Why Now’s a Great Time for Telemarketing

Posted on November 30, 2011 by admin

Tomorrow marks the first day of December and the beginning of the final month of 2011.  As you prepare for the end of the year, you’re likely reviewing your marketing budget and trying to determine where best to use your remaining spend.

Have you considered telemarketing? Now is a great time to kick off a new telemarketing campaign!

Not only do you have the benefit of reaching top decision makers in your target audience and increasing sales – you’re able to enjoy the tax benefits by using these dollars from your marketing budget.  It’s a win-win situation!

Another great reason that now is the time to start your telemarketing campaign?  A lot of businesses decide to take the month of December off from prospect outreach, as they assume their target audience is not in purchasing mode.  However, what they may be forgetting is that their target audience also has a budget they are trying to close out before the end of the year.  Reaching out to them when your competitors are not gives you a huge advantage – be sure to make use of it!

Telemarketing services have many advantages including getting qualified leads, increasing sales, and putting your sales efforts in the hands of the pros.

There’s no better time to begin your telemarketing campaign!  And with OPK, you can purchase campaign hours in 2011 and save them for use in 2012.  Buy now, enjoy the tax benefits, and use them as you wish.  It’s all about flexibility!

Are you interested in learning more about how OPK can help increase your sales?  Contact us today for more information or to get a quote.  Don’t delay – pricing will increase next year so contact OPK to find out how to lock in 2011 pricing for all of 2012.

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A Good Reputation Goes a Long Way

Posted on September 14, 2011 by admin

As a business owner or decision maker, you know how important your reputation is.  It can make or break your business.  It can change the amount of “word-of-mouth” sales you get.  It is critical to your success.

When you’re selecting a vendor for telemarketing services, their reputation equally as important to you.  Here are just a few ways you can know you’ve picked the right vendor.

#1 – They have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Visit the BBB website and see the letter grade and number of complaints against any company you are considering.  If their company name will not come up, ask the company if they operate under a different name. If they operate under any other names or have a parent company, be sure you look these names up at the BBB as well.

There are companies who change their names when they have an F rating at the BBB and then resume operations under a different name due to poor grades. Remember most people don’t take the time to bother to complain.  If you see a lot of complaints, it should be a red flag.  If there are more than a few complaints in the past 36 months then you have reason to be concerned.

The vendor you chose should have a strong rating with the BBB and their complaints should be minimal, if any.  At OPK, we work hard to ensure that our BBB reputation is strong and our A+ rating reflects the positive experiences our customers have.

#2 – The company has several years in business.

Don’t risk going with a company who isn’t established.  The sales and success of your business can be greatly improved with a telemarketing vendor.  You should be working with a company that has a proven track record.  Not one that is just starting out.

Ask for their business name and check at the local secretary of state to see if that company name has been registered and how long it has been registered for.

#3 – They are happy to provide references.

If the company won’t provide references for you, it’s time to move on to another vendor.  Any company that won’t provide this could have some very unhappy customers.  It all goes back to reputation and this should be a red flag that it’s time to find someone else to handle your telemarketing efforts.

As you research telemarketing vendors, pay attention to reputation.  Check their BBB rating, be sure they are established, and check their references.  Their reputation can be a great guideline as to the type of company you’ll be working with.

Interested in starting your telemarketing campaign with OPK?  Contact us today for more information or to get a quote.

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4 Reasons to Use Telemarketing Services

Posted on July 13, 2011 by admin

Telemarketing is one of the most effective marketing tools available at your disposal.  It consistently outperforms all other forms of marketing & is the most powerful marketing vehicle available today.

So why should you use telemarketing services?  Read on to discover the top four reasons:

#1 – Put your sales efforts in the hands of pros

Whether you outsource your sales entirely by using a telemarketing firm or use them in addition to your current efforts, you’re putting your strategy in the hands of professionals.  If you’re with the right company, they’ll have years of experience and can work with you to increase your sales.  The right company should be an extension of your business — a trusted, outsourced sales partner.

#2 – Reach top decision makers in your target audience

Often times, it can be hard for a business owner or sales team to find out who the top decision makers are in within your target audience.  With a telemarketing service vendor like OPK, they’re not only able to reach those decision makers – they are able to engage them in meaningful, open ended conversation.  This unique and personalized approach helps grow your business and increase your sales.

#3 – Get qualified leads & increase your sales

One of the big perks of working with a telemarketing service provider is they can get you the qualified leads you need.  They’ll work with you to create a comprehensive list for your calling and email campaigns.  This list will provide qualified leads which will lead to optimal results and increased sales.

