Posts Tagged ‘telemarketing’

Some Benefits Of Lead Generation Software

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

Let’s say that you have a business you believe is going to do better if you went ahead and put it on the internet. You think that it is worth investing in, so you pull out all the stops. You even get designers and such to make sure that your website is user-friendly and fascinating enough to hold customer’s interest and attention. Then you go on and hire a marketing firm just to ensure that you never get lost out there in the large network of the World Wide Web.

So things are going superb. When you search for your company in your favorite search engine there it is, right at the very top of the results for your line of business. You then click on it and everything is as you hoped it would. But is all of this enough, without good lead generation systems in place?

You may find that you will need help with lead generation, because quite simply you haven’t any idea how many individuals are coming and going on your site, or whether they are the right type of people. With the Internet being as impersonal as it is, prospective customers at times need a nudge in the right path.

Perhaps some e-mails will need to be sent to people, outlining anything they might want to know about your products or service. Or say somebody has a question, but you had no process set up to send the answer to them quickly enough and their interest dies out. What must you do now?

Lead generation will help you find out everything you need to know about the traffic on your website, but it will also help you organize your customer database. In return, this will help consumer interest turn into clients won.

The Internet is designed for instant gratification, so it’s crucial that you don’t let your prospective customers sit around waiting for you to get in contact with them. More likely than not, they can easily find another products provider that will respond quicker than you.

There are some kinds of lead generation companies that will also give you the option to make use of their call center services. There is nothing like having a question answered by a real, live person who knows what they are talking about. This is much better than using a regular form or a pre-recorded menu to answer customer inquiries.

Certainly, these call centers could also be on hand to handle your outbound calls too. This will show that you’re much more serious and are actively contacting potential clients, which will generate more leads for you in the end. Use lead generation to its fullest capacity and you will increase your business sales.

Operating a call center and utilizing lead generation is a major part of your organization and a fantastic way to get more bottom line sales. There are many different kinds of lead management software available today that you can use with each one offering a range of abilities to save you time and effort.

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Grow NOW, Here’s How

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Recently I wrote about sales growth in the economic recession. I described how market share consolidates in downturns and how astute business leaders increase rather than decrease marketing efforts to grow sales and share of market. Well, I clearly struck a nerve because I was deluged with suggestions about how to grow in tough times. some of the suggestions were not really good. And, some of the ideas were questionable. But some of them were so good that I decided to share best ones here.

1. Leverage your past successes. That is, use your own database of past clients and contacts to propel you forward. There are three ways that readers suggested doing this.

Get referrals - In his new book, The Referral Engine, John Jantsch describes how most companies fail to take advantage of their past by failing to ask for and use referrals. Advertising by personal referral and testimonial has always been effective and is even more so in today’s interconnected world.

Reach out more, not less - While it is tempting to reduce communications efforts during downturns, it’s not smart. In fact, it’s the best time to increase them. Why? Because about 33% of your competitors have done exactly that. They are virtually non-existant in the marketplace right now. About 33% of others are so dazed by the financial stress that they are doing the same old/same old. The top 33% (of which you should be a member) are grabbing market share by promoting their company more than ever. And, promoting in unique and inexpensive ways.

Improve your Data - This has a double benefit. First, you get an opportunity to “tough” past customers. That’s always good for business. Secondly, you can improve your customer relationship management (CRM)database. Have your sales team greet your past clients and offer a new eBook, article, newsletter, describe a new service., etc. Then, have them gather additional important information like mailing address, alternate phone numbers, social media contacts, etc. They can gather demographics like family size and purchase signal-type stuff.

2. Intense initial follow-up on trade show, promotion or seminar leads. All of us fall into the same trap - not doing a very good job of follow-up when we attend a large trade show or run a big promotion or attend a seminar and make tons of contacts. Often we let these opportunities slip away.

You are in a recession, my friend, so that’s not good enough. Leads are precious now and you should use them effectively. One of our repeat customers recently hired us to make the initial follow-up call to hundreds of leads from his presence at a big trade show. We entered all of the leads into his database in just a few days and called/culled the list into 100 great warm leads for his sales team within a week!

