subject: Direct Mail and Telemarketing: Which is Better? [print this page] Direct Mail and Telemarketing: Which is Better?
In any company, successful product launch is heavily dependent on a strong database. Consequently, business people have always been testing out a choice of strategies to generate quality business leads and to translate them into sales. The truth is, there are almost endless ways to create new business and bump up sales. However, the most common ones that really stand out by reason of their marketing value are direct mailing, e-mail marketing, and telemarketing.
All three have proven their effectiveness in their own distinctive way. Likewise each one has suffered its share of disapproval at one point or another. Although this article does not intend to underrate any of these methods, it aims to help you identify the advantages of what befalls to be the most popular one - telemarketing.
WHAT IS IN A NAME?
Telemarketing is a direct marketing method done by phone. It is a marketing campaign usually employed by mid-sized and large companies due to its efficiency in generating quality leads. The following items explain why telemarketing is more effective in lead generation and appointment setting services than its two counterparts:
1. Telemarketing services are more efficient. Sure, the cost of sending an email or a direct mail is about tenfold lower compared to the cost of making an outbound call. However, to judge the method based on that initial cost alone is short-term thinking, since the proof of the pudding is in the actual sales calls made. Study shows that outbound telemarketing program produces 2 to 3 times as many sales calls appointments as the direct mail program for an equal amount of investment.
2. Telemarketing is more flexible. The danger in direct mail marketing is that you only get one-shot at the copy. Once you got it wrong, the results can be disastrous, and there is no such a thing as an immediate remedy. Now, what if the business list you used were not really as targeted as you expected?
People mostly ignore unsolicited mails and what they view as junk mails. A simple error such as misspelling the name of the recipient could be offensive and render your mail a junk. With telemarketing on the other hand, you can make swift amendments on your approach and make running repairs when something goes wrong during the conversation.
3. Telemarketing provides immediate feedbacks. Results in telemarketing are measurable on a day-to-day basis, letting you assess the effectiveness of your marketing campaign. It also allows you to know your market's condition by simply asking a few questions during a phone conversation or after you're done with the script. Even if they refuse to buy your product or service, it's not rude or intrusive to ask them for a reason. Doing so will help you identify possible flaws in your marketing strategy so you can refine it and make adjustments based on those feedbacks.
4. Telemarketing appeals to the psyche. Anyone can say that it is impossible to develop a relationship with a junk mail. In business, people understand perfectly how relationships are crucial in business success.
Telemarketing builds rapport between companies and clients which is beneficial in its own right regardless of whether that relationship turns to an immediate sale or not. In the end, when your client finally decides to purchase equipments or get a new supplier, it will be a lot easier for them to remember a well-developed rapport than a chic brochure.
5. Telemarketing produces significant future sales opportunities. Lead generation in telemarketing does not only serve existing company requirements for sales but also opens doors for other significant opportunities in the future.
While direct mail marketing is productive in direct sales, it seldom produces future business opportunities or referrals. With telemarketing services, you can increase people's awareness while talking on the phone. During the conversation, you can gradually build their interest, ask for referrals, and build up expectations for future business opportunities.
