The world of marketing technology is getting bigger as new innovations are introduced. Software companies are churning out new marketing automation systems that keep B2B companies wanting more. Better features and enhanced lead management capabilities comprise much of their criteria for better marketing automation software.
But recently, marketers are opting to install auto-dialing software in a bid to enhance their lead nurturing and telesales efforts. While they are seen as a factor for a more rapid conversion of prospects, auto-dialers are also subject to skepticism, usually directed towards how it affects the quality of customer engagements.
This is the usual dilemma pertaining to the use of marketing automation software: maintaining real-time and personal conversations. But there are two sides to this, and it is worth examining the advantages and disadvantages of using auto-dialers to complement one’s B2B lead generation and appointment setting program.
A bust?
Marketing automation, while being at the forefront in the evolutionary course of B2B marketing, allows businesses to fast-track processes, like lead prospecting and nurturing, which usually gobbles up a large chunk of one’s time and resources. Due to its rapidity, many marketers have grown skeptical about its ability to engage prospects directly. This stems from an idea that auto-dialing replaces the human factor essential to any marketing endeavor. With the absence of a human factor, these same businesses believe that they would generate a great amount of leads that unfortunately indicate a lack of interest to purchase their products and services. Also, excluding any direct means for effective CRM would put conversion rates at very low levels.
No! A boon!
The collective fear that influences these businesses to disregard automation is nothing short of irrational. There is no evidence that show marketing automation results in poor sales, or even poor customer retention and awareness. In fact, eMarketer found out that companies that automate their email send-outs and telemarketing successfully increased their conversion rates by 50%, and this is for B2C. B2B companies, in another study by Forrester Research, say they were able to increase their sales pipeline contributions by 10%. Gleanster also says that top performing companies, particularly the 79% that already implemented marketing automation tools such as auto-dialers, opt to increase their revenue and generate high quality sales-ready leads.
Contrary to what most marketers say, auto-dialers can be leveraged without sacrificing the human factor of direct marketing. It is just a matter of drafting an effective customer retention plan as well as employing a competent B2B company that professes an overarching knowledge of marketing automation and effective lead management.