3. Stop squandering your sales resources! This reader is a regular customer of ours. He figured that almost 50% of his sales team time was spent on super-simple, routine tasks like verifying shipping information. Not only was this discouraging to the sales team but it was an incredible waste of their expertise.

In order to free them up to do more profitable work…like outbound calls and key account focus, he outsourced the first level customer service function. Now, callers are directed to an outsourced call center for questions about shipping dates, tracking numbers, price changes, returns and etc.

4. Generate warm leads by cold calling a targeted list for prospects. We call this “suspects-to-prospects” and “prospects-to-appointments” calling. This is the type of effort I wrote about recently. This is a no-brainer. You and your team already know your best customers. Identifying these top customers and targeting lists of similar demographics can yield a boatload of real warm leads.

Growth requires leads. That’s true in any economy. The best growth strategy begins with an abundance of leads. That way your sales team can focus on top opportunities and deal with them confidently. Cold calling (or cold contacting) is an effective way to generate good leads. It’s a critical first step in the sales funnel.

Keep the lead pipeline full. Keep your top salespeople focused on the best real opportunities for success. That’s a growth strategy for ANY economy! Try some, or all of these ideas to gain market share and grow NOW.

Visit MultiMedia Spectrum for Appointment Setting Services and Business to Business Telemarketing.

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Telemarketing - How To Improve Cold Calling Skills, Make Calls Effective And Get Results

Saturday, July 31st, 2010

In spite of the legal regulations governing calls by the telemarketing service providers, cold calling is still a popular means of generating sales leads and increasing revenue. It is unreasonable to assume your office will be thronged by buyers unless you take the initiative to make contact. By using cold calling effectively, you can attract many more customers and improve your business.

Here are some ideas that can boost the response rates of cold calls:

1. Define the aim of the telemarketing call

The goal of a telemarketer’s first call is not to make the sale but to simply pave the way for a sale. The initial conversation is about getting an appointment or getting some form of a positive response.

2. Know your target audience

Good market research should precede a telemarketing campaign. After defining the target audience, get details of the individual or organization you will be calling. By doing your research, you can align the product or service with the prospect’s requirements and make your call’s relevance come through.

3. Select an opening statement for the telemarketing call

Prepare an opening statement to commence the conversation. This reduces any missteps and gets the telemarketer focused. Don’t begin with “Can we talk now?” or “How are you?” These statements give prospects the opportunity to excuse themselves and hang up. Your call should start with a greeting and address the person by name (preferably with a Ms. or Mr.). Follow it with an introduction - just your name and the company you represent . If you do this, it would be easier to take the conversation further. Use your knowledge of their business to introduce your service or product as a possible solution for their business requirements.

Have the opening statement in your hand before making the cold call. Don’t read it from your notes. Just use it as a reference.

4. Prepare a script to refer to during the phone call

A script prepares the telemarketing agent for any questions or concerns that may be the prospect may have. Lay out the benefits of using a product or service. Keep a “problem-resolution” card handy. When a prospect has a question, you’ll have a ready reply. This approach also projects confidence. The prospect feels she is communicating with a well informed salesperson. Again, the script is for reference only, and not for reading verbatim.

5. Be specific in suggesting a time for an appointment

Be specific when asking for an appointment. Ask “Can I meet you at 10 am tomorrow?” If it’s not a good time, the prospect will propose an alternative but specific time and day.

6. Be polite to every person you talk to

In telemarketing, callers often connect to secretaries of the decision makers. Be courteous and note down their names for future communication. Getting on their good side is a prerequisite to getting your call forwarded to the right individuals. They will give you the information and details you want when you ask them politely.

7. Send promotional gift items - something small but memorable

Sending a unique gift is an excellent way to make your business stick in a customer’s mind. When they receive a call from you, they recognize you immediately by connecting your name with the gift.

8. Make telemarketing calls early in the day

Decision makers have more time and energy in the mornings. Catch them early in the day rather than when they’re busy in meetings or other work.

9. Follow up repeatedly

Studies indicate that telemarketing sees success only after the fourth or fifth follow up call. In spite of this statistic, many telemarketers throw in the towel after the second follow up. Be persistent if you want to see results.

