The Pitfalls of Telemarketing for B2B Lead Generation

Telemarketing is an extremely effective B2B lead generation method. While much emphasis has been recently placed on tactics such as content marketing and social media, when it comes to B2B lead generation, research shows that phone calls fare much better than these newer tactics.

Of course, if your staff isn’t versed in making these type of calls, chances are the results will reflect this fact. There are several other pitfalls to, as well. Read on to learn about the most common ones.

1. Failing to scrub the telemarketing list. Unless you regularly scrub your data, you will end up calling leads over and over again. Updating your call list regularly is critical to your success and failing to do so will result in lost sales. If you feel that you don’t have the time or expertise to do your own list scrubbing, you can hire a telemarketing firm to do it for you.
2. Neglecting to verify who is on the other end of the line. Launching straight into your sales pitch without finding out who you are talking to is all too common. No matter how well decision makers are hidden behind gatekeepers, you need to always make sure you are giving your pitch to someone who can actually make a decision regarding that pitch. If you don’t you will spend a lot of time and effort on a person who is trained to tell you no. Not exactly an effective use of your time.
3. Rushing through your research. The more you know about the leads you are calling, the more likely it is that you can establish a relationship with these leads. Even a basic internet search will help you to better connect with the person you are calling. And this is not lost on the person you are calling, either. If you don’t know the basics-how long a company has been in business, the number of employees it has and who its core customers are-the lead you are approaching will be underwhelmed to say the least.

The key to avoiding these types of mistakes is to know when it is time to hand your B2B lead generation efforts over to a business to business telemarketing services firm. Telemarketing needs to be an essential aspect of your lead generation efforts and there is no shame in admitting you aren’t able to do it the way it needs to be done. In fact, you may find your lead generation efforts are much more successful when you turn the reins over to someone who has the time and know-how to do it right.