Closing the loop on sales and marketing

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Norman Bowe

Demand generation programs really only demonstrate value when the collective fruits of marketing and sales labour culminate towards delivering tangible revenue. But there’s typically a big divide between ‘suspects’ at the top of the marketing and sales funnel and revenue at the other end. So what should marketers do to ensure they fill that divide with quality leads and opportunities that warrant attention by all teams involved in creating, nurturing and servicing demand?  Here are a few suggestions:

Decide how should your funnel look?

Every sales and marketing funnel looks different depending on industry, sales complexity and length of typical buying cycle. What target roles are ideal in the funnel? From which companies? And what qualification and discovery is required to uncover active pain and move these targets along the funnel? Finally and most importantly has the constitution of all of the above been agreed by both sales and marketing teams?

What metrics should you measure?

Without measuring you’ll never really know that you are doing well and therefore how you can possibly improve? Ask yourself the following questions: What is the optimum mix of value and volume of leads at each stage of your sales funnel? Be realistic and certain that you only strive to fill a funnel that you can effectively service. What type of conversion rates and velocity are appropriate at each stage of the funnel?

Develop an active dialogue on progress

Rather than sitting in team based silos, it’s important to join across the sales and marketing divide, review progress and solicit feedback from all teams. This ensures all are appropriately aligned, the right demand is generated at the right frequency to service the needs of the sales teams and sales are providing first-hand accounts of their follow up so that the team can measure progress against the plan.

Closing the loop is a bit of a cliché but it certainly has a place when thinking about high performance sales and marketing.

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Telemarketing services deliver some of the most valuable lead generation

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Norman Bowe

Good quality telemarketing services can deliver significant return on lead generation investment. That is why so many leading technology brands use telemarketing as a significant element of their sales and marketing campaign mix.

But to improve the return on investment requires a combination of strong process, detailed qualification of opportunities that are appropriate to pass to sales and a well-oiled handover and feedback process between the telemarketing agency and client. These are the key foundations that can help drive higher lead quality and improved performance.

Sales people who are skilled at working with high value, low value products and solutions that have long sales cycles, are not typically as skilled at opening up dialogues with new prospects by phone. And nor should they be. Finding and uncovering opportunities by telephone and progressing opportunities through to sales closure actually require a specialised set of skills.

One of the challenges with the explosion of the Internet is that your potential prospects more than likely know about you before you know about them. That’s why it’s important to ensure you have a continuous outreach program that b2b telemarketing can offer – to try to discover whether there is an opportunity that could provide mutual benefit to both buyer and seller before the buyer contemplates your competitors.

Marketing has been moving at a blistering pace, with the advent of social media, with content driven marketing plans and also with the new marketing automation tools that have come along. All these changes are certainly positive and worth embracing, but they are far more fruitful when they work in unison with all other campaign elements in a consistent and harmonious manner. Telemarketing provides the critical early dialogue and qualification that is so necessary and without which, companies might miss the opportunity to bring candidate opportunities into the sales cycle early enough or may be a little too late.

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How to identify and stop the sin of telemarketing services double delivery

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Norman Bowe

Many B2B telemarketing agencies have lost their moral compass and are focused on making quick wins rather than winning their clients’ trust, through implementation of an essentially fraudulent mal-practise called “double delivery”.

Reputable telemarketing services agencies are all about putting creative ideas into practise, identifying and implementing pragmatic sales and marketing strategies across industries, solutions and geographical regions and above all demonstrating absolute integrity in their client relationships. However in some agencies if you make enough money for the company, you will get promoted to a senior client relationship role, often with no questions asked about how that profitability came about.

It’s essential when selecting a B2B telemarketing services agency that the culture of the company and leadership is examined in detail. Is workplace culture respected and monitored? Or is there intense pressure on financial performance? When you award a contract to an agency are there unusual levels of haste in trying to resource the project immediately or is the agency willing to move at your pace? Does the agency put pressure to pay for a retainer regardless of whether campaigns are available or is the agency willing to work on a flexible project by project basis? Does the agency allow weekly and even daily reviews and direct contact with the telemarketer or keep the client at arms’ length and refuse to make adjustments to service level agreements? Too much pressure on signing up for retainers and meeting the agencies financial targets are indicative signs that all is not well.

