Chris Hancock, contact managing director at Jaywing, offers advice on using telemarketing to maximise lead generation opportunities
Contact centre B2B lead generation is a fine art that is best approached in a careful and considered manner. While your sales teams might be tempted to call as many people as possible in a short time, this gung-ho approach can often do more harm than good. By following some simple rules, much better results can be achieved.
1. Use your data carefully
Your data is your most valuable asset, so treat it – and the people it represents – with respect. In the B2B world, it’s likely you’ll be working with a much smaller pool of data than you might in B2C. And that means you can’t burn through a list at high speed in a bid to keep costs down as you will quickly run out of people to call, and risk annoying those you have called along the way. A smaller, more focused list of people to call gives you the perfect opportunity to tailor each contact, both in terms of making sure they’re the right person to call in the first place and how you approach them.
So, firstly you need to drill down into the finer detail. Who exactly are you going to speak to? Is it the right type of organisation? Does your contact have the right job title? Remember it’s not always obvious who you need to speak to, so you may have to conduct research with the person you call to get to the correct decision maker. This is one of the reasons it’s important to make sure your agents approach each contact in the right way. If someone isn’t immediately interested in what you’re calling about or doesn’t have the time to discuss it and can’t pass you to a different decision maker, end the conversation positively. For example, ask when would be a better time to call back or when your product or service may be more relevant to them. Even if your contact answers with a flat ‘no,’ end the call on a positive note as you will probably want, or need, to call them again and leaving a good lasting impression will always work in your favour.
2. Integrate outsourced teams
Ensuring your agents approach calls in the right way requires significant time and investment. Contact centres work best when they foster a positive culture and strong brand loyalty. Integrating these teams into the parent brand can make them feel more closely connected with the fortunes of the business they represent and, ultimately, want to perform better on its behalf.
At Jaywing, we like our agents to work as an extension of our client’s own team and gain an understanding of their business from the ground up. Experiential sessions to explain the brand’s values to agents are helpful. You should measure their understanding and delivery of the brand values alongside the usual performance metrics.
Integration doesn’t have to stop here, however. Take advantage of as many opportunities as possible for outsourced teams and brands to mix.
3. Training and development
Ensuring your outsourced teams are integrated with the brand is only part of the job when it comes to delivering high quality lead generation. How your people are trained and developed is critical to the success of any project. Agents will only be able to field questions that may arise during a call confidently when they are comfortable with how they approach calls and are armed with the right information.
Designing initial training sessions in conjunction with experts on the client side can be beneficial. This will help avoid any disparity of interpretation and make sure both parties will be happy with the training programme.
As well as developing individual agents, focus on developing your contact centre as a whole. Consultation and communication at a business-wide level are important. Regularly ask your agents how they think your centre currently works and how they feel it could improve.
Ultimately, training works best when it is a continual process. This may mean working with colleagues to share best practice, having some one-to-one coaching, or attending a workshop that brings a larger group of agents together to focus on common areas for development.
4. Nurture relationships
When it comes to generating leads and winning business in the B2B environment, relationships are of utmost importance. Taking the time to get to know your contacts and building a real relationship with them will reap the rewards once they are in a position to purchase. A human, non-scripted approach from agents who understand what they are selling and the business they are selling it to are fundamental in establishing solid relationships with contacts.
However, this approach relies on having the right kind of agent and giving them the tools, training and freedom to do their job and do it well. This may not be that easy if your inhouse contact centres already have established processes, procedures and scripts in place. Outsourcing some or all of your telemarketing activity can bring with it new ideas and a fresh approach, which allows the freedom to nurture contacts, form relationships and ultimately deliver a pipeline of quality leads.
Focusing on short-term numbers won’t deliver long-term sustainable results, especially when it comes to B2B lead generation. Taking a hard-nosed approach and badgering contacts is more likely to damage any possible opportunities rather than enhance your chances. Bearing these four simple steps in mind when reviewing your inhouse or outsourced contact centre will help make sure you’re using data, and people, to your best advantage. It will also ensure you build longer lasting relationships that are more likely to deliver positive results for your brand.
