They say customer acquisition costs far more than customer retention – up to five times, in fact.
While sales teams may have a sole focus on this one goal, Paula Bates at Toucan Telemarketing says that customer retention is just as important.
“We have a few processes,” says Paula, whose teams call themselves the ‘silent arm‘ of their current clients’ sales staff.
“We are engaged by businesses to start their sales cycle, to talk to people who may not have heard of them before, and to reinvigorate dormant customers”
Paula Bates, Toucan Telemarketing
The process is linear for the Toucan Telemarketing team, who help their clients set up key face to face meetings.
Step two focuses on retention, looking at how they can re-evaluate their methods to engage customers at every step of the cycle.
The Customer Retention Way
“We take on new customers and start on their client retention right away,” says Paula.
“Often, they’ll say, ‘this is how we do things’ but we are very transparent about our processes. If one way isn’t working for them, we’ll suggest switching things up.”
“Another key strategy is to continually review data,” says Paula.
For example, the Toucan Telemarketing team may examine a “dormant” account and enquire as to whether or not the client has been approached by a competitor.
“Customer retention is a huge challenge for middle-sized businesses, and those approaching the top end of smaller businesses,” she adds.
“The key is to look after existing accounts and use your own buying/selling cycle data to catch a contact when they’re most receptive to communication.”
The Importance of Customer Retention
The Toucan Telemarketing team prides itself on being a team of 20, with a personal approach.
It is this personal approach that has led them to be so successful, and Paula says this way of thinking could help other businesses.
“We are part of your team, and we show it by not being a faceless organisation”
Paula Bates, Toucan Telemarketing
With that in mind, Paula encourages all her clients to personalise their approach with each customer.
It’s a sentiment that’s echoed by the stats, with 80% of us more likely to convert with a personalised experience.
This account-based marketing approach puts leads in front of a real person, a person who can engage in genuine conversation with them about their day, rather than a switchboard.
Further studies show that you are up to 70% more likely to sell to an existing customer than a new one. For Paula, it’s an holistic process, building relationships from the ground up.
“Our clients have the product knowledge and we have the connections. We put them in touch with key contacts and examine their strategies, encouraging them to build an organic, not pushy, relationship.”
“This approach has helped us win clients from competitors far larger than Toucan Telemarketing,” concludes Paula.
To add an extra arm to your sales and telemarketing team, please call Toucan Telemarketing on 01260 294444 or visit toucantelemarketing.co.uk.
For an additional read, please visit What are the Keys to Increasing Customer Retention?
