How to Win Sales and Influence Customers: 5 Telemarketing Company Best-practices

Customers are becoming more marketing-savvy by the minute--any miscue in the communication exchange could cost both front- and back-end sales. Walking the fine line of purposeful telemarketing means finding the right vendor has never been more critical. There are 5 features any potential telemarketing company should demonstrate before theyre brought onboard.

A telemarketing company can make or break a campaign in several ways and at several stages of the process. A vendor with sales acumen can turn angry customers into loyal ones. A vendor without this kind of tact and proper training can turn frequent buyers into no-call listers.

Five Features Telemarketing Companies Should Possess

1. The telemarketing company is in total compliance. Federal regulations have changed the way companies do business over the phone. Laws exist to protect consumers from unwanted calls from companies they have no established relationship with. The American Teleservices Association encourages potential telemarketing vendors to adhere to legislation related to fraud, ethics, inbound calls, interstate telemarketing and established relationships.
2. Telemarketing does not mean robo-marketing. Back in September 2008, the Federal Trade Commission amended the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) to include ceasing calls unless the company obtained permission in writing from consumers who want to receive such calls. Penalties of up to $16,000 per call can be assessed to the sponsoring company as well as the telemarketing company.
3. The telemarketing company reports and tracks with regularity. Using tracking and reporting software to document calls is useless without assessment. Telemarketing entities should examine short- and long-term trends to see whats working and what isnt. Weak links should be addressed immediately with changes to reverse the direction of a poorly-performing campaign. Also, Web-based tracking and reporting software connects company and vendor to allow for strategic planning in a seamless flow of information.
4. Telemarketing TSRs are grounded in the process. Telephone service representatives (TSRs) must be problem-solvers and objection-relievers. They should know how to handle the multitude of issues that can arise through the course of a sales conversation. TSRs should also know how to direct the course of the call to achieve the desired results--appointment-setting, lead-generation, etc.
5. The telemarketing company works off of a professional script. If a million-dollar telemarketing campaign rides on a single script, it better be written by a professional communicator. Too many times, companies balk at shelling out big bucks for a professional script, only to find it costs them even bigger in the end.

Telemarketing is a science, plain and simple. Outsourcing the service to a company demonstrating best-practices and quality control adds another sturdy spoke to the marketing wheel. Rather than letting price be the determining factor, evaluate potential partners using these five criteria. The natural leaders will meet or exceed these standards of telemarketing operation and offer huge ROI.