Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Mastering the Art of Netting Customer Interests


 In lead generation telemarketing, the way you engage a potential customer is crucial in bringing in sales leads. People respond positively when the message they receive touches on a relevant issue or topic. But they mostly ignore the message when it is not delivered in the right way; that is within proper timing and context.
Communication can either serve as a barrier or as a bridge towards attracting potential clientele. As a B2B company wanting to expand its revenue and provide solutions to enterprises, you obviously want to bridge the gap between you and them. However, not all lead generation telemarketing efforts end up reaching their desired effects.
Not all B2B companies are the same after all. They are all different with respect to the unique issues they encounter and the way they choose solutions that are right for them. It has always been a problem among B2B companies: how can we improve our telemarketing conversations given the complexity of the modern B2B buyer?
In terms of complexity, it would be right for businesses to equate lead generation to playing chess. Mastery and patience are the main weapons at play. Also cunning and competency. The customer sitting on the other side is your opponent. Your objective as the opposing force is to take down as many barriers as possible until you box him in a situation that a checkmate (in this case, a conversion) is inevitable.
We also see that both chess and telemarketing require competent problem-solving skills. Telemarketers should know when it is the right time to initiate a plan of action. They should also know how to maneuver around the conversation, get pass gatekeepers, and make sure that the client is still interested in the offer. All this requires an understanding of how the game as well as the opponent works.
Research goes a long way. In order to come up with better strategies, you will need to review how other strategies fared in the past. Go back to your previous campaigns and try to determine the specific factors that made them successful or ineffective. After that, try to incorporate the successful aspects to your present strategy. You might want to try out that call script for this particular campaign, or you might want to simply give prospects a different talking point altogether.
It is also important to know how the mind of your prospect works. Again, research is needed here, and so is social listening and tracking their online interactions. By following these simple tricks, you will be well on your way towards mastering the art of retaining buyer sentiments.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The Seven Deadly Sins Of B2B Telemarketing In Singapore


In business, especially in B2B telemarketing, it is important to make sure that everything you do is the right thing. For the sake of credibility and everything to your sales leads in Singapore, you cannot afford to make mistakes, or follow bad practices, that can bring you down. You may have heard about Worldcom and Enron, two classic tales of sins that you would rather not remember. After all, your business will not fall to their mistakes, right? Think again. This is the time when you have to carefully think of your marketing efforts. When you are generating B2B leads, you have to make sure that you do not commit the seven common, if not serious, sins that lesser marketers fall into. Really, you need to know:
  
  1. Greed – maximizing profits is great, but too much of it is bad. You might be tempted to take in sales leads that may seem profitable now, only end up with a great headache later on. Neve let your greed for short-term gains affect your future profitability. Think carefully, consider things well. Only then will you be able to make the right decision.
  2. Gluttony – forcing yourself to collect all the B2B leads that you can collect may sound good, but it may create a backlog of orders that you would be unable to satisfy, resulting to missed deadlines and non-delivery that will surely anger or frustrate your business prospects and customers. Really, you should only take what you can, and leave the rest for a later time. If the prospect is yours, then it will remain yours.
  3. Lust – there is a lot of temptation if your business succeeds on its opening. You might be tempted to buy luxuries that may seem trifle at the start, but may actually be a huge drain on your fledgling business, which would not be a good sign. Be sensible, be responsible. Always think carefully before you make that purchase. Your B2B appointment setting team might need that money.
  4. Sloth – really, even if your business is a success now, you cannot sit back and relax yet. Actually, this is the time when you must be fully alert and prepared. You can never tell what your competition is thinking of, so you have to protect your business from any surprise. Be on your toes, in any case. You have to be ready for anything.
  5. Pride – ego is not bad, but if you let it all into your head, then you will be seen as a pain for your colleagues. You should temper your pride with some old-fashioned common sense and humility, for the sake of putting things at a balance.
  6. Wrath – you can show passion for your work, but if this passion is causing you to shout and antagonize others, then you might want to take a step back and get some fresh air. Stay cool in business, this is how you succeed.
  7. Envy – comparing your business to others can be useful for reference purposes, but if this is getting to your nerves, well, you are probably doing things wrong. If you let your jealousy to get the better of you, then you will not get anywhere at all.

