Let us now discuss the role of sales in this. Talk about the importance of follow-up calls… Not cold calls.
It’s not the cold call
Consider a random case. As Vice President of Business Development, your role is to monitor direct marketing initiatives online and offline.
Like most of Representatives, you do not like making cold calls and know that this type of exploration is the least efficient. It takes a very high call volume to succeed anything and resilient personality to wipe the refusal.
A follow-up call after sending a targeted communication, including a suitable offer is a much better way to canvass.
The offer
It is important to focus your communication. The offer is not only economic as a discount on a product or service. It may also be of high value information as a case study or free consultation.
The incentive to action must be appropriate and relevant to the recipient. Access to a case study or a graphics issue of one of your studies using a form would be a demonstration of the interest in the offering and a trigger for a follow up call.
Follow-up call, it’s all in the approach
You could send a generic email response to a download, of course. But a call from the impact, provided it is done in a few hours. After all, there has been downloaded, it is that there was someone at the end of a device to do it…
A tip, when you call, be professional and act with tact. Some people might find your intrusive intervention, and negatively perceive your approach. Be courteous and have a service approach to customers. Nobody wants to be selling something, but most enjoy a good customer experience.
Objectively, direct marketing is an opportunity to initiate contact in a mode where the speaker is open to your approach and your offer. It is important to approach the prospect with respect and professionalism with the aim of initiating a relationship, not to sell anything at first.
You know more than you think about your prospect
As part of a direct marketing, you do not cold call, you make follow-up calls on identifying targets following the sending of a targeted communication and chosen.
Make your follow up, you have the luxury in most cases to have data on the targeted companies, namely their field of activity, contact name, title, revenue, its website and its offer in general.
So before you pick up the phone, take a step back. Prepare yourself, smile and have an intelligent and structured conversation.
