Marketing

Marketing - specifically telemarketing

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We've had a period of deliberately not marketing, we were short of staff and it took a while to recruit a couple of decent staff, which means we are now open to new clients.

Historically we used telemarketing which worked really well, does anyone have any recommendations at all?

Replies (8)

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By ArsalanShah
05th Jul 2017 13:15

Hi

I would say that this is something that I have started to consider recently. Glad to know that it did work for you.

Thanks.

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By Jdopus
05th Jul 2017 14:41

We buy leads from a marketing company regarding people who have made inquiries about getting an accountant. In our area we're the only company buying them so it's worked out extremely well for us. I'd be less hopeful of it being a good way to attract new business if other accountants were buying the same leads though as it would essentially turn into a low-ball bidding war.

It's worth checking if there are any leads available in your area though.

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By James Green
05th Jul 2017 16:26

Telemarketing use to work extremely well, albeit it was considered by some to be expensive. Now, we do not find telemarketing works well as so many people are doing it and the novelty has worn off.

Ironically, we've seen an much greater response to direct mail in the last 12 months than we've had since the late 1990's.

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Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
06th Jul 2017 00:14

Cost of acquisition I believe with telemarketing is around 50% of first year fee as I understand it.

So that's say half the cost of buying clients via a fee bank purchase.

I did consider it but could not really find anyone who seemed reputable and when pushed those I spoke to were shady about how long it took to get a first meeting and likely ROI etc. Some did it on a fixed price per appointment but wanted large up front payments with no guarentee which put me off.

I think currently investing in your website will get you best return. Set up a half decent looking site that is easy for people to contact you by then point all your social media and marketing at it.

I now get half my referrals from website maybe 15-20 per month, of which a third are crap, and I would probably sign up half of the balance so at least 1/2 clients per week.

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AM
By AccountancyManager2
12th Dec 2018 14:26

Link here - Nexok

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Freddie
By Slim Freddie
10th Jul 2017 11:41

Yes, telemarketing works if you have the right person on the phone. I couldn’t do it myself but I have one of the girls in the office doing it. She’s great and doesn’t get offended and is fantastic at cold calling people. We tend to look up local businesses around the area and simply give them a call.
Other than that we attend some local network business events and network that way. This works but can be time consuming.
Can I ask where you would get a list of potential customers to call? We get sales people asking us to buy databases of companies but I don’t trust them.

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By Marianne
11th Jul 2017 11:43

Hi the comments here are really interesting as I used to run (for 11 years) a small telemarketing company in the South East (up to 10 marketeers) aimed specifically at marketing accountants. All my calls were on the back of a marketing letter to provide a good introduction to start with. Using the term 'used' is telling in that I have since closed this side of my work down for all other clients other than my Accountant hubby. My view has always been and still is, that a professional accountancy practice should not use cold calling (ie without an introductory letter) as you will be tarred with the same brush as the many other cold callers that are around now. An introductory letter and a polite call after (to ONLY those businesses not registered for TPS) will promote your business and yes, if you have hit on the right time you may just make an instant appointment. This is a question of good timing, and the reason I would NEVER make promises of instant appointments or guarantee a number of leads and NEVER guarantee conversions. As we could not influence whether or not the prospective client would actually 'like' the person that completed the sales appointment. Sending an introductory letter to those businesses on TPS (with no follow up call of course) does work but is expensive due to high postage costs now. Finally, if a business bites your hand off for an appointment you may want to ask the question why, particularly if they have been price focused in the conversation. Experoence has proved these are not always the most reliable clients. Patience is a virtue! Hope this helps.

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By darwinmediaco
12th Dec 2018 13:22

Hey,

Telemarketing like other sales or marketing activity can have a positive impact, but, not in isolation...

The key to sustainable growth is a well thought-through marketing strategy.

What is it you're really selling? The tips below should help you get a better idea.

Here are two of my top tips for getting the right clients for your accountancy practice - and how to make more money.

First, WHO is your target client? Are they in a specific role, industry or location?

In all honesty, most practices try to target the same people with the same message and thus, often end up either bringing in the wrong clients (those who are demanding and price-driven) or

Second, what differentiates your firm from A.N. Other.

Too often practices say "our people". Clearly, that's what everyone says and it is difficult to demonstrate tangibly. If, however, you follow the first point above (focus on a niche client/area), you can develop a truly client-centric service.

What do I mean? For example, let's say you like working with law firms and you've developed an efficient and effective process to give them what they want i.e. they're looking for advice on how to scale their firm.

Q: What if you could become the practice that focuses on them and their main concern - scaling?

A: You wouldn't be immersed in the low-ball price war - and you'd be trading on your value.

If you'd like more tips on how to market your firm more effectively, search for me on Linkedin - Michael Thomas of DARWIN Media Co.

I'm always happy to share advice and ideas to help practices, like yours, grow substantially.

Many thanks,
Michael.

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