Going from a curious customer to a sale seems like a pretty straightforward process. You market yourself, wait for people to drop by, then everything handles itself. Right?

Wrong! Turns out a lot of doubt can weasel in-between the cracks and get in the way of your success. When a customer isn’t changing their mind at the last second they’re being distracted by the competition. Marketing has never been more complicated than it is today, with the average consumer exposed to thousands of advertisements a day. You need more than just your wits if you’re to meet your monthly minimum.

With the aid of an outbound sales call center you can rely on some more modern knowledge to redirect your customers through that tricky sales funnel. Here are some important terms to know on your way to becoming a marketing expert.

Did You Know?

The digital age is very much a double-edged sword. On one hand it’s easier than ever for you to reach out to your customers and vice-versa. On the other hand that means a lot of noise to get in the way of your outreach. A study asking businesses their biggest priorities for the future saw 70% stating improving customer service is a major concern. While no single resource will solve all your business problems, getting more customers (and thus more money) will at least relieve some stress!

First Impression

What does this have to do with marketing? It’s simple. What customer would want to stick around and learn more about your business if you put your worst foot forward? When it comes to making a purchase nearly 65% of people find customer experience to be more important than price — this not only helps in securing a sale, but increasing your likelihood of having repeat customers. Make sure your website looks polished and your outreach programs are effective, because a first impression takes no more than seven seconds to finish forming.

Sales Funnel

This is a term you’ll hear a lot as you learn about performance marketing groups. It offers a picture of the standard marketing process, from the initial contact to the gradual process that results in a sale. You have TOFU — or ‘top of the funnel’ — that revolves around initial outreach, which an outbound sales call center can help with. This is followed by MOFU — or ‘middle of the funnel’ — that focuses on keeping the customer around with extra incentive. This leads to the very last step called BOFU — or ‘bottom of the funnel’ — which secures the sale.

Inbound Leads

You have some marketing that reaches out to customers and others that encourage customers to swing by themselves. The latter one is known as inbound, an increasingly popular method many businesses prefer to use today. Recent studies have found it is 25 times more expensive to bring in a new customer than it is to keep an existing one around. A performance marketing inbound call center can collaborate with your marketing team to create that subtle, yet effective marketing routine you’ve been waiting for. When you want more variety in the routine?

Outbound Leads

Look no further than your local outbound sales call center. As much as 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated, which can seem surprising when you put so much effort into product quality! Just like the first impression, all it takes is a detail out of place to turn your customer base away. According to a recent research study by Bain and Company, increasing customer retention rates by just 5% will increase profits by 25% or more. When you combine inbound and outbound leads you can create a fulfilling marketing experience on both ends.

There are resources during these rough times. Ask your local outbound sales call center how they can help turn mediocre results into something more reliable!