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One of the greatest ways to connect with new customers is to make outbound calls. These are telephone calls that you make to people who have expressed an interest in your business or product. Whether you have a physical store or operate as a small e-commerce retailer, this form of advertising works relatively well.
The trouble is most businesses don’t have a proper call strategy. This can result in a lot of wasted time and money on cold leads. Here are some basic tips that you can follow to make sure your outbound call strategy is effective.
An Introduction to Outbound Sales
The selling process we are most familiar with is that of a customer finding a company through its marketing and sales efforts, also known as “Inbound selling”. Outbound selling on the other hand is the process of you, as a business, going out and finding customers. Outbound sales typically involve more proactive efforts to reach customers, such as advertising, trade shows, direct mail, and cold calling.
The goal of outbound sales is to proactively reach customers who may be interested in your product or service, rather than waiting for them to come to you. It can be a more effective way to find new customers, but it can also be more expensive and time-consuming if done wrong.
What’s an Outbound Call?
Before getting to the strategy talk, let’s define some basic concepts for those who are new to the topic. One way, and maybe the most prominent of all, of outbound selling, is making outbound calls.
Also referred to as cold calling, outbound calling is when a business calls a prospective customer, who has not shown any intent to buy. However, when you are making an outbound call, you have already made the decision that this person is worth the time of your sales team.
When done right, outbound calling provides you with a wealth of information that can be invaluable to your business. This can include finding out the types of customers you are after, understanding their pain points, and where they are in the buying process.
How do you Develop an Outbound call Strategy?
By following the proper steps, you can make a great income with outbound sales:
1. Build the right sales team
The best sales team to have depends on your specific product, market, and business goals. However, here are a few tips to keep in mind when building an effective outbound sales team:
- Hire a mix of experienced and inexperienced salespeople. While experienced salespeople can hit the ground running, they can also be expensive. Inexperienced salespeople may take longer to ramp up, but they’ll be less expensive and can be molded to fit your company’s specific sales process.
- Train your team thoroughly. Outbound sales is a complex process, so it’s important that your team is properly trained on your product, target market, and sales process.
- Set clear expectations and KPIs. Your team should know exactly what you expect from them in terms of performance, and they should be held accountable to specific KPIs.
- Provide adequate support. Your team will need access to good leads, strong marketing collateral, and helpful customer support in order to be successful.
2. Create ideal buyer personas
Creating adequate buyer personas is a crucial step. This will help you determine who your target audience is and what their needs are.
You will need to gather data about your target audience to create an ideal customer profile. This can be done through market research, surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Once you have this information, you will be able to create a profile for each persona.
Each persona should include basic demographic information, such as age, gender, location, and income. Additionally, you should include information about their needs, pain points, and goals. This will help you determine what messaging and offer will resonate with each persona.
Once you have created your buyer personas, you can go on with developing your outbound calling strategy. This should include an outbound sales script, offers, and a call list.
3. Nail down your value proposition
The first step is to understand what your business does and what it offers that is unique and valuable to your customers. What problem does your product/service solve? What will make a customer choose your offer over a competitor’s?
Once you have the answers, you need to craft a clear and concise message that communicates this value to your target audience. This message should be the foundation of your outbound calling strategy.
To ensure that your outbound calls are effective, you need to train your sales team on how to deliver your value proposition in a way that is engaging and compelling. They should also be prepared to answer any questions that prospects may have.
4. Start generating leads
Now that you’ve decided what kind of leads you are looking for and what your selling goals are, you can start developing your list of potential leads. When choosing potential leads, focus on those who are likely to be interested in what you have to offer. They should also fit your buyer persona.
5. Plan your outreach and start selling
To start, you’ll need to create a list that you think would be interested in your product or service. Once you have your list of potential customers, you’ll need to do some research on each contact which will help you determine the best way to approach them and what you should say to them.
Once you have your list and your research, it’s time to start making calls. When you’re making your calls, be sure to be clear, concise, and polite. You want to make a good impression and convey your message without being too pushy.
After you’ve made your initial contact, be sure to follow up with your potential customers. Send them more information about your product or service, and follow up with them periodically to see if they’re still interested. If you keep in touch and provide value, you’ll eventually be able to close the sale.
Top 10 Best Practices for a Successful Outbound Call Strategy
As phone calls continue to shrink with the rise of social media and email marketing, businesses are struggling to reach their customers. Today, more than ever before, it is crucial to implement an effective strategy for outbound calling. The right practices can help you meet your business goals in a variety of ways.
1. Specify your goals and KPIs
In order to create an effective outbound strategy, you need to first specify your business goal and KPIs. What are you hoping to achieve with your outbound calls? Are you looking to generate new leads, or nurture existing ones?
