Telemarketing - How To Make It Successful Again?

By Author: Daljeet Sidhu
Total Articles: 4762
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Telemarketing has received flak in recent years, leading to the belief that telemarketing calls are ineffective. However, the reality is that telemarketing calls do work, but only if they are planned and structured sensibly. Telesales campaigns deliver expected results only when they promise some value to a buyer. This should be the objective of telemarketing calls too.

The current generation is barraged with advertisements and marketing content since the day they were born. They are hardheaded and smart enough to not be bowled over by baseless promises. They want real value in propositions and this is where exceptional telemarketing services stand apart. Every call made to a customer has a set point and is planned to support the proposal through various means.

Improving telemarketing quality is a must to its continued existence

Telemarketing has been criticized as an intrusive and unethical means of advertising. Current industry data from United States and Canada are an obvious sign that telemarketing is not going the way it should. The number of people registering on Do-Not-Call registries is indicative ...
... of the growing cynicism towards telemarketing calls. The number of Do-Not-Call registered users has crossed 2 million in the state of Wisconsin alone, of which 44% are mobile phone numbers. The national Do-Not-Call list has an astounding 180 million registrations.

In recent news, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has shuttered a telemarketing operation run by an East Pittsburgh company and penalized it for almost $5 million as compensation to consumers. Talbots Inc. and its California marketing partner have settled to pay a compensation of $161,000 to settle accusations that they violated federal telemarketing policy related to 3.4 million automated sale calls made to consumers in the past year. The steep rise in telemarketing calls targeting people affected by the recession and robocalls disregarding federal telemarketing laws in 2009 has forced the FTC to tighten restrictions on the practice.

Outline the goals of telemarketing

The reason why countless telemarketing services haven't made it is because of the focus on statistics. Statistical objectives have become such a critical part of performance assessment that the consumer's interests get sidelined. Calls are started without a strategic objective in mind; a sale pitch is made too soon; there is no documentation to substantiate the offer; and there is shockingly little follow up.

If telemarketing service providers are to continue in the marketing industry, critical changes are necessary. The results of telemarketing calls can be enhanced by:

* Understanding the aim of a call: Telesales executives should develop a work outline for its telemarketing staff by defining a goal for each call - scheduling an appointment with decision makers, evaluating the consumer's expectations, getting approval to send a quote, etc.

* Not selling in the first contact: The first telemarketing call should only familiarize the consumer with your brand name and build trust by focusing on their requirements instead of your products. Rushing into a sales pitch leads to suspicion and closes the door to further communication.

* Having online and printed information ready: If the consumer asks for further information, you should take that as a positive indication. Provide the address of the business website or post or email a brochure or other marketing content.

* Always following up promptly: Timely follow up proves your commitment to the consumer, and gives you the chance to take the process forward.

If the telemarketing calls picked up by customers offer real benefits, they will not want to join Do-Not-Call lists. Telemarketing services can win back trust by taking the spotlight away from statistics and towards customer service.
About Author:
Daljeet Sidhu is at Tradeseam B2B Marketplace. Read Telemarketing Call Center advice. Compare Telemarketing quotes.