5 Easy Steps to Get More (And Better) Telemarketing Leads

It seems like there are two kinds of sales managers in the world.

One kind asks, “How do I get more telemarketing leads?”.

The other asks, “How do I get better telemarketing leads?”.

The sales manager who is asking how to get more telemarketing leads, may find the leads but they also may not be qualified.

The sales manager who is asking how to get better telemarketing leads may not be able to receive the desired amount.

That’s why we cannot deny the fact that there is a third kind of sales manager. This is the sales manager who is not happy with one or the other. He or she asks, “How do I get more telemarketing leads, and make sure the ones I get are better?”.

Are you ready to become the third kind of sales manager? Follow these 5 tips.

Calling lists are a lot like tomatoes — the ones you can buy aren’t nearly as good as the ones you grow yourself.

Since the introduction of the national do-not-call registry, buying a worthwhile list for business-to-consumer marketing has become nearly impossible. Business-to-business lists are a different story, but they’re still random and inaccurate.

The million-dollar question is: How do you grow your own?

Start with anyone who has ever liked you on Facebook, commented on your LinkedIn posts, responded to one of your ads, or follows you on Twitter.

Better yet, ask your current customers. If every one of them gives you one name, that’s the best list you could hope for.

No one likes cold calling, and people usually aren’t very good at things they don’t like doing.

Outsourced call centers are very, very good at cold calling. A top call center can execute up to 100 targeted dials per hour, pitching as many as 15 of them — quadruple what an average person can do.

Call center agents don’t just make a lot of calls. They’re professional and well-trained in rapport techniques and gatekeeping skills. Give them a good script, and they’ll turn doubters into qualified leads.

Do not just funnel leads to your sales teams. Make it a two-way pipeline, by consistently asking them which kinds of leads are getting the best results.

Your inside sales team can tell you which leads genuinely want to do business. And your outside sales force will tell you loud and clear when they need more or better leads. Engage them for more details. The better you understand their needs, the better you can make their leads.

Very few people are naturally good at telephone sales. The good ones get that way through practice — and the great ones’ practice by recording their calls, listening to what works and what doesn’t, and adapting their techniques accordingly.

Record your sales teams’ calls, and make sure you go over them together. You will see results.

By the way, top outsourced call centers routinely record their calls — and practice daily live agent monitoring — for training and quality control. That’s one reason they’re so effective.

You’ve probably heard the saying: If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

Measuring the effectiveness of your lead-generation techniques is a critical step toward making them better.

But what to measure?

Each step of your sales process probably creates a metric or two. Once you determine which ones matter the most, make sure you establish baseline numbers and attainable benchmarks. And hold everyone — in-house team members and outsourced call agents — to the same standards, backed by daily and weekly reports.

Here’s a quick question:

Which sales manager are you going to be?

1. The one that asks how to get MORE telemarketing leads

2. The one who asks how to get BETTER telemarketing leads

3. The one who asks how to get MORE telemarketing leads and making sure the ones you get are BETTER?

Ask us how an outsourced call center can get those lead numbers up — and make those leads better.