Identifying Your Database for a Telemarketing Campaign – Appointment Setting or Lead Generation

Posted on by Kaitlin Dunlap

ARTICLE #1 IN A 6 ARTICLE SERIES

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HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR DATABASE

If you read “6 Steps to Implementing a Telemarketing Campaign” (see “6 Steps to Implement a Telemarketing Campaign”) and want more detailed information, you have come to the right spot. The first step to a successful telemarketing campaign, especially when making cold calls, is to identify your database.

In building a new prospect database for an appointment setting or lead generation campaign, it is very important to think through and identify key demographics. Consider your thought process initially around how you would classify your “A-List” prospects. In most cases, you will be able to identify these companies. If you are not able to define an “A-List”, consider analyzing your existing customer base; one idea might be to mirror similar types of companies.

The following are common criteria used when building a telemarketing database:

  1. Geography – this can be as specific as zip code, radius, city, county, state, and beyond
  2. Industry type – this can be done by using SIC or NAICS codes, which allow you to specifically or generally select the type of businesses you want to reach
  3. Annualized revenue – this allows you to select revenue ranges/categories of the size of businesses that are the best fit for your company
  4. Employee count – as with #3, this allows you to select ranges/categories of employee numbers that are the best fit for your company (it is common to incorporate revenue and employee count to work in unison with each other)
  5. Facility type – this allows you to select corporate headquarters, single location, subsidiary, and/or branch location

There are a variety of other selection options; however, these are the five most commonly used for successful telemarketing results.

When using most web-based data tools, you can also gain access to the top executive name and title. Some tools allow you to select other contact names; but it is common to find these options fairly incomplete and not always updated. Having these names can help make a cold call feel more like a warm call. It will expedite the time it takes to reach your end goal, whether it is appointment setting, lead generation, or general business development.

If this is your first prospect database list, you might not be concerned about duplicate records. However, if you are building a list and you also have existing prospect lists, it is common to suppress your newly defined list against your current list; therefore, minimizing duplicate records. This is an important step if your existing list has been maintained and updated. Suppression steps are common when you are trying to expand your prospect database.

Depending upon your business, record count can vary. If there is a high record count, I recommend being more specific on criteria to become more exact on your “A-List”. This will allow you to purchase fewer records initially. You can always obtain the additional records later on. There is no need to purchase records today that you will not get around to calling for a period of time.

What do you do after you identify the database? You write a script. Scripts are another critical aspect of an effective telemarketing campaign. Check out our next article, “Writing a Script for a Telemarketing Campaign” , which details the process of script writing.

6 Steps to Implement a Telemarketing Campaign

Posted on by Kaitlin Dunlap

6 Steps

Telemarketing can be difficult and take long hours to prepare for campaigns, sometimes with few results. But in a time where emails are going unread, telemarketing is still the best way to get in contact with your prospects and customers.

Thus, it’s vitally important to properly prepare, set up and implement your telemarketing campaign.

Here’s how:

  1. Identify the database 

    Your database might include calling into existing customers, former customers or new prospects. You should have a list of existing and former customers, but you might need to develop a prospect list. In building a prospect list, you will have the opportunity to define the target market that you want to reach. Common search criteria include:

    • Industry Type
    • Geographic Locations
    • Annualized Revenue
    • Number of Employees
    • Single Location, Headquarter, Branch-type Facilities

It will be helpful if you try to manage the database inside a CRM application. It is usually worth the time required to setup some type of electronic database management process in advance so you can effectively manage your information and respond to follow up requirements after speaking with people.

  1. Write a script

    Have a purpose for calling customers or prospects. It is important to document this message. Know who you should be talking to, this might be a decision maker or influencer. With customers, you might already have the correct name to ask for. With prospects you might want to identify the common job titles for your target contacts. In most industries it is not realistic to think you will sell products or services during the first phase of your calling campaign. A suggested goal is to ask key questions that allow you to begin the sales process.

Questions that will allow you to start the sales process include:

  • Understanding who their current vendor is
  • Are they under contract
  • When does the contract end
  • What is their current satisfaction level
  • Do they have needs that are not being met by the vendor or product/service

Consider including a question that asks for permission to include prospects in your monthly newsletter or periodic communications. Typically, email is the method; attempt to capture their email address.

  1. Practice / Role Play

    Even if you feel your staff is capable of jumping right in and making calls, it is still a good idea to practice prior to going live with your calls. If you plan to have the calls made by inexperienced staff, you will want to train and role play with them prior to going live. If your calling staff is not experienced, this is okay; their primary objective is capturing answers to the questions listed above.

  1. Start calling

    Telemarketing is a job responsibility that is commonly avoided so it will be smart to develop a calling schedule for the staff to follow. This will help assure that the project gets done. Consider allocating a couple hours each day over an extended period of time rather than making all the calls at one time.

  1. Follow up requirements

    Expect the conversations you have with customers or prospects to generate a level of busy work; this is good. Some prospects will ask that you send them information, others will ask that you call back at a specific future date, and others will ask questions that require research and call backs. Respond to these requests timely as these activities give you permission to call the prospects back. This is how the sales process gets started.

  1. Measurement and Analysis

    Find out what your productivity levels were. How many dials were completed? Did you complete your goals? Were you looking to increase prospects, qualify prospects, increase awareness, increase attendance at an event? Take a look at your goals and compare your call productivity to them.

Overall, it can be difficult to remain motivated to cold call and telemarket, but with the right processes in place, you can increase your chances for success.

Hungry for more? Get more detailed information about these 6 steps in our follow up articles:

“Identifying Your Database for a Telemarketing Campaign”

“Writing a Script for a Telemarketing Campaign”

“The Importance of Practicing a Telemarketing Script”

“Getting Your Telemarketing Campaign Started” 

“Follow Up Best Practices”