Telemarketing, when done properly, can:
- Reveal new business opportunities
- Qualify prospects for present or future business needs
- Set appointments with decision-makers
All of this can be done in a way that's neither intrusive nor exasperating. Organizations that consider making telemarketing a part of their comprehensive marketing strategy should know: the new rules of telemarketing calls have come full circle.
FTC and the TSR: Understanding the Impact
The Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) has recently been amended by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in two specific ways. The first is prohibits telemarketing calls that deliver prerecorded messages unless a consumer previously has agreed to accept such calls. The second describes the method of calculating the maximum permissible level of call abandonment, which is a benchmark of abuse. These amendments took effect on December 1, 2008; companies can get copies of the prerecorded call amendments to the TSR from the FTC's Web site.
These two changes reveal strategies that businesses should consider adopting to keep their marketing efforts on the cutting-edge:
- Keeping Telemarketing Calls Personal Helps. It may save time and money to use prerecorded calls, but these don't have a high success rate--real people appreciate talking to real people.
- If Abandonment is High, It's Time to Change Strategies. Real-time statistics on success and failure rates help tremendously--alter the message if it's not getting through.
Refining Telemarketing Objectives: Aim, then Fire
Mark Sanford, business development coach and trainer with Sanford Associates, reveals several insights into refining call objectives for maximum effectiveness. The first is to separate calls into specific categories: prospecting, appointment, follow-up and reward contacts. Not only does the separation define processes for the call team, but it also improves data collection and application.
Speaking of follow-up, Sanford firmly believes that telemarketing calls are routinely more effective when they come on the tails of a meaningful event--a trade show, a conference, a direct mail campaign and the like. B2B and B2C follow-up calls retain momentum and reach potential prospects when they already have the business in mind. On the other side, an out-of-the-blue call can create confusion and disinterest--two primary precursors to call abandonment.
Preparing Sales Teams for Success: Training and Ownership
Whether handling telemarketing calls in-house or outsourcing to a third party, internal preparation is one key to meeting prospecting goals. According to David Frey, President of Marketing Best Practices Inc, the following best practices can improve response rates dramatically:
- Investing in World-class Training. This means encouraging ownership in every call, working with responses to common objections, and conducting product and service in-services.
- Developing a Great Script. This is usually taken for granted--a team making calls without a solid script is typically working at an immediate disadvantage.
- Incorporating a Reliable Voicemail System. There's no getting past the fact that customers return calls after hours--a voicemail system can be an invaluable safety net.
Compliance. Strategy. Preparation. These are the new rules of telemarketing calls and how every CEO should be approaching this potentially high-impact publicity vehicle. Anything less can result in lost dollars and, even more importantly, lost business opportunities.
Sources
Federal Trade Commission
PowerHomeBiz.com
SalesVantage.com