Please, avoid these cardinal sins in B2B telemarketing, and your B2B lead generation efforts will be all right. 

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Hiring Tips For The Best B2B Appointment Setting Specialists


Hiring more people for your company is a necessity, especially if you are hiring in support of your B2B appointment setting campaign. This is an aspect in business where real people are needed to communicate with potential sales leads. Ideally, once you post the sign, a lot of people would be lining up to apply. Now, here is the problem: we are not in an ideal world. Most likely, after posting that job ad, the people coming in are not what you are looking for. At worst, you might not be noticed at all. To avoid that, you seriously need to plan your hiring process carefully.

To help you in your efforts, you should carefully take note of the following tips:
  
  1. Improve your sales pitch – you think a sales pitch is only used on B2B leads? Not really. This can be really handy in promoting your business to job applicants that you want to hire. If you succeed in creating a really good offer, then you increase your chances of bagging that telemarketing talent. It would be a win for your business.
  2. Be aware of time – the thing about hiring is that you cannot make the decision immediately. In one way or another, you have to ensure that you are making the right hiring choice. Experience has taught me that rushing things will not only result in poor results, this can also have a negative impact on your marketing campaign. Take your time. Choose your candidates carefully.
  3. Plan your interviews carefully – it makes sense that you invest time and effort in your interview process, since this will reveal which candidate will make an excellent B2B lead generation specialist. You need to know who will do the actual interview, perform the background check, as well as the management superior who will make the final say. Everything must work seamlessly if you want to get any headway in your interview process.
  4. Know what motivates your applicants – this can be a very revealing stage in the interview. You need to know why your job candidate applied to your company. Remember, you have to hire someone not just with the skills, but with the mental and social disposition that will fit your company culture. Sure, salary is a good reason, but what about the challenges, the learning opportunities, the chance for advancement, etc. Does this fit your idea of a right candidate?
  5. Check the reference – it is easy to write references on the resume. It is the verification the part that reveals what is wrong. Believe it or not, a lot of job applicants simply put someone’s name on their paper, without actually considering how that reference person will affect their chances of being hired. Besides, there are those rare cases where fraudulent credentials are presented, so you might as well take a closer look.

It is not that all bad or difficult hiring a new appointment setting employee. You just have to know what you should be doing right. 

Friday, October 11, 2013

Angry B2B Lead Generation Prospects In Singapore? Use These Five Phrases

Angry B2B Lead Generation Prospects In Singapore? Use These Five Phrases

 

One way or another, you will call someone that is not exactly receptive to your business offer. Indeed, they might be angry at your company (could be because of poor previous service or just plain wrong timing in calling them). 

That is the reality that you have to face in a B2B lead generation campaign in Singapore. How you take care of this little snag will affect your ability to generate and nurture B2B sales leads from the market. Actually, getting angry customers to calm down can be said to be the ‘acid test’ for your appointment setting team. If they can diffuse the situation, then good for you. If not, then they can take this as a learning opportunity.

It also helps if they know some phrases that can aid in smoothing ruffled feathers. Like the ones below:
  
  1.  “I’m sorry”

    This is the simplest, yet the most powerful, phrase that you can say to your business prospects.

    These two words can quickly calm down anger, assure them that you are taking responsibility, and that you are going to deal with it fast. In a
    telemarketing campaign, this phrase is a very useful promotions and negotiations tool.


  2. “We’ll solve this together”

    Sometimes, business prospects are mad because they have a problem they could not solve.

    As a marketer, you should take this as an opportunity to take control of the situation, not to mention organizing a process that would rapidly solve the issues that plague your prospect’s business interests.


  3. “For you, what is a fair and reasonable solution?”

    This allows them to open up, to tell you of the solutions you have in mind.

    The thing about marketing is that you need to be always ready to negotiate with your prospects. A business deal can only happen if both parties get to agree with the terms of the venture. That is how you properly handle this situation, and it happens to be one that your prospects would be happy about.

    Related: Angry Passenger Spends $1K to Blast British Airways on Twitter: Lessons Learned


  4. “Are you satisfied with our solution, and will you still do business with us in the future?

    This two-pronged inquiry will help you identify which prospects are happy with what you have delivered, as well as identify those who have issues with you.

