A lot of people believe that telemarketing is dead, supported by the belief that prospects are no longer responding to calls because they have been phoned too frequently, have been too solicited, or both.

While telemarketing has gotten more challenging over the years due to business communication preference, association with scams and frauds, and rejection, it is by no means dead. Love it or hate it, it is very much alive, it is here to stay.

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The importance of telemarketing

When talking about telemarketing, some of the questions that might pop into your mind are “Does telemarketing still work?” and “Does it still contribute to business growth?” The answer is YES!

As businesses grow, the importance of telemarketing also intensifies. Many business professionals still deliberately use this method to generate leads and boost sales despite the development of several online platforms and other digital marketing tools. Telemarketing, however, has some other advantages aside from these.

Introduce new products and services:

Telemarketing can be an efficient tool for launching new products and services because it allows businesses to reach out to potential customers directly and introduce them to new offerings.

Expands business reach:

Telemarketing allows businesses to advertise and market their products over greater distances. They’ll be able to connect with more potential customers, establish an expanded sales territory, and increase their prospect pool as a result. A number of business opportunities can be found through it as well.

Provides a more interactive and personalized service:

With telemarketing, businesses can be more personalized and interactive by being able to engage directly with their customers by answering questions, tailoring their approach according to their specific preferences and needs, and gathering valuable feedback to improve their products and services.

Networking:

Instead of making a direct pitch to a potential customer at the moment, networking aims to lay the groundwork for future purchases, making it a more covert form of sales canvassing.

Telemarketing strengthens your networking strategies by building relationships and engaging in conversations, gathering info about your prospects’ needs, generating leads by contacting potential customers directly and identifying those who show genuine interest in your products or services, and expanding reach by allowing you to reach a wide audience quickly and effectively.

Gets direct and immediate customer feedback on products and services:

As a valuable tool for obtaining direct and immediate customer feedback on products and services, telemarketing leverages personal interaction, real-time feedback, structured surveys, targeted segments, and the relationship-building capabilities of telemarketing. Businesses can then gain valuable insights into customer perceptions and make informed decisions about their products and services.

Related: How Effective is Telemarketing in Singapore and APAC?

Telemarketing in the digital age

Digital marketing techniques changed the game for telemarketing and especially the way people prefer to receive and consume information. Digital marketing channels like Social Media, Email Marketing, Content Marketing, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) have revolutionized the way products and services are advertised and promoted to customers.

Even in the digital age where people are glued to their phones, telemarketing continues to deliver results in a world where people are glued to their phones. It gives customers a human touch. Building personal connections or rapport makes a difference in your customer’s decision-making process.

There are 5.16 billion internet users worldwide, these channels give businesses a great opportunity to move their campaigns online. However, offline marketing is regaining popularity and rising out of the online ‘noise’ because it is used less frequently. Telemarketing is once again becoming a powerful tool. What could be the reason why?

Check out our new blog: B2B Telemarketing & Digital Marketing: The Power Combo for Your Conversion Success

Here’s how telemarketing is winning it:

1. Personal Connection: Telemarketing allows for a personal connection between the salesperson and the customer. This human interaction can help build trust and rapport, which can lead to a more positive experience for the customer.
2. Active Listening: Good telemarketers are trained to actively listen to their customers’ needs and concerns. They can offer personalized solutions to address those concerns, which shows that they care about the customer and their specific situation.
3. Emotional Intelligence: A good telemarketer can read the customer’s emotions and respond appropriately. By showing empathy and understanding, they can create a connection that goes beyond the sales pitch.
4. Follow-up: Telemarketers can follow up with customers after the initial call to see if they have any additional questions or concerns. This can help build a relationship between the salesperson and the customer, which can lead to repeat business in the future.

To give you a clearer picture, here are some

Examples of Telemarketing

1. Product sales: These refer to the revenue generated by selling products to customers. It is a crucial aspect of any business as it directly impacts the company’s financial performance. The amount of product sales depends on various factors such as the demand for the product, the pricing strategy, the marketing efforts, and the quality of the product. In this example, an agent calls a user’s phone in an attempt to persuade them to purchase the company’s products. These calls can be directed at either new or existing customers who are unfamiliar with the brand.
2. Sale of services: This pertains to the profit gained by providing services to customers. Unlike the sale of products, services are intangible and can be more challenging to market and sell. However, the same principles apply in terms of understanding the customer’s needs and preferences, providing high-quality services, and delivering a positive customer experience. Customers who have already purchased a service from a business can be cold-called in this instance.
3. B2B telemarketing:  This is the practice of using phone calls to promote and sell products or services to other businesses. It involves a salesperson reaching out to potential clients to generate leads, qualify prospects, and ultimately make sales.
4. Requesting information: In this case, the potential customer is the one who contacts the company rather than the other way around which is known as inbound telemarketing. It happens when someone is curious about a company’s products or services and wants to learn more about them before deciding to buy.
5. Technical support: The assistance provided to users of technology products or services, such as software applications, hardware devices, and online platforms is called technical support. This aims to aid users in resolving problems or issues they might face while using these products or services. This is another scenario where the customer contacts the brand and asks for assistance with regard to a certain problem with a product or service.
6. Satisfaction surveys: These are types of feedback mechanisms that companies use to gather data about customer experience and opinions. These surveys usually consist of questions that assess various aspects of a customer’s interaction with a brand such as product or service quality, the responsiveness of customer service, or the overall satisfaction levels with the purchasing process.
7. Political telemarketing: Also known as political robocalling, this is a  marketing strategy used by political organizations or parties, campaigns, and candidates to reach potential supporters or voters using automated telephone calls. This type of telemarketing is used to inform voters and gather valuable opinions.

