Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Telemarketing is Not Evil

What makes telemarketing services such a hot topic these days is the proliferation of fraudulent practices and misleading tactics of unscrupulous people. They use the phone as their unwilling tool to dupe unsuspecting people and bilk them out of their money, or else steal other important information about them. And with the phone providing some level of anonymity, it takes a long time for authorities to catch the perpetrators.

But is telemarketing really a tool of evil-doers? Not really. It may be hard to believe but it’s true. Despite what many detractors say, telemarketing does have its place in marketing. First of all, can all the mainstream marketing strategies employed, for example television commercials, achieve broader brand awareness than telemarketing? Or what about cost, can another marketing tactic produce the same results as of telemarketing, using the same budget?

Telemarketing does away with the extra cost of advertising. It does that by targeting only the prospective customers who are most likely to respond favorably to the sales pitch. Professional telemarketers can reach out to hundred of people in a single day, and the only additional cost they incur would be the telephone bills. And there’s that personal touch in telemarketing that most people favor over simply watching an advertisement on TV.

Indeed, telemarketing may leave a bad taste on those who hate it, but for those businesses who flourished with it, it will always be a favorite. After all, it’s a tried and tested recipe for success. There’s really nothing to lose if it’s used.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Telemarketing: Looking Beyond Cost-Efficiency

One way of pushing a business towards development and expediency is through marketing. This means having a sound business plan and being able to distribute resources wisely. There are several ways to carry out marketing such as print advertising, direct mailing and telemarketing.
Telemarketing projects must be result-oriented and should include elements like evaluation of practices, goal setting, targeting, etc. Every stage in this process requires diligence in planning and implementation.

While telemarketing campaigns can be executed in house, most businesses today prefer outsourcing this function to telemarketing companies. This is because telemarketing service providers offer a wide range of teleservices to maximize phone-based marketing efforts. Ideally, lead generation and appointment setting are both done to achieve better results.

In order to be successful in generating new business, companies must choose a provider that understands their industry and brand message. There are providers who offer cost efficient services but it is also important to research each telemarketing company that is being considered. It is vital to know how they work, the kind of representatives they have, and how much success they have achieved. Ask for references to make sure that you a company is partnering with a worthy agency.

Marketing experts say that telemarketing is one of the best tools to generate revenue with the capability of providing greater ROI. It may be true for a lot of companies who have tried it and are still engaged in it, but keep in mind that not all that glitters is gold. Take time and practice caution in finding the right telemarketing service provider.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Benefits Of Outsourcing Telemarketing Services

There are several reasons why a business should consider looking for dependable telemarketing services to support their marketing efforts for revenue growth. Telemarketing can be a convenient and economical means to advertise a business as well as augment their income. Outsourcing telemarketing services to an expert provider can add more efficiency to your outbound or inbound phone-based marketing activities.

Having limited resources is the primary reason why many service and sales oriented companies are delegating teleservices functions to onshore and offshore telemarketing firms. Today, telemarketing companies have taken basic telemarketing to the next level. Other than cold-calling, there are three more telemarketing services they commonly provide:

Answering Service. Each time a prospect or customer calls a business, there should always be someone to answer the telephone. But in reality, business owners and leaders cannot help if their assistants or receptionists could not answer phone calls each and every time, and it becomes even more difficult if call volume increases. Telemarketing service providers now offer answering services to businesses that need their incoming calls answered all the time. Most telemarketing firms provide 24/7/365 help desk and information services to ensure that businesses never have to miss a call or a business opportunity. Answering service also serves as an efficient tool for businesses to improve customer relationships.

Order-Taking and Order Processing. Taking and processing orders are two of the most arduous tasks businesses have to deal with everyday. Of course, if you are a business owner, you want to make sure that each order is taken care of and processed quickly and efficiently. This is the reason why several businesses have adopted the online ordering technology to expedite and streamline order taking and order processing tasks. However, even with an internet-based order processing, there are always people who would and prefer to order by telephone. Telemarketing services can make these labor-intensive tasks much easier for companies by providing 24/7 telephone ordering support. Instead of having employees and paying twice as much for manning the phones all the time, businesses can just employ a telemarketing service firm to save both time and money.

Virtual Personal Assistance. Modern telemarketing services include providing helpful and dedicated assistants for managing administrative functions. This service can be much less expensive than having a full-time employee carry-out administrative tasks. Business owners and executives can access their Virtual Assistants through email, IM and phone. Virtual personal assistants are assigned to work specifically for the client, just like a personal secretary would, but without the client having to worry about workspace, technology costs, employee benefits etc.

Telemarketing service can be a great way for businesses to grow effectively and generate more income. It is a major move in demonstrating to customers and prospects how valuable they are. By outsourcing telemarketing services, companies can save on operational costs, free more time for other activities and increase productivity.