The Telemarketing Services Basics
Telemarketing is still a hotly contested marketing strategy in the country today. Although many businesses find it very useful in generating sales and reaching out to potential customers, people still find it to be a quite an "unglamorous" job, at worst a complete irritation. But what exactly is telemarketing?
Telemarketing services is a marketing method employed by businesses wherein they call the customers on the phone. Products and services of the company are promoted and the customers are convinced to buy them or sign up. This is a very efficient selling strategy. First of all, it reduces cost. Not many people know it, but calling a hundred customers in a single day can be easily done by one person. Imagine doing a door-to-door campaign, and it's pretty easy to picture out the number of people needed to cover that many customers.
Another thing is time. Telemarketing promotes products and services at a much shorter time than what streamers, leaflets or banners can achieve. Radio and TV advertising, the much faster promotion methods, may not even achieve the same response. Customers or even potential ones will be able to express their desires and needs in a quicker manner when they are being phoned.
Lastly, there's the human touch of the caller. Many people find the impersonality of radio, TV, and print advertising to be very distant. They don't feel that the products or services are really meant for them. More often than not, this is the main reason why they don't buy at all. On the other hand, when a telemarketer gives them a call, customers get a feeling that they call just for them. And if it's a very professional telemarketer, they get the chance to interact, hear the sales pitch, and may just get themselves persuaded to take advantage of what's being offered.
Telemarketing is not a very difficult job. All that's needed is the awareness that it takes more than one call to make a sale. Sometimes, it can take days or weeks before any interest is elicited. What's important is to take note that some people may not really buy at all, but there are others who will. The thing here is that people should always be made aware of the products or services being offered by the company. The present may not have any use for it, but as long as others are made aware of its existence, then the need will arise in the future. By then, a sale or a deal could be finally had.
One more thing about telemarketing, it's also about timing. The main reason why people find telemarketing to be such a bother is the fact that some telemarketers call them at inconvenient hours, for example during dinner, very early in the morning, or late in the evening. There are also cases where people don't want to receive such calls but still end up receiving them. Like the case of one company, the Federal Telecommunications Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against them because of violations in the Do Not Call list of people. The court ruled that the company was guilty.
That's why a good telemarketer employs tactics that would not only maximize the potentials of a call, but also at the same time reduce the chances of earning the ire of the customer. Not only will the name of the company he represents look good, it would result to a good relationship and a positive response from the interested customer.
That can only be good for both sides. The company succeeds in establishing a good brand presence in the mind of the customer, while the customer gets the chance to interact and fully understand what the product or service being offered is all about.
Belinda Summers works as a professional consultant. She helps businesses increase their revenue by lead generation and appointment setting services through Telemarketing.
