How Do You Maintain Strong Relationships Through Marketing?

One of the most powerful tools available to many companies is their message, and choosing a specialist life sciences marketing partner is critical to success in an industry built on trust and solid foundations.

A sometimes underappreciated part of this is that business-to-business and telemarketing in specialist fields is about far more than a sales funnel, but instead is about developing a strong, long-lasting relationship beneficial not only for its own sake but can open the door for further sales opportunities in the future.

Nurturing and maintaining business relationships is not dissimilar in approach to how we maintain interpersonal relationships, and with that in mind, here are some of the key principles that should be a core part of any direct marketing approach.

A Personal Touch

All marketing is about messaging, but the direct nature of telemarketing makes it far more of a conversation, and the key to any successful discussion is that it should be interesting and relevant to the person being called.

After all, a customer has taken the time to answer your call and deserves to have that time respected, particularly if they have purchased from you before or have made inquiries regarding your specialist products or services.

Part of this involves noting down previous purchases and enquiries but it also goes further than this. Some of the best and most productive marketing calls do not directly lead to a sale but instead make a potential customer feel like they can reach out when they have a particular need.

This is the most important principle and something very different from conventional marketing practices, which is more about a unified message that is spread through a range of one-way marketing routes.

Active Listening

A related point to personalisation but no less important, active listening is about understanding the perspective of your customers not only in terms of what they say but how they say it and what they choose not to say.

It is an essential skill for telemarketers, in particular, because the most important task for a telemarketer in the opening stages of communication is not an aggressive sales approach but to identify needs, concerns and pain points.

This is the long-road approach, but it is also the best way to build trust, a loyal customer base and the foundations for long-term success. It also helps with a business’ long-term strategy, as it provides relevant, detailed research on the needs of the market and where customers are left wanting. 

Selling Solutions Rather Than Products Or Services

Marketing is seldom solely about the product or service itself but is about selling a message, selling a lifestyle or selling a solution. In the case of specialist direct marketing, it is very much a case of the latter.

This requires telemarketers to know a product line particularly well and understand the ideal solution for a problem, but the rewards are significant. 

Anyone who has navigated customer services or has actively sought out a better solution to their issues will understand the elation that comes when that frustration is eased.

Consistent Follow-Up Communication

Something that is seen even in business-to-customer marketing with increasing frequency, the follow-up messaging is as vital as the initial call, as it helps customers feel like more than a number, but a person who is part of a community in a specialist sector.

Most people who are looking for life science instruments or specialist services are experts and often provide services to other businesses and researchers that they buy from, so follow-up calls with offers to provide additional help or updates on relevant equipment can be hugely beneficial.

Consistency is not only about the quantity of communication but also about quality; each call from the first one with a customer to the last needs to focus on the customer first and foremost. 

All businesses exist to serve their customers, but this is especially true within specialist market sectors.

Feedback And Continued Development

Every business strives for perfection, but it is in the journey rather than the destination that they thrive and where customers most feel like they are engaging in a dialogue with the company and the wider sector.

This means that easily accessible feedback mechanisms are an essential part of any telemarketing system, and should be a foundational part of initial conversations with any marketing partners you choose to use.

Companies want to respond to customers, as well as the market at large, and offering the scope for feedback not only does this but helps to strengthen customer relationships.