, our lives as marketers have got harder despite great advances in targeting and profiling, marketing automation, networking having moved online (LinkedIn and the like). Where do you place your focus? How do you reach time poor decision makers for your products and services? How do you differentiate in a sea of competitors seemingly offering identical solutions? And, how do you get the best bag for buck when that buck only stretches so far? It’s a conundrum especially for those marketers who (1) aren’t actually students of marketing (2) are time poor themselves (3) have tight budgets (4) have lots of areas that really would benefit from some love and attention (e.g sales material, website, content development....) and (5) they need sales yesterday.... Of course, the solution will, in the main, be different for every business. The priorities will differ. Target markets differ. Budgets vary. The stage of development of the business won’t be the same. Status in the market has a bearing. And, the kinds of product and service offering will play a role. So, what’s the solution? It really is a minefield. So, what does a time and budget poor executive do? Ultimately, it starts with a plan.  It starts with the customer. Who are they? What do they buy? What are their needs? Why do they purchase? If you can better understand your customer, you’ll be a lot closer to being able to sell to them. Focus on data Without good quality data, your marketing efforts will be literally wasted. That means time and money. That includes both marketing folk and your sales team that spend time targeting poor prospects. Consider your products and services At the end of the day, if you haven’t got something your customers want to buy, you won’t get far. But, often, it’s about positioning what you offer to their needs. It’s often about being visible since the are likely to be lots of competitors chasing the same business. Work out the best channels against budget available You will probably have a budget for sales and profit. That should be achievable but stretching. But, how are you going to deliver those targets? What budget and activities do you need to set aside? And, what channels are likely to provide best results. But, don’t forget that some activities are short-term and some are longer term. Some drive sales and leads tactically. Others build credibility and exposure that leads to you and your business being front of mind when a need arises. Make a plan You need a plan of actions and a process for reviewing progress. Blind faith is a bad strategy. Giving up too soon is also shortsighted. So, spend time doing a financial and marketing plan and set aside the funds to make that plan come alive. There’s no time like the present Inertia is your enemy. Your competitors are unlikely to be sitting on their hands. And, they’re targeting your customer base. Marketing can be a minefield littered with failures. But, successful people have generally tried and failed until they find the thing that works. Take good advice. Research options. But, above all else, make the decision to increase your efforts to achieve your goals. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you’d like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Snow Wonder you’re not Generating New Business Source: https://telemarketing.blog/snow-wonder-youre-not-generating-new-business/ Published: 2018-03-07 > Did you take advantage of the snow last week to build a snowman or build your business? Many left early to avoid the disruption but does that mean you need to switch off from business growth. Read more... I did a brief post on LinkedIn last week. Maybe no-one saw it because they were en route home or already there due to snow. Looking out of my kitchen window at 16.00 all warm with a cup of jasmine tea, I wondered what others were doing while I was responding to emails and LinkedIn messages, planning my week ahead and, as evidenced by this, writing blogs. Now, I like my free time as much as anyone. Even running my own business, I still love time off, especially on a sunny, as opposed to snowy, day. I’ve never been any different. It was the same all the way through my corporate career. Do You Take The Easy Route? Adverse weather such as we’ve just had is certainly a reason to head home to the warm. But is it a time to switch off completely arguing that no one else is working? Is it fair to say that there are people that take any excuse to stop working and others that keep focused on the business road ahead? The merest sniffle causes some people to down tools. We’ve all worked with that kind of individual. I asked my wife a few weeks back when I last had a sick day. She replied that she thought that it was when we were first going out. I had food poisoning. I literally couldn’t get out of bed for a few days. We are close to hitting 34 years of married life. I haven’t had a day off sick for a while! Of course, no-one can predict illness. Some people are lucky in health and some are not. I maintain a rigorous fitness regime and I believe that contributes to energy and to pushing away nasty bugs and the like. I’m also very task oriented. I believe that also gives me focus and energy. Do you Benefit from Competitor Inertia? So, looking out of my kitchen window on a very cold and snowy day, I wondered what all of my business contacts were doing. That goes for my prospects, customers, competitors and the like. Now, don’t get me wrong, we all need to throw snowballs and build snowmen at times. But, do you and/or your team take every opportunity to become distracted or do you maintain your focus? A few years ago, when I was regularly working from home, a friend asked how I could work from a home office and not get distracted. He said that he always ended up watching TV, browsing the internet and so on. For me, that never entered my head and, as it happens, I found that I was much less distracted than in an office environment. Focus is Essential in Business It’s also essential to have goals and drive. I compare goals to a lighthouse in a storm (maybe a snowstorm). Without the lighthouse and a compass, it’s hard to see where you’re going. It’s an almost impossible task to reach your destination. You’ll have some blustery weather that makes you drift off course at times. However, if you follow the beacon and a consistent trajectory, you’ll reach your target. Now that we are publishing this blog, the weather has improved. Yet, summer will be here in not too many months. Then, those lovely warm days will try to seduce us. Football fans will also perhaps be keeping an eye on summer ! Impetus Allows you to Relax As I suggested earlier, I’m not trying to be an old misery, despite what my wife says. We should stop to enjoy the nice things. I’m an advocate of that. There’s an old adage about a tombstone and the saying that no-one wants a message on their gravestone that says ‘I wish I’d spent more time at work’. I agree with that. However, it’s by focusing on what provides the impetus to allow us to experience the nice things and the time off that should power your behaviour on frosty days like these. On snow days, by all means, leave early to avoid disruption and risk. Arrive home safely. But, remember that it doesn’t mean you should switch off altogether. That’s all the more so on those cold, warm, wet and windy days when you don’t feel like doing what you know you need to do. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you’d like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why use an external telemarketing agency? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/use-external-telemarketing-agency/ Published: 2018-02-27 > Lots of our clients do telemarketing in-house. In reality, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to deciding whether to make outbound calls in house or to use an outside agency. Both have their pros and cons. Continue reading to find out more. Lots of our clients do telemarketing in-house. And, in truth, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to deciding whether to make outbound calls in-house or to use an outside telemarketing agency. Both have their pros and cons. You might think that it depends on the size of your organisation. That might be true to some extent. However, there are lots of large companies that outsource aspects of their lead generation or data validation on a project-by-project basis or ongoing. Equally, many small companies prefer to have an in-house telemarketer within their operation. In this blog, we’re not trying to compare since external resourcing can also work well alongside internal callers. Check out our video about in-house versus outsourced telemarketing https://goo.gl/nNr9mx So, what are some of the benefits of using an external telemarketing service either instead of or alongside internal staffing. Benefits of a Telesales Agency A Boost at Key Times Sometimes, all you need is a boost. It may be due to quiet time for incoming leads. You might have a new sales person. There may be sickness or other absence amongst your current lead generation team. You may have just lost an important client or simply need to grow based on budgets or new targets. Whatever the need, an outsourced agency can provide the impetus you need quickly and efficiently. Maximize Event investment Events are expensive. And, you’re there principally for one reason i.e. to generate sales leads. But, one of the biggest lead generation sins is failing to gather, process and follow-up leads gathered from a show quickly. That’s where agency resource may come in. Pass the leads swiftly to your agency and they will call every lead quickly and follow these through to categorise the into immediate opportunities, medium-term interest, future interest and no interest. Check out our video on how to maximise event investment. Results Orientation Telemarketers in agencies are usually KPI driven, results-oriented and need to deliver a given number of calls and outcomes ever hour/day of activity. There is a constant drive for results. Whilst that may also be the case for many organisations with internal staff, agencies live or die by their results and these cannot, therefore, be allowed to slip. Hence, call rates and activity levels tend to be higher compared to those where the focus isn’t 100% on the job and where systems don’t allow for call speed and efficiency. Dedicated and focused resource This is always a challenge. Office staff often become distracted by other activities and daily responsibilities. Their full focus is rarely on the task at hand i.e. lead generation. The temptation is always there to focus on other, perhaps more interesting, tasks. As a consequence, call rates suffer, call-backs remain uncalled and the sales pipeline dwindles. With a dedicated external resource, the focus is not allowed to slip. Skilled callers It may sound obvious but a telemarketing agency employs staff that does telemarketing as a profession. They are trained on the skills to open doors and how to create opportunities for every individual campaign. They are managed to deliver results. Activity and output are policed on a constant basis to ensure that there are consistent results. Flexibility With external resourcing, you can turn the activity off and on and ratchet up and down based on projects and business requirements. There will inevitably be periods of high activity (key seasons, events etc) and those where less activity may be needed (e.g. Christmas or summer for perhaps manufacturing or education sectors). Using an extrenal agency gives you the flex to be able to adapt the level of work to suit as opposed to having full-time staff on the payroll. Lower Wastage With greater flexibility comes lower wastage. The problem with any lead generation is that it’s all about the ROI. It’s essential to deploy resources wisely and to target them effectively both within the organisation and outside. In a world of escalating costs and decreasing margins, you can’t afford to waste precious resources. Whilst it may be nice to have someone sitting next to you with whom you can brainstorm, is that what you actually need to drive growth? With an agency at your disposal, you can target and deploy very tightly and just when you need it. Sales Pipeline Management The problem here, once again, is the day job. It gets in the way despite best efforts. Field staff, especially, gets embroiled in other things and mid to longer term leads pipeline gets missed. Those important calls at just the right rime aren’t followed up. And, if that’s when the contract with the current supplier comes up for renewal, a major opportunity for new business can be missed. With good systems and processes, call-backs shoot up the priority list for daily calls meaning the sales pipeline is constantly worked for success. Data Building for Better Targeting It may be that you want to keep the sales and/or the lead generation process in-house. But, what about the data you use for calling? Without accurate data, you won’t get the results you need and your outbound telemarketing callers will fail. That’s where an agency can come in. They can research, build and validate your data and find external data to ensure that your team is as effective as possible with fresh data with the right people who might be interested in your services.  Ultimately, through data building and validation, data accuracy improves and better quality leads can be passed to your sales team Check out these videos for more info on the benefits of database validation GDPR changes. Do you need to validate your database? GDPR – What marketers with large databases need to do Management skills & Time We all have our skills and specialities. You may have very experienced sales people. Your field team may be the best in the business. And, your inbound call handling may be excellent. But, do you have the skills to develop and manage an effective telemarketing campaign to make sure it delivers the results you need? It’s a different skill. From KPI development to careful telemarketer management to knowing which strings to pull to get best outcomes, an agency does this day in day out. Aside the skills, time is also a precious resource. Using an agency allows senior management to focus on other tasks to build the business. If you have used an agency before and haven’t had good results, perhaps you haven’t used the right one. At GSA, alongside great results, we provide transparent bespoke reporting, recorded calls and high-touch communication on a regular basis. So, if you’d like to test out an outsourced telemarketing campaign, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are you Failing your Customers through Poor communication? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/failing-customers-poor-communication/ Published: 2018-02-13 > We live in a turbocharged world. Everything is a million miles per hour. People are busy and rushing from one task to another. We have Facebook and LinkedIn to help us build networks and keep in touch, even on an intimate level with family photos and life events.Given the proliferation of technology, we can't ignore the fact that we need to harness its power to be able to communicate better and in a manner that customers expect. So what's the secret… continue reading We live in a turbocharged world. Everything is a million miles per hour. People are busy and rushing from one task to another. And, technology, whilst certainly life-enhancing, has created a society where we in fact have less time for talking.  Technology has revolutionised the way we communicate. We have Facebook and LinkedIn to help us build networks and keep in touch, even on an intimate level with family photos and life events. LinkedIn enables business folk to extend their reach beyond traditional boundaries. CRM and other systems empower businesses with automation on so many levels. Yet, how much of the communication that flows is genuinely engaging?  There has always been clutter. Those readers old enough to remember pre-internet days will remember bemoaning the amount of junk mail received through the post. At work, not only did we receive tons of stuff of little or no use, we also received little brown envelopes with memos from other staff. So, clutter is nothing new. But, expectations have certainly chances. We live in the microwave world where we all expect immediacy and the early bird catches the worm.  Given the proliferation of technology, we can't ignore the fact that we need to harness its power to be able to communicate better and in a manner that customers expect. CRM systems support good communication. But, an old expression still persists.            'Garbage in, garbage out' Your system isn't human (yet) and it can only facilitate. It's only as good as the food you give it to digest. Poor data means errors. It means poorly perceived and received communication. No-one wants to receive a poorly addressed email with in name (John as opposed to Jane even assuming that the email is delivered in the first place). Who wants to receive an email or direct mail that is totally irrelevant? Time is precious. Accurate targeted communications can only emanate from well qualified, well profiled and accurate data. And, there's the challenge.  B2b data accuracy is an oft-discussed subject amongst marketers. How can you keep data clean when business people change jobs so frequently and contact details also change? It isn't a simple task. But, some marketing and sales people could be criticised for sticking their heads in the sand and, not least, by not supporting each other. Sales people are at the coal face yet there can sometimes either be a silo mentality (our data) or an unwillingness to spend the necessary time to update systems when they receive 'new' information. Marketing people perhaps don't put the processes in place for the sales team to be able to and to want to join in.  So, it isn't about one collusion. It's an amalgam of things. What's certain though is that without joined up thinking, data ages. It becomes obsolescent. And, data isn't just data. It's people. It's your prospects and customers. How likely are they to want to deal with you and your organisation when you either can’t get their name or contact details right or you deliver on that front but fundamentally fail to address communication in a way that talks to them in terms that they want?  It's not an easy task. That's why 'Big data' has emerged. Data analytics has become more essential. Given how easy it is to opt out of communications (and there's a legal imperative to obey that request), no marketer would intentionally send junk communications or make calls without relevance. Or would they? Too much communication is still mass. Whilst it may not be practical to tailor communications to a database of 20,000 or more, work needs to be done on profiling, qualifying, validating and classifying before anything goes out. Add to this the forthcoming changes in data protection and direct marketing (GDPR and PECR), marketers need to get their house in order.  So, what needs to be done? Database evaluation- what needs to be removed and what should you keep? Database validation - conduct an exercise to update the information that's crucial for marketing and targeting Data profiling - build your data in such a way that you can segment your various customer segments for marketing Data Building and Enhancing - nothing will work without a concerted effort to work together across the business. That means communicating the 'why' to everyone that interacts with customers and the data so they get it right and use the system The above isn't exhaustive and, to a large extent, is cost-dependent. Sometimes, it's almost easier to accept wastage as you go along. Budgets are set for outbound marketing and it's easier to justify that spend as opposed to an exercise on 'data' that sees no direct output. But, in the long term, data won't improve unless you improve it and the effectiveness of your marketing and sales efforts will wane. What's more, keeping data up to data is essential for customer retention. Whilst, in some ways, it may be a losing game, it doesn't mean you shouldn't participate. Customers will thank you for it by buying from you and staying longer as opposed to going elsewhere through feeling unloved. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you’d like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Make Telemarketing Calls more Effective Source: https://telemarketing.blog/make-telemarketing-calls-effective/ Published: 2018-02-06 > We all want more sales. And, whilst we'd prefer them to come to us rather than chasing them, we recognise that, in most cases, we have to expend some effort to unearth opportunities. We all want more sales. And, whilst we'd prefer them to come to us rather than chasing them, we recognise that, in most cases, we have to expend some effort to unearth opportunities. That's why telemarketing persists as a route to market. It isn't the only one of course. There are many outbound marketing channels that you can use in tandem with telemarketing or in place of calling. But, if you are using the telephone as a lead generation method, you need to make sure you use it wisely. This isn't the first time I've written about effective cold calling techniques. Check out some of the following. Below are our 10 quick tips for making your telemarketing calls more effective.  1. Define your market 2. Identify appropriate data 3. Understand the decision maker 4. Tailor your message 5. Have a reason for the decision maker to engage 6. Work on your intro 7. Sound interesting / be energetic 8. Be interested in them  9. Listen and ask effective questions 10. Be clear on the outcome you want  Sounds simple? In many ways it is. But, at all levels of the above, telemarketers and the companies that employ them, get it wrong.  Fail 1 They fail to define a market that would be genuinely receptive to their products or services. Or, they go after unrealistic targets that are, for one reason or another, totally out of reach.  Fail 2 They use old and inaccurate data that's destined to produce poor results. Wrong numbers, wrong people, and wrong decision maker roles significantly impair the likely success of a telemarketing campaign.  Fail 3 They haven't genuinely worked out the 'why'. Why would a time poor decision maker want to (1) take the call (2) give you more than a few seconds of their time (3) buy from you or agree to meet you?  Fail 4 Bland messages don't work. The prospect wants to feel special. He or she wants to feel that you've thought about them and what you say pertains directly to their challenges or opportunities.  Fail 5 What's your call to action? This is a hard one. If you sell widgets and they have enough widgets, maybe they won't jump up and down. But, try to give them a reason to do something even if it's to receive something in the post or an email pdf. Fail 6 Oh those poor intros. And, I'm not talking about poor stiff and stilted calls from India. Too often, intros all sound alike. They telegraph that you're a cold caller. How can you make your intro sound natural and engaging that encourages the prospect to stay on the line?  Fail 7 Boring people get nowhere. I know it's a hard job. But the decision maker doesn't know you've been doing this for days with no result and doesn't care. Every call needs to sound fresh. Energy is crucial or the call won't last long.  Fail 8 Sales people won't be successful if they only focus on their pitch when they should be demonstrating interest. Assuming that you've got the points above right, remember that most people don't want to hear about you. They want to talk about themselves and stuff that interests them. Fail 9 The way to achieve the above is to ask relevant and effective questions and to listen attentively to the answers. A blend of open and closed questions works best or it'll sound like an inquisition. Fail 10 Chatting is nice but what's your objective? Never forget that you're trying to build the sales pipeline. Some opportunities will be immediate. Some outcomes may be part of the sales process e.g a meeting, demo, attendance at an event, receiving a white paper etc. Whatever the outcome, don't forget your objective and ask for it.  Telemarketing is a numbers games. Whilst I believe that this is true, since not every prospect is ready at the point of contact, your approach counts for a lot. It will be the difference between success and failure so check out the points about and see how you measure up regarding how to make telemarketing calls more effective.  GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns and also, with our experience, guide SME’s through the maze of marketing choices. We help them make the best choice and spend their budget wisely. If you’d like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Stop moaning about GDPR and get your house in order Source: https://telemarketing.blog/stop-moaning-gdpr-get-house-order/ Published: 2017-12-06 > There is so much noise around GDPR. Everyone is talking about it. Many are predicting doom and the end of proactive b2b marketing. some marketing executives are running scared, unsure of what to do next. Yet, as far as b2b marketing is concerned, we await formal guidance from the Office of the Information Commissioner’s office. Think of it simply, GDPR is a way of getting your house in order. Read the full article by clicking on the thumbnail. https://youtu.be/Xg-A5iEgBcQ There is so much noise around GDPR. Everyone is talking about it. Many are predicting doom and the end of proactive b2b marketing. There's lots of scaremongering regarding massive fines albeit, it is fair to say that there have been some genuinely high profile recent cases concerning breaches of data protection such as the Uber data protection leak of 2.7m customers data where hackers were able to obtain user names, email addresses and mobile numbers of customers in a breach that was covered up until last week. There was also the recent case of Morrison's payroll data leak where thousands of staff are set to receive a pay-out in a landmark judgment over personal details posted online. There’s no point in running scared Accepting that the above may be high-profile cases, some marketing executives are running scared, unsure of what to do next. Yet, as far as b2b marketing is concerned, we await formal guidance from the Office of the Information Commissioner’s office (at time of writing, 5 Dec 2017) regarding precisely how the EU GDPR Directive will be interpreted in the UK. Whilst it's clear we're moving more towards consent as a basis for processing personal data, the concept of legitimate interest as a further basis remains in the EU directive but it remains to be seen what that means for each marketing channel and how that relates to continued targeting of customer and prospect databases. What is sure is that every organisation needs to get its house in order since there will be a tighter regime in terms of policing data management. Check out our short video on what marketers with large databases need to do Putting your house in order But, GDPR is surely a way of getting ones house in order. Think of it simply. Do you want people to contact you if you don't want to hear from them? And, wouldn't you rather companies actively protect your privacy than abuse it? There are too many instances of cyber-attacks. If the NHS can't protect our data, who can? Ransomware is on the rise. And, the more lax the approach to protection of our personal details, the higher the risk of our details becoming compromised. Pretty straightforward isn't it? Take measures to protect the data you hold on individuals and stop contacting those that don't want to hear from you. And, make it clear what you're going to with people's data at the point that you process it. At any rate, that’s what you should be doing now as it is enshrined in current legislation! Don’t use old habits Of course, old school sales people will claim that their product is just what the prospect needs and, if they didn't tell them, they'd never find out. The problem with that logic is that it starts with the seller and not the buyer. It presupposes that the buyer cares and considers the problem that the seller's product or service solves as important. And, those buyers may be busy, time poor and harassed meaning that they prefer to 'discover' solutions at their own pace. Don't get me wrong, there remain plenty of potential prospects that are perfectly comfortable discovering innovations and solutions through all of the various outbound marketing methods. And, there's your target market in a nutshell. If they want to be removed from your marketing endeavours, they can (currently) put themselves on the CTPS/ TPS register, unsubscribe to emails or tell you simply to STOP. Now, the status above may change in May 2018. We don't yet know whether consent will prevail over any form of legitimate interest and whether, not least for b2b, we will be still able to operate on an opt-out basis for some marketing methods such as b2b telemarketing and email marketing. However, whatever the outcome of the various deliberations on privacy, surely it makes sense to get ones house in order asap. Surely, it is sensible to look closely at internal and external databases of current customers, lapsed customers and prospects to establish whether the data is an asset or a potential millstone that drains resources and enhances risk. Database management is good practice The point is that data absorbs time and money. Data goes out of date quickly. Yet, clean data makes marketing more effective in every sense. It drives up response rates. It reduces wastage and thus cost. It improves team effectiveness for inside sales and external sales people. It engenders customer goodwill with accuracy and timely communication. I could go on. The point here is that whilst GDPR may be seen as an inconvenience by some. The reality is that a large part of your customer database is old and out of date. Many of your so called 'customers' barely know who you are. A large proportion of your clients have had staff changes and that new personnel don't have an affinity with your business or brand. And, you probably have a significant number of suspects and prospects on your CRM system that should be consigned to history. Build value into the marketing mix GDPR may well reduce the ability of some companies to do business. If you are wholly reliant on new business or lack referrals or indeed are totally focused on mass marketing, you may be disappointed once the guidance comes out. However, a positive impact of any change will hopefully be that it will encourage more corporations to work harder to build value into the marketing mix to encourage prospects and customers to want to engage with them. It will probably drive a 'consent' culture and greater reliance on inbound marketing. Whatever the guidance in the coming weeks, it is incumbent on marketers to get their house in order and to focus more on engagement to build a solid database for future marketing. If you'd like help in building a database of qualified prospects or you need advice on marketing to your current database, give GSA a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 10 Ways to Use Telemarketing to Grow your Business – Infographic Source: https://telemarketing.blog/info-10-ways-telemarketing-grow-business/ Published: 2017-12-04 > Cold calling is dead they say. The telephone is outmoded as a marketing tool and social media in the place to be. Pure cold calling is possibly less effective than it used to be with increasing use of voicemail, opt-outs, and layers in organisations that mean it’s harder to reach decision makers to have a conversation. Cold calling is dead they say. The telephone is outmoded as a marketing tool and social media in the place to be. In some ways, there is some truth in each of those statements. Pure cold calling is possibly less effective than it used to be with increasing use of voicemail, opt-outs, and layers in organisations that mean it’s harder to reach decision makers to have a conversation. These days, a more intelligent blended approach to calling is often required. Equally, the younger generation is perhaps less reliant on the telephone as a means of communication. They were born with a mobile phone to their ears and an iPad in their hand. What’s more, everyone is on Facebook and, professionally, we’re all on LinkedIn. So, does the telephone still have a role to play in b2b marketing? Our client experience suggests that it still plays a strong role and we’ve detailed 10 ways that you can use telemarketing to grow your business. Check out the full blog post ------------------------------------------------------------ # When is the best time to make a sales call? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/best-time-make-sales-call/ Published: 2017-11-29 > I often hear statements such as “We should never call on a Friday afternoon as a lot of people leave early” Or, “Don’t call at lunchtime as everyone is out”.  Another good one is “Never call first thing Monday morning as people are just back in from the weekend and sorting out their week”. Is there a ‘best time’ to make a sales call? I guess, in practice, it’s when your prospect or customer is available and in buying mode! But, that’s a pretty hard thing to establish unless you have the world’s most effective crystal ball. I often hear statements such as “We should never call on a Friday afternoon as a lot of people leave early” Or, “Don’t call at lunchtime as everyone is out”.  Another good one is “Never call first thing Monday morning as people are just back in from the weekend and sorting out their week”. I’ve also heard “August is a bad time since people are away”. And, “Forget calling between the last week of December and the second week of January as people shoot off early for Christmas and some come back late.” Don’t let limiting beliefs derail your sales efforts If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard those comments over the past 17 years, I probably wouldn’t need to run my business. I could retire on these earnings. What’s more, it isn’t just customers that tell me. I’ve had telemarketers come to me and tell me dejectedly ‘no-one is in today’. I love that comment and my initial reaction is always to say: “What, no one at all? No-one is in the office in any of the companies you’ve called? And, is that definitely 100% going to be the case for the whole day?" Very regularly, they see the absurdity of what they’ve said and, lo and behold within no time at all, up pops a fresh hot new business appointment! The issue I have with all of the above is that they are what are called ‘Limiting Beliefs’. Now, I’m no expert on Neuro Linguistic programming and limiting beliefs (which is from where the expression comes), but we all make assumptions about things that risk being fundamentally wrong. And, sales is a discipline where this is often the case and this is a seriously flawed strategy. Check out our video on ‘Are you making excuses for your lack of growth?’ Play the numbers game You need to play the numbers game. Whilst there may be some evidence to support the fact that you’re going to get a higher proportion of people away on holiday in August, or if you call at 5.45 on Christmas Eve, that doesn't mean everyone is away. And, whilst business perhaps slows down in August and at Christmas, sometimes that means we have more time to talk. And, in traditionally quiet periods, does it definitely mean that those you manage to speak to won’t be at all receptive? Where is all of that written in the stars? We had an occasion where a prospect, for one of our clients, answered the phone on Christmas Eve (after umpteen previous calls over several weeks which were supposed to be prime calling hours) and said to our telemarketer “Oh, go on then. The mince pies and mulled wine have just come out in the office. Let’s get a date in the diary for January”. The fact is that if you make sufficient calls, you will reach enough people whichever time of the day or year you call. Quieter periods offer opportunities Now, I’m not saying we’ve just uncovered the answer to all lead generation puzzles. But, what I am saying is that it’s a fallacy to think that no-one is in over the lunch period. Sometimes, like right now as I’m writing this blog, business people are sitting at their desk over lunch, grabbing some soup and a sandwich (and an apple and an orange in my case as I have a healthy appetite) and checking emails or browsing LinkedIn. They’re reading blogs (hopefully like this one) and will, therefore, be more likely to pick up the phone than when head down in an important task or when they're in interminable meetings. The recipient of your call may well be more open to talking than at busier times. For B2B calling as opposed to B2C, where high volumes of calls may well lead to KPIs that inform and drive future call scheduling and staffing levels, ratios just don’t support the fact that there are perfect times to call and times to absolutely avoid picking up the phone. Trial and error What we do know is that if you concentrate all of your efforts on calling at times that historically have proven unsuccessful, then it isn’t a limiting belief that’s your problem. It’s more like to be the madness of doing the same thing over and over, failing, and expecting different results. Of course, business development, like most things, is about trial and error. It’s about testing the best approach. It’s about evaluating what works and what delivers the best return on investment. But, my message is to not be fooled into thinking all lead generation stops for Christmas parties (even big companies only have one party if I’m not mistaken) mince pies and mulled wine. Yes. More people may be at lunch with suppliers and customers over the festive season. But, if you halt all new business efforts until the New Year, be aware that your successful and active competitors won’t be thinking that way! And, you could lose out as they look more keen to win the business.  So, don’t let limiting and incorrect assumptions get in your way about the “best” time to make a sales call. Just get on and make those calls.   ------------------------------------------------------------ # To win BIG, you need to think BIG! Source: https://telemarketing.blog/win-big-need-think-big/ Published: 2017-11-29 > Chances are that if you’re an entrepreneur or a senior business director you need to be a little deluded. But there’s a huge difference between blind delusion and self-confidence. In this joint video, Oliver Thompson, personal impact expert, explains the theory behind belief and I speak about the practical impact of what you need to do to succeed. social. Chances are that if you're an entrepreneur or a senior business director you need to be a little deluded. But there's a huge difference between blind delusion and self-confidence. In this joint video, Oliver Thompson, personal impact expert, explains the theory behind belief and I speak about the practical impact of what you need to do to succeed. social. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why everyone in your company should have “people” training Source: https://telemarketing.blog/people-training/ Published: 2017-11-09 It's about people. It's always about people. And, people buy people despite technology. Everyone that interacts with the customer represents your brand and business credibility. Do your people do that well or do they leave a trail of destruction behind them? Check out our short Vlog on why 'people training' is so important. Also, check out our video on how to reach Millennials. https://goo.gl/ZLYf8a ------------------------------------------------------------ # Infographic – How to sell more to current customers? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/sell-current-customers/ Published: 2017-11-06 > Some customers stay with you through thick and thin and many can be tempted away by seductive offers and incentives. Customer loyalty isn’t a quick fix. You, therefore, have to work hard to retain customers and to make sure that a new customer isn’t a one-time buyer. Check out our 12 tips for how to sell more to current customers. ------------------------------------------------------------ # GDPR – What marketers with large databases need to do Source: https://telemarketing.blog/gdpr-marketers-large-databases-need/ Published: 2017-10-18 > In this short Vlog, we talk a little about what marketers with large databases need to consider in advance of the changes in GDPR (data protection) regulations in May 2018. Note: This is not legal advice. https://youtu.be/TMBOnfygba0 Everyone is talking about GDPR and the new regulations that come out in May 2018. There’s a lot of noise and an equal amount of scaremongering. But, in reality, any rules that enforce privacy and encourage marketers to do things correctly must be a good thing. There are two new pieces of legislation that are due to be published. They are different but both are relevant for marketers. First are the new data protection (GDPR) rules and the other concerns the new rules relation to privacy and electronic communications (PECR) which governs marketing communications to customers. If you want good advice, check out this article from The Office of The Information Commissioner about Getting Ready for GDPR. There’s also this article on PECR that give useful tips if you’re unclear. So, in simple terms, aside from getting yourself up to speed on any changes to the rules, what do you need to consider if you have a large database? This video provides a few tips including: Screening your database every 28 days against the various opt-out registers (CTPS/TPS) unless you have a prior existing relationship Your customer database is full of people categorised as customers that barely fit into that category after time has elapsed Customers come in all shapes and sizes in terms of their purchase value from you, therefore they have varying degrees of interest in your business Understanding that customers fall out of love with your business very quickly so you need to keep them interested Some customers will actually be lapsed and you won’t k now it Much of the data on your database will be out of date due to staff changes which mean that the attachment to you and your business is much reduced With the above in mind, what should you do? We suggest 5 steps: Segment your database e.g. prospects and customers, type of customer, size, last contact date, sector and so on Decide which data needs to be removed due to age Screen the data that doesn’t fall into the category of a sale or where you do not have valid consent every 28 days. We do this for all of our clients. Prioritise the data above and decide the hierarchy of contact e.g. highest value customers, biggest potential, lapsed customers, all customers within 12 months where you haven’t had contact etc Define your contact strategy for the segments Work out a proposition for the contact strategy that drives calls to action Gather consent for future marketing so you build an opted-in data set that is likely to perform better and reduce your wastage GDPR Blog Post: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-ensure-gdpr-doesnt-damage-your-customer-base/ Our database cleaning service: https://gsa-marketing.co.uk/data-services/database-cleaning-services/ If you’d like help with validating large databases of contacts, give GSA a call.where you do not have valid consent every 28 days. We do this for all of our clients. Prioritise the data above and decide the hierarchy of contact e.g. highest value customers, biggest potential, lapsed customers, all customers within 12 months where you haven’t had contact etc Define your contact strategy for the segments Work out a proposition for the contact strategy that drives calls to action Gather consent for future marketing so you build an opted-in data set that is likely to perform better and reduce your wastage GDPR Blog Post: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-ensure-gdpr-doesnt-damage-your-customer-base/ Our database cleaning service: https://gsa-marketing.co.uk/data-services/database-cleaning-services/ If you’d like help with validating large databases of contacts, give GSA a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # What does GSA stand for? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/gsa-means-get-sound-advice/ Published: 2017-10-18 > Our clients tell us that amongst the reasons they work with GSA is that we provide sound and unbiased advice and that we ‘get it’. That means we never over-promise and under-deliver. In this brief Vlog, we explain how GSA came about and what it stands for. https://youtu.be/QJ1lSdl1oOg GSA stands for GET SOUND ADVICE. That isn’t some idle claim or silly idea. When I was in corporate life in large organisations, my career was littered with examples of expensive ‘consultants’ coming into the company, not understanding our business, offering poor advice then leaving a trail of destruction behind. When we set up GSA, we were determined not to do this. Originally set up as a marketing consultancy in 2000, our base is marketing and advice is central to what we do. It’s about pragmatic and practical advice that puts the customer first. As we’ve developed, over the years, into a lead generation business, those foundations remain and everything we do is transparent and based on frank discussion and client partnership. That extends to our approach to: Proposals (even if that means clients don’t ultimately work with us if it’s not the right thing) Set up and strategy Clear and open live reporting including ratios, cost per lead, pipeline and the whole database Call recording and detailed lead sheets Ongoing customer communication Post campaign wrap-up Our clients tell us that amongst the reasons they work with us is that we provide unbiased advice and that we ‘get it’. That means we never over-promise and under-deliver. Our management team first seeks to understand clients’ business and what they’re trying to achieve before suggesting whether we can help. The support we offer could be for a traditional marketing or telemarketing campaign, social media lead generation, customer research or running a telemarketing training course. If you’d like to experience this for yourself, give us a call.   ------------------------------------------------------------ # GDPR changes. Do you need to validate your database? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/gdpr-changes/ Published: 2017-10-18 > With new regulations on the horizon in May 2018, governing personal data and marketing, it makes sense to get database houses in order. In this video, we discuss some of the implications for businesses undertaking b2b marketing. GDPR changes. Do you need to validate your database? We are increasingly being asked to undertake large data validation exercises in advance of possible GDPR and PECR changes. If that's something you need to do, we've spoken at length to The Office of The Information Commissioner on the subject. Whilst we can't give specific advice (speak to the experts), it's unclear what will happen post-May 2018, so it makes sense to get houses in order. Feel free to give us a call. Also, check out our latest blogs on the subject. Is customer database validation powering your marketing?: https://telemarketing.blog/is-customer-database-validation-powering-your-marketing/  How to Ensure GDPR doesn’t damage your customer base? : https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-ensure-gdpr-doesnt-damage-your-customer-base/ Our database cleaning service: https://gsa-marketing.co.uk/data-services/database-cleaning-services/ Increasingly, clients ask GSA to help them to validate their databases. This is typically through segmented customer care calls to clean up the data and identify future opportunities. So, if you’d like to talk to us about data validation, data building, or database cleaning, give us a call on 0845 658 8192 or visit our website https://telemarketing.blog/. If you’d like to know more about how GSA can help with customer contact activity through b2b telemarketing or inbound inquiry management, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or visit our website https://gsa-marketing.co.uk/contact-us/ Note: This is not legal advice ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to generate more business using cold calling Source: https://telemarketing.blog/generate-business-using-cold-calling/ Published: 2017-10-17 > You might be forgiven for thinking that the question of how to generate more business through calling is pointless since telemarketing is dead. It's outdated they say. It has been superseded by social media. https://youtu.be/mzMY-TvgBmo You might be forgiven for thinking that the question of how to generate more business through calling is pointless since telemarketing is dead. It's outdated they say. It has been superseded by social media. Inbound marketing is 'the thing'. It's the current most effective way to generate new business. If customers come to you, ready to buy, surely that's best thing for your business. I can't disagree with the last point. If you can deploy an inbound marketing strategy that drives hot leads to your door, that's certainly the way to go. In fact, whilst we don't deploy some of the more sophisticated techniques of inbound (for example using Hubspot, Marketo, infusionsoft etc), not least since we aren't a volume player, we wholly endorse this strategy. We've had great success and won terrific clients and business through effective inbound techniques such as content development and distribution on social platforms. Take a look at some of our videos, blogs, podcasts and infographics if you don't believe me. The trouble is that, like many marketing solutions, inbound marketing is a long game and we didn't get to over 400 Blogs, videos, infographics and the like overnight. It has taken years. Assuming that you know your target audience and what they respond to, it can work for your business. However, it does take time. It can be also argued that these activities are passive. In other words, you create stuff that people hopefully want to read and watch and then you wait. Whilst, you can target (and retarget) people on LinkedIn and elsewhere, through social advertising, direct tweets and Inmails, that also takes time. And, clever businesses use a range of measures to drum up business. They don't rely on one technique or solution. Therefore, whilst we recommend inbound as a solution, it isn't the only answer. I've written many times before about tips on telemarketing. Check out some of the blogs and videos on rapport building, objection handling and gatekeeper techniques. Also take a look at the important topic of database marketing. There are lots of videos and articles on our site if you use the search bar or categories. I've devoted plenty of space in this blog to the topic of inbound marketing that should ideally run alongside any outbound activity. On that basis, we should now concentrate on how to generate more business through telemarketing if you do decide to run telemarketing activity either in house or through using an agency. Strategy first In essence, it's all about strategy. Too often, people think of telemarketing in an overly simplistic way. They think cold-calling. They think prospects only. They forget customers (cross sell, up sell, lapsed customer resuscitation etc). They never consider targeting resellers or referral business. They consider it to be hard-nosed telesales of the style of selling double glazing or PPI. Yet, effective b2b telemarketing shouldn't be like that. There are a number of potential options when it comes to who you call and that should be your first decision point. Be clear on objectives You need to decide on your objectives. What are you trying to achieve? Over what timeframe? Who are you targeting? How defined are those targets? Who is the buyer? How realistic are your targets based on experience (both past campaigns and your experience in your field) and your current business status (market leader with a new innovation or a small market follower with a commoditised solution)? Understand the competitive environment The level to which there is competition in the market will inevitably impact results. Whether buyers are under contract elsewhere will affect their likelihood to meet you or buy from you and the speed results will come in. Do you also understand how customers use yours and other products and services? You might have the best thing since sliced bread. However, if a lower specified and priced solution does the job and doesn't significantly affect the customer's day to day work, then it may be a struggle to initiate change. What outcomes are you looking for? There could be any number of outcomes from your calling activity including: Direct sales (that's more pure telesales than telemarketing by the way) Sales force face to face appointments to fill the diary Web demos for a new product or service Telephone sales leads Or some other goal Event registrations How many of them do you want? And how realistic is that with your budget and time allocation? Maybe you've used telemarketing before and have a benchmark from which to work. If not, how will you assess likely results? That's where companies like GSA come in as we have the experience. We don't always know 100% but we'll give a pragmatic assessment based on the level of input. And, how urgent is the need? Often, coupled with the scale of difficultly, that will dictate the amount of time required. Get your data right Data is my topic of choice at the moment for blogs and videos. Aside the fact that there are changes coming to the data protection rules and those governing marketing, it's sensible, it's good practice and sound marketing sense to spend time getting the data right. In the most basic terms, the poorer your data from which to make the calls, the poorer the results will be and it will take longer and cost you more. So, why wouldn't you invest in getting data right? B2b is in a constant state of flux. It's almost impossible to keep it clean. Many data brokers/providers claim that their data is 6 months old. Whether that's true or not is, to some extent, immaterial. The reality is that people change jobs all the time for one reason or another. So, database management can be a losing battle. At least, it does mean that you need to seek out the best solution for data for each outbound marketing exercise. That includes your customer data as mentioned above. You can buy data from a broker or build it yourself using LinkedIn and other sources. In some cases, like construction, you can subscribe to a source like Barbour ABI or Glenigan. However, remember that you need to screen the data for opt-outs every 28 days for suppressions. Data Validation Increasingly, we're being asked to build and validate b2b data using a combination of techniques and tools since customers understand the impact in results without accurate data. That doesn't just mean companies but decision makers. It's all well and good having the right phone number for IBM but who do you ask for when switchboard answers? The line 'can you put me through to the person who's responsible for.....' is much less effective these days especially in bigger companies where they block calls and have no name policies. Focus on your proposition? Why should customers bother with you? A while ago, I wrote a blog and recorded a podcast on 5 Tips on selling yourself in addition to your services. What's the customer's first impression of you? Do you make an impact or would they rather watch paint dry? If you have no energy and enthusiasm, it's hard to see how you'll achieve your goals on the phone or face to face. Ask yourself the following questions: What have you got that the customer wants? Why should they see you? Why is there any urgency to meet? This last point is especially relevant if they already have supplier who may be contracted. So, what's going to get you in the door? You might not have all the answers but you do need to work as hard as you can to come up with something. You need to tick boxes in the first few sentences on the phone with a prospective customer or they will get rid of you pretty quickly. Just because you're good at what you do doesn't mean customers will jump at the chance to meet you. They have competing priorities. They aren't stupid or lazy for saying no or for procrastinating. Of course, the above doesn't constitute everything you need to do and be successful in telemarketing. However, you certainly won't run a successful telemarketing campaign or be successful at ongoing telemarketing without these. Telemarketing is neither outdated nor the answer to all of your lead generation questions. In an ideal world, marketing should be integrated. You should use a range of tools for your new business lead generation. Telemarketing can certainly amplify the effectiveness of other methods (e.g following up click throughs from an email exercise or after connecting on LinkedIn). Telemarketing is a proactive person to person method of marketing that can be targeted and deliver significant ROI over time. However, like most marketing tools, it will fail on all levels if you don't spend the time to get the strategy right, work on your data and come up with a compelling reason for your customers or prospects to engage with you. