The Human Element in Telemarketing
We are living in a digital age. The growth of social media over the past few years has been astonishing. Businesses and marketing have adapted as a result, bringing in a new age of digital marketing. While this has proven to be a highly effective and successful marketing method, it is important not to forget the importance and significance of the human element.
Telemarketing is still a crucial and highly successful marketing channel. It is a proven method of building trust and relationships with prospects. One of the main advantages it has over digital marketing is you are able to actually speak with someone. Being able to put a voice to the company goes a step further than reading text.
This post focuses on the benefits of specialist telemarketing and how you can build lasting relationships with your prospects through a well written, professional pitch. If you have your own telemarketing team or are considering a company such as Impact to undertake one for you, this post will give you some key tips for success.
Differentiating between good and bad telemarketing
Unfortunately, we have all been in a situation where we have had to deal with an annoying cold call. The person at the other end of the phone merely sticks to their script and does not tailor the approach to suit your needs. This has the effect of you ending the call and having a bad impression of that company left on you.
In order for telemarketing to be more effective, this cannot happen. There must be a script but all callers should be able to answer any questions that the prospect has. The caller must listen to what is being said and adapt their responses accordingly. This ensures that the prospect is given a personal experience and has all questions dealt with satisfactorily, thus engaging in a free flowing conversation and not a robotic one sided approach.
More effective presentation
Unlike digital marketing, with telemarketing, you do not have to sit and read about the company or the product. A good pitch is never too long so that you ensure the prospect does not grow frustrated or bored. They explain the main benefits of the company and respond to your needs and requirements.
As such, it builds a relationship by adding an extra dimension that digital marketing does not have. People like being able to speak to someone who can answer their questions and overall, make them more confident with the business. Most importantly, you offer useful, current and targeted information. At this stage opportunities can be identified early or even created where one did not previously exist.
Training
In order for telemarketing to be fully effective, time must be spent properly training the callers. They must present the pitch professionally, in a tone that engages the listener. A monotone presentation will only bore the listener. They must be able to respond to questions and tailor the pitch. You must allow the person time to speak and not overpower them with the script. This will only result in a negative call and a dead lead, listening is key.
If you are unsure on a question that a prospect asks, say that you will pass it along to a colleague who can and will address it. This has the benefit of not guessing and also moving a prospect to the sales team who have a greater chance of converting to a sale.
An effective telemarketing pitch will not push the prospect. A script must be written and presented so that it persuades the prospect to go ahead/to the next step without forcing them to do so. As a result, this leads to higher quality leads and appointments and a successful campaign.
Tips for successful telemarketing campaigns
The human element that comes with telemarketing campaigns is crucial for its success. Below we list a few key tips that your callers should utilise to ensure a positive outcome.
- Take your time. Listen to what the prospect is saying and respond accordingly. Do not rush to say the script as fast as possible.
- Confidence. A script is only as good as the person saying it. Be enthusiastic, not monotonic. This engages the listener more effectively.
- Understand what it is you are promoting. When you know what you are talking about, you automatically come across as more confident and this reflects with the person at the other end of the phone. Take some time to learn your pitch thoroughly and research into the product/service more if need be. This will help when it comes to answering questions that the prospect has.
Summary
Despite the digital age, telemarketing is by no means a thing of the past. The human element distinguishes it and is a key component of forming a relationship and trust with your prospects. In a business to business environment, people want to meet or talk to the company they are potentially buying from before they sign on the dotted line. Therefore, a well presented telemarketing campaign helps move your prospects further along in their buying cycle.
Telemarketing builds strong relationships and is a crucial part of a lead generation campaign. If you do not have your own callers, Impact have run many successful telemarketing projects for our clients over the years.
Get in touch today and a member of the team will be happy to tell you more about our specialist in house call centre and what we can do to help.