What exactly is double delivery? The classic telemarketing lead generation business model is to charge on a rate per caller per day, typically in blocks of 10 – 30 days. A service level agreement is normally agreed with the client, of for example 1 opportunity per caller per day. Clearly service level agreements are different across industries, solutions and geographies. So for example a client books a 20 day telemarketing program for one caller to deliver 20 opportunities. After value proposition development, agreement on lead handover processes and data preparation the call out begins, and after only 2 days the caller has identified 5 opportunities and is able to continue the program at a level of 2.5 opportunities per day.

A reputable b2b lead generation agency would immediately alert the client of this and the fact that their solution is getting much better traction in the market than expected, and reset after a short period of time the service level agreement. However agencies that practice double delivery do not inform the client and will hold off on presenting opportunities to their client, whilst resourcing that same caller to the project of another client. Double delivery can be defined as the malpractice of an agency using a caller to deliver multiple campaigns for multiple clients simultaneously, without the client ever being informed of this. Where clients are informed of this practice it’s quite legitimately called a shared resource model.

The implications for the client who does not know that his caller is being used simultaneously to deliver for another campaign are multiple:

  • There is a risk of data contamination across campaigns of often competing solution providers.
  • The client never gets to know the real demand for their solution in the market as the agency will every week merely report on the pre-agreed service level agreement and not on the increased number of opportunities being held back.
  • As a result of the delay in the handover process qualified opportunities, the sales engagement may be compromised adversely as the follow up by the client sales has been delayed.
  • The client is being overcharged. A day rate has been agreed, and yet the client only gets the services of the caller for at best 20-40% of the time. Double delivery amounts to fraudulent reporting and contractual theft.

How can a client avoid the risk of double delivery when engaging with a B2B telemarketing agency for the first time? The following are some simple and practical steps that should be followed for any B2B telemarketing campaign:

  1. Ask the agency to provide a written policy confirming that double delivery is not practiced and that practice of the same by their management is grounds for immediate dismissal.
  2. Get to know the caller who will be used on your campaign and have the agency provide their details and the ability to contact the caller directly at any time.
  3. Have the caller as well as the account management team involved in any daily or weekly campaign progress reviews.
  4. At the beginning of the campaign monitor progress even more carefully, especially the delivery of opportunities. If too many (or too few) are being delivered ensure that service level agreements are reset accordingly
  5. Do some test calls with the caller and experience first-hand how your proposition and messaging is being received in the market.

 

 

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Use telemarketing services to improve lead generation through buy cycle analysis

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Norman Bowe

Lead generation is a common process for companies selling into the Business to Business arena. But in our experience the most successful companies recognize the need to shift from focusing on the sales cycle alone, which is centred on the company, and its needs, to focusing on the buying cycle, which is centred on the customer’s journey and their particular needs. Telemarketing services can play a vital role in understanding the customer journey.

The key distinction with the buying cycle approach is how the customer moves through that process from their perspective. Whilst there are many variables that you simply cannot influence such as: what problem they actually need to solve, the urgency of that need, incumbent solutions already in place etc, we note that those organisations that focus on the customer journey in a market oriented rather than an introspective way, typically fuel healthier sales pipelines and have a better oiled sales and marketing machine that run both efficiently as well as effectively

The stages of the buying cycle process relates to how a buyer moves through their own journey of discovery. In essence the buying cycle consists of the following stages:

  • Discover – Prospect moves from the status quo and recognises there is problem and looks for outside help to solve it.
  • Explore – They undergo research and information gathering and develop decision criteria for narrowing the list
  • Select – The prospect chooses a suitable vendor, clarifies around points of concern and negotiates final terms and makes a purchase

It can be difficult and complex for selling organisations to accurately map a buyer’s current state on the buy cycle map but b2b telemarketing can offer detailed insight through accurate profiling.

At IZEN Marketing, we contend that buying cycle alignment is actually a business imperative, not only because it forces organisations to think across the sales and marketing divide but it also catalyses organisations to consider appropriate messaging, campaigns, lead qualification and nurturing activities in a much more integrated, unified and considered manner.

Posted in B2B Telemarketing, Lead Generation, Telemarketing Services | Leave a comment

How to get better results from Telemarketing Services

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Norman Bowe

Telemarketing Services are the cornerstone of many successful lead generation activities but to use this medium to its fullest, there are some critical questions that organisations need to ask themselves. For example, how do you measure the return on your telemarketing return on investment? What are best practices that you can adopt? And what can you do to achieve even better sales success?

