There are many factors that will determine the success or failure of an outbound calling strategy. With proper planning and preparation, these factors can offer infinite benefits to a company. That’s why today we give you some tips on how to achieve the best outbound calling strategy.
Define your outbound strategy in detail
The outgoing call strategy needs to be defined as soon as possible. It is clear that, over time, it will be reviewed and modified, but it is necessary to establish a plan from the beginning.
- Specify the objectives
- Calculate statistics: call duration average (duration of calls / total number of calls), conversion rate (number of sales / total number of calls), occupancy rate (time spent on calls vs. time not available), closing on the first call (number of closings on the first call / total number of calls), etc.
All this information will make it easier for us to know where to start and which aspects need to be the first to be improved. For example, a long call time average may be a sign of poor closing ability or insufficient understanding of the product by an agent.
Make lists of calls that are worthwhile for your outbound calling strategy
Blind calls are not very effective. If your call lists are qualified, your agents will be more likely to success.
Research product needs, location, industry, internal organization, etc., and make it easier for agents to guide customers to purchase.
Using the right tools can also help: a CRM solution can help keep track of customers and classify them.
Use scripts in a natural way
Scripts can help agents retain information, avoid errors and maintain consistency between calls. However, they must be used in a natural way, otherwise the client may realize that the agent is following a script.
Provide incentives and training
To plan an effective outbound call campaign, you need to have a qualified and motivated team of agents. Incentives should be both short and long term, to encourage the continuous pursuit of excellence. This goes from daily competitions with small prizes, to commissions based on monthly or quarterly performance.
Involve the target during the call
The turning point of the outbound strategy is the real phone call. How you treat your customers is crucial. There are countless resources to improve the way calls are made. Here you have a brief list of tips to ensure the success of a particular outbound call:
- Get the potential customer’s attention
The beginning of a call is of utmost importance. If an agent doesn’t get the client’s interest, the client will decide to hang up. Call the potential client by his/her name and show them that you are interested in them, their situation and their well-being.
- Make them feel valued
Make the client feel like you’re calling him for a reason. Mention something you know about his/her business and that relates to your ultimate goal. That’s why it’s better to work with potential customers about whom you already have certain information.
- Take into account their time
Show the target audience that you value their time. Ask them how much time they have before you jump into the task and if it’s a good time to take the call for them. If not, ask them what time they prefer to be contacted.
- Don’t make promises if you are not sure you can keep them
Surprising and attracting the attention of the potential client is essential, but not at the expense of impossible promises. If you commit to someone before you know the details of their situation and you can’t fulfill what you’ve said with actions, that customer’s trust will disappear forever.
- Set a follow-up meeting
Once you’ve managed to spark the client’s interest, quickly set up a follow-up meeting to discuss the issue further. A successful outbound strategy does not end with the call, but requires constant follow-up of the customer.
- Feedback
Regular training and coaching sessions will ensure that the outbound calling strategy continues to be refined. It is important that training is individual, data-based, and that it is motivating rather than punitive.
Giving agents the opportunity to give feedback on their activity, measuring their satisfaction, product mastery and confidence are as important as monitoring their performance: trained, informed and motivated agents are essential to running a good outbound campaign.