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 10 reasons why telemarketers fail. Source: https://telemarketing.blog/10-reasons-telemarketers-fail/ Published: 2017-10-11 > Telemarketing is hard enough without failing due to poor technique and approaches. So we’ve compiled 10 reasons why telemarketers fail. See how you compare in terms of your preparation and readiness to undertake a successful lead generation campaign using telemarketing. reasons telemarketers fail Telemarketing is hard enough without failing due to poor technique and approaches. So we’ve compiled 10 reasons why telemarketers fail. See how you compare in terms of your preparation and readiness to undertake a successful lead generation campaign using telemarketing. BONUS TIP: Unlike me, get your numbering right in your videos :) We have created an Infographic with the top 10 reasons why telemarketers fail, please feel free to like comment and share the infographic with your network. GSA helps businesses, large and small, become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results. If you’d like to know more, give us a call on 0845 658 8192 or contact us via our website on https://gsa-marketing.co.uk/contact-us// ------------------------------------------------------------ # What business growth inhibitors are you experiencing? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/business-growth-inhibitors/ Published: 2017-10-03 > What behaviours do individuals adopt that impede and promote growth? Read our blog to understand how clarity of purpose, grit and other factors have the potential to support growth. Also, learn the behaviours that can seriously damage your prospects Last week I attended a business growth event in London along with a number of other entrepreneurs and business owners. The main topic covered at the event was, somewhat unsurprisingly, growth. But, the main question posed was 'what behaviours do individuals adopt that impede growth?' This set me thinking. One of the key elements behind significant business growth amongst successful entrepreneurs that was brought to our attention was having purpose. To underpin the goal, you need the processes and systems to support that mission. So, if you want a business turning over £x million, what infrastructure do you need to deliver the sales? What marketing channels and measures do you need to adopt? And, what processes and systems are needed? Sounds simple and obvious perhaps.  Have a goal and work towards it. But, business people are often guilty of being victims of insanity. They may have an objective. But, they do the same (wrong) things over and over and keep failing to hot the target? One behaviour that we regularly see from our clients that impedes sales results is the inability to follow a valid and full process for sales. That means not least: priming the pump with sufficient sales leads. qualifying them to ascertain which are warm and which aren't. identifying prospect problems, challenges and opportunities through good questioning. listening to the response before coming up with suggestions. following up consistently over time. In another blog and video, I explained that sometimes it feels like customers must be lazy or stupid for not buying your 'no brainer' product or service immediately. Life just isn't like that and perseverance is crucial in the selling process. I value my time and don't want to waste valuable resources chasing after no hopers. However, you have to kiss a few frogs. You have to pan for gold. But, so many sales people only want pre-qualified leads that are hot as fire and ready to buy. They only want to do the (relatively) easy bit and don't want the hard work associated with the chase. Of course, marketing and sales people can recruit or outsource people to do the grunt work. But, another aspect of success and growth that was explained in the seminar was the critical importance of GRIT in growth. That means perseverance. Not blind faith or chasing lost causes. But, being disciplined and the willingness to do the hard yards to make things happen. Too frequently, sales people neglect the inputs and only focus on the outputs. They want sales. They want hot leads, naturally. But, do they expect those prospect customers to simply shout 'hallelujah' when they walk through the door or following the initial meeting? And, are they willing to really work the leads until there is a definitive outcome? That could take some time. One of our clients told us recently that an appointment we made for the converted to business several months later with a small order. That customer has now become their biggest client 24 months later. Over the years, many clients that have come back to us for their sales lead generation after a period of time has elapsed since our previous for them. It’s no coincidence, when asked how they got on with the sales pipeline that we built for them (i.e. those leads classified as current and future interest but not the actual leads or appointments delivered to them), that several say 'well, we didn't really get a chance to follow those up'. Or they will say 'we called them a few times but they never came back to us'. That’s just criminal. The fact is that your sales pipeline is gold dust. Not every lead will convert. And, there will still be time wasters. But, assuming that the job has been done properly in the first place to gauge interest and warmth, there is certainly value in consistently following through. And, that doesn't just mean calls. It means: Periodic emails Invitations to events. Making good notes on your system to facilitate rapport the next time you speak to them. Agreeing and scheduling follow updates Calling at that correct time. Ultimately, it’s about doing the job for which you're paid. What money are you leaving on the table by not following a defined process? Growth doesn't just come from deploying lots of new-fangled marketing solutions. It isn't only about lots of new campaigns into new markets with new products or services. It isn't always even from entirely new prospects. What about cross sell and upsell to current customers? How frequently do you contact your customer database? What’s your process for managing your sales pipeline? There are certain behaviours that empower your lead generation and that get you closer to achieving your goals? Whatever your marketing approach, you need to include grit and determination In terms of following a defined process and following up. It'll pay dividends if you do. If you’d like to know more about how GSA can help with your business growth or inbound enquiry management, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is customer database validation powering your marketing? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-customer-database-validation-powering-your-marketing/ Published: 2017-09-19 > The majority of marketers would agree that data is their most valuable asset. Yet, most businesses have a whole heap of rubbish in their database. Therefore, customer database validation is absolutely essential if you want to power your marketing and achieve your sales objectives. Check out our blog for tips for keeping your database both legal and an asset to build sales. Let’s face it, whilst the majority of marketers would agree that data is their most valuable asset, the fact is that most businesses have a whole heap of rubbish in their database. You just can’t keep data clean. Yet, customer database validation is absolutely essential if you want to power your marketing and achieve your sales objectives. And, that’s super frustrating for us marketing folk as we spend hard-earned marketing funds trying to laser target new business through prospecting or through upselling and cross-selling to existing customers. Have your customers forgotten you? The problem is that you can't laser target the wrong audience. Unfortunately, the term ‘customer’ is a somewhat relative thing. We find that some ‘customers’ that we call for our clients are actually not really customers at all. On one hand, the last order was perhaps tiny and ages ago and on the other, the buyer has changed sometimes several times over. Simply put, data ages. People change all the time. They move jobs. They get promoted. They resign and new people come in.  Equally, and frustratingly, businesses are unable to reach out regularly enough to customers and prospects on their database to maintain the integrity of the information contained in the system. As a consequence, customers fall out of love with them and some past (often lapsed) customers barely even know your business. They certainly have no affinity towards you and your products and services. Likewise, there may be multiple contacts and targets within different departments in large organisations that just compounds the problem. The consequence of all of this is that companies typically leave a lot of money on the table with their customer base. They miss opportunities. Customers go elsewhere through inattention and businesses waste significant sums of money on poorly targeted marketing efforts. New Rules will have an impact If you have a large portfolio of products or services and sell to large numbers of customers, how do you assess the level of accuracy in your data? How do you ensure that your data is valid? Without good data, your marketing efforts will be hampered and your results reduced. And, with forthcoming new data protection (GDPR) and PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) legislation, you need to make sure now that these new rules don't impede your ability to market to your customer base. You could ultimately find yourselves in hot water if you’re not careful. Consent is likely to become harder to achieve and you need to make sure you have the okay to communicate with prospects and customers alike. What’s more, you won’t be able to rely on old consent that was provided ages ago where the prospect (as opposed to an actual customer) is likely to have even forgotten who you are. Validate your data Every organisation wants to generate new business opportunities and wants to sell more to current customers. So, what do you need to do? Check out our blog and video on database marketing to find out. Ultimately, your customer and prospect database is your biggest asset. Yet so many organisations allow it to degrade beyond the level where it becomes usable. Hence, it pays to have some kind of data policy or process to make sure that the data contained within the systems is as fresh as possible. You can’t just rely on periodic emails in the hope that the inevitable bounces tell you who is still there. That might help to a certain extent, but it’s much more about engagement than it is about pure database cleaning. Key Actions So, what do you need to do? Below are our suggested tasks for immediate action: Split your data up into segments (prospects, customers, type of customer, last contact date, customer categorisation by size, old data to be removed etc) CTPS check any prospect data where you’re concerned about your basis for contacting them and remove those listed where you do not have a genuine relationship Prioritise contacts based on the above Identify your contact methodology by segment (outbound call, email, field sales team etc) Define a strong proposition/reason for calling to maximise response Gather consent (in advance of new GDPR rules) for prospects and make sure you append/time stamp the record to show you have consent Update new contacts and validate the database information wherever possible Ask customers how they’d like to hear from you in future and suppress the records for those that ask for no further contact A thought through approach to data management is what’s needed. That’s not just because of the new rules on data. It’s much more about how you run your marketing and the effectiveness of your business lead generation and business development efforts.  Ultimately, the more you’re in touch with customers and the more relevant that contact, the more they’re likely to buy from you and not go elsewhere. Increasingly, clients ask GSA to help them to validate their databases. This is typically through segmented customer care calls to clean up the data and identify future opportunities. So, if you’d like to talk to us about data validation, data building or database cleaning, give us a call. If you’d like to know more about how GSA can help with customer contact activity through b2b telemarketing or inbound enquiry management, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Ensure GDPR doesn’t damage your customer base? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-ensure-gdpr-doesnt-damage-your-customer-base/ Published: 2017-08-29 > What do you need to do to ensure GDPR doesn't damage your customer database and impede your ability to do business? Changes are due in May 2018 for both data protection rules and PECR which relates to marketing communication. If you don't know what to do now, read our blog for tips. I spoke to the Office of the Information Commissioner last week to ask what impact the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and changes to The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, (PECR) will have on businesses selling b2b Our business offers b2b telemarketing services to generate sales leads and we are not alone in selling business to business. Lots of organisations have multiple product lines that they sell to large numbers of corporate customers. And, companies need to evaluate the impact of GDPR and PECR on their ability to do their sales and marketing jobs. Business owners, marketing and channel managers, amongst others, need to work out how to ensure GDPR doesn’t impede their ability to work with their prospect and customer databases. They need to decide what to do. Data protection makes sense The interesting thing is that if you’ve been doing things right up to now, you shouldn’t have too many problems. Data protection has always been sensible. Simply put, marketing convention suggests that you shouldn’t annoy people if they clearly don’t want to hear from you. And, if you are transparent, you shouldn’t raise any issues. There are some differences such as sole traders being viewed as individuals under the Data Protection Act.  However, if you’ve been doing it right thus far, chances are that, unless things change dramatically, you’ll do it right post May 2018. However, it makes sense to check. So, what’s all the fuss about? There’s a lot of noise (and hysteria) in the marketing press about GDPR. This isn’t the blog to explain the finer points of data protection and the new regulations since there are many who are more qualified than me to do that. This blog is more related to what you need to do to help you from a marketing standpoint. Therefore, let’s look into what you should consider, regardless of GDPR, to render your business fit for purpose and to validate and build your customer database. Is your database full of customers or contacts? In reality, many businesses that sell to other businesses simply have a list of contacts, their phone numbers and email addresses and some notes on conversations alongside any contact and purchasing history.  Some of those contacts will be actual customers. Some will have made enquiries and not bought. Some will have no knowledge of your business or services as they’re cold prospects. Some will be customer service queries and complaints. There’s generally nothing sinister. However, if your employees do take notes, it’s important that the notes are factual and accurate and not emotive or defamatory in case of a Subject Access Request where someone requests all the information you hold on them. If businesses manage their marketing correctly and have a legitimate interest or consent to process the data, they should be okay. Every business must hold suppression files of individuals/businesses that have asked to be taken off their marketing list (that means all channels) against which they screen future marketing communication. They should screen data against CTPS opt-outs, every 28 days, to ensure that they don’t flout the law. They also need to take care that prospect data isn’t so old as to be totally out of date. That’s bad marketing anyhow and professional businesses should have some form of data policy whereby they remove old information that is out of date and no longer relevant e.g. 6-12 months following last use. These actions are data protection basics. However, in reality, it’s not just data protection with which marketers need to be concerned. As mentioned above, The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, PECR relate to: marketing calls, emails, texts etc. cookies (and similar technologies) keeping communications services secure and customer privacy as regards traffic and location data, itemised billing, line identification, and directory listings. Validate your data The key thing above for outbound marketers to consider (as opposed to those that look after the business online presence) relates to marketing calls. If contacts on your database are customers, you can, of course, continue to make calls to them. However, whilst possibly unlikely for regular customers, remember that the individual is entitled to withdraw his/her consent to further marketing at any time. Don’t let your data age The problem comes with those customers that are on the borderline. What I mean by that is what we’ve experienced many times with clients that have large customer databases. That is where they have a large client list that they define as ‘customers’ yet the data is so old that large numbers of contacts have changed and the actual contact and/or transaction was made many years before. Or, the purchase was relatively small and the person doesn’t even remember. We’ve even undertaken campaigns contacting ‘customers’ for clients in the past with transaction dates back to 2007 and earlier. As a consequence, many of the contacts don’t even know who you are let alone consider themselves as customers. The above example isn’t uncommon as it is hard to keep data up to date. Certainly, you can/should periodically send emails asking your contact list to refresh their information. However, it’s unlikely that most suppliers want to give their active customers the option to drop them from all communication. Note: It is a legal requirement to provide an unsubscribe option on marketing emails. Plan ahead to keep data fresh It’s vital to keep data clean not least from a marketing wastage point of view but also to maximise sales opportunities let alone from the legal standpoint. So what do you need to do to ensure you don’t fall foul of GDPR and new PECR rules and do irreversible damage to your customer database? Allocate time to profile your database now, well in advance of May 2018 when new rules come into force Undertake a data cleanse and validation to check that you have up to date information Check all email addresses using an email address checker to ensure you have accurate info and to reduce bounce rates. It will also flag gone-aways for you to follow-up Screen all data against the CTPS register for opt-outs. Note: If you have a prior existing relationship with a customer, you do not have to screen the data but take care for very old records as they may not even remember you! Hold a suppression file of opt-outs and make sure it works Undertake ‘customer care’ calls to your customers to establish and categorise their status and to tidy up your database e.g. Dormant customers that can be retrieved through incentives and simply through some love and attention Lapsed customers that have gone elsewhere (offers to tempt them back?) No longer trading/out of business Current active customers e.g. those that have traded with you in the past 12 months Customers where you can cross-sell/upsell Segment calls by value (or size) to start at those with the most potential Gather opt-ins to further marketing (especially relevant if you gathered their information about a particular sale and you want to offer them something completely different) Append data that is missing from the database Gather preferences for contact e.g. by email, phone etc The above isn’t exhaustive but illustrates some of the elements that will help you along the right path. What’s more, just by making the calls, you can unearth future opportunities and build your sales pipeline all the while cleansing your database and getting your business in good shape for the new rules. If you’d like to discuss a database project, contact us now. Disclaimer: Nothing in this blog constitutes legal advice If you have any concerns whatsoever about Data Protection or the new PECR rules, you must seek proper advice from a legal expert and not rely on any information contained within this blog. If you’d like to know more about how GSA can help with customer contact activity through b2b telemarketing or inbound enquiry management, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to sell more to current customers? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-sell-more-to-current-customers/ Published: 2017-08-22 > The fact is that some custom is transient. Some customers stay with you through thick and thin and many can be tempted away by seductive offers and incentives. Customer loyalty isn’t a quick fix. You, therefore, have to work hard to retain customers and to make sure that a new customer isn’t a one-time buyer. Check out our 12 tips for how to sell more to current customers. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if your customers were slavishly loyal and just ordered more and more? And, wouldn't it be great if they only ordered from you and not from your competitors? In some cases, that may well be the case. But, the fact is that some custom is transient. Some customers stay with you through thick and thin and many can be tempted away by seductive offers and incentives. Customer loyalty isn’t a quick fix. You, therefore, have to work hard from the outset. That's in order to win those new customers, encourage them to buy more from you and to make sure that a new customer isn’t just a one-time buyer. With that in mind, below are our 12 tips for how to sell more to current customers? 12 tips for how to sell more to current customers   Don’t neglect first impressions Your first impression carries great weight. That starts before the initial sale. And, that means every prospect/customer ‘touch point’ from the person on reception in your building to your switchboard to your sales people to those in customer care roles. Do they represent your business and brand appropriately? Do they leave a positive impression that encourages customers to want to do business with you? Rapport-building, at this early stage, is critical. Do you seem like the kind of people and organisation they can trust? And, don't forget that also relates to the impression they receive when they first see your website. Your people are your brand Following on directly from the last point, this goes way beyond the first point of sale. Every subsequent interaction counts and can dissuade customers from or encourage them to keep on buying from you. That means you need to ensure that everyone is part of your story. Every employee that engages with a client is part of the customer journey. Each person that engages with the customer needs to be upbeat and customer focused. That impetus comes from the top down. Implement effective systems Not everyone has funky marketing automation that cleverly allows them to personalise every interaction to ensure that every contact adds value. It will help if you can afford such technology but it’s only as good as the people that use it. Smaller businesses don’t have that luxury. But, there are other things you can do. Today, I called a data broker partner and, after answering the phone, the switchboard operator asked me if I was Jonathan. Nice touch even though I know it just popped up on her phone system from my previous calls! Clearly, the more you can utilise CRM and other systems to ensure that anyone interacting with customers has all of the past information and contact history at their fingertips, the better. There’s nothing worse than a customer feeling unloved due to having to repeat the same thing several times to different staff. Personalisation is essential Personalisation is key. Customers don’t want to feel like a number. They want to feel that you’re providing tailored responses and services. Therefore, within reason and subject to viability, the more you engage at a personal level the more they will trust you. The more they trust you, the more they will buy from you.Whilst systems support your ability to do this, people that carry it through. Maintain regular and relevant contact Do you have some form of contact strategy for your customers? How frequently do you communicate? Inherently, communication must be relevant. Ill-targeted calls or emails won’t work and will alienate. People are busy and you’re wasting customers’ time. Have a reason to communicate. But, make sure you don’t leave it too long or customers will find alternative partners that do engage with them regularly. Validate your databases One basic reason to keep in regular contact where you have lots of customers is to make sure that your buyer hasn’t changed. Lots of personnel changes take place every year. In larger organisations, that change can be significant. Suddenly, you’ve lost that hard-earned relationship. Therefore, find a good reason to keep in touch both by phone and by email that ensures you pick up any movement. If you don’t have the internal manpower to validate your customer databases, use an agency like GSA to run periodic data cleansing activity. If you don’t do this, you could be wasting significant marketing funds targeting the wrong people and missing opportunities with the right ones. Get to know your customers The more you know about your buyers, the more you can tailor offers and solutions to their needs. That means asking the right questions at the outset and holding that profiling information in a usable format on your system to enable you to filter offers and communication by those requirements. There’s no point sending an offer to your whole database when some customers may view it as spam. It’s also worth undertaking a gap analysis of your customers and products. You can do it relatively simply by looking at those customers that: Have only bought once Have only bought certain products and services but not others Have only purchased at a certain value level Once you have this information, you can then devise offers and solutions to communicate to customers in order to encourage them to purchase further from your business. Do you know all of your potential customers? In big companies, there could be multiple decision makers in different departments or for different product groups or brands all with individual budget authority. Have you asked for referrals? Have you tried to communicate with other potential buyers within the same company or group? People are time-poor and they aren’t always thinking about you and your products. So, always make a point of asking the referral question if they’re happy with you and your services. Be a problem solver, not a problem maker Customers don’t exist to make your life difficult. They don’t purposely give you grief. But, sometimes they have pressures that make them act and react in certain ways that promote challenges for your business. So, try to be a problem solver. Try to deal with issues swiftly and proactively so that they feel that you’re taking their concerns and requirements seriously. It has been well documented that a positive solution to a problem will ensure that customers are more loyal to you than before the problem occurred. Anticipate needs Anticipating needs isn’t necessarily straightforward, especially if you have hundreds or thousands of customers. You can’t sit everyone down and work through every possible need in the future. However, this does require you to understand your marketplace and the types of things that customers need now and going forward. Change is constant. And, that could be industry specific, technological or legislative or even social change. What can you do to fashion a new service offering around these drivers that could add value to your customers? Be a trusted adviser Giving customers advice should be par for the course these days especially in higher value sales. Become a trusted adviser if you can. Be someone that clients can rely on and who they come to for input. If they see you in that way, the sale is much easier to close when you have something new to promote to them. Ultimately, people still buy people and trust is an essential component of any higher value purchase. Make your website a magnet Don’t forget the value of your website to customers as well as for prospects. Old-style, brochure sites don’t work anymore either for customers or search engines. You need interesting and engaging content that informs, educates and thereby entices customers to come back. If a customer can find stuff out on your website that, at the same time, enhances their impression of your business and the value it adds to them, you’re in a good position to sell more to them. You’ll be more likely to be their first choice when it comes to fulfilling their business needs. At the end of the day, it's important to remember that we're still in the people business even in the internet age. Therefore, you need to focus externally on your customer needs rather than internally and you’ll sell more to current customers. If you’d like to know more about how GSA can help with customer contact activity or inbound enquiry management, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Basics of How to improve Customer Service? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-basics-of-how-to-improve-customer-service/ Published: 2017-08-16 > How hard can it be to give good customer service? I don’t think that’s an unreasonable question. So, why do some people and organisations fail so badly? And, why do we keep letting them get away with things? When you consider how important service is to retention and profits, it's amazing how badly some large well-known companies get it wrong. Check out our blog for more. How hard can it be to give good customer service? I don’t think that’s an unreasonable question. So, why do some people and organisations fail so badly? And, why do we keep letting them get away with things? There’s the famous viral video of United Breaks Guitars that has had 17m views on YouTube. And, United Airlines put their foot firmly in their mouth again recently dragging a doctor off a flight who failed to ‘volunteer’ to make way for staff to take his seat. Yet, will passengers stop flying United altogether? Probably not. And, despite the fact that their share price dropped sharply in the wake of the awful incident, fast forward a few months and the price was higher than previously. Check out our blog on the True Cost of Lapsed Customers It’s not hard to get the basics right My own experience a few weeks ago serves to show that it isn’t just United Airlines that fail customers. Easyjet canceled my flight from Edinburgh to Luton on a Friday evening and couldn’t get me on another Luton flight until the following Monday or Tuesday. So, they put me on a flight to Stansted whereupon I need to get a taxi to Luton to collect my car. I was advised to claim for the expenses and compensation. Simply put, EasyJet refused both claims. For the flight, they advised that it was due to weather. However, the crew and Captain both advised that it was down to staff sickness. For the expenses, they claimed that their ground crew had organised meals and transportation. Neither of these things was remotely true. First, I received no voucher for a meal and secondly, unless they personally know Herts Cars, they most certainly did not call and book my £75 taxi. What’s more, as things stand, it’s more than two weeks since they last responded to my emails! (UPDATE: Finally, after 6 weeks and inumerable calls, EasyJet agreed to pay for my taxi and meal) Check out our 20 Customer Service Tips to Grow Profitability Customer service is about people, not systems Of course, airlines are alone in letting customers down. I was recently running training for a client and drove to a new venue on a large business estate that I’d never been to before in Cambridge. At the barrier, I pressed ‘call’ and the attendant answered. I asked for the Business Centre and he asked me to drive round to the other barrier for 'visitors'. I, therefore, had to back up (necessitating two other cars to do likewise) and drive across 5 metres to the other barrier where he told me in no uncertain terms that, in future, I needed to use ‘this barrier’ as the other entrance (to the exact same area) is for office residents. I told him I’d never visited before and he pointed out that there was a sign that I should have seen. The term jobs-worth springs to mind. I was listening to my music and contemplating my day when I saw two equivalent barriers. He could have advised in the first instance that the other barrier was the right one in future but he could simply have raised the barrier for me which was at his discretion. Check out our blog on Turning Lapsed Customers into a Profitable Revenue Stream Is the problem individuals or organisations? We all must have experienced countless other examples. You have to wonder whether it’s about people or organisations or both. For me, it starts with having the right people in the right roles. From there, it comes down to empowerment. At the same location, the super chap who provided the catering was an absolute delight. Nothing was too much trouble. I learned that he works 6 days per week and does evening work to supplement his income. Yet, a smile was always on his face throughout my two days at the venue. The fact is that some people have a ‘can do’, customer-focused, solution-oriented attitude and some don’t. Is it psychology? Is it environment? Is it background, education, experience or training? I believe it comes down to what’s inside the individual. Of course, we’re shaped by all manner of experiences both personal and corporate. Having the right management in place to encourage good practice is a start. But, that means nothing without individuals with the right attitude. When I was young, I supplemented my income by working At Freeman Hardy Willis shoe shop on a Saturday serving people with smelly feet and smelly attitudes. I worked at a bakery early Sunday mornings too. I gained my hard work ethic from my parents who worked hard all their lives. I carried this through to my corporate life. Before voicemail and call patching, when I started work, if a phone was ringing, I’d be the first to pick it up. I didn’t wait for others. Everyone is busy but someone has to take action or customers suffer. Watch our video on how often to engage with customers Attitude first and empowerment second If an organisation truly values its customers, it has to recruit staff by attitude first. Positive and supportive employees significantly contribute to sales and retention. A smile drives customer recommendations. And, in a world of social media, customers share good and bad service rapidly with their networks. You can train skills but the right attitude is paramount. Empathy and the ability to build rapport are essential components of good service. Effective communication and swift decision-making can mean the difference between success and failure and higher or lower profits. We’ve all heard about ‘going the extra mile’ but what does that mean in your job and for your customers? For a start, it certainly doesn’t mean coming across as robotic and intransigent. It doesn’t mean ignoring customers and telling lies. I’m not saying that we don’t all have bad days that make us less likely to be upbeat and less likely to want to help others. Of course we do. But, the propensity to serve and provide solutions not obstacles defines a good employee, good customer service and a good organisation with which customers will want to engage and from which they will want to purchase time and time again. EasyJet and United Airlines take note! If you’d like to know more about how GSA can help with Customer Service, inbound enquiry management or book a short customer service course, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Create Certainty in an Uncertain world Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-create-certainty-in-an-uncertain-world/ Published: 2017-07-11 > Uncertainty is the new norm. There is a feeling of uncertainty all around us. We live in uncertain times. The key question is what to do about it. Do you bury your head in the sand and moan woe is me? Or, do you control what you can control and take positive action? In this article, we look at a few of the things you can do to influence growth for you and for your business. Uncertainty is the new norm There is a feeling of uncertainty all around us. We live in uncertain times. We have Brexit and we need to work out what the implications are for our business and personal circumstances. There's a rise of nationalism across the globe. The rise of America (and other nation states) First. Power struggles between east and west. Instability across the globe. There's a wave of rejectionist and anti-establishment feeling in many places where people are voting with their feet against the status quo and against austerity and for change. We have increasing inflation and a national (global) debt that isn't decreasing. Worryingly, there's a disaffected youth and a lack of true leadership with a plan. The recent general election has hardly helped. In the UK, we have a hung parliament with no mandate, and especially no mandate for Brexit negotiations, in particular, can lead to paralysis. None of this can be good for business and it leads to uncertainty for everyone that may well lead to lower consumption. And, for GDP to grow and the government coffers to swell with tax revenues, we need consumption. Without growth, social and infrastructure policies cannot work. It’s not all doom and gloom Phew. I’m glad I got that off my chest. But, it’s not all doom and gloom. In the UK, growth is still predicted albeit at a slower rate than in the past few years. Even in the worst of economic times (perhaps The Great Depression aside), people prosper. Not everyone, I grant you. But individuals and businesses still need stuff. Against this backdrop, companies must continue trading. Business owners and managers need to make important decisions that will affect business and personal prosperity. This, in turn, impacts on workers' jobs and individual prosperity. Sadly, no one holds all of the cards. No one has all the answers. Politicians don't know and economists don't know. They can make educated guesses but, we've seen all too regularly on recent times, those predictions can be wrong. In the last recession, predominantly as a consequence of business customers and consumers tightening their belts, small businesses cut back to protect what profit they had. They were in survival mode. Sadly, many didn't survive. However, the world we live in today is different. There has been a proliferation of smaller businesses that are more nimble and less reliant on one source for supply and business. Technology has enabled businesses to compete more efficiently with less overhead. Tips for an Uncertain World So, what should small business owners do? Below are our tips for survival in an uncertain world. 1.Work out a plan This expression is so overused that it almost becomes boring. However, if you don't know how to get to your destination, how will you get there? Even if you're headed by car to Scotland from London, if you head north, you're more likely to reach the Scottish border than if you head south from the outset. And, when you reach Scotland, you may well arrive at somewhere lovely for a stopover. The point is that you need clarity of objective and destination. That means sales targets, profits and a whole host of other indicators to assess whether your business is on track. You won't be able to control all of the variables but if you stick your head in the sand, you certainly won't see the way ahead. So, start your plan today. 2. Look for opportunities There are several questions that you might ask to help focus the mind on potential sources of opportunities. These include: Where can you most successfully compete? How can you define your target audience? Are there products and services you could cross-sell or upsell to current customers? Have you asked for referrals from current customers to people they know? Are there niches in which you operate where you could gain competitive advantage? Where do you stand out against your competitors in product or service terms? These are far from exhaustive. Sometimes, a SWOT analysis and/or PESTEL (Political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal) analysis can help to flush out some of these areas. So, perhaps have a brainstorming session with colleagues to shape your plan (see above) and to identify what you can do to take stimulate business opportunities. 3. Find ways to become more efficient Whilst this doesn't always mean cost-cutting, it does mean concentrating on more effective activities and finding ways to make activities more effective. What makes the difference? What are priority tasks? It is often said that we shouldn't sweat the small stuff. It's easy to become distracted but, in uncertain times, it becomes even more important to focus on what drives, sales, margins, and profitability. Focus on your customers and these aspects of your business and you won't go far wrong. That means also looking at automation. That should never take the place of human contact, especially where your value of sale demands person to person interaction. However, look at ways that you can become more efficient and enhance customer contact through automation and technology. That could mean a CRM system to improve communication or marketing automation to ensure customers are updated via email newsletters and the like or live chat on your website. Whatever it is for your business, use technology to support growth in your business. 4. Find ways to add value What additional aspects to what you offer adds the most value to clients? Do you alleviate pressure on their workload? Do you provide information that’s essential for their operation? Does what you provide make your project sponsor look good to his or her peers? Work out what adds value and you’ll be more likely to be seen as a trusted adviser. At GSA, we provide great reporting that is shared on Google Drive so customers are always in control and always have everything at their fingertips. That means we de-risk the solution compared to many competitors that are less transparent. Of course, great results and products that do what they say they should are vital. But, identify what else adds value and your client retention will be much higher. How can you give truly great service that builds advocates, not customers? If you find out how to do that and do it consistently, you’ll also gain more word of mouth recommendation and lower your costs of new customer acquisition. 5. Do your research I don’t necessarily mean market research. However, I am a bit of a research freak. I believe that businesses should understand their marketplace. That means both their customers and competitors and triggers and impacts on the business. For example, there is new data protection legislation coming in 2018 that will impact marketing providers. We need to know about that. And, social media has had a huge impact on communication in our world. Likewise, how happy are your clients? Periodic formal customer satisfaction research can inform all manner of decisions and make customers feel loved. An independent research exercise will also flush out issues that customers would never tell a sales person face to face. Do it early enough and regularly enough (perhaps twice a year) and you’ll generally pick up issues before the damage is done. 6. Focus on growth Sound simple doesn’t it. The fact is that, in uncertain times, your competitors may be less active. There may also be less business floating around to share out. That means it’s the survival of the fittest. We spoke above about looking for opportunities. It’s also about being proactive and identifying those marketing and sales activities that deliver growth. My role is marketing and business development. Therefore, my priorities are very clear. These include for example: Making my designated new business calls every day and not missing any Emailing those prospects and customers I haven’t reached every day Posting a LinkedIn and Twitter update every morning upon arriving at the office Religiously writing a blog every Tuesday morning Shooting 2 new videos every month Attending a relevant networking event with a good speaker at least twice a month Researching new marketing tools and methods once a week 7. Build your network and become social Today's world is all about peer networks. And, word of mouth has gone online. You only have to look at the strength of networks such as Facebook and Linkedin amongst many others to understand that we live in a world where we do two things consistently, namely 'ask a friend' and Google for information. Therefore, it's imperative that you build networks so your customers can find you. Make sure that your business network on LinkedIn is the right profile. Make sure your profile itself is robust. And, connect, connect, connect. Support that by providing useful content that you post regularly on the networks where your customers are present. That way, you're more likely to reach them either directly or through others sharing your messages. But, don't forget that it isn;t about 'sales' messages. As mentioned above, it's about adding value. So, produce 'How to' guides and answer questions that concern your prospective customers. By doing so, you'll magnify your credibility, extend your reach and, potentially, access a wider audience for your services. Sadly, due to time, there are lots of things I don’t do but we all have to prioritise. And, I prioritise business development activities that I feel will support growth. What do you do to ensure the same? What are you doing to create more certainty in these uncertain times? GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Buy a Good Marketing List Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-buy-a-good-marketing-list/ Published: 2017-07-04 > How to buy a good marketing list for your lead generation? That’s a question our clients often ask us. The reason is simple. If you get it wrong, it could seriously derail your marketing efforts. So, what are the main criteria to consider? And, what aspects should you look at when evaluating which companies and contacts to target? Read our blog and watch our video for the main things to consider when making the decision. https://youtu.be/QBBRdpqu8ik How to buy a good marketing list? There are a number of factors involved in buying a customer list that's fit for purpose. Check out our video for the main ones to consider to ensure your marketing campaign gets off to the best start possible. How to buy a good marketing list for your lead generation? That’s a question our clients often ask us. The reason is simple. If you get it wrong, it could seriously derail your marketing efforts. So, what are the main criteria to consider? And, what aspects should you look at when evaluating which companies and contacts to target? Turnover Turnover is important to some organisations, but not to all, when deciding whether the prospect is a good target. Ultimately, you need to get the right size of organisation for your campaign. There’s no point going for tiddlers if you need a multi-national or multi-site organisation to warrant the cost of your products or services. Employee numbers Maybe, the number of employees is a better guide to finding the right list for your business than turnover. Or, perhaps both are equally important. It may be that many of the particular company’s employees work on the road. If you offer handheld devices to help them do their job, maybe that’s important. But, if you offer office workplace services then it may not be pertinent. For example, The AA has a large number of employees but many are in vans all day helping customers with their vehicle breakdowns. Likewise, Debenhams has thousands of employees but a large proportion of work in retail stores. Location Do customers need to be local for you to be able to service their needs? How far afield can the targets be located? Can you trade effectively overseas or do prospects need to be closer to home? We recently had a client that only wanted to work within the City of London and even to the extent that he only wanted HR managers companies in the Square Mile around Fleet Street. Equally, we’ve had clients that will work anywhere since they operate a remote service for customers. Do customers need to meet you before they buy? If so, how far are you and your sales team prepared travel? Sector Many businesses work in defined sectors while others don’t have industry specialisation. You can go for SIC (Standard Industry Classification) codes or simply look at different types of organisation. How the data is gathered and segmented depends on the list provider you select. There are lots of options and it makes sense to spend some time to identify the sectors that would be most likely to purchase your products and services. Job Function But it isn’t just industry that’s important. There’s no point in offering food hygiene services to someone who works in IT even if it’s in the sector you want. Therefore, you need to marry up the sector and the correct decision maker that might purchase your services. And, what level of seniority do you need? Most business people would say the more senior the better but it depends on the size of the company and the level of decision-making and budget authority. Equally, it may be that you need a service user, specifier or someone else within the organisation with the knowledge to understand the need for your services. They may be your ‘champion’s that will sell your solution through their company and be your primary point of contact. At the same time, they may not be the budget holder and you, therefore, need to decide where to target. Buying from a broker Many marketing managers buy data from a broker. Even with specialist brokers, there are some things you may want to think about. First, do they provide company lists or contact lists? In some companies, you may wish to speak to more than one decision-maker or influencer. However, in other cases, it may be that you just need one decision-maker per organisation. Purchasing just one contact per company keeps your costs down but, if you don’t know the best person to target, it may be sensible to buy multiple contacts so you can target them one by one until you find the right person. Suppression for opt-outs You must comply with your obligations under data protection and other regulations. Therefore, select a broker that routinely offers screened data when you buy the list. Even if the broker does this, don’t forget that you need to screen the data again for further opt-outs every 28 days. You can see how to do this here. Costs Clearly, the more data you order, the lower the cost may be. Most data providers have minimum charges and you may need to order large quantities to see any discounted prices. Single or multiple uses Cost will also be a factor in whether you go for a one-off use of the data, multiple use over 12 months or outright purchase. There are pros and cons for each option. If you’re planning lots of campaigns including via post, email and phone you may want to purchase the data outright or at least go for 12 months unlimited use. If it’s a one-off campaign and cost is an issue, then single use may be more appropriate for your needs. Data is the lifeblood of any marketing campaign and getting it right will ensure you get off to a great start and avoid wasting time and money. So, make sure you devote sufficient time up front to identifying the right source of data for your needs. If you don’t, you’ll almost certainly find that you fail to hit your targets. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How Fast do you have to Respond to Inbound Inquiries? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-fast-do-you-have-to-respond-to-inbound-enquiries/ Published: 2017-06-27 > Sales are the lifeblood of all businesses. And, if prospective customers come to you as opposed to you having to search for them, it’s good news not least since inbound enquiries represent your lowest cost of acquisition. But, if your business is fortunate enough to receive a steady stream of opportunities knocking on your door, how fast do you have to respond to inbound enquiries? Check out our video oand blog for ways to ensure that you don't miss opportunities. How Fast Do I need to Respond to Enquiries If you don't respond quickly to inbound inquiries, you'll quickly lose opportunities to grow your business. The early bird catches the worm and you enhance your brand and sales by acting fast. See www.telemarketing.blog for lots more sales and telemarketing tips Sales are the lifeblood of all businesses. And, if prospective customers come to you as opposed to you having to search for them, it’s good news not least since inbound inquiries represent your lowest cost of acquisition. But, if your business is fortunate enough to receive a steady stream of opportunities knocking on your door, how fast do you have to respond to inbound inquiries? Do you receive 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 inquiries each day? Do they come in from different channels? Maybe a good proportion of your leads come via customers filling in ‘contact us’ forms on your website. Others, perhaps, are received via email. Prospects can also, of course, pick up the phone to contact your organisation. With the above in mind, how efficiently do you respond to those inquiries? Customers that seek your business out are gold dust compared to the effort and cost involved to reach them through other methods of marketing. Therefore, it would be a crime to let these prime opportunities go to waste. The 5-minute rule Can you answer ever inquiry within 5 minutes? Hopefully, some inquiries are dealt with immediately. You don’t want to create frustration when a customer makes a telephone call only for them to be told that no-one is available to take their call. That allows them the time to phone one of your competitors. The quicker you respond, the more likely you will be to convert the opportunity to business. The reason is simple. Suppliers that respond promptly demonstrate that they take customers seriously. The look professional and come across as a business that wants to do business as opposed to an organisation that is lacklustre and under-resourced. In that way, fast response significantly enhances your brand image by dealing with inbound enquiries professionally. Managing leads through one source Getting it right is only really possible when leads come into one source. When inbound enquiry management is fragmented, it becomes more difficult to handle. You need to speedily prioritise those opportunities that are warm as opposed to those that either may be a slow burn or ultimately those that are not genuine ‘ready to buy’ leads. Good sales people are busy (and expensive) and, feeding them warm leads and not tyre-kickers will drive growth in your business. Why not leave it 10 or 20 minutes to get back to a prospective customer? The fact is that the early bird catches the worm. You’ll show you’re on the ball and enhance your reputation at the same time. So, what do steps do you need to take? Track and record every inquiry that comes in Measure response times Ensure you have a dedicated team to respond Profile the leads so that they’re categorised by warmth and relevance To be able to run inbound lead management effectively in this way, you need to ensure you have processes and systems to do so. That means using a robust marketing CRM database to handle the leads and training your team to handle the process in a way that promotes your business rather than puts the customer into the hands of your arch rivals If you don’t have the internal resource to do this efficiently, give GSA a call and we can help. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We provide services such as inbound inquiry management and b2b appointment setting and lead generation. If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 8 Success Hacks for Telemarketing Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/8-success-hacks-for-telemarketing-lead-generation/ Published: 2017-06-06 > Telemarketing is hard enough without failing due to poor technique and approaches. So we've compiled 8 success hacks for telemarketing lead generation success. See how you compare in terms of your preparation and readiness to undertake a successful lead generation campaign using telemarketing. Telemarketing is hard enough without failing due to poor technique and approaches. So we've compiled 8 success hacks for telemarketing lead generation success. See how you compare in terms of your preparation and readiness to undertake a successful lead generation campaign using telemarketing. Work hard on your audience We just need a list, don't we? That's often the kind of thing inexperienced telemarketers say. Or, it's the approach that management takes to undertaking outbound calling. It most certainly isn't just a list that's required. If you want to be successful at telemarketing, you need to do work on your database to identify who you're calling. This means not least: keeping customer databases up to date deciding on the target audience in terms of job function, type and size of the organisation, location and so on identifying the best source of fresh data e.g. Building data yourself or asking a company like GSA to do it for you or purchase from a reputable list broker Make plenty of calls There’s no getting away from it. Even if you work hard on your audience, some targets just won’t be at their desk when you call. We always say that you won't do any business with companies and decision makers you don't attempt to contact. If you're fortunate enough to have lots of prospects beating a path to your door, that's great. But, this article is for those that aren't so lucky. If that's the case, you need to build up a head of steam to be successful. You'll meet lots of rejection. Even the best telemarketers have to deal with rejection and handle objections. You will get wrapped up in IVR loops on big companies. Those same organisations will have layers of gatekeepers in our way. So, aside for techniques to deal as best you can with these obstacles, you need to make enough calls to succeed. That means around 15-20 calls per hour or 100 calls per day and enough days calling each week/month to drive enough conversations that lead to sales opportunities. Avoid tired opening lines You won't get far, once you reach you target decision maker if your opening line is predictable and scripted to within an inch of its life. It’s crucial that you build rapport from the outset. Whilst you need structure and you need to represent your company appropriately, the opening line needs to be engaging. There are lots of techniques for opening lines (new blog), and it absolutely depends on the kind of calls you're making. I favour an approach where you give perceived power to the decision maker. I like to ask for permission. That means an opener such as 'I'm not sure this is relevant but......'. That sounds less like a pushy telemarketer and less like all the other callers. I then follow this up with something that is hopefully compelling (your key message and benefit) and leverage using appropriate companies we work with in order to name drop and make the prospect feel they're in good company. Once again, this isn't the only approach, and it has to suit your style, but you do need to build rapport from the start, especially if the value of the potential sale is high. Turn your message into a WOW This isn't easy. What's going to make the customer jump out of their seat and shout hallelujah the messiah has arrived? In truth, there aren't many ways to build excitement into you call. Part of the wow is you. Your attitude carries weight. Strength of conviction motivates. Energy attracts. If you can find something that supports your efforts, all the better. Work out what challenges your customer might have. Are there big issues I their marketplace that need addressing with which you can help? Whatever it is, try to differentiate yourself and your offering from your competitors by being upbeat and saying something that resonates fast. Ask lots of good questions Questioning techniques are crucial since they: enable you to stop talking and listen encourage the prospect to speak to get a better conversational flow allow you to unearth key pieces of information direct the discussion towards areas of interest stop you sounding like most other telemarketers build rapport and trust Good questions generally support effective selling so spend time on these in advance of any calling activity Qualify to identify genuine prospects Plan your questions in advance. We pull together a set of profiling questions (to evaluate whether the person/company is a bona fide prospect) and solution selling questions (to scope the need and inform the next stage of the sales process). In an ideal world, your list building process will eradicate prospective targets that don't fit your requirements. However, that's not always possible and sometimes you can only do this through conversation. At that point, therefore, you need to ask the right questions to evaluate feasibility. These could include: Number of sites Types and number of machines Number of staff Current suppliers Level of problems with the current approach Do they do things in-house or outsource There are likely to be key qualification questions specific to your business so spend time working on the key ones and intersperse them in your conversation. Conversations not presentations A conversation with a prospect is a dialogue. It's not a presentation or monologue. No one responds to being talked at. You won't have long on the phone if this is how you do it. So, try to ensure that the flow of discussion is at least 50:50. Sadly, all too often, it's more like 90:10 and the prospect then hangs up. The key to effective telemarketing is building rapport. At higher values of sale, you won’t get far if you haven’t established credibility and trust with your prospect. So, don’t think of the first part of the call as a presentation of what you do. Think of it as the time to establish rapport so you can get to a point where the prospect asks you to explain more. But, even then, don’t launch into a pitch or list of features and what you do. Think customer first and position what you do in terms of their needs and Build to a close - suggest a demo, call, meeting What’s your end game? What outcome do you require from the call? It sounds blindingly obvious. However, too many telemarketers are too easily side-tracked either by a busy buyer or through enjoying the ‘chat’ but missing the opportunity to close it out. Ultimately, if insufficient sales leads are generated, insufficient sales will be the result. Of course, the leads need to be worthwhile. No sales person wants to trek a significant distance only for the prospect to say ‘I’ve no idea why you’re here’. However, if you wait for every prospect opportunity to be absolutely perfect, you may be waiting for some time. The first objective of cold calling is to identify the opportunity and qualify its level of warmth. Speculative meetings can work really well and create lots of potential business if they’re with the right size and type of prospect. Not every prospect will divulge every detail of their requirement on the phone. Hence, a foot in the door with the right people can lead to great long-term business. So, you need to start with the end in mind. Tell them you’d like to meet or set up a time for one of your team to do a demo. Invite them to whatever seminar or event you’re running. Ask for the meeting or at least ask for a time to call back if the prospect profile fits your internal requirements. That’s where you build your sales pipeline. I often use the following line if there is no immediate need as long as the prospect is relevant for us. “When's a good time to speak again....?” Even if the prospect says “I’ll call you”, I typically say “ That’s great. I’ll give you a call in X weeks if I haven’t heard. Is that okay?” 9 times out of 10 the prospect will agree and it prevents a subsequent conversation which kicks off with the prospect saying “I said I’d call you…” And, don’t forget to formalise the appointment. If you don’t there is a much bigger risk of the sales person arriving to an absent prospect. Send a calendar diary invitation. Ping over a confirmation email. And consider asking an important question to make the appointment sound more important or urgent.  “Do you believe is there’s any reason why you might not be able to make it because..... “. This just tests out the warmth and willingness to meet. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Database Marketing is Sexy & you Know it Source: https://telemarketing.blog/database-marketing-is-sexy-you-know-it/ Published: 2017-05-30 > Analysis, target market segmentation and audience profiling are crucial tools in your fight for market share and more business. You might not believe that data is fun or sexy but what it provides in terms of insight may be the difference between success and failure of your marketing efforts. Read our blog for more information. Don’t think Database Profiling & Segmentation is sexy or important? Check out these mind-boggling facts on Forbes. Data is all around us and making sense of data as it relates to your business is one of your most important tasks. So, maybe sexy isn’t the right word. Talking about data and segmentation is pretty much the last topic you'd expect when it comes to the high energy world of sales and marketing. We’d run a mile at a party if we got stuck with the data geek. However, we all want to learn about techniques to help us sell more and tips for becoming a better salesperson. We want to know which marketing tools to use to generate more leads. And, we do want to discuss bang for buck and ROI when spending our marketing budgets. Critical Tools for Marketing But, the reality is that analysis, target market segmentation and audience profiling are crucial tools in your fight for market share and more business. Let's keep it simple for a moment. If you fire at a target that's in a different place to where you're aiming, you're unlikely to hit the bullseye. That's the point. You need to refine your aim until you identify where to identify and reach your most lucrative potential customers. Big Data is Here Big data is a term that’s bandied around a lot in marketing circles. But, what does it mean? It relates to large data sets that are analysed to reveal the trend in human behaviour and interactions that can be used to support business and marketing decision-making. Want to see some interesting (no, honestly, they are!) facts about big data? You see, you can be the best in the world but if you don't target the right prospects, then you won't sell to potential new customers. Equally, you won’t be able to drive as much value out of your current customers if you’re unable to identify and segment them in such a way as to allow you to refine your target marketing. Market Scoping helps you grow your business So, your start point for lead generation must be to scope your market. If you're just starting out, you maybe need to do some homework on the likely best targets. If you've got a large customer list and bags of experience, do some analysis on your customer database to determine the best place to target. And, you need to delve deeper than just looking at type of customer. For example, perhaps you know where most of your customers come from in terms of location. Maybe you know the size in terms of turnover or number of employees. Perhaps there are other criteria. But, which segment is the most profitable? Do some work to establish the costs associated with servicing those segments and customers. You may find sub-segments that are or become, your sweet spot that gives you your best ROI. Identify key Criteria List brokers offer any number of criteria from which you can choose in order to get to a marketing list for outbound marketing. But, it isn't just about outbound. Inbound marketing is inherently less costly and those customers that approach you, rather than the other way around, are more likely to close. So, where do you go to find them? If you don't know who they are, that is a task that could be impossible. So, one of your primary marketing and sales tasks is to analyse your marketplace as much as you can. The problem is that this exercise is likely to flush out one potential problem i.e. How complete is the data you hold on your customers? We've done several exercises for customers to either build target databases for them or to validate and enhance existing databases. That allows them to better segment and, subsequently, undertake targeted marketing campaigns. A good example of the challenge was for one of our customers in the charity sector. They had 3 potential target decision makers for a particular campaign. And, their job functions were quite diverse I.e. HR director, sales director and the manager for Corporate Social Responsibility. Clearly, these decision makers have different responsibilities and very different motivations. The same message won't work with each. Without clarity on who is the decision maker at the most basic level, any marketing campaign will inevitably fall short. Profiling Current Customers The same can be said of outbound marketing to existing customers if the database hasn't been kept up to date. This is very much a false economy. Undertaking a database validation exercise may require some internal or external resource and investment to maintain the integrity of large customer database but it's worth it. We recently undertook a sizeable piece of work for a client that involved targeting 30,000 customers in around 15,000 organisations in the UK, across Europe and as far as the USA. The quality of the data was questionable at best and it slowed down the calling due to the poor quality of the information on the system. That naturally reduced the relative effectiveness of the initial activity and cost significantly more due to the time involved. In addition, a separate exercise became necessary to validate some of the poorer data as we went along. What's more, the data wasn't segmented in any meaningful way to facilitate accurate targeting (e.g. larger customer first) which would have made the outcomes much more profitable. And, remember this was a customer database, not a prospect target list. Keeping Data Fresh Whilst profiling and segmentation are important, we are not saying it's easy. You have to find cost effective ways to keep data fresh. And, to some extent, it's a losing battle. In b2b, things change all the time. People leave roles. They get promoted. Companies merge and expand and individuals receive promotions and lose their jobs. Hence, it's impossible to constantly be on top of every company. Practical Steps for Success So, what are the steps you need to take? These include: 1. Put a stake in the ground Allocate some time, resource and funds to data and data management. Whether you do this internally or enlist external support for database validation and data building, to allow internal staff to focus on other tasks, it is important. 2. Devise a plan Understand what you need in terms of profiling and segmenting your current customer database and identifying new data for prospecting. You will almost inevitably have a new product or service launches over time or have other reasons to want to engage with your customers on a targeted basis rather than sending every piece of marketing communication to every customer. That’s an expensive way to do business. For that to be effective, you need good data that is profiled accurately and refreshed regularly. So, work out what you need to do and make this a routine task for your business. 3. Work out what data is critical You don't need to know everything about everyone and about every company. If company turnover isn't relevant, don't worry (albeit size is often linked to spending). However, work out what key pieces of information you need about customers and prospects that support your ability to segment them into groups for targeting. Don’t forget though, that any information you retain needs to be appropriate or you risk falling foul of new GDPR (data protection) rules coming into force in May 2018. This is particularly the case for consumer data but relates to us as individuals so you also need to take care of personal information related to people in a business context. Clearly, making sure that the decision maker you need is still in situ is imperative. Supplier changes are often led by new people in their post that want to make their mark. Make sure therefore that you have some consistent method for checking that your buyer is still in their job. That's all the more important when purchases are infrequent and your database is large. Your internal sales team cannot reach out to every customer and, as a consequence, things may change without you knowing. 4. Gather market intelligence Things change and data isn't static. New entrants to the marketplace shake up the existing status quo. Buyer priorities change. This means that you shouldn't neglect the need to profile your market by asking the right questions. We’re not talking about basic information like contact details here. This is more related to pieces of information that inform marketing and sales decision-making. It may be that number of employees is critical here. Or, it may be how long contract periods run for. Or, it could be specific information related to how the prospect or customer currently approaches a particular problem in their business. This is, to some extent, market research. We prefer to call this market insight since it isn't necessarily a formal research project but it is part of data building to allow better targeting e.g. contacting by telephone or sending an email to all of those customers coming up for renewal within 6 months or all customers with machinery that is > 5 years old. 5. Act on the findings There's no point doing a database validation exercise if you're not going to do something with it. This is where it gets sexy and you see your return on investment. If you gather the right info, keep your data clean and profile to allow better targeting, your marketing effectiveness will increase and your business will grow. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # What is Cold Calling? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/what-is-cold-calling/ Published: 2017-05-26 > What is cold calling? To those who've experienced a poorly scripted cold call, it has a negative connotation. But, many of the world's largest companies rely on the telephone to generate fresh sales opportunities. In this blog, we look at what is cold calling and some of the pros and cons. What is Cold Calling? We have the impression that Cold-Calling is a relatively recent term. However, according to The English Language & Usage Stack Exchange (a question and answer site for linguists and etymologists), there was a mention of cold-calling in The American Magazine in 1925 stating: . . I do need insurance.' He signed up forthwith for five thousand dollars. "I suppose you might call that opportunity a 'hunch.' I had no introduction to the man, no personal link of any kind. It was a cold call, and it won. But the phrase probably goes even further back. Once again, the same reference above states that it dates back to the 1800's. So, the principle of selling to other than warm prospects and customers has been around for longer than we thought. It’s logical really when you consider that since the dawn of trading, people have had to sell things to others. And, many of those people had not previously known of the availability of those products and services. Clearly, early traders transported and hawked their wares from place to place in search of new customers. Door-to-door selling, probably as cold as it gets, was common and gained popularity in the 70's. And, telephone cold-calling has mostly been with us since the eighties. Increasing challenges and restrictions Latterly, there have been more and more challenges and restrictions on the discipline of cold calling, especially over the telephone. These include: Increasing legislation such and The Data Protection Act 1998 (and its subsequent iterations including the new GDPR in May 2018) and The Consumer Contracts (formerly Distance Selling) regulations. Best practice guidelines from organisations such as the Direct Marketing Association Increases in the use of IVR routers and voicemail The stronger policing of cold calls through to opt-out preference service registers for businesses and consumers (CTPS/TPS) The significant increase in technology to screen and block cold calls The clutter we face every day in communication messages from every angle Cold calling gets a bad name Telephone cold-calling also doesn’t have the best of names with both consumers and businesses. The reasons behind this are probably quite straightforward: Unscrupulous sales tactics used by double-glazing and latterly PPI and accident claims sales people A proliferation of nuisance calls to vulnerable individuals The perception of calls that waste people’s time As a consequence of some of the abuses, authorities have become stricter especially when it comes to consumer calls. There are now substantial fines for those companies or individuals that seek to flout the law. It is illegal to cold call any individual that has either told the unsolicited caller to stop or registered their direct line with one of the preference services above. So, both technology and restrictions have made it harder to cut through if you’re a company that wants to use the phone to promote its business. We've also seen the advent of ‘newer’ forms of marketing including but not limited to email marketing and social media. These have, to some extent, taken the focus away from cold calling as a means of marketing. But there are plenty of benefits It’s fair to say though that the term cold calling has become synonymous with any form of telephone marketing. That’s probably unfair since there are many ways that the telephone can be used for marketing to great effect. And, it goes without saying that, if you can make a warm call as opposed to a cold one, it makes more sense to do so. Check out our blog on 10 ways to use telemarketing to grow your business. These include: Customer care and customer service calls that lead to new sales Customer calls for product launches and new services Up-sell and cross-sell for products that customers don’t currently purchase Following up inbound sales leads from other channels e.g. web enquiries Resuscitating lapsed customers or those from whom you haven’t heard for some time Not every sales call is cold and not every cold call is a nuisance. Some calls are directed at consumers and some at businesses. Equally, not every call is for direct selling or telesales purposes where the caller is trying to close a sale over the telephone. The impression is that they're trying to shoehorn the customer into buying something they don't need. A large proportion of outbound b2b calls are an exercise to profile a customer target database in order to undertake appointment setting and sales lead generation. This is where an opportunity is unearthed for more qualified members of the sales team to follow up for a  more in-depth conversation. Doing it correctly enhances rather than damages brands Likewise, not every caller is untrained and not all calls are scripted. Many of us have experienced poor quality, overly scripted calls often from offshore call centres. But, not all calls are like this. Companies like GSA strictly follow the guidelines laid down by legislation and best practice. Many calls are unscripted and conversational in nature and engage the prospective customer as opposed to alienating them from the outset. Unfortunately, cold calling has, to a great extent, become a generic term which is a shame since it carries with it a negative connotation that is not always warranted. From a commercial perspective, the big benefit of the use of telemarketing (as we prefer to call it) is that it is a proactive route to market. You don’t have to wait for prospects to come to you. Some of the largest companies in the world recognise that telephone marketing is a valid and effective way to market their products and services. They use this method of marketing to supplement other marketing tools and to amplify their success. Outbound telephone calling and follow-up is infinitely preferable to leaving things to chance. Carried out appropriately, it can generate significant numbers of sales opportunities and enhance brand image for those that deploy it properly. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to reach Millennials Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-reach-millennials/ Published: 2017-05-23 How to reach Millennials Half of today's workforce was born in the Internet age. Millennials know nothing before computers and they access information via peer networks. Social media is part of their daily lives. That has a profound impact on how we communicate with them as customers, suppliers and as employees. Coupled with the emergence of video and other content as information becomes more accessible on websites and social platforms, businesses have to adapt to this new world or disappear from search and buyer shortlists. In this webinar, we explore the implications and what to do. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are you Making Excuses for Insufficient Business Growth? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-you-making-excuses-insufficient-business-growth/ Published: 2017-05-15 > Look at yourself in the mirror. Are you making excuses for your lack of growth? You could be falling into a trap. Your competitors won't let outside issues distract them from growing their business. They're out there trying to generate new business and to grab market share. And, they're targeting your most valuable customers. Read our blog for more. Look at yourself in the mirror. Are you making excuses for your lack of growth? I don't mean your physical stature of course but your business stature. Do you look around you and say: Brexit is going to have implications for my business and we need to reign our spending back? There's a general election soon and we had better hang fire on marketing until we know the outcome We're not seeing as many referrals and incoming leads at the moment. Things must be slowing down. I could go on. If any of these sound familiar, beware. You could be falling into a trap. The thing is that many of your competitors won't let outside issues distract them from growing their business. They're out there trying to generate new business and to grab market share. And, they're contacting your customers. Focus forward not backwards It's not so long ago that we suffered the worst recession since the Great Depression. And, clouds haven't entirely gone away not least due to the levels of worldwide personal and government debt. We don't know what the future will bring both domestically, across the EU and further afield. However, one thing is certain. If you mope around crying woe is me, it won’t help. People buy people and if you’re not positive, it will rub off negatively on your sales efforts. If you stop taking calculated business risks, which include activity to drive sales, your own personal downturn may be inevitable. So, buckle up for the ride and put your foot on the gas rather than the brake. Control what you can, not what you can’t You see, the reality is that you can't steer the economy. You can't influence Euro negotiations. You can only steer your own course through whatever happens and you have to concentrate on what you can influence. That doesn't mean burying your head and ignoring what’s going on. You have to make sensible and reasoned business decisions. You need to evaluate the implications for your business. Aside from political changes, there are all manner of other things that can have an impact. For example: New data protection laws Increasing cyber attacks Greater use of social media for communication and marketing The changing workforce with Millennials overtaking Generation X An ageing population Auto-enrolment These all present challenges and opportunities dependent on where you stand. You need to plan. You need to look at your marketplace. And, you need to be brave. You need to take action. Inertia is your real enemy. Your business and personal life can never be totally devoid of risk. We all take measured risks every day. Work on the business How much time do you put into working on your business? That means looking at your business and areas for potential growth. It means evaluating your service or product portfolio. It means assessing opportunities for cross-selling and upsell to current customers. It's about identifying lapsing customers before they leave and doing something about it. It's about researching your target market for potential new customers. And, it's about looking carefully at marketing options and testing them to see what works. If the business just comes to you, perhaps you feel you're sitting pretty. But, are your customers exposed by any political, environmental, economic, social, technological or legislative changes? If so, do you need to spread your net more widely? Do you offer solutions for customer concerns? Every day is an opportunity to make positive decisions. Stuff happens. You have good days and bad days. Good months and bad months and, of course, good and bad years. It's your job to make sure that the bad days don't turn into bad months and the months into those bad years through paralysis. There's little doubt that you will have some failures along the way but inactivity means you'll end up being a business that ultimately watches things happen all around you. You'll be at bigger risk of decline than where you take positive action. Positive people are like a magnet and good things happen to them. So, stop making excuses for insufficient business growth? Focus on lead generation. Go get ‘em tiger! And, if you really believe that you have an excuse for failure, check this video out and you'll learn you can do anything to which you set your mind. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How Often Should Companies Engage with their Customers? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-often-should-companies-engage-with-their-customers/ Published: 2017-05-10 > Big companies might be surprised to find that customers are falling out of love with them. Perhaps, possibly without them realising, their lapsed customer list is growing. The larger your database, the more challenging it is to keep in touch with your customers and to keep your database up to date. A customer retention strategy is crucial. Read our blog and watch our video for tips.  Big companies might be surprised to find that customers are falling out of love with them. Perhaps, possibly without them realising their lapsed customer list is growing bigger by the day. In your busy business life, full of competing priorities, perhaps you aren't aware of the timeframe between your last customer contact. The larger your database, the more challenging it is to keep in touch with your customers and to keep your database up to date. Things change and people change. They get promoted, move jobs internally and leave. New buyers come in that may have never heard of your business. They often bring with them suppliers from their old job with whom they're used to dealing. Your customer data is probably your most important asset so it's crucial to keep it fresh. That's all the more relevant when you consider the level of change going on daily in most organisations. And, we have to recognise that the day job kicks in. We're busy people dealing with what's in front of us. He who shouts loudest also often gets our attention first. Therefore, some sales and customer care calls can fall by the wayside. The problem is that keeping data up to date is no simple task. As a consequence, customer attrition can slip under the radar. That's especially the case for those customers that perhaps aren't found in the A category or those you don't classify as 'key accounts'. But, it can be really powerful if you get it right. Below are a couple of examples using two of our recent clients. A Global Chemical company that made a product acquisition Though this significant change in their business, they gained a further 16,000 customers that they needed to contact within a short timeframe with a clearly defined message. A leading UK incentive company The Christmas period is absolutely crucial for this organisation in terms of business sales. This is not only for current customers but also for those customers to whom they hadn't spoken for some time. In both cases above, the organisations had internal resource but couldn't mobilise fast enough to take advantage of the opportunities. GSA helped them by segmenting and profiling their customer list. We: identified those customers that intended to purchase identified those that were not going to buy built the sales pipeline for those that were considering a purchase at a later date cleaned and researched the data to provide them with a more targeted database for future marketing. Armed with this type of customer insight, businesses can target their customers more precisely, regularly and at precisely the right time. This can increase revenue and, of course, you're saving money by not investing in sales and marketing resource to those customers that aren't interested or who have simply gone away. For the companies above, the results were as follows: 1. A confirmed order value of over £2m at their most critical time and vital information on lapsed customers compared to the year before. 2. We opened up 2500 new accounts. Remember, if you have a large customer database and you're not speaking to your customers regularly, they may well be talking to one of your competitors. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Telemarketing & SEO – A Match Made in Business Heaven Source: https://telemarketing.blog/telemarketing-seo-a-match-made-in-business-heaven/ Published: 2017-05-03 > Search engine optimisation is a key part of any business strategy, and when combined with telemarketing, it can help to guarantee marketing success and greater lead generation. Telemarking and SEO combined is a recipe for lead generation success. Check out how it works in our blog. Search engine optimisation is a key part of any business strategy. When combined with telemarketing, it can help to guarantee marketing success and greater lead generation.  Telemarking and SEO combined is a recipe for lead generation success. When it comes to raising awareness and generating leads, it's important that you can get your website seen and your calls heard. SEO and telemarketing essentially have the same objective: to generate leads that can effectively be turned into conversions. Ultimately the more marketing methods combined and utilised effectively, the more successful your overall marketing campaign will be. How can SEO and telemarketing work together to generate more leads for your business? SEO and Telemarketing – The Perfect Combination First of all, an effective SEO marketing campaign makes your business more visible in the search engines. This results in more traffic to your website. The outcome should be more leads and enquiries. That's assuming that your website is attractive and has appropriate calls to action and data capture forms on your key landing pages. Telemarketing can work alongside your by SEO handling these new enquiries and then further qualifying the leads as hot prospects, or not. The worst thing that can happen, once you've spent time and money on effective SEO techniques, is that the leads fall by the wayside. That often occurs through inefficient or tardy follow-up. The early bird catches the worm so to speak. Once qualified, the leads can then be handed over to your sales team. It's important to provide them with all the relevant details and an open door to the decision maker. This will save your sales team’s time and resources and improve conversion. Of course, telemarketing also generates new leads. A well-planned SEO marketing strategy can be essential to support that lead generation process. Prospects will often search online for proof. They may receive a cold call but then Google equivalent suppliers using a relevant search term to see if your business appears on Page 1. For example, if we contact a business on behalf of client promoting their invention of ‘sparkly widgets’, the business may then search online for ‘sparkly widgets’ – if they then find a link to our client’s website at the top of the rankings, this acts as reinforcement and proof of our client’s position in the marketplace and credibility for that service or product. When this occurs, it can have a very positive effect on the success of the telemarketing campaign. It can take several 'contacts' with a supplier's business before a customer may purchase (e.g. via the website, in search results, on social media, through a meeting at an event or via a cold call) so an effective telemarketing call and high SEO ranking support the business development process. SEO For Brand Reputation Management This brings us to a third way that telemarketing and SEO work together to boost your company’s sales. SEO can help to boost your online visibility and strengthen your online brand reputation. This makes sure that online search results reflect the image and reputation you want to present about your company. Research shows that businesses increasingly look online for reviews of B2B suppliers and services before they consider engaging with those companies. They will do an online search on the web or check out what customers are saying on social media. What happens if negative reviews come up first in the search engine results? You can use SEO as part of a brand reputation management strategy to boost positive reviews and thus push negative ones further down the search engine result pecking order. Then, when consumers search for you on online after receiving a telemarketing call or if they come across your company in the search engines before contacting you, SEO helps protect you from any negative PR being seen by the potential prospect. Why it matters At GSA Business Development, we recognise just how important new lead generation is to growing your business. Both SEO and telemarketing have roles to play in driving more leads into your business. Both are valid ways to reach new customers and build on these relationships. SEO is a key method to generate these new leads and puts the control into your customer's hands, given that they have sought you out, rather than the other way around. Telemarketing, on the other hand, helps you to have a two-prong, proactive and direct approach where you don't have to wait for the customer to come to you. And, at the same time, when they do congregate at your door, telemarketing ensures that they receive the swift attention that's necessary to ensure that they don't disappear as quickly as they came. Every business is unique and therefore your SEO, telemarketing and overall lead generation strategy need to suit your company. Add SEO to a stellar website, plus offer a high-quality telemarketing service for your clients and customers, and you're well on the way to business growth. GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. In addition to running SEO campaigns, we also undertake outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are you Riding your Personal SME Roller Coaster? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-you-riding-your-personal-sme-roller-coaster/ Published: 2017-04-04 > It's hard being a small business owner. It can come with all manner of stresses and challenges. Often, setting up a business is the result of a long-held ambition. In other cases, it's due to a necessity following redundancy or some other circumstance. Whatever prompted you to kick start your own enterprise. you need to learn to ride the roller coaster that is trying to grow your own business. There are inevitable highs and lows. Check out our blog for essential tips for survival. It's hard being a small business owner, especially micro businesses. The official definition of an SME is any business with fewer than 250 employees. There were 5.2 million SMEs in the UK in 2014, which was over 99% of all business. Micro-businesses are a subset of these and are businesses with 0-9 employees. SME's therefore, make up the bulk of and are the heartbeat of the U.K. economy. That's not least because, in this Internet age, it's easier than ever to start a business, to promote that business and, in many ways, to compete with bigger more bloated competitors. But, it isn't all roses and plain sailing. Many SME's are in this 'micro business' category and, with that, comes all manner of stresses and challenges. Often, setting up a business is the result of a long-held ambition. In other cases, it's due to a necessity following redundancy or some other circumstance. Unfortunately, not all business owners are budding Richard Bransons. And, redundancy funds, if that's what you used to set up, won't last forever if things don't go smoothly. Meanwhile, the mortgage needs to be paid. If you've already set up your small business, you're often the person that executes, that's to say that you deliver the service. This leaves less time for other things such as promotion, sales, financial matters and so on. So, it's a constant act of juggling and spinning plates. Don't get me wrong, the rewards of growth can be good and sometimes more rewarding than employment. But, there are ups and downs and you need to be ready for these. So, to help you ride the roller coaster, we've put together our top tips for SME survival and owner sanity. Learn to ride the waves This is possibly the hardest one to handle. There are constant challenges. Just because you set up your own business with the quality of service you undoubtedly deliver, doesn't mean that customers won't be unreasonable. They will still be demanding and expect your undivided attention. They want things yesterday. They will squeeze your margins. They may pay you eventually as opposed to on time. With the above in mind, you need to take a deep breath and recognise that no two days are the same. What is a trauma today may well transform into a blessing tomorrow. You will win clients and lose clients. You will have your hopes dashed and have euphoric days. Try to ride the waves and maintain your balance. Try to smooth out the highs and lows. Celebrate victories by all means but run your small business as a business and try to dislocate your personal emotions from business situations. If you do this, you'll make better decisions and be more prepared to grow. Find your support network That was one of the hardest things for me to learn after 16 years in senior corporate management. And, it's probably one of the most important. In corporate life, I had a big team and was surrounded by infrastructure and external support. Whilst this certainly didn't remove stress, it helped share the load and alleviate some of the pressures. When you run your own business, who can you turn to when you start? In time, hopefully, you will build a team. However, in the early days, there's often just you. Even your first recruit may be someone to simply take the pressure off such as an admin resource rather than a management colleague. They may not be at the level you need to be able to offload. Therefore, look around to see where you can gain support. A good accountant is a must. You need accurate financial information and sound business advice. That's a good place to start. Can you find a mentor? If you know someone that has either been in your shoes or who has been successful elsewhere, seeking their advice makes sense. Check out what support is available in terms of business growth for start-ups. The Institute of Directors is a good source. The Federation of Small Businesses is also worth a look. Likewise, there are support networks (for a fee) such as The Academy for Chief Executives, Vistage and The Alternative Board that provide both mentoring and a quasi- board. These can be excellent as they provide input from people that experience the same issues. Networking can also be a good avenue. Not only does it get you out of your business and potentially provide a source of new business leads, but also it can provide a support infrastructure of like-minded individuals. Networking groups such as BNI provide formal structured referral based networking but there are others (including the IOD and FSB above) that have more ad hoc events. However you handle this, it's important to build your external infrastructure. Without some form of support, you are at risk of imploding, especially when the chips are down. Manage your cash flow Perhaps this is obvious. However, most business failures don't happen because of the inability to grow sales. Sadly, customers don't always pay on time. Some don't pay. Therefore, you need a good system. You need cash. And, you will probably need a bank facility for those times when cash is tight. Likewise, you need a robust invoicing and credit control process. If you can't do this yourself (and that's not a good idea long term anyhow), find yourself a good bookkeeper. Issue invoices on time and chase payment. Clients will respect you for it and you will run into fewer problems with cash. Make sure you have a monthly P&L so you know where you stand and that you're achieving your sales AND profit objectives. Prepare for a rainy day Linked to the above, you need to think forward. Whether you're planning to expand and need funds or you want to insulate yourself and your business, to some extent, from risk and the ups and downs, try to manage your funds so you have some slack. In business, things happen and, often when you least expect it and are therefore least prepared. If you're VAT registered, that will sneak up on you if you don't allocate money immediately. Likewise, corporation tax will be due quicker than you imagine. So, when things are progressing well, but even when things are more sluggish, keep things tight and plan for the unexpected. Set your vision You can't hit a target that you can't see. Perhaps you don't want to build an empire. If not, what do you want? What's your goal? Have you defined your targets in terms of revenue and profit? What about your personal goals? Do you want to work until a ripe old age or is your objective ultimately to sell? The sooner you articulate your vision, the more likely you'll be to achieve the results. Your employees will also be galvanised if they know where they're headed. That goes for planning too. Even if the business is just you, it's important to plan ahead. Ideally, that's both for sales and profit and other objectives. It gives clarity and stops you being blown off course when unexpected situations come up. Employ good people People are the lifeblood of every good organisation. So, where possible, find people that share your passion and vision. Recruit staff with energy and enthusiasm. Good people will free you up to develop the business further. Recruit staff that have the specific skills you need. Those could be technical skills and/or competencies. If you're like me and are not good at completing and finishing tasks, you'll need someone that loves to take a task to a conclusion. If that's your bag, you might need someone that's a good coordinator or manager or someone who's creative. The key is to define what you need and what your team make-up needs to be. Try to maintain positivity As mentioned above, there are highs and lows. Yet, a potential customer won't know that you've just lost your biggest client unless you tell them. Or, unless your demeanour gives it away. No matter what, you need to remain positive. Good things happen to people that are upbeat. When was the last time you enjoyed spending hours at a party with someone that was boring and miserable? It's the same with clients. You need to avoid looking desperate and must do your utmost to maintain a positive air of confidence. That goes for the interactions with your staff too. If your emotions go up and down like a yo-yo, you won't retain your good people. Work out what you're good at and do it At the start of your business, and often for some considerable time after, you may have no choice but to carry out all of the tasks from quotation to implementation, invoicing and more. As time goes on, you may be able to recruit. I mentioned competencies above. Belbin is also a good test to do as a team as it helps identify skills and team roles. If you are good at driving the business forward that's great but what about dotting the I's and crossing the T's. Is that your strength? There are a number of roles every business and business owner needs to fulfil. Some play to their strengths and, frustratingly, some expose weaknesses. It's important to evaluate what is core to the business and what you need to outsource. If the finances come naturally, maybe you can look after that side for now. If sales is your strength, that's great but what about the administration? And, despite necessity, it's hard to do everything. The reality is that you need to find a way to leverage time where possible to allow you to grow the business. Running a small business can be like riding a roller coaster. Some people love the thrill and don't worry about the lack of a parachute. Others prefer to have firm ground beneath their feet. If you've come from a corporate background, like I did, it was a shock to the system when I set up 16 years ago. My company car went back. My support team disappeared overnight and, most importantly, it took me a while to work out where my strengths were and where I really needed help. I knew how to manage and how to spend other people's money but doing everything for my own venture was another thing entirely. Not everyone is cut out for the highs and lows of self-employment. That's fine. Whether you've already started your business or you're trading profitably several years in, it pays to understand some of the challenges you'll face on your path to personal business success. Good luck! GSA helps businesses, large and small,  become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are Customers Lazy and Stupid? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-customers-lazy-and-stupid/ Published: 2017-03-22 > In this blog we ask whether customers are lazy or stupid and how that impacts sales decision-making when trying to get customers across the sales finishing line. It can be so frustrating when customers don't make decisions when you know you can help them. We discuss some of the reasons why they don't move forward and what you can do about it. https://youtu.be/GZSwkYzn5NY Are Customers Lazy and Stupid? That's a pretty bold statement with which to start a blog, perhaps. But, take a moment to think about what's behind the statement. Have you ever had any of these thoughts? Surely, it’s a no-brainer? Why can’t they see what I can see? It will help them enormously but why won't they pull their finger out? Businesses are focused on business development so it doesn't help when potential customers don't play ball. What stops most customers from buying? In truth, there could be any number of reasons. They may not like you. They may not like your products or services. Your credentials or reputation may not be up to scratch. I could go on. Inertia is the easy option The point is that often in business, inertia is the easy option. Buyers are busy. They usually have a huge number of things on their plate, or at least they think they do. They often run multiple projects or handle various tasks at one time. Therefore, any change involves shifting the status quo. And that can be a challenge.  It takes their eye off the balls they’re already juggling. So, we need to delve into the psychology of buying to get closer to why customers buy and how you can tap into that psyche. It's well known that individuals typically buy on pain or gain. It’s about gratification or alleviating something that causes stress or hassle. It's either about stopping something happening or lessening its impact or doing something to improve or develop something within the business. We all have competing priorities Despite this, workload, the day job and other priorities kick in. Even what seems a no brainer, may not seem like that to a buyer that's under pressure to meet a deadline. Assuming that it’s genuinely not you or your product that is putting them off, or you’ve completely misread the need, it’s probable that their vision is clouded by other things going on in the business. It's not that they're stupid because they can't see what you can see. It may be just that other factors are more immediate that take their attention away from what you'd like to do for them. Even if they aren't up against it on a specific project, their personal and business objectives may mean that their attention is focused elsewhere. In other words, when you come knocking, your sales pitch is low down the totem pole of priorities. And, that could even be when they’ve come to you with an enquiry. They may have been asked by their boss to do some digging into solutions. However, the requirement may not be for right now. What’s more, things change fast and what may have been a priority today may drop like a stone in terms of immediacy tomorrow. So, what can sales-people do to mitigate this? First of all, you need to identify and sell to those buyers that are in the market right now. You deploy traditional sales techniques and use your experience to make sure you get on those shortlists and convert. But, for the others, it can be slow burn and considerably more difficult to move the buyer towards entertaining your solution and any change that entails. There are a number of things to consider: Recognise that you’re building your sales pipeline It may be a bit of a cop out to say not everyone is a genuine customer and that not everyone will buy. However, it is true. Equally, part of the reason for building your sales funnel or pipeline to a decent number of prospects is indeed to cater for those that fall by the wayside. Some potential customers will never buy from you. Some will never buy at all and decide to either shelve the project or find another solution. So, you have to develop your pipeline alongside some degree of realism whilst doing your best to try to convert those that are genuinely in the market. Work out the timeframe Clearly, if a customer contacts you with an inbound enquiry, they are more likely to be in the market for your services. But, they wouldn't be the first tyre kickers to test drive a vehicle and fail to buy. So, you still need to identify the warmth of the enquiry and the immediacy of their need before moving to the phase where you try to convince them that your solution and cost meets their needs better than competitors. Probe with good questions Questions are vital regardless of how you found the prospect. However, where you approach potential customers (as opposed to receiving inbound enquiries) that are not specifically in the buying cycle, you need to do more work. That's where good questioning comes in so that you can unearth the opportunity and flush out the issues that would convince them to overcome natural inertia. Effective questioning and good listening skills are pre-requisites but it's more than that. With purchases of significant value and importance, trust kicks in and increases in importance. The buyer needs to know they are purchasing from a reputable source. They need to know that they can trust you to deliver on your promises. They need to consider you and your company as a trusted advisor. The only way to do this is to demonstrate genuine interest in them. That means allowing them to talk and encouraging them to do so. It means talking less, asking relevant and engaging questions and listening more. Work on your rapport skills Linked to the above, without building rapport with your prospective client, it's unlikely you'll be at the starting post let alone reach the finishing line. Whilst many purchases are completed online, the higher the value, the more likely it is that human intervention is required. Hence, since people still buy people, if you want to get down to the final few contenders for the prize, you need to be able to engage with your prospect. Rapport building means finding common ground both personally and professionally. It means exploring all of the options with them even those that do not include your solution. It doesn't mean wasting time chatting away unnecessarily when there's no end in sight, but if the value of sale warrants the investment in time, it does mean building a relationship borne out of trust that could bear fruit further down the line even if now doesn't pay off. After all, these same buyers may have a future need. They may have a requirement at a new organisation. And, they're more likely to consider you and your organisation if you've taken the time to understand their needs. Ensure you get a time to follow up Not every sale closes straight away. Sadly, but inevitably, some will never come to fruition. Either way, a sales close isn't always about now. If you push too early, you’ll damage trust and credibility. So, you may need to work on relaxing more into the conversation to take the pressure off yourself. The purchase could be delayed for all manner of reasons. Companies select different routes to solve their immediate problems and deal with their needs. Therefore, if you can’t move things forward immediately, at the end of every interaction it's essential that you agree next steps. Even if the next step is as simple as a call back in 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, make sure that, once you've profiled the customer so that you're satisfied that they are a valid target, you agree a time to call back. Psychologically, there is a world of difference between calling and saying 'you asked me to call you back in June' and not having agreed a call back where the customer is on the back foot the next time you call. They will be more likely to push you away without the agreement for the follow-up. Learn to handle objections In this blog, we haven't covered specific objection handling techniques. Naturally, handling objections is a fundamental factor in lead generation success. You will often need to break down objections into manageable chunks. That's where effective questioning skills come in handy once again. You also need to use questions to move customers off the fence. However, without understanding the reasons why customers might be holding back, you won't get far. A straightforward question/statement such as 'I sense that you're not comfortable about moving forward. Can I ask, what is it that's stopping you from making a decision?' may help move the discussion towards a conclusion one way or the other. Ultimately, prospective customers aren't lazy or stupid. We all have tasks that absorb our time. We have communication clutter and overload that sometimes prevent us from focusing. We are all buyers of products and services and we do the same thing to our suppliers. So, try to step into your buyers' shoes for a moment. Look at things from their perspective. And, whilst you're adding some prospects to 'future' as opposed to current interest or labelling them as warm as opposed to hot prospects, you’re continuing to build your pipeline. Filter out the prospects that are genuinely unlikely to convert and ensure that you also move on to other customers that are ready to buy now. