Whether you have your own inside sales team or are outsourcing this function to a specialist B2B telemarketing agency, the goal is the same – you want to get the best result from this effort and obtain more sales leads for the business that will then convert into sales. The question is: can you influence the results of this B2B telemarketing campaign or is this solely in the hands of your team or your outsourced telemarketing provider?
Even in modern days, traditional cold calling remains one of the top sales prospecting techniques to engage with new prospects. Cold calling will in fact provide you with the highest results in terms of engagement with the right contacts, raised awareness for the company and its offerings, sales conversations and interaction with your prospects. It also gives great insights on the current market needs and business intelligence. Yes, the success of a telemarketing campaign depends on various elements – see our previous article How to develop a B2B telemarketing campaign – but by integrating it into a more global and multi-channel marketing strategy, you can also help maximise its results. How so?
Having conducted hundreds of campaigns primarily for technology companies, we find that there is a pattern. Yes, it is totally acceptable to run a successful lead generation campaign on its own. However, we have found that results can be far greater when the sales lead generation campaign is completed alongside the implementation of some or all of the following marketing channels:
1. Mass emailing prospects
Once you have identified the companies and contacts/titles you are looking to target, send your prospects an email filled with information that may be relevant to their company. Enclose a link to your website, your corporate video, a case study… Get your inside sales team or your telemarketing agency to call your prospects within a day or two, allowing enough time for your email to be read but for the information to be still fresh in their mind. This is also valid for mass mailing.
2. Organising a webinar or web demo of your solution
If this is relevant to your business and its offerings, a webinar or a web demo can be a great way to demonstrate the capabilities of your solution or services while getting a good insight on how it is perceived by your prospective market. Ensure the attendees have the option to ask questions during the web demo or receive a call afterwards to answer any remaining grey areas. Web demos and webinars can help progress the conversation and bring your prospects deeper in the sales cycle. Your inside sales team or outsourced telemarketing team can assist you in registering contacts for the webinar, following up and moving your prospects to the next sales level.
3. Reviewing your website content
Review your website content in order to ensure that your contacted prospects can find the information easily on your website. If it takes too long for them to find the information, they will move on elsewhere. Include any marketing support that is relevant, such as eBooks, white papers and ensure that your CTA (calls to actions) are obvious and include some type of registration process for you to know who has visited your website and downloaded your documents. Again, use your telemarketing team to follow up with prospects, who have downloaded your eBooks and/or whitepapers.
4. Organising a seminar or conference
If your company is launching a new service or wants to provide a business case via a seminar or conferences, your telemarketing team can help with registering attendees and keeping in touch with them afterwards. This is a powerful tactic as it allows you to meet your prospects face to face while providing a more interactive demonstration of your services and how it has been successful for existing client(s). Do not omit the nurturing stage, until the relationship can be passed on to your B2B sales team.
5. Social media marketing
Alongside your sales lead generation campaign, the use of social media can be a powerful tool. By running an online campaign and including messaging on your twitter/linkedin/facebook and other social media accounts, you will help raise the awareness of your prospects for your brand and solutions. Your prospects will recognise your company name and may be more inclined in taking the call.
It is a well-established fact that when a business’ messaging is consistent across multiple marketing channels (integrated marketing strategy), chances are that the message will reach its target and create an impulse to act on it. At Maven TM, we find that clients who combine B2B telemarketing with the above marketing tactics, see greater sales results, including a higher ROI, lower cost of sale and a shorter sales cycle. In the current marketplace, such marketing integration and collaboration is King!
Maven TM is specialised in B2B Telemarketing and Sales Lead Generation services for technology companies. With specifically developed processes and a team becoming subject matter experts, Maven TM consistently helps companies achieve their sales strategy. For more information, please contact Maven TM at info@maventm.com.
