What defines a successful telemarketing campaign? There are numerous metrics that can be used to quantify and monitor the production of a telemarketing program, many of which we use internally here at TeleNet. These metrics are quite useful in effectively managing a campaign on a day-to-day basis. However, much of the success of a campaign will be driven by steps taken during development. Ultimately, the objective of all telemarketing campaigns is to close business, isn’t it? What steps can be taken during the development of a campaign that will, at the end of the day, result in more closed business for sales?
It has been my experience that we need to consider who is actually going to receive our product. It is important that we have buy in and support from the sales team as they will be following up on the leads. Communication between the telemarketing vendor and sales team is key in order to determine what pieces of information are most valuable to qualify opportunities. We need to provide them with the information that will ultimately help them close deals. First, we identify the product/promotion that will be the focus of the campaign. Then, we consider who will be following up on the leads generated, and what they see as necessary components to a qualified opportunity. These requirements often go beyond an available budget and an identified need. For those campaigns that are solution-focused, there are often many factors involved in determining if a prospect represents a "good fit " for the solution. These factors need to be considered during both script development and list acquisition. Because these factors will inevitably vary from campaign to campaign, it is important that they are considered in the development of any program. After a campaign launches, it is valuable to have an ongoing dialogue with the sales team in order to find out if there are any tweaks that should be made to the qualification process and for them also to provide feedback on the conversations they are having. Is there additional criteria that can be used to qualify leads further? Should we ask any additional probing questions in order to add additional value to the opportunity?
Obviously, the two major components of any telemarketing campaign are the list and messaging . Concise call guides are the product of clear objectives. An effective script is essential to a successful telemarketing campaign and is defined by how well it qualifies opportunities while maintaining a conversational dialogue . If we know what pieces of information are vital to a qualified lead, appropriate questions for the script are evident. A good list is key and often a challenge to obtain. Once a list has been acquired, it is worthwhile to put time and effort into determining which contacts are “the best” prospects to pursue based on input from the sales team. This can be a time consuming process but well worth it in the long run. Sales is an important resource that should be tapped prior to launching any telemarketing campaign.