Today’s marketplace provides consumers with a plethora of options. Competition has never been higher and making sales quotas can be difficult. Gone are the days of the door-to-door salesman. Print advertising, in addition to being cost prohibitive, is really more well suited for brick and mortar shops than digital businesses.

So what is the best way to reach your customers where they are and to determine their needs? The answer is telemarketing. Telemarketing gives you the ability to instantly connect with new prospects, create brand awareness, and even bring former clients back into the fold. Here’s what you need to know.

The basics

So what is telemarketing? Simply put, telemarketing is a form of direct marketing that uses telephone calls as its main source of contact. It can be carried out by humans or through automated phone calls known as “robocalls”.

Occasionally referred to as a form of “inside sales,” telemarketing is a cost efficient way to bring your product to the largest possible targeted audience. Unlike other forms of direct marketing, companies don’t rely on customers to reach out to them for more information. Instead, in many cases, telemarketers already know the demographics and interests of the potential customers on their call list and know that their product is a great fit for their needs.

The more targeted a telemarketer’s list is, the better their sales conversion will be. Likewise, the more highly trained and adaptable a company’s callers are, the more likely they’ll close sales successfully. 

Misconceptions

As mentioned earlier, “robocalls” are occasionally used by telemarketing companies. Unfortunately, their use by nefarious individuals has given telemarketing and autodialers a bad reputation. In fact, many robocalls are illegal and several businesses that use them don’t screen for numbers on the Do Not Call Registry.

That being said, not all forms of telemarketing are equal. Reputable call centers follow Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations and adhere to strict codes of conduct. Not only that, but using a good call center that utilizes the most up-to-date, omnichannel software can help increase sales for businesses while also removing the frustration and anger that can be experienced by customers on the other end of calls.

FTC regulations

If considering the use of telemarketing for B2B sales, it’s important to be aware of the FTC’s rules for telemarketing. As stated before, telemarketers are prohibited from calling any number on the Do Not Call Registry. There is an annual fee of $63 for each area code of data. At the maximum, companies may end up paying for $17,406 for this information, so it’s important to know exactly where your target customers live.

If your caller closes a sale over the phone, the customer must express oral authorization for their credit card or bank account to be debited for the amount of the sale. In this case, it’s important to utilize call center software with excellent recording capabilities. In the same vein, it is an FTC rule that all calls should be recorded and kept for two years.

This is beneficial to you and to customers. Revisiting recordings can help your call center better train employees and can act as insurance should a customer have a complaint or dispute.

What to look for in a call center software

While telemarketing is a great tool for companies looking to reach new clients, the purchasing of call center software can offer a few challenges. For example, call center software prices can vary, as can software capabilities. When researching which software to invest in, consider the experience you’d like for your customers.

Do you want your software to simply auto-dial for your callers? Or do you want the software to also offer current customers the possibility to interact with your staff over a multitude of channels when they have a problem or when they want to make an additional purchase? Can your software make sure that calls are automatically distributed and that your center is working as efficiently as possible?

These are just a few key elements to carefully consider. Telemarketing is an ever evolving method of reaching a broad customer base and creating sales. While there are more and more regulations on the practice, the right software can help you navigate new laws all while continuing to grow your business.