THE REALITY OF TELEMARKETING

Why Telemarket?

The reality that lies behind the world of telephone marketing is often overshadowed by negativity. Many people do not realize how effective it is in terms of promoting one's business because phone-based selling is often despised by consumers. The fact is, the expected response rate from a telemarketing campaign is between 5% and 10%. This rate is greater than what businesses can get through e-mail marketing, print advertising, direct mailing or the most difficult of all, person-to-person sale.

One of the major advantages of telemarketing is direct communication with consumers which is tremendously important in business development. Through telephone conversations with prospects, companies can make assessments on how well their products/services are received by their customers. This opportunity to immediately reach out to people cannot be achieved with other methods of marketing. Telemarketing provides businesses direct access to the consumers.

But how did telemarketing end up being so hated by the public that millions of Americans listed their phone numbers in the National Do Not Call Registry? It's because a small percentage of the telemarketing industry abused outbound cold-calling to the point of tricking and scamming people to make money.

Responsible Telemarketing

There are several reasons why telemarketing has been viewed as one of the worst ideas of the 21st century. One is the lack of responsibility. When companies engage in a telemarketing program, they must pay close attention to how their salespeople conduct telephone marketing. Some telemarketers forget that getting people into buying something also depends greatly on how they interact with customers or prospects on the phone. Do they treat them with respect? Do they practice good telemarketing or they simply dial the numbers without regard for people's feelings or situations?

Choosing the right people to man the phones is an important aspect of telephone sales. Telemarketers need to have proper training to be able to deal with different types of people and situations. They must be able to overcome rejections effectively and relate to prospects with genuine interest and professionalism.

It is also necessary for companies to pre-identify their target audience to ensure that the product or service being offered suits their needs. Telemarketing is effective if businesses have analyzed how relevant their services/products are for their prospects.

Is It a Dying Industry?

Absolutely not. Surprisingly, even in the face of adversity (state and federal anti-telemarketing laws), telemarketing is a thriving industry simply because it works. But, for companies that are planning to launch a campaign, don't get too excited. It takes time to get telemarketing right. For some business owners, it took them years to develop a successful phone-based sales operation. One thing is for sure, telephone selling can benefit a business, but only if it's done properly.