Say the word "telemarketer" and you'll likely see some eye-rolling, disgusted looks, and hear heavy sighs and many irritating experiences. While it is true that telemarketers generally cause frustration for most people, have you ever wondered why this form of marketing exists? The answer is plain and simple - it works.
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Telemarketing is a type of direct marketing that involves a salesperson using a telephone to solicit potential customers to purchase products or services. Recorded solicitation messages are also considered a form of telemarketing known as automated telemarketing. There are two major categories of telemarketing: Business to Consumer and Business to Business.
Telemarketing began in the 1950's, and it is believed that DialAmerican Marketing, Inc. was the first company to devote its entire operation on inbound and outbound telephone services and sales. However, it wasn't until the late 1970's that the term "telemarketing" came to be used to describe the selling of products and services over the phone.
Telemarketing calls may be made from a company office, a call center, or from an individual's home. An effective telemarketing process actually involves more than one call, with each call attempting to obtain a different goal. For instance, the first call is meant to determine the needs of the customer, while the final call is designed to encourage the customer to purchase a product or service.
Telemarketers obtain the information of potential customers through various means such as credit limit, purchase history, previous information requests, application forms, another company's customer database, a telephone directory, etc. The customers that a telemarketing company will attempt to contact are those that are most likely to purchase the product or service being offered.
Currently in the U.S., there are thousands upon thousands of telemarketers, and telemarketing is among America's thriving industries. This may come as a surprise, but think about it, why would telemarketing still exist if it was an unprofitable business?
Despite its profitability, there is no denying that most people consider telemarketing to be one of the major drawbacks of owning a phone. For this reason, the National Do Not Call Registry was created to reduce the number of intrusive telemarketing calls phone users receive. Therefore, if you have not already done so, it would be in your best interest to register your phone number(s) with the Registry. You will find it is free and easy to do.
In addition, you can find the owner to a phone number here, which can come in handy if you would like to know the identity of a telemarketer who continues to call you after you have asked them to stop, or if you suspect you are receiving prank calls.
Remember, you are the only person who can reduce the amount of telemarketing calls you receive. Therefore, take action and ask unwanted telemarketing leads agency telemarketers to place you on their do not call list.
Telemarketing is an unbeatable tool used by business marketers for generating leads. However, most people do not see telemarketing calls in a good light as they are perceived as intrusive, badgering, and often, inconveniently timed. This attitude has developed because of the poor professionalism exhibited by some telemarketers and inept management that pressurizes its executives to get results without considering long-term consequences.
The attitude of the people towards your telemarketing calls can be changed by imbibing a level of professionalism that sets them apart from the vanilla variety thronging the market. Whether you have your own telemarketing department or outsource the services, professionalism is key to winning customer's goodwill.
How can you bring professionalism into telemarketing? Here are a few guidelines:
1. Start the conversation with your name and the company's name
If you receive a call about a product, and the caller launches into promises and guarantees without identifying herself or the company selling the product, you're likely to think it's a sham. The same goes for all customers. Identifying yourself and the company you work for makes the call credible. Giving a first and last name works even better for business-to-business calls and high-end consumers.
2. Ask if it is a convenient time
The second step is to ask the consumer if it is convenient to talk now. The customer will appreciate your respecting their time and will be more open to the conversation when you call again. Ask for a time when it would be convenient to call and make sure you stick to it. The go-ahead to call again is in itself an encouraging sign of a possible sales lead.
3. Precede telemarketing with other marketing efforts
Telemarketing becomes more effective if it is supplemented with other marketing strategies such as a direct mail, television or radio advertisement. You can lead the conversation by referring to the "ad in the paper" or "the mailer you received from our company". This makes the call more genuine and the consumer can immediately relate to the product or service you are promoting. If they're interested, they will hear you out attentively.
4. Do not mess with Do-Not-Call regulations
The Do-Not-Call registry came up for a reason and messing with it can get your company into serious legal trouble. Do-Not-Call regulations change regularly and vary at state and national levels. It is very important that telemarketers conform to regulations to avoid litigations and damages. This is half the reason many companies prefer to outsource telemarketing services to third party professional agencies.
5. Record information in a prospect database
Consumers are often annoyed by calls from the same company asking the same thing after a gap of just a day or so. This happens in companies where telemarketers do not track and record information in a common database. Information gathered in a call is crucial data for future sale prospects. In addition, if a telemarketer can refer to a previous conversation with the customer, the customer will feel valued. Value your customer, goodwill to you.
6. Never compromise on quality
In a telemarketing sales campaign, customers come in direct contact with people who are representing your brand. The quality of this contact will have a defining impact on the customer's perception of your company. Though costs are important, they should not override quality in telemarketing. Whether you interview telemarketers directly or hire a third party telemarketing agency, quality should be the chief criterion in your hiring decision.
Professional telemarketing services can improve the rate of lead generations and build a good image of your company. Even if consumers do not make a purchase today, they will be amenable to buying from your brand tomorrow.