Over the past 30 years, Teleservices has emerged as a significant marketing tool, principally because it is a conscious response to economic reality. It is a cost-effective, worldwide solution in today’s competitive and growing markets. Building on these strengths, BVTM’s “closed loop”, lead generation/qualification (new business development), and customer service process provides a great return on investment and a complete set of analysis and management tools.
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Business-to-Business Teleservices at a Glance
Business-to-Business (B2B) Teleservices uses the telephone to carry out a variety of sales, customer service, technical services, and marketing activities. Selling is only part of the process. Teleservices campaigns function to:
- Identify new business opportunities
- Promote and/or sell a product or service
- Provide proactive customer service
- Survey and research the market
- Support field sales force, distributors, or independent reps
The most important difference among B2B TeleService providers is in how they are integrated into the overall business processes. One of the keys to BVTM’s success is building B2B solutions so that our team becomes part of our client’s sales and marketing efforts/teams.
Look at some of the illustrated survey views in this section to see how the process works, how we go about integrating B2B into the overall company operations, and how we put together Teleservices programs for our clients.
Lead Qualification Services
Lead Qualification, unlike Lead Generation, usually requires a process. Lead Generation often is designed like an event. But the main difference is, when you design a Lead Generation campaign, you set yourself to find a list of companies or individuals who are interested in finding out more about your company’s products and services. It’s a campaign that usually generates a request for information that you can choose to deliver by mail, fax, e-mail, face-to-face, or using your website. It is a proactive or passive campaign that creates a “bunch” of what we call “raw leads”. These are people and companies who may or may not fit the definition of your “best client”.
On the other hand, when you design a Lead Qualification campaign, you design a process that takes the leads generated (the raw leads) to the next level in your sales process. It is hard to design a successful and complete Lead Qualification process using any other direct marketing campaign but Teleservices. To simply generate leads, you can use e-mail, Direct Mail, Print Advertising, SEO, Social, Radio, TV, etc.
You design a process that will position your sales reps only in front of qualified prospective clients. It’s a process that goes beyond having a company or an individual wanting to know more about your products and services. It’s a process that qualifies them so that you know that they are worthy of your sales time. It means that:
- They represent an opportunity that meets your definition of a “best client.”
- These prospective clients can become the kind of loyal clients you wish to have.
Lead Qualification campaigns can dramatically reduce your sales costs and cycle times. They increase the probability that your sales team, which is likely to be the most expensive element of your sales cycle, will spend their time only with qualified prospects.
The Lead Qualification bottom line is:
- To improve return on investment.
- To maintain a motivated and loyal sales team.
- To gain a better closing ratio.
- To increase revenue.
- To increase profits.
Qualifying Sales Leads
The process begins by understanding your campaign needs and your personal goals. We conduct a needs analysis so that we can better understand your company, products/services, markets, and competitors within a mutually agreed-upon format. Then, we analyze who your best clients are. We confirm what your qualifications criteria should be. We agree on who is involved in the process, how the process will be supported, and whether it will be integrated with other marketing activities. We interview your sales reps and management team to understand their needs as well. We have learned over the years that when the sales and marketing team is involved in the design of this process, you stand a much better chance to succeed. Involved individuals are much more likely to respond and to provide feedback that is very critical to the development of every successful process.
Campaign set-up includes:
Script writing and testing. One of our necessary skills is professional script writing. We are calling prospects and clients on your behalf, so we must write the best scripts to represent your company. Unless there is a legal issue that forces us to read verbatim, scripts are designed as a call guide: they allow our TSRs to manage the call effectively. Scripts assure that we successfully reach and identify the right person. Most of the time, we take a “soft” approach, recognizing that this conversation could be the first step in what will turn out to be a lasting relationship. Scripts are designed based on the purpose of the call. There is a difference when designing a win-back sales call and a customer service call, or a lead generation call, etc. The scripts are continually tested, reviewed, and revised as the campaign continues. This delivers a “best-practices” result: high conversion/qualification rates.
Scripts are “automated.” They are incorporated into a branch scripting computerized database system and tested for process conflicts and obscured data.
The database is custom designed to maintain all the data gathered by our reps as well as information generated by others who are a part of the sales process. (For example, sales forecast information, next step/action, outside list source information, among others). The database output is designed to match your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system needs, as used to produce production and analysis reports.
Teleservices Representatives (TSR) training – This is the most critical part of the process. Input and product training support from your sales team and management team is essential. Basic Teleservices skill training is BVTM’s responsibility. TSRs will receive varying amounts of training depending on the complexity of the project and product. Part of the training is related to the whole process, including reporting, and understanding the communication process required between the TSR and you or your team. After all, success depends on the TSR understanding your goals and requirements as well as the specific objectives of the campaign. TSRs are dedicated to a given client’s program and are proficient at using your call guide (since we don’t read scripts) before beginning work on your campaign.
Data from your own lists or from outside sources is imported into our database system with all necessary modifications.
Production and other customized reports are designed to fit your business needs. They can include call breakdown analysis reports, lead forwarded reports, best source analysis reports, and many more.
Lead information is transferred back to your system. Information is delivered electronically by e-mail or through a secured FTP site. The transfers can be daily or at intervals you establish. Data on “hot” prospects in competitive markets can be delivered within minutes.
