Account-based marketing examples: Three key points for achieving a direct approach to Account-based marketing
The ABM Way of Doing Cold Calls
When selecting target accounts in ABM and attempting to reach prospects by phone, three obstacles are faced: the reception desk, the department receptionist, and, if the target is an executive, the secretary.
It is then necessary to consider how to get the call forwarded to the prospective client.
The role of the company reception desk t is to transfer incoming calls to the person in charge or to hang up on the spot if the call is unnecessary.
Therefore, the reception desk wants to know the following information
- who is calling
- to whom the call is being made
- what is the purpose of the call
If this information is not obtained, the call will be disconnected.
In account-based marketing, there are cases where a call is placed without knowing the name of the key person, and if the caller simply says, “I would like to speak to the person in charge of XXX service,” the receptionist will not know to whom the call should be forwarded.
Even if the caller knows to whom the call should be forwarded, the result will be the same if the caller cannot succinctly state “What is it that you are calling about?
(i) Make sure the receptionist knows immediately to whom to transfer the call.
(ii) Speak briefly so that the person in charge can relay your message.
These are the key elements in breaking through the representative’s phone and approaching key personnel directly.
Provide the reception desk with the exact department, title, and name of the prospects.
To get the reception desk to connect you to the prospects without hanging up the phone, you need to find out the exact department, title, and personal name of the prospects.
The following is an example of a possible conversation when you have accurate information about the prospective client.
■Example 1: When the target audience is the general manager of the department
Hello, this is Yoyogi Uehara Systems.
I am Mr. Ohno of I&D Co.
I’d like to speak to Mr. Ogata, General Manager of the Cloud Promotion Division.
Please hold on a moment.
Calls are smoothly transferred from the receptionist to prospects based on accurate information.
■Example 2: The target audience is an executive.
I’d like to speak with Mr. Ogata, Executive Officer and General Manager of the Cloud Promotion Division.
Yes, please hold on a moment.
～Call Forwarding
I’d like to speak with Mr. Ogata, Executive Officer and General Manager of the Cloud Promotion Division.
I am Ogata’s secretary, Mr. Tanaka. May I ask how can I help you?
I am calling to provide useful information to Mr. Ogata, General Manager of the Cloud Promotion Division. May I speak with Mr. Ogata?
■Example 3: When there is no information to identify a potential customer
I would like to speak with someone from the sales department.
Well, there are different sales departments for different services and products. Which department would you like to talk to?
The one that handles cloud solutions, please.
Do you know the exact name of the department?
This is the first time I’m calling, so I don’t know.
Do you know the name of the person in charge?
I don’t know his name either.
May I ask what you are calling about? You’re calling to make a sales call, aren’t you?
The longer the confirmation of various matters, the stronger the tone of the sales call becomes.
In COVID-19, there may be no receptionist or an unfamiliar department taking turns taking calls, so more accurate information is needed to identify prospects.
Convey your business clearly and concisely and speak in eight seconds.
It is important to tell the receptionist or secretary clearly and concisely what you are calling about.
We consider 8 seconds to be the standard amount of time.
We are a marketing company specializing in B2B. We help our clients to acquire new projects. We are contacting you today to provide you with some useful information. I would like to speak with the person in charge of exhibitions in your marketing department.
Call approach technique after COVID-19
How to obtain opt-ins
Before COVID-19 the approach after reaching a potential customer generally involved asking for contact information when a sales visit was scheduled. In contrast, after Corona, the conversation flow has changed as more companies place importance on webinars, video materials, and digital content.
- Explain the reason for calling
- Acquisition of personal information
- Obtain opt-in
- Interview
- Obtain an appointment
First, tell the reception desk that you will be holding a webinar and invite them to attend, and then confirm BANTC as part of the process.
Approaches such as “We will send you the URL for the webinar, so please give us your e-mail address” will make it easier to obtain opt-ins.
In addition, when asking for the department and position based on the job title, it is possible to grasp the Authority and the department position at once without giving the recipient an abrupt impression.
Summary
In executing account-based marketing, it is necessary to prepare a target list with the exact departments and job titles of prospective clients in advance and then speak briefly about the purpose of the call.
After Corona, the shift to teleworking, especially in large companies, has changed the situation, with the target audience coming into the office on limited days and the receptionist disappearing. Account-based marketing After COVID-19 requires that calls be made with a clear strategy.
IAD offers a telemarketing service that will listen carefully to BANTC information and five necessary items of information. Please feel free to contact us for more information.
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