Just as with any other facets of business, managing or commissioning telemarketing services to achieve the best possible outcomes requires an on-going process of continuous improvement and looking for how you can strive to get even better results than you currently do.

IZEN marketing has developed a FREE online personal assessment tool, to allow companies to assess their telemarketing performance. It’s quick and simple and in less than five minutes, an organisation can receive their own personal assessment report evaluating their current telemarketing activities, as well as practical guidance on how they can get even more from their budget – whether they commission telemarketing services through a third party agency, choose to do this in house or adopt a blended model of both scenarios.

The benefit of this tool is that you can get different results and recommendations depending on your specific responses, so it’s useful to go back and repeat the assessment to evaluate progress made and what additional factors you could consider as you look to drive efficient and effective lead generation and ultimately increased sales.

To use the tool, visit http://izenmarketing.com/telemarketing-services-assessment

At IZEN we provide a consultative approach to b2b lead generation working with you to achieve your sales objectives.

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Start 2012 successfully with B2B Telemarketing Services

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Norman Bowe

As you enter the New Year and evaluate last year’s demand generation performance, some will look at the past and be content with the results, whilst others may look back and ask themselves how they can improve on the lacklustre performance of their B2B lead generation programs.

Whatever your performance in 2011, good, mediocre or just not worth remembering, 2012 can be far better if you consider adding telemarketing services to your marketing campaign mix. If you have never deployed telemarketing services in the past, 2012 may be the year to grab the initiative and if you are used to b2b telemarketing but only getting less than satisfactory results then now should be the time you should look to an alternative vendor. Taking a quote from Bertrand Russell: “Nothing is so exhausting as indecision, and nothing so futile”. So procrastination will translate into missed opportunity.

Well qualified “sales ready” leads are fundamental to sales success in a business-to-business environment and telemarketing services from a reputable company should help you build a satisfactory quantity and quality of appropriate leads that become accepted by sales teams, of which a significant number convert into sales revenue.

Where leads are not yet ‘sales ready’ but qualified as in scope, yet with a longer sales cycle, this information is just as valuable – since these leads will become the opportunities and revenues of tomorrow and can be placed into opportunity management and lead nurturing cycles until such time as they are ready to pass to sales teams.

The best results from telemarketing come when they are integrated with the wider marketing campaign mix. Imagine for example that you are doing emails and direct mail campaign activities to recruit for an event. Combining telemarketing as part of an integrated event lifecycle will help to drive attendance, confirm attendees and conduct initial post event follow up

The key to success is of course to identify and work with a company that can help you drive results. IZEN Marketing has been working successfully for many large and medium well business-to-business brands to build their success in 2011 and we look forward to supporting our customers in 2012. So don’t procrastinate and make this the year that you settle for nothing less than superior telemarketing results.

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Four golden rules for outsourcing Telemarketing Services

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Norman Bowe

Outsourcing telemarketing services and building a successful and fruitful partnership between vendor and agency is about building a partnership and a successful extension of your business – with the ultimate aim to accelerate your sales. Here a just a few golden rules you should consider to make your b2b telemarketing outsourcing project a success:

Clearly define realistic goals

Sometimes, it takes a while to build a level of momentum in the market. It could be that your brand is not recognised or that you have an entirely new proposition you wish to take to the market. It could also be that the original data source that you are using as the basis of your telemarketing needs to be enhanced first. Whatever the situation, it is important to be realistic and take into account any factors that might impact the correct measurement of success. So working alongside your nominated telemarketing agency, ensure you are both clear on expectations and timelines for measurement.

Integrate with other marketing communications campaigns

Remember that telemarketing services should be considered part of a wider and integrated marketing and communications mix. When prospects are recipients of other campaigns such as emails, whitepapers, webinars, events etc then telemarketing activities have a greater chance of success and your overall company message is enhanced.

Build strong connections across sales and marketing

Successful telemarketing is NOT just about generating a sufficient amount of qualified leads. It’s more than that. A successful sales funnel doesn’t just stop there but this is where success starts. It is imperative that your nominated telemarketing agency is able to have regular dialogue directly with the sales teams, with whom the leads generated are meant to impact. This way, both sales and telemarketing can understand and learn exactly what worked, what did not and what corrective action needs to be taken moving forward. Similarly telemarketing can discuss nuances of a particular opportunity they have uncovered and next steps that need to be taken as a result of their direct conversations. This dialogue is imperative and in addition to any reports that your telemarketing team may produce for you.

