Most marketers I know fall into one of two groups. Either they’re struggling to convert enough leads to make their numbers, or they’re easily meeting their goals with the programs they already have running. So what’s the difference between them?

The second group has a secret weapon: telemarketing.

Wait … Did You Say Telemarketing?

Yes, you read that right. Even with thousands of marketing tech solutions on the market, I’m advocating for more B2B marketers to pick up the phone. I’m not the only person saying this, either. Telemarketing is a tried-and-true B2B tactic for a reason.

If you’re looking for a way to ramp up your existing marketing efforts, you can’t do better than a well-run telemarketing campaign. B2B telemarketing gives your campaigns a one-on-one touch that helps move highly qualified prospects through your funnel faster. In fact, according to a report from LinkedIn and emedia, 77.6% of B2B companies using telemarketing find it effective.

Not bad for a phone call, huh? Let’s look at why it works.

Join the Qualification Nation

For many marketers, getting prospects to engage with marketing campaigns isn’t the biggest problem. The real struggle is figuring out which prospects are far enough down the funnel to pass to Sales as marketing-qualified leads — and which prospects would be a waste of your sales team’s time. To work efficiently and close as many sales as possible, it’s important to get lead qualification right.

You might think marketing automation could handle lead qualification for you, but automation on its own isn’t enough. The best way to know whether or not prospects are ready to buy from you is to ask them yourself, over the phone. That way, there’s no ambiguity, and no need to read between the lines. If they tell you they’re ready, they head straight to Sales. How’s that for foolproof lead scoring?

This Time, It’s Personal

Telemarketing is a great qualification tool, but it offers major benefits to your buyers, too. B2B buyers want to make a personal connection with your company before they make a purchase. In fact, the Direct Marketing Association reports that more than half of buyers prefer to speak with a real person before making a purchasing decision.

Of course, you shouldn’t try making this connection before buyers are ready for it. Premature phone contact doesn’t take into account buyers’ feeling of affinity toward your company, and could drive them away. But if they’ve already demonstrated interest and just need a nudge, the personal touch of telemarketing can make them more likely to close.

Quick Wins with Telemarketing

I could talk about the benefits of telemarketing all day, but there’s no time to waste — you have buyers to convert! If you’re looking for a quick telemarketing win, I recommend giving one of these tactics a try:

1.  Support your sales team
   You’re feeling the pressure to hit your goals, and so is your sales team. That’s where a well-deployed telemarketing program can be a lifesaver. A telemarketing team can free up sales’ valuable time by setting appointments or catching up on quote follow-up. Plus, they can help re-engage older or lost sales leads and bring them back into your pipeline. With telemarketing on their side, your sales team will spend less time dialing, and more time closing.
2. Accelerate your existing campaigns
   If you want to speed up your campaigns, telemarketing could be just what the doctor ordered. Telequalifying existing leads can help you easily identify the highest-priority opportunities to target. That way, you can forward the quick wins to Sales, giving you a major revenue boost.
   While you’re at it, asking prospects follow-up questions about their demographics, product interest or buying cycles is a great way to supplement your database. Pumping up your customer records now will give you a head start for any future marketing automation journeys.

Think telemarketing could give your marketing programs the boost you need? Our in-house telemarketing team would love to lend a hand. We can quickly set up campaigns on our state-of-the-art calling platform that will help get you the results you want. Get in touch, and let’s talk about how to dial up your marketing!