Additionally, if you’re working with a reputable telemarketing vendor — they can provide a call/email list even if you’re not engaged in a telemarketing program.  For example, at OPK we’ve been sourcing lists for our customers and their calling and emailing campaigns since 2001.  And we don’t require that they be an active telemarketing partner.

#4 – Long-term use turns into success

Companies who utilize telemarketing on a long term, regular basis will see the most success.  They will have a constant funnel to work with, and they will see a definitive increase in sales.  Time and time again it has been shown that telemarketing works, and it works better when you make a consistent and long term effort

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of outsourcing your sales strategy, click here to learn more about OPK and the services we offer.

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What’s That Noise?

Posted on July 8, 2011 by admin

When researching vendors for outsourcing your sales, one of the things that you should pay special attention to is noise.  Noise?  Yes – that’s right – noise.

As you have most likely experienced when you speak with call center agents, you can hear the other agents mumble or noise in the background.  This is the same type of noise your clients will hear when you use a bricks and mortar center. Your potential customers will immediately know that you have hired a call center to prospect for you when they hear the noise typically generated by a call center.

One benefit to using a telemarketing vendor like OPK is agents who work from their own quiet home office, where they abide by very strict no background noise policies.  You want (and need) a quiet background – virtual environments are far quieter than a noisy call room.  Before choosing any telemarketing vendor, ask to receive sample calls from them and see for yourself if there are any cues that indicate it’s a call center on the phone.  You should also consider placing your own name or names of your management team on the call list when the campaign begins so that you can receive calls and evaluate the quality and noise levels.

When outsourcing your telemarketing service, it’s important that the vendor be a sales partner – an extension of your business.  When your prospective customers receive a call, it should be just as if it were your office calling.  You should never be asked, “What’s that noise?”

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Receive Tips & Special Offers – Right To Your Inbox

Posted on June 27, 2011 by admin

Are you interested in learning more about telemarketing services or getting business tips delivered straight to your inbox?  Now you can with the OPK Telemarketing Services newsletter.  The newsletter, which is sent once a month, includes great features such as:

  • Tips for selecting the right telemarketing vendor
  • Ideas on how to grow your business and increase sales
  • The benefits of using a telemarketing service
  • … and much more!

In addition, by signing up for our newsletter you’ll receive email exclusive offers with great deals on telemarketing services from OPK.

These special offers with huge savings are only available to our email subscribers — so be sure you sign up for the OPK Telemarketing Services newsletter today.  You can do so by clicking here.

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The Importance of Market Research

Posted on June 21, 2011 by admin

Are you launching a new product or service and ready to implement your marketing and sales strategy?  There are several critical steps to ensure your launch is successful.  Today we wanted to take a look at one of the most important – market research.

Market research is often one of the most underused aspects of a marketing strategy — primarily because it can be time consuming when done properly and business owners have more pressing matters to tend to.  However, it’s a step in a product launch that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Why?

Market research is one of the best ways you can understand who your target audience is and what their potential acceptance of your product/service may be. Having an in-depth understanding about your audience can help you determine which marketing strategies will work best for you.

For example, why waste money on advertising to a particular group when market research can show you that the group won’t be receptive?  You’re literally throwing money away.

By doing comprehensive market research — you’re setting yourself up for success.  You can tailor your outreach and see a positive ROI.

Also, keep in mind that you can be doing market research on an on-going basis.  While it’s recommended to do a comprehensive study prior to a product or service launch, it’s also something you can and should be doing each time you talk to a customer.  Ask questions that can help you better understand their needs.

Another great way to conduct market research is to poll your customers from time to time.  The information they provide you can be invaluable and provide great insight into what your marketing and sales strategy should be.

Would you like to learn more about market research and how an external vendor like OPK can help you make the most of your new product launch or other market research initiatives?  Click here to visit our website.

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3 Reasons You Should Clean Your List

Posted on June 10, 2011 by admin

Kudos – you’ve decided now is the time to push on sales.  You’ve got a customer list – both current clients and prospects – that you’re ready to utilize.  But did you know that prior to starting your campaign you may be missing one very important step?

List Clean Up.

It’s a step that is often overlooked and there are several reasons you should pay particular attention to your list.  Here we share just a few:

1.  Your list may be significantly smaller than you think. If your list hasn’t been updated in some time, chances are it’s very outdated.  Key contacts at companies can change rather frequently, so prior to starting any campaign – you’ll want to be sure your list is up to date.  That way you’ll know whether you’re really reaching out to 2,000 contacts or if that number is closer to 1,000.

2.  It can drastically delay your sales outreach. When you (or your outsourced partner) are ready to kick off your sales outreach – your list should already be clean.  Otherwise this valuable time and call hours is being spent updating your list instead of pushing on sales.

