3 Ways To Maximize B2B Teleprospecting Productivity

Published: November 6, 2013

By Kathy Rizzo, VP of Sales and Marketing, TeleNet Marketing Solutions

Strategy, target market, messaging, value propositions and offers all play an important role in creating a successful teleprospecting initiative. But teleprospecting is also a numbers game. To uncover and qualify budget, authority, need and timeframe (BANT) leads, it pays to understand the statistics and the effort required. Knowing the stats allows you to maximize productivity and anticipate results.

By Kathy Rizzo, VP of Sales and Marketing, TeleNet Marketing Solutions

Strategy, target market, messaging, value propositions and offers all play an important role in creating a successful teleprospecting initiative. But teleprospecting is also a numbers game. To uncover and qualify budget, authority, need and timeframe (BANT) leads, it pays to understand the statistics and the effort required. Knowing the stats allows you to maximize productivity and anticipate results.

Get the latest B2B Marketing News & Trends delivered directly to your inbox!

#1. Consistency Is Crucial

There’s a common misperception that certain days of the week produce significantly more leads than other days. While there is some variation, we have seen that over the course of 12 months, each weekday produces a relatively consistent quantity of leads in relation to one another. In examining 36,047 leads generated throughout the year via outbound B2B teleprospecting, the percentages by day of the week are as follows:

  • Monday: 19.4% of yearly lead volume;
  • Tuesday: 20.6% of yearly lead volume;
  • Wednesday: 20.7% of yearly lead volume;
  • Thursday: 20.3% of yearly lead volume; and
  • Friday: 19.1% of yearly lead volume

So while Wednesday is the most productive day of the week, only 1.6 percentage points separate it from the lowest producing day of the week (Friday).

For those looking for a shortcut, there is unfortunately no magic day that will give you the majority of your leads. Consistency is what drives results.

#2. Early Bird Catches The Most Leads

While there may not be a magic day of the week, there are more productive hours within the day. Although our company is based in the Eastern time zone, we call into each of the four U.S. time zones and have found that the 8 a.m. hour is the most productive lead-generating hour within three of the four U.S. time zones.

Many teleprospecters cover multiple time zones. Therefore, to ensure efforts are the most productive as possible, it’s important to adjust your focus throughout the day in order to call into each time zone during their peak hours.

Our statistics show that 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. is consistently the least productive hour, accounting for less than 8% of the daily lead volume within each time zone. That doesn’t mean you should go home early each day, however. Account research, email correspondence, administrative responsibilities and training should be reserved for the lower producing hours of the day.

#3. Lead Volume Increases With Referrals

One of the many benefits of teleprospecting is that you can change direction, modify messaging and tailor communication based on each conversation. Teleprospecting allows on-the-spot customization that is unmatched in your marketing toolbox. Teleprospectors can also navigate through an organization and pinpoint the right decision-maker for your solution — who in many cases is not the person on your list. If you’re calling through a list of prospects without stopping to ask for referrals, chat with administrative assistants and seek additional contacts, then you’re likely missing a lot of leads.  

Examining the 36,047 BANT leads that our team has generated over the past 12 months, we found that 12,256 were derived from referral contacts — decision-makers that were not on the original list source. That’s 34% of BANT leads.

Even the best list sources — those that have been developed and cultivated through various marketing activities — benefit from seeking referrals during teleprospecting.  When isolating only tele-initiatives focused on warm marketing responders, 14.7% of the BANT leads uncovered via teleprospecting were with referrals not contained within the data source.

These are just a few of the statistics that we regularly analyze in order to maximize our call center productivity and results for our clients. Keep in mind that statistics can differ based on factors such as target industry, target titles, and products and services. Using drilldown analysis can help you maximize each and every teleprospecting campaign.

Kathy Rizzo is VP of Sales and Marketing for TeleNet Marketing Solutions, a lead generation and lead nurturing company.

 

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
B2B Marketing Exchange
B2B Marketing Exchange East
Campaign Optimization Series
Buyer Insights & Intelligence Series
Strategy & Planning Series