Has there been any industry that has gotten a worse rap in the past decade than
telemarketing services? First, the Federal Trade Commission slams the door with
the Do Not Call registry and then follows that move up by waffling over enforcement.
Telemarketing is still around for one reason and one reason only: it works. Coupled
with a little direct marketing savvy, telemarketing is still a viable way to
build a brand.
Telemarketing as a Branding Tool
For a telemarketing service to be truly effective, it needs to have some clearly
defined boundaries to shape its activity. According to Marketing M.O., the
primary functions that a telemarketing service should serve include:
- Generating leads. The true cold call. It can be effective in the perfect
markets, but is seldom the foundation for a successful marketing campaign.
- Qualifying
interested prospects. If potential customers respond to a landing page
or send in a coupon by snail mail, telemarketing springs into action to
see how serious that prospect is.
- Conducting market research. Telemarketing can help find ways to improve products, services, or industries. Sneaking
in a little offer here or there
also helps.
Just What Telemarketing Data Should Be Measured?
The core component of any meaningful telemarketing campaign
is metrics. Just what needs to be measured? What data should the call software
track on a
daily basis? In Demandblog, Jason Stewart proposes a fairly substantial list
of telemarketing service
metrics that should be measured and used to drive
practices:
- Lead information and leads passed. The new leads passed to sales reps over
the week, a listing of initial meetings that were scheduled to occur, and
what to expect in the next week
- Database detail. A predominantly graphic-oriented
section that shows percentages
of important information, like: names that have been dialed, who has been
contacted, and how many fresh leads await
- Conversation detail. Allows training
and retraining callers to improve their pitch. Also enables targeting specific
titles in potential companies
and gets
reps through to them faster
Choosing an Outbound/Inbound Telemarketing Service the Right Way
Putting things into perspective before adding telemarketing to a business
brand-building efforts will pay off. After nailing down what a business requires
from the aforementioned points, the next step is auditioning various companies
for the spot. A few things to consider:
- This is an age of specialization. Chances are, theres a telemarketing service that caters to most every industry.
- Discussing a business strategy
helps draw clear lines about who is responsible
for what. Creating a communication process that addresses problems quickly
will also nip long-term issues in the bud.
- Telemarketing companies may play
highlight tapes to exemplify their services, but sitting in on live calls
paints a more accurate picture of their service
quality and how their callers control the conversation.
Sources
BNET
Demandblog
FTC
IBM
Marketing M.O.