    As for the latter parties, you may not be able to save their business, but at least you can identify what went wrong in your performance.


  5. “Thank you”

    Nothing can be sweeter than your prospects hearing these words from you.

    It could be due to the delivery of services, the comments they gave you, the time they took to complain about poor service, etc. There are a lot of reasons for you to say thanks. What matters is that you mean it, and that you will act on it (in case the issue is with a business problem).

    Related: Three Ways To Be Annoying To Sales Leads Prospects



As you can see, it is not that hard to handle angry B2B leads prospects in Singapore. You just have to know what to tell them, and your B2B lead generation campaign would be all right.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Three Ways To Be Annoying To Sales Leads Prospects

 
Three Ways To Be Annoying To Sales Leads Prospects
 

As an email services provider, you need to make sure that everything is running smoothly in your B2B lead generation campaign.

 
It may be possible that you have everything ready, like your business list of prospects to call, a telemarketing team to help advertise your business to interested companies, as well as a myriad of other details that could make your campaign a success.
 
So, why are you still not getting any customers? Indeed, why do you end up annoying them?
 
Well, the reasons may just be you, or, to be more exact, the methods you used to attract prospects. Believe it or not, some of the things you think are effective in attracting business prospects actually annoy them.
 
And what could these be?
  
  1. Asking Scripted Questions

    All right, at this point, let us discuss the importance of asking questions. In the course of our appointment setting campaigns, we have to ask our prospect about their business: what their problems are, what solutions they have, and if they are interested in looking for better options.

    Naturally, we would need a questionnaire to guide our work. Now, the problem here is that we depend too much on script. Remember, you have a questionnaire to serve only as a guide. Instead, engage them on a conversation.

    Let them speak their minds out. Whatever you learn can help you determine the kind of email solutions you can provide.

    Related: Go Beyond The Usual In B2B Lead Generation

  2. Act Like A ‘Know-It-All’

    To be honest, we all want to show off our capabilities to your business prospects. That is why we tend to talk a lot during our marketing campaigns.

    The only problem here is that this is precisely what drives our
    B2B leads prospects away. To tell you the truth, no one wants to be told about how to handle their business. Acting like a know-it-all will alienate sales prospects from you. When that happens, you are practically going back to square one.

    A better option would be for you to simply research about your prospects, but ask them about their business and the scope of problems they are facing. That would yield better results.

  3. Using A ‘Sales Pitch’

    Now, you need to remember that no one really wants to hear a sales pitch, but that has not stopped a lot of newbie marketers from using one or two.

    They keep on talking about features and functions, bragging about their services and who they have served, discussing guarantees and the likes, etc. Honestly, no one is interested in hearing them. To tell you the truth, this is a sure-fire way to annoy your prospects.

    Here is a better solution: after talking to your prospects, take at least a day to thoroughly analyze what you have learned. And since you are an email service provider, why not craft a business proposal through email, letting them know about what you can do for them and how they can benefit from you.

    Related: Fix Your B2B Leads Sales Pitch Like Dinner

If you can avoid these annoying lead generation practices, you will really be able to get the job done and reach your sales targets.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Why Creating An Effective Script For Telemarketing In Appointment Setting Is Recommended


Why Creating An Effective Script For Telemarketing In Appointment Setting Is Recommended


Everyone knows how it feels like when they’re dating someone especially for boys and most especially for those who will be dating someone for the first time.
 
It’s not really easy to say what they want to say and by the time they are sitting inside a very romantic restaurant, they will just look at each other not knowing what to say. Actually, the boy has a lot to say but it seems that he can’t get anything out of his mouth. If only he had written some kind of script, practice the script in his bedroom before meeting the girl, maybe, he can get to be very comfortable and will know what to say first and knows what to say next.

In the world of marketing, sales and lead generation in general, it is highly recommended that even the most seasoned telemarketers or professional appointment setters need to have their own script for every situation and for every company that they will get to talk to in order to either close a sale or to generate qualified leads.

For instance, if an IT company wants to win the hearts of new customers, it should think about building relationships.


It should not think of closing a sale one-time but many times for new and old customers.

