Just because clients in the Business-to-Business (B2B) sector are business professionals doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be treated as ‘customers’. In fact, they sometimes need more attention and nurturing than regular consumers.

Lead generation in B2C is quite simple: you present a product or service, make sure it caters to the needs of your target market, add a little advertising magic, and you’re done. But with B2B, you may still need to meet the requirements of your business prospects. This involves the process of proposing a product or a model that serves to address their operational, financial and logistical concerns.

Wear your customer service “badge”

Some experts recommend using a “business language” when talking to B2B prospects. While this definitely wouldn’t hurt a conversation, it’s also important to remember that these people may end up being future business partners. As it is a mandate to get to know them better, it might as well be wise to start that relationship as early as the initial touch.

Of course, there are fundamental customer service rules, which need not be elaborated:

Introduce yourself first and brand your call

Address the other party appropriately

Listen attentively and never interrupt

Say your “please”s and “thank you”s

These are pretty basic and may seem like they shouldn’t have anything to do with a call’s success, but these little things can serve as an emotional investment to foster a budding business relationship. Then there are also these other things that could be handy:

Mention the prospect’s name often, but not too much – Some people would think this is a nuisance during a conversation, but when prospects hear their name, it shows that you are genuinely interested in them. It makes the conversation less transactional and more casual.

Be confident when talking – This should already be a given, but this is a trait that often goes out the window during an actual call. Confidence is a crucial factor even in the B2C customer service industry. When someone sounds like he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, the odds of a business partnership becomes unlikely.

Recap and close with warmth – As with any customer service platform, telemarketers should make sure that the prospects have fully captured what has transpired in a call. Just a simple recap of the key takeaways, quick reminders of future tasks, and a memorable (but not too salesy) closing spiel can leave a mark on the prospect, which you may be able to capitalize on when the opportunity arises.

This content originally appeared at Callbox Blog.