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 5 Important Ways to Grow Revenue and Profit Source: https://telemarketing.blog/5-important-ways-to-grow-revenue-and-profit/ Published: 2017-03-14 > How do you ensure that your sales grow and you generate the level of profitability your business needs? In this blog, we look at the five key activities upon which you need to focus in order to both propel your sales and build your profitability. https://youtu.be/tZCuVVSGnEw Most companies need to generate new business to survive. We’d all like to rely on referrals and current customers alone but, for most organisations, that isn’t the real world. With that in mind, businesses need to do 5 main things to grow their revenue and profit in order to fuel growth. Undertake outbound marketing to generate fresh sales leads Drive more inbound or ‘warm’ customer enquiries, typically via the web Develop and nurture the sales pipeline so there’s a steady stream of new opportunities and customers throughout the year Reduce lapsing customers and increase customer loyalty Cross-sell and up-sell to existing customers where possible Business development and lead generation are simple but not easy. It’s a process and, organisations need to take a long-term approach. To ensure sustainable growth, they need a continuous flow of new business opportunities whilst preventing current customers from going elsewhere. The trick is to have a systematic programme that covers these 5 bases. Clearly, the urgency and priorities will differ. If you have an established and loyal customer base, and you have a new product or service launch that you want to bring to market, that may be your first priority. That may be a more straightforward and less expensive task than targeting completely new prospects. Equally, it takes time to drive new enquiries organically via the web. You could, of course, pay for those enquiries via Google Adwords or through advertising on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  However, clicks aren’t guaranteed to turn into business and, following the leads up swiftly is key. So, what’s your plan? Let’s look at each of the points in turn: Undertake outbound marketing to generate fresh sales leads There are so many options available. Check out our recent blog on how to generate sales leads for ideas. The start point is to understand your customer. Who typically buys your service? What type and size of the company? What sector? Who is the decision maker? What challenges do they have? How best can you reach them when spending your outbound marketing budget? The more tightly you can pinpoint the prospective customer, how you can get to them and what, in your portfolio, will produce the best impact, the more likely you are to use your budget to good effect. Drive more inbound or ‘warm’ customer enquiries There is so much clutter and information and potential customers are bombarded by lots of competing messages at every turn. It’s hard for them to differentiate, to see the wood for the trees. But, leads that come to you, as opposed to you finding them in our previous point, the lower the cost of acquisition. The most obvious areas to look at are current or past customer referrals and recommendations. However, you shouldn’t neglect areas such as possible resellers of your products and services and partnerships. Equally, whilst it may take time, social media platforms (such as LinkedIn) can provide a source of leads through engaging in group discussions and posting useful information that can be shared to reach a wider audience of potential customers. Of course, we shouldn’t forget search engines here. Clearly, the higher you’re ranked for the keywords your prospective customers type into Google, the more you’re likely to gain clicks and enquiries. Sadly though, this is not a simple or quick task and, in the case of search, it may not be cheap. It’s free if your web content gets you naturally to Page 1 but that’s not the case for many businesses.  PPC and other online advertising can drive leads but costs can be high for ‘in demand’ keywords and audiences. And, when leads do come in, do you have the resource to handle them quickly and efficiently. Inbound enquiry management makes a big difference between winning and losing profitable new business. The upshot is that if you don’t have a large network of clients or peers on social networks, then recommendations may also be hard to achieve. And, if you don’t feature naturally on search, you may be invisible to many potential new clients. However, wherever you’re at with your current business, there’s no doubt that you need a strategy to drive inbound leads that are typically warmer than the norm. Develop and nurture the sales pipeline There are few businesses that don’t need to ensure that there is a steady stream of new opportunities and customers throughout the year. Nevertheless, no matter which channel they come from, not every lead will convert straight away. So, regardless of the source, there needs to be a process for nurturing those prospects until they either convert or drop off. And, even if they choose one of your competitors now, what’s to say they won’t come back in the future? So, a key part of driving long-terms sales and profit is to build and nurture your pipeline. By doing so, you’ll ensure that every month, a number of leads pop up that are ready to convert to business. Without these, you’ll have to resort to expensive outbound marketing to generate the opportunities. But, if you have a large customer database, it can be difficult to reach every customer regularly. Ultimately, prioritisation is necessary. You need to take care, though. A straight line prioritisation based on spend may lead to poor decisions. Whilst you’ll naturally want to treat your large customers as key accounts, what about those with the ‘potential’ to become a key customer? Analysis is essential here so that you can segment your customer base and devise an appropriate contact strategy for each type and size of the client. Reduce lapsing customers and increase customer loyalty It has been well documented that a satisfied customer can still be tempted away by offers and incentives. But, a delighted customer will stick with you, buy more, purchase more frequently and recommend you to others. So, it’s definitely in your interest to consider a strategy for retention and loyalty. How might that look in your business? How many customers perhaps buy small amounts but could be encouraged to switch more of their spending to you by a periodic customer care call? How many would not abandon you if they felt more loved? It’s considerably more expensive to find and convert a new customer than to retain a current client. Therefore, what’s your approach to doing this? Regular customer care calls may seem like a luxury but often result in additional add-on business where you stimulate either a latent or new need. Therefore, the call shouldn’t be viewed purely as a ‘courtesy call’ or simply a call that ‘prompts’ customers to vent their previously concealed anger. In any case, Research bears out the fact that a customer that is dissatisfied will become a loyal and an advocate if you resolve their issue in an efficient manner. So, don’t treat customer care calls as a drain on resource but rather as an opportunity to grow your business. Cross-sell and up-sell to existing customers Linked to the above, it makes sense to sell more to current customers where possible. That’s relatively straightforward where you’re perhaps launching a new product or service. But, maybe it isn’t quite so easy when nothing has changed. Once again, that’s where relationships come in. However, it isn’t just about that. It’s about knowing your customers. Perhaps a particular customer only buys a small amount from you at the moment. Are there other potential customers within their business to whom you could sell? That’s often the case in large companies. Perhaps other departments may have the same or similar requirements. If you don’t do your research, you may never know. Ask your current clients to recommend you and provide you with some names to contact. Check out other group companies on LinkedIn and find out if there are other possible buyers where you can leverage the work you’ve done for your current client. Ultimately, if you don’t need to undertake outbound lead generation, you’ll spend less money. Equally, if the clients you have now aren’t the ones that will help you grow, you may need to undertake some outbound activity to find bigger fish. Either way, if you put together a strategy for the 5 areas above, you’ll be more likely to see growth in your business. At GSA, we can help. You can check out our lead generation services on this website. We’ve been helping clients to grow their business since the year 2000. And we have plenty of testimonials to show how we’ve helped companies both large and small. Please give us a call or use the form on this site.   ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Generate Sales Leads Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-generate-sales-leads/ Published: 2017-03-07 > What's the best way to generate sales leads? There are so many choices and it differs by the target audience, by industry and dependent on the time, effort and budget you allocate to the exercise. In this blog, we take a look at a few options to help guide your choice of sales lead generation tactics. Wouldn't we all love to know how to generate sales leads? But, the reality is that it's likely to be different for every business. The basic 'must do's' are the broadly the same but the route to market may differ based on: how developed your business is in its marketplace the credentials and testimonials you have the quality of your proposition how differentiated you are the amount of effort you put in both in terms of manpower and investment Clearly, if you do a good job for clients, more of them are likely to recommend you. And referrals are the greatest source of new business since they come at generally the lowest cost of acquisition and, probably, the quickest to convert. Equally, actually asking for referrals can be a good avenue to take, when you've completed a successful project. What are your Routes to Market? There are so many routes you could take to generate new sales leads. The array of choice is dizzying. However, the first thing you need to consider is your target audience. It all starts there. If you can work out where your customers go and, be visible when they are there, it's a winning formula. Simply put, having prospective leads come to you is better than having to go looking for them. “Inbound marketing” is all the rage, especially social media and content marketing. Inbound Lead Generation At GSA, inbound lead generation been very effective for us. Companies, large and small, have either called us or emailed us via our website asking for more information about our telemarketing and lead generation services. That has come as a direct consequence of the work we have put in over the past 3-4 years. It doesn't happen overnight. Unless you put in significant time investment (it doesn't always have to be about money), it's unlikely that you'll generate enough traction and visibility to reach enough potential customers who might then make an enquiry. An illustration of the kind of thing you need to do is this blog. We've also loaded a significant number of videos and podcasts on our site and, distributed these on social media. I also have extended my connections on LinkedIn, where I post the content we create, so that this is another audience for our content that bolsters our credibility and that encourages relevant business contacts to share. The point here is that it takes time and effort not necessarily money. There are tools to help you distribute content such as Hootsuite or Sprout Social. You can do it manually, but it will take more time. Inbound marketing may be the only answer if you're in a specialised field where you lead the way and where customers are looking for just the solution you offer. But, sadly, that's not generally the case. We live in a commoditised world full of similar providers. It's hard for potential customers to differentiate. So, it may be that you won't be able to rely on this route, especially if you're only just starting out. We have 300+ blogs, videos, podcasts and infographics the site. How Attractive are you to Potential Clients? We also live in a digital world alongside the commoditised environment. That means that, at the click of a mouse, prospective customers can find suppliers and check them out. With that in mind, how fit for purpose is your website? Does it need a refresh? And, how attractive is your proposition to potential customers? Nowadays, you also need to consider your social presence. Millennials now account for over 50% of the workforce and they will increasingly check you out on social channels alongside your website. So, you need to be credible. Check out our presentation for more explanation on that subject. The above are the basics. They are the aspects of lead generation that are increasingly expected. And you have to position your business above your competitors. But, for most businesses, some form of outbound sales lead generation is needed. Where to turn? This isn't perhaps the blog to discuss the merits of PR, despite the fact that we are advocates. However, PR is not a direct tool for lead generation. In many ways, like content marketing, it takes time whilst you can target specific journalists and publications. Equally, if you have a good story, trade publications love interesting news for their readers. That's both online and offline. So, we wouldn't discount PR. What are your Direct Channels? But, here, we're more concerned with direct channels. What are the options? Once again, there are too many to cover here. The main point is to do the work on your target market and proposition. The more clearly defined both are, the easier it will be to focus the activity. Costs will vary. Advertising is, traditionally, a more expensive route to market but you can reach more people more quickly. But, is trade advertising effective? There are so many options again from banners to native advertising to classic ads and so on. Costs will vary dependent upon the readership amongst other things. It's very much a case of looking at the various options. Nowadays, though, we have Adwords, PPC, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other social media advertising. The ability to focus ads has increased. Some can be expensive, though. For example, costs per click for PPC vary dramatically dependent on how competitive the keyword is. And, it doesn't stop there. There's no sense in doing a great PPC campaign that leads prospects to a poorly designed website or to your homepage where there is no call to action. The ad needs to drive visitors to somewhere where they can find the specific information for which they're looking. And, ideally, there should be some kind of offer or other encouragement for them to pick up the phone or email an enquiry. If not, you've invested the advertising money for nothing. You can use social media like Facebook but you need to consider your audience once again. Are you likely to be able to reach them via this route? If you want to add the CEO of Hilton Hotels, it's likely this won't be the best route. So, you, once again, need to do the groundwork before you embark on any advertising campaign. Other direct means include direct mail, email, telemarketing, and events. They all have the pros and cons. With events, there is the up-front cost. You could always attend events without exhibiting but, exhibitors are usually there to sell not to buy so that's unlikely to drive significant sales leads unless you exhibit yourself. And, you have to both pick the right event and follow-up properly. Email can be effective but you need numbers and accurate data. The best practice approach is to use opted-in emails gathered directly from your website where potential customers have 'signed up' to receive some 'reward'. At GSA, we offer a top tips download on our home page and this also pops up on the site. Outside of subscribers to newsletters, email marketing typically results in very low click-through rates unless the offer is very strong. Given these low response rates, you need high numbers and data may not be cheap. However, if the ROI works, it may well be worth considering. Direct mail may be a choice that feels like a bit of a throwback to past marketing techniques. However, with the online clutter that attacks our inboxes and social platforms these days, a nice mail piece has the chance to stand out. Like other forms of marketing, data accuracy is paramount. But here, if you've gone out of your way to spend hard-earned money on a creative and expensive mailer, yo really need it to reach the desk of your target decision maker. Hence, data building and validation in advance of sending the item out is crucial or your investment will be wasted. Telemarketing is a popular route to market where, typically for b2b, the value of the sale is moderate to high. Telemarketing is a person to person, one to one communication, so it will cost proportionately more than some cheaper forms of marketing. However, where it plays out well is where the purchase is a considered decision and where a face to face meeting is required. If the return on investment is significant, it's certainly worth considering. Networking For most businesses, networking is a worthwhile exercise. There are many networking organisations and groups that cater to industry sectors and job functions. These may be worth attending. If you can find a group that caters to your buyers or those that are likely to take you to your buyers (resellers. partners), it's worth doing some homework to identify the right places to mingle. Some networking can be expensive and some are relatively low cost. The key is to find the ones that deliver the right audience. And, you need to beware time erosion. Don't neglect the day job and spend all your time networking as it can sap time if you get locked into the wrong groups. This blog could never be exhaustive in terms of the best places to go for sales lead generation. It's impossible to cover all angles for every type of business. However, we've produced around 300 blogs on all manner of subjects pertaining to lead generation on this site. Please check these out. if you'd like more information. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How much does a Telemarketing Campaign Cost? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-much-does-a-telemarketing-campaign-cost/ Published: 2017-03-07 > How much does a telemarketing campaign cost? Clients want clarity and certainty so that they can budget appropriately and measure ROI. However, to determine accurately what a lead generation exercise involving telemarketing might actually cost, any agency needs to understand certain aspects of your requirement. It isn't as simple as one size fits all. watch our video and see our blog for details. https://youtu.be/_39___jM984 How much does a telemarketing campaign cost? I’m often asked that question. How long is a piece of string? The reality is that it depends. But that's not what most clients want to hear. They want clarity. They want certainty. However, to determine accurately what a lead generation exercise involving telemarketing might cost, any agency needs to understand certain aspects of your requirement. It isn't as simple as one size fits all. Of course, you can compare apples with apples if you simply look at an hourly rate. Or, you might evaluate comparative costs per lead. But, that is too simplistic. It's like expecting the same cost if you buy 100 x 55-inch televisions as opposed to one 17-inch monitor. Amongst other things, scale influences cost. So, what are the factors that apply if you want to know how much a telemarketing campaign costs? We've listed some of the considerations below. Before speaking to an outsourced agency, it's worth giving some thought to these as it will help them give you a more robust and realistic proposal based on your requirements and the viability of achieving those for your business. What are your objectives? - If your requirements are 100 leads that’s wildly different to where you need 10 leads.How quickly do you need results? – If you need 100 leads by end of play Friday, that’s a lot different to spreading the activity out over several months where you have time to build a pipeline How quickly do you need results? – If you need 100 leads by end of play Friday, that’s a lot different to spreading the activity out over several months where you have time to build a pipeline. How qualified do they need to be? – If you want hot to trot leads, how many of those are there at any given time for your product or service? Really hot leads are much harder to unearth than speculative conversations for possible future business. How qualified do they need to be? – If you want hot to trot leads, how many of those are there at any given time for your product or service? Really hot leads are much harder to unearth than speculative conversations for possible future business.How compelling is your proposition? – If you’ve got something everyone wants, it’ll take less time than something that every competitor offers and where every competitor is chasing the same buyers How compelling is your proposition? – If you’ve got something everyone wants, it’ll take less time than something that every competitor offers and where every competitor is chasing the same buyers. How high up the tree do we need to go? – If you want leads with the MD of the FTSE 100 companies that is hugely more difficult than targeting the office manager at the local doctors surgery. How high up the tree do we need to go? – If you want leads with the MD of the FTSE 100 companies that is hugely more difficult than targeting the office manager at the local doctor's surgery. How long a campaign are you planning? – If you only want a short campaign to generate a few leads, like most businesses that will cost more proportionately than a steady campaign over 12 months How long a campaign are you planning? – If you only want a short campaign to generate a few leads, like most businesses that will cost more proportionately than a steady campaign over 12 months How much activity do you want to put in? This is related to several of our other points. If you want to gain some significant traction, you need significant activity. And, that costs proportionally less than a small amount of calling in a short space of time. How much activity do you want to put in? - This is related to several of our other points. If you want to gain some significant traction, you need significant activity. And, that costs proportionally less than a small amount of calling in a short space of time. So, in answer to the question how much does a telemarketing campaign cost, the answer is that it really does depend on your objectives. It depends on your requirements for return on investment. And, it depends on the inputs above that shape how easy or difficult the exercise will, ultimately, be. Of course, you can benchmark hourly or day rate but it makes sense to take all of the factors for success into account in addition to looking at a pure cost. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Create a Successful Telemarketing Campaign? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-create-a-successful-telemarketing-campaign/ Published: 2017-02-28 > Whether you choose to undertake your telemarketing activity in-house or use a specialist agency like GSA, there are 3 simple rules that will help your campaign fly. If you do the work, you’ll have a much better chance of delivering the results you need. Check out our video and blog for tips. https://youtu.be/AMO_9mqi9cc How to Create a Successful Telemarketing Campaign? If you’re considering running an outbound calling campaign to generate new sales leads, you want to give yourself the best chance of success. Whether you choose to undertake the activity in-house or use a specialist agency like GSA, there are 3 simple rules that will help your campaign fly. If you do the work, you’ll have a much better chance of delivering the results you need. And, don’t forget to check out our Top 10 Tips videos before you go. 1.Work out your targets. Sounds simple huh? The key thing to remember is that you’ll never do any business if you target the wrong companies and/or decision-makers. When we run training sessions on this, we like to tell the story of the Olympic pistol shooting finalist who’s expected to win gold. Come the great day, the crowd goes wild. He’s expected to win gold since he has the best eye. He has the least shaky hand and his gun has been crafted to perfection. Even the bullets are hand filed that fly through the air with the utmost precision. He takes aim and fires but then the crowd goes silent. He wonders what happened. The problem is this. He was the best shot. He had the best tools for the job but he was firing in the wrong direction. Rule number 1. Do the work on your targets and aim in the right direction or you won’t deliver best results. That means do the work on your data. Get a good list. Validate the data and make sure you know which job role and contact name make decisions for your product and service. 2. Work out what floats their boat That sounds like a d’oh. But, so many telemarketers trot out the same old lines and rubbish. I’m often asked how to be effective at telemarketing. I always say. 1. Don’t sound like a telemarketer and 2. Say something interesting that’s going to float their boat. Would you engage with someone that sounds like everyone else and says the same thing? No? Then work out what’s genuinely of interest and start there. That could be potentially pain or gain. Typically, pain is a stronger motivator than gain. If they have something that is either causing the business grief or creating an uncomfortable situation for the decision maker at their place of work, there is a better chance of a positive response if you have the solution. Likewise, if what you’re offering delivers a solution that propels the business forward (or advances the career of the decision maker), they will be more likely to listen and to meet you or your sales team. Work out what these are and your campaign will gain better outcomes. 3. Say it in an interesting way When was the last time you spent hours at a party with the most boring person there? You wouldn’t would you? Well, it’s the same on the phone. Why would you listen to someone that drones on in a dull voice about stuff that doesn’t interest you? Wouldn’t it be more fun to have an upbeat conversation with someone that pricks your interest from the get go and is motivated? We all have bad days. There are days when we’re tired. Maybe, you haven’t got rid of that cold that’s hanging around. Whatever your reason for being down, remember one thing: The customer doesn’t care. They have their own issues and maybe they even feel low themselves. So, it’s your job to be the antidote to their misery. That doesn’t mean that you need to go all ‘wired’ and hyper. That will most definitely switch them off. It simply means that your overall vibe needs to be positive. People that sound positive generally receive better responses to whatever they’re proposing than those that are at low ebb. Whilst, sometimes, it may not be easy to be motivated, it’s really not that hard either if you recognise that’s how the best results are delivered. Sadly, too often, telemarketers and the companies that employ them don’t devote time and energy to the basics. But, if you follow these 3 simple rules, your telemarketing campaign will see better results. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why Use GSA for your Lead Generation? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/use-gsa-lead-generation/ Published: 2017-02-21 > Want to know why you should use GSA for your lead generation as opposed to our competitors? Check out this video and read our article to understand how we work and how we can benefit your business. It’s a tough choice. We get that. There are so many companies out there talking the talk. But, which ones walk the walk? Of course, we believe we’re great. Thankfully, our clients agree. Take a quick look at some of our testimonials. And, we’ve done lead generation exercises for some of the biggest companies through to small businesses. But what makes us special? We think that there are several elements of our approach that mark us out from the rest. Check out our video, and read on below: Performance Well this has to go at the top, doesn’t it? We get good results. But, these don’t happen by chance. We work hard at it. We generate opportunities that turn into business, and our clients have won large contracts off the back of our work. Strategy & Planning Everything starts with a robust strategy. We conduct a formal strategy session before undertaking any outbound calling. We plan to succeed and put in the attention to detail that means the lead generation activity has a much greater chance of success with a lower probability of going off the rails. That planning includes setting expectations and agreeing on what success looks like. Transparency One of our core values is transparency. We know some of our competitors like to shield the clients from the inner workings. That includes people, systems and information. That’s just not the case at GSA. Everything is open and that means our clients are fully briefed and empowered throughout the campaign and they never have to ask for information. This openness extends as far as reporting on a daily basis and call recording so customers can listen to the actual call for a given opportunity. Communication We run regular teleconferences and reviews so clients always feel in control. We send regular email update so clients are well-informed and customers receive regular ad hoc calls if we need to discuss something important. And, our communication also includes contact, where relevant, with the people actually making the calls for you. At the end of every campaign, we produce a full report so clients can learn from the whole process. Attention to detail This starts from campaign kick-off but continues throughout the life of a lead generation activity. We quality check every lead and provide a detailed lead sheet so that customers that work with GSA have the best information possible in advance of their sales opportunity. Great systems and great reporting Our powerful CRM system with built in telemarketing workflow allows us to be productive in terms of the number of calls we make. It also enables us to pull together valuable information on sales pipelines and market intelligence. This runs alongside secure daily reporting so that there are never any surprises. Our reporting includes analytics and research as the campaign develops so that clients have a fuller understanding of their target audience. People It starts from the top. You don’t get an anonymous account manager at GSA. You deal with the people running the business. And, communication includes contact with your callers, where appropriate, who provide ‘on the ground’ input of how client propositions are being received by their target customers. Pragmatism & Honesty We won’t try to ‘buy’ your business by over-promising and then under-delivering. At the initial strategy session, we identify all of the key elements and set KPIs for the exercise. If we feel that the targets are unrealistic, we’ll tell it like it is, even if some of our competitors are happy to push the numbers up just to impress. Going the Extra Mile We know it’s an over-used expression but, ask our satisfied clients. We work really hard for our customers. We start before we kick off and keep that going for the life of any project. Flexibility If it needs changing, we change it. We don’t wait until the end of the campaign when it’s too late. We won’t wait to hear from you. We will be on the phone if we feel a change is needed. And, if you want to switch things around, that’s fine too. We like to be part of the solution not part of the problem. If you’d like pragmatic advice, without the hard sell, give us a call. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.   ------------------------------------------------------------ # Telemarketing is Dead Source: https://telemarketing.blog/telemarketing-is-dead/ Published: 2017-02-14 > Some say telemarketing is dead. But, telemarketing is the only truly proactive form of direct marketing. With every other channel, even at events, you have to wait for the customer to find you. That's not the case with telemarketing and people still buy people. So, check out how telemarketing is alive and kicking. https://youtu.be/MhPCP-tMjoM Telemarketing is dead. How many times have I read that comment on LinkedIn or heard that expression? Didn’t they previously say that about direct mail? Yet, direct mail has seen a resurgence not least due to the huge amount of clutter in people’s inboxes and through social media. We’re swamped with information overload. It’s hard to find the time to work out what’s what. A proactive lead generation activity The fact is that telemarketing is a proactive lead generation activity, unlike most others. The thing is that with most marketing solutions you have to wait for customers to come to you. And, they need to find you first. Don’t get me wrong, we are huge advocates of inbound lead generation and social media. So, we are not saying telemarketing is the only solution out there. Amplifying the effectiveness of other channels However, telemarketing can amplify the effectiveness of other channels. Whether that’s to follow up click throughs, inbound enquiries or to follow up event leads, it means you don’t have to wait for an outcome. Telemarketing can be used in many ways to grow your business. That includes contact with current and lapsed customers to offer them new products or services or an incentive to buy more. Telemarketing is a numbers game Let’s face it, telemarketing is, to a great extent, a numbers game. Of course, there will be some prospects who will never pick up the phone or who are well guarded. That’s where other forms of marketing come in to try to reach them (where persistence on the phone doesn't work either). But, our experience shows that some do pick up the phone. We’re looking for the 1 or 2 that do answer. They could become your best clients. Does anyone buy from a cold call There is also a school of thought that says that no-one actually buys from a cold call. The reality is that’s just not true. Over the Christmas this year, we helped a client generate over £2m of revenue from calls to existing and lapsed customers. And, we’re not talking about low values of sale. Once again, our experience tells us that prospects do respond to calls, especially if they are professionally carried out. Whilst we’re not necessarily talking about telesales here (where you actually take orders on the phone), the call is part of the sales process. Perhaps the call is to set up a web demo, a call with a sales person or a face to face meeting. It’s the first part of the sales transaction at which telemarketing is aimed. That is particularly powerful where the value of sale is high. Once the sales person is in front of the prospect, the rest of the process is exactly the same as any other business deal. Telemarketing is just the door opener. Do big companies use telemarketing? There is a perception that cold-calling is all about PPI and double-glazing. But, that’s somewhat far from the truth. It’s fair to say that the telephone is a tool much used by PPI and double glazing sellers. However, it’s equally used by some of the world’s largest corporations with extremely high sales values. They find that telemarketing is an effective way to reach their target decision makers that they fail to reach using other channels. We’re talking here about quality business to business calls. As we mentioned above, we shouldn’t forget that some calls are to existing customers and to those from whom we haven’t heard from in a while. There are lots of reasons to keep in touch by phone including new product launches, offers, customer care calls and the like. Hasn’t telemarketing been replaced by social? We get the point and, in fact, a good proportion of our business comes from enquiries generated via search engines.  And, that comes from the hundreds of blogs and videos we have on our site that we distribute through social media. Google and the other search engines like GSA and feature us highly in search. We’ve had great success generating leads for our business through the many blogs and videos on our site. But, who has the time to spend creating blogs, videos, infographics and other content? It’s important but success won’t happen overnight. We’ve been creating content for several years. And, you’ve got to hope your target decision-maker sees the content. All in all, it is a significant undertaking. Social and content development are big commitments. Telemarketing is the only direct form of marketing With the above in mind, telemarketing is the only truly proactive form of direct marketing. With every other channel, even at events, you have to wait for the customer to find you. You need to generate enough noise for them to see you. That’s an expensive way to market. You can, of course, run Facebook or Linkedin ads, undertake PPC or email campaigns amongst other choices. But, in the end, either you have to wait for customers to take action or you’d benefit from adding telemarketing to the pot to ensure that your investment in those channels isn’t wasted. Ultimately, people still buy people. And that combination isn’t found in any other form of marketing. So, is telemarketing dead? Well, it has to adapt to challenges and it has to evolve. But, it most certainly is alive and kicking. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you’d like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 10 Ways to Use Telemarketing to Grow your Business Source: https://telemarketing.blog/10-ways-to-use-telemarketing-to-grow-your-business/ Published: 2017-02-07 > Telemarketing is much maligned and people say cold-calling is dead. Maybe pure cold-calling isn't as effective as it once was and a more intelligent and blended approach is often needed. However, there are still lots of ways telemarketing can be used to grow your business. Check out 10 ways you can effectively use the telephone to develop your business. Cold calling is dead they say. The telephone is outmoded as a marketing tool and social media in the place to be. In some ways, there is some truth in each of those statements. Pure cold calling is possibly less effective than it used to be with increasing use of voicemail, opt-outs, and layers in organisations that mean it’s harder to reach decision makers to have a conversation. These days, a more intelligent blended approach to calling is often required. Equally, the younger generation is perhaps less reliant on the telephone as a means of communication. They were born with a mobile phone to their ears and an iPad in their hand. What’s more, everyone is on Facebook and, professionally, we’re all on LinkedIn. So, does the telephone still have a role to play in b2b marketing? Our client experience suggests that it still plays a strong role and we’ve detailed 10 ways that you can use telemarketing to grow your business. 1.     Telemarketing Lead Generation This is kind of obvious but it is the solution that is most usually used where companies want to grow their business. Generally, it starts with the desire to sell products or services into a defined target market. The more precise the targeting, the more likely the campaign will be successful. The same goes for the marketing list. Typically, in this instance, the leads are cold and the prospects are not expecting a call. However, appointment setting exercises such as these can deliver extremely good ROI. Imagine calling the Marketing Director of Tesco with a proposition to which they respond favourably. And, imagine that this results in a sale and long-term relationship that possibly reaches a six figure revenue. How much telemarketing might be appropriate to set against such an opportunity? If it took six months and 10% of the revenue for year 1, would it be worthwhile? 2.     Telemarketing to Follow-up Inbound Leads Inbound enquiry management is critical to success. Not following up inbound leads swiftly means you may be squandering the money you spend on the activities that drove those leads to you. It’s not unreasonable to say that most other methods of marketing are relatively passive. In other words, you have to wait for a response. Some are hopefully quite speedy (e.g. PPC / Adwords where they might make an enquiry or you track who visits based on a web tracking tool) but most involve you spending a sum of money and waiting (hoping) for a response. Social media can’t really compete here. You hope that, by virtue of the number of connections/followers, those individuals will share your content and your customers will find it and call you. The fact is that it can be a slow burn. That’s, to some extent, the same for other solutions. You have to wait for them to come to you. With telemarketing it’s different. You go to them and you keep doing so until you have an outcome. And, it’s very measurable. What is interesting, however, is how you might use telemarketing in conjunction with other channels. How well do you follow up event leads? And how quickly, before they go stale? And what about enquiries generated by online marketing? How fast are these followed up? Likewise, web tools abound that can allegedly identify the companies visiting your website. How do you target the right individuals without a call to find out who it is? And, what about LinkedIn? If you’ve requested or made a connection and messaged them and they don’t respond,  what do you do? Do you just drop it or might you make a phone call to follow-up the connection recognising that they may be busy? The point is that telemarketing can amplify the return on investment from other channels that could otherwise be wasted if a call isn’t used to generate an outcome. 3.     Telemarketing to Lapsed Customers We recently carried out an exercise for a client whereby we took a large list of customer from whom they hadn’t heard for 18+ months. They didn’t have the internal resources to keep in touch with these lower value customers. So, they asked GSA to make the calls. We achieved significant new orders and leads for the business and performed a customer care role that reduced the likelihood of those customers defecting to competitors. This is a regular story. Not least in most medium to large companies, there is a database of customers that feel unloved. Telemarketing can be used very effectively to not only generate sales opportunities and build the sales pipeline but also to unearth valuable market research information as to the status of those customers and reasons for inactivity. 4.     Telemarketing for Cross-Sell Time is at a premium for most business people. Internal sales and customer service staff are often tied up dealing with what’s in front of them. Necessity means that they have to deal with key and larger accounts and those that shout loudest get heard. However, there are generally a significant number of customers that would purchase more from your business if they knew you stocked those products or offered those services. That’s especially true if they’ve been buying the same things for a long time. A customer care type call can identify new opportunities for cross-selling within the current client base. 5.     Telemarketing for New Product Launches Similar to cross-sell, it may be that you have a new launch and need to alert your customers alongside prospects. Of course, like above, you can use email but how many customers or prospects will respond. For higher value sales, a face to face sales appointment is generally necessary and how many recipients of an email will simply pick up the phone to ask for a sales visit. Telemarketing takes away the inertia and is a proactive way to generate sales. 6.     Telemarketing for Online Demos Sometimes, prospects can be put off by hard-nosed sales calls that try to squeeze a face to face appointment for a sales person. A lower risk commitment for a prospect is a web demo. Telemarketing can be used effectively to run short web demos or to run prospects through a web page designed to generate a call to action. 7.     Telemarketing for Research or Customer Care It’s amazing the opportunities that these kinds of calls can elicit if managed correctly. A well-placed service or customer satisfaction research call can stimulate needs that would have otherwise not come out due to how busy customers can be. Calls such as these also promote a positive image of your company and brand that go well beyond the specific call. And, it’s well documented that satisfied customers can be tempted away by offers whereas delighted customers remain loyal. 8.      Telemarketing for Data-Building & Cleaning Most marketing campaigns fail due to poor targeting. And poor targeting often comes from inaccurate data to start with. If you’re planning a sales push, it makes sense to ensure that the data you’re using is accurate. One of the most effective ways to do this is to call the companies to establish that you have the correct individuals and that they actually look after your area of interest since their job title may be misleading. You can use the phone in conjunction with LinkedIn and other sources. This is especially important if the value of the sale is high and you’re spending money for example on an expensive direct mail piece. Most data brokers will only say that their data is accurate to within 6 months. In reality, 12 months is more likely. In most sectors, jobs change regularly and it, therefore, makes good business sense to work on your data before you kick off. 9.    Telemarketing for Soft Lead Generation Soft lead generation is perhaps less well-known than its big brother cold-calling. This is a way of determining if a prospect meets your criteria and has an interest in talking further. This is accomplished by tightly scripting an approach and asking 4 or 5 relevant profiling questions before asking a final question such as "Would you like to hear further from our one of my colleagues regarding …….?" We have used this for many campaigns with great success since it is more of a soft-sell on the back of profiling rather than an overt sales approach. 10. Telemarketing for Mystery Shopping Mystery shopping perhaps would not have been considered as telemarketing. However, an understanding or your competitors and how you’re performing is essential if you want to grow. You need to understand how your own staff are performing and it’s really useful to evaluate what your competitors offer so you can further differentiate what you supply to market. A well-structured calling campaign can yield a tremendous amount of information upon which you can act and make the necessary tweaks and changes to develop your business. Whilst telemarketing perhaps has an unfair reputation and is labeled as cold-calling and nothing else, in reality, there are a number of uses that can have a big impact on the growth of your sales and business. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # A Recession is the Perfect Time to Grow your Business Source: https://telemarketing.blog/now-is-the-perfect-time-to-grow-your-business/ Published: 2017-01-31 > Business people need to get used to change and uncertainty. If you're in business and you expect it to be calm waters all the way to your destination, you'll probably be disappointed. Uncertainty is always present. Change could be political, economic, technological or social. The only thing you can do is to plan for change, adapt to it when it comes and control what you can. Nothing is forever. Read our blog for more. Despite the relative resilience of the UK economy as I write this blog, there are clouds on the horizon. Most forecasters predict a slowdown, and it's borderline whether the UK will slide into recession. What will ultimately happen following Brexit is uncertain and the true outcome won’t be known for some considerable time yet. So is now time to look outward. Is a recession the perfect time to grow your business? There are not just clouds in the UK. Europe is lurching to the right. The USA lurched to the Trump and appear to be in no-man's-land despite the robustness of their economy, for now. Russia continues to show its muscles in the Ukraine, and the weakness of the pound makes it tough for importers, but helps exporters. It's Certain that the Future is Uncertain These factors, along with many I haven't mentioned, mean that the future is uncertain. But, hasn’t it always been that way? No-one can predict the future, at least with any certainty. If we could, we'd probably be wealthy and wise. History is littered with failed economic predictions at the best of times. Few predicted the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression that we experienced not so log ago, and predicting COVID-19, well...... The fact is that we need to get used to change and uncertainty. If you're in business and you expect it to be calm waters all the way to your destination, you'll probably be disappointed. Uncertainty is always present. Change could be political, economic, technological or social. Things don't stand still. And the only thing you and your business can do is to try to plan for change, adapt to it when it comes and control what you can. Nothing is forever. Focus on the Journey Ahead Despite circumstances, business needs to focus on moving forward. Paralysis isn’t good for your bottom line. Of course, it would be foolish to ignore every indicator and pundit and go on an unprecedented spending spree if your cash flow is shaky at best. It's wise to plan. It makes sense to analyse the market and your customer base. You must assess your product and service portfolio in terms of fitness for purpose.  That’s particularly with regard to current and new competitors. However, burying your head in the sand and stopping all investment is foolhardy. That often compounds the problem and gives your competitors advantage. So, make some decisions that will ensure that your company prospers come what may. Ensure that your business takes advantage of the inactivity of competitors if they are hanging back. Check out our 5 tips below: Look at what the experts are saying. Of course, experts can be wrong and have been wrong many times. Some readers will remember Michael Fish and the 'non-hurricane' of 1987? Plenty of commentators get year-end FTSE predictions very wrong. Equally there are signals, and it pays to at least take forecasts into account. Whether UK PLC grows marginally, or contracts is an imponderable question, and a moot point. We might not head into recession, heralding a more stable environment than was perhaps expected. If so, that's a recipe for optimism as opposed to the alternative. And, it’s a sign that if you can be confident of growth if you focus on the right activities in your particular marketplace. Where are your opportunities abroad? If you're an exporter, there are plenty of opportunities. Now is the time to get out there and take advantage of the weaker Pound. It may strengthen again in future months, but there is no doubt that UK is open for business. There are always opportunities arising from the weakness of sterling. Whether you cater for tourists coming to Britain, or have a great product or service where the past exchange rate has prevented you from looking beyond these shores, opportunities are out there for you so go and explore. Embrace change on your doorstep. Identify what markets are growing here in the UK? You don't necessarily need to go too far to find opportunities. We talked about change above. There is constant change right here. Legislative changes take place every year. For example, new GDPR laws arrived in 2017. That opened up potential in the business supplying services to businesses where compliance is imperative. Take a look around and evaluate what’s going on at home from which your company can take advantage. Audit your market and your offering. They say, in tough times, it's survival of the fittest. How fit is your business? How do you stack up against competitors? Is your proposition unique or commoditised? Do you have a set of solutions that differentiate you? Customers are swamped for choice. It’s easy to find a supplier through simple search or by asking your network on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or elsewhere. Based on where you are now, will prospective clients find you, and how will they react when they do? How visible are you? The reality is that if you have no presence, you will struggle grow. What are you doing to get in front of potential new customers? Hiding the best kept secret away isn't going to win business. Is your website up to scratch? Is your social presence likely to add to your credibility, or detract? Are you out of the office networking, and are you undertaking outbound and inbound marketing campaigns to drive new opportunities? There's never a right time to promote your business. Lots of businesses hunkered down during the lean times of the recession years. But that is in the past. Whilst there are always clouds on the horizon, that shouldn’t mean that you should constantly stay at home and not get out and enjoy the sun. That time is now. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call or make an enquiry using the form on our contact page. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are You a Driver or Passenger in Your Business? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-you-a-driver-or-passenger-in-your-business/ Published: 2017-01-24 > Do you know how to grow your business? Or, to some extent, do you leave it to chance. It's important to be a driver not a passenger in your business. Competition is always present and things change. So, if you stand still, the reality is that you may fall behind the pace. Check out our blog for tips on how you can take control. There are many different personality types. Some people are outgoing. Some are more introvert. But, it isn't just those that are higher on the extrovert scale that set up and run small businesses. There are all manner of reasons why people leave the safety of a job to set up a business. Some may feel stifled. Others may have held a long-standing ambition to be their own boss. Yet others may have been thrown into it by redundancy or by some other event or situation. You can't be all Things Whatever the reason, not every SME business owner has all the skills necessary to establish and grow a business. The excellent book ‘The E Myth’, by Michael Gerber explains that there are broadly 3 types of role necessary to develop a business. And, whether it's just you, or you have others with you, you'll need those abilities within the organisation in order to prosper. Those skills or roles are called technician, manager and entrepreneur. At its most simple, the technician knows how to do something. They are the doers. They know how to make things. They know how to deliver services. They are operational and thank goodness for them since most businesses can't survive without them despite the emergence of business models like Uber and Booking.com where they don’t make or own anything. These new market entrants facilitate the process. But, most businesses need one or more individuals that it can turn to be sure that I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed. These are your ‘completer-finishers’ Balancing Vision with Implementation Then there are the managers. They take pleasure in getting things done. They create order and make sure everything is carried out appropriately not least so the business doesn’t fall over. The book explains that while someone is baking the bread and making lovely cakes at the back of the store, someone needs to be at the front not just serving customers but also dealing with the finances, encouraging customers to visit the shop through marketing and dealing with staff. Finally, growth comes, to some extent from vision, creativity and risk taking. That's the role of the entrepreneur. Someone needs the drive to make things happen, to unearth and see the opportunities. And, that isn't just setting up in the first place. They have energy and purpose and energise those around them to greater achievement. Where would Virgin have been without Richard Branson or Easyjet without Stelios Haji-Ioannou? Business doesn't Stand Still Now, some readers of this blog may be well past the time when they set up their business. They may be trading profitably. Maybe they took with them a set of past contacts or customers when they left corporate life. Perhaps they had plenty of referrals to start their enterprise. And, possibly they are now well established with an effective 'lifestyle' business that gives them a decent living. However, the problem is that in business, as in life generally, nothing stands still. Just look at the emergence of firms like booking.com and Uber. Perhaps, look at what the likes of Easyjet and Ryanair did to the traditional airline model. Equally, Nokia and Sony used to be leaders in mobile technology. Kodak led the way in cameras. These brands have been blown away by new entrants such as Apple, HTC, Samsung and so on and by new technology that means everyone has a camera that takes great pictures in their pocket all the time. And, consider how the Internet and social media are changing the way we search, buy and communicate. Things are changing. Take a look at our presentation on this subject. So how does this relate to my business, you may ask? Well, the ‘so what’ is that you cannot stand still. Business development is an ongoing challenge. There will always be new competitors that target your customers. How secure are your relationships? It's well known that a satisfied customer can still be lured away with offers whereas a delighted customer remains loyal and buys more. What are you doing to evaluate where you stand? Likewise, whilst you may not have a degree in marketing or be an arch sales person, not much will happen long- term without some form of marketing. This isn't the blog to explain every type of marketing open to small business owners. Nor is it a blog to provide deep sales skills. Check out our other blogs lots of tips and skills related to lead generation and marketing. My point is that unless you have the knowledge and skills to make those important decisions around how to grow: You probably won't grow You may find yourself making costly mistakes You need to find someone who knows how to do what you don't know Marketing and Sales are not Precise Sciences. And, not all of your business will or should come from overt marketing tactics. One would hope that customer referrals will be your best source. But, what if that has dried up? Will prospects just find you? If so, how? Will Google come to your rescue and feature you on first page amongst the first 3 organic listings in search? Will legions of prospects locate your profile on LinkedIn and connect followed by a sales enquiry? If that isn’t the case, and if you want to ensure that you don't go backwards let alone grow, you'll need to do something proactive. Maybe, that's exhibiting at a trade event where your customers congregate. Perhaps, it's email marketing. Maybe cold-calling is the answer. Do you know what the best solution is for your business? If you don't, it's important that you seek advice. That's just the way it is. There are tons of marketing solution providers out there that all look the same and talk a good talk. So, what questions do you need to ask? 5 Essential Questions and Considerations. You can't guarantee success with any solution. No method of marketing s truly foolproof. How do you feel about the person or organisation giving advice? Do they have your interests in mind? As far as they can, are they providing seemingly unbiased advice even outlining the pitfalls of using their service? Any service provider you choose should be a 'trusted adviser' giving you balanced input and advice before you spend your hard-earned cash. Does the service provider tailor the advice and service to your target market or are they offering what feels like a vanilla service that is pretty much what you sense they say to anyone? Does their proposal feel boiler-plated? Whilst there may need to be some element of templating, it's important that they demonstrate that they've understood what you need, the peculiarities of your business and that they have a plan for how to reach your target audience. Does the cost of marketing equate to the value of sale? If your value of sale is very low, you need a large number of clients to generate sufficient revenue. That suggests that some routes to market won't work. It's probable that you need a more 'mass' solution at a low cost per contact like email marketing or even advertising. The latter isn't necessarily low cost per se but it may enable you to reach large numbers at a lower cost per head. If the value of sale is high, you can potentially afford to spend more on a cost per head basis such as telemarketing or creative direct mail. What is the time duration? How long will it take to get results and how long should you run any activity? To some extent, this is connected to the other points above. Over what timeframe do you measure success, especially from a standing start? If you've chosen the right provider that acts as a trusted adviser, they should offer pragmatic advice without over promising and under delivering. You have to be realistic.If your current marketing amounts to a website that hasn’t been updated in ages and it has no interesting content like blogs and videos, it's going to be hard for any provider to simply turn the tap on without significant effort. There is rarely a quick fix so beware of any service provider that over-promises. What can you do yourself? This question is partly rhetorical. On one hand, it's cheaper to do what you can in house. However, there's the potential cost of wasting time and money and the opportunity cost of diverting your attention from what you're good at (see our reference to the e myth above). What's more, if you and your colleagues are not skilled in the area of marketing and sales, it's likely that any results will be sporadic and disappointing. On the other hand, whilst it still may take time, making effective use of tools like LinkedIn can be carried out in house with a reasonable level of effort. That doesn't mean just having a profile by the way. There's a lot more to LinkedIn than just being there. We all Make Mistakes Not every solution works for every business. Planning is essential. And, testing is also important. Ultimately, someone needs to take control. If you don't want to be overtaken by your competitors, you need to take action. You don’t want to be a passenger in your own business. If you want to be the driver of growth, you will need to learn how to steer or find a chauffeur that you trust to get you to your destination safely, in the appropriate amount of time and at the right cost. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call or make an enquiry using the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Sustainable Growth is a Marathon, not a Sprint Source: https://telemarketing.blog/sustainable-growth-is-a-marathon-not-a-sprint/ Published: 2017-01-04 > Telemarketing isn’t a precise science. You shouldn’t necessarily expect instant results. Benchmarks and KPIs are important and, over time, these will emerge. Sometimes, with the right recipe, campaigns will perform well right from the outset. If you line up the factors explained in our telemarketing tips video series, results should come more swiftly. Check out our blog for more. Business owners and managers all want their businesses to grow. They want sustainable growth with an ongoing stream of leads coming into the organization. They need a robust sales pipeline to insulate against the risk of client attrition. They also want new clients that add to the bottom line. If the value of the sale is significant, as it is for many of our clients, it’s unlikely that prospective customer decisions will be made quickly. When phoning large companies, decision-makers are often busy. They’re in meetings and their calls are screened. Telemarketing isn’t a precise science. You shouldn’t necessarily expect instant results. Benchmarks and KPIs are important and, over time, these will emerge. Sometimes, with the right recipe, campaigns will perform well right from the outset. If you line up the factors explained in our telemarketing tips video series, results should come more swiftly. But telemarketing success depends on a number of factors. Results and ratios vary considerably. Some of those factors include: The Economy and market situation including drivers such as legislation Target market and how you segment and profile your audience The level of competition and this includes price The contractual situation and duration of those the agreements Your brand awareness in the marketplace The quality of your credentials, client testimonials and reputation The relevance of your services to the proposed target market Relevant offers and incentives Timing i.e. ensuring that you call them back at the right time e.g. renewal dates Follow-up and continuing to do so especially for bigger targets Building momentum, in other words, doing enough calling to build up a head of steam It’s worth thinking about telemarketing as if you’re planning for gold. It’s an exercise of profiling the market and identifying those that are in the market now, those that require call-backs in the next 3-6 months and those that would be open to discussion when they next review their supplier contracts. It’s absolutely about building a pipeline and making sure that the call-back is made at just the right time. That generally doesn’t happen overnight so you need to take a long-term view. You need to have patience and evaluate the exercise based on the return on investment over time. Too often, businesses start a telemarketing exercise either too late or when they may be desperate for leads. That means that the pressure is on too soon. If a campaign is well-constructed and the elements above are aligned, success can be quick. However, large companies don’t make snap decisions when it comes to changing providers. If that’s your target, you need to set your expectations based on what’s feasible given the circumstances. If you do that and put the appropriate level of consistent effort into the exercise, success will come. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Choose the Right Systems & Processes for Telemarketing Success Source: https://telemarketing.blog/choose-the-right-systems-processes-for-telemarketing-success/ Published: 2016-12-20 > We’re guessing that systems and processes aren’t words that are on the tip of your tongue when it comes to factors for telemarketing success. However, you can have a great proposition and great people making the calls for you but, if your method of managing the calling process is all over the place, it’s likely that you’ll miss all manner of opportunities. Read our blog for more. We’re guessing that systems and processes aren’t words that are on the tip of your tongue. Yet, these are key success factors when it comes to telemarketing success. You can have a great proposition, and great people making the calls for you. However, if your method of managing the calling process is all over the place, it’s likely that you’ll miss all manner of opportunities. A Good CRM System is Essential Businesses that want to grow, and that are serious about doing so, should use a proper CRM system. If cold-calling is a key part of the sales process, your system needs built-in telemarketing workflow. That means a system that’s configured to make it quick and easy for your callers. They need to be able to find pertinent information swiftly and have what they need at their fingertips. Whilst Excel might seem okay at the outset, it will become increasingly difficult to manage call-backs over time when the spreadsheet becomes unwieldy. Over time, it will become harder to manipulate. That will result in it becoming increasingly time-consuming to locate and check past notes, especially where there may be lots of different conversations. Your callers need fast access to information before making each call. And, anyone new to the calling activity will find it hard to discover the key information and have it at a glance for their call. Tailor your System to your Needs Some marketing systems may be absolutely fine for traditional direct mail or email marketing. It may be fine for individuals to use, record and store contact information. However, many systems are less well-adapted to an ongoing calling cycle. Good telemarketing relies on productivity. Telemarketers need to be making in the region of 100-150 calls per working day. We’ve come across organisations where callers only manage 40-50 dials on average. This is not least due to the deficiencies of the method they’re using. Simply put, if your system slows you down to that level, that’s 50% + less effective. What’s more, when it comes to important call-backs, you just cannot afford to miss them. Analysis and Measurement drive Success It can also be onerous to drive useful reporting and analysis out of an Excel spreadsheet compared to pre-set reports and KPIs that come from a proper CRM system. Measurement is vital when it comes to telemarketing success. A good system should, therefore, provide you basic analysis out of the box and, more robust reporting if it’s configured to drive measurement based on the calling activity. Segmentation and analysis can significantly enhance the chances of success of a campaign. For example, that means being quickly able to evaluate the performance of your data. It could be to segment and profile key segments to establish which performs best and where to focus more or less attention. It also means ensuring that fields are appropriate and available for the callers to complete after each call. These might be a series of tick boxes or drop-down fields that allow you to do a deep dive into what’s happening during a campaign. Enhance Telemarketer Motivation Without relevant systems and processes, your telemarketing campaign is unlikely to succeed and your telemarketers will become disillusioned when they are prevented from being as effective as they’d like. Momentum in calling is fundamental and systems have the ability to enhance or impede that. Therefore, if telemarketing is an important part of your outbound sales strategy, you should invest in a robust CRM system or use an agency like GSA that’s geared up for productive calling. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Train your Telemarketing Team to Generate more Leads – GSA Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-train-your-telemarketing-team-to-generate-more-leads/ Published: 2016-12-13 > Telemarketing is an important route to market for many companies. But if they want success, it’s important that whoever undertakes the calling is trained both on the campaign itself and in order to have the appropriate skills to do the job. That includes a proper briefing on the campaign, objectives and the target market into which they will be calling. Check out our blog for tips. https://youtu.be/W3V-C0vNSxY Not every business wants to use an external professional telemarketing agency like GSA that has trained callers and the appropriate telemarketing CRM systems. Some businesses prefer to keep things in-house where they can retain control of the whole process of lead generation. There’s no right or wrong of course with regard to whether you outsource telemarketing or do it internally. The key is that it is done professionally and that it delivers an appropriate return on investment. Either way, it’s important that whoever undertakes the calling is trained both on the campaign itself and in order to have the appropriate skills to do the job. There are several elements to the training that are required. These include training on: The marketplace – what’s going on? What are the drivers? What type of customers is the business targeting? The prospect audience – who is the decision-maker / buyer? What issues do they have that your solution can resolve? What would make them want to engage with you and either buy your products or services or meet with a sales person? Techniques – there are good telemarketing and bad telemarketing calls. We know when we receive a poor call. Callers need appropriate skills to enhance performance. However you choose to handle your lead generation, the quality of briefing will have a significant bearing on the results. It’s definitely a case of garbage in – garbage out. When briefing telemarketers, the mushroom treatment doesn’t work. You can’t leave them alone in a dark room, feed them rubbish and just hope that they will generate results for your business. Telemarketers need to be well-briefed. That doesn’t mean that they need to know the ins and outs of every technical aspect of your service or product. That’s what your sales team is there for at the time when they visit the prospect following the appointment set up by the telemarketer. Sometimes, too much knowledge can be dangerous. There’s a risk that the caller will over-sell or over-explain and get it wrong on the call. In some cases, it’s possible that the prospect will decide that they’ve heard enough on the phone. In other words, they don’t need to hear the same thing again from a sales person. A good telemarketer needs to whet the appetite of the prospect. Therefore, your callers need to know: Why you’re unique Why a prospect should see your sales people Why they should see you NOW as opposed to some time in the future, especially if they aren’t in review mode What problems your product or service cures or helps In the same vein, it’s useful to understand what drives the client need. Is there new legislation? Has the market changed in some way that leads to a greater need for your products or services? Or, have you recently launched something innovative that’s new to the market? It definitely helps to provide your callers with a written briefing. Ideally, follow that up with some form of presentation to those making the calls after which they can ask questions. Don’t forget that ongoing communication is important throughout the campaign. Your telemarketers will learn as they go but regular feedback will enable them to overcome any gaps in their knowledge. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Build a Perfect Telemarketing Proposition Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-build-a-perfect-telemarketing-proposition/ Published: 2016-12-06 > How many competitors operate within your sector or area of business? The chances are that there are quite a few. And, it’s likely that they’re offering similar services to yours, if not identical. Therefore, you need to work on your [proposition. It's important to think carefully about how to make your business and your services attractive to prospective clients right from the start of your call. Read our blog for tips. How many competitors operate within your sector or area of business? The chances are that there are quite a few. And, it’s quite possible that they’re offering similar services to yours, if not identical. As a consequence, you need to think carefully about how to make your business and your services attractive to prospective clients. This isn’t just for telesales but across the board when it comes to sales and marketing. You are the Proposition You can’t divorce the proposition from the person. What you say from the very first moment counts towards your likely success.  We suggest that, as a first approach, you consider what problems your business solves rather than kick off with the services you offer. Too many telemarketers jump in too soon and pitch at the prospect. This puts the customer on the back foot and that is not somewhere they will want to remain for long. They’re busy and have lots of competing priorities. You, therefore, need to get to the point quickly and make it sufficiently interesting to encourage your prospective client to remain on the line. What's in it for the Customer? The reality is that building a perfect telemarketing proposition isn’t so much about what you offer as about what you do for the client. It’s only about you, in so far as whether you personally come across as likeable, credible, interesting and genuinely interested in the customer. People buy people so your whole approach to the initial part of the call counts immeasurably. If you come across as stilted, scripted and insincere, no matter what you say, it will fall on deaf ears and the prospect will quickly end the call. Think very carefully, and plan in advance for what you might start with. Of course, you need to tell them who you are and where you’re calling from. And, it needs to be upbeat, not bored-sounding. But, then it’s what you say next that counts. What’s your reason for calling? For example: Do you help to reduce business costs? Does your solution significantly improve productivity against what the client may currently be using? Do you protect systems or resolve some other equally frustrating problem? Use Reference Points Name-dropping helps. We call it ‘reference points’. Whilst a shiny new supplier may be tempting, many buyers default back to suppliers that can quickly showcase credibility. So, if you’ve done tons of work in their sector, say that. If you’ve worked for well-known companies in that field, get that point in early. It buys you time. Then state your desired outcome. Do you want to provide a trial? Is it a 30-minute meeting you’d like? Or do you want to invite them to an event or do an online demo? Whatever it is, on the phone, you have perhaps one or two sentences at most to grab the attention of your prospect. Therefore, try to make sure that you use those first few critical seconds of your initial sales call to focus on your clients and their needs rather than you and your services. Questions and Listening And, don’t forget to gather more info and show you’re genuine by asking good pain-based open questions early on that further: Encourage conversation Support rapport-building and Get to the heart of what the customer needs and how what you offer will help What’s more, remember that you have two ears and one mouth. So, use them in that proportion. Don’t blow your great proposition and your opportunity by talking non-stop so they can’t wait to get rid of you. The aim is to demonstrate a real interest in them in order to be successful. They don’t want to be just another cold call on your list. Structure and Planning Pay Dividends The structure is important. If you don’t plan your call, chances are that you will end up winging it and you’ll go off-track. That could create a scenario where you’re perceived as vague and wasting the prospect’s time. It most certainly reduces your chance of success. So, if you want to know how to build a perfect telemarketing proposition, think first about your customer and his or her issues. Then consider how you can help them alleviate those problems. And then work out how you’ll position that in those first few seconds of the call. If you structure your call in that way, you’ll, at the very least, stack the odds in your favour and better differentiate your approach from the competitors who will also be targeting those customers. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # In-House vs Outsourced Telemarketing. Which is better in lead generation? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/in-house-vs-outsourced-telemarketing-which-is-better/ Published: 2016-11-23 > We're often asked whether it's better to outsource telemarketing or to recruit and manage internal callers. There isn't really a right or wrong on this as it depends on circumstances and your appetite to do it one way or another. In this blog, we raise a few of the questions you need to consider when deciding whether to outsource or DIY. Should I outsource telemarketing or keep it in-house? We're often asked whether it's better to outsource telemarketing or to keep it in house. It's the choice to recruit and manage internal callers, or trust the role to external providers. There isn't really a right or wrong on this as it depends on circumstances and your appetite to do it one way or another. Below are a few of the questions you need to consider when deciding whether to outsource or DIY. What are the benefits of outsourcing telemarketing compared to running it in-house? Outsourcing offers several key advantages over in-house, particularly when it comes to cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and scalability. By partnering with a specialised agency, you gain access to expert teams, knowledgeable management, and optimised workflow, without the overhead costs of hiring, training, managing, and maintaining an internal team. This allows you to focus on core business functions while benefiting from a higher level of efficiency and flexibility. Outsourced agencies can also offer fresh perspectives and innovative approaches, providing access to a wealth of industry experience that may be difficult to replicate with an in-house team. Additionally, with outsourced services, businesses can easily scale campaigns up or down based on need, ensuring that resources are always aligned with current objectives. And, if you want to go global, but don't have language capabilities, an agency might be just what you need. Is this a short or long term objective? This may not drive the ultimate decision since many companies use outsourced telemarketing on a long term basis and companies also recruit temporary callers in house. The point is how you view the calls. It also depends on the shape and nature of calling. However you handle the process, this needs managing and it may require chopping and changing as requirements change. For example, priorities change and you need the flexibility in calling to manage this. Systems and CRM services and how it facilitates calls and notes Sounds like something that wouldn't be on the top of the list for decision making. However, effective telemarketing relies on good systems and processes. It relies on quick access to good notes. Being able to identify call backs required at the right time produces good results. What if someone new is making the call after the previous person leaves? Can they quickly find the details and pick things up seamlessly? And is it configured for workflow to speed up calling rates? Some CRM systems are not structured for calling. If call rates are 6 or 8 calls per hour on one system, they could be 15 on another. That’s double or treble the productivity. A good CRM enables productive outbound lead generation. If you have a good system in house, that's great. If not, consider the implications on the call numbers and call flow. Managing call-backs A good telemarketer (and good system) knows when to make a call-back. It may be that the trigger is a new financial year or contract renewal date. If that call back isn't triggered by the system with accompanying notes where you can also locate previous correspondence, it's likely to have a negative impact on securing potential new business. Calling back at the appropriate time is the engine for new business development. That means diligent telemarketers that have effective time management and consistent calling and systems that enable that to take place. What are the cost differences between in-house and outsourced telemarketing? It's likely that outsource is relatively more expensive than doing it in house. But some companies can't carry or don't want to carry internal overhead especially if flexibility is required in calling patterns. That's especially the case when it comes to the additional costs associated with PAYE. There are also the added costs of office space and management time (see below). You can certainly engage temporary staff at lower cost but often that's through a recruitment agency where there's a mark-up and fees if you want to take that person on permanently. Equally, there will be times when they don’t show up. If you've got room and budget for headcount, it may be that you can utilise the telemarketer for other tasks and marketing to make the investment worthwhile. On the flip-side, internal telemarketers often get drawn into other tasks and the calling rates suffer. Management time and skills This is often ignored or simply given insufficient importance. Time is a significant cost and it’s also an opportunity cost. It is a major factor. If you have the management time to organise and manage a series of ongoing telemarketing campaigns then consider running the activity in house. However, knowing how to run and manage an effective campaign is a different issue. There are many aspects to a successful calling activity and regular tweaking is needed. If there are multiple callers, they need managing and what happens during times of illness or holidays? Who provides proper briefs (verbal and written) and so on? Who makes changes when they are needed? Do they have the skills required when important changes are required? Reporting and KPI management It is often said that you can't manage what you can't measure. Good reporting is fundamental to telemarketing success. Measurement and analysis support calling and ensure that you're more likely to achieve the set objectives. A good system will provide daily, weekly and monthly reporting on number of calls, decision maker engagements, leads, opportunities and successes. However, you do the outbound calls, make sure that you factor in reporting requirements. Management skills in this field This follows on from point 5 above. I once worked with a company where the telemarketer came to me crying because she'd asked for management input to the campaign and they said something to the effect of 'you're the telemarketer, you should know what's best'. They had provided little in the way of guidance, no worthwhile proposition upon which to base the calls and the data was a mess. When she failed to get results, no-one took ownership and supported her to identify how to make the changes necessary to get better outcomes. As an aside, she came to work for us and worked with us for several years before taking a marketing role. If you are planning to run campaigns in-house, management needs to take ownership and the marketing and sales functions must provide input and ongoing guidance to ensure that the campaign is effective on an ongoing basis. You should expect these as a matter of course from your external agency as they will pick up these elements of the calling. Complexity of proposition Whilst good telemarketers don't let complex propositions faze them, knowledge is power. And that doesn't mean only knowledge of what to say. It's fair to say that telemarketers working in house have a much greater depth of knowledge of the market, the proposition and product benefits. That's not to say an external agency can't glean the knowledge through a good briefing and over time through making the calls. But it's likely that internal people probably have a better grasp of everything around the proposition. However, sometimes internal staff get carried away and forget what telemarketing is. The point is to secure an opportunity or lead not to explain the whole proposition over the phone. GSA worked for the Chartered Institute of Bankers in 2012 on their FSA Regulatory compliance proposition. The key to the calls was the concern amongst compliance directors in the big banks and insurers that they would lose their key fee earners when the new regulations came into place. The proposition therefore did not need detailed knowledge of specific compliance. There primary need was to understand the benefits or issues. Hence, effective telemarketing is about understanding the approach and the challenges from the customer's perspective not the technical aspects. Volume of calls Whilst call volume isn't the only criterion and the quality of call is critical, telemarketing lives or dies by consistent calling. Momentum is paramount since between 5-20% of calls reach a decision maker. Hence, you need enough calls to get enough conversations about a proposition to facilitate results.  If you make 4000 calls, possibly only around 200-800 will result in a conversation of sorts. That conversation may result in all manner of responses from ‘no’ to ‘no time to talk’ to ‘send info’ to ‘call back in 3 or 6 months’ to ‘tell me more’ to ‘we have a need’. Hence, 4000 calls become several thousand calls when we consider call backs. You need to segment the data (by size, sector, location etc) to be most effective but however you configure it, there needs to be a significant volume of calls whether you do it in house or hire an agency. Objectives and KPIs / Timeframe and speed of results for your sales team The shorter the time-frame and the bigger the targets (based on business objectives), the more people are likely to be needed to make the calls. This has an impact on all of the elements mentioned above. If you have specific business objectives that hinge on the results from telemarketing, this is a major factor in how you plan the calling and whether you have the bandwidth to do it using internal resource, need to hire more staff or use external resource. Willingness and skills of internal personnel We write a lot about telemarketing training skills. There are a significant number of technicalities that make calling effective. That ranges from dealing with gatekeepers to objection handling to effective call intros to dealing with rejection and rapport building. Even with the simplest call and proposition, getting through to a decision maker is a challenge. If staff are not comfortable with calling and overcoming these hurdles, the calling will be less effective. The above isn’t exhaustive but give you a flavour of some of the issues when you are in the process of making a choice between one or the other route. There's no right or wrong and there are pros and cons to both options. Whatever way you go, you need to consider all of the implications and factor in some of the considerations above. If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through managing the enquiry management process via telemarketing or if you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 5 Essential Components of Sales Growth Source: https://telemarketing.blog/5-essential-components-of-sales-growth/ Published: 2016-11-15 > If you don’t focus on growing your sales, you may find a new market entrant or established player has come up with something new to pull the rug out from under your feet and steal away your best clients. So, to help you focus on business development, we’ve come up with our 5 essential components of sales growth? There are very few organisations that can rest on their laurels and say ‘we’re doing just fine where we are’. In bigger companies, there is always pressure from shareholders, business owners or the board of directors for growth. Competitors with new solutions are never far away. In smaller entrepreneurial organisations, maybe it’s simply that you want to grow the business to see a return on your investment or just have more disposable income from your ‘lifestyle’ business. Whatever the reason, it pays to aim for growth. If you don’t, you may find a new market entrant or established player has come up with something new to pull the rug out from under your feet and steal away your best clients. So, to help you focus on business development, we’ve come up with our 5 essential components of sales growth? Take Action Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But, too frequently, organisations and individuals are too busy being busy. They often focus internally not externally and concentrate on doing stuff that doesn’t add to the top and bottom line. Now, of course, there are activities that are essential to the smooth running of every business and that provide a platform for growth to take place. But, what we’re asking here is ‘what regular activities are you carrying out with a view to growing your sales and bottom line?’ All too often, the status quo prevails since everyone is busy. Even in larger organisations, we’ve seen staff tied up with current customers and customer service issues, sometimes at the expense of deployment of resource to generate new business. We all know that customer retention is less expensive than acquisition but a blend is needed. And, there’s no time like the present. So, make sure you do the following: Put together a robust sales plan and budget Identify key marketing and sales activities Allocate responsibilities and make sure someone takes ownership for growth Take action and implement your plan starting today Build a Pipeline When I set up my own business 16 years ago after a senior corporate career predominantly in marketing, I didn’t really see myself as a sales person. And, in the relatively early days, sales were hard to come by. I didn’t have a pipeline and had exhausted personal contacts. Therefore, I put a large amount of effort into every prospect. That’s absolutely right in many ways. However, I was, in many ways, investing too much energy into every single one and wondering why I couldn’t get them over the line. I then had a meeting with Mike Southon, The beermat entrepreneur at The IOD in Pall Mall. I mentioned my dilemma to Mike. After only a couple of minutes, he stopped me and said that I looked good, smelled good and sounded good (me, using a little poetic licence here) and that he knew my problem. The problem, he said, was simply that I was over-reliant on too few prospects and that I needed to build a pipeline. At any given time, one or more would then be likely to come to fruition. That piece of advice transformed my thinking and I stopped focussing on individual prospects to the expense of everything else. I started to focus on building the pipeline and have never looked back. And, guess what, prospects can smell desperation. If your sales funnel is full of prospects and leads, you will come across more confident and you’ll be more likely to win more business. Work on your Positive Mental Attitude You really won’t go far without PMA. Have you ever been stuck at an event or a party with someone that is boring? What’s the first thought in your mind? I’ll bet it isn’t ‘Wow, let me chat to this person for a while’. It’s more likely to be ‘get me out of here.’ People still buy people even in this online age. That’s especially so when it comes to big ticket items and important corporate purchases. Therefore, you and your team are the catalysts for growth in every scenario when you interact with potential customers. Whilst we don’t want over-enthusiasm that turns people off, we do want confidence and energy. I’m going to include in this section the elements of positive body language (including eye contact), intonation when speaking and the ability to engage through questioning and listening. Whilst, these elements may not strictly fit a section on attitude, if your sales style is to sell at all costs, you probably won’t be as effective as someone that puts the customer first and listens to their needs before offering solutions. Nevertheless, however you handle sales, if you don’t approach the discipline every day with a ‘can-do’ attitude, each day will be a slog and sales are unlikely to flow as fast as they would have done otherwise. Build a Robust Sales Process I have spoken about the importance of process in past blogs. Like many things in business, selling benefits from a proper process. Whether that’s a robust CRM system to capture leads and your database of target contacts or the discipline of your sales team to follow-up each opportunity swiftly, the process is important. It may be that you have a strong marketing process from SEO or PPC that drive leads to a landing page on your website where there are data capture forms and calls to action. Or, maybe it’s inbound enquiry management  when a prospect comes into the business and how the sales team handle that process. The key is that there is some form of structure to ensure that few enquiries fall through the slats and that the right questions are asked to gauge warmth and likelihood of conversion. It may be as simple as identifying review or renewal dates for future calls and recording those on the CRM system. However you look at it, efficient sales processes will ensure that you win more business. So, take a look at your current modus operandi. Whether your business is large or small, there’s no excuse for not having a system that drives growth. How Persistent are you? One could argue that this tip also relates to the point above. You need a process for follow up. Earlier in this article, I mentioned the importance of capturing renewal dates where possible. Persistence, in this context, is slightly different to attitude (albeit connected) and to the processes you need. An interesting illustration of persistence is a situation that occurred with one of our long-standing telemarketing clients.  In October 2015, we made an appointment for one of their sales team to meet with a major cruise line. They subsequently won a piece of business with that prospect that was worth not far short of £1m in 2016. On checking our CRM system, we learned that our first sales call to that prospect was in July 2012 and we had been making periodic calls since that time, never losing sight that this could be a valuable client in the making! Now, we’re not saying that persistence means blindly carrying on when there’s no end in sight and no opportunities forthcoming. A proper approach to lead generation is required. You need to define your audience, work on the proposition and build the pipeline for call-backs as we suggested earlier, especially when review dates come up. That takes time and there are no easy short-cuts. You also need some successes to validate the exercise and to give you confidence that there is light at the end of the tunnel. After all, few businesses can continue to throw money at lead generation without return. Equally, I often say that lead generation is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a continuous process that does take time, especially from a standing start where no pipeline has been established. Lead generation involves plenty of rejection. It means lots of No’s. It also means scheduling call-backs at the right time. And, that right time just might be 1-2 years hence. Giving up isn’t an option. If we assume that you are targeting the right audience with a compelling message over the right amount of time, the odds should work in your favour. However, if you give up too soon, you may never know. And, you may have missed out on your largest potential customer. Incidentally, one of our clients advised us recently, that a new business appointment that we made for them, where nothing happened at the time, became their largest single client spending in excess of a six-figure sum. But, the first order arrived nearly 8 months after the first appointment. They had kept in touch following the initial meeting and their (and our) perseverance paid off. Of course, these 5 Essential Components of Sales Growth aren’t the only things that will fuel your revenue growth. You need good people. If you use an external agency, like GSA, you need to brief them well. You also need to support any external activity by ensuring that your website and social presence does you justice. Increasingly, potential buyers check you out online. And, that extends to your LinkedIn profile and whether you post interesting content that showcases your skills. If you ant to be visible and get onto shortlists, you need to be credible. This blog is an example of this. We have over 280 blogs and lots of videos, podcasts and infographics on our site that support our sales endeavours. These have helped us generate organic leads via the search engines that are a much lower cost of acquisition than other methods. However, this is not a short-term fix. You might get lucky but, ultimately, there’s no substitute for deploying the right tactics if you want to ensure sales growth. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is Now The Right Time for Your Company to Expand Abroad? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-now-the-right-time-for-your-company-to-expand-abroad/ Published: 2016-10-25 > Sterling has fallen significantly against the Euro since June and that means, in simple terms, that it makes our goods and services cheaper to foreign buyers. However, a hard Brexit is getting ever closer and no one knows really how this will pan out. So, the question is whether now is the right time to expand abroad, and to Europe in particular, since it remains our closest trading market. Sterling has fallen significantly against the Euro since June and that means, in simple terms, that it makes our goods and services cheaper to foreign buyers. However, a hard Brexit is getting ever closer and no one knows really how this will pan out. So, the question is whether now is the right time to expand abroad, and to Europe in particular, since it remains our closest trading market. If you’re considering exporting for the first time or expanding into a new territory, you can make arguments for waiting and for pressing ahead. We don’t know what will happen in terms of tariffs, the complexity of doing business and the implications for investment. We can never know for sure which way the exchange rate will go. If we could predict the fluctuations, we’d all probably be rich by now anyhow. Get the advice you need So, if exporting is on your agenda, regardless of which market or markets you select, the correct groundwork needs to be carried out. And, nothing beats having good advice and effective planning. The Department for International Trade is a good place to start in terms of investigation, research and support. This Government department offers events, country guides and all manner of services to grow your exports including available grants and incentives. They provide access to a regional network of trade specialists that help companies gain the skills and contacts to develop new markets. And, to some extent, they hold your hands during the process. They even offer programmes for high value opportunities and access to trade shows in addition to many other services. In terms of reaching your new audience, clearly, you can partner in territory (and that’s certainly where The Department for International Trade can help) or go direct. Going direct means that you need to identify target markets and your route to reach out to those customers in terms of marketing and sales. However, you choose to approach your expansion, making the right decisions is essential. That’s why it pays to use specialists and advisors that understand the market you’re targeting and that can enable you to cost-effectively test the potential and develop your pipeline of opportunities. Develop your infrastructure Have you got appropriate infrastructure, processes, systems and support to accommodate the requirements of international buyers? The basics are that you will probably need a Euro account for the Eurozone and that means currency implications. You will almost certainly use your bank to set up the account but what about when it comes to getting the maximum number of pounds for your Euros or dollars? Maybe, that’s where you need a currency specialist. You’ll also require contracts that fit the needs of European purchasing departments. And what about credit control?  Use your advisors to guide you. It may be that your accountant and / or solicitor can assist with some elements of set-up. However, you do it, it pays to get it right as it can be much harder to correct if things go wrong. What are your expansion objectives? But, the big overarching question is whether exporting should be part of your growth plan in the first place. There are a number of simple questions to consider. Do you have the bandwidth, in terms of time and resources, to develop outside of the UK? What impact will that have on your UK business? Are your products and services appropriate to other markets? Where are the specific opportunities? If you have a significant opportunity for growth within the United Kingdom, perhaps now isn’t the time. Equally, if your market is competitive or saturated here and your products and services are undifferentiated in the marketplace, maybe now is the time to look elsewhere for new opportunities for development. That’s not to say that an undifferentiated product or service in the UK will find a welcoming market abroad of course. But, the weakness of Sterling does present an advantage when it comes to price compared to time gone by. Do your research All of the above isn’t necessarily straightforward. But that shouldn’t put you off. You need to do your research. You could potentially do a soft market test by making some research calls to buyers in the market to explore whether they’d be interested in what you have to offer. You can blend the research aspect of the calls with lead generation at the same time. That would certainly work if you don’t need people on the ground i.e. where you ship direct. If you’re ready to go to market, all the better as this makes the lead generation all the more potent and timely. One could also argue that now is the best time to get things set up since, later on, it may become more challenging to kick–off new activity into foreign markets when the fallout of Brexit is known. It may be that it’s too soon for your business and you prefer a watching brief. However, if expansion outside of the UK is on your mind, not least due to the advantageous exchange rate, perhaps now is a perfect time to dip your toe in the water and evaluate the opportunities in front of you. The good news is that many buyers in foreign markets speak English. Naturally, language doesn’t come into it for the USA and other similar markets. But, it can be more challenging for other European markets. GSA can help whether you want to undertake international telemarketing calls into Germany, Italy, Spain or even Russia. We can provide language speakers to help grow your business or simply to assess potential. If you already have foreign customers and need customer service calls or resuscitation calls to clients from whom you haven’t heard in a while, we can also do that for you. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Build Customer Rapport on the Telephone Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-build-customer-rapport-on-the-telephone/ Published: 2016-10-18 > Encouraging prospects to like you is a key factor for telemarketing success. But, that's not so easy to do. Customers are bombarded, not only with cold calls but all manner of other messages including emails and other interruptions to their daily life. So, what's the solution for how to quickly build customer rapport on the telephone? Read our blog for more. Let's face it. You won't win friends and influence people if they don't like you. And, encouraging prospects to like you quickly is a key factor for telemarketing success. But, that's not so easy to do. Customers are bombarded, not only with cold calls but all manner of other messages including emails and other interruptions to their daily life. They're busy. And, if what you're calling about isn't a priority, your disruption could cause them a lot of displeasure. So, what's the solution for how to build customer rapport on the telephone? To some extent, there isn't always an answer. Some customers will just be hassled and will dismiss you quickly. But, there will be others that could be encouraged to engage with the right approach. It's these prospects that we're concerned with in this blog. The ones who are on the fence; the ones that do have some time to talk if you get it right. In other words, prospects that could be your next best customer. It's a fine line. Cold calling can be a thankless task with lots of rejection, that you need to learn how to handle, and few opportunities to show off your sparkling rapport-building skills. Given that, to some extent, it's a numbers game, when a caller does eventually get to speak to the right person, it can be tempting to rush into things. It can also be hard to build momentum if your decision maker is difficult to reach and you're not getting practice by speaking to lots of them. So, what are the key elements that will make the difference in those precious few moments? We've detailed a few below: Confidence in yourself It's fair to say that timid doesn't work when it comes to sales. That's not to say that a brash, arrogant demeanour works either. But, self-assurance is a helpful aide to successful calling. It will stop you dithering and hesitancy is a sure fire way to blow any chance of success. You have very few seconds to make an impression and confidence in your ability to meet challenges head on and to hit your targets certainly helps. Belief in your proposition Whilst confidence in yourself is a prerequisite, belief in what you're saying is also key. Whether you're promoting products or services, the conviction that there is a genuine benefit to the prospect is important. Faking it doesn't really work. If you have something that marks you out over and above the competition, all the better. It will come across in your tone and approach is more compelling in terms of approach. Have a great intro You've got very little time to create the Impact you need. So, that means working really hard on your intro. It shouldn’t be scripted and stilted, and you should ideally make an effort to differentiate your opening words from other callers. Too many telemarketers are stiff and formulaic in their approach. They sound like every other cold caller and are easy to dismiss due to the same tired old patter. So, make your introduction different. Spend time to consider why the prospect would want to talk to you, especially if they already have a solution to what you offer. And, don’t forget that it’s about both differentiating what you offer / say and how they relate to you personally. If you sound the same as everyone else, chances are that you won't see much success. Come up with a good first question After your intro, what do you do next? Do you prattle on about your products or services? Do you bombard the prospect with superfluous information? Do you pause for breath? These are common problems in ineffective telemarketing. That's not what a buyer wants to hear. Even those that are not currently in the market for your services might respond to a well-tailored question that leads to an open conversation. And, if it opens the door to a possible future need, e.g. When they may be reviewing suppliers, then it has done its job. So, after your intro where you have grabbed their attention, ask a really good question to get them talking. Have you got the ability to listen It's all well and good asking a good question. But, human beings are often guilty of not listening. Have you ever asked a question and supposedly listened to the answer only to find that you weren't concentrating and missed some key detail in the reply? We can all be guilty of planning our next sentence while the other person is talking. Active listening is vital. That not only includes facial expressions like nods and smiles but also verbal cues like 'I understand' or even 'hmm'. Make sure you listen with your eyes and ears and take notes if you struggle to retain the information. It will help your ability to build rapport. Warmth opens doors What is warmth? Is it a level of interest in the other person? Does it manifest in your tone? Or is it something else? Ultimately, it's a blend of things. But, what it most certainly isn't is a single-minded style of telemarketing that portrays the caller as only interested in themselves. Often, sales people simply come across as hard-nosed or insincere. Warmth is about genuinely offering help and support. It's about really demonstrating interest. It is less about selling and more akin to consulting. Develop empathy first and the sales opportunities will follow. Empowering not pitching Good sales people don't pitch. They don't oversell. They hand perceived power to the decision maker. They diagnose before providing suggestions. That doesn't mean they lose control. They should steer and lead the conversation and pose diagnostic questions at the right time. They do that and, at the same time, make sure that the prospect feels that they are in control. That means asking sincere but penetrative questions that unearth and magnify issues that encourage the decision maker to open up to your solutions. Work on your communication skills This is such a big subject but no blog related to rapport on the telephone would be complete without a word about communication skills. In truth, communication is a blend of everything we’ve explained in this blog. But, it’s also the ability to get your message across. It’s not interrupting. It’s listening and mirroring. There’s nothing sweeter that feeling you’re on the same wavelength as the person to whom you’re speaking. As a sales person, that includes taking the information provided by your customer and playing it back to them using the same or similar language. It means summarizing what they’ve said. It means matching pace and tone where possible. Clearly, we can’t cover everything you need to build rapport on the telephone in this short blog. In addition to the above, you need to remain positive at all times. You need to  relax into the call and not rush. You need to keep calm. Equally, it’s important to be focused and avoid distractions. The use of their name, with the right frequency, will enhance your call and empathy. You will also need to be flexible based on differing circumstances and not take a rigid approach. