eDivert, Author at eDivert

by eDivert

What telemarketing can do for your business in 2022

Telephones have been around since the 19th century. Not long after they were invented, a form of telemarketing came about through the system’s switchboard operators. The term ‘telemarketing’ was first officially coined in the 1970s and the use of it as a marketing tool has evolved over time. Although it may now feel like an outdated concept, outbound calling campaigns still have their place in the modern world. Here’s why.

Conversation is powerful.

We live in a world full of social media and noise. People post on their social channels every day, but how do you know if your voice has been heard?

Speaking to someone one on one is still one of the most powerful methods of communication. Telemarketing is exactly that. You can speak directly to your target audience, introducing them to new products and ideas that they may never have heard of before. Or you may be speaking with existing customers and strengthening the bond of relationship that you already have.

Communication is important. But it’s a two-way street, which is why the next point is equally as important.

Listening and getting direct feedback.

You could also call this data gathering. But essentially you are actively listening to your customer’s comments, concerns, reasons for buying as well as reasons for not buying. Simply listening, creates an opportunity to strengthen your relationship with that customer AND you glean extremely valuable data in the exchange. The savvy telemarketer will keep track of this data in their CRM. This can later be analysed as part of a bigger picture to help gain an understanding of market trends, product lifecycles and customer satisfaction to name but a few.

Get immediate responses and increase sales with outbound calling campaigns

If you’re still not convinced by the power that telemarking has, then this last one might just convince you. At the end of the day, telemarketing still gets results and can increase your sales. According to Business Process Consultant, Russell Meiselman, 68% of B2B sales involved some form of human contacts, such as telemarketing. Furthermore, he says:

‘60% of marketing managers in fortune 500 companies say telemarketing is “Very Effective” for leads and customer outreach, and when those who say it is only “Effective” that percentage is almost over 90%’

So although it may seem as though telemarketing has a bad reputation, in reality, it continues to thrive in the digital age and many people agree that telemarketing remains effective as a marketing tool.

If you would like more information on our telemarketing services, please contact us info@eDivert.co.uk

in Telemarketing

by eDivert

3 reasons why having Live Chat on your website will give your business a boost

Boost your business with Live Chat! Live Chat has been around for a while now, and experts say it’s not going away any time soon. When you take a quick glance at what studies say about Live Chat’s use and effectiveness, it’s not surprising to see why;

Live Chat has overtaken other forms of online consumer support; with 42% of customers preferring Live Chat, to email (23%) and other social media platforms (16%). (Source: J.D. Power)

Live Chat yields higher customer satisfaction levels (73%) when compared to other formats; 61% and 44% for email and phone respectively (Source: Econsultancy).

According to a study by Aberdeen Group in 2015, businesses who offered live chat compared to those who didn’t show a:

2.4x greater annual increase in cross-sell and up-sell revenue,
2.6x greater annual improvement in customer care costs,
20% greater annual improvement in customer contact abandonment rate
34% greater annual improvement in customer satisfaction rate.

These figures are compelling and make an interesting case for Live Chat as an addition to your website. But if you’re not yet convinced, here are 3 reasons why having Live Chat will give your business a boost this year.

1. Live Chat can increase your revenues

Live Chat helps companies increase their revenues by increasing conversations and sales. According to research, having Live chat functionality on your website leads to a 48% increase in revenue per chat hour. But why?

Customers feel more engaged when speaking with someone through Live Chat, especially if they have questions about products before making their purchase decision. This helps to build their confidence in making that purchase, increases their satisfaction (see below) and turns them into repeat buyers.

2. Save money

Live Chat can actually improve the efficiency of your customer service team. Unlike phone calls and answering emails, where you typically deal with one customer at a time, Live Chat enables you to handle multiple customer enquiries simultaneously. Experienced Chat agents will use their time effectively as well as using tools such as canned responses to speed up their response time and deal with more customers in a shorter space of time, therefore saving you money.

3. Improve customer satisfaction

Live Chat offers real-time convenience to customers. If customers have come to purchase but have a quick question about a particular product, having a real-time interaction could be the difference between them happily buying now vs leaving the purchase, feeling unsatisfied. We know happy customers are loyal customers and loyal customers will not only repeat purchases but act as brand ambassadors on your behalf.

