But now businesses have had time to adjust to the post-pandemic world, and B2B marketers are leaping at the chance to re-engage with customers. This deluge of information means your message can easily get lost in the crowd. If you want to stand out, you’ll need to rethink your telesales strategy.
To reach buyers, rethink your telesales approach
What we’ve learned from the post-pandemic era is that the best telesales campaigns can no longer depend strictly on traditional methods. Studies show that 73% of B2B buyers are seeking a personalized, B2C-like experience. This means you need to target prospective customers with precision and adapt your marketing process.
Pure cold calling to static lists is a recipe for poor results at any time, but the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated that challenge. Similarly, digital marketing is less successful when using a broad approach. Think of the difference between sipping from a fountain and trying to drink from a fire hose. You need to be meticulous in narrowing down your lists to the best qualified prospects.
Adapt your marketing strategy to changing trends
You also need to look at your marketing strategy in a new light. For example, you might assume that adding a digital front end to a demand gen campaign would lead to more qualified and better results. And in a few rare instances, we have seen success with that. But because of COVID, people are inundated with emails and digital media, and have largely chosen to opt out of third-party emails.
To complicate matters, Internet service providers have become even more stringent about list criteria in light of the pandemic-related rise in emails and other digital activity. This is only going to continue, so a new approach is imperative.
We’ve found that it’s critical to be as selective and strategic as possible. This means working with vendors who can provide direct dial and cell phone numbers. Today’s prospects may be scattered in remote locations, working from home or other alternate sites. When we have direct dial numbers that connect to cell phones or home offices, we see a contact rate of 10-15%. But when we only have indirect phone numbers, we see a contact rate of less than five percent.
Expand your reach through tailored email marketing and social media
Because of the pandemic many business functions moved from in-person to online, and today’s digital marketing plans need to reflect that reality. Email marketing has become even more important in this new era. 59% of B2B marketers say that email marketing is their most effective method of generating revenue, because for every dollar spent they see an incredible $38 in return. No wonder 83% of B2B companies use email marketing in some form. But don’t discount the impact of social media. Global business leaders find that the greatest advantage of social media marketing is increased business exposure, and 75% of B2B buyers rely on social media to support purchasing decisions.
The numbers are clear. You could have the best telesales team in the industry with well-positioned messaging, but at the end of the day you need someone to receive that message. And if you’re not adapting your strategy to accommodate the changes we’re seeing in this post-pandemic world, you’ll miss the opportunity to position your business for growth.
0 Comments