Outcall…call out…call down…cold calls…prospecting…telemarketing…
No matter how you slice it, it’s always meant the same thing…until now.
Telemarketing has traditionally been the lowest position on the totem pole. Few people want to do it and most companies treat it as the scary cousin you hope to keep hidden in the basement until the important people leave the party. For many years, it was the first area of the organization to feel the pain of budget cuts. Sales and marketing both fought over who “had” to take control of the team. That dynamic has been changing in recent years as companies realize that this group handles the highest volume of prospect touches and the first impression many prospective clients have of the company. It’s important people!
An outcall should generate appointments (sales leads) and so much more. Every prospect conversation has value whether the response is a “yes” or a “no”. Most companies fail to categorize these call results in a way that helps make better decisions about the campaign. The call results can answer questions about which targets are working the best (by title, by industry, by revenue, by size, by geography, etc.), which message is working the best, which sales rep is having the most success and what step of the campaign is generating the most appointments/leads. Through the outcall, companies should be able to come away with leads and appointments as well as visibility into how to adjust the outcall the next time around to exponentially increase the output…leading to more sales leads…more appointments…and more revenue.