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns and also, with our experience, provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Make a Great Impression on a Telemarketing Call Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-make-a-great-impression-on-a-telemarketing-call/ Published: 2016-10-13 > Too often telemarketers blather on about stuff that they think may be relevant but, ultimately, isn’t. Frequently, their intro centres on what they do and offer, forgetting that the prospect doesn’t actually care for the most part. So, why should prospects buy from you? Or, more importantly, why should prospect buy you. Check out our blog to find out. How to Make a Great Impression on a Telemarketing Call. A simple question perhaps but, one that nonetheless, seems to be lost on many telemarketers. Too often they blather on about stuff that they think may be relevant but, ultimately, isn’t. Frequently, their intro centres on what they do and offer, forgetting that the prospect doesn’t actually care for the most part. So, why should prospects buy from you? Why should prospects buy ‘you’? Perhaps a more relevant question should be ‘why should prospects buy you?’ The reason for that subtle change is that people still buy people and you won’t win friends and influence people if you’re not nice and interesting to talk to, listen to and be with. Any personal interaction between buyer and seller that happens other than online, starts with a dialogue. That could be face to face or over the phone. And, until the prospect likes you and is interested in what you say, you’ve got no chance of progressing to the next phase of a sale. Make your mark quickly Sounds a bit simplistic perhaps but, in life and business, you don’t have long to make your mark. We’re all busy and have our own priorities and preoccupations. So, mostly, your telemarketing call is an interruption. Hence, you’d better make it worthwhile. According to this article from the association for psychological science,  a series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov revealed that all it takes is a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face. And, we don’t tend to change our mind. Those initial seconds are important when you meet someone and when you chat on the phone.Add to the melting pot that we’re talking about a cold call here and we have a recipe for disaster if you don’t get it right early on. What’s the secret? Is it chemical or is there something else going on? Of course, for some prospect, you’re on a road to nowhere before you start. They won’t engage come what may and you have to accept that no matter what you try. They may be under pressure for all manner of reasons.  Of course, you need to objection handle and handle inevitable rejection. However, in some instances, the best thing you can do there is to retreat positively and quickly but try to gain a better time to call. But, what about those that are on the fence?  These are the guys with whom you need to engage. The Devil is in the detail With any sales situation, the better prepared you are the more likely you are to gain success. That means thinking ahead. It means planning out the call in a meticulous fashion that stacks the odds in your favour. But, what does that mean in practice? Check out our 10 tips on how to make a good impression on a telemarketing call below: Know your stuff – The more you know about what your products do and the benefits to a customer, the more likely you will be to hit the spot. Understand customer challenges – The more prepared you are in terms of what issues you solve for the company and the individual to whom you’re talking, the faster you will build rapport Smile while you dial – It’s an over-used expression but, who likes to speak to people that are dull, display no interest and that are uninteresting? Without going mad, you need to be positive and upbeat if you want to convince people to engage with you. Mirror tone – You can tell a lot from the tone of someone that answers the phone. The quicker you pick up on that, the more you can attune your approach to theirs. If they sound harassed, back off. If they’re having fun, join in. Work on your sincerity– Sounds a strange one but, all too often, salespeople come across as pushy and self-interested rather than open and interested in the customer. Make your intro compelling – You have so little time, you can’t waste it. So, really work hard on your intro. What would you like to hear if you were in their shoes? Ask a good question – Questions provide information, display interest and shut you up, all of which are positive things in a sales call. Therefore, identify a good question to follow your opening intro. Listen to what they say? Sounds logical but, too frequently, salespeople jump in and talk at prospects. Spent time at the start, after your intro, listening to the response. Be clear – Unclear intros and garbled messages do not help. The more succinct you can be about your intentions the better. Time is valuable. Act like a lion, not a mouse – People gravitate to positive individuals and away from those that are insipid. You won’t convince anyone if they can barely hear what you say. That doesn’t mean bite their head off with your arrogance, simply display a positive demeanour from the start. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns and also, with our experience, provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are Lapsing Customers Killing your Business? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-lapsing-customers-killing-your-business/ Published: 2016-10-05 > It’s well-known that it’s more profitable to retain a customer than find and convert a new one. Why is it then that large companies often fail to manage their customer database and allow potentially lucrative customers to lapse? A little gentle persuasion through a customer service type call will encourage them to get back in touch and order again. Read our blog for more. It’s a well-known fact that it’s more profitable to retain a customer than find and convert a new one. Why is it then that large companies often fail to manage their customer database and, as a consequence, allow potentially lucrative customers to lapse? It’s interesting that, over the past few months, we’ve been asked on several occasions to make calls to what clients call either lapsed or lapsing customers. Why would they ask us to do that you may ask? Surely, account managers and field sales teams should nurture clients to ensure they don’t lapse in the first place? And shouldn’t these types of customer that are at risk of abandoning ship, be an internal priority? The reality is that, often in large companies, internal resource is deployed on key account management. That’s typically the larger ones and the ones that shout loudest. We’ve seen many instances where there is no bandwidth to keep track of customers that either order infrequently or that are perhaps classified as C, D or E clients as opposed to the A and B clients that get all the attention. A Little Gentle Persuasion Reaps Rewards The not so surprising fact perhaps is that many of these clients, that lack love and attention, can be quite lucrative. And, a little gentle persuasion through a customer service type call will encourage them to get back in touch and order again. There will always be some that have dropped off the map. Some will have gone out of business. Others will have inevitably migrated to competitors that perhaps do nurture them better. Whatever the current status, it helps to validate, segment and clean the customer database so account managers and field teams can ensure that the best potential customers do receive the attention they need. The calls we’ve recently made, into ‘lower value’ customers that in some cases haven’t been contacted for some significant time, have proven highly lucrative. In some ways, calling has proven to be a market research exercise, providing essential insight into the customer base and competitive situation. In other cases, very good order values have come out of this resuscitation and qualification exercise. The fact is that many large companies just don’t have the staff headcount or they have the numbers but lack the time to contact customers with which they haven’t been in contact for significant periods of time. As a consequence, potentially lucrative opportunities slip away. Customer Qualification is Crucial Part of the requirement is to ensure that every customer is classified and qualified correctly. The challenge, of course, is how to do this. What criteria should you use? If we just go for the value of past orders, you could potentially neglect customers with huge potential but who just haven’t placed sizeable orders thus far. It pays therefore to do some segmentation work and it may also be worth appending data to your database to help with the classification. However you plan to do it, once you have carried out the work, it will be important to pull together a contact strategy based on whatever criteria you’ve established. Those with significant potential may receive an email with an offer followed by a call. Lower value customers may just receive the email. And, it’s important not to ignore the fact that you may no longer have the correct decision-maker contact details. Over time, data goes out of date. People leave. Managers get promoted. New people arrive in positions of authority. Hence, it’s also important to validate your data either through a data gathering and cleansing exercise or, once again, through data appending where those job roles are available on an external list from a list provider. Good Data Management Delivers Results However you choose to handle things, whether that’s with internal staff or externally using an agency like GSA. A policy of good data management and data qualification is the key to continued success. We recently conducted a large campaign for a multi-national organisation across Europe and the USA where we found that 22% of the data was invalid. And, the contact details we were using was customer data. No one is personally to blame for that. It’s simply the natural outcome of a large amount of customer records and inattention over time. Get it right and you can ensure that your sales pipeline is full and you don’t lose potentially lucrative customers to your competitors. They will be only too pleased to offer them the services that you were unable to provide through lack of a periodic call. If you’d like to speak to GSA about how to manage your customer database, contact us now. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns and also, with our experience, provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Telemarketing Magic – How to Handle The ‘No’ Source: https://telemarketing.blog/telemarketing-magic-how-to-handle-the-no/ Published: 2016-09-27 > Telemarketing success is dependent upon gaining a decent percentage of ‘Yes’ responses i.e. prospects saying yes to whatever we’re promoting. That’s why we bother. But, we have to accept that there are all manner of things that negatively impact telemarketing success and rejection is a fact of telemarketing life. Check out this blog for tips. Telemarketing success is dependent upon gaining a decent percentage of ‘Yes’ responses i.e. prospects saying yes to whatever we’re promoting. That’s why we bother. That’s what telemarketing activity is about. But, we have to accept that there are all manner of things that negatively impact telemarketing success and, what's more, rejection is a fact of telemarketing life. Almost certainly, we’re going to hear more ‘No’s’ than ‘Yes’ replies. And, there will be occasions when factors that are out of our control conspire against us. A good example of this is data quality. Data accuracy is a major factor that will either impede or propel a calling campaign forward. We need good quality data. It helps enormously if both the phone numbers and the people we call are the right ones. If not, it will be hard to get the results that we desire. But, it’s more than that. We’ll never make a sales appointment with someone we don’t call (unless, of course, they somehow find us). Sadly, insufficient prospects beat a path to the door of most businesses. So, many of them need to proactively go out and generate new business. That’s why solutions like telemarketing exist. Work the Numbers It’s a numbers game and, simply put, if you’re not hearing NO enough times, you’re not making enough calls. It’s not personal. It’s not that they don’t like you. It’s not that you’re rubbish at your job. Well, hopefully not. It’s simply that there are lots of reasons why people aren’t in buying mode right now. They may have other priorities. Other projects may be more pressing. How they handle what you offer may be adequate for now. They may simply be reticent to take on the additional workload that implementing the change that you're proposing might create. Equally, if your profiling is right and they’re the right kind of company with which you’d like to do business, you should identify when the time is right to speak and diarise a call-back. It’s a “no, not right now” as opposed to a “no, never”. Your sales pipeline won’t grow unless you put in the grunt work and make enough calls in the first place. You have to anticipate the ‘no’. Of course, you need to learn to objection handle and deal with rejection. If you don’t master that particular skill, you won’t get far. You’ll most certainly become discouraged and abandon ship. Almost inevitably, some kind of rejection will be the most common initial outcome for many of your calls, especially if you’re in a crowded business marketplace rammed full of strong competitors. However, don’t lose heart. For one of our clients, we made an appointment 3 years after our first call into a large organisation. That opportunity was worth nearly £1m in revenue to our client. Of course, they don’t all take that long! Get Your Profiling Right With those blocks in mind, lead generation is about perseverance and accepting that a significant part of the process is filtering and segmentation. It's about unearthing relevant companies and individuals in order to build a long-term sales pipeline. In practice, that means identifying the right profile of organisation and the right people in the right job roles and contacting them at the right time. Sadly, that isn't a simple task. In many larger businesses, decision-makers are busy and well-screened. For some, it will never be the right time. You have to learn to live with that unless you find another route in or another decision-maker with whom you can gain traction. But, the plain truth is that without making enough calls, and receiving enough knock-backs, you’ll never hit your targets. Some days, it will seem like it will never happen for you. Yet the following day you could tap into a goldmine. Sometimes, there’s no rhyme or reason for that. Perhaps, you’ve just got more warm call-backs on a particular day. A Positive Attitude Works Wonders Ultimately, much of the success you’ll gain in telemarketing will come down to attitude. A positive mental attitude will carry you far. It’s especially important, given the context of this article. It can be hard to keep going when the results aren’t coming, all you're hearing is NO and, as a consequence, your commission isn’t flowing. But, assuming that you are calling the right people and you have something to say that’s genuinely interesting, the numbers can stack in your favour as long as you stop focusing negatively on the No’s and look ahead towards the next Yes. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns and also, with our experience, provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results.  If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Do you Exercise your Business like your Body? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/do-you-exercise-your-business-like-your-body/ Published: 2016-09-20 > There's a direct correlation between mental and physical fitness. It's the same for your business. Do you start and stop activity? Do you give up too soon? Have you identified the areas you need to tone up in order for your business to grow? Our blog uses exercise as a metaphor for business fitness. Take a look to see how you measure up? Being a squash player for many years, and latterly a devotee to Peloton, I’m no stranger to exercise. And, to supplement my cycling my wife and I regularly do 11 mile walks at the weekend if the weather is good. There's no doubt that, whilst I ache a bit (age, and maybe overdoing it), my energy levels have soared. At over 60, it takes some effort and discipline to keep the old bones going and to prevent excesses from reaching my midriff. I find, though, that the boost I get from physical activity benefits all aspects of my life. But, this is not a blog about exercise per se. It's more about exercise as a metaphor. Ups and Downs are Exercise for your Business This level exercise (for me at least), set me thinking while I was on the Peloton. We lived through a challenging recession. We handled COVID-19. Despite the obvious need to drive new business and retain current clients, our customers ran scared. Those large corporations, at the top of the food chain, that turned off the tap, ensured that many of our longstanding customers bolted everything down, either ran for the hills, or locked up what money they had and kept it for a rainy day. Despite fears, a few years back, relating to Brexit, those days have largely gone and our business has grown significantly since those tougher times. But what has this got to do with exercise, you might ask? Well, my question is 'what energises your business?' Who are the people that make it fizz?  Where does the impetus for change, and growth, come from? Which elements of your marketing will propel your business forward? If there is no forward momentum, how will you grow? Make Sure Inertia doesn't Set in We took some important actions following the last recession. We sought to energise and revitalise pretty much every aspect of our business. Just a few of the steps we took included: Analysing competitor offerings and price and our own price positioning Looking at what customers valued and what elements were unnecessary Enhancing reporting and communication Considering how we structured and ran campaigns Staffing and especially what we needed to move forward Marketing and, in particular, where we deployed our efforts for sustainable growth Changing our CRM system to enhance productivity Consistency of Focus is Key It has taken a while, but consistent focus and effort have paid off. From a marketing standpoint, we decided that we needed to get onboard the social media train and provide content that the search engines would like in order for them to rank us. Historically, we’d languished on Page 3 or lower. Now we are ranked highly, and we don't pay for it. We spend time every week writing blogs like these. We now have over 400 blogs on our site on topics surrounding lead generation, telemarketing and social media. We produce videos regularly, and have recorded podcasts and designed Infographics that could be interesting for our website visitors. As a consequence, we have a favourable ranking on the search engines, regularly on Page 1, that bring us excellent sales leads that we have converted. That’s because when we receive new leads, our offering is more compelling. And when we run campaigns, we are in a much better position to deliver that means longer campaigns and customer retention. It Doesn't Happen Overnight But, did that happen overnight? The reality is that we've been consistently evaluating what we do over several years. We've been producing blogs and other content on a weekly and monthly basis for 4 or more years. It has taken constant effort to get to a position where we reap the benefits. We often explain to clients that lead generation, certainly at more senior-level and higher value sales, is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to be fit to get to the finishing line and it takes time and practice. I love the old golf expression ‘The harder you practice, the luckier you get.’ It takes patience and hours of effort. Work Out Where to Start Business is very much like exercise. The challenge for many people is where to start and mustering sufficient conviction to take the first step. It seems like a mountain to climb. Then, all too often, business owners and managers give up too soon before they reach the summit. It’s a bit like the New Year’s resolution to get fit. You join the gym on 1 January and by 15 January, the desire to continue has all but evaporated. We didn't suddenly hit nearly 400 blogs overnight. But, it started with the first one and then became a habit. It works for us so we make sure that we continue on the treadmill. But, it wasn’t until year 2 that it even started to drive visitor numbers that, in turn, ultimately generated sales leads. We could have abandoned the strategy at any time during that period. Create Positive Habits Whatever habits you need to break or begin to energise your business, it starts right now. Stop putting it off. Spend the time necessary to propel your business forward. Make decisions and take actions that will benefit the long-term. As a final aside, there’s definitely a correlation between fitness of mind and body and there is definitely a link between the mental and physical energy you have personally and what you can achieve within your business. So, go on. Don’t wait for the dregs of mulled wine and the last of the Christmas turkey before you get up off the sofa. Go and do some exercise today. You'll feel better for it. I promise. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns and also, with our experience, guide companies through the maze of marketing choices. We help them make the best choice and spend their budget wisely. If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Get Better Results from Your Telemarketing Team Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-get-better-results-from-your-telemarketing-team/ Published: 2016-08-30 > If you're using telemarketing to generate sales leads, you want your team to perform? But, are they delivering the number of leads you need to oil the wheels of growth? If not, maybe you need to think first about the input rather than the output. Take a look at our blog for some of the external factors you need to consider to help your callers perform. If you're using telemarketing to generate sales leads, you want your team to perform? But, are they delivering the number of leads you need to oil the wheels of growth? If not, maybe you need to think first about the input rather than the output. What’s happening (or not happening) that means the results aren’t at the required level? In a perfect world, you’d like to be able to flick a switch and identify how to get better results from your telemarketing team. Sadly, it’s not quite that easy. Of course, it's essential to have telemarketers that are willing to get on the phone, that have energy and motivation and know how to have a proper conversation with a prospect. Simply put, they also need to make enough calls each day to give themselves a chance of success. But, let's imagine those boxes are pretty much ticked but it's still not working. What could be wrong? Below we've detailed a few of the inputs you might want to look at that impede (or enhance) successful telemarketing lead generation. Systems What system do your team use to make calls? There are lots of good CRM solutions out there. But are they right for telemarketing? I went to one client recently where 4 callers used different approaches. One used their CRM. Another used excel to make calls. The third used a hard copy list and a pad. The fourth used an online portal for leads. This is a nightmare from a lead generation perspective. Telemarketing relies on good notes, scheduling call-backs and fast calling patterns. Consistency is everything and you need a system that is built with telemarketing workflow in mind. Whatever system you use needs to speed up calls and to allow callers to get at key information quickly. It must be easy to navigate. Can outbound callers simply prioritise the important calls for each day and find them quickly? Are all the relevant tabs and information in the right place, ideally on one page? A CRM configured for telemarketing use, as opposed to being set up for broader marketing, can make up to a 50% difference in the number of calls each day. So make sure your team aren't using excel or pen and paper and ensure your CRM is fit for purpose. Data The reality is that it's impossible to keep b2b data clean unless you deploy constant data validation. This is due to the fact that there are so many changes in organisations every year. Poor data is the single most damaging element in failing telemarketing lead generation. You can make several calls to a company to reach John Smith only to find it isn't him that deals with your area of interest. You can also get blocked by no name policies (no excuse nowadays with LinkedIn). We've had campaigns where we have received data from a client and circa 80% were wrong numbers and /or wrong person. So, we had to start from scratch and validate 1500 records. This impeded the results, cost more and slowed us down. If the decision-maker you need isn’t available on a list you can purchase from a data broker, it complicates matters. This is especially true where your target decision maker isn't run of the mill. You may need to undertake some form of data build in advance of calling. It’s important to recognise that if you want your team to deliver results fast, as a minimum requirement, you need to provide them with clean data and that means right numbers and right people to call with whom you’d like to do business. Briefing In the past, we've spoken to callers whose briefing is non-existent before the calling kicks off. That means they've been given a database and told in no uncertain terms to just go and drum up some business. Why would a prospect use your business versus a competitor? How entrenched with incumbent suppliers might the companies be that they're calling? What challenges do prospects have that you can resolve? What objections might callers run into? These are just a few of the crucial briefing points you should provide in advance of calling. The better prepared the callers are, the more traction they will achieve. Environment What's the environment for calling? Are callers stuck in a dark room at the end of the corridor? Sales lead generation is a tough job at the best of times and, telemarketing is probably at the top of that profession in terms of difficulty. So, make sure your callers are comfortable. They need space to spread out if they have accompanying info. Get them a headset and a comfy ergonomic home office chairs. Make sure they have a wide screen monitor. It may sound simple and what you do for everyone, but, sitting at a desk all day bashing out calls is a thankless task. So, be sure you provide the tools they need to do a good job. Motivation Along with the tools to do the job, comes motivation. It's a slog at times. Therefore, motivation and incentivisation play a role. That doesn't always mean money. Positive feedback is essential. A vote of thanks for a good appointment, or order, goes down well. Doughnuts for a particularly good week. Or, the possibility to leave an hour early for a good result day can all add to the desire to perform. And, of course, you can't forget commission on achievement as long as it's attainable. Training Training takes two parts. First, have your team got the requisite skills and techniques to do the job? If you're unsure, put them on a telemarketing skills training course. It'll pay dividends. Not all telemarketing is intuitive. It isn't just about the art of talking. Listening, questioning and rapport building are essential skills that can be taught. It’s the same for gatekeeper techniques and objection handling. And, it's not just about up-front training. Most training fails if it isn't embedded through use. And, you learn what works and what doesn't throughout a telemarketing campaign. So, it's about on the job continuous improvement. It's identifying the typical objections and blocks on a given activity. Plan for these and work out the most effective responses. If you have a successful caller, ask them to sit for a morning with those less successful and make it worth their while. Make on the job training and continuous improvement part of the process and you'll generate better results. Benchmarking We've recently won two new clients where they've done telemarketing in the past and know what results they are likely to achieve. They have benchmarks from other countries and from their internal calling. Having targets is essential but we also need to know they're realistic. Therefore, having a benchmark upon which to base targets is important and especially if they're proven. You can benchmark over time once you've called through sufficient data to assess list quality, response and so on. If you've got several callers, you can benchmark them against each other. There’s nothing like a bit of competition to push up performance. Variety Telemarketing can be monotonous. And, callers can become stale. So, try to provide variety if at all possible. Could callers change emphasis every so often? Are there different messages they could use? Could they call into a different sector or decision maker role with a different approach? Could they do some work on LinkedIn to warm up calls? Whilst getting familiar with the pitch helps familiarity and reduces the chance of sounding over-scripted, it can sap energy over time. So, try to freshen things up every so often to prevent your callers from feeling they're heading down a blind alley. Other Marketing Support A cold call is essentially.....cold. Could that be balanced by other marketing to warm up the lead? Do you do events after which they could make calls to leads from the event? Are you using email campaigns where telemarketers could call people that opened the email or clicked through? Could you use a tool to track who's on your website that your callers could follow up? Do you do webinars after which the team might follow up leads? In an ideal world, telemarketing shouldn't be carried out in isolation. The more impetus and support you provide to warm up the leads, and preferably stimulate inbound leads that are easier to close, the better. Telemarketing is, after all, a tough job. Don't make it harder by lumping all of the responsibility and the burden on your callers. Provide the support they crave and you'll see much better results. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns and also, with our experience, guide SME's through the maze of marketing choices. We help them make the best choice and spend their budget wisely. If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is Your Business Suffering From Insanity? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-your-business-suffering-from-insanity/ Published: 2016-08-19 > Sometimes businesses get lulled into doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. According to Albert Einstein, that's the definition of insanity. What are you doing in your business that you need to change? How can you prevent poor performance through lack of momentum and action? Read our blog for more. I wrote a blog in January 2014 entitled What can Businesses Learn from Arsenal’s Striker Crisis. Little did I know that I would write a blog years later on a not too dissimilar theme. Now, this blog is not about Arsenal, no matter how frustrated that they can sometimes make me feel. Nor is it a moan about the ballooning state of the transfer market. It’s more about insanity and how that relates to your business. According to Albert Einstein, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We see these patterns in every walk of society. It’s especially sad when we see repetitive behaviour from those suffering with addiction. But, this is not the blog to cover that particular topic. Are you Stuck in a Negative Status Quo? We're more concerned about business development, or more particularly, lack of it. That's where businesses don’t make the changes necessary to make them successful and they fail to see what could be obvious if they were to take a big picture view. Now, as a lifelong Arsenal fan and season ticket holder, there are periods when I get frustrated. Like many fans, I’ve been frustrated for years. The club has the potential to be great once again, and it's taken not far of 2 decades to realise the potential. Yet the team has experienced injuries (perhaps much more than the norm), the latest being Gabriel Jesus. We have had a few false dawns. I wrote, back in 2014, that Arsenal had a striker crisis in that the two strikers weren’t good enough. Where do we stand today? Finally, after years of languishing in ordinariness, we have emerged from our slumber. We have one top striker, one that's okay, and no real back up. Naturally, it costs money to buy a striker to score goals. But, isn't that the same as with your marketing investment? Nothing comes for free. A business needs consistent investment. Things need refreshing on a regular basis if you want success. There can Only be One Winner Of course, I’m fully aware that there can only be one winner in any sport. However, the reality is that every Arsenal fan has been saying the same thing for years i.e. we get too many injuries and we need reinforcements in defence and attack. As a consequence, the club went backwards rather than moved forwards. Finally, though, there is hopw with strong leadership from the top, and reinforcement below. The team, and the club, have a plan. Now, there are no guarantees in football, or in business or in life in general. Buying new players and expensive transfer values don’t guarantee success in the same way as hiring a salesman on a super-salary won’t necessarily deliver your best client ever. But, it is fair to say that, inertia, lack of activity and constantly repeating the same errors certainly won’t deliver results. Glory or Mid-Table Performance? The point is that this situation isn’t so dissimilar to when it comes to business development. Many organisations follow a well-trodden path. Some just exist and are happy like that, mid-table so to speak. Some try and fail. Sometimes, companies, especially smaller businesses, can be reluctant or afraid to try or do something different. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they need to ‘splash the cash’ and go wild by investing in every new marketing gimmick out there. Like in football, they need to analyse their strengths and weaknesses to work out what gaps exist. They need to look at their needs. They need to set viable goals based on their position in the market and their preparedness to invest for success. They also need to look at the opposition and see how they can succeed in an increasingly competitive  market. And, every business needs to budget. Leeds United and Portsmouth are a two good footballing examples where things can go drastically wrong if you don’t work within your means. They had short-term success but paid for their profligacy by relegation. Leeds took many years to climb away from the lower leagues. Portsmouth remain stuck. Sensible Speculation Equally, you need to sensibly speculate to accumulate. You can be sure that your competitors will invest. They will target your customers. They will look to grow. And, if you rest on your laurels, you’ll risk going backwards, not standing still. The question is what have you been lulled into that you repeat and repeat that doesn’t do what you need to make progress in your business? For example: Are there staff issues you need to resolve, either with regard to management or recruitment? Do you have unprofitable customers where you’d be better off divesting? Have you allocated insufficient attention to key elements of your business? Are there overdue areas for investment in either infrastructure or business development that you have put off for far too long and that could propel your business forward? Have you been mistakenly reliant on certain areas of your business (people or marketing) to deliver results and growth? Replace Inertia with a Change Mentality Often, there are many areas where inertia reigns for too long. At GSA, we like change. We continuously look for new ways to improve, whether that’s in order to deliver better results from the lead generation activity we do for our clients or technology to improve our internal efficiency. Ultimately, looking at new ways to operate and confronting business issues, as opposed to burying your head in the sand, are key to ensuring that you hit your objectives. So, if you’ve been sitting on your hands and procrastinating for too long and failing to take the decisions that could make all the difference, now is the time to change that approach. Don’t let your business development efforts fail through lack of ambition. Don’t let your team limp over the line. Don’t settle for scraps from the table of your stronger and more successful competitors. Don’t be like Arsenal for many seasons. Let’s hope that by the end of May, the Premiership trophy will be in our cabinet once again. Then, success breeds success. The Arsenal board will plunge their hands in their wide pockets and plug the gaps that will lead to their further success in Europe. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns and also, with our experience, guide SME's through the maze of marketing choices. We help them make the best choice and spend their budget wisely. If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 6 Ways to Not Suck at Telemarketing Source: https://telemarketing.blog/6-ways-to-not-suck-at-telemarketing/ Published: 2016-08-05 > Telemarketing is no walk in the park. It takes discipline, effort, good processes, constant follow-up and there are, of course, a whole lot of other success factors. But, to be really successful, your prospects have to like you and you have only a few seconds to make a great impression. So, check out our 6 simple tips to ensure you don’t suck at telemarketing? https://youtu.be/1x1mqS109Dk Telemarketing success is no walk in the park. It takes discipline, effort, good processes, constant follow-up and there are, of course, a whole lot of other success factors. But, to be really successful, your prospects have to like you and you have only a few seconds to make a great impression. So, what are our 6 simple tips to ensure you don’t suck at telemarketing? It’s about the Customer Not You It’s not about you. It’s not about your products and services. Customers generally aren’t interested in you and, there’s nothing worse than a sales person who likes the sound of their own voice. That’s especially the case where they constantly spew out uninteresting stuff related to their suite of products and services. Sadly, that approach is often accompanied by little or no interest in the prospect and no consideration of their needs. The conversation is one-way, not two-way and, therefore, the prospect switches off very early into the conversation. Customers are preoccupied with their issues, their problems, and their situations. The sooner you work that out, the quicker you’ll gain their ear and trust and the faster you’ll sell to them Be Interesting How do you capture the decision maker's attention? The answer to that question is simply to say something interesting. Too frequently, telemarketers approach the call with an over-used stock intro that goes something like ‘Hi. The reason for my call today is to introduce our products and services to you and to see if you need any help with telemarketing….’ A much better approach would be to empower and engage the decision-maker with an opening statement such as: ‘Hi, I don’t know whether this is relevant for you, but a lot of companies in your industry are concerned about a drop-off in the number of leads coming into the business. I don’t know if that’s true in your case for you but do you have a moment to speak?’ Don’t Sound Like Every Other Telemarketer How often have you heard ‘Hi, How are you today? It’s like waving a flag warning the prospect that they’re about to be pitched at. Do something different. Interrupt the natural pattern of buyer and seller and find something more engaging that captures the attention early on and that doesn’t make you sound like the last dozen cold callers that called their line. It’s like waving a flag, warning the prospect that they’re about to be pitched at. Do something different. Interrupt the natural pattern of buyer and seller and find something more engaging that captures the attention early on and that doesn’t make you sound like the last dozen cold callers that called their line. We're often asked a very general question which is 'what's the best way to do telemarketing?'. The answer? Don't sound like a telemarketer! Work out and Focus on Customer Challenges This is what genuinely interests customers. They have busy day jobs. They are time poor. They have all manner of priorities and important stuff on their mind. So, work out what keeps them awake at night. Find out what challenges they have.  Identify the trends and issues in their industry and relate what you say to that. Work that out before the call, and it will at least give you a chance to engage early on in the call and they will be less likely to brush you off as another annoying cold caller. Motivate Your Buyer How upbeat are you when you make a call? We’re not talking about sounding like you’re on laughing gas. But, you do need to be positive to be able to motivate your buyer to listen. You can’t motivate a prospect if you’re low-key, monotone and boring. So, find some oomph and energy and you will have a much better call and be more likely to receive a positive response. Build Rapport This is where it all comes together. A good intro, based on what motivates your prospect, will take you further into the call. If you’re upbeat and avoid coming across as a typical cold-caller; if you show genuine interest in the customer and their needs; if you tap into their issues and requirements as opposed to banging on about your products and services, the tone of the call will be better suited to getting good results. Ultimately, if you achieve good rapport, you will generate more and better-qualified opportunities and you won’t suck at telemarketing. If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation or you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Do you Ask the Right Questions to Win Profitable Business? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/do-you-ask-the-right-questions-to-win-profitable-business/ Published: 2016-07-19 > SME's had things pretty hard during the last recession. Now, once again, there's more uncertainty in the market. So, what do beleaguered SMEs need to do to survive? Great prizes are rarely won without risk. If you don't, take action what's the betting that an aggressive foe will get ahead of you in the race and snare the prey before you have the chance to act? Read our blog for more We’ve produced several blogs on the importance of good questions. As far as we’re concerned, perfecting questioning techniques is one of the most crucial aspects of effective selling and good telemarketing. Without questions, sellers talk more and listen less. They come across as pushy and only interested in themselves. Not a great start to a sales call. One would hope that the skill to ask relevant and rapport-building questions comes naturally to most people involved in sales. Sadly, that’s not the case. They either fire lots of information at prospects making them sound like the world's worst cold caller, or they come across like a boring market research survey, all stiff and stilted. So, what are the right kinds of questions? And when do you use them? At GSA, we typically don’t start a telemarketing call talking about our business. Of course, you’ve got to have a strong intro or you’ll never get to ask a question in the first place. But, let’s assume for a moment you’ve overcome the first hurdle and grabbed the attention of the prospect. What next? For my own sales calls, in many ways, I like the concept of ‘pattern interrupt’.  The logic behind this sales technique is to break the perceived seller-buyer pattern. The buyer ‘expects’ the seller to start in a certain way using the same tired language, used by every other sales person, followed by a predictably long list of services. We try hard to not come across as traditional sales people. We want to be perceived more as trusted advisers, from the outset, that are in the process of assessing whether there is value in a conversation and whether we can help. It isn’t about pitching or spewing out a long list of the things we offer and do for clients. It’s more about the start of a two-way dialogue to establish credibility and viability for the prospect. Assuming that we’ve got past that uncomfortable first phase, we need to engage fast. That means asking a simple question such as: Bill, I don’t want to waste your time as I’m not sure whether what we do is relevant for you so do you mind if I ask a few quick questions to see if it is?’ If it’s a warm call to start with, the prospect will often jump in at that point and start telling us about their business anyhow. If it’s a cold call, and they perhaps grudgingly let you continue, what questions might you ask to keep the conversation flowing? The specifics of the questions are likely to be different for different organisations, services, and sectors. Likewise, dependent on the job role of the decision-maker. Typically, we break the questions down into two types i.e. profiling questions (sometimes called specific questions) and solution selling questions. And, you need a blend of both for it to work well. You also need a mix of open and closed questions. Closed questions enable you to filter for relevance and direct the flow of the call e.g. Have you done telemarketing in the past? Open questions enable you to gather pertinent information and are more of the solution selling variety e.g. How do you get your sales leads at the moment? Below are examples of what we use. Typical Profiling Questions How frequently do you find a need to boost lead generation? What’s the job role of the decision maker that typically buys your services? How many lead per month do you need to drive sales? Typical Solution Selling Questions How do you handle lead generation at the moment? What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to lead generation? What’s stopping you doing more lead generation now? The above are only a very small sample. We have up to 17 different questions we ask during the course of a prospect call for our business. They support good conversation flow when done correctly. In truth, we rarely get all of the answers to all of the questions. And we never reel them off in a long list one after the other. It has to be a natural part of the discussion. They are very much a pick and mix yet there are some questions where we need responses in order for us to evaluate whether (1) we can help (2) this is the kind of client we want (3) we feel we are likely to do a good job (4) the ROI will work for the client. Before we do a proposal and / or quote there are also a number of basic priority questions that are must haves.  These are added to some of the questions related to their sales proposition and target audience and include: What does success look like for them? Budget – No-one ever has a budget but it’s important to ask When do they want a proposal? When do they hope to kick off the activity? When can I call them back? I always ask for a defined date so I can follow up Other questions enrich our knowledge and help us to shape a proposal for the prospect that they will hopefully enjoy reading. Once we have the info we need, and the customer advises that he or she would like a formal proposal, we enter the new prospect onto our CRM system (if they aren't there already) so we have a record and we fill out the questions replies that are pre-loaded on the system. The key to the success of this process is knowing what questions to ask for our business and when to ask them. Do you have a set of similar questions for your business? If you don’t, it would be worthwhile to compile a set that you can use. In the end, an effective sales call is a balance between talking and listening. That balance is mostly driven by the ability of the sales person to ask good questions plus, of course, the propensity of the prospect to answer and engage. Not everyone will allow you the time to ask your questions. Ultimately, there will be a large number of prospects that won’t be in the market. However, if the initial profiling is done pre-call, in order to ensure that you’re calling businesses with which you’d like to trade, good questions will lead to better rapport which in turn will lead to a greater likelihood of keeping the door open to future opportunities. A questioning approach will inevitably lead to a better chance of doing business with prospects that are in the market now since you’ll better differentiate your business from the many other cold calls that prospect will receive. And, given that the health of a business is often determined by looking at its short, medium and long-term sales pipeline, that’s not a bad thing at all. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns and also, with our experience, guide SME's through the maze of marketing choices. We help them make the best choice and spend their budget wisely. If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is Today’s SME an Endangered Species? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-todays-sme-an-endangered-species/ Published: 2016-07-12 > SME's had things pretty hard during the last recession. Now, once again, there's more uncertainty in the market. So, what do beleaguered SMEs need to do to survive? Great prizes are rarely won without risk. If you don't, take action what's the betting that an aggressive foe will get ahead of you in the race and snare the prey before you have the chance to act? Read our blog for more Today's SME is, in many ways a different animal to that of seven or eight years ago. Even in its natural habitat, today's SME tends to be more cautious than the pre-recession and pre-2008 specimen. The recession really knocked the stuffing out of some businesses and some didn't make it through the cold winters. At times, the dwindling availability of fresh meat (new business) has meant that his animal had to learn to live off meagre rations. Of course, with its habitat about to experience another change with the uncertainties of Brexit on the horizon, challenges anew face our beleaguered SME business owner. But does it have to be that way? We're not in the polar Arctic with shrinking ice caps that threaten our very existence. Or are we? Despite the ravages of recession and the worry about our slow departure from the EU, our business world is very different to lions and tigers on the sun parched planes of Africa or seal hunting polar bears hunting in the eroding arctic. There is still plenty of meat for today's SME but, like many species, they need to adapt, fight for it and find clever ways to stalk and catch their prey. In days gone by, business was plentiful. There were plenty of fish in the proverbial sea. Big clients were willing to spend. Their greater caution, in recent years up until we emerged from the stupor of recession, bred a risk averse attitude amongst the smaller companies that served them. For several years, it was a case of head down and hope that the food will come. Many didn't survive through inactivity. Those that did survive weren't the ones that buried their heads in the sand or starved themselves through relative inertia. To thrive, they needed to take a few risks. And, with new uncertainties upon us, SME's need to take learning from recent times and go again. They need to prepare themselves for possible leaner times once again. Of course, it's by no means certain that we'll face a new famine in terms of business. But preparation and adaptation are crucial traits that small businesses need to progress rather than fall back. In truth, it's pretty straightforward. Owners and managers need to identify their prey and work out the best way to entice it. They also need to work out how to ward off other predators after the same prey who also may be trying to gobble them up in the process. It's survival of the fittest. So, what do you need to do? To some extent, it means clearer focus on risk and reward. No business can survive without a pipeline of new business. But what will it take to keep the pot bubbling and lead flowing? Let's look at a simple scenario. For example, if a typical new client win / value of sale for your business is £10,000 what investment will your business allocate up front to deliver that outcome? It's about ROI. Of course, there's no point going after prey that is inedible. No point trying to eat an elephant if you're a mouse in your sector. Go after business that is accessible based on your credibility, location, resources and experience. Consider the natural habitat of your prey. Where do they graze? In other words, where do they go for information, education, communication and even for entertainment? If you know this, make sure you're visible there and engage with them in their natural environment. Whether that means through inbound marketing like social media and content development or outbound marketing like direct mail or telemarketing, work out where is your best chance of success. What delivers the best probability of capturing your prey and achieving your goal? And at what cost? We're not saying that this is easy or without risks. You could choose the wrong route, never reach your prey and exhaust your resources. That's where your research comes in. You have to understand your prey, what they're looking for and where they congregate. What's the alternative? Starve to death due to lack of action, gradually submitting to a slow and painful death through lack of nourishment? That's not much of life anyhow. You can choose your fate. We all have to get out there and compete. Business managers need to get out into the wild and fight for their prey. If you stack up against your competitors, you'll win a share of the prize, maybe the lion's share. That's what new business development is all about. If you want to survive in this era of greater relative scarcity and significant uncertainty, you have to start now and you have to get your business in good shape to compete. You have to market your business. You may have to take risks while you can. Great prizes are rarely won without risk. If you don't, what's the betting that an aggressive foe will get ahead of you in the race and snare the prey before you have the chance to act. GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns and also, with our experience, guide SME's through the maze of marketing choices. We help them make the best choice and spend their budget wisely. If you'd like to know more, give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is Social Media Marketing Really Worth all the Effort? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-social-media-marketing-really-worth-all-the-effort/ Published: 2016-07-05 > Is social media a worthwhile investment for your business? Everyone seems to have jumped on the social media bandwagon. But, is there a payback? What's the point? Are we all just wasting our time and money? The reality is that communication has changed and the methods used ten years ago may no longer work as effectively. Read our blog to see if Social Media marketing is for you. Is social media marketing really worth all the effort? Is there a payback? Or are we all just wasting our time and money? These are not questions to be taken lightly and I’m sure that there are social media experts that will have a strong view based on all manner of empirical evidence. At GSA, we do use Social Media. We religiously post content on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Facebook and YouTube. That’s the core of what we distribute. Why do we do this? Does it actually work? These are questions we have asked ourselves and the reality is that, for us, social media doesn’t deliver large numbers of visitors to our website. However, I did a couple of presentations recently to audience of local business people where I spoke about how our world has changed. No, I’m not talking about Brexit this time. I’m talking about the way we communicate.  You can check out the PowerPoint recording of the presentation here. The point is that the world is changing fast. Millennials number not far short of 50% of the population. That’s people in business who know nothing before the internet and use social media all the time. Not only are Millennials growing in importance in the workplace, there are tomorrow’s consumers, both of goods and services. Doesn’t it make sense therefore, to consider how best to reach them in a marketing sense?       A survey by Ipsos MediaCT/Crowdtop in 2014, found that Millennials spend up to 18 hours each day ‘consuming media’. Of course, the term ‘media’ covers a lot of ground. As it happens, in this context, it includes TV, radio and email so this is not just about ‘social media’. But, take a look at the chart below. They spend a significant amount of time on social networking sites and reading blogs and other content. What’s also interesting to note is that another survey found that 30% of their daily media consumption goes to content produced by their peers. That means user-generated content.   What does this all mean to us? In my humble opinion, it means nothing unless you consider other factors. Clearly, we all like to read and watch interesting stuff. That’s why YouTube has currently, 6 billion hours of video watched on YouTube per month & 1 billion videos watched over mobile phones per day. While the Brexit debate was raging, what sources did you use to find info and assess the mood? If you’re anything like me, some of your insight came from the news on TV. Some came from newspapers. However, a lot came from social media sources whether that was via an article or video shared on Facebook or the Brexit hashtag on Twitter or via a status update on LinkedIn. The fact is that social media is interwoven in our daily lives for both business and pleasure. And, given simple demographics, this is likely to grow not decline. Therefore, it’s no longer about whether you should get involved. It’s more about how. It’s about understanding that your customers and prospects are looking for information, knowledge, entertainment, communication and engagement through the channel of social media. It’s therefore about how you and your business connect with them while they are in that mode. It’s all about relevance. It’s not about overt selling. Whilst LinkedIn may be a business network, even there, it’s more about provision and insight than it is about pitching. We share things that we think our peers will find interesting. Don’t forget that if you’re providing useful facts and figures that other will welcome, Google and the other search engines favour websites that have frequently updated content. And, more and more, social presence is and will be taken into account in search. So, is social media a quick win? To some extent, it depends on how much content you generate, how quickly and frequently you release it to your networks and how compelling it is. Success is also determined by the size of your network. If you’re speaking to 50 people, that’s not the same as sharing your content with 5000 relevant individuals. Hence, you need to extend your peer network for social to work for you. That doesn’t mean anyone and everyone or buying Twitter followers. It’s about growing your network organically. You need to engage with like-minded people that can carry your message to others. It’s down to reach. Successful companies in social media have been doing this for some time. Big companies have legions of marketers working on social and content. They employ external agencies to do legwork. Some smaller companies have mastered the art by jumping on the bandwagon early and showcasing their knowledge on the relevant networks for their target audience. That could be Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook where the audience and services are visual and younger although Facebook isn’t only the domain of the young. Others have amassed very large followings on Facebook. The crazy thing is that nowadays we all have a channel and we’re all broadcasters and media owners. How could the following have taken place if that weren’t the case? Check out the number of subscribers and followers. Who would have thought ordinary people could build up such a following? Take a look at Laina, The Overly Attached Girlfriend below. Michelle Phan is a Vietnames American who has 8.6m subscribers to her YouTube Make up channel. She's probably doing pretty well out of ad rebevue and endorsements. PSY Gangnam Style has had nearly 3 billion views at last count. And it isn’t just on YouTube and Facebook. There are individual posts on LinkedIn that get very large distribution. Social media isn’t just about funny cats and dogs. We are increasingly conditioned to finding out information in ways that would have seemed absurd 10 years ago. So, generating genuinely compelling content is the priority. You can’t employ old marketing and sales tactics for social media. And, you have to commit to the process. We liken it to the American Football philosophy of Offence vs defence. Is social media a tactic that’s going to win you more sales immediately? The answer is probably not since you need to allow it time to build and you need sufficient momentum and traction and for enough people to get to know you, follow you and share your posts. In our book, this is, in part a defensive tactic. Fast forward a few years and maybe sooner. With a predominance of millennials in the workforce, how will they relate to your business in the years to come? Will they even be able to find you? And if they do or you find them, will they be impressed with what they find, especially compared to your competitors? No doubt, time will tell whether social media is ultimately a fad and whether something else comes along to take its place. For our business, it has proven extremely successful and we've won some tremendous new clients through the inbound leads our activity has generated. That can only be put down to our efforts in content marketing and social media marketing. So, is social media really worth all the effort? For many businesses that have been doing it for some time, it most certainly is. If you’d like to find out how GSA Business Development can help Generate Growth for your Business, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or send us an email. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Things Businesses Owners must ask about New Business Development Source: https://telemarketing.blog/essential-questions-every-small-businesses-owner-must-ask-new-business/ Published: 2016-07-03 > There are any number of decisions that small business owners need to take in order to drive growth. These include investment decisions and routes to market, In this podcast, we look at some of the key questions SMEs need to consider for successful business development. I had an interesting conversation with a prospective client recently. The end of the chat went something like this:‘Unfortunately, we’ve had a tough last quarter so we can’t afford to spend on new business development at the moment’Of course this particular client could conceivably be masking the real reason for not going ahead. They may be genuinely cash-strapped. They may need to reduce costs to avoid a risk of going out of business. There could be any number of reasons why they legitimately did not want to use our lead generation services. Equally, they may not have been telling me the truth. It’s conceivable that they simply went to a competitor but didn’t tell me. I’d like to think that wasn’t the case since we built an excellent relationship and I provided lots of free advice. And you might perhaps argue that I didn’t do my job well enough to emphasise the value of lead generation to overcome their current business development challenges.  Yet we clearly demonstrated that, very recently, we’d delivered significant new business opportunities for another client that does exactly the same work in another part of the country. This showcased our credentials and illustrated a tremendous ROI.Can you Afford to Rely on the Business Status Quo?So their stated reasoning for not taking action poses an interesting question. In these challenging economic times, ‘can organisations afford to not focus on new business?’Whilst client retention is paramount, is it possible to rely on the status quo? Wouldn't it be great if, without trying, a steady stream of new business would just keep waltzing in through your open door? Perhaps current clients continue to provide fresh opportunities. Maybe you don’t need to go out and search for new leads. If you have sufficient clients, and those clients provide regular opportunities for cross-sell and upsell, you may be in a good place. Yet, that’s rarely the norm for most businesses. Change Destabilises Client RelationshipsThings change. Buyers come and go. Buyer circumstances change. If your customer database is of a reasonable size, there is likely to be a regular turnover of buyers. And, with new purchasers, comes a fracturing of the relationship you have with certain customers. What’s more, if competitors come in with new offerings or promotions, the stability of your core business may become a little shakier. That’s why, in most cases, a steady stream of new business prospects is essential not least as a defense mechanism against attrition in addition to being an engine for growth. Lots of Marketing Channels from Which to ChooseOf course, there are a huge number of marketing channels that can be used to generate new business. Companies need to work out what works best for them. Unfortunately, though, many business decision-makers are still reluctant to invest even when there’s a seemingly good case to do so. Paralysis sometimes exists amongst SMEs. ROI is crucial but, sometimes , that can take time and small businesses usually need quick return. Some organisations can be wary of marketing investment without guaranteed return. And, marketing spend is often the first thing to go in tough business climates and it's slow to return. Clearly, companies can invest in all manner of marketing. That could be to generate brand awareness or to drive promotions or to generate enquiries for the sales team. It isn’t necessarily quick or easy. However, the process for deciding whether to invest should be straightforward and it should be an annual process at least. . The kinds of questions SMEs need to ask include:What level of new business revenue do we need to achieve our objectives (from existing and new customers)?How many clients do we need to reach the revenue target based on the lifetime value of the new business as opposed to the first sale alone? What is the probably conversion rate from a sales lead?Based on the above, how many leads (meetings, demos, appointments, zoom calls etc) do we need to deliver the conversions? What methods are most likely to generate these opportunities?What level of investment is needed?Decision-Making ScenarioWith the above in mind, let’s look at a very basic scenario. It goes without saying that there are many more considerations in the decision to invest in lead generation activity. If an average client is worth £10,000 and the average conversion from lead to sale is 1:10, then we could view each qualified lead as having a value of £1000 within your sales pipeline.  If the marketing cost to deliver those 10 leads is perhaps £3000, then, simply put, the ROI could be a 3.33:1 ratio. If the value of sale is £20,000, the ratio doubles. Some of our clients derive significant revenue from their clients which means the ROI could be even higher.  Of course, you need to believe that your choice of marketing will bring that level of business to the table. That’s not guaranteed. This is where you need to do your homework and assess your proposition, your competitor positioning and the market receptiveness. You also need to vet your marketing supplier’s credentials. Regardless of how you carry out these tasks, the above questions are simple but important. Ultimately, the availability of funds and your appetite to spend the money will dictate your success. However, no business can afford to stand still while competitors are active, not least since those competitors are targeting your clients. Therefore, it’s essential to keep your sales pipeline well filled. So do your analysis, and grow your business. If you’d like to find out how GSA Business Development can help Generate Growth for your contact us now.  ------------------------------------------------------------ # When Life Gives you Lemons, Make Lemonade Source: https://telemarketing.blog/when-life-gives-you-lemons-make-lemonade/ Published: 2016-06-28 > Whatever the likely outcome of Brexit in the near and distant future, we have to get on with things. As business owners and managers, we have to look at what we can control. This is where our commercial skills come to the fore. But what questions do businesses need to ask to insulate themselves from any fallout over the next few years? Check out our blog for more. Wow. What a week. Dumped out of the Euros by Iceland (no, not the supermarket). We dumped ourselves out of Europe. Standard & Poor dumped our Triple AAA rating. There are resignations aplenty on both sides of the political fence. We’ve experienced a slump on the FTSE in addition to what we’ve seen across global markets. The value of Sterling is at a level not seen since 1985. Mix that in with allegations of untruths during the referendum campaign (any surprise?) and you could be forgiven for thinking Armageddon has arrived. I could go on…. and on and it’s likely that the implications of Joe and Joanne Public’s decision to ‘Brexit’ will be with us for some time too. So, do we treat this with the traditional stiff British upper lip? Do we break out the tea and scones? Or do we grab our brolly, pull up our collars and find the nearest public house to drown our sorrows? The last recession was grim. Let’s face facts. But, in the main, we’re still here. Trade goes on. People still consume. Businesses still need services. It’s entirely possible that, for a while, the pot may be a little smaller. Will it be survival of the fittest? Probably. But, isn’t that just life…. or business? Whatever the likely outcome of Brexit in the near and distant future, we have to get on with things. As business owners and managers, we have to look at what we can control. This is where our commercial skills come to the fore. But what questions do we need to ask, in order for us to insulate ourselves from any fallout from our withdrawal from the EU over the next few years? Below, we’ve listed a few thoughts and questions to consider. How do you and your business measure up? What insight do we have, or need, about our marketplace that helps shape future decisions? How lean can we make our business without hampering growth and stifling competitiveness? What are the strengths and weaknesses across our business? From where are the best opportunities likely to come? Where might external threats come from? How can we best focus marketing efforts to be effective? How can we grow market share at the expense of the competition? How can we strengthen our value proposition? What steps do we need to take to protect our current client base? What is our plan for the next 1-3 years? The phrase "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" is a phrase that’s often used to symbolise the need for optimism and a positive attitude particularly when adversity strikes. The idea is that lemons represent bitterness, while lemonade is a sweet drink showing the contrast. The sentiment has never been more apt. If you’d like to find out how GSA Business Development can help Generate Growth for your Business, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or send us an email. ------------------------------------------------------------ # What does Brexit Mean for your Sales Pipeline? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/what-does-brexit-mean-for-your-sales-pipeline/ Published: 2016-06-24 > Brexit is here and that will inevitably cause change. But change doesn't care whether you voted in or out. So, work out what the next few months and years might mean for you and your business and don't wait to focus on sales. Remember, this can be an opportunity to grab market share. Make sure that's you and not your competition. https://youtu.be/HWZ9wJFRILY So, we're out! Phew, what a night. Love it or hate it, we are where we are and we all need to consider the implications for our business. The world won't change overnight and we shouldn't over-react. However, there will be change. The future is perhaps more uncertain than it was 24 hours ago. But that future is still in your hands. How you approach that future will determine its outcome for your business. But what does Brexit mean for your current customer base and your ability to build your sales pipeline? Does it mean anything? Well, let's do some very quick (non-expert) analysis on what might happen. Clearly, Britain will experience change. In many ways, we've already changed hugely over many years. We have become a service economy. We don't produce goods like we used to and we import more than we export. Yet, our service sector typically sells to companies that manufacture and sell goods both here and abroad. So, it's all interconnected. You can't totally divorce one thing from another. Those manufacturers and importers may well see some significant disruption. It's likely that Sterling will ultimately stabilise but it has seen the biggest fall in history this morning against the dollar. The FTSE is trading significantly lower as I write. Both of these factors alone will have considerable impacts on companies in the UK if they persist. The cost of importing goes up. Profits will potentially be lower unless those organisations put prices up (or negotiate better pricing - but on what basis?). Maybe there will be a threshold beyond which they can't increase price. Thus, profits drop. If they do increase prices to compensate, it's probable that inflation will go up with resultant pressure on interest rates? With a lower FTSE, what happens to company profits and personal investments and pensions? Less money in consumer pockets? And what about investment in jobs and infrastructure not least in the private sector? We haven't even spoken about the debt that UK PLC has built up that the government is trying to reduce. All of this is possibly conjecture to some extent. It's what 'might' happen not what will happen. I'm sure there are experts, much brighter than me, who will provide a very different picture. No doubt, those in the Brexit camp will argue for the benefits and opportunities this give us all. But, it could happen and we could be on the cusp of a recession in the UK. Not forgetting of course, that we are still in a global economy. The Eurozone is in a state of flux. And, who knows which was the US Elections will go. Once again, we're all interconnected and, in or out, it's not straightforward. What to do about sales? The reality is that you have to focus on things you can control. That doesn't mean ignore what's around you though. Growth may be harder to deliver. Some sectors will be resilient and some will take advantage of the turmoil. That's the case in any market at any time in history. Could this be an opportunity for your business? Whatever happens, ultimately, a strong sales pipeline provides some degree of insulation against the bumps in the road. The more you have in your sales funnel, the more chance you have of continuing to generate new business and the less you will feel the loss of current clients that may be affected by the upheaval. Therefore, we'd recommend a few basic but key steps to make sure your pipeline is full so that your business is more resilient. Plan your sales strategy - everyone needs a plan. If you've been putting off pulling together a formal sales plan, now is the time to act Work out target sectors - going after markets that are more affected by the change is likely to be less effective. Identify opportunities - which sectors are likely to experience growth during this period. How can you service those? Work out your routes to market - what's the best way to reach those targets? Be visible - how can you get in front of the people you need to target? Don't hide. Get out there and make some noise. Be credible - build your credentials to differentiate your business. Have you checked how you look online and stack up compared to your competitors recently? A blog like this showcases our know-how. What are you doing? Take action - don't procrastinate. Now is the time. Ultimately, what's happened has happened. There’s no point sticking your head in the sand. Things will change. You can choose to take control or be controlled. The more proactive you are now, the more you'll feel the benefits and the less likely you'll be to fall behind your competitors. Change is agnostic. It doesn't care whether you voted in or out. So, work out what the next few months and years might mean for you and your business and don't wait. Focus on sales now. Remember, change can be an opportunity to grab market share. Make sure it's your business that reaps the rewards, not your competitors. If you’d like to find out how GSA Business Development can help Generate Growth for your Business, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or send us an email. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are you Fooling Yourself When it Comes to Lead Generation? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-you-fooling-yourself-when-it-comes-to-lead-generation/ Published: 2016-06-21 > Ultimately, you don’t have to pray for miracles when it comes to lead generation success? But, you do have to focus and ask yourself key questions about how you’re going to approach the task. You also need to be realistic and appreciate that Rome wasn’t built in a day. There’s no point fooling yourself. It takes time and effort but the results will be worth waiting for. Check out our blog for tips. Unless you’re flooded with fresh sales enquiries, you probably need to do something to promote your business in order to generate new business opportunities. But where do you start? There are so many options. And those options come with so many promises and false dawns. Whether you’re using SEO, PPC, Direct Mail, Email Marketing, Social Media marketing, Advertising (on or offline), Telemarketing or one of any number of other marketing solutions, there’s no guarantee that the route you choose will work. And, what does ‘work’ mean? That’s surely a relative thing and, what’s a realistic goal for lead generation, especially from a standing start? What's Does Your Pipeline Look Like? A strong new business pipeline indicates the health (or lack of health) of a business. A steady flow of qualified leads is what we need to ensure that the organisation is focused on growth and insulates itself against the somewhat inevitable periodic loss of clients for one reason or another. So, we’ve established that sales leads are important. But, how do we get them at a price per lead that doesn’t break the bank? And how do we get enough of them to make a difference? These are key questions with which many businesses wrestle. It doesn’t help that some marketing and lead generation suppliers promise the earth and deliver closer to dust. Maybe they over-promise and under-deliver. And maybe, client expectations are unrealistic. Or it’s possibly a combination of the two. Success Drivers for Lead Generation The reality is that generating sales opportunities, in a cluttered and competitive environment, is challenging. There are few quick wins and there is no fixed recipe for success. Equally, success means different things to different people. Typically, the results you get will depend on the: Type Industry / sector – some are tougher to penetrate than others Level of focus – Are your marketing and sales messages targeted at one sector or are you aiming at lots of targets at the same time? – Jack of all trades? Size of target company - Bigger companies have more layers and barriers Ease of reaching the decision maker – the higher you go, the harder it is Value of sale – larger sales take longer to come to fruition Level of competition in the marketplace Amount of activity, time and money that you devote to lead generation Your credentials versus your key competitors How well you articulate what you offer in print and person to person Any calls to action you use to drive response The above isn’t everything of course, but it illustrates that lead generation isn’t simple and there is no simple solution. Miracles are at a Premium There are all manner of considerations. You can’t expect miracles. And, you have to be prepared to be in it for the long game. You might like to think that you can do a burst of activity to provide the impetus for business growth. Yet, invariably, a stop-start approach to marketing and business development is doomed to failure since you build up less learning, and less momentum and it just simply has less time to work. You might get lucky if the activity is focused, but it’s likely, that it will take time to generate the results you need, especially when you want to land bigger the fish, . Yet, no business owner or manager has an unlimited budget. That’s the stuff of fantasy. So, we have to focus our efforts. Some degree of spend, whether that’s time investment or money, is inevitable. However, all too often, those in most need of sales leads expect miracles based on either unrealistic assumptions or the urgency of their need to generate new business. Sadly, they cannot expect: One blog to push them up search rankings and generate click-throughs and leads Instant leads from connecting and messaging prospects via LinkedIn To send out 250 third party emails and get a significant number of leads To deliver 4 high-quality leads per day from telemarketing when targeting large blue-chip companies from an inaccurate list and no service differentiation PPC to deliver highly targeted ‘hot-to-trot’ leads from Day 1 Do you Know What Success Looks Like? It is possible that some of the above can generate good opportunities from the outset. However, that isn’t always the case. The point we’re trying to make is that it’s important to define what realistic success looks like. By all means, set stretching goals. Then work out how you’re going to achieve those objectives. But recognise where you are today. Whilst you may think what you offer is a ‘No brainer’, would a prospect genuinely think similarly? And, how many prospects are in the market right now? Does success, from a standing start, mean one new sale per day, per week, per month or per quarter? Does it mean 5 new business meetings a week? Or perhaps, it’s one quote per day or a certain number of demos per week or attendees at an event on a particular date. If you know your conversion ratios, you’ll be in a better position to define what’s valid and achievable. You should certainly look at ROI over a distinct timeframe to work out whether your chosen new business route has been a success? Is it a Numbers Game? Do too many companies still set unrealistic expectations? In our experience, the answer is yes, even though it may be through necessity rather than design. The truth is, no matter how good you and your business are at whatever you do, no matter how compelling a proposition you have, and no matter how much money or time you can save prospective customers, there will always be a number of them that will just not see the value and will not respond favourably. You see, business people are busy. They have lots on their plate. There is a ton of stuff going on in their personal and business world that leads them to maintain the status quo in order to: Avoid more work - change always involves work Avoid the risk of failure - new suppliers and projects have been known to go wrong and who carries the can? Preserve current relationships internally and externally Avoid losing focus on other workload and priorities Navigate the Roadblocks In some cases, what you’re offering just isn’t a high enough priority right now. They may have a current supplier that’s contracted for the next 6 or 12 months. Maybe they handle what you offer in house. Or, perhaps you haven’t found the hook or way of articulating sufficiently why they should talk to you or buy from you now. With these roadblocks in mind, prospects will come up with all manner of obstacles. Ever heard statements like ‘it isn’t the right time’ or ‘we have no budget’ or ‘we already have a supplier that provides that.’ The simple reality is that there is part truth in those statements. It, therefore, isn’t easy to overcome this kind of barrier since fewer buyers will be actively searching for your kind of services if that’s the current state of play. And, when you target them proactively, e.g. via a telemarketing call, you will also find them reticent to change and to enter into dialogue. Take Your Head out of the Sand There’s no point sticking your head in the sand and praying for miracles or blaming your lead generation team. If you accept the basic principle that not everyone is looking for your services at any point in time, you need to: Encourage the ones that are looking for services to find you and put you on their supplier shortlist Target prospects through some form of outbound direct marketing in order to find them Create a need and call to action either through dialogue or through your email, brochure or advertising And, if the above doesn’t work, you need to accept, to some extent, that it’s a numbers game. If you accept that, at least in principle, in many cases, a significant amount of lead generation activity is required. That’s not to say that, in every case, you need to throw mud against walls. We advocate as precise targeting as you can manage. The more focused you can be the better. It enables you to tailor your message to the target audience. And it allows you to maximise the value of any activity and investment. For example, a targeted email with a strong call to action coupled with a relevant LinkedIn message that includes a link to a relevant video, podcast, infographic or blog article followed by a targeted phone call is likely to be more effective than a scattergun approach. Key Lead Generation Questions However you approach your lead generation journey, it’s essential to ask the following questions before you embark on any business development campaign: Who is most likely to buy your product or service? What drives that requirement? What challenges do they have that you overcome? Who makes the buying decision and is there someone that champions the cause? How do you create a target list that is accurate in order to reduce time and cost drain? What channels are the best in order to reach target prospects? What tools / calls to action do you have to use in order to entice them to look favourably at your business? What is the likely gestation period between interest and purchase? What are realistic expectations for success based on proper statistics? If you don’t know, ask someone that does. What budget can you set against the likely ROI? What is a realistic timeframe against which to measure success? Increasingly, forward-thinking companies deploy integrated lead generation tactics. That doesn’t mean spreading resources too thinly across multiple marketing methods or indeed spending money you can’t afford. What it does mean is that, to generate quality sales leads, you need a blend of activities and you need to be consistent. A call to a prospect will inevitably result in them checking out your website. How does that stack up? When did you last update it? Are your prime targets likely to find your website from a simple Google search? If you don’t have good content, that will become ever more unlikely. Equally, if they compare your business website to your competitors, how do you show that you walk the walk as opposed to just talk the talk? Do you have videos or blogs that emphasise that you know your stuff? If they check you out on Twitter or LinkedIn, will they see a bare profile or one stacked with pertinent information and regular updates? Where and How Does your Audience Consume Information? You see, the strategy for lead generation these days is as much about defence as it is about offence. Things are changing. We live in the Big Brother world where customers can, and do, check you out in different places and not just your website. Many of today's buyers know nothing before the internet, and they’ve been schooled on social media. That’s their frame of reference and they seek reassurance in the places they know. They also ask their peer networks for advice and recommendations. So, you may have a great brochure or you may even make a great telemarketing call, but you can’t lag behind your competitors when it comes to how you come across online, and that no longer just means your website. Your website also needs to deliver more than it has ever done before. It's estimated that video content typically accounts for over 80% of total internet traffic. This includes various forms of video content such as streaming services, social media videos, online tutorials, and video advertisements. With the increasing popularity of platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Netflix, the consumption of video content continues to grow rapidly. That’s increasingly how we find information. Upweight your Content The way we communicate has changed and the way we reach and engage with customers has changed. Now, we’re not suggesting that small businesses are going to get left behind. There are cost-effective ways to produce content that supports lead generation. There are marketplaces such as Fiverr where you can source all manner of marketing services that enhance your ability to get out there and build your sales pipeline. Artificial Intelligence can now be used to facilitate content development. But, take care to not over-rely on formulaic blogs, and articles that can be the result of a copy and paste culture that ChatGPT has spawned. Google knows! Another advantage of the web is the ability to find good suppliers for marketing collateral very cost-effectively e.g. for designing sales presenters, email marketing, building websites, creating videos and other content etc. However, you have to recognise that a degree of marketing activity is essential and you can’t stick your head in the sand.  Of course, the more targeted your activity the better. Focus your Efforts Ultimately, you don’t have to pray for miracles when it comes to lead generation success. But, you do need to focus and ask yourself key questions about how you’re going to approach the task. You must also be realistic and appreciate that Rome wasn’t built in a day. There’s no point fooling yourself when it comes to pipeline development. It takes time and effort but the results will be worth waiting for. If you’d like to find out how GSA Business Development can help Generate Growth for your Business or book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, or give us a call. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Do you Have to be Pushy to be Successful in Sales? – A Podcast Source: https://telemarketing.blog/pushy-successful-sales-podcast/ Published: 2016-06-15 A question that comes up a lot when I'm running telemarketing training is 'do you have to be pushy to be successful in sales?' We think that's an intriguing question because there may be two schools of thought. One side might say of course you do. Without drive, energy and the killer instinct, you will never reach the heights of top salesman and propel your business forward. On the other, one might say that pushy salespeople alienate customers and that style of selling is outmoded and that nowadays it's about consultative selling. The reality is that there are a number of skills required to be a successful sales person. I'm sure if we asked 100 people if they like to be 'sold to', 99% would say no and the other would be a salesman and he'd say 'hell yeah'. But it's much more about buying than selling these days. Buyers are bombarded with sales messages every day. So, it's much more about helping customers to buy and solving problems, especially for high value sales, than overt selling. So, what attributes and skills support successful selling? The following elements are what we consider to be fundamental when it comes to being successful in a sales environment. Read the blog post If you'd like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business or book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Do you Need to Shut up and Listen to Win More Business? – Podcast Source: https://telemarketing.blog/need-shut-listen-win-business-podcast/ Published: 2016-06-14 > Do you talk too much? Do you need to perfect better listening skills to help you win more business? We all want others to listen to us. But do we listen to them? And is it active listening or do we just pay lip service to that? And how do you demonstrate good listening? In this podcast, we provide 10 tips for better listening so that you can win more business. I like to chat. I get enthused about things and I want to help. That means there are times when I let my mouth run away with me. But no-one likes to be talked at. Few people like to feel like they’ve been sprayed by a high power water jet at the end of a conversation. And, absolutely no prospect wants to feel that the salesperson is all talk. Listening skills are essential to winning more business. Read the blog post So what’s the answer? The answer is perfecting the art of asking good questions and learning how to listen. If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation or you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 10 Ideas to Help Your Business Grow in 2016? – Podcast Source: https://telemarketing.blog/10-ideas-help-business-grow-2016-podcast/ Published: 2016-06-14 > Another year is just whizzing by. The recession has (more or less) abated but there are Brexit clouds on the horizon. People and businesses have generally been more positive and we've got more money in our pocket. In this podcast, we take a look at some of the things you might want to consider in terms of maintaining growth in the coming period. Another year is just whizzing by. The recession has (more or less) abated but there are Brexit clouds on the horizon. People and businesses have generally been more positive and we've got more money in our pocket. There are still risks and not everyone is quite so positive but, in broad terms, organisations have started to invest again in all kinds of products and services. How has your business taken advantage of the growth? Was last year a good one? And what are you doing to prepare for future growth? In this podcast, we take a look at some of the things you might want to consider in terms of your growth plans. Read the blog post If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation or you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 50 Behaviours Telemarketers Must Adopt to Power Lead Generation Source: https://telemarketing.blog/50-behaviors-telemarketers-must-adopt-power-lead-generation/ Published: 2016-06-09 > To be a good telemarketer, there are all manner of attributes that contribute to good cold-calling and to better telemarketing results. In this infographic, we detail the 50 behaviours that callers need to exhibit if they want to improve the chances of hitting their sales targets. To be a good telemarketer, there are all manner of attributes that contribute to good cold-calling and to better telemarketing results. In the infographic above, we detail the 50 behaviours that callers need to demonstrate if they want to improve the chances of hitting their sales targets. Take a look and see how many fit with your current way of working. What can you do to increase the number of decision-maker conversations and the quality of the results that you generate from your telemarketing efforts? Whilst no telemarketer is perfect, there are certain approaches that help and some that hinder. We have to recognise that, to some extent, sales, and telemarketing in particular, is a numbers game. At any moment in time, only so many companies in your target area will be looking for new suppliers. Profiling and segmenting your data before calling will certainly help. But the reality is that it's still a case of making sufficient calls to enough people to reach those decision-makers that are in the market at any given time. As  a consequence, it would be a huge shame, when the telemarketer does finally speak to the right buyer who has a defined need, that they blow their chance by not demonstrating credibility, professionalism and the skills that encourage the prospect to consider them for their shortlist. So, check out our Infographic above and consider how you can exhibit the necessary behaviours to power your lead generation. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 3 Essential Content Marketing Tips for Small Businesses – Podcast Source: https://telemarketing.blog/3-essential-content-marketing-tips-small-businesses-podcast/ Published: 2016-06-09 > Many small businesses believe (or hope) that creating a Facebook and Twitter page will get them more sales fast but Just having a presence on social media is simply not good enough. It takes time and genuinely interesting content to gain the attention of your target audience. In this blog, we detail our 3 essential content marketing tips for small businesses Many small businesses believe (or hope) that creating a Facebook and Twitter page will get them more sales fast. WRONG. Just having a presence on social media is simply not good enough. It takes time and genuinely interesting content to gain the attention of your target audience. Listen to our podcast to learn the 3 essential tips for generating content marketing that works. Read the blog post   If you'd like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business or book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # How to Get Better Results from Telemarketing Source: https://telemarketing.blog/how-to-get-better-results-from-telemarketing/ Published: 2016-06-07 > If you're using telemarketing to generate sales leads, you want your team to perform. But what if the performance isn't up to scratch? In this blog, we've detailed a few of the inputs you might want to look at that currently impede or enhance successful telemarketing lead generation. These include systems and data and effective briefing. https://youtu.be/5mSGN3OYco0 If you're using telemarketing to generate sales leads, you want your team to perform, right? Are they delivering the number of enquiries or sales you need to oil the wheels of growth? If not, maybe you need to think first about the input rather than the output. Of course, it's essential to have telemarketers that are willing to get on the phone in the first place, that have energy and motivation and that make enough calls to make a difference. But let's imagine those boxes are ticked but it's still not working. What could be wrong? In reality, there are all manner of circumstances and issues that could derail your new business development exercise. In this article, we've detailed a few of the inputs you might want to look at that enhance or impede telemarketing lead generation and we show you how to get better results from telemarketing activity. Don't forget to check out our videos for top tips and our infographic on the 10 Cardinal Sins of B2B Cold Calling. Systems for Success What system does your team use to make calls? There are lots of good CRM solutions out there. I recently visited a client where all 4 callers used different approaches. One used excel. Another used their CRM. The third uses a hard copy list and a pad. The fourth used Hubspot. A nightmare from a long-term and consistent lead generation perspective. In terms of the system you use, is it configured for telemarketing workflow? Is it easy to navigate? Can the team simply prioritise their important calls for each day and find them quickly? Are all the relevant tabs and information in the right place? A CRM that is properly structured for telemarketing use, as opposed to being set up for broader marketing, can make up to a 50% difference in the number of calls made each day. It also reduces telemarketer frustration. So make sure your team aren't using excel or pen and paper and ensure your CRM is fit for purpose. Data Disasters The reality is that it's impossible to keep b2b data clean unless you undertake constant data validation. That's due to the fact that there are so many personnel and organisational changes each year. Poor data is the single most damaging element in failing telemarketing lead generation. With inaccurate data, there's a higher probability of being blocked by no name policies (albeit there's less of an excuse nowadays with LinkedIn). You can also make 10 calls to a company to reach John Smith only to find it isn't him that deals with your area of interest and you need to start over again. That significantly increases wastage and the potential ROI from calling. We've had campaigns where our callers have received data from a client and circa 80% were wrong numbers and /or wrong person. This impeded results and slowed us down tremendously. It isn't always easy especially where your target decision maker job function isn't run of the mill and commonly found on broker lists. In those cases, you may need to data build  to generate a good quality target list. Ultimately, you need to recognise that if you want your team to deliver results fast, you need to provide them with clean data and that means right numbers and the right people to call. Briefing or Lack of... In the past, we've spoken to callers whose briefing is non-existent in advance of the calling campaign. They've simply been given a database and told to drum up some business. Why would a prospect use your business versus a competitor? How entrenched with incumbent suppliers might the companies be that they're calling? What challenges do prospects have that you can resolve? What objections might callers run into? These are just a few of the crucial briefing points you should provide in advance of calling. The better prepared the callers are, the more traction they will achieve. Get the Environment Right What's the environment for calling? Are callers stuck in a dark room at the end of the corridor? Sales lead generation is a tough job and telemarketing is probably at the top of that profession in terms of difficulty and, to some extent, monotony. So, make sure your callers are comfortable. They need space to spread out if they have accompanying info for a campaign. Get them a headset and a comfy chair. Make sure they have wide screen monitors. It may sound simple and maybe it's what you do for everyone. But, sitting at a desk all day bashing out calls is a thankless task. So, be sure you provide the physical tools they need to do a good job. Positive motivation Along with the tools to do the job comes motivation. It's a slog at times. Therefore, motivation and incentivisation play a role. That doesn't always mean money. Positive feedback is essential. A vote of thanks for a good appointment or order goes down well. Doughnuts or chocolate for a particularly good week. Or the possibility to leave an hour early for a good result day can all add to the desire to perform. And ,of course you can't forget commission on achievement as long as the targets are stretching but attainable. Training for Better Results Training takes two parts. First, have your team got the requisite skills and techniques to do the job? If you're unsure, put them on a telemarketing skills training course. It'll pay dividends. Not all telemarketing is intuitive. It isn't just about the art of talking. Listening, questioning and rapport building are essential skills that can be learned. Likewise for gatekeeper techniques and objection handling. But it's not just about up front training. Most training fails if it isn't embedded through use. And you learn what works and what doesn't throughout a telemarketing campaign. So, it's about on the job continuous improvement. It's identifying the typical objections and blocks on a given activity. Plan for these. Work out the responses. Test and measure. If you have a successful caller, ask them to sit for a morning with those less successful and make it worth their while. Make on the job training and continuous improvement part of the process and you'll generate better results. Benchmarking We recently won two new clients where they'd undertaken telemarketing in the past and knew broadly what results they were likely to achieve. They had benchmarks from other countries and from their internal UK calling. Having targets is essential and a telemarketer need to know they're realistic. Having a benchmark upon which to base sales goals is important especially if they're proven. Equally, you can benchmark over time once you've called through sufficient data to assess list quality, typical responses and so on. If you've got several callers, you can benchmark their performance over time and this encourages competition. Telemarketing benchmarking provides evidence of success, a clear goal and motivation to achieve. If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation or you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # INFOGRAPHIC- 10 Cardinal Sins in B2B Cold Calling Source: https://telemarketing.blog/10-cardinal-sins-b2b-cold-calling-infographic/ Published: 2016-06-02 > Cold-calling is hard. But, why make it harder for yourself than it need be? What factors are guaranteed to set you on the right track and what are the things that will ensure you don’t hit your targets? In this blog, we look at the factors that are most likely to impede your progress and what will help on the road to cold-calling success. Check out our Infographic for top tips. Cold-calling is hard. To some extent, in senior-level b2b telemarketing, it’s a numbers game. But, why make it harder for yourself than it need be? Winging it generally doesn’t work. And, good preparation generally delivers better results. But what factors are guaranteed to set you on the right track and what are the things that will ensure you don’t hit your targets? In this blog, we look at the factors that are most likely to impede your progress. If you can overcome these pitfalls, you’ll definitely be on the road to cold-calling success. 1. Don’t be Ill-Prepared for Your Calls A good cold caller knows their target market. They have researched and identified the typical challenges facing buyers. They understand what keeps their prospects awake at night. They have also worked out how their products or services alleviate those problems. Planning starts from identifying the target audience and building a robust database from which to call. Preparation time should be devoted to looking at competitors and how your business is differentiated and also to understanding which decision-maker is best placed to buy your services. Often, this differs by size and type of organisation so consider whether your proposition and pitch need to change dependent on whether you’re speaking to an owner or MD, Finance Director or Facilities Manager or some other job function. Effective telemarketing callers also plan the call opening (both to the gatekeeper and buyer) and understand the outcome they want from the conversation. Calls that meander and have no clarity of purpose tend to end in disappointment.  So, make sure you plan every aspect of your telemarketing campaign and you’ll deliver better outcomes. 2. Don’t Sound Like Every Other Telemarketer The best telemarketers are relaxed, professional and engaging. They don’t sound scripted and they come across as someone with whom prospects might want to do business. Differentiate yourself and you’re part of the way to a better call and achieving your objective. The problem is that customers are flooded with marketing messages. They’re busy. They are time poor. In amongst all this clutter, the last thing they need is yet another telemarketer hitting on them with the same tired patter that the last dozen callers used. Remember that you’re interrupting whatever they were doing that they consider is important. How would you feel if a weak cold-caller interrupted your flow? It’s very difficult to prove that you and your company walk the walk if your ‘talk’ sounds the same as every other new business call they’ve received this week. So, find a different angle. Be upbeat. Build rapport and try to find something that will prick the buyer’s interest. Buyers want to engage with callers that come across as unscripted, sincere and knowledgeable. Therefore, you need to capture their imagination early in the call if you want to proceed to the next stage and end up on supplier shortlists. 