Will Telemarketing Work for You?

Every business manager and executive wants to deepen their company’s relationship with customers. They want to understand their clients’ needs, better cater to their target market, and maintain good relationships with their customers. They also want to succeed in selling their product or service. For some companies, telemarketing is the perfect way to learn how to do all this and more.

In some circles, telemarketing gets a bad name. And it’s true that telemarketing won’t necessarily help all companies all of the time. However, in our blog below, we’ll tell you what telemarketing is, how it developed, and what its pros and cons are. By the end of our blog, you’ll better understand how telemarketing can help your business.

Telemarketing 101

Telemarketing is exactly what it sounds like—marketing done over the phone. Inbound telemarketing involves accepting calls from customers and processing their orders. Outbound telemarketing means placing a call to a potential customer, often with the intent to sell a product.

Outbound telemarketing phone calls are known as “cold calls,” meaning the phone call’s recipient did not request the call and was not expecting it. This has made telemarketing a controversial practice. For instance, phone call recipients can be upset or feel that the phone call wastes their time. In response, Congress established certain telemarketing regulations in the early 1990s, including prohibiting telemarketing calls between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.

This history makes some companies wary of telemarketing. However, a good telemarketer does more than sell your product—he or she also sells your company. Telemarketing is one way to get your name to your target audience, retain your audience’s attention, and conduct market research. With these benefits, many businesses (from large to small) look into telemarketing as a key advertising strategy.

Few companies place telemarketing calls themselves. Instead, they rely on a telemarketing service that hires trustworthy telemarketers and places calls on its own. Most people see telemarketing as a sales service, but most telemarketing companies offer several services, including telephone surveys, appointment scheduling, event registration, and more.

B2B telemarketing

One common telemarketing term you might hear is “B2B marketing.” B2B, or business-to-business, marketing means marketing between two businesses, as between a retailer and a wholesaler, instead of between a business and a consumer. B2B telemarketing services often include creating new accounts, processing orders, and selling to current accounts.

Like typical telemarketing, B2B marketing raises awareness about your product to your target audience, but it allows you to quickly reach a commercial audience who you know your product would benefit. This type of marketing calls relevant businesses during the work week, which also feels less intrusive to most call recipients than receiving calls after work at their homes.

Benefits of telemarketing

Whatever type of telemarketing service you choose, it comes with several benefits you can’t get anywhere else. As you try to decide if telemarketing will work for you, consider the following pros:

• Telemarketing provides direct, immediate customer feedback.
• Telemarketing enables you to reach more customers than you can with in-person house calls.
• Since telemarketing consolidates your costs and puts them towards paying the telemarketing service, it is simpler and more cost-effective than other forms of advertising.
• Unlike a newspaper or Internet advertisement, customers can’t just ignore or click past your ad. Instead, as soon as they answer the phone, they become a captive audience.
• Telemarketing lets you create a more personal, intimate sales experience. It’s also more interactive—the customer can ask individual questions and get a direct, personalized response.
• You can measure your telemarketing results immediately. You don’t need to wait to find out how customers respond to your product or service.

Many small businesses turn to telemarketing over other marketing forms because it’s more affordable. It also works well for businesses in isolated locations or businesses with only one brick-and-mortar location. Thanks to telemarketing, they can raise awareness about their products to potential customers on the other side of the country or even the world.

Like most things, telemarketing also has its drawbacks. Consider the cons alongside the pros as you decide to explore telemarketing further:

• Many consumers still view telemarketing negatively. They might find calls unwanted or annoying, which can lead them to view your business negatively.
• Telemarketing doesn’t always result in increased sales. For better results, make sure the people on your telemarketing call lists match your intended demographic.

What is effective telemarketing

Not all telemarketers are created equal. A good telemarketer will give your company more of telemarketing’s benefits while downsizing its drawbacks.

For instance, as soon as a potential customer answers the phone, your telemarketing representative has only a few seconds to make a good first impression. The way this employee talks about your company can make or break the sales call. His or her tone also shapes the conversation. If he or she sounds professional, empathetic, and caring, the person who answers will be more likely to listen to what he or she has to say.

A good combination of effective communication skills, call center etiquette, and sales skills can help telemarketing work for your company. To ensure that you get the most out of your telemarketing experience, work with a trusted telemarketing company; this company should be able to answer any of your remaining questions about how telemarketing can help your business.