To enhance their sales, most Singaporean businesses would consider outsourcing a company that would provide them with high-quality, sales-ready leads. Also, it offers them chances to enhance the company’s business sales process. Not all businesses in Singapore, especially those that are small to medium-sized, are successful in accomplishing this, though.

The question now is, how do you become effective in B2B telemarketing? It might sound easy, but many businesses continue to make the same errors. Here are some things to remember when it comes to B2B telemarketing.

Do

1. Hire a good B2B telemarketing company with well-trained telemarketers to do a lead generation campaign for you. Bring out the best in your telemarketing team.
2. Identify the type of campaign that you want; an office appointment, a phone appointment, or a demo. It’s the reason you are calling.
3. Identify your (ICP) Ideal Customer Profile. Secure a good list to call (most telemarketing companies can have their own database that you can rent or use during your campaign) based on the following:
   • Target area
   • Target industry
   • Target people
   • Company size (employee size, annual sales, etc) 
4. Prepare a script for sales reps to use. TIP: When creating a script remember, KISS (Keep It Short and Simple)
5. Choose a confident, highly-trained, and professional agent to represent your company.
6. Conduct product training with the team who will handle your lead generation campaign.
7. Send out an initial email prior to the start of the campaign
8. Have the team start making calls. When making a call, make sure to prioritize:
   • Those who replied to the email
   • Those who opened the email but didn’t respond to it
   • Other contacts within the list that you’ve sent an email
   • Contacts within the list with no email addresses and do profiling by gathering and verifying their contact information.
9. Make sure all in-house sales reps are available to follow up and call all scheduled appointments.

Don’t

1. Apologize for calling or say, “I’m sorry to bother you today”. The truth is, you’re not sorry you called and the prospect knows that.
2. Be afraid to probe and ask questions about their current setup. Here are the sales probing questions you must ask.
3. Be afraid of the prospect’s objections. Know how many call attempts to do before you surrender a lead.
4. Be rude or defensive when answering objections.
5. Get distracted by doing other things such as; texting, multitasking and emailing other prospects, talking to a colleague, Facebook, and eating while calling.
6. Interrupt prospects when they’re talking. Always LISTEN. Here’s why listening is important.
7. Lie. When found out may damage the credibility of the company or the brand you represent. What to do when you don’t know the answer to your prospect’s sales questions? Find out.
8. Assume based on what you think you already know. ALWAYS clarify with the prospect. Remember, if it didn’t happen on your call, it’s not considered done. TIP: Ask the prospect to repeat what he just said or ask him to elaborate if you didn’t understand.
9. Overcomplicate your call. Use the KISS technique!!!
10. Hang up before your prospect or slam the phone down after a bad call. ALWAYS be professional. It damages the company you represent.
11. Speak too quickly. Make sure the prospect understands the purpose of your call.
12. Call the same company over and over again within the day. Don’t call them every day unless you are advised to call back.
13. Stutter. You’ll sound less authoritative. TIP: Prepare before making a call.
14. Forget to call back when said you would.  

Why will outsourcing telemarketing provide you with more Singapore B2B leads?

Telemarketing for lead generation is one of the most common and effective methods of reaching out to potential customers over the phone. If you want to convert cold calls into hot leads, maximize your company’s sales opportunities, and obtain high-quality Singapore sales-ready prospects, you must understand the importance of lead generation before you even start reaching out to your prospects. Let the experts provide qualified leads and appointments for your company and have your in-house sales team nurture these leads instead.

Callbox’s B2B lead generation and Singapore telemarketing services can help you acquire leads to scale your business. Despite being Singapore-based, our team also reaches out to the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to promote your business on the international market. 

As the leading B2B lead generation services provider in Singapore, we use every channel and touch point to connect with, nurture, and convert your ideal prospects. Our multi-touch, multi-channel approach helps companies like yours locate and reach the prospects you’re targetting, engage and nurture them with personalized content, and convert them, in the end, into qualified appointments.

Our tailored telemarketing services can be availed with flexible and customized pricing according to your business needs (request for pricing).

Start outsourcing your B2B telemarketing services with Callbox and fill your customer database with high-quality prospects, accelerate your sales, and exceed your targets with ease and efficiency. Contact us now!

Read more: Why Outsourcing Telemarketing Will Give You More Singapore B2B Leads