Am I Doing All I Can with B2B Telemarketing?

This article says it all.  The points made are repeated through out many of  the posts in this blog.

In the event your company’s B2B telemarketing program has not been living up to the hype or you really do not have a solid program in place to begin with, what are your options?

With a solid telemarketing plan in place, this sales aspect of your business can be an important piece of the pie to properly executing a successful telemarketing campaign time and time again.

If your B2B telemarketing efforts have fallen on deaf ears as of late or the word has not even gotten out, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Understanding who your audience is – The biggest component of running a successful program is to know who your audience is. Take the time to understand the prospect and what their needs are. If you do not understand who your audience is, you stand to waste valuable time and resources. You cannot use the same pitch for each prospect as each potential customer will have different needs, so being flexible is also important. As you will soon discover, your script needs to be well-designed in pitching and promoting your business;
• Dialing-up the right call list – As you enter into your telemarketing campaign; make sure that you have compiled a quality call list. If you have a bunch of numbers that have the potential to turn out being a waste of time, why would you call them in the first place? Make sure you are able to filter out what is worth your time and what is not so that you have a targeted demographic with which to work with. Keep in mind that there are data companies available that can assist you with call lists;
• Deciding to go outside or stay in-house with your efforts – Decide whether or not to do your telemarketing with sales staff or outside telemarketers. Remember, however, that the first impression to a prospect is everything, so make sure you are putting the telemarketing duties in capable hands. Using a telemarketing firm gives you access to individuals that have experience with a variety of industries. By using outside sources, you also free up your in-house sales team for other duties.
• Making proper scheduling a priority – Another key facet is making sure you correctly schedule your calls. As noted earlier, get as much information as possible on your prospects ahead of time in order to improve your chances for success. Some prospects will be better to reach earlier in the day, while others will be better later. Work with the prospect to adhere to their schedules so they see you are willing to work with them on meeting their needs;
• Don’t come without a goal – Having a goal set aside with each prospect is important. What do you hope to accomplish by talking with this individual? Is this a prospect that has potential for long-term business or shorter-term success? Keep your goals within reason so that you have a better chance of achieving them. Also decide which area the calls will focus in on, including lead generation, direct sales, outbound sales, fund-raising, appointment scheduling and surveys to name a few.

When all is said and done, B2B telemarketing proves to be a cost-effective way to enhance your business opportunities and increase your sales opportunities.

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/am-i-doing-all-i-can-with-b2b-telemarketing/56229/