Review progress continually

Make sure you have regular progress review meetings at specific points in the overall telemarketing campaign. This will allow you to tweak messages, absorb key findings from the telemarketing to date and take any necessary corrective action.

At IZEN we take a structured approach to outsourced telemarketing services, helping organisations to fuel their sales

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Justifying the cost of B2B lead generation

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Norman Bowe

A well thought out and connected B2B demand generation program can have a definite impact on revenues and profits alongside other contributory factors such as sales and product strategy, market intelligence, and customer service and support.

When justifying the cost of a demand generation project, it helps to focus on the element of return on investment. B2B telemarketing is an area of sales and marketing that, when carried outsuccessfully, can provide a high yield with comparatively low expenditure.

However, if there are no well-defined goals, B2B telemarketing is unlikely to deliver success and can quickly lose focus and start to haemorrhage cash. The key to success is in the goal setting process and having realistic goals that are achievable in a stipulated timeframe. It is also important to look at the sales process beyond the telemarketing and lead generation initiatives, but more specifically at the volume and quantity of qualified leads that are required to fuel the sales team’s pipelines and deliver success.

B2B lead generation is a fundamental pillar of a successful marketing sales cycle and, either the sales team has to make it happen themselves, they use an insourced team, or commission third party telemarketing services. Either way, each of these approaches come at a cost, but using expert B2B lead generation services can reduce that cost significantly.

When using telemarketing services that take a unified approach to lead generation, better leads can be achieved which then frees up the sales team to close deals instead of creating demand.

At IZEN we are experts in all aspects of B2B telemarketing and can develop an effective strategy for your business.

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Understand your customers with telemarketing

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Norman Bowe

Traditionally, defining the customer value proposition was often done as a one off exercise by sales or marketing to look at positioning. The analysis carried out often focused on looking at increasing benefits and cutting costs. This is certainly a step in the right direction but is too narrow in its scope and could be mistaken as a sales offer rather than a value proposition.

Telemarketing services can be used to carry out a comprehensive needs analysis. Before commencing any lead generation campaigns, the critical component is a requirement to gain a thorough knowledge of the prospect. You need to identify their needs, requirements and preferences and only on this basis can you develop a solution that will meet with or exceed their idea of value. Telemarketing services based around discovery can also be used to gauge the effectiveness, of your current product or service offering, at satisfying customer needs by looking at affordability, convenience and effectiveness. A great by-product of this type of exercise is that you can also highlight which customers are your best and conversely, which customers offer least value to your business.

Once the customer value proposition has been identified then a connected approach to all marketing, communication and customer-facing activities can be achieved. A real value proposition is derived through learning about prospective and current customers and their experience of your product or service offerings. Lead generation has an important role to play here as it can be an important means to influence customers and drive demand, but it needs to be done only after you are truly convinced of the value proposition to your intended audience.

At IZEN we provide a consultative approach to telemarketing services working with you to achieve your sales goals.

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Using B2B telemarketing connectedly

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Norman Bowe

To have a successful business it is essential to operate in an integrated, connected way. All too often, businesses take a functional approach to lead generation and marketing, working in isolation rather than in synergy. Regardless of your product or service, having a connected sales and marketing approach will ensure that, at all touch points along the customer’s buying path, you will be able to create value and drive higher profits.

B2B lead generation can prove to be a versatile channel into your customers and prospects allowing you to reach out quickly and efficiently building long term sustainable relationships. Most successful businesses will quote that their performance can be attributed to an integrated approach in B2B telemarketing and sales. The ultimate aim should be to determine customer need and to develop an offering that meets or exceeds that need.

Integrated B2B telemarketing can help achieve this. It can help to retain your existing, high value customers, informing them of developments and providing you with essential information about the changing market. It can also help you reach out to new customers, making your business more accessible. A B2B lead generation campaign that is formulated with a solid understanding of the profile of your valuable customers, will give your sales team the best chance of success. At all stages of the sales cycle, a connected approach to B2B telemarketing can support the efforts of the sales team and help to develop your business growth.

At IZEN we offer a range of B2B telemarketing services to achieve customer retention and acquisition goals.

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