Is cold calling dead, has gaining a sales lead changed?
For years marketers and sales staff have been using cold calling as a way to connect with their target audience and generate leads. However with the introduction of social media marketing and other new innovations, has the way in which we gain sales leads changed? Is cold calling still an effective method of generating leads or is it in fact dead? Let’s take a closer look.
The rise of digital marketing
Digital marketing is becoming widely used across all sectors, with many arguing that it has replaced the need for cold calling. With social media, email marketing and pay-per-click marketing all helping brands to connect with their customers and generate leads, it raises the question whether cold calling is really necessary?
Unlike with cold calling, businesses can actually use analytics from their social media pages and marketing campaigns to get to know their target audience better, allowing for a more personalised and tailored approach. Ask which people prefer and we bet you that the majority will say digital marketing, as it feels less intrusive than a cold call from a company that they’ve never heard of before.
LinkedIn now has an important role to play in gaining sales leads.
One of the most notable changes in generated sales leads over the past few years has been businesses use of the social media website, LinkedIn. This platform is all about making business connections and building engagement. It’s the Facebook of the business world and it has a lot of great things to offer those working in sales.
In fact, LinkedIn is now widely used by companies looking to generate sales leads. It enables them to connect with prospects and learn valuable information about them. In turn, prospects can get to know a little more about the business or sales person they have connected with.
But is LinkedIn enough to replace cold calling? We’d argue no.
Cold calling has changed
We actually believe that cold calling still has an important role to play but we’d also argue that it’s no longer about cold calling but more warm calling (if you like).
Businesses can no longer phone someone up on their list and expect them to buy a product or service. Consumers have much higher expectations these days and want them to work harder for their sales.
With this in mind, companies that have previously used cold calling now need to integrate it with digital marketing in order to generate the best results. Using sites like LinkedIn, they can gain valuable information about their prospects and even initiate a professional relationship, so that when it comes to the call, it’s not the same ‘cold’ approach.
Warm calling (we’re sticking with this term) facilitated by the Internet and social media, allows businesses to take a much more targeted approach towards engaging with clients, which makes for greater results. Instead of simply following the same script with each telephone call, an integrated marketing strategy allows them to tailor each call to each specific person they need to get in touch with and gives them the best chance of generating those all-important leads.
Formation can help
In our opinion cold calling isn’t dead but it has changed. Over the years, consumers have evolved and gained a lot more power in the buying process and marketing has therefore had to change and adapt in order to continue meeting their needs.
If you are feeling like your cold calling strategy is a little lack luster, maybe it’s time to consider integrating it with digital marketing, content marketing and social media? Together these elements can make for powerful results and will help bring your lead generating strategy into the 21st Century.
Formation can help you utilise your social media to become the authority in your field. Content Marketing should be a hugely important part of every day business. Generating relevant content for your audience will engage them with your company triggering a lead.
Formation can lead your social media marketing for you, for those who don’t have time or are unsure of the direction they should be going.
Interested?
Call us on: 01926 298777
Or drop me an email: [email protected]
Image credits: alanclarkdesign and clasesdeperiodismo
