Annual call campaign keeps Tennant in the classroom

Connect with schools around the country

With its commercial floor cleaning equipment, Tennant stands at the head of the class. But while school districts love Tennant’s products, large sales territories make it difficult for Tennant sales reps to stay connected with decision-makers. The company relies on outbound calling and digital marketing to keep their brand front and center.

Unfortunately, their previous call center struggled. They could not fill the pipeline with qualified leads, or provide Tennant with electronic records. Leads required manual entry to the company’s CRM system—a 3-4 day process that delayed follow-up calls and reflected poorly on their reputation. Callers lacked the skills to engage and empathize.

“The previous callers were script readers,” said Bryan Smith, Tennant’s Senior Marketing Manager—Americas. “There wasn’t a lot of value-add to their process. The results weren’t there.”

Replace script readers with sales people

Switching to Volkart May produced immediate, compelling results. We deployed our seasoned B2B team to connect with maintenance professionals at school districts around the country. We identified decision-makers, collected information on purchase timing and interest, and most importantly, generated an ongoing stream of qualified leads.

“With Volkart May, we immediately saw much better quality results, much better service, much better integration into our systems. It’s a fundamentally different thing,” Smith said.

He credits Volkart May’s collaborative approach and well-trained callers—individuals he refers to as Tennant’s “outsourced inside sales.”

“With Volkart May, they’re sales people—not telemarketing. That’s the biggest difference to me,” he said. “They’re able to engage folks and make them comfortable. It doesn’t feel like they’re being pitched; it feels like someone’s calling to help.”

Smith also appreciates Volkart May’s technical proficiency and robust analytics. Data integrates easily with Tennant’s CRM system; reports and metrics arm Smith with valuable information. During business hours, a Volkart May lead can reach the Tennant sales team (and populate the CRM system) in less than an hour.

A four-year partnership—and growing

“With Volkart May, we know that we’re going to get good, consistent results,” Smith said.

In the past 18 months, the campaign has generated nearly 700 leads. At the same time, cost per lead has decreased 23 percent.

“We’ve gotten better at our end of things and how we deploy this resource. We’ve become more sophisticated, especially with our list,” he explained. Those improvements translate directly to bottom-line results.

“[With better lists], conversion rates from calling went up 10 times from what they were, and so for every dollar we’re spending, we’re getting ten times as many leads,” Smith said.

That caliber of service, and Volkart May’s commitment to results, keeps Tennant coming back. The annual education campaign is now in its fourth year. Volkart May now generates leads for other Tennant market segments as well.

“Our partnership with Volkart May amplifies the presence of our sales force,” Smith said. “Volkart May’s rigor on the front end really turns into results on the back end.”