What do telemarketing companies do?

To understand what telemarketing companies do, it's important to first understand exactly what telemarketing is. Telemarketing is a method of direct marketing whereby a salesperson solicits prospective customers to buy products or services. This is done either over the phone or through a subsequent face to face or web conferencing meeting scheduled during the call. Telemarketing can also include recorded sales pitches programmed to be played over the phone via automatic dialling. To read more about automated and robot telemarketing calls, click here.

It's important to also keep in mind that telemarketing today looks very very different from how it used to when it first arrived on the scene. Whilst cold calling and reading from a carefully worded script are still somewhat regular practises, a good telemarketing company, in today's world, will have well-researched, sophisticated, and engaging strategies and approaches. Customers and prospective buyers have changed as well. They want an open and honest dialogue and a relationship that is sincere and productive for both parties.

Now, what exactly do telemarketing companies do? Well, to put it rather simply, telemarketing companies employ staff to deal with every aspect related to telemarketing and telesales. Whether it be generating leads, making sales, building a larger client base, or making sure existing clients are satisfied, a professional telemarketing company should be able to cover all of your specific telemarketing needs.

In this article, we'll briefly discuss the two main types of telemarketing call strategies, namely business-to-business and business-to-consumer. We'll also look at the difference between outbound and inbound calls, and then we'll delve into some of the duties and skills that telemarketers need, and how they make telemarketing companies thrive. Lastly, we'll show you what telemarketing looks like at Spirus, and why we believe that we might just be the partner you've been looking for! 

What is the difference between B2B and B2C telemarketing call strategies?

Business-to-business (or B2B) occurs when one business makes a commercial transaction with another. In today's climate, there is one crucial concept that will almost entirely determine the success of your B2B telemarketing, and that is research. Outbound B2B sales agents are closer to private investigators these days and will customise their pitches and strategies before even picking up the phone.  

Business-to-consumer (B2C), or direct-to-consumer, refers to the selling of products or services directly to customers, bypassing any third-party retailers, wholesalers, or any other middlemen. Similarly to B2B, comprehensive planning is a prerequisite these days in order to achieve a successful campaign. B2C transactions are generally more impulsive and on-the-spot. Because of this, B2C telemarketers have a much smaller window of opportunity to achieve their goals. All of this needs to be taken into consideration going forward. 

Whilst the two strategies may seem like polar opposites, it's important to remember that there are actually quite a lot of similarities between B2B and B2C. Of course, in the one, you’re selling to businesses, and in the other, you’re selling to consumers, but at the end of the day, you’re still selling to people! It's really all about understanding your audience and what their needs are.

What are the skills that telemarketers need?

In addition to closing deals and making sales, an effective, professional telesales agent will also ensure that customers are satisfied overall. High-quality customer service is key in this sector, and if done correctly, increases the chances of a customer buying more products and services in the future. Here's a list of some of the skills that telemarketers need to possess in order to be successful:

• Communication

Potentially the most important skill that a telemarketer needs in their arsenal is good communication skills. As the role can often involve talking to complete strangers, it's vital to be able to read people over the telephone and adapt to their tone. It’s also not only about talking clearly, as important as that is, but also about being able to explain products, concepts, and services in layperson’s terms. Interpersonal skills, like the ability to build up a rapport with customers, are also crucial for successful telemarketers. 

• Sales experience

Let's be honest, a big part of being a good telemarketer is hitting certain quotas and goals. Any previous experience and knowledge of the sales process will certainly go a long way. Previous experience negotiating with and persuading potential customers is also an extremely useful asset to possess, as well as a familiarity with using call scripts.

• Tech-savvy

In today's world, there's a huge variety of software available to telemarketing teams to utilise and take advantage of. These range from CRM (customer relationship management) software to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems. Choosing the correct software can massively enhance performance and increase productivity, and it's vital that your telemarketers know how to use the software in the most efficient and systematic way. 

• Conflict resolution skills

There's no denying that telemarketing, on the whole, is a tough job. As a telemarketer, you're likely to come across unhappy, irritable, and downright rude customers on a somewhat regular basis. Being able to remain calm under pressure and introduce whatever conflict resolution skills you possess will put you in good stead going forward.

What are the duties of a telemarketer?

• Call potential customers and discuss products, services, and prices. 
• Answering customers questions about products, services, and prices. 
• Obtaining customer information such as name and address for shipping products or delivering services.
• Keeping track of customers that have been contacted and those who do not want to be contacted in the future
• Following up on previous customers for potential sales.
• Maintaining records of customer contacts.
• Completing customer surveys to obtain information about potential customers.

What is the difference between outbound and inbound calls?

Outbound is a form of proactive marketing whereby prospective as well as pre-existing customers are directly contacted. Outbound telemarketers will usually follow a script when making the calls. The script will guide them through the key points, and will also include suitable responses to objections or questions from the prospect.

Inbound involves responding to incoming orders and requests for information. Demand for this is usually created by things like advertising and publicity. The telemarketer’s role is to move the sales opportunity forward by qualifying the prospect, arranging an appointment for a sales representative to follow up, or taking an order directly over the phone.

What does telemarketing look like at Spirus?

By making use of skilled professionals, and focusing on building long-lasting business relationships for our clients, we use the trusty, old-fashioned telephone to make sincere and genuine connections with you. A lot of companies these days employ quantity over quality approaches. At Spirus, we prefer to rehumanise the profession, rather than becoming script reading bots!

It's vital to us that we know as much as possible about our clients and the products and services that they have to offer so that we can ensure each and every call has value. We do all of this pre-planning not only for our clients but also for their potential customers, who will hopefully feel that they are starting a relationship with value. We also do this for ourselves, because we take pride in what we do and want our work to be enjoyable and valuable.

We follow GDPR guidance because it is the law, but also because we believe it to be best practice. At Spirus, we believe it would be counterproductive to call people, or businesses, that choose not to be called.

So, what's next?

We’re available on 01638 741830 or you can email us by clicking here and asking how we can help you introduce telemarketing to your marketing strategy.

We look forward to hearing from you!