Reaching new markets with multilingual telemarketing and telephone research

With the looming cloud of Brexit creating uncertainties across the UK, it is understandable that business managers and business leaders might feel anxious. Recent headlines around ‘no-deal Brexit’ raise the question for many as to whether they could, if needed, develop trade with other countries to replace what might be lost with the EU.

Post-Brexit, the need for cultural agility will be more crucial than ever – not just for international expansion opportunities, but for businesses to remain competitive.

Are UK businesses ready to meet this challenge?

When engaging with overseas businesses, the ability to communicate in your prospect’s native language can help cement the relationship, put you on an equal footing with competitors, or even give your business a competitive edge. It can enable you to build stronger rapport and make your prospect more receptive to doing business with you.

Unfortunately, we are a nation known for its poor language skills and the vote to leave seems to have compounded a steady decline in the number of people learning languages in the UK. A recent survey on language trends by the British Council suggests that 34% of state secondary schools believe the referendum outcome is having a negative impact on language learning.

Aside from a lack of language skills, other potential barriers faced by businesses looking to forge new relationships and extend overseas reach include:

• Cost of doing business: overseas travel, subsidiary offices, additional resources – this type of investment can be risky.
• Cultural differences: the way you engage with your UK customers may not be appropriate to other cultures.
• Time zones: with a 9 to 5 culture, your sales and service staff may not be keen to work into the night to service your overseas opportunities.
• Market knowledge: the prospect of doing business in a market where you are unfamiliar with the competitive landscape can be daunting.
• Proposition: your proposition may not meet the needs of a different target audience.

Seizing opportunities and testing new markets

Despite these potential barriers, there are many businesses successfully tapping into the significant opportunity provided by overseas trade – UK exports are in fact at a record high.

If your business is struggling to reach out to new markets, or if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of developing your overseas trade, don’t despair. If you don’t have the skills and resources in-house, or don’t want the burden of a heavy investment when outcomes are uncertain, an outsource option is an ideal, low risk solution.

If you’re looking to test the waters in new markets, outsourcing your sales or research teams to multilingual experts allows for valuable testing periods to identify opportunities before the need to adapt your business activity. Where these periods may only require short-term services, or involve a fluctuation in need, outsourcing is a flexible and more cost-effective solution.

A multilingual telemarketing agency with expertise in managing global campaigns can help you navigate cultural nuances and develop relationships that give you traction in new markets. A multilingual market research team can gather valuable insights to build your understanding of your target audience, validate your proposition and adapt your strategy to differing market needs. This type of agency will also provide ‘out of hours’ calling that caters for different time zones in your target markets.

Multilingual telemarketing services at TTMC

If you are seeking new trade relationships in advance of Brexit or looking to increase your sales and market share, you don’t need to be held back by limited access to the right skills and market knowledge.

At The Telemarketing Company, we can provide our full range of services in 15+ native languages, covering EMEA, APAC and Rest of the World audiences, from pre-sales research and data services to lead generation and nurture, right through to full telesales/inside sales.

Our approach to multilingual campaigns is reflective of all of our work, in that our agents assume flexible, unscripted methods to develop and nurture long term opportunities. Acting as an extension of our clients’ business, we actively manage campaigns, regularly review performance and ensure that this is frequently fed back in order to help our clients improve, along with any recommendations or opportunities we spot along the way. A data-led channel, telemarketing can be precisely targeted and is highly measurable, so you always have a clear view on ROI and full control of your budget.

Our previous work includes high-quality sales lead generation and appointment setting for global organisations including Microsoft and their channel partners. Putting together a team of skilled, multilingual agents in less than ten working days, we were able to deliver results that exceeded expectations, as customers across the EMEA region were particularly receptive to a tailored proposition from native language speakers.

With 28 years expertise in managing global programmes, we have an unparalleled depth of experience in multilingual telemarketing, lead generation and telephone research. If you are looking for an agile, low-risk multilingual solution to help develop new overseas markets or to maintain and extend your existing international operations, get in touch today.