Once you know your goals, you can then identify the key performance indicators that will help you measure success. These might include things like the number of calls made, the number of appointments set, or the number of sales generated.
By tracking these KPIs, you can ensure that your outbound calling strategy is on track and achieving the results you want.
2. Focus on being helpful
Your potential customer at the other line will only maintain the conversation if you are offering a solution to a problem they may be having. By being polite and professional, and taking the time to listen to the person you are speaking to, you will have more chances of converting your leads into clients and closing sales. It is also important to be clear and concise when communicating and to offer assistance where possible. By following these tips, you can ensure that your outbound call is both helpful and successful.
3. Make lists of calls that are worthwhile for your outbound call strategy
When making a list of calls for your outbound strategy, consider the following:
Who is your target audience? What are your goals for the call campaign? What is the best time to reach your target audience? What is the best day to reach them?
After taking these factors into account, you can start making a list of calls that will be beneficial for your outbound calling strategy.
4. Provide incentives and training
By providing incentives, you can motivate your agents to sell more. And by training your agents, you can ensure that they are properly prepared to make sales calls and close deals.
5. Know your audience before each call
If you don’t know who you’re calling, it’s easy to get tongue-tied and nervous. But if you take the time to learn about your target audience before making outbound calls, you’ll be better prepared and more confident. You’ll know what to say and how to say it, and you’ll be able to build rapport more easily. As a result, your outbound calls will be more effective and you’ll be more likely to achieve your desired results.
6. Engage the prospect during the call
The best way to engage a prospect during an outbound call is to be interested in what they have to say and what they are looking for. Be prepared to ask questions about their needs and pain points, and be ready to offer solutions that address those needs. It is also important to be friendly and personable, as this will help to build rapport and trust. Finally, be sure to listen carefully to what the prospect has to say and avoid interrupting them.
7. Analyze & Optimize
There are a few things you should analyze after every call you make and try to optimize them for the ones that come after. These include:
- The quality of the call
- The clarity of the audio
- The average speed of answer
- The average hold time
- The overall customer experience
8. Work collectively on your scripts
When working on an outbound call script, it is important to remember that the goal is to make a connection with the person you are speaking to.
It is also important to keep in mind that each call is unique, so it is important to be flexible and adaptable. Deviating from the script when necessary is okay.
Finally, it is important to work as a team. Meaning that you should be willing to listen to each other’s ideas and suggestions. By working together, you will be able to create a sales pitch that is more likely to be successful.
9. Automate outbound sales as much as possible
Some tips on how to automate outbound sales include using a CRM system to manage customer data and sales leads, automating email and social media outreach, and using a sales automation tool to streamline the sales process.
10. Create a virtuous feedback loop
A virtuous feedback loop is created when a company or individual takes action based on feedback received, and the resulting action creates positive outcomes that in turn generate more feedback. This feedback loop can be used to improve performance and achieve goals by constantly seeking customer feedback and using it to make improvements.
How to Engage the Prospect During an Outbound Call
Phone calls are one of the most effective ways to engage prospects early on in the sales process. With this being said, your marketing strategy should focus on growing these leads at an early stage. There are a number of things that you can do during this pivotal time to generate leads and increase engagement. Here are some top tips:
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Grab the customer’s attention
Some techniques that may grab a customer’s attention during an outbound call are:
- Starting the call with a friendly greeting and introducing yourself
- Asking questions about the customer’s day or current situation
- Being enthusiastic and energetic throughout the call
- Using a clear and concise speaking style
- Avoiding long pauses or dead space in the conversation -Keeping the call focused on the customer and their needs
- Ending the call on a positive note
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Make them feel valued
Some tips to make the customer feel valued during an outbound call include:
- Thank the customer for their time
- Ask questions and listen to the answers
- Show interest in what the customer has to say
- Offer help and assistance
- Thank the customer again for their time
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Respect their time
Showing respect tour potential customers is crucial, one way to do it is to not waste their time and to get as straight to the point as possible. You should also:
- Keep your conversation focused and to the point
- Respect the customer’s decision if they do not want to talk
- Do not try to pressure the customer into a sale
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Don’t make promises you can’t keep
There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep during an outbound call. First, it can damage your credibility with the customer on the other end of the line. It can also create unrealistic expectations that can’t be met, leading to frustration on both your part and the part of the person you’re speaking to.
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Set a follow-up meeting
Setting follow-up meetings with potential customers is a good way to keep them engaged and interested in your product or service. It also shows that you are committed to providing them with the best possible experience. Follow-up meetings give you an opportunity to address any concerns or questions they may have.
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