It can also be used to coordinate product returns and interact with unsatisfied customers. But if this is handled quickly and effectively, you can turn this into a positive and retain the customer.

Don’t have the time to manage Live chat?

Contact eDivert today to speak with one of our professional team members and find out what we can do to help you give your business a boost.

in Live Chat

by eDivert

3 Benefits of using Phone Answering Services

Phone answering services may seem like one of those things that only ‘big’ companies use. But you’ll be surprised. Here’s why…

Business is going well, your marketing strategies are paying off and you’re picking up clients at an incredibly fast pace. Everything is working out just as you had planned.

Except there’s one issue…

While you’re busy working with your clients, the phone keeps ringing. Not only is it a distraction and slightly annoying to your current client, but you know that every call you miss is potentially another missed opportunity.

It’s going to create more work later on as you painstakingly go through all your missed calls and try to call everyone back, but worse than that – you know that when you don’t answer your phone, customers in the modern day are highly likely to go and find a competitor.

Your marketing efforts are both going to waste AND you’re actually boosting the competition!

You’ve got to do something.

Hiring a company that offers Phone Answering Services may seem like something that only ‘big’ companies can afford, but you’d be surprised and what’s available today and why going down this route actually makes good business sense.

Using phone answering services saves money

If you know you need someone to take those calls that keep coming in, outsourcing is cheaper than hiring. You get a trained professional, so there’s no need to spend time, money and effort trying to recruit, hire, train and manage a member of the permanent staff. Not to mention what you do when they take holiday or time off sick. With outsourcing, you only pay for what you use and it is overall cheaper than employing someone.

Increase your availability and build relationships

Using a Phone Answering Service allows your company to be available, even when you’re not. You can focus on your work, while someone else takes the calls for you and you can offer availability outside your normal working hours. Modern customers demand convenience and when they call, they expect a human to deal with their enquiry.

Professional call handlers can be briefed to go beyond a scripted call and actually help build relationships with your customers. Good relationships are crucial for having happy customers who return to you time and time again.

Phone answering services generate revenues and return on investment

75% of customers think that picking up the phone is the fastest way to order something and 85% of customers whose calls you miss, aren’t going to call you back and people increasingly don’t leave voicemails.

If you’re too busy working, you could be missing calls. This might lead to customers going elsewhere. By simply having someone available to answer the phone, you can keep your customers, build relationships and increase your revenues.

Nobody knows your business better than you, but using a Phone Answering Service should give you a good return on investment. You’re putting money into this because it will pay for itself and then some. A lot of businesses aren’t aware of their lost opportunity costs because customers don’t tend to leave voicemails anymore. You might miss a call and lose a customer. So factor this into your decision-making process.

If you’re interested in eDivert’s Phone Answering Service, contact us today via email info@eDivert.co.uk

in Call Answering

by eDivert

How to do telemarketing the right way (part 2 of 2)

Gatekeepers

Whilst making outbound calls to businesses, you will likely encounter the so-called ‘gatekeepers’ such as secretaries. Their job is to prevent cold callers from getting access to decision-makers in companies. It’s important to understand how to navigate interactions with gatekeepers the right way so that you get an opportunity to continue the conversation and hopefully showcase your business to a decision-maker.

Dealing with rejections

In addition to meeting gatekeepers, you are likely to experience rejection. Lots of and lots of rejection. Remember, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. Rejection is a normal part of the process and you shouldn’t let it deter you from proceeding on and making further calls. What might seem like an outright rejection today, may turn into an opportunity, later on. So don’t get disheartened. Much of the telemarketing process is about speaking with people about your brand as much as it is about getting sales immediately.

Follow up with leads

It’s important to follow up with anyone that you make contact with and who shows an interest; these become your leads. Note these down in your CRM and set a call to action follow-up task. If you don’t get an answer when you call, leave a voice message and call back a few days later. Call contacts a few times – don’t just give up on the first attempt – persistence is key.

Follow up with an email

Once you’ve got leads that are interested in what you have to offer, follow up by sending them more information via email and scheduling a good time to speak again. Always ensure that you have the next ‘touch point’ booked in with your lead. This helps to build your relationship with them and guide them through your sales process.