10. It is a numbers game indeed

Probability of making a sale improves with each call. Let us be honest. Every call will not convert into a sale or an appointment. But make enough calls and some percentage will bring you success. Secret is to consistently improve so that you can sell more with lesser number of calls. This is bound to come about if you keep dialing the prospects and not get disheartened by negative responses.

The art of cold calling gets better with practice. Competent telemarketers have the experience of thousands of calls and a experience of handling diverse set of customer responses. Keep at it and soon you would start to see success.

Daljeet Sidhu. Compare Telemarketing quotes. Read Telemarketing Call Center blog.

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What To Look For In A Company That Generates Life Insurance Sales Leads From Telemarketing Sales Leads LLC

Monday, July 26th, 2010

A big part of every life insurance agent’s work in learning how to generate life insurance sales leads that have a high conversion rate. The simplest and most effective method of sourcing leads is to buy them from reputable telemarketing lead generation companies. A good company will provide leads that are exclusive, qualified and local to your territory.

With the expertise and trained staff that work with them, telemarketing lead generation companies can quickly generate thousands of leads. By using the leads that they have already qualified, you no longer have to face the rejection you once did by calling complete strangers. You will be talking to people who are interested in buying or upgrading life insurance.

What a lead generation company does is talk to people and identify their needs and interests. This is done in call centers, with highly skilled operators who are trained in what to say to elicit interest. Interested people are then added to a list of leads that are true prospective customers.

If you are considering buying life insurance leads, look for a reputable company that can show it has a history of satisfied customers. It should have a large trained telemarketing staff that knows how to elicit high converting leads that meet your standards. The leads you buy must be exclusive, affordable and fresh. You should have daily delivery of leads as they are qualified, rather that one huge list.

TSL is a top telemarketing lead generation that specializes in knowing how to generate life insurance sales leads with high conversion to sales. Because they qualify leads in all 48 states, they are able to supply any agent with a lead list specific to his territory or region.

Life insurance leads generated with TSL are highly qualified. Not only do you receive leads, you will also have leads who have already agreed to a set appointment. The appointments are set within 24 hours of your receiving notice. This type of appointment-based lead is the highest converting kind of lead you can buy.

As soon as you receive your leads, it is important to start conversation with them. Rapid follow up will lead to much higher conversions into sales, up to 60% in some cases. So, buy pre-qualified appointment based leads, from a highly successful and reputable company that excels at how to generate life insurance sales leads, and watch your life insurance business take off.

For more info or questions in regards to Telemarketing Sales Leads LLC please visit the TSL Group at www.tslead.com

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5 Hot Tips When Using Data Lists For Your Marketing Campaigns

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Getting good Wholesale Data is like “Printing Money,” make no mistake.

You may ask yourself, does it matter where I get it? And more importantly, what do I do with it? The goal is to reach your target audience and get the most direct response “Juice” to close as many deals as you can.

This is easily done with one of two methodologies, or a combination of both; Direct Mail and Telemarketing. Each has its hot points, the main differentiations are you would direct mail to those who are on the DNC (Do Not Call) list and use a predictive dialer on those you are allowed to call.

Using a targeted direct mail generally generate a top notch quality lead as the target client is the one initiating a inbound phone response, but using the post office ultimately generates a higher cost lead.

In either case of Direct Mail and Telemarketing, you will need to have control over your list data.

Both kinds of advertising require the optimal list; and finding the right company, who doesn’t take your money and run, is difficult in a competitive landscape. You basically have to trust their list names and numbers are accurately pulled. A great place to start is with companies like The Leads Warehouse, Info USA, and of course the company I work for. (Low Key Plug I Know)

The nice part about finding a good lead/list supplier is defined by pennies, but equals huge profits, working with the right list manager will allow you to get lists for under a few pennies a name but have highly targeted results. This make you more money, makes your agents happier to work for you, and increases your sales count. All nice things you can have with just the flip of a marketing switch; with the right provider.

Long awaited, here are the Top 5 Hot Tips for getting the right company on your side:

1) Does the representative sound educated? This may sound like a no-brainer, but when you start making calls you will see that most salespeople cant establish the difference between credit bureau and credit modeled data.

