You might think that, as a janitorial company, using telemarketers is a clear sign that you’ve grown desperate. But why would you think that? Is it because telemarketing is all about calling random offices and immediately try and get their owners to do business with you?
That might have been what telemarketing was in the 60s or 70s but today, with the internet enabling a wider access to marketing information, random calls are no longer as random for professional telemarketers. It may have started out as just getting lists of numbers compiled and categorized on the basis of an oversimplified, common trait. But now, there is a strong need for B2B companies to really study their prospects. And by study, it means they need to learn about each organization as a unique and separate entity. There is no room for too much generalization.
Furthermore, that need for information has also changed the process and purpose of a telemarketing call. The goal of today’s telemarketing firms is no longer closing the deal over the phone. Rather, it’s about using this direct and flexible form of communication in order to get information. More specifically, it’s information that gives an advantage when making the sale. This includes information on their interest to the information on their needs, as well as information on their budget. All of these and more are acquired by telemarketers so that those who will then attempt a sale can have more good reason to do so.
Speaking of which, one way that a telemarketer can assist in putting prospects in front of your sales team is through appointment setting. It’s through this process that your business is not only informed but also has a real, tangible opportunity to make a sale.
What’s interesting is that despite the shift of telemarketing from making direct sales to only getting advantageous information, the latter process has only made them more of a necessity. For any B2B transaction or relationship (yes, even those for janitorial companies), information is just as critical as sales. That information not only reduces the randomness of sales attempts, it also demands that telemarketers do even more research prior to making their calls.
When it comes to cleaning leads, some companies do tend to neglect the proper standards for a clean workplace. Telemarketing is just one way for you to get in touch with them, inform them of your company’s janitorial expertise, and hopefully get them interested enough that they’ll give you a sale. More importantly though, it’s your way of showing that you care more about being a service than making that sale.
That’s another reason why information is valued. Because if you know your prospect, you obviously know how to serve them better (even according to their own specific needs). That’s why if you’re still afraid to use telemarketing, let it be known that they’re no longer as hell-bent on wildly calling numbers and flinging sales pitches. What’s now at the heart is getting information and learning how to be of more service.