Combine marketing techniques

To make the most out of your telemarketing efforts and to get the best results, you should always combine it with email marketing and social media campaigns. Telemarketing can be very effective when seen as a part of an overarching marketing strategy and combined with other methods. By doing this, you increase the number of touch points that each contact has with you and your business and you build better relationships with your target audience.

eDivert has a team of specialists in making outbound calls to businesses. Contact us today to find out what services we offer and how we can help grow your business.

in Telemarketing

by eDivert

How to do telemarketing the right way (part 1 of 2)

With the increasing number of people working from home during the pandemic, you might question the effectiveness of B2B telemarketing in 2022. Every marketing strategy consists of a variety of activities and when done right, telemarketing should still have its place in your B2B marketing plan. In our latest post, find out how to do telemarketing the right way.

Find the right target audience

It might sound obvious, but before you can start making any calls, you need to have a list of businesses to call. Putting together a list yourself can be time-consuming and so it’s easiest to purchase data from a reputable source. You need to ensure that the data is clean and has been TPS (telephone preference service) checked before you use it. Then there is ensuring that it is the right target audience for you – the size of the business, years in operation, the number of people in the company and who the decision makers are.

To script or not to script

Once you have your data, you’re ready to pick up the phone…but wait! Do you know what you’re going to say and how you’re going to approach the call? Should you go in with a script or just wing it? Well, really it’s a combination of the two. You want to have a loose script to follow so that you ensure you get across all the key points, but you don’t want to come across as robotic, and well…scripted. The first call should always be a soft sell and more of an introduction to you, your business and the opportunities.

Call volume

Getting leads can be like finding a needle in a haystack, which is why persistence is key (more on this in a moment) and having a large pool of contacts, to begin with. When you purchase your data, you need to ensure you have a sizeable audience to call and have allocated enough time to make the calls. Don’t underestimate how long it takes to make your calls!

Use a CRM

You could use a spreadsheet and work your way down the list of business and contact names one by one, but with so many good CRMs available, why not make use of them? Most CRMs give you the ability to add company details as well as multiple contacts that sit underneath. You can add notes, schedule follow-up tasks and record the outcomes of meetings. When dealing with so many contacts and leads, using a CRM is a game-changer.

eDivert are specialists in Marketing and Customer Services. Contact us today to find out more about our B2B telemarketing services in 2022.

in Telemarketing

by eDivert

How you can reclaim some of your time

I often find, when speaking with business owners, that the challenges they face seem to be age-old ones. Of course, there are always political and economic woes just over the horizon…and the next one after that. We live in an ever-changing world, with an ever-changing landscape, but the issue always seems to be the same; not enough time. Have you ever wondered how you can reclaim some of your time? Read on…

Time Saving Technology

When the industrial revolution came around in the 18th and 19th centuries, everyone thought that the new ‘machines’ would save people a lot of work and we could all reduce our working hours. Fast forward to the 20th and 21st centuries, and with them a whole host of new ‘time-saving’ technology and devices, yet we all seem to be working longer hours and more than before. With smartphones and emails, we never seem to be disconnected from work.

In many ways, the new technology has benefitted businesses, but the issue of time is still there. Technology aside, there are still ways to save time and one resource that is often overlooked is human resources; especially outsourcing. In the new working world, post-pandemic, it’s arguably far easier to access human resources than ever before in history.

Outsourced Resources

Making use of outsourced resources is often low down on the business owner’s priority list, or often, not on their radar at all. I’ve had several conversations now and surprised people with just how easy, cost-effective and beneficial such a solution can be. Take using a telephone answering service for example. It can not only save you time but can actually help to increase both your revenues and your profits.

Call Answering Services

Telephone answering services themselves are actually very affordable now and you only pay for the time actually spent on calls. Compare this to paying for a member of reception staff – where you are paying for their time, the office space and the cost of calls. And for smaller businesses that don’t have a receptionist? Have you considered the cost of missing calls?