If the guys at the IT company expects their customers to trust them to touch their computers, try to find out what’s missing that are important to their operation like data warehousing, if they have the latest customized back-up and recovery solutions, if their websites are beautifully designed, developed and if they are optimized, then, they should make sure that their customers will be very comfortable with them first.

The first thing they have to think of is to build rapport with customers and during the appointment setting process, they should make sure that they give the first best impression.

Once these telemarketers doing face-to-face appointment setting services has made the potential customers very comfortable with them, they can talk them into anything including arranging face-to-face appointments that their customers will readily agree anytime.

So that good relationships will be made, these telemarketers doing appointment setting services should have a script of their own.


With a script, they can build relationships as fast as what they expect.

Everything starts with the outbound calling effort of telemarketers. The minute they get that decision maker on the phone for that first call whether it’s cold calling or not, it is actually the first opportunity to being the process of building better relationship.

By generating qualified leads, not only the customer can get to know about what is being offered and not only the telemarketers can get to know the client but it can also give the client a chance to know more about the seller. With a script to be followed but not word for word but the script is just a guide to what telemarketers are about to say, they can sound confident, comfortable to talk with and they will exactly know what they are talking about.

Even though this relationship-building is being done over the phone, customers can sense the person whom they are talking to.


Stammering and stuttering can be avoided by telemarketers which will give the recipient an impression that the caller doesn’t know what he is talking about.

However, for companies like the IT firms, it might be difficult for them to train people to do the telemarketing services job. For that reason, outsourcing to a b2b telemarketing company can be their first best move and they will have a chance to put more time in what they usually do like developing IT solutions for any company and that could give them the chance to increase their productivity as well.

With an alliance with b2b telemarketing firms, not only they can generate qualified leads but they can also avail lead nurturing and management which are also very important in the whole lead generation process.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

What Makes Up A Reliable B2B Lead Generation Company That Can Help Boost Sales?


What Makes Up A Reliable B2B Lead Generation Company That Can Help Boost Sales?


If there is one company that really wants to have huge financial success by closing a lot of sales, it should not concentrate solely on this goal.
 
What it should do is to find more time, invest more money and make a lot of effort in doing its own lead generation campaign.

They should entirely forget about closing sales for awhile and concentrate on how to generate marketing leads and sales leads and how to turn them into qualified leads. Once they have these business leads, they can now try to think about how to “move in for the kill” and close a sale.

That is the real essence of sales and marketing these days.

Since there are a lot of competitors on board, companies should better think of other effective ways on how to beat the competition and, no, just letting the sales people move to the battlefield will not win the war. Careful planning and determining the “enemy” will surely make any company win both the battle and the war.

Some companies have already accepted the fact that having their own lead generation marketing services campaign is the best path to closing a sale.


They even have hired their own staff to do several channels in generating qualified leads such as telemarketing services, appointment setting, email marketing, social media marketing and even SEO or search engine optimization especially if they have a website on their own and they want to optimize it so that it can be on top of the search engine results.

Unfortunately, the manpower and facilities of companies having their in-house lead generation campaign are not sufficient enough. That’s why some of them have shifted from having their own lead generation team to outsourcing lead generation campaign to a b2b lead generation company.

Because of the many advancement that are developing all over the information highway, a b2b lead generation company can offer different types of channels like the ones mentioned above that can help companies offering products and/or services to gather and generate marketing leads. Once they have the leads, they can pass this information to the hiring organization and that company, in turn, will delegate these sales leads to its sales people and their sales team will do the rest in order to close a sale.

But, the question is, what are the qualities of a b2b lead generation company that any business in any industry will look for so that they can be assured that they are working with the best, most reliable and most efficient b2b lead generation company?

The decision makers of that company will make sure that the b2b lead generation company they will choose puts quality over quantity at all times.


For instance, if that company has gathered hundreds of leads but are not considered as qualified leads according to the preference of the hiring organization, chances are, the sales campaign of that hiring company will really be flushed down the toilet.

They also have to make sure that the company has a pipeline that connects to the business. This pipeline will serve as a direct line of communication that connects the b2b lead generation company with the business. If there is a kind of pipeline that connects both, it will allow the owner of that business to efficiently and immediately cite and resolve any known issues that may come across with the campaign.