Telemarketing for Digital Agencies – 5 Unique Challenges
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The digital age has ushered in a whole new approach to B2B marketing. Digital agencies have a variety of tools and technological solutions available to them for marketing automation and for lead nurturing. However, this approach means that they often lack a personal touch. Instead of contact forms and chat widgets, customers often crave human interaction and an actual conversation to answer their questions about the variable services that digital agencies offer.
In fact, research has shown that many would much rather pick up the phone to discuss their business needs, so it seems baffling that some digital agencies these days don’t even have phone installations! Telemarketing campaigns can be a great solution to this problem and many agencies have enjoyed the benefits of outsourcing these campaigns to a dedicated team.
Whilst the direct approach of B2B teleting for digital agencies can prove extremely advantageous, there can be a few unique challenges that arise:
1. Not having the necessary infrastructure
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Although a digital agency may see telemarketing as a great way of lead generation and acquiring new clients, the very nature of their business might make it difficult to get started. The beauty of working digitally is that it requires very little physical space and equipment to operate. However, when it comes to telemarketing, you need to have office space available and the correct equipment.
The agency will also need to hire or train staff and this can be time-consuming and costly. Some may have the notion to use existing staff for one-off campaigns but these staff, whilst possessing expertise in digital technology, may not have the required skillset to make the campaign a success.
2.Meeting unique requirements
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Although most B2B selling can involve a degree of complexity, this can increase with digital agencies who offer a range of highly bespoke services. Every potential customer will have unique requirements, whether it’s regarding a new website build or design, marketing to their customers or niche keywords for PPC campaigns or SEO.
From a telemarketing perspective, callers must therefore be well-versed in the breadth and scope of these services to provide the relevant information. If those making calls only have a vague sense of what they are promoting, it can be difficult to show worth and can lead to miscommunication or false promises about the service. Which leads us on to the next challenge…
3.Trying not to sound robotic
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B2B telemarketing is tricky at the best of times, but as discussed above, prospective clients of digital agencies each have unique needs and requirements and there is no catch-all service or solution.
Therefore, using a script when making calls can leave your services sounding generic. Businesses are inundated with emails from spambots telling them how they can improve their website or deliver winning SEO strategies.
As first impressions are therefore even more important than usual, a personal approach will stop your services from sounding generic and highlight how you can add value to their business. One possible solution is to use a hybrid approach, where callers can personalise and adapt each call and refer to a script only for set interactions.
4.Facing scepticism and showing worth
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Businesses can be sceptical when receiving a call about digital services. For example, they may wonder why a digital marketing agency is using a telephone rather than marketing themselves online, especially if promoting inbound marketing solutions. This might give them the false impression that your services aren’t effective.
This is a challenge that can be best dealt with by using expert callers who are friendly and approachable and convey the feeling that they are calling because it is more personal and intimate. A great telemarketer can show a prospect that they care about them and that your company has proven expertise that achieves measurable results and can make their business more successful and this can dissuade any feelings of doubt.
5.Oversaturation of the market
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Most industries are competitive, but with the explosion in popularity of digital services in recent years, your business could have hundreds of competitors. The businesses that you make calls to may have been contacted by several telemarketers already and the choice and variety of options can make it difficult to stand out or show your USP.
This is where a lead generation specialist can really make a difference and set you apart from the rest. They can use research and telemarketing to identify new prospects who may not have known they needed your services, warm them up, pre-sell and pre-qualify them so your sales team are left with promising leads who are interested and engaged already.
Conclusion
In the digital era we live in, telemarketing can often be dismissed as an outdated practice. However, recent research has shown that it is still as relevant as ever, and it has actually been revealed that it is the 2nd most effective channel for lead generation. Therefore, it would be foolish not to consider telemarketing for your digital agency.
Although telemarketing campaigns for digital agencies can reveal some unique challenges, these can be overcome with the right approach. Outsourcing your telemarketing campaign to a telemarketing partner with experience in your industry can be an effective way to tackle many of these challenges and can help you benefit from the rewards telemarketing can offer.
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Andy Dickens
Andy Dickens is a veteran of IT Sales, used to leading by example. He is the CEO of Virtual Sales Limited (VSL) who offer telesales, telemarketing, lead generation and appointment setting services to B2b businesses. He previously was Sales Director EMEA for Red Hat and before that ran sales at Visio before it was acquired by Microsoft.