subject: Never Cold Call Again - Think Before You Pick Up The Phone [print this page] Cold calling is a marketing strategy that involves approaching prospective customers through telephone. The sales person calls up the prospect to tell him about the company products or services. However, the prospect is not expecting such a call. This marketing technique is widely used in the BPO industry to approach the untapped customer base.
Marketing experts still question the efficacy of cold calling, as it is believed to be used mostly by unscrupulous marketers. The US Federal Trade Commission has introduced the National Do Not Call Registry, which allows US customers to avoid unwanted telemarketing calls. The registry gives consumers a choice on whether they want to receive these calls.
3 Reasons for Marketers to Avoid Cold Calling
According to marketing experts, cold calling is not an effective tool for sales lead generation. It is a regressive tool that can jeopardize one's telemarketing campaign. In fact, the disadvantages of cold calling outweigh its advantages, with its intrinsic dangers making it less appealing. Here are the three main reasons for avoiding this tool:
1.Annoys Customers
The salesman might call when the prospect is in the middle of something important. The call can cause interruption in the client's busy schedule. Some cold callers even call at odd hours when the prospect is resting. These marketers may be too pushy and persistent and not ready to take no for an answer. Some prospects may be averse to receiving sales calls from strangers. All these factors contribute to irritating the prospect, leading him to avoid marketing calls altogether.
2.Loss of Trust
Cold calling already has a reputation of being used by dishonest marketers. So, utilizing this technique can adversely affect your company's credibility. So, it is best to opt for other respectable and effective marketing techniques for long-term relationship building with customers.
3.Unfocused Technique
Cold calling is often referred as an unfocused marketing technique, as it involves random calling. The technique is unreliable, inefficient and time consuming. Marketers who use this technique often end up wasting time and resources on people who are not interested in buying their products. So, it is best to focus your energies on customers who are looking to buy your products.