Most likely you aren’t aware that people not only will not call you back, but they will just call the next company they can find to fulfil their needs – your competitors. Simply by taking that call the moment it comes in, you are significantly increasing your chances of securing more business. Moreover, if they are existing clients, they are likely to rate your customer service as ‘excellent’, which in turn generates goodwill, word of mouth marketing and increases their loyalty. Before you know it, you’ve retained your existing customers for longer AND likely increased your customer base – all by simply not missing calls.

Contact eDivert today and find out just how cost-effective and simple a telephone answering solution is for your business, and how you can reclaim some of your time.

in Call Answering

by eDivert

Why your business needs a Virtual Assistant in 2022

Post-pandemic, more and more businesses are going virtual. In case you missed it, we already talked about “How outsourcing a Virtual Assistant can save your business time and money” in a previous post. In addition to this, there are more reasons why your business needs a virtual assistant in 2022.

1 Scale up and scale down as you need to

Outsourcing a Virtual Assistant is not like having an employee on a permanent contract. A lot of VAs are flexible with their time and can pick up and put down work as you need them to during busier or quieter periods. This can help you with cash flow and save your business the costs of having a permanent member of staff.

2 Direct access to the talent pool

Instead of you advertising and searching for the ‘right’ candidate, outsourcing gives you direct access to a pool of talented and experienced VAs. Most of them will tell you what their strengths are and what jobs they are both capable of and enjoy doing as it’s in both parties’ interests for it to be a good fit.

3 Access to global talent

In addition to having a direct line to experienced VAs, outsourcing gives you the opportunity to access talent in other geographic locations. This has pros and cons, as you’ll see in a moment and you’ll need to carefully weigh up the benefits before going down this route.

4 Hiring an overseas VA may be cheaper

Wages and salary expectations can be cheaper in other markets and depending on where you hire your VA, you might get a good deal. However, be aware of things like exchange rates going up and down and currency transaction fees.

5 Expand your hours of operation and service to customers – go 24/7

One key benefit of taking on a VA from another country is the time-zone benefit which gives you the ability to extend your office ours. Most customers now expect service during evenings and weekends and so being able to offer this could increase your business.

6 Drive business growth

Ultimately, having a virtual assistant in 2022 should save you time and help you to shift your focus from some of the more mundane administrative tasks, to where your time is best spent – in the growth and development of your business.

Want to find out more about why your business needs a Virtual Assistant in 2022? Get in touch with eDivert today!

in Admin Support

by eDivert

How to hire a Virtual Assistant – the right way

We’ve discussed why businesses should consider hiring a VA and the benefits of outsourcing in previous articles but today we’re going to look at how you go about doing this. There are no hard and fast rules for going about choosing a VA. But with our help, we can point you in the right direction. Hopefully, we can offer some nuggets of wisdom that will help your journey go more smoothly. Here’s how to hire a Virtual Assistant – the right way.

1. Are you ready?

Although it doesn’t take as much time as hiring an employee, there is still a time commitment involved in finding and choosing the right VA for your organisation. You’ll want to get the best person for your business and make sure that they are a good fit. So prior to embarking on this journey, ensure that you are prepared and have the time to dedicate to this task.

2. Consider your budget and location

One of the key benefits of hiring a Virtual Assistant is to be able to extend your office hours and potentially offer 24/7 sales/support/service to customers. If this is what you’re going for, choosing a VA that is located in a different time zone OR finding a company that offers VA services covering multiple time zones should be on your radar. Geography also has a direct impact on the price you pay, so be aware of this too.

3. Prepare a job description

You may not need to prepare a full-blown JD of the roles and responsibilities, but it does help you to have an overview of the tasks that your VA will be undertaking. This can help you match tasks with the talent and provide realistic expectations about what you are looking for.

4. Define your goals

Similar to the above, a list of tasks is important but you should also be very clear about your goals. Document the steps for how to achieve them, particularly if they are part of your organisational KPIs. This will help a VA step into the role more easily.

5. Engage and shortlist

You can begin your search for a VA directly through places like Upwork. There are also other freelance platforms. Or you can find a company that offers VA services, such as eDivert. Make a shortlist of candidates and companies and contact them. See what services they offer and how they propose to work with you.

6. Start small and go from there

Once you have made your selection, start with a small package with a few tasks and a minimum number of hours to test the waters. Most companies will require you to sign up for 3 months minimum. And that’s ok – it gives you time to see how the relationship pans out. You can then make alterations if necessary and both parties have the opportunity to build something. Once you are happy with things, you can increase the number and diversity of tasks and the time that you have the VA for.

