Telemarketing - Appointment Setting Campaigns

Transcription

1 Telemarketing - Appointment Setting Campaigns What influences the results? An Overview Prepared by Susan Johnston Sales and Marketing Manager Tel: Web: [email protected]

2 K.M.B Telemarketing Results Overview for Appointment Setting Campaigns K.M.B Telemarketing have 20 years of experience in managing the full range of B2B telemarketing campaigns which has given us extensive knowledge and understanding of all the different types of telemarketing campaigns and the key influencers to the quantity of the results that can realistically be generated. Scoping out the Appointment Setting Telemarketing Campaign Fundamental to a successful telemarketing campaign is understanding the client s business objectives and needs and therefore ensuring that the campaign is scoped fully with a true recognition of how telemarketing can indeed help the business. Within the K.M.B Telemarketing Business Development team we will always aim to be honest about what we believe will work for your business as well as what will not. We will not over-promise on what can be achieved but instead set an objective which will be challenging but realistic. In many cases where a prospect has never used telemarketing or is considering using a different telemarketing activity within their business a Proof of Concept campaign can be undertaken, which is essentially a shortened telemarketing campaign scoped out and agreed on a Project basis, which will enable them to ensure that telemarketing will generate the results that they require and will give them a Return on Investment. On completion of the Proof of Concept campaign both K.M.B Telemarketing and the client will review the results of the project and agree the best way forward. Managing customer expectations Every telemarketing company likes to be able to sell itself based on generating the best results but it is very important to measure like with like. At K.M.B Telemarketing we aim to work with our clients to ensure that we set up the best telemarketing campaign to generate the optimum results aligning to our client s business objectives and goals. Results are not always best measured by quantity and indeed in some cases it can be a wrong measure Quality is fundamental to business success. If the results generated are of good quality then the opportunities presented then are genuine and can be used to really benefit your business. We, at K.M.B focus on quality and our key objectives are to ensure that the appointments we generate for our clients are closely aligned to their brief and therefore there is a clear understanding by both the client and the client s prospect of the purpose of any meetings booked.

3 Understanding the Results It is important to understand that because every campaign developed aligns to the specific business needs of each individual client then it is impossible to compare results generated directly with each other; comparisons however can be reviewed to give an indicative measure of the success or otherwise of a campaign. Identified below are a number of the results influencers within any telemarketing campaign. a. Database Working alongside our telemarketer experience is the database that they use in essence they can only produce quality results if the database that they are using is up to date and accurately aligned to the client s target market Good quality data should have been cleansed within 3 months of intended use if the data is not up to date then the telemarketer s time is taken up with sourcing the missing information (telephone numbers, correct decision-makers etc) which then means that ultimately they have less time to be on the phone generating the results. Prior to starting a campaign, the Account Manager assigned to your campaign will review your database for completeness and will provide a preliminary overview; this will be followed up within 48 hours of the start of telemarketing to advise if there are any data issues identified. In most cases if the data fields are complete it is hard to know if they are up to date until the telemarketer starts calling. b. Target Audience Another factor that can influence results that is related to the database is the clear identification of the target customer. If data available or sourced is not true to the potential target audience interested in the products/services then a significant amount of time and effort can be wasted speaking to prospects that have no need or interest in the product/service being targeted. c. CRM System K.M.B Telemarketing always aims to supports it clients wherever possible by using their CRM system if possible as it can save the client a significant amount of time in managing data movements and administration. It usually also means that sales people diaries can be updated immediately and clients can monitor progress on an on-going basis. However the use of some CRM systems can slow down the speed of dials as any telephony automation can be lost and therefore the results can be lower. This has to be off-set against the savings in time made within the client business.

4 d. Size of Target Company/Level of Decision Maker It goes without saying that if you are targeting at Director level then that is a more challenging call to generate an appointment, than it is at management level as usually there are a series of gatekeepers to get through prior to being able to speak to the ultimate Decision Maker. Combine that with a large company and the challenge increases. Therefore with respect to telemarketing results, it is easy to see why more appointments are generated for companies who are targeting smaller companies with lower level decision-makers than are made for high level decisionmakers in FTSE 100 companies. e. Company/Brand Awareness Another key influencing factor in terms of generating appointments with Decision-makers is the company brand and products as the better known the company and/or products and services the easier it is to be able to arrange the appointment. A well-known company usually brings the comfort of it being a known entity with clear values and expectations. Potential customers like to be associated with well-established and credible brands. Therefore again, it is often easier to gain the prospect interest and arrange the meeting. f. USP A clearly defined proposition with its own unique selling points that can easily be identified and aligned to the target customers potential needs will always present a good selling point for the telemarketer who will enthusiastically use the opportunity to gain the prospect confidence and interest culminating in an appointment. g. Special Offers If a hook is required to generate additional interest then a special offer will always capture the attention of the decision-maker particularly if it can be seen that there is potentially a real financial gain to the business. Again provide the right hook and the ease of appointment setting is realised and the right offer will produce the desired results. h. Telemarketing Company Experience and Telemarketers There are many companies who will offer telemarketing but quality and good results are generated not just by enthusiasm but also by comprehensive training and experience we at K.M.B have over 20 years industry knowledge and experience. There are few industries we have not worked in or with we have also worked with both small and new start-up companies along with large and well-established businesses and all this experience is retained within our business our average Telemarketers has worked with us for 4 years. K.M.B Telemarketing believe that we have the best Telemarketers we have a dedicated team of Telemarketers who always aim to achieve quality results exceeding targets set. Well-trained, knowledgeable Telemarketers will have a full understanding of your company and will echo your values

5 associated with your brands, USPs and company values. In essence they will be the voice of your company and will consistently demonstrate an enthusiastic and professional approach consistently generating the best quality results using their experience and training. i. Different Industry Sectors Some sectors of the market are particularly challenging due to the organisational structures in place. If you compare the private and the public sectors then there is frequently a difference in the job titles and descriptions of roles and therefore it can be hard to identify the true decision-maker for a particular product and service. This inevitably has an impact on the quantity of results generated and this must be considered in setting realistic targets. K.M.B Telemarketing have worked across most industry sectors both private and public and are therefore very knowledgeable about the best approaches to generate the required results and the pitfalls that can be encountered. They are able to use this knowledge and experience to guide clients through the telemarketing campaign process ensuring that a tailored approach is taken to account management of individual campaigns that will both promote the client products and/or services in the best way to the correct decision-maker whilst generating the best quality results. We never lose sight that ultimately the client is looking for a good quantity of appointments but work with them to manage their expectations.