Why you should become reacquainted with conversation
Good conversation is a skill that’s becoming more and more rare. Even though we’re in the age of technology, increased texting and emailing means that we’re at risk of becoming more disconnected than ever. And this isn’t just bad for society, it could also have a negative impact on your sales and marketing team.
No matter how rapid Internet speeds get, you can’t truly connect with people over social media or email in the same way you can with a conversation. However, there’s one highly effective method of communication that has been long-forgotten. The phone call.
So, if you want to know how to properly connect with people and achieve better potential sales targets, read on to find out why your sales team should be picking up the phone to make lead generation calls.
There’s no tone disconnect
How often have you sent something in a text or email, only to have the context totally misconstrued? When our tone and language get lost in the data of text, it creates a lot of potential for error, misunderstandings and even offense. This is especially true when it comes to sending introductory LinkedIn messages and emails – also known as the ‘junk mail’ of the 21st century. You might spend ages drafting up an introduction with a view to emailing it to 300 people, but how many do you think will actually read it? The majority of recipients will, unfortunately, either ignore it or delete it straight away. And even if they are interested, it’s still too easy for your email to get lost in the sea of junk mail. One simple phone call cuts through all of this.
You have a better opportunity to discuss ideas
When you think of a really great idea, don’t email it. Call your client, colleague or business partner and have a conversation about it. That way, you can have an effective feedback session and a much richer discussion. Emailing just serves the ball into someone else’s court while you wait, and wait. And wait. So, why spend a few days refreshing your email and awaiting a response when you can make a phone call straight away and enjoy an interesting discussion?
It’s cheaper and easier (yes, really!)
People have, through no fault of their own, been fooling themselves into thinking that sending out 1,000 emails or LinkedIn messages is going to be more effective than making 300 phone calls. This could not be more wrong. In fact, according to data from MailerMailer, out of 1,000 sent email messages, only 19 of them will be actioned. From our experience, we know our lead generation agents get through to the decision maker on 31% of the telemarketing calls they make – a much better strike rate.
It allows you to get to know your prospects better
What’s the number one objective for a sales lead generation call? Finding out whether your client needs what you’re selling. And what’s the fastest way to do just that? You guessed it – a phone call. By making a telemarketing call and having one simple conversation, you can find out exactly what an audience’s needs are and whether there’s an opportunity for you to help them by fulfilling that need. This is achieved so much quicker through a direct conversation, rather than back-and-forth emailing.
So, if you’re not much of a conversationalist, now’s the time to start learning. Put it right at the top of your to-do list, and get your team to set aside a certain time frame each morning in which they make their telemarketing and lead generation calls. This way they won’t get distracted by other tasks that come up during the day. Aim for somewhere between 15–20 calls for one hour each day, and just see how much you achieve.
If you need a bit more assistance with mastering telemarketing calls, contact us today to see how we can help you.
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