Let’s face it. Despite the fact that the telephone has been around for 150 years, many sales and marketing leaders still express skepticism about its effectiveness for lead generation. Reckless telemarketing firms don’t help our industry’s reputation; their behavior has soured many B2B and medtech businesses on leveraging this proven lead generation method.
That’s why we we’re countering three of the most common myths about outbound calling for lead generation and inside sales.
Skeptical about B2B telemarketing? You’re not alone
As a marketing or sales leader, you may have tried making prospecting calls with your internal team, possibly with lackluster results. You may be hesitant to trust your brand and customer contacts to a dedicated outbound call center. If so, you’re not alone.
After 30 years in business, we know that many of our medtech and B2B clients are working with us—and trying outbound lead generation calling with a professional call center—for the very first time.
The good news is that most of these companies not only find success in their first lead generation project, they come back to us for additional campaigns. And, their calling project not only hits the mark for leads and appointments, it also reveals surprising market insightsthat strengthen future lead generation efforts.
3 common myths about lead generation calling
If you’re on the fence, or need to convince a skeptical colleague, start by debunking some of the most prevalent misconceptions about using telephone calls—aka “telemarketing”—to generate leads with businesses.
Myth #1: No one answers the phone
This myth is stubborn—but surprisingly easy to counter. Yes, businesses of all types and sizes do answer inbound phone calls. Even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, our contact center continued to connect with all types of business decision-makers. Last year we reached more than 350,000 companies, all via business-to-business telephone calls.
How quickly you reach your target audience will depend on a number of factors: the industry, size of companies you’re targeting, and each individual’s role in the organization.
For example, contacting a mid-level manager at a healthcare system will likely take fewer call attempts than the CFO at a Fortune 1,000 retailer. Putting the right number of call attempts into your program will help you achieve the results you need.
Making multiple outreach attempts is one of the hallmarks of outsourced telemarketing and the tenacious callers at Volkart May. It’s well documented that most internal sales reps give up after just one or two call attempts—when studies show six or more may be needed to reach and convert a prospect.
There’s also business value in speaking with assistants and gatekeepers, who can provide important demographic details or opt-in email addresses, and in leaving an inside sales voicemail message. These strategies can help amplify the results of your lead generation calling campaign.
Myth #2: We can’t afford it
Debunking this myth is all about shifting your perception. Yes, cost-per-lead can be higher with outbound calling than digital campaigns. But, a one-to-one, personal conversation with a qualified prospect creates far more value than a box checked on a lead form or a business card collected for a tradeshow drawing.
Outbound calling for lead generation and inside sales provides rich information and a high-quality touchpoint for your brand during the sales process. It gives your company the opportunity to establish a relationship and build trust with a potential buyer. And, rather than wait for your target audience to discover you and reach out, outbound calling puts you in the driver’s seat. Sales calls are a proactive technique that can boost demand, generate awareness and keep your sales funnel filled.
When it comes to budgets and results, we believe our track record speaks for itself: We average 10:1 or greater ROI, even on the very first campaign for our clients.
Myth #3: Telemarketing will ruin our brand reputation
We love countering this myth! Yes, there are bad actors in the market that take an overly aggressive approach or flood the lines with robocalls. These unfortunate players cause problems for everyone in the industry. But, the majority of B2B call centers operate with professionalism, integrity and respect. At Volkart May, we take pride in our high caliber and exceedingly professional callers.
We also operate our contact center as a valued extension of our clients’ internal teams. That means daily collaboration and transparency about all aspects of our processes. We even share digital recordings of calls so our clients can work with us confidently. A wide variety of brands, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, trust us to represent their companies.
The phone remains an important lead generation tool
While many other methods of communication exist, the humble phone call still occupies an important place in the lead generation process.
Have another myth or misconception we can help debunk? Learn more about our point-of-view in our other articles, then contact us to discuss your question or project.
