| Copyright (c) 2008 Grindstone Inc. | | | | Who is the decision maker? What is the sales cycle |
| The need for a warm and fuzzy guarantee for | | | | for a large or medium business versus a small |
| everything you purchase has become common place | | | | business? Are we calling in the South or Northeast? |
| in many of today's product and service markets. This | | | | What verticals truly need this new product or |
| is all fine and dandy if you are buying a car, blender, | | | | service? Is there a different value proposition and |
| television or any other physical product. When did | | | | approach for a CFO compared to a Director of IT in |
| businesses and consumers start thinking that | | | | the software industry? What will their objections be? |
| everything you purchase automatically comes with a | | | | Is the price point reasonable? Did I procure the right |
| guarantee? In the outsourced sales and telemarketing | | | | database? You now see the point. |
| arena, service providers are approached with this | | | | What we really need is one of those crystal balls to |
| mentality far too often. Let us take a moment and | | | | see exactly what will happen. Telemarketing |
| clarify why intangible services such as marketing | | | | companies could just pretend to have no shame in |
| (Lead Generation, Appointment Setting, and | | | | telling people whatever they wanted to hear to bring |
| Tele-Sales) simply cannot have a guarantee on the | | | | in new business and close more sales for more profit. |
| "outside of the box". | | | | Wait a minute, many do just that! These are the |
| When anyone purchases an automobile for example, | | | | same companies that turn and burn their clients for a |
| the recipients are typically awarded a power train | | | | quick buck with no focus on long term partnerships. |
| warranty or some other form of guarantee that the | | | | They are telling people what they want to hear. |
| vehicle will do well by the consumer. Why is that? | | | | Fortunately there are some, not many, but some |
| The reason is because it has been tested, crashed, | | | | that are very professional with integrity focused on |
| driven, altered, revised, scrutinized and evaluated | | | | keeping you as a client for the long run. These are |
| from every angle. It may have even taken several | | | | professionals who know that honesty is best for |
| years to accomplish that task. Telemarketing is similar | | | | client longevity and trust. When a company can |
| in many aspects. You have to formulate an idea, | | | | accurately level set a prospective client, it can |
| embrace processes, follow proven methodologies, | | | | formulate reasonable expectations. The fact is that |
| add a little vision, test some approaches, fine tune | | | | any type of marketing comes with risk. If there |
| the messaging and evaluate the results to find out | | | | were guarantees on results in marketing, then all |
| what is working and what is not. Do you think the | | | | businesses would be successful and prosperous. No |
| automobile industry would even put a vehicle on the | | | | one knows the outcome for certain. If a company |
| car lot and slap a guarantee on it without the | | | | can guarantee you a sales appointment for ever hour |
| aforementioned testing? Of course not! What makes | | | | of the calling effort and does not deliver, not only will |
| you think your outsourced telemarketing partner | | | | they lose you as a client but they will have damaged |
| should have the ability to know the results before | | | | the reputation of their company. It is disheartening to |
| testing your products and services appropriately? | | | | see how many people place more value on an |
| Why do so many people think they can predict how | | | | arbitrary number or "guaranteed" result over |
| the person on the other line will react before actually | | | | conducting an actual test to determine and learn "the |
| testing it? Even if similar telemarketing has been done | | | | things we magically should have already known." |
| for companies comparable to yours there are still so | | | | Every healthy, strong and long lasting business |
| many variables and unknowns that need to be | | | | relationship requires honesty and trust. Do not fall for |
| tested for your specific program. What size | | | | any marketing company that makes Guarantees. |
| businesses are most receptive to our sales message? | | | | |