Telemarketing is a direct marketing approach used to approach prospective customers over the phone. This method of contact can also be used to conduct market research and generate leads for businesses.
When most people ask themselves “what is telemarketing?” They associate negative connotations with the marketing approach. This is mainly because scammers have adopted the approach and have made it a nuisance for some people.
However, when telemarketing campaigns are conducted effectively and professionally, there are many benefits of telemarketing for your business.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at what telemarketing is and how it can be used to optimise sales and lead-generation practices for your business.
How does telemarketing work?
So what is telemarketing and how does it work? Telemarketing involves directly contacting prospective clients and assessing whether or not they would make a good lead to build a business relationship with. The act of telemarketing often takes place after market research has been completed, as this activity should have provided telemarketers with a solid database of contacts to pursue.
Telemarketing can be conducted from several locations. Most commonly, this is done at an office or in a call centre. However, with more of a shift towards remote working, more and more telemarketers are working from home. The only thing needed to conduct telemarketing activities is a phone and a contacts list.
Any business can conduct telemarketing activities whether they are selling something or not. Non-profit organisations often use such strategies to ask for donations and electoral entities such as political parties use it to drum up votes.
This direct approach is conducted exclusively over the phone and takes special skills to be able to execute these campaigns effectively. Professional telemarketers are highly skilled in personal interactions and can build trust with prospective clients and customers easily.
Types of telemarketing
Although telemarketing can be used to generate sales, this isn’t necessarily always the main goal of carrying out a telemarketing campaign. Using different telemarketing strategies, businesses can use these practices for different purposes.
Outbound Telemarketing
Outbound telemarketing is the type of activity most people are familiar with. This telemarketing technique involves an activity known as cold calling. This is where prospects are contacted by the telemarketer without any previous appointment. Cold calling can be used to set up meetings or appointments to discuss products and services further. However, this technique is also used to close sales deals on occasion.
Inbound Telemarketing
Inbound telemarketing is where the company that is providing the products or services receives calls from people inquiring about their offerings. These calls are often made after someone has seen the company advertised in the media or through social media.
Another common inbound telemarketing strategy is to call people back who have expressed interest in a product either through an online form or by emailing a company with specific enquiries. The phone call made to this prospect is known as a “warm call” as the interest has already been expressed.
Lead Generation
Lead generation is the telemarketing strategy used to conduct research and gain information on prospective customers. It can also be used to see what the specific demographics of interested parties are, which helps in carrying out effective targeted marketing campaigns. This activity also involves cold calling but is less geared towards closing a sale, and more towards asking informed questions to gain a better idea of a company’s target audience.
Sales Telemarketing
Sales Telemarketing involves calling up prospective or existing customers to try and make a sale. This technique is often the hardest one to conduct and takes a skilled professional to execute this strategy effectively. This activity requires someone with very good persuasion skills and resilience.
Telemarketing best practices
Because of the bad wrap telemarketing gets, there are a few things to keep in mind when conducting a telemarketing campaign. Professional telemarketers will know how to carry out telemarketing while following best practices. Below are some of the best things to do when carrying out a telemarketing campaign.
Pay Attention to DNCs
Do Not Call (DNC) lists are a vital tool for telemarketers as they automatically rule out those possible customers who do not want to be contacted. Some of these lists are publicly available, however, it is also up to the company to ensure their contact databases are up to date and that they also keep a record of their DNCs. Under no circumstances should someone on a DNC list be contacted.
Do Not Be A Nuisance
Professional telemarketers will know when a call is making progress and when it is not. If the other party is not interested in a product or service for valid reasons, do not try to manipulate them or annoy them. It’s best to move on to another prospect rather than waste time on a call that’s not going anywhere.
Practice Empathy
Always remember that the goal of telemarketing is to offer another individual or company a product or service that can genuinely help them and make their lives easier. Make sure your team of telemarketers are good at practising empathy as this is the quickest way to build trust with customers.
Always Keep The Goal In Mind
When speaking to someone on the phone, it can be easy to get sidetracked. Always make sure you keep the end goal of the conversation in mind so that you can be effective in your telemarketing efforts.
Why you should invest in telemarketing services
Novus is a group of trained telemarketing professionals who have a deep understanding of what it takes to successfully carry out a telemarketing campaign. At Novus, our team is trained, personable, highly skilled and has a good track record.
Outsourcing your telemarketing is a great way of saving you time and resources within your company, leaving you to conduct product development work and business strategies. If you are interested in outsourcing your telemarketing team, get in touch with our team at Novus today.
Telemarketing FAQs
Is telemarketing easy?
Telemarketing is a highly challenging job that requires lots of personal skills. Professional telemarketers undergo rigorous training to become good at what they do. It is not an easy job to do.
Is outsourcing telemarketing worth it?
Outsourcing your telemarketing team can save you time and resources at your own company. You will also be guaranteed a team of trained professionals as opposed to in-house staff who may not have the skills or knowledge to conduct telemarketing activities.
