Latin America is very ripe and receptive to teleprospecting, with decision-makers who are often quick to talk, enthusiastic and happy to receive a call. In fact, B2B teleprospecting into Latin American countries can produce truly exceptional results, far exceeding metrics that are traditionally yielded from U.S. targets. However, to ensure success from your efforts into South America, you must do more than speak the language. You must understand the culture and how business relationships are forged.
While each country has unique requirements, there are several teleprospecting best practices, which can be applied across the board to help initiate a positive dialogue, and lead to successful results. These include
- The languages and cultures of Latin America dictate utilizing a more formal calling etiquette, compared to the US. For example, in Spanish, it recommended to always address people in the context of business with the formal singular “Òusted”; only when invited may you move to the informal singular “Òtu”. This simple formality is a strong signal of respect and should always be used with someone you just met, anyone older than you, anyone giving you service or buying something from you. This is also a strong indicator of a higher or more sophisticated education- something desirable for most in the business world.
- Telephone systems tend to be older and in many cases are not automated. Transferring throughout an organization, leaving voice mails and pressing “zero” to get to a receptionist are not always options. In many cases, a greater number of attempts to identify and reach the correct person are needed.
- Marketing localization is important. Not only does the teleprospector need to fluently speak their language, but also websites need to have a local feel. Additionally, there must be available content that is localized and ready to provide as a next step after a successful conversation.
- Where it made matters too. Generally accounts want to purchase from manufacturers that at least assemble products locally within their country. Proactively addressing this common objection is a key to success.
- The purchasing processes differ. There is the “official” way to purchase for established refresh projects and then there is a “special” process for purchasing; listening for subtle hints on how things work is critical and enhances understanding for project detection.