3. Don’t Waste the Opening 10 Seconds Your opening line and the first few seconds are critical. How long does it take to create a good impression? Don’t ruin your crucial opening gambit by spewing out a long list of your services. The prospect isn’t interested and certainly won’t bite with that kind of introduction. The key is to demonstrate understanding, credibility and interest. That’s hard in one sentence. However, it’s vital make the early part of the discussion work for you. Each segment of the call effectively buys you time with the decision maker. Get it wrong and they will quickly switch off, get rid of you and go back to whatever they were doing before your call. So, work on your introduction. Think about the challenges your buyers have. Consider the problems they face and how you might help them increase profitability, reduce wastage, enhance brand credibility or remove risk. Whatever it is, try to weave it into your opening line. That doesn’t mean a long list of things you offer. Take great care to think benefits not features. Too frequently, cold callers talk about what their products and services do rather than focus on genuine customer benefits. The first few seconds are the gateway to a successful outcome. Don’t blow it by a poorly planned intro that sets the wrong tone for the call. 4. Don’t Sell if You Want to Sell None of us like to be sold to. We like to choose to buy. We want to be in control of the process. An overly salesy approach is doomed to failure. It’s about the customer not you or your products and services. If you want to sell, concentrate more on being liked and being interested in your customer. Say something genuinely interesting. Customers want to feel that you’re interested in them. They don’t want to be next in a long line of today’s sales calls. They want you to become a trusted advisor if they believe that you can help them. Don’t be perceived as a sales person and you’ll sell more. Successful higher value sales people know how to build rapport. They are relaxed and don’t come across as too fast-paced, edgy and self-indulgent. After all, it’s a dialogue not a monologue. It shouldn’t be about pitching. It’s a conversation and, if anything, the ratio of talking versus listening should be more talking by the buyer than the sales person. If you work it right, the prospect will be only too willing to talk about their concerns. But that will only happen if they like you from the start of the call and where they begin to trust what you say.  So, find the right balance and avoid coming across as a typical salesman and you’ll be more likely to achieve your sales targets. 5. Don’t be Timid or Vague Shyness and nervousness aren’t likely to be at the top of the list of sales skills. Over-confidence also isn’t a positive trait especially where it tips over to arrogance. But, some callers lack confidence and that comes across in their voice and their lack of focus during the call. Not everyone enjoys making cold calls but it often comes with the job.  It can be daunting speaking to very senior people in large organisations, assuming you’ve made it past the gatekeeper in the first place. So, you need to work on the right approach. Confidence isn’t necessarily something that can be trained. It comes with experience. It results from having failed a bit and it comes from trialling different approaches until you find the one that works best for you. Practice and role play with colleagues if you’re struggling. Work on deep breathing techniques to open up your diaphragm to allow you to project your voice more. Stand up and it’ll make you feel more empowered. Work on and perfect your approach in advance and you’ll be less likely to wing it and make a hash of the call. Nervous and vague telemarketers will almost certainly make ineffective sales people. It’s essential to sound confident even sometimes when you aren’t. Much of telemarketing is about belief and perceived seniority. So work on your tone and confidence and get rid of that shy inhibited person inside. 6. Don’t Tout your Wares to the Gatekeeper The Gatekeeper stands between you and the decision-maker who holds the budget for purchase. Therefore, take great care when speaking to anyone blocking the way between you and your buyer. Focus on your goal to have a conversation with the decision-maker and find ways to overcome the gatekeeper. Kicking off a call with the gatekeeper with a full explanation of what you offer and why you want to speak to the decision maker is risky. Gatekeepers have important roles in many larger organisations where bigger budgets usually reside. Those that work within departments or directly for a senior decision-maker have often been in their role for years. Hence, they are well trained and well informed. They know most suppliers by name. That’s great for their boss who doesn’t want to be disturbed by cold calls but not so great for a telemarketer wanting to become a new supplier. Why would a good gatekeeper put through a stiff, scripted and weak cold call to their boss? It affects their personal credibility. Unfortunately, if you tout your wares to the gatekeeper, there’s also a risk that they will make a negative decision about your services that they are not qualified to do. They may not yet know that their company is looking for new suppliers with your particular area of expertise. But they’ll make a decision to block you based on the current knowledge they have. So, plan for gatekeeper blocks. Sound authoritative. Work out what you’re going to say and don’t tell them your story if you don’t have to do so. 7. Don’t talk too Much The problem with many cold callers is that they love to talk. But the best telemarketers know how to blend talking with appropriate listening. They ask the right questions and follow this by active listening which helps build rapport throughout the call. No one likes spending time at a party with a self-centred egotist that loves talking about themselves. The same goes for the phone during a buyer-seller dialogue. With significant value sales, results are unlikely to come from this approach. Some degree of diagnosis is required to establish if there’s the right fit, the right products and services and whether one solution or another is appropriate. That’s impossible to do if the caller bangs on and on about what they do without pausing for breath. How can you establish whether what you have suits the needs of the prospect if you haven’t asked good probing questions? Equally, we’re all guilty of interrupting at times. That may be due to a genuine desire to help. But it comes across as rude. So, pace yourself and focus on listening before jumping in. Remember, the purpose of the call is as much about qualification and profiling to establish whether there’s a match made in heaven as it is to achieve a sale right from the start. So, identify effective questions that are relevant to the buyer. Be sure to listen carefully and resist the urge to talk too much. 8. Don’t Fail at Objection Handling Objections are regularly caused by poor telemarketer approaches. We’ve spoken about planning the call, getting the intro right and not talking too much. Often, this kind of cold caller will get a quick brush off due to a poor start to the call. But, even telemarketers that manage to leap over the first hurdle get tripped up by not being able to deal with typical objections. Objections can be requests for more information where the prospect just wants more clarity or detail. Equally, there are different degrees and types of objection from straight blocks through to genuine questions to find out more. But what’s the best way to deal with this? Too often, sales people jump on objections and try to ‘answer’ them as soon as they arrive. A better approach is to use targeted questions to break down the barriers to sale. Effective objection handling is about listening, understanding and clarification and only then is it about providing an appropriate response. If you don’t ask good diagnostic questions when you encounter objections, how can you gain the full picture? Is this the only objection? Or are there others that are hiding below the surface? And, once you have provided your response has that answered the objection sufficiently for the buyer to proceed to the next step? A good approach is to plan for typical objections. If you’re making outbound calls into a specific sector or to a specific decision-maker, you’ll often come across the same objections time after time.  If that’s the case, it pays to prepare questions and answers in advance to give yourself a better chance of success. 9. Don’t Fail to Ask for Your Goal There was a great statistic in Retail News Magazine a while back. It stated that 85% of sales interactions end without the sales person asking for the sale. That may be specific to retail and the shop floor but it does point towards a malaise that is all too common in telemarketing.  Cold callers can be guilty of woolly calls that don’t lead anywhere; a nice chat that results in the prospect saying they don’t have a need and the telemarketers thanking them and saying goodbye! If you’re clear about your objective for the call (a sale, demo, quote, meeting, attendance at an event and so on), and your target audience is well-defined, you’ll be much better placed to achieve your goal. Of course, you need to qualify the need first and ensure you’re talking to the right person in the right kind of organisation that can benefit from what you offer. But, assuming that you are indeed talking to the right person, you need to be clear about the reason for the call. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to dive in at the start and ask for the meeting. That goal can be for later. But it is important to establish a basis for the conversation. That means following up your good intro with a good question and suggesting that if they have a little time to explore the subject then perhaps a meeting  (quote / demo) may be the next step. Be clear about the objective for your call. If you’re too tame in your approach, the buyer is unlikely to take you seriously. You have to build rapport first but you won’t achieve your aim if you lack assertiveness and don’t ask for what you want. 10. Don’t Give up Too Soon Lead generation is very much a process. That starts from raw data and ends hopefully with a designated outcome or result. It’s in part about the numbers but it’s certainly an ongoing process. If only every cold call resulted in a sale it would be nice but that’s pretty unlikely. So, don’t commit the cardinal sin in telemarketing and give up too soon. Make the activity work for you and follow it through to the end. It’s often the seventh or more call that delivers the result. Too frequently, telemarketers, and companies that engage them, give up far too soon. It’s sometimes a marathon not a sprint. Of course, if all the right elements are aligned, it can work quickly but that’s not always the case, especially for larger ticket sales. If you’ve done good work identifying and profiling your target audience and those on your calling database form your ‘wish list’ for new business, why abandon your lead generation efforts too soon? Of course, budget plays an important role. However, telemarketing is as much about mid and long-term revenue and building a sales pipeline as it is about creating leads for today, this week and this month. Sadly, many companies put the effort in at the front end but give up too soon. That’s unwise given that more lucrative prospects are likely to have contracted suppliers with designated renewal dates when reviews will take place. How will you ensure you get the opportunity to be on a pitch or shortlist if your subsequent contact doesn’t come at the right time? That means calling through your target data to establish review dates and making call-backs at the right time to generate the lead. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are you a “Bees to the Honeypot” Kind of Business?” – Podcast Source: https://telemarketing.blog/bees-honeypot-kind-business-podcast/ Published: 2016-06-01 > How interesting are you? Do you have magnetism that makes people flock to buy from you? No? That’s possibly because you don’t look attractive and you have nothing to say that’s enticing. We’re bombarded with noise every day and we’re busy. So, why should prospective customers look at you in amongst all this clutter? Listen to our podcast and learn more. How interesting are you? Do you have magnetism that makes people flock to you? Do you find admirers on every corner?  No? That’s possibly because you don’t look attractive and you have nothing to say that’s enticing. We live in a crowded business world. There are loads of competitors who talk the same talk as you do. Perhaps they even shout louder than you. We’re bombarded with noise all day every day and we’re busy people (fools?). So, why should prospective customers look at you in amongst all this clutter? Find out in this podcast. Read the blog post   If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation or you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are you Waiting for Lead Generation Miracles? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-you-waiting-for-lead-generation-miracles/ Published: 2016-05-31 > Some companies are fortunate to have a steady stream of targeted new business enquiries that ensure that their pipeline is always full. Sadly, that’s not the experience for every business owner and sales manager. So, maybe it's time to consider the options for sales lead generation. In this blog, we take a quick look at a few inbound and outbound lead generation options. What’s your strategy to generate new business? Are prospective clients flocking to your door? Some companies are fortunate to have a steady stream of targeted new business enquiries that ensure that their pipeline is always full. Sadly, that’s not the experience for every business owner and sales manager. We all operate in a hugely competitive environment where there are lots of suppliers of similar services all chasing the same targets. So, why should prospects buy from you as opposed to your competitors? That's assuming they find you in the first place. We know you're good at what you do, or so you say, but many prospects have already got a supplier that does what you do. You may well have a lovely website and shiny brochures. Prospects understand you've done good work for similar companies. But why should they care about any of that when what you're offering just isn't a priority right now? Or they may have a supplier already with whom they’re not unhappy. Any of this sound familiar? If it doesn’t, it should even if prospective clients don’t explicitly say any of this.  It’s contrived we know, but the essence of what we’re saying is something that businesses that aspire to generate new business needs to grasp. Not only do many companies choose the wrong routes to reach their target market, when prospects ultimately reach their door sellers turn them off with stuff that is of little or no genuine interest. In most cases, there isn't a quick fix for new business development. There are lots of factors that impact upon successful b2b lead generation. And, if you want to generate new business, the sooner you work out what you need to do, the sooner you'll gain success. The first thing we all need to recognise is that whilst the number of businesses across the UK that are looking for your type of services at any one time is probably quite large, identifying them and locating them accurately and at that right time isn't easy. That means you either need to encourage them to seek your business out or you need to go and find them. Neither of these tasks is simple. But let's look briefly at some of the many options. Before you start, you need to consider how attractive you are to prospective customers. The world has changed and lead generation has changed out of all recognition. You simply can’t rely on a bunch of brochures and a basic website to do the job any longer. If your all round online presence isn’t credible and doesn’t stand up to competitive scrutiny, you’ll never make new supplier shortlists. So, let’s assume you’ve got your online presence sorted out. What then? How are prospects actually going to find you? Let's look at this from both an inbound and outbound lead generation perspective. These are indicative rather than exhaustive and you should take time to evaluate all of your options and how you can best target the buyers you seek. Inbound Lead Generation Referrals - This is the most potent source of leads since you gain the credibility and recommendation factors. There is less likely to be competition and, theoretically, the chance of success is much higher. Therefore, clearly the more you can encourage referrals the better. So, when you’ve done good work for a client, ask the question 'do you know anyone else who might benefit from our services?' And don’t forget to put a testimonial and / or case study on your website and push this through LinkedIn and other social media (see below). Search enquiries- Another great source of leads not least since prospects that make inbound enquiries coming from search are clearly in the market for your services. But is this happening regularly for your business? Inbound leads from search are much more difficult to gain for many reasons. The marketplace is vastly competitive for most businesses and there’s only one Page 1 on Google. If your website is weak in terms of content compared to competitors, search engines won't reference you and rank your business highly. Equally, even if visitors hit your site directly you'll be dismissed quickly if they see a bare site and your content isn’t up to scratch. Social & Content – Directly connected to the previous point, success in terms enquiries through social media be challenging unless you devote time and energy and focus your efforts. If your aim is to drive traffic to your site, you need sufficient social activity to generate enough 'eyeballs' for your appropriate and genuinely interesting content. Otherwise, why would people look at it or share it? We're big advocates of creating content and sharing this across relevant social platforms. The strategy has worked tremendously well for our business and we've won some great clients by adopting that approach over the past 3-4 years. We produce regular content and distribute this across Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. As a consequence, we get regular enquiries through our website and have had excellent leads from LinkedIn. But it’s certainly not a quick fix and this is an area where you need to devote significant time and energy if you want it to build and to succeed in generating inbound leads. But, in terms of long-term ROI, it's a winner! Advertising – This isn’t the blog to discuss all of the various facets and sources of advertising whether that’s posters, TV, Radio, Pay-per-Click, online banner ads, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn ads or some other online channel. You could argue that this route is more outbound lead generation than inbound but the aim is to drive traffic and / or enquiries to you. Of course, if you can identify places that your clients congregate on and offline, you’re in a good position to reach out to them through targeted advertising. But, advertising can be expensive and wastage can be high. Outbound Lead Generation The alternative to driving inbound leads is targeting prospects through outbound marketing. Once again, there’s no quick fix and the performance of most outbound marketing tools improves over time as you refine the approach and targeting. However, with outbound at least you don’t have to wait until prospects come to you. You target them. So, let’s look briefly at some of the more obvious options. Telemarketing – We always stress to clients that two things matter when it comes to effective telemarketing. These are specifically the message and the audience. The same can be said of most marketing methods. But telemarketing lives or dies by the ability to reach the right decision-makers. It can be extremely effective if you have a compelling message, story or proposition for the right person. Where the value of sale is high, human interaction is essential in the buying process. So, it’s worth considering telemarketing where you can show positive ROI and especially where you can identify the right targets. There’s less wastage and the impact can be high if you match the right person with something they need. And, it’s less likely to end up in a competitive pitch if they haven’t started a new supplier search. Email marketing / newsletters Email marketing can be effective especially where you’ve built up a solid opted-in database through online sign ups etc. In those cases, email marketing is targeted and should be relevant for recipients. If you get the content right, it should encourage opens and click throughs to your website that supports your SEO. You can of course buy a list and send out cold emails. The challenges here are many especially in b2b marketing. Personal emails are key and that’s much harder if the decision maker for whom you’re looking is not available on traditional direct marketing lists. Maybe a data build is needed to gather the right contacts and emails. And then it’s all about the call to action to encourage engagement. Don’t forget that you can combine email with telemarketing so that you follow up opens and click throughs as a priority to target those that are most likely to be in the market. Direct mail Some people might say that direct mail is passé. However, in some ways with the increased clutter online, well-crafted and targeted direct mail can be extremely effective. Once again, it’s about targeting. Are the recipients likely to receive a lot of mail? What would they respond to? Direct Mail pieces can be expensive but also impactful. We had a client that sent a video mailer to schools and generated 2 enquiries straight from the mailer with no follow-up. At £23 each, for the type of business, that was good going on a per enquiry basis. You can once again magnify the effectiveness and ROI by making a call a few days after the mailer lands. Events I’m a big fan of events. The cost can be high but the audience should be relevant and, if your stand is well placed and attractive, you can reach the right people. We’ve recently had clients who’ve generated between 100-300 good leads from the event. These can either be followed up by internal the team or outsourced to an agency like GSA. The key is to follow up quickly to avoid them going cold. In an ideal world, you want your target audience to see your business in any number of places. In marketing, we talk about customer touch points. The more prospects happen upon your business the better, especially when they're in buying mode. Some methods of promotion are direct and some indirect. There are also several tools on the market that allow you to bridge the two where you can identify the companies visiting your website that can be followed up by calls and email. PR can be a worthwhile solution to bolster credibility in target sectors and native advertising (a bridge between editorial and advertising) is increasingly effective for some businesses particularly those in the b2c arena. It’s a tough decision not least due to the many solutions out there. Small businesses work hard for their profitability. What’s more, mistakes are costly in terms of time and money. Nevertheless, Einstein is attributed with the saying that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If that’s what’s happening to you and the leads aren’t coming in now, it’s time to change your approach and stop waiting for lead generation miracles. If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation or you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Need to Improve Your Listening skills to Win More Business? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/do-you-need-to-improve-your-listening-skills-to-win-more-business/ Published: 2016-05-24 > Do you talk too much? Do you need to perfect better listening skills to help you win more business? We all want others to listen to us. But do we listen to them? And is it active listening or do we just pay lip service to that? And how do you demonstrate good listening? In this blog, we provide 10 tips for better listening so that you can win more business. I like to chat. I get enthused about things and I want to help. That means there are times when I let my mouth run away with me. But no-one likes to be talked at. Few people like to feel like they’ve been sprayed by a high power water jet at the end of a conversation. And, absolutely no prospect wants to feel that the salesperson is all talk. Listening skills are essential to winning more business. So what’s the answer? The answer is perfecting the art of asking good questions and learning how to listen. Thankfully, I’ve mastered how to punctuate talking with effective questions. I’m also a note-taker so I’ve increasingly been able to reduce my own personal verbal diarrhoea to the definite advantage of gaining more sales opportunities and winning more business. That doesn’t mean I don’t talk. It does mean that I listen more and talk about things that are more interesting for my customers without jumping in too early with stuff that could easily be irrelevant. How do you make this seismic shift if you aren’t blessed with large ears? The start point, as I mentioned above, is learning how to ask good questions. You also need to get your opening line right in a sales situation. Too long and the prospect will switch off and disengage. Then you’ll be forced to talk more to compensate for the lack of feedback and rapport. But some of this relates to learning proper listening skills and working hard at them. There are so many distractions nowadays. The noise in the office; emails arriving by the dozen; irritating colleagues waving at you to ask a question as you’re speaking to a customer; Facebook; work deadlines and many more. We live in a world of clutter and communication overload. Check out our web presentation about how lead generation has changed if you don’t believe me. The fact is that we need to declutter and focus if we are to perfect listening skills that will support sales. How do we do that? Below are 10 tips to improve your listening. Prioritise – We all have loads to do and have competing pressures on our time and attention. However, if winning the sale is important, it needs focus. That means removing unnecessary distractions. Ever tried to have a conversation with someone whose focus is elsewhere? Obvious isn’t it. Try to stay focused on what’s in front of you whether that’s on the phone or person to person. Take notes – That doesn’t mean being a scribe and losing focus on the person. You could risk missing the emotional cues if all you do is note down what the prospect says. But good notes are important for later on and for summarising what’s said. It also prevents your attention from wandering. Use two ears – On the phone, try to use a headset if you can. You will feel more enclosed within the conversation and less prone to outside distractions and external noise. Use your body - When you’re face to face, lean in (not too much) so you show that you’re listening. Keep eye contact (again not too much or you’ll come across as weird). Use nods and facial expressions to demonstrate attentiveness. But make sure it’s since. Check out this sketch from the US Office for how NOT to do it. It’s funny. Don’t pre-judge – If you join the conversation with pre-determined ideas, there’s a risk that you’ll spend less time actively listening to what the other person says and more time plotting how you’ll convince them to your point of view. Try to enter the conversation with an open mind and you’ll be more inclined to listen so you can understand their point of view. Feedback – This can be two ways. First, it’s the acknowledgements such as ‘ok’ or ‘uh huh’ or ‘ah I see’ and expressions such as ‘oh really’ that we all naturally do when we’re engaged in an interesting conversation. It could also be a simple nod of the head, a smile and eye contact as we mentioned above. I’ve heard people interject with ‘oh right that’s interesting’ at a most inopportune time in the conversation that was incongruent with what the prospect was saying. So take care to listen before chucking in acknowledgements. Don’t interrupt – This is the worst sin and we’re all guilty. Listening skills are very important. Whatever the reason, try to refrain from speaking over the other participant. It doesn’t bode well. You can do this by following some of the other tips below. Breathe & pause – This may seem a strange one. But taking a deep breath and pausing, enables you to gather your thoughts, interrupts the pattern of speech and allows the other person the time to speak. It also slows you down and reduces the likelihood of pummelling the other person with a rat a tat tat of words. Summarise – There’s nothing that demonstrates good listening than a good summary of the conversation. Use things like ‘so, if I understand correctly’ and ‘ok so what you mean is….’ It shows you listened and that you are interested. But beware doing this if you weren’t properly engaged. Practice – It may sound daft as we listen all the time. But, we all like the sound of our own voice. So, from the next conversation you have, try out the tips above and check out the difference in response. You never know, it may make you more likeable and win you more business! If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation or you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # 10 Ideas to Help Your Business Grow – Podcast Source: https://telemarketing.blog/10-ideas-to-help-your-business-grow-in-2016-podcast/ Published: 2016-05-20 > At the start of 2016, consumers and businesses are more forward looking. We've got more money in our pockets. There are still risks but, in general terms, organisations have started to invest again in all kinds of products and services. Has your business taken advantage of growth in the economy? Was last year a good one? And what are you doing to prepare for a positive new year? In this blog, we take a look at some of the things you might want to consider for 2016 in terms of your growth plans.   Another year has just whizzed by. The recession has (more or less) abated. People and businesses are more positive and we've got more money in our pocket. There are still risks and not everyone is quite so positive but, in general terms, organisations have started to invest again in all kinds of products and services. How has your business taken advantage of the growth? Was last year a good one? And what are you doing to prepare for 2016? In this blog, we take a look at some of the things you might want to consider for 2016 in terms of your growth plans. 1. Make a plan It might be that you already have a plan. That's great. But if you don't, now is the time to start. If you have clarity of objectives, you're more likely to achieve them and more likely to take the right decisions that move you towards those objectives. So, make sure you have a plan for your business in 2016. That's in terms of financial numbers (revenue, margin, profit etc), number of customers, average value of sale, mix of business, products and services upon which to focus and so on. 2. Embrace video This may seem an odd one to feature so highly in this list. However, video is crucial if you want your online presence to work in your favour. We recently featured an interesting blog on the importance of visuals. Our brains process visual info so much faster than text. How to videos are all over the web and YouTube is a massive search engine. Video features highly on Google. Social video is massive. So, if you haven't already, embrace video. Our video shoot is next week by the way! 3. Drive inbound enquiries The cost of acquisition for enquiries that come to you is so much lower than where you're forced to use your marketing budget and people. They're also more likely to be in the market for your services and will probably convert quicker. So, how much time do you spend on cultivating inbound? That includes asking for referrals, making your website look fantastic, having calls to action on your site and ensuring that your content pushes Google ranking higher (see below). If the phone doesn't ring now and you don't get web enquiries, make this one of your key goals for the New Year. 4. Generate interesting content We mentioned content above. Google favours fresh and original content. That's not to say that appropriate content curation isn't worthwhile (see our expert posts page). However, not only does content showcase your expertise and enhance credibility when potential buyers arch your site, it also encourages better Google ranking. It won't happen overnight but make content part of your marketing and part of your daily or weekly tasks. This includes video (of course), blogs, tips, white papers, infographics, podcast (see our two latest podcasts here), how to guides, product updates and so on. 5. Build your network We didn't always recognise the value of this. That was until someone from the past, with whom we'd lost contact, referred us to a great piece of business. It's both a game of numbers but certainly a matter of quality. How are you building your network of influencers? Influencers carry relevant messages to your target market. On LinkedIn, how many good connections do you have? If you regularly blog, you can add those articles to both your company page and personal profile. Connections will see those blogs when they're on LinkedIn. That adds to your credibility. How strong is your Twitter network? How about offline? What networking do you do? Strong networks provide credibility and knowledge. How many people now consult their Facebook friends if they want to know something? Make your network an asset in the coming year and you'll see the benefits. 6. Build your social profile Allied to the point above, you need to dedicate time to building your social profile. We're not necessarily saying that you need to use some social profile tool to check your score. But how often do you check out someone's LinkedIn profile before a meeting? Do you take a peek at the company LinkedIn page alongside the website? How about Twitter? If they've got 3 followers and last tweeted 6 months ago, how does that make you feel about their business? And don't forget, millennials have grown up with social media. They expect you to be social and to be active. They are the buyers of today and tomorrow. So, work on your profile across the main platforms relevant for your business. Get a decent profile picture. Think carefully about how you describe yourself and your business. And make sure that when prospective customers check you out your profile doesn't do you a disservice. 7. Don't forget testimonials We've been guilty in the past of not asking for testimonials. In the lead generation business, sometimes it's tough to deliver the results that clients want. And expectations are always sky high even though we work hard to agree what success looks like. We like to think we do a good job or our clients and thankfully they agree. So, we routinely ask for testimonials to put on our website. They feature on our home page and on a separate page for each aspect of our business. Once again, when prospects check us out they need to feel reassured that clients feel we deliver. So, work on your testimonials. 8. Have some long and short term strategies for lead generation. Not every method of lead generation or marketing will work for your business and some will take more time than others. There is little in the way of guarantees. Therefore, test where you can but take care not to spread too thinly. Have a balance between inbound and outbound not least since inbound leads take time to build. Recognise that good potential clients probably already have a supplier (possibly contracted) that offers what you offer. Hence, renewal dates and review dates are important and you need to schedule follow ups when that trigger comes up. 9. Get to know your customers Of course that's important in every respect. It is certainly the case that the better they know and value you, the more they will recommend you. Equally, to sell more, you need to understand how you add value. That means how you help clients to either alleviate problems or enhance opportunities. Once you k ow what these typically are for your prospects and customers, that should be the basis for your approach whether for telemarketing lead generation, content marketing, video production, events and so on. Focus more on the customer and less on what you do and you'll generate more business. 10. Build Alliances Who gets to your customer before you do? Who offers services that are complimentary to yours? For our business, that might mean working with business consultants of providers of email marketing or direct mail specialists. We've had business in the past from PR agencies. Work out where alliances could be formed. They could just be referral based. They could involve commission. Or they could just add value to the customer so they get a better service. Some of the above involve allocation of funds to make them work effectively. Others involve just time. All require an acceptance that these are the right things to do to build your business. If you don't agree with all of them, that's perfectly fine. Just identity the replacement actions that will deliver on the objectives of lead generation, credibility and brand building and customer satisfaction. If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation or you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Is Cost per Lead a Good Basis for Telemarketing Remuneration? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/is-cost-per-lead-a-good-basis-for-telemarketing-remuneration/ Published: 2016-05-17 > There are various options for remuneration on a telemarketing campaign. But what's the best solution for your business that provides you with good quality leads at a price that allows you to grow your business? In this blog, we look at the pros and cons of cost per lead (CPL) as a basis for remunerating your telemarketing agency. It isn't uncommon for companies wishing to use telemarketing agencies in the UK to request a cost per lead (CPL) basis for the remuneration model. After all, it's pretty tempting to not have to pay unless the telemarketing company actually delivers results. It's about putting their money where their mouth is or having skin in the game so to speak, isn't it? What's the Incentive? There may be a good incentive for the agency too. One would hope that there's an upside where the client will pay more for good results than would have been achieved on a straight retainer basis. So, the telemarketing provider could end up earning more from the campaign than they would otherwise have done. But it isn't quite that simple. There are a number of considerations both sides need to look at when using this remuneration model. How to Balance Risk and Reward From the client perspective, there are risks. At its worst, these could include brand damage, complaints as a consequence of poor calls, permanently lost opportunities with important target prospects and a waste of time especially if the requirement for sales leads is urgent. Likewise, the field sales team may attend appointments that have been poorly qualified. No-one likes driving 50 miles to an appointment with a prospect who says 'I've no idea why you're here...', who hasn't got the appointment in the diary or who says 'I've only got 5 minutes'. Equally, any agency deploying telemarketing staff has risks and costs. The obvious one is deploying resource and management time and not getting paid. There are not least salaries and other overheads such as office space, systems and so on to take into account. And there's the opportunity cost of not allocating good people to hourly or daily rate paying work that isn't cost per lead. It's about Value vs Quality Furthermore, if the value of sale for the agency (i.e. the cost per lead) is driven down, there's always the temptation to drive down the cost of sale to maintain margins. That often means putting less experienced callers on the calling activity that cost less. The danger is then that the quality of calling diminishes. You could argue that's fine to some extent since the client isn't paying for the work. But what about the impact on reputation as mentioned earlier? And, if calls are going into more lucrative higher value organisations and senior decision makers, more experienced callers are needed to get any chance of positive results and to bust through gatekeeper blocks. Multiple Variables Play their Part There are a number of variables that contribute to telemarketing success. These include quality of data, strength of proposition, level of market competition, timing, prospect budget availability and so on. Usually, these are outside of the control of an agency. Therefore, they need to ensure sufficient calls are made in order to achieve the results over a period of time. This may increase costs and time before results and income flow. As a consequence, unless the fee per lead reflects the difficulty, it's likely that interest will wane, telemarketers won't earn commission (with resultant demotivation) and results will suffer. Hence, there needs to be a decent upside to calling on this basis for it to be worthwhile. Ultimately, clients need to be realistic. If they operate in a competitive marketplace and don't have compelling product or service differentiators, it's likely to be tough to generate great results. If significant numbers of sales or appointments are needed, more telemarketing time is required. Once again, the CPL should reflect this. Working Towards Mutual Benefit Few other marketing approaches work on a CPL basis. Pay per click is one exception albeit it isn't unheard of that a percentage of the remuneration is attached to other agency results. Clients and agencies need to work together to make the campaign work for this to really work. So, in what circumstances will CPL work for telemarketing? The key is planning and to stack as much in your favour as possible. Both sides need to set clear parameters for what constitutes an acceptable lead and upon which the agency will get paid. The main components are to: Agree realistic targets and KPIs Validate data in advance so the target list is accurate in order to reduce wasted calls that lead nowhere Identify genuinely compelling calls to action Agree a fair CPL basis that provides a worthwhile incentive for the agency to invest time and resource Agree payment terms and stick to those. Otherwise the agency is always out of pocket. Provide good briefing and support throughout Provide regular feedback from the agency to the client and vice versa following appointments Ensure good quality reporting and ideally recorded calls to validate the quality of appointments so there's no quibbling Allow sufficient time on both sides to allow a pipeline to build If the above isn't the case, it's probable that CPL is not going to work. In senior level b2b appointment setting. It takes time to work a database of contacts to unearth immediate opportunities and set up warm leads for future conversion. Therefore, the CPL figure needs to reflect this. Collaboration and Regular Review If everyone collaborates to make CPL work, it can be a good basis for remuneration. But it's likely to fall over relatively quickly and create disputes if the agency fails to generate sufficient revenue, there are disputes and / or payments are slow and equally where the client receives poor leads or even complaints. Sometimes a hybrid structure can work where there is a lower daily or hourly rate but with an appointment bonus and incentive for over-achievement. Ultimately, it's down to both sides to be fair and to work out the basis for remuneration. Before you make your decision on the best approach for your business, consider all of the elements that need to go in to make the exercise a win-win for both the client and the agency and you'll be in a better position to evaluate the pros and cons and achieve a successful outcome. If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Why Telemarketers Fail from the Moment they Open their Mouths – Podcast Source: https://telemarketing.blog/telemarketers-fail-moment-open-mouths-podcast/ Published: 2016-05-06 > You don’t have much time to make a first impression. Whether it’s face to face or on the phone (and even in writing), first impressions count. So, your opening gambit had better be pretty good to get the result you need. But lots of telemarketers wing it. They fail to prepare adequately and rely on their ‘personality’ and ability to think on the spot. Listen to our podcast and make sure you’ve covered all the bases. You don't have much time to make a first impression. Whether it's face to face or on the phone (and even in writing), first impressions count. So, your opening gambit had better be pretty good to get the result you need. But lots of telemarketers wing it. They fail to prepare adequately and rely on their 'personality' and ability to think on the spot. But there's an inherent risk to that strategy. Misjudge the approach or come across in the wrong way and you set yourself up for rejection. Listen to our podcast and make sure you've covered all the bases.   Read the blog post   If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Essential 7 P’s for Telemarketing Success – Podcast Source: https://telemarketing.blog/essential-7-ps-telemarketing-success-podcast/ Published: 2016-05-04 > There are a number of factors that make up telemarketing effectiveness. Aside the fact that you need to generate calling momentum and you need to know what you’re doing , we’ve listed our Top 7 Tips for telemarketing success including Profiling, Proposition and Personality. Listen to our podcast for more tips. There are a number of factors that make up telemarketing effectiveness. Aside the fact that you need to generate calling momentum and you need to know what you’re doing , we’ve listed our Top 7 ‘P’s for telemarketing success including Profiling, Proposition and Personality. Listen to our podcast for more tips. Read the blog post For more information on the skills your telemarketers need to be successful, check out this blog. If you’d like to build your own targeted database or know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # The Essential 7 P’s for Telemarketing Success Source: https://telemarketing.blog/the-essential-7ps-for-telemarketing-success/ Published: 2016-05-03 > Telemarketing is hard. You have to make a lot of calls to achieve your goals. When you do, it’s a great feeling and there’s nothing more motivating. That’s the same in any sales situation. But, so many sales people, and especially those making cold calls, set themselves up for failure by not doing the right things that lead to success. Check out this blog for the 7 P's of Telemarketing Success. Listen to the Podcast   Telemarketing is hard. You have to make a lot of calls to achieve your goals. When you do, it’s a great feeling and there’s nothing more motivating. That’s the same in any sales situation. But, so many sales people, and especially those making cold calls, set themselves up for failure by not doing the right things that lead to success. Below are our Essential 7 P’s of Telemarketing Success: Profile Successful telemarketing comes from accurate targeting and from focusing calls on industries, companies, job functions and individuals that are likely to be most receptive. So, a fundamental part of the ingredients for success is how you define your target market. Get this right and you’ll be off to a flyer. Spend time identifying the right way to pull together your database for calling. You can compile the data yourself but that may take time using Google, LinkedIn and other sources. Or you can go for a list broker assuming they have the job roles you need. Or you could opt for a hybrid approach by starting with data from a broker then adding and validating the data before you kick off. Proposition So, you’ve reached your target decision-maker. What next? It’s all well and good getting to speak to the right person but the approach needs to be right. Too many sales people pitch at their prospects and forget that the customer is only interested in their issues and their business. So, a good telemarketer needs to position their proposition in customer terms. Articulate the benefits in such a way as they are more compelling for the prospect. Purpose Every sales person needs a target. It’s impossible to hit a target you can’t see. We all need measurable goals that provide focus for sales our activity. That can be annually all the way through to hourly. How many calls are needed to deliver a sale? What level of calling is required to generate 10 appointments this month? What level of qualification is needed to justify a valid sales lead? Clarity of objectives will definitely improve sales outcomes. Personality People buy people and personality is important. A positive outlook, without going all happy-clappy weird on them, is essential. A key component of success is the ability to build rapport. That means getting your intro right and then backing that up with warmth and personality that will enable you to ask good diagnostic questions to further engage the prospect. Process The sales process can start online and finish offline. In an ideal world, businesses want low cost of acquisition sales leads. That means ideally attracting them through all manner of online means to your website and other online platforms where they will hopefully send you an enquiry or simply pick up the phone.  Lead generation has changed and nowadays, to be credible, your online presence must show how you walk the walk not just talk a good talk. Organisations need to look at how they manage the process of lead generation. This is both in terms of marketing to develop the sales lead pipeline and in terms of the CRM systems and processes they use to capture, contact and nurture those leads. Probability Sales is, in part, a numbers game. To make this work in your favour, you need to know your ratios. If you’re only doing a relatively small amount of calling, it’ll be hard to work out KPIs and ratios. However, if there is a consistent call schedule over time, it will be much easier to assess what’s needed to achieve the level of results you require. But probability also relates to who you call and with what proposition (see earlier). If you are a start up with no credentials, it’s going to be tough to crack large blue chip companies. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim high. But you do need to stack the odds in your favour by targeting areas where you feel you could have the best success. Otherwise, not only will you fail to deliver results, but the costs will also escalate. Patience I’ve often said that success in high value telemarketing can be a marathon not a sprint. Larger customers don’t make quick decisions unless there’s some emergency. Even then, there are normally layers to go through for approval. Persistence is key and the most successful telemarketers build and nurture their pipeline over time. They identify when renewals and reviews happen and keep in touch. They send periodic info that keeps their business front of mind. They make periodic calls to stay in touch. Success comes from good timing but it’s hard to know when the right time is for individual companies unless you’ve identified that through previous contact. So, build the pipeline and use systems to schedule call backs at the right time to be in position to get onto new supplier shortlists. For more information on the skills your telemarketers need to attain telemarketing success, check out this blog. If you’d like to build your own targeted database or know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through telemarketing or social media lead generation, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site. ------------------------------------------------------------ # Are You Wasting your Event and Exhibition Investment? Source: https://telemarketing.blog/are-you-wasting-your-event-and-exhibition-investment/ Published: 2016-04-26 > Do you want to ensure you get the maximum ROI from your event or exhibition investment? Then make sure you follow-up event leads quickly and effectively. A significant amount of money is invested in expensive events only to see it wasted through lack of fast and targeted follow-up directly after the show. Want to know more? Check out our blog for tips. Are You Wasting your Event and Exhibition Investment? How often have you run or attended an event only to see a disappointing return? Let’s face it, exhibiting at and running events isn’t a cheap exercise. You have the stand space fees, and the costs for designing and building the stand itself. Then you have staffing, accommodation and subsistence. Add to that incentives and give-aways, technology, products for the stand and so on. That’s before any advertising in the event brochure, or catering if you’re running your own event. ROI is the Key Measure So, it’s not an inexpensive thing to do. And the return on investment is a key measure for success. Some would say the only aspect worth measuring! Whilst us marketing folk will tell you that it’s also about brand exposure and awareness (and that’s true), if the activity is a significant slug of your marketing and sales budget, it needs to work in terms of sales opportunities, revenue and profit. Even when the event isn’t about physical attendance, like in the case of webinars, there are still costs for email marketing, the webinar software, manpower, time to pull together the content and so on. So, the end game is to generate sufficient leads from each day or aspect of the event and to manage and nurture them until they deliver actual sales. Unfortunately, this last element is where many exhibitors and organisers of events fall down. Too many companies have a woefully inadequate process for following up show and event leads – fast. This last point is crucial. The longer the time lag, the higher the inertia on the part of the prospect, whether that’s for a purchase or a sales visit. The interest at the event wanes the longer time goes on.  It’s inevitable as the day job and other priorities kick in. That’s why time is of the essence alongside a robust process for ensuring that you profile the leads from the event, build the short and medium term pipeline and nurture the genuine longer term leads. Leads Evaporate Over Time Too often, leads coming out of events get passed to the sales team only to evaporate over time. A legitimate argument is that it’s hard to allocate sufficient time to follow up leads to fruition while the sales guys are driving up the M1, doing customer calls, pulling together sales quotes or doing some other important task. That’s aside the fact that many field based sales people don’t like picking up the phone in the first place. The problem is that one follow-up call is manageable. But if that gets a voicemail, the second and third calls need more management time. To make the process work effectively and to deliver results, it means a number of things need to be aligned and in place: Before the event, the organiser needs to set objectives for lead generation Staff attending the event need to be clear on the objectives Criteria for sales lead need to be set. It also helps to have some kind of classification system for hot leads versus longer-term opportunities. This might be a traffic light system or ABC [profiling. A lead sheet needs to be designed with the correct fields making it easy for the staff on the stand to fill out the necessary information All staff need to be trained to gather the correct information and to ask the right questions. On an exhibition stand in particular, it’s all hands to the pump. The leads need to be collected each day and collated then input onto a spreadsheet or ideally a robust CRM for follow-up. They need to be tagged as ‘event leads’ so as to silo them for follow up and tracking. At the latest, a couple of days after the event (but earlier if the event spans several days), outbound telemarketing calls need to be started to follow-up the leads. Start with the hottest and work down. Use email in addition where you can't reach them but also to say 'nice to meet you at the event'. Monitor progress using measurement from the CRM system. Make sure follow-up calls are continuous until an outcome (whatever that is for your business) is achieved from every lead. That means either a sale, demo, sales visit, no interest, future interest or renewal date etc. Take a date by which you will deliver the above. Dependent on the amount of leads and your resource to follow these up, ideally, try to achieve an outcome for each lead within a 2-week time-frame. That’s not to say this is achievable in every case but the longer you leave it, the weaker the lead becomes. Focus on Follow-up Of course, if you don’t have the resource or processes to manage the leads in this manner, just give us a call. We’re used to it. A few years back, a client used to handle all the ‘A’ leads from a large event internally (via the regional sales team) and hand us the ‘B’ and ‘C’ leads. After the third year of doing the particular event, they handed GSA the ‘A’ leads too. The reason? They got greater results from B and C leads since we were able to follow them up quicker and more efficiently. So, don’t waste your exhibition and event investment. Do the most important thing right. Follow up your leads and generate the return on investment you deserve. If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business.  This is through telemarketing or social media lead generation.  Or you’d like to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, give us a call or use the form on this site to make an enquiry. ------------------------------------------------------------