Trying to identify the best ways to increase sales for your business? There are a few different approaches you can take: inbound sales calls, outbound sales calls, or a combination of both. Let’s look at how each approach works and what you should keep in mind.
Inbound Sales Calls vs Outbound Sales Calls
Before we move into specifics, it is important to understand the basics of sales calls. These calls generally revolve around generating leads and sales. They include either contacting a set list of prospects to increase brand awareness and make sales. Or, running a strong customer service and support team that answers incoming calls, resolves queries and concerns, and sells new products and services. Depending on the type of business you run, you may benefit from inbound sales or outbound sales calls, or both.
Inbound Sales Calls
There are typically two types of inbound sales calls. The first type refers to “hot calling” which is basically customers calling your business to resolve a query or initiate a purchasing process. The customer may have interacted with your website or seen a promotion on social media that piqued their interest. Now, you have managed to get their attention and interest. But it is on the inbound sales call where you convert this interest into a sale.
The second type of inbound sales call refers to “warm-calling” where you call customers who have interacted with your business. Maybe they signed up for a newsletter or emailed you a query or downloaded a PDF through your website, etc. This customer could also be a past or recurring customer who you are following up with. They made the first contact and now it is up to you to give them a reason to make a purchase and become a returning customer.
Outbound Sales Calls
Outbound sales calls refer to cold calls made to a predetermined list of prospects. This list is usually put together through market research and buyer persona reviews. Then, your sales team calls these individuals, informs them of your company’s products and services, current promotions, and sells to them. Some companies outsource their outbound sales calls to virtual call centers.
More recently, businesses subscribe to an outbound calling service to call local and international individuals in a less expensive way. An outbound calling service lets you make calls through the internet instead of traditional phone lines. And you have the opportunity to customize your caller ID to display specific local or toll free numbers instead.
Which Can Benefit Your Business?
This depends on the type of business you run and what you want your calls to do. For example, do you want customers to reach you when they are ready? Can your marketing efforts support an inbound sales call strategy? Is lead generation the focus of your company? Do you want to use customer service and success to make more sales?
However, you do not have to choose one over the other. With a strong customer support and service team, you can have outbound and inbound sales calls working together. This way, you target prospects based on marketing results as well as engage with interested customers who reach out to you. Having the right communication tools can help you maximize your company’s visibility as well as generate more leads.
United World Telecom Can Help
United World Telecom offers virtual communication tools for businesses of every size and in every industry. Whether your calls are focused on outbound or inbound sales, our features and services can enhance the way your business interacts with its customers. To learn more about what we offer, call us at 1 (877) 898 8646 or talk to an expert.