6 Telemarketing Best Practices for Outbound B2B Telemarketing
Outbound telemarketing is an effective way of getting leads, closing sales, and getting returning customers. However, it can be challenging to get the best results, especially in business-to-business (B2B) marketing. Our research aimed at identifying the best ways of getting maximum results from outbound telemarketing in B2B. In this blog post, we share 6 key telemarketing best practices that, when implemented, will help you maximize performance on your Outbound B2B campaign.
Strategy Development
Effective B2B telemarketing strategies should start with identifying the target audience, their needs, and how the product or service addresses those needs. Savvy B2B marketers should research the competitive landscape, create effective scripts, and train the sales staff. Effective telemarketing strategies should be customer-centric, addressing the customer's pain points and offering solutions that lead to long-term relationships.
In addition, effective telemarketing strategies should be proactive, engaging, and personal. Telemarketers should aim at building relationships, addressing issues from the customer's perspective, and creating potential leads.
Focus on Data Quality
Telemarketers should focus on data quality to avoid wasting time on ineffective calls. Forbes.com reported that a standard of 60% of telemarketing data was outdated, with a majority of calls not reaching the primary decision-makers. Additionally, increasing regulations and personal data security laws make it more difficult for businesses to obtain quality data. The solution lies in outsourcing to a third-party vendor through data enrichment and verification.
Cultivate Professionalism
Cultivating professionalism in your telemarketing approach is crucial. The most successful B2B outbound marketers know that their front line telemarketers must be knowledgeable, experienced, and confident in their approach. They should have access to adequate resources such as scripts, FAQs, and other support materials to provide potential customers with accurate information. In addition, professionalism extends to prompt follow-up, efficient handling of customer concerns, and delivery on promised timelines.
Invest in Relationship Building
The best outbound B2B marketers know that each customer interaction is a relationship-building opportunity, which involves nurturing a prospect to a customer and beyond. Relationship building extends to providing effective post-sales customer service, which enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Smart Technology Solutions
Outbound B2B marketing relies on making a certain number of outbound calls and having a good volume of high quality conversations. Make sure your technology team is up to date on the latest technology that will aid your team in maximizing their ability to speak to the right people at the right time. Call analytics, data management, and using a SHAKEN telecom service provider like Quality Voice & Data help increase outbound call contact rates by as much as 30 to 50%. QVD’s Trusted Call Completion telecom service includes Caller ID management, elastic SIP and monitoring & remediation that ensures your calls are not blocked or labeled in error by the telecom carriers.
Measure Performance
Outbound B2B telemarketing is all about results. Telemarketers should measure their performance to evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies, identify areas of improvement, and optimize their return on investment. The most common metrics that are measured by outbound marketers include conversion rates, lead quantity and quality, time on call, first call resolution, and customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
In conclusion, getting the highest results from outbound telemarketing in B2B requires developing effective strategies, focusing on data quality, cultivating professionalism, investing in relationship building, and measuring performance. Key insights from our sources include identifying the target audience, building relationships, using data verification, providing knowledgeable and efficient customer service, and tracking call metrics. As B2B becomes more competitive, businesses that apply these insights will stand out and maximize their return on investment in outbound telemarketing.
Angela Garfinkel currently serves as Director for Quality Voice & Data. With 30+ years of call center and business process outsourcing experience, Angela provides the QVD team with key insights to support product development, marketing and sales.