You may choose to have the lead information distributed to the reps directly or filtered and reviewed by the management or campaign coordinator first. Our goal is to provide you and your sales team with fast, accurate information about these companies, securing the identification of all potential opportunities. Receiving highly qualified leads will increase the time your salespeople spend on direct selling and reduce your overall sales cycle time.
B2B Teleservices
Over the years, the average cost of a face-to-face sales call has increased dramatically. More businesses have begun to supplement their direct sales with Teleservices to improve cost-effectiveness.
Teleservices can be applied to many functions in the sales and marketing process. Teleservices provides a full spectrum of services from lead generation and lead qualifications to full account management. Teleservices is used to:
- Respond to inquiries.
- Supplement personal selling.
- Support trade shows and seminars.
- Manage and maintain existing accounts.
- Cross-sell and up-sell to existing customer base.
- Increase advertising effectiveness.
- Pinpoint target markets.
- Render cost-effective personal service to customers.
Teleservices have become an integral part of the direct marketing world. Teleservices as a stand-alone marketing tool works great. When combined with other marketing campaigns like digital marketing, direct mail, or print advertising, it can produce even better results. Using our “closed loop” Teleservices process in conjunction with your existing direct marketing campaigns will not only improve your return on investment (ROI) but will also provide you with a great mechanism to evaluate the quality and productivity of these other campaigns. With certainty, it shows you where your marketing budget is best invested.
A closed loop helps ensure a complete symbiotic process. A process must exist to effectively close the sales and marketing loop.
The role of Teleservices can be as simple as cleaning up and enhancing a database in preparation for other marketing activities. It is even more effective when used to generate and qualify sales opportunities. You can generate leads with existing clients (up/cross-sell) and/or design a campaign to identify new ones.
Teleservices is also used in many proactive customer service campaigns. More and more companies realize the importance of servicing their clients proactively; they recognize that if they do not keep in touch with their clients if they do not uncover their client’s needs and level of satisfaction, someone else will. And we all know that the cost of identifying a new client is significantly higher than managing and selling to existing clients.
Teleservices is also used to support trade shows seminars and webinars (invitations, qualifications, and follow-up).
Because the true value of a qualified lead is never known until the sales process is completed, successful business-to-business Teleservices require a “closed loop” follow-up process. After all, in a B2B environment, our goal is to build long-term relationships with our clients.
Teleservices, if used correctly, can ensure the success of other marketing efforts. For instance, leads generated through digital marketing, direct mail, trade shows, or webinars (to name a few) responses are frequently ignored by salespeople because experience has shown them that few leads from these sources are qualified. They view such leads as a waste of their time. As a result, the return on the investment is lower than it should be.
We specialize in refining your sales leads so your investments in marketing deliver the kind of value you expect. We advocate an integrated sales process, with heavy reliance on service. The results can be dramatic. For instance, the Sales Automation Association (SAA) estimates that at least 20% of total selling time is wasted searching for potential contact to try and quality as leads. Cut that expensive lost selling time in half with professional Teleservices. Your sales reps will gain added time to close new business and service their existing accounts.
Our focus is on producing highly effective business-to-business Teleservices programs for our clients. We design scripts that uncover the appropriate contact and collect qualification information. Our administrative support group immediately sends out the right “package of content” and notifies our clients of “hot” and “warm” prospects by e-mail. We can even download the qualified prospect information into our clients’ contact management databases so the sales reps can get into action faster.
To ensure efficiency, accuracy, and quality control, we incorporate our automated system to capture the information and forward it to you for further analysis. Reporting, customer analysis, quality of list, and other data compilations, are available to provide the basis for continued management improvement and success.
We provide reports that are clear and easy to read. They contain information about our performance each day, cumulative for the week and for the campaign to date, so you can follow our performance every step of the way.
We can also provide you with other analytical reports, such as:
- Analyzing results from multiple list sources.
- Analyzing performance and cost for different scripts and processes.
- Analysis of Teleservices costs versus other direct marketing efforts.
- And much more.
BVTM clients are encouraged to monitor their projects as time allows. We encourage client monitoring for three reasons.
- The feedback clients offer us helps us represent their products and services more effectively.
- Client involvement with the Teleservices campaign brings an essential comfort level to our clients with the assurance that their products, services, and name are presented in a professional manner.
- Your feedback, with our on going-effort to improve our performance, gives our Teleservices reps greater confidence and satisfaction that their performance meets your expectations.
BVTM maintains a professional yet relaxed contact center environment. While the TSRs are closely monitored, we have made every effort to employ individuals who are self-motivated and have a work ethic that does not necessitate a “Boiler Room” type atmosphere.
Motivational activities and incentives are routine. We provide the TSR with the environment and tools to take ownership of your campaign. We recognize the emotional and psychological benefits they derive from feeling a part of your team. Having “campaign-specific” incentives improve results.
We invite you to contact us to find out how BVTM’s business-to-business closed-loop Teleservices process can help your organization. Call Ronen Ben-Dror at 847-433-8183 or send us an e-mail at [email protected]
Last Updated on November 20, 2023 by Ronen Ben-Dror