“What’s wrong with calling prospects and offering them solutions and options that would improve and benefit their business? “
Such rhetorical question connotes truth on some businesses that have become and remained pessimistic towards B2B business calling or telemarketing, and people who dread even just the sound of the word. Adding to that is the undeniable fact that the strides of many different sales and marketing strategies like email, web, mobile, social, content etc. has turned marketing experts to view cold calling in different ways – others have left cold calling behind and now prefer other types of generating leads and some see it only as a support or an option.
However, there are others who held on and remained optimistic that B2B calling still stands as the trunk of any effective sales process. Below are the best practices for B2B calling – before, during and after the call of the marketing experts.
Before you call…
Know your targets
Take the time to research and learn about your targets. Include the demographic and psychographic profiles and historical data (if there’s any) in your study and correlate your action plans with these information: call timing, decision makers, buying patterns, location, industry and product and services offered. Knowing and understanding your target customers how they think and behave will help you design the perfect solution for their business need.
Related: A Need For Customer Profiling In Reaching Much Targeted Audience
Aim to hit goals
Strategize to hit key performance indicators. KPIs are measurable values to gauge effectiveness and evaluate success. Be aware of your target numbers: call volume, decision makers, emails sent/opened, CTAs clicked, forms submitted and number of appointments, are some of the basic KPIs that are worked out on a daily basis in order to meet the overall target goal of the campaign. Once you hit your daily goals, you’ll surely hit the monthly stats.
Related: The 5 to 5 Calling Rule for Inbound Leads (That Generated Over 40% Increase in Sales)
During the call…
Utilize all resources
Calling Scripts, lists and online tools like the crm and marketing automation tools are useful guides that will keep you aligned with the campaign requirements and call flow standards. Keep your grace under pressure when dealing with difficult customers. Maintain proper phone etiquette and handle objections with courtesy. It’s also necessary to build rapport naturally and speak in a conversational manner. Cater to customer requests by not over promising and never miss to acknowledge the prospect’s concerns and praises. Doing these best practices will benefit you with the customer’s trust and keep you aligned with call quality standards.
Related: Why Use Telemarketing to get Leads for an ISP in Australia?
Respect the customer
Customers are the cream of the crop. Without them, there wouldn’t be any business to deal with at all. So give customers the respect they deserve. Actively listen to their views, opinions and respect their decisions. Examples are, if prospect prefers to be called only at his office landline number and not on his mobile or home phone, if he requests for a meeting which may be out of the designated schedules or if the prospect says “not today, maybe next quarter”. Every word they utter will affect your call flow which will domino on the call result and the campaign’s effectiveness.
Related: The Many Pleasant Responses in Calling Irate Prospects in Singapore
After the call…
Recovering from a bad call
The sun doesn’t perfectly shine everyday so if you had a bad call today, breathe and get some distance. It’s easier to recover from a bad call if your leave your desk for a while by getting a quick chat with peers or a cup of coffee. Reflect on what went wrong on your last call and refresh your mind with the next action steps that would better your next calls.
So here’s a bit of sunshine, Read this: Boost Creativity: Find Inspiration Inside your Office in Australia!
Review your metrics
Believe that B2B business calling is still an effective sales process by empowering yourself with these best practices – before, during and even after the call, and prove that there is absolutely nothing wrong with calling prospects and offering them with solutions or options that will benefit their business, when done right.
Here’s how to start calling!