3.  It can skew your results. For example, if you’re not keeping track of how many contacts bounced in an email marketing campaign – it can really throw off your open and click through rates.  You may believe your email performed poorly when in actuality it was incredibly strong.  Having a clean list will ensure you’re reaching the maximum number of people possible and can give you an accurate read on your results.

Be sure that prior to starting a sales campaign – either internally or with an outsourced partner like OPK – that your list is extensively reviewed and cleaned up.  Be proactive instead of reactive and you’ll find that your campaigns are more successful.

If you’d like help with your list clean up prior to start a telemarketing campaign — OPK can help! Contact us to learn about our list cleaning services.

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Always Follow Up with Your Leads

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin

Leads are one of the most important components of your business.  You work hard to get them – via a telemarketing program, exhibiting at tradeshows, or networking.  Now that you have these leads, it’s critical that follow up become part of your strategy.

Here are some ways to implement a follow up strategy for your leads:

1.  Set a timeline of when and how you’ll follow up. Don’t wing it and only follow up when you think of it.  Have set dates based on when the lead was acquired and follow up with them repeatedly until they convert to a customer.

2.  Vary your means of follow up. Mix up the different ways you’re reaching out to your leads.  For example, don’t only send emails.  Try calling occasionally.  Better yet, if your prospect is local – schedule a time to meet them in person.

3.  Remember that it takes time. On average, it takes between 7 and 10 touches to really get your message to sink in.  By consistently reaching out to your opt in marketing list via telemarketing and email marketing, you will see measurable benefits in both the long term and the short term.

Be sure you implement a follow up plan if you’re not already doing so.  Otherwise your hot leads are being wasted.  OPK does follow up on the leads for each campaign, however if the campaign ends, continued follow up is advised.

If you’d like to grow your leads, contact OPK today to learn how we can help.  Our efforts will ensure that you have leads and prospects to follow up on year round, so there is less of a distinction between normal slow and busy cycles throughout the year.

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Increase Your Leads – Increase Your Sales

Posted on May 31, 2011 by admin

One of the things we hear the most from new clients is that they are really struggling with increasing their sales.  They’ve tried several different methods – from running special offers to reaching out personally to their current client list.  While this may increase sales slightly, it’s not the best option for long-term growth.

So how do you achieve long-term growth?  You grow your prospective client list.  One of the best ways to do this is by working with a telemarketing vendor, like OPK, who can provide a variety of lists for your call and email marketing campaigns.  And best of all, the lists are compiled solely of contacts in your target audience segment.

Once you’ve increased your leads, it is critical that you reach out to them and follow-up often.  Don’t lose the momentum you’ve gained with your list — contact them and let them know about your company, how your product or service can benefit them, and include any special offers that might entice your lead to convert to a sale.

We really can’t stress enough how important follow-up is.  Did you know that on average, it takes between 7 and 10 touches to get your message to sink in?  Through implementation of a well thought out and consistent email marketing campaign in conjunction with your calling campaign, you can remain in the forefront of your customer’s thoughts.

Are you ready to implement a lead generation campaign or would you like assistance with your email marketing and calling campaign? Contact us today – we’d be happy to help!

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How to Reach Prospective Clients

Posted on May 20, 2011 by admin

If you’re a business owner there’s one question that you undoubtedly ask yourself from time to time -  how do I reach prospective clients?

Over time, the answer to this question has changed.  Decades ago, a salesman would walk door to door selling items ranging from silverware to magazine subscriptions to vacuums.  This was great if you were selling business to consumer (B2C).  But times have changed and even this method is outdated.

And what if you’re selling business to business (B2B)?  How could you effectively grow your prospect list and reach your ideal target audience?

Now the answer is simple – telemarketing.  With a telemarketing campaign, you can utilize:

  • Lead Generation – grow your prospect list
  • Market Research – determine who your target audience is
  • Database Cleaning – clean your prospect list prior to outreach
  • Seminar & Event Registration – remove the burden of event promotion
  • Email Marketing – effectively and quickly reach your target audience which leads to increased sales

Did you know that telemarketing consistently out-performs all other forms of marketing and is the most powerful marketing vehicle available today?  It’s one of the most cost effective ways to grow your prospect list and turn them into qualified sales leads.

In addition, telemarketing vendors have tools that enable them to reach top decision makers within your target audience.  For example, OPK Telemarketing representatives are business professionals who are able to engage executive level decision makers in meaningful, open ended conversations.  And by reaching top level decision makers – your chance of converting a prospect to a client increases ten-fold.

If you haven’t yet considered a telemarketing campaign for your business – there’s no better time than today to learn more.  Visit our website for more information.

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