2) What are their lists geared for - quality mail lists or quality telemarketing lists? Not all lists are developed the same.

3) What campaigns are they currently running? If you are looking for an inexpensive debt list - do they currently have debt settlement clients?

4) Do they know the numbers? Solid list providers should be able to give you ballpark ranges for response, if they don’t have this on the tip of their tongue then move on.

5) Free list offer? A reputable source will always charge for data, anyone else has obtained a bootleg set and wants you to test it for them. The real cost here is your time.

To finish this up, using the wrong list provider can be a trying experience, using the right one can give you targeted prospects who want what you have. Make sure you pick the right person for your data needs!

Why Read This Writer?: Robert Brack manages Wholesale Discount Lists for Inc. 500 Companies. Be sure to speak with him before settling for second best about your Quality Lead List.

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Outsourcing - why should you do it?

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Perhaps like many professional you felt you couldn’t afford professional support services. Many businesses, sole operators and professionals in need of admin support and assistant services have had to rely on temps or their own resources in times of staff shortage. That was until NOW. Join the new trend of office support professional - helping 21st Century professionals with the support they needs … virtually!

You don’t want to go to the expense and hassle involved in hiring your own staff right? So, what do you do if you’re a sole operator or independent professional/executive in need of professional, confidential admin support

Your best office support staff member goes off on maternity leave and you think your only alternative is to hire an expensive and unmotivated temp. What if you don’t have the necessary expertise or space for additional staff to complete a specific or additional job?

What are the benefits, what’s in it for you and who would benefit from the partnership? Many people have difficulty grasping the concept of a remote assistant, so it is not surprising that understanding the benefits poses a problem.

Our company Fil-Can Communications also known as Virtual Office Professionals or Virtual Business Associates can perform the same services as office-based employees but without the associated costs such as payroll tax, worker’s compensation, superannuation, sick and other leave, or training. There are no equipment costs as Fil-Can Communications utilize their own equipment, and there are none of the associated costs of wear and tear, office space, lighting, power, telephone and so on.

One of the best benefit is that Fil-Can Communications is available out of normal hours, on weekends, and public holidays, basically 24/7. How much would you gain, both in monetary terms and in terms of productivity, on office politics and staff chatting in the coffee room? Remember that clients pay only for time on task when they partner with us so there is no time/money lost on these typical office behaviors.

Fil-Can Communications partners with YOU our client, which means that a longer term relationship can develop in much the same way as one would with an onsite personal assistant - yet clients do not have the associated costs of an employee.

Temps do not always offer the most cost effective solutions for clients as on-costs are still factored into the hourly rate by the agency. In addition, when clients partner with Fil-Can Communications they get consistency of support - not a different person each time they need assistance, necessitating training of each new temp in their business procedures. So why wouldn’t you just use a temporary staffing agency to “fill the gaps” in your administrative support needs? Clearly Fil-Can Communications has a vested interest in helping YOU, the client succeeds in your own business goals - a temp does not have the same interest.?

Fil-Can Communications clients have access to specialist skills that may not be available through a temp agency or serviced office, and access to latest technologies including web-based conferencing, online calendar and document sharing and project collaboration and real time chat. We offer a wide variety of office support services including Call Center support, telesales, appointment setting, lead generation, secretarial support, personal and executive assistance, word processing, database management, transcription services, web design, desktop publishing, presentations, social media, blogging, spreadsheets, and office services such as faxing, email and scanning.

Thanks to the technology available today including email, fax, instant messaging services, digital transcription technology, and internet-based file sharing facilities Fil-Can Communications is as close to its clients in Canada, USA, United Kingdom, Australia or anywhere in the English speaking world as if they were in the next room.

Looking to find the best deal on Business Process Outsourcing, then visit www.filcancommunications.biz to find the best advice on Why YOU Should Outsource and what it would do for you.

categories: why outsource, bpo, call center, call centre, virtual, virtual secretary, telemarketing, VA, philippines, BPO Philippines, lead generation, appointment setting, elance, guru, outgoing call services,inbound,outbound,consumer survey,word processing