Retargeting – a timeless telemarketing tactic
Retargeting existed long before Google Ads. Telemarketers and salespeople have been doing it for decades.
When you hear the word retargeting you probably think of digital ads following you around the internet after you’ve browsed a product or service. But in reality, retargeting is simply follow-up and it is clever or creepy depending on your strategy!
Follow up (retargeting) is simply the deliberate act of re-engaging someone after an initial interaction: that could be somebody you met networking, someone you have just started to introduce your company to andin an ideal world the decision maker you cold called who engaged with you and saw some relevance.
And in B2B sales, especially in telemarketing and cold outreach, it matters enormously When we initially reach out to someone, we are interrupting their day. They were not actively searching for a solution five minutes earlier as they weren’t thinking about the problems you fixed, they probably didn’t realise they had a problem to fix.
Telemarketing follow- up in real life
We worked with a specialist printer selling into a very niche market.
After 10 days, we had a catch-up and the client was frustrated with the number of prospects we had actually spoken to. He was not fully buying into the whole follow-up argument despite everything we had discussed before the project started.
Fortunately for all of us, he then went away on holiday.
We held our nerve, trusted the process and continued building familiarity and momentum with the market.
Two weeks later, he came back to samples being sent out, meaningful conversations happening and prospects moving to opportunity stages., strong market intelligence around buying behaviour.
By month two, we were consistently reaching 40% of decision-makers, with 1 in 5 of those conversations converting into a genuine opportunity.
Across the three-month project:
- 80% of the database reached a clear outcome
- opportunities were identified
- future-dated projects were uncovered
- unsuitable prospects were ruled out cleanly
The project closed with a 5:1 ROI and a very healthy future pipeline.
None of that would have happened without follow-up.
Follow up is retargetting
A good conversation creates a spark and connection, the mistake is assuming that spark immediately turns into action.
Humans need time, notice the issue internally, connect with your message to them and ultimately become familiar to them – nobody woke up this morning wanting “telemarketing” and that is why follow-up matters. A large percentage of the people you speak to on Monday will still be subconsciously thinking about the conversation on Friday. If you disappear completely, your competitor gets the opportunity to become the next voice they hear.
Follow-up is not about pestering people, done properly, it creates familiarity, relevance and trust over time.
The key is to stay human and add something as the relationship progresses perhaps:
- a useful insight
- an observation about their market
- a relevant piece of content
- a thoughtful question
- a recommendation/referral
- even just a well-timed reminder that you are still there
Multi-channel retargetting
A combination of phone, linkedin, email, video, direct mail, (networking if its possible) creates a much more natural and memorable experience than endless automated emails with no human interaction.
Buyers rarely act the first time they hear from you. However, they do start recognising your name, understanding your relevance, and mentally placing you into their world. That is where opportunities start to form. Whether you call it retargeting, nurturing, follow-up or relationship building, the idea remains the same and its job is vital.
The businesses that stay front of mind are usually the businesses that stay in the game.