Telemarketing Software Featured Article

Every aspect of the sales phase goes through its hot and cold periods. But for some reason it seems winter is especially harsh for those making calls and trying to connect with anyone.

With that in mind, Frank Paterno, vice president of marketing at Intelliverse (News - Alert) – a company providing enterprise-grade communications solutions to businesses of all sizes – offered a suggestion. Paterno recently wrote a piece that appeared on DestinationCRM.com, wherein he looks at today’s sales efforts and points out where improvements could be made.

“While cold calling's effectiveness may be questionable, telemarketing is undoubtedly still an important lead-generation strategy,” Paterno said. “That's because more companies are taking advantage of a form of telemarketing better suited for the 21st century: intelligent calling. Also known as ‘warm calling,’ intelligent calling takes advantage of Sales 2.0 strategies to target and research leads before they are contacted.”

Paterno goes on to explain his definition of Sales 2.0

“[It’s] sales and marketing practices in the digital age,” he says. “The rise of the Internet has caused significant changes in consumer behavior, specifically in how consumers evaluate products and purchase services. Marketing departments have had to revamp their online marketing tactics, channeling money into social media, SEO, and pay-per-click advertising. Meanwhile, sales departments are working to build relationships with key influencers through online communities. Company and contact data collection, for instance, is now gained through content marketing and email campaigns. This shift to Sales 2.0 has also resulted in the advent of Cold Calling 2.0.”

And it’s in Cold Calling 2.0 where Paterno notes sales professionals have a new advantage, describing it as “the practice of using cold calling in tandem with other, more modern lead-generation techniques.” He also emphasizes that there should be a shift in focus from quantity of businesses on cold calling lists to quality of companies included.

“Cold Calling 2.0 offers a pointed strategy for businesses that may already have prior knowledge of your firm but require further nurturing,” Paterno says. “By tracking prospects' behavior on your Web page and level of engagement with certain posts, a cold call can become intelligent.”

And that’s how deals get closed.