Telemarketing is one of the most cost-efficient ways to reach new and existing customers. However, it can be a very challenging job. Telemarketers face constant rejection, angry customers, and the constant pressure of reaching sales quotas. There’s also the difficulty of finding the right customers to target.
Maintaining up-to-date data in any associated customer relationship management (CRM) software is also key, but finding a call center software that works seamlessly with customer data can be difficult. When using telemarketing to develop sales and increase business, sticking to a list of best practices can help your company excel and empower your callers to do their best possible work.
The dos
Do personalize: Not many people enjoy receiving a cold call. It can interrupt their day and feel intrusive. So when calling a potential customer, making the call as personalized as possible can mean the difference between being hung up on and making a sale.
Using a call center software platform that utilizes Microsoft dynamics integration, for example, can help your staff easily identify customers and gives them the ability to switch between different kinds of communication channels, should a customer prefer to speak over SMS/MMS, video chat, Facebook Messenger, or some other platform.
Although older customers still enjoy speaking with salespeople over the phone, millenials prefer text over talk. Having the option for your staff to continue the conversation over another platform can set you apart.
Do use an automatic call distributor: Your sales agents rely on your call center software to keep them on task and on the phone. But if they’re dialing manually from their lead list, they’re inevitably wasting precious time. Automatic call distribution cuts down the time between calls dramatically.
Not only that, but it insures that the customers are paired with agents that are best suited for them. Not only does this result in higher sales numbers, but it helps keep your staff happy and motivated. Plus, with the right automatic call distributor, agents can handle more than one client account at one time.
Do honor FTC regulations: In order to successfully do business, businesses that use call centers should be sure that they’re following Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules, as well as the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union. But keeping track of changes in rules and regulations is rarely on top of mind where sales are concerned.
Finding software that keeps track of those mandatory guidelines, prunes call lists when necessary, and secures customer data is a wonderful solution. Additionally, using an outbound calling software that automatically records calls can help your managers stay on top of staff members and guarantee that they’re also complying with federal and international mandates.
The dont’s
Don’t lose valuable customer data: After making a strong connection with a potential client, it can be all too easy to lose their information. However, using a cloud-based call center platform can help your business integrate CRM software such as Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Giving your staff access to this kind of powerful CRM solution provides them with insights into customer interactions, customer background, and any other information they may need. It also gives them one central place to make notes and update customer data.
Don’t underestimate the benefits of AI: Though telemarketing is still driven by humans, don’t underestimate the value of artificial intelligence, like bots and other conversational IVRs. Many customers today prefer not to speak with a person and instead are interested in self-service options.
By offering chat bots on your website, you can free up agents to reach customers who are more likely to be converted over the phone. Natural language processing technology can also save your agents time by giving them suggested responses quickly so they can answer potential customer questions over email, text, chat, or messengers rapidly.
Telemarketing is constantly changing. With the advent of new technology comes new challenges. Fortunately, call center software exists that meets the ever growing demands of direct sales businesses and their staff.