1. A few stats to keep in mind

· 50% of people quit after the first call

· 80% after the second call

· 90% after the third call

· 97% after the fourth call

​​So you must call at least 5 times. If you keep calling you are eliminating most of the other people trying to meet with your prospect. Research shows that 80% of all sales are made between the 5th and 12th contact.

2. Have realistic expectations

Telemarketing leads provide sales intelligence to help you in the sales process. Use this information to better position your follow up call. Don’t expect the prospect to be waiting for you with a PO in hand. You still need to sell yourself, your company and your products and services.

3. Follow up at the appropriate time

Lead comments capture the next steps agreed with each prospect. If an appointment has been set send a calendar meeting request asap. This serves as a reminder and ensures the prospect has your contact info in advance.

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If projects are weeks or months out we typically agree to a follow up call closer to the project start time. In that case we recommend you place an initial call to introduce yourself, help the prospect connect the telemarketing call with your company and let them know you will follow up again as agreed. Prospects will appreciate your follow up without feeling you are being too pushy. If you don’t reach the prospect live, leave a voice message and follow up by email. Attach some info that is relevant to the project. Set a new follow up time in your calendar or CRM system.

Example: Hi John, This is _____ calling from Partner X. You spoke with one of our Reps on the phone a few days ago and I wanted to follow up. You indicated you have a virtualization project coming up in June. I will follow up again closer to that time but wanted to introduce myself in case I can provide any information or help you with planning earlier. I’ll send you an email so you’ll have my contact information. Again my name is ______ and our company is __________. We specialize in __________. I’ll follow up again closer to June.

4. Use the sales intelligence to position your opening

The lead comments provide information about the current environment, pain points or issues, purchase plans, timeframe and budget if disclosed. In some cases a company may not have specific purchase plans but is willing to consider a solution and will buy if the business case is shown.

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When you follow up with the prospect use this information to position how you can meet their needs and help them achieve their objectives. Be as specific as possible. Use relevant examples and case studies. Every vendor claims to improve performance and reduce costs. While this may be true, it’s more credible if you can put it in terms that are more specific to the company and their environment.

5. What if the prospect does not recall being contacted? Be Persistent

Don’t get discouraged if the prospect does not immediately recall their conversation with the telemarketer. IT buyers are inundated with calls, sometimes they do forget. Refresh their memory by restating the information provided in the lead comments. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 points before they will recall. Sometimes plans change as companies think through and begin working on projects. If what you hear does not match what’s in the comments exactly don’t assume the lead is not good. Listen closely and respond to the new information.

6. Add all leads to your sales pipeline and nurture them over time

Don’t just focus on the leads with purchase plans in the next 3 months. At 3 months it may be too late and your chances of closing are lower because the planning is mostly done and you do not have time to build the relationship. Short sales cycle deals are typically smaller. Often the best leads are 4 months out or longer. That gives you time to get involved in the planning stages and build trust with the prospect. The majority of your sales will come from leads that have been nurtured over time.