JV/M is a professional business-to-business telemarketing company that specializes in generating qualified sales leads and appointments for industrial, commercial, professional, financial and IT firms that sell into the business market. JV/M provides research services, pre-qualification, cold calling, executive appointment-setting and other lead generation services designed to get our clients in the door with qualified prospects, get past gatekeepers, uncover needs, stimulate interest and set up opportunities for their outside salespeople or executives to sell and close. Targets typically include middle and upper management levels at industrial, commercial and professional firms, from small business to the Fortune 500.
There are a number of distinct roles that JV/M's B2B telemarketers provide:
Pre-qualification
Pre-qualification involves calling companies, usually from a commercial list or industrial directory, in order to determine if the company uses a particular product or service. It may be done to determine how much they use, or from whom they buy. Or it may be done to determine which companies from a list have particular characteristics or needs. While we may often call non-decision-makers during this process, our goal is to identify the decision influencers or decision makers involved in the selection of a vendor, product or service, find applicaiotns, and to confirm the names, addresses and other contact information for the prospects. This information is usually recorded electronically, and is given to the client, or used in other parts of a campaign.
Cold-calling
Cold-calling involves telephoning decision influencers or decision makers, either from a commercial (i.e. unqualified,) list, or from a pre-qualified list that may have been developed in pre-qualification process described above.
The process typically involves introducing the client's offering, stimulating interest in the offering (which usually involves the delivery of an Initial Benefit Statement, a description of features and advantages, and the uncovering of needs and the development of personalized benefits through probing,) and objections handling. The goal is to secure an appointment or some other advance in the sell-cycle through the application of good sales techniques.
This role, which is the primary one we serve at JV/M, involves becoming proficient in the client's offering through training or, more commonly, through reading and understanding a written Telemarketing Plan that includes information on the client's background, products and services, features, benefits, market needs, value proposition, qualification criteria and case histories. Generally, the telemarketer will develop their own personalized script based on the information provided, as we do not do any "literal scripting." But the telemarketer is expected to be proficient in getting past gatekeepers and voice-mail, creating initial interest, building value through good questioning techniques, qualifying, overcoming objections, and closing on the appointment. You are also expected to document the encounter or lead on the JV/M Web site in a clear and concise manner.
Some projects involve our having to provide driving directions for the client's outside salesperson, managing his or her calendar, and/or confirming appointments. Projects differ somewhat in how far into the sell-cycle we need to take the prospect. For example, some clients just want us to generate enough initial interest to secure an appointment (i.e. create an opportunity for them to present their offering,) while other clients want us to take the prospect as far into the sell cycle as possible, such as uncovering budget, finding additional decision-influencers, finding additional justification for the purchase, or even take it to the point of closing. However, being able to secure a confirmed face-to-face appointment is usually the minimum requirement.
Executive appointment-setting
Executive appointment-setting involves following-up a letter that was previously sent to an executive to secure an appointment. The executives are identified through prior primary market research (i.e. pre-qualification calls,) where latent needs may also be uncovered. The letter will generally introduce the client's product or service, the value and benefits, some references and handles for some expected objections. The goal of the telemarketer is to call the executive, or, preferably, his or her assistant, to secure the appointment. This is often done directly and exclusively with the executive assistant, particularly when we are calling Fortune 500 companies, so the telemarketer must be adept at selling the appointment with the executive through the gatekeeper.
Nurturing
A nurturing campaign is sometimes necessary to "bring a prospect along," or maintain communication with the prospect until they are ready to meet. Occasionally, a prospect isn't ready to buy or to grant an appointment, and our role is to call the prospect on a periodic basis to keep the need alive, maintain awareness, continue to uncover needs, and build value and a sense of urgency.
There are many ways to do prospecting, and Lead Generation Specialists are expected to be skilled and effective in a variety of methods, with the specific goal of being successful on behalf of our clients in finding them new business. But we know that in the competitive world of sales, no one is going to be able to handle every situation, every time. So Rule #1 is to ask for help if you need it!
Also, as alluded to earlier, everything we do -- every technique we use -- is in a book somewhere. (That's why people who have had professional sales training do well here.) JV/M recommends that you read as many books and take as many courses on professional selling skills as possible, and we can recommend certain books and courses that can enhance your professional skills and effectiveness if and when you join us. JV/M also provides specialized professional development through our "JV/M Lead Generation Handbook" to employees and independent contractors that can enable you to significantly improve your techniques and effectiveness in the B2B environment.
In return, professional standards require that you approach the job with discipline, responsibility and integrity -- which come in several forms: putting in the committed number of hours, and delivering more than the expected number of appointments. It also includes documenting your activity (e.g. hours, dials, contacts and appointments,) and call-details honestly on the JV/M Web site, and/or whatever format the client requires, as well as obeying all applicable laws. And it requires that you are mature and professional enough to know that, if you're not being successful (i.e. not generating enough qualified leads and appointments,) that you ask for help and coaching immediately.
The ultimate goal is for you to have fun and make money. We welcome candidates with B2B experience and sales training. All candidates must take and pass our Telemarketing Skills Assessment (receiving a score of 40% or better,) and are expected to sign our non-disclosure agreement. Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by sending their resume by email, or fax it to 856-316-7465.
