If you’ve invested in a team of business development representatives (BDRs) or inside sales professionals for your B2B company—or you’ve outsourced this function to a professional call center—then you know how important it is to see a return on this valuable activity. That means setting goals and training your outbound callers in best practices for B2B inside sales calling.
The goal of every inside sales call should be a productive, two-way conversation with a prospect. Ultimately, the call converts that prospect to a qualified lead who is interested in what your B2B company offers. However, this can only happen if your target buyer sees value early on and is willing to engage with your inside sales professional.
Here are some ways to get B2B prospects talking and improve your lead generation rates:
Mention prior brand experiences
If the prospect knows your brand, be sure to mention that association at the beginning of the call. You don’t need a famous name to make this work. Often, all it takes is market intelligence from your database, such as reviewing whether the individual previously downloaded a whitepaper or attended an event that your company participated in.
Setting this baseline can help the conversation “click” for your prospect. Once they recognize your brand name and recall a previous experience with your company, they’ll likely be more receptive to establishing a dialogue over the phone. These prior touchpoints provide a great way for your outbound caller or inside sales professional to start the conversation.
Be direct about your purpose
Just like you, your B2B prospects are busy. This is especially true the higher your decision-maker in the organization. As soon as you connect, be respectful of your audience’s time. Get right to the point about why you are calling. After introducing yourself, focus first on the prospect and their needs, rather than starting with a long-winded explanation of your product or services. To get them talking, ask qualifying questions. These queries serve a dual purpose: They engage your audience and solicit facts that will determine whether your organization and the prospect are a good fit.
Emphasize specifics
It’s impossible to be everything to everyone, which is why inside sales reps should avoid taking a generic approach. Instead, it’s important to be specific. Tailor the conversation to the needs and challenges of each B2B buyer you call. Prospects want to know, “what’s in it for me?” Providing targeted information and explaining how your solution can help a particular market segment, industry or business type is far stronger than a one-size-fits-all sales pitch.
Because prospects are busy it can sometimes be challenging to get them to open up on the phone. Using these tactics can encourage potential buyers to speak candidly. These best practices also help build rapport and establish the foundation for a successful sale in the future.
Getting B2B prospects engaged and talking is a vital part of the B2B sales process. The professional callers at Volkart May specialize in listening, asking the right questions and generating qualified leads. Schedule a time to talk with us about how we can help you.