Get in touch with our team today to find out more about how to hire a Virtual Assistant – the right way.

in Admin Support

by eDivert

How outsourcing a Virtual Assistant can save you time and money

Many business owners find themselves juggling multiple tasks on a daily basis and sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of things. Delivering your service whilst managing emails, phone calls, marketing and social media to name but a few things can take up most of your time. Outsourcing a Virtual Assistant can save you time and money. Perhaps it’s time to take on some outside help?

When it’s time to bring in help, you might immediately think that taking on an employee is the best route. But hold on a moment, have you considered the benefits of outsourcing? Outsourcing a Virtual Assistant can save you time and money.

Why outsource?

1. Outsourcing can save you time

Before you hire an employee, you have to find one first! This process itself can be extremely time-consuming. You have to write a job description and person specification, prepare job adverts and decide where best to advertise. And depending on where you advertise, this can be an expensive exercise with no guarantees of success. Then you have to field the enquiries, put together a shortlist, conduct rounds of interviews and finally recruit your employee. Oh and don’t forget all the employment documents that you’ll need to provide them with; employment contract, policies and procedures, staff handbook and so on.

Outsourcing a VA cuts right through that entire process, and provides you with a qualified, experienced person who can help you with the extra workload. You’ll still need to interview them and brief them on the duties, but there is a much greater likelihood that this will be less of a headache for you! Especially if you can work with them to determine which bits of work you want to keep and which bits they are best placed to take off your hands.

2. Outsourcing can save you money

We’ve mentioned the cost of advertising your job position – by outsourcing you are going directly to a pool of talent, specifically trained for the role and so you can save money here.

Moreover, outsourcing is often much cheaper than hiring – we’ve already talked about the hiring process, which is time-consuming and that equates to a shift in focus – you’re spending more time finding someone than you are on your actual business.

If you hire a member of staff, don’t forget you have to pay them for time off. There’s holiday pay, statutory sick pay etc. and in addition, you’ll have to pay for someone to cover while they’re off (more on this in a moment).

With an outsourced VA, you only pay for the hours that you actually use them, meaning that you’re making efficient use of your money. Some VAs are flexible and can pick up work when needed, so you’re not paying them during quieter periods or in your off-season.

eDivert has a team of qualified and experienced VAs to assist with a variety of business requirements. Get in touch with our team today to see how outsourcing a Virtual Assistant can save you time and money.

in Admin Support

by eDivert

Telemarketing Campaigns for Other Industries

Case Study 6 – A London-Based Relocation Company

The following case study shows how eDivert undertakes telemarketing campaigns for other industries.

The Goals

Find estate agents and landlords, who are interested in renting their property on a long-term basis to the relocation company in order for it to be sublet for short-term use to professionals.
Property requirements were 4 to 5-bedroom houses in a good condition and in upmarket areas in North London

The Telemarketing Campaign for other industries that was undertaken by eDivert

Our client provided us with a list of estate agents to contact
We were also asked to find landlords on Gumtree and contact them directly
We called on average 150 businesses each month, plus made callbacks when the right person was not available

The Results

Results in the first month of the telemarketing campaign:

In the first month, we achieved to set appointments with 16 landlords and estate agents. Approximately 2/3 of these had properties available immediately
Our client signed his first deal as a result of this campaign, within the first week of starting the campaign

Why work with eDivert?

More than 10 years of experience in telesales campaigns
Proven track record of results
UK-based telemarketing agents
We only use quality data for your campaigns
Each Lead Generation package is tailored to the requirements of your business and the results you are looking to achieve

Examples of other successful Campaigns that eDivert has completed include; appointment setting, booking telephone appointments, undertaking surveys, collecting customer service feedback, building up a pipeline of leads for future follow-up calls and gathering company information and email addresses.

Other services we offer

Email Marketing

Live Chat

Call Answering

Social Media Management

Telemarketing

Admin Support

Start your journey and boost your business today with our tailored packages and see how eDivert conducts telemarketing campaigns for other industries!

in Telemarketing