The simplest definition of telemarketing is selling by phone. However anyone who has ever undertaken a B2B telemarketing project will know that there is much more involved than simply making telephone calls. Telemarketing is about reaching your target market with a well thought out message and engaging the interest of potential customers in your company, products or services.
Telemarketing services can be either inbound or outbound. Inbound telemarketing deals with incoming telephone calls which have resulted from some other marketing activity such as a direct mail or email campaign, or a visit to the company website. Inbound telemarketing can be classed as warm calling, as the potential customer has either requested a call back or contacted the company directly, showing their interest in the company’s products and/or services. Inbound telemarketers are dealing with demand and one of the key factors to success is the response time or the telesales agent.
Outbound telemarketing is sometimes referred to as cold calling. B2B telemarketers conducting outbound telemarketing programs will need to be highly skilled individuals, who are well-trained, experienced and possess an ability to sell. Outbound telemarketing has sometimes had a reputation for being a “disruptive” marketing technique and many sales professionals feel uncomfortable making these “cold calls”. But in order to close business, salespeople have to find a way to get in front of their customers or prospects. Telemarketing is one of the most effective ways to this.
The next consideration for any B2B Sales or Marketing Manager is how to get the most from your telemarketing efforts. Over the coming months, we will be looking at everything from choosing the right telemarketing agency, to how to plan and execute a telemarketing program, and best practices for achieving telemarketing success.
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