Keep Them on the Line: The Benefits of a Longer Call

Think back to you best call. Not your most successful call, the best one. You probably remember the customer, what their company does and maybe even what time they go to lunch. A good call will hopefully land you a sale or an appointment, but not always. Whether you were successful in landing a new client, or just had a nice conversation with a fellow business owner, the best calls usually have one thing in common. They take more time. Proper lead nurturing can require a longer conversation to get all the details about what a company really needs. It’s true that B2B telemarketing includes people who like their calls short and to the point, but it often takes more than that to make an impression. Take a look at a few benefits you will experience when you’re able to keep someone on the line.

Getting to Know You

If you provide quality products or services, there will always be a market for your business. The issue is not with what you are trying to sell, but how you sell it. Once you get past lead generation, you probably want to jump right into your phone calls. It’s great to have enthusiasm, but don’t let that get in the way of your sales pitch. You want to get your point across while still engaging with your potential client. Ask them questions about their specific needs and try to steer the conversation back to them. If you were only to talk about yourself and your business, the person on the other end of the line could feel like they’re just listening to just another in a long line of sales calls. By engaging with the customer, they’ll feel more appreciated and involved which could end up giving you an edge over your competition.

A Personal Approach

If you are new to the game or just out of practice, there is no doubt that cold calling can be intimidating. You have the goals you want to meet, and you know that you won’t get your numbers up until you pick up the phone. You might be tempted to keep things short and sweet, but most of the time, you’ll need to go in a different direction. Some people may ask you to just email them your information because they are either too busy to take your call, or they simply do not want to hear your sales pitch. There isn’t much you can do if a person genuinely does not have the time to talk to you, but that does not mean you give up. Agree to send them information and then tell them you’ll be giving them a call back to see if they have any questions. You’re making sure you’re listening to their needs while making sure you stay in touch at the same time.

The Best Outcome

B2B telemarketing takes practice, but you as soon as you find an approach you’re comfortable with, you’ll start to see what the good calls have in common. Keep a log of all your phone calls and mark down your different tactics to see what works. You’ll start to notice that many of your longer calls were worth the extra time. When you keep them talking longer, you’ll not only find out if they can use and afford your services, but you’ll discover personal traits and habits that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. You can use this information in the future to stay in touch and make sure they have the best experience you can offer. When a company has a truly great encounter with you they will be more willing to extend their service or upgrade down the road. They may even spread the word about what a great business you are running. Having a good reputation in the business community is something that no amount of social media ads can buy.

Having a marketable idea is just step one in running a company. You could have the best product in the world, but you still need customers to be successful. Business to business telemarketing is a perfect way to make contact and stay in touch. It adds a personal note you just can’t get with email blasts. Sitting down and having real discussions with prospective clients will get you further than most scripted sales pitches. Directing the conversation so the customer does most of the talking will help you figure out exactly what they are looking for. Keeping them talking rather than getting off the phone as soon as possible makes your services stand out among all the others. When you put in the time and effort, you’ll be able to see the improvement in your outcomes. Your conversations are just one element in lead nurturing, but you’ll come to see that they are often the most important.