Telemarketing refers to the use of the telephone to create leads, make sales or gather information. Small businesses can find telemarketing a valuable tool because it is faster and more cost-effective than personal selling. However, it offers the same benefits as personal selling in direct contact with customers. It is sometimes called “telesales” or “inside sales” by businesses.
Telemarketing can include a recorded sales pitch programmed to be played over the phone through automatic dialing.
Those unwanted calls from the local office supplies retailer calling to ask if they would like to order more paper. Or your favorite yoga studio is calling to offer a discounted rate if you sign-up for a new class or political organizations for political campaigns asking you about your voting stands.
Telemarketers may be calling from “call banks” or the offices of businesses with less than ten telephone surveyors.
Telemarketing can be especially helpful when customers for small businesses’ products and services are hard to reach or when multiple prospects must be contacted to find one interested in purchasing.
While some small businesses do not operate solely by mobile phone, telemarketing is often part of a more extensive marketing program that ties together advertising and personal sales efforts. A company might send information via the mail and then use telemarketing calls to gauge the prospect’s interest. Finally, they could send a representative to visit the opportunity, for instance nonprofit organizations.
Types of Telemarketing
Telemarketing can be inbound or external in scope.
Inbound Telemarketing
This form of telemarketing involves taking orders for a variety of products and handling inbound calls. This type of telemarketing program does not require as much training as outbound telemarketing representatives.
Outbound Telemarketing:
This form of telemarketing can target the end customer directly. For example, a home-repair business might call people to look for customers and prospects. This side of the business requires more product knowledge and training than inbound sales.
Telemarketing advantages
Interpersonal interaction between humans:
Telemarketing offers several advantages over direct marketing telemarketing. It involves human interaction.
Small business
Small businesses can find telemarketing a valuable tool. It saves time and money while offering many of the same benefits for direct contact with customers.
Service to customers:
A loyal client base is a key to long-term business success and company value. Customer service via telemarketing can increase repeat business and customer penetration. Telemarketing offers the benefits of providing excellent customer service.
Lowers costs:
Telemarketing is becoming more popular as businesses look to cut down on the overhead of selling in the face of rising field sales costs. Telemarketing is easier than ever to reach customers. Marketing efforts are concentrated on a few markets so that the cost per contact is lower.
Flexibility
This is the complete flexible type of direct marketing. It allows you to understand and know what your customers want and what they are willing to pay. Telemarketing offers the opportunity to conduct surveys to help you know what your customers want and the brand that allows telemarketing careers. You can also keep the client database updated.
Response measurement
Knowing the effectiveness of advertising can help you measure response. These results can be compared to the previously established ones and can be used to inform plans.
Telemarketing’s disadvantages
Telemarketing is becoming more unpopular.
It is not possible to have visual contact with customers.
Technology is being used more to block unwanted calls, especially telemarketers.
To curb unscrupulous Telemarketers and fraudulent telemarketing companies, the government is taking more challenging steps.
Telemarketing can be outsourced to an outside company, which means you have less control over the process as the callers are not your employees.
A telephone conversation is very brief in terms of memory.
No pre-purchase inspection of goods possible.
Implementation of telemarketing can be costly, especially if it is outsourced to an external firm.
Unsolicited calls can be annoying.
There are negative perceptions because of spammers, fraudulent telemarketing calls that carry out illegal telemarketing operations and are sometimes not considered legitimate.
Telemarketing examples
Flatworld Solutions
Cold calling telemarketing starts at $8 an hour
Squeeze Media
, Utah-based provider of small BPO (business process outsourcing).
Callbox
Best telemarketing service to B2B leads and appointment setting.
Quality Contact Solutions
Telemarketing services available with a variety of pricing models
Go4customer
Extensive listing of additional services beyond telemarketing and call centers.
Strategic Calls
Best telemarketing call service to target executives and managers
Worldwide Call Centers
The best telemarketing service at a low price with global call centers.
SAS
Telemarketing rates for answering service based on usage
Superhuman Prospecting
Telemarketing agents with sales experience.
