Ilse van Velsen
The proposition is one of the most important tools you need to position and sell your product or service. After all, your proposition is a story with a core promise to the customer with which you want to approach the market. You can approach the market directly or indirectly. If you choose direct marketing, then telemarketing an option. But when is your proposition NOT appropriate for telemarketing and better to convey it to your prospects in another way?
Around me I regularly hear, “Acquisition can work, but not with us.” And indeed, sometimes a proposition does not (yet) lend itself to B2B telemarketing. Yet we are convinced that by having a good story, you can indeed develop a relationship with your prospects. It is important that you view acquisition as a trigger to get a story across and less as a sales pitch. In this way, acquisition can be a power formula for a mutual, positive relationship that can eventually lead to a signed offer and a long-term customer relationship. Moreover, the goal of telephone market approach is not just to sell, but also to maintain a good rapport with potential, current or former customers, thus building a structural sales funnel.
You don't have a clear story (yet)
A situation where your proposition is not ready for telemarketing is when you do not have a clear story to share. You need to have a clear picture of what your proposition is and how you can use it to reach the pains of your prospect and convert them into gains. With increasing competition, you have to try harder to stand out from your competitors. You can do this by approaching the market with your proposition.
So when you start approaching the market, you need to have thought it through. Do you have better value for money, do you have innovative features or have you already thought about certain laws and regulations? Are you the only one in your area that can offer such a solution? Make sure you have spent time thinking about how you can make your target market trigger. Through telephone market approach, you can then convey this story in a much more personal way, creating a long-term relationship with your target market.
If you still have little clarity about your proposition, it is better to postpone telemarketing until you have more clarity about this. Spend time on creating a customer journey, thinking about your proposition, for example. unique selling points And talk to your current customers about why they chose you.
Order size is too small
Another consideration is the Return on Investment. When making an investment, this is of course always important to think about. Telephone acquisition is a structural process that requires a lot of time and effort. Only when you invest time and effort will you reap the benefits in the long run. The reward of this investment depends on the Return on Investment. For example, does a new customer earn you less than 1,000 euros per year? Then the leads you get from telemarketing should almost always convert so that eventually there is a business case arises. We know from experience that this is often not a realistic situation.
So think carefully about whether this investment can pay off in the long run. For example, do customers give long commitment, assuring you of sales for the next five years? That already changes the consideration.
Also read: ‘Sales pitch in 3 steps’.