Flexible approach and incremental improvements deliver 750 qualified leads and increased conversion rate of 13.12% in 12 month period
Miele & Cie. KG is Germany's third-largest manufacturer of household appliances with a strong foothold in the European market. The company is best known for its durable washing machines, tumble dryers, rotary irons, dishwashers, built-in refrigerators, freezers, stoves and stove hoods, and vacuum cleaners.
The company was founded in 1899 upon a philosophy of continuous innovation and customer centricity. The company motto of "Immer Besser" (Forever Better) first coined over 100 years ago, is at the heart of a business model that drives continuous improvement across all its activities.
Project background
In February 2017, Miele put out a request for tender for telemarketing services to generate sales leads for their UK network of 18 distribution partners. They needed a partner that could provide a personal, tailored approach that would evolve in line with their long-term sales and marketing strategy. Two agencies were shortlisted at the end of the tender process and The Telemarketing Company identified as the best fit. Whilst not as close geographically, their collaborative, partnership approach made them the best match for Miele’s requirements.
Project execution
Five agents were selected based on their skills and sector experience, including within the retail, hotel and leisure industries. A briefing took place at Miele’s premises with a tour of the product showroom to provide a comprehensive overview of the product portfolio and proposition. This insight and the briefing ensured callers were equipped to identify pain points and handle objections and work to strict qualification criteria so that all outcomes would meet the client’s requirements. Following the briefing, staff also attended a dealership day where they engaged directly with Miele distributors to understand their needs and challenges, and build a foundation for a long-term partnership.
The first phase of the engagement was cold calling into the hotel and care sectors with a generic message and proposition using Miele’s own data. This then progressed to a more targeted approach into the hotel sector, where calls were combined with email and direct mail as part of ongoing nurture.
Working collaboratively with the UK marketing team at Miele, a more strategic approach was then adopted with calling supporting bespoke multi-channel campaigns with tailored propositions and offers based on the geographical and sector focus of individual distributors. Data which had been cleansed in the course of the initial campaign was segmented to support each dealer focus and activity fully integrated across channels including email and direct mail. Telemarketing calls were scheduled within a day or two of an email or direct mail piece, including a flyer with a specific offer, hitting prospects’ desks. In addition to working with the central team, the agency also liaised with Area Managers, loading leads into Miele’s online portal to be distributed based on geographical territories.
A versatile, consultative approach ensured that the client could test and hone new strategies throughout the engagement. Pilots have been carried out into new sectors such as ‘veterinary practices’ and a trial is underway to target prospects early in the cycle via a database of professions, such as architects, involved in building and construction projects.
Results
From the start, the relationship has been characterised by an open, flexible, consultative approach focused on driving continuous improvement. Bespoke reporting and robust quality assurance have enabled client and agency to identify both areas of opportunity and areas for improvement, and adapt quickly to optimise results. Strong communication has been key to success, reinforced by monthly face to face meetings, weekly conference calls, regular campaign reviews, shared call recordings, and live access to results and data through an online client portal.
The initial campaign met targets set and incremental improvements have steadily increased conversion rates from 7.56% to 13.12%. Over 750 qualified leads have been generated over a twelve month period. In addition, valuable insight in the form of competitor, market and prospect information gleaned through profiling questions has been gathered to help feed future strategy, and additional value provided in the form of cleansed, profiled data.
The Telemarketing Company is now working in true partnership with Miele within an integrated multi- agency approach, which combines telemarketing with other specialisms from research and PR, to advertising, social and digital media, email, direct mail and graphic design. This coordinated approach and shared objectives across agencies provides an environment in which new ideas can be developed and strategies honed in a systematic way, to further extend the reach of Miele products into the market.
“From the initial pitch we were really impressed with The Telemarketing Company and their ideas for managing our campaigns. Throughout the past year, we have worked really closely with the team to constantly adapt and improve our campaign due to new insights and a changing marketplace, and TTMC have been collaborative and flexible throughout. We have an exciting plan ahead for 2018 which will allow us to focus on key sectors with a fully integrated marketing plan. We’d have no hesitation in recommending TTMC and the team.”
Professional Marketing Manager