Don’t Get Blind Sided: Who’s Talking To Your Prospects?

The Blind Side may have earned Sandra Bullock an Oscar, but in business, getting blindsided usually results in a loss. Have you ever visited your competitor’s website and read their press release announcing they’ve just signed a new client? A new client that wasn’t in your sales team’s forecast. Or worse, isn’t even in your marketing database. How did that happen?

How did your competition know about the opportunity and you didn’t? Maybe a Google search went in their favor. Maybe an existing client or their CEO’s brother provided a friendly referral. Maybe not. Perhaps your competitor didn’t rely on inbound marketing tactics to generate that lead. It’s very possible that your competitor simply picked up the phone and cold called them.

Many organizations are implementing outbound calling and tele-qualifying campaigns to supplement their other marketing tactics. These campaigns eliminate vulnerable blindsides. Most sales teams are good at prospecting to existing networks, but they don’t necessarily have the time or discipline to consistently reach out to unknown prospects.

Outbound calling connects you with viable prospects who have not previously engaged with your company. It’s a great way to expand your visibility, build momentum and establish new relationships beyond your known networks. Here are six reasons to give it a try.

• Outbound calling can identify “low hanging fruit”. You may talk to just the right decision-maker at just the right time. He or she may be feeling the pain and want your solution now.
• Even if there’s not an immediate opportunity, you can establish the foundation of a strong relationship early in the pre-buy cycle. Providing meaningful information positions you and your firm as subject matters expert for future reference.
• There are advantages to being the first one “at the table”. You can make the strongest impression, frame the conversation and become the one to beat.
• As part of the initial introduction of your company, you can obtain verbal email opt-in permission that enables ongoing engagement and nurturing.
• The prospect may already be interacting with you digitally (reading your blog, downloading your content, attending your webinars, etc.), but their buying process can be accelerated when they engage with a person and develop a closer connection.
• You can quickly capture useful business intelligence and validate qualifying data just by asking a few direct questions. It really is amazing what people will share with you if you simply ask them a question.

The point is that if you’re not speaking with your prospects, it’s likely that your competitors are. Deploying an outbound calling campaign will increase your opportunities to put points on the board and cause the other team to fumble. Wouldn’t it be sweet to blindside your competition? Let them visit your website and realize that your newly announced client is nowhere on their radar!

TelAffects can help you understand the needs of your buyers — all along the buying journey — and work with you to develop content for each step of the way.