Telemarketing

We all know that there is nothing more annoying than telemarketing. And the reasons for that are many – telemarketers are intrusive, persistent, and almost never give up on selling us something we do not need at all. However, in Denmark right now there is a real boom of telemarketing. I would suppose that it is the crisis to blame. Or maybe the fact that the relative stability of the economy has made companies believe that marketing is not necessary and now when it actually is necessary companies make the biggest mistake – go for the quick kill, find customers right now and sell to them in that minute. Kind of shortsighted, is it not?

But I guess it is a valid point that you do it because it is your last recourse. I do agree that an unknown company needs to reach out – first to survive and then, if things go well, to grow. Telemarketing though presents more of a danger than a survival tool and its popularity only points to lack of market experience. It is dangerous because in many cases it damages the image of the company. Nobody wants to become a customer of an annoying company intruding their lives as nobody can predict how annoying that company might become in the future. It is a question of image, trust, and expectations.

When it comes to B2B telemarketing, the situation is slightly different. There, if done according to careful planning and in accordance with a strategy, telemarketing can create awareness and relations and boost the business. However, unfortunately this is rarely the case. If done correctly, telemarketing will not be called telemarketing. It will be just a part of a stakeholder management strategy. If done wrong, you risk once again your company’s standing, your network and your prospective customers or partners.

I would not at all comment on end-consumer-focused telemarketing as I find it not suitable for any decent company. It is indeed not in accordance with any set of business ethics rules. If we concentrate on the B2B telemarketing, my comment would be that it is something you do on your own risk and it will most likely do more damage than good to your company but at least from an ethical point of view you are in your full right to do so.

Let’s assume you are not convinced that telemarketing is a bad idea. Here I will present to you a list of the most common mistakes that will ensure you a ruined company image. Avoiding them does not guarantee you success as telemarketing is much about personal skills and abilities and grasping the situation as it comes and develops. But it might help you minimize the damage you otherwise will cause. Remember: no matter what branch you are in there is only a limited number of potential partners/consumers. Do not waist opportunities!

Most common mistakes with telemarketing:
1. Inability to speak short and precise;

2. Inability to present a valid reason for contacting the other side;

3. Inability to comprehensively (in short!) present the main features of your product/service;

4. Inability to present a unique feature/competence as grounds for the customer to choose you;

5. Inability to engage the other side;

6. Inability to answer all questions with confidence;

7. Inability to listen and understand the position/need of the consumer;

8. Inability to provide a flexible product/service fitting the consumer’s needs;

9. Inability to take a no and finish the conversation in a positive manner leaving open doors;

10. Inability to demonstrate knowledge and interest in the business of the other side and present an offer that is tailored specially for that consumer/partner in that very moment;

11. Inability to innovate and develop the product/service in time;

12. Inability to see one’s mistakes and adjust the strategy due to lack of strategic insight and control.

Once again, my advice is just to not do it at all or to do it only in very serious situations where the company is facing bankruptcy if no customers are found that very minute. If you, though, have made up your mind and do not see other solutions to your business dilemma, then try to plan the whole process very carefully.

First, you need to decide on a product/service/market niche and make a list of possible contacts. Research them thoroughly including financial data, market segments, image, vision, mission, network, recent activity, planned activity. Try to prioritize and make the list again including only those companies which you mean are suitable for your goals.

Then you should consider the different ways you may contact those companies – you can call, send an e-mail, regular mail, visit. You could always research your network and try to find referents who can help you to come in contact with those you need to reach.

If you are not sure what is the best way to present your company or service/product, that is, if you never before had done something similar and you have never received feedback on it, it is recommended to make a trial. Choose a few companies from the list who are of least priority and try out a few different methods of contact. It is a good idea to use the same method on at least 4-5 companies to be able to make some sort of a reliable conclusion. If you though operate in a sector with not so many prospective customers/partners you might want to consider additional advisory before doing anything as every company contacted in a wrong way is a loss for you.

Last but not least, you have to consider implementing effectiveness control. Without it you risk to lose track of what is happening and end up with no results at all. You are advised to undertake a small-scale bench marketing to estimate average success rate for the branch. Then you can use it to evaluate your own results. Results that do not meet the average success rate mean that your strategy is not working and revision is necessary. No matter how many times you change strategy, remember to always implement result control.

My advice is, however, do not do telemarketing. Working on a proper stakeholder management strategy will not take much more effort but it will guarantee you long term results and image enhancement. Saving the business today is not a long-term plan and if you want also to have your business up and running tomorrow you will need a bit more than just a momentary financial injection.

It is simple – think strategically!

 

DIDI