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V2 Communications Opinion
SALES AND MARKETING – NE’ER THE TWAIN…
Business growth depends on lead generation. So why are the majority of UK companies wasting money on unfocused, irrelevant telemarketing campaigns that patently fail to deliver the goods, asks Jamie Vaughan, Managing Director, V2 Communications?
Telemarketing has a bad reputation. From soft ‘brand building’ or ‘market assessment’ campaigns to the raft of unqualified leads from the aggressive ‘by the appointment’ measured agency, value for money is a rarity. But where else are organisations going to get those all important new business leads?
It is time to recognise the role telemarketing plays in the sales process. Rather than deferring to the marketing department, the sales team needs to take a proactive approach to campaign creation. It also needs to ensure that highly qualified, relevant leads are seamlessly received and acted upon - reducing the cost of sale and improving conversion rates.
Furthermore, organisations need to take a harder look at just who is delivering the telemarketing campaign. In the highly competitive, complex business to business environment, there is a new generation of educated, ambitious individuals using telemarketing jobs as a fast-track to senior sales and marketing positions that are transforming the quality and value of the lead generation process.
Wasted Investment
Telemarketing remains a standard – if often intermittent – component of the marketing mix for the majority of organisations. And yet few, if any, gain any tangible value from their telemarketing investment. It is little wonder, given the complete lack of understanding of just what telemarketing should – and can – achieve.
Telemarketing is not about gentle brand building or attaining market insight. It is about delivering highly qualified, good quality leads to the sales team. Such lead generation should be quantifiable – not just on the number of sales appointments set up but on actual business conversion rates; measurements of quality not just quantity.
The majority of organisations view telemarketing as a marketing role and consequently set up campaign with little or no reference to the sales team. The results are, at best unfocused, at worst, completely irrelevant. Given clear evidence that this approach fails, why do so many organisations persist in this marketing centric view?
Good telemarketing is a fundamental component of the sales process. It is the identification and qualification of new business leads as well as identifying up sell and cross sell opportunities which should feed seamlessly through to an expectant sales team. Without direct input into the telemarketing process from the sales team, not only is the lead generation rather hit or miss, there is a very real danger that the opportunities uncovered by the telemarketing agency are not valued by the sales team and as a consequence not followed up or as a worst case scenario appointments are not attended by anyone from sales. The result is huge cost, potential damage to brand value and no business gain. So why bother?
Quantifying Value
Of course, the telemarketing industry has conspired in its own poor reputation. Few agencies are keen to be measured on results. It is far easier to acquiesce with the simpler, softer objectives of the marketing team; to attain market understanding, build brand awareness and undertake data mining than achieve quantifiable lead generation.
Even worse, the few agencies that do offer a results based service are further undermining the quality and cost effectiveness of the sales process by failing to undertake any real lead qualification or assessment.
Paying agencies per lead is a dangerous game, however appealing it may appear on paper. Any skilled telemarketer with a good database can set up the required number of sales appointments. The real value can only be attained if the agency undertakes a thorough qualification process. Rather than look to book an appointment with every company, the agency should carry out a solid business assessment, booking an appointment only if the target is at the right point in the sales cycle, has relevant business needs and adequate budget.
Taking this approach fundamentally transforms the effectiveness of the sales process. Providing the sales team with these highly qualified, highly targeted leads improves conversion rates whilst reducing the overall cost of sale. And it proves that, if approached correctly, telemarketing can be an effective business generation tool.
Achieving this level of effectiveness and sales support is highly dependent both upon excellent process, integrated to the sales team, and the people undertaking the telemarketing role. Too many companies view lead generation as an occasional activity, often recruiting school leavers or university students to spend a couple of weeks on the phone. Is this really any way to impress prospective customers?
In a business to business environment, the telemarketing role requires intelligence, business and product understanding and an ability to communicate with senior personnel with confidence.
Time to Change
While most organisations recognise that telemarketing is the primary method of lead generation, achieving quantifiable business value from the investment will require a major shift in attitude. Too often, marketing departments turn to telemarketing in a bid to justify marketing spend, an approach that completely misses the point of what a focused, sales led lead generation campaign can achieve.
Not only must the sales team – and Sales Director – take a far more proactive stance in the creation of the telemarketing campaign, but every organisation must also ensure the results of that campaign are tightly integrated into the sales process.
Taking this approach should also move the lead generation process away from an intermittent effort to a constant, regular source of well qualified, relevant leads for the sales team. Indeed, given the face to face sales call is the most expensive component of the sales strategy, excellent qualification and prioritisation should be a standard component of the sales process.
Telemarketing is one of the very few opportunities for direct contact with prospects. As such, it is an area that demands more attention and far better service. It is only by taking the right approach up front and using the right people, with the right skills, that telemarketing will become an invaluable component of a coherent, integrated sales process rather than an irrelevant add on to the overall marketing strategy.
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