subject: Telemarketing - What Would Make It Lucrative Again? [print this page] Telemarketing has been heavily criticized in recent years, making many businesspersons believe that telemarketing calls are ineffective. However, the fact is that telemarketing calls do work, but only for companies that make the effort to get them right. Marketing campaigns deliver expected results only when they promise some value to a customer. This should be the objective of telemarketing calls too.
Today's customers are inundated with advertisements and marketing content since the day they were born. They are shrewd and intelligent enough to not be bowled over by baseless promises. They want genuine value in offers and this is where exceptional telemarketing services distinguish themselves. Each call made to a customer has a defined point and is planned to support the offer during the conversation.
Improving telemarketing quality is a must to its longevity
Telemarketing is often perceived as an intrusive and unprincipled means of advertising. Current industry data from United States and Canada are a clear sign that telemarketing is going downhill. Lengthening Do-Not-Call lists confirm the growing cynicism towards telemarketing calls. The count of Do-Not-Call registered users has crossed 2 million in the state of Wisconsin alone, and almost half of it are cellular phone numbers. The nationwide Do-Not-Call list has more than 180 million registered numbers.
Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has shuttered a telemarketing operation run by an East Pittsburgh company and ordered more than $4.7 million as restitution to customers. Talbots Inc. and its California marketing partner will have to shell out a compensation of $161,000 to settle allegations that they violated federal telemarketing regulations related to 3.4 million robocalls (automated sale pitches) made to consumers in the past year. The steep rise in telemarketing calls aimed at recession hit consumers and robocalls disregarding federal telemarketing laws in 2009 has forced the FTC to impose more curbs.
Outline the goals of telemarketing
The reason why several telemarketing services have gone downhill is because of the emphasis on numbers. Numbers have become such a critical component of measuring performance that the customer's interests are often ignored. Calls are not made with a strategic objective in mind; the customer feels pressurized; there is no documentation to support the offer; and there is shockingly little follow up.
If telemarketing service providers are to thrive in the marketing industry, basic changes are needed. The results of telemarketing calls can be enhanced by: * Considering the aim of a call: Management should develop a work outline for its telemarketing staff by defining an objective for each call - scheduling an appointment with top executives, evaluating the consumer's expectations, requesting permission to send a quote, etc. * Not selling in the first call: The first telemarketing call should only acquaint the customer with your brand and build trust by focusing on their needs instead of your products. Rushing into a sales pitch raises suspicion and works against you. * Keeping online and printed information ready: If the customer asks for further information, it's a good sign. Provide the address of the business website or post or email a brochure or other marketing content. * Always following up promptly: Timely follow up shows your commitment to the consumer, and helps you to convince the customer better. If clients get pertinent telemarketing calls that are in sync with their needs, they will not want to join Do-Not-Call lists. Telemarketing services can win back confidence by taking the spotlight away from statistics and towards customer service.by: Daljeet Sidhu
