Outsourcing telemarketing – yes or no?

Outsourcing telemarketing – yes or no?

Vintage telephone handset

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

Ask someone about telemarketing nowadays and they’ll likely look at you like they’re sucking on a lemon before saying something like: ‘Telemarketing? Picking up a phone and actually talk to someone you don’t know? Why would you do that when you can just send an email?’

They’ve got a point to be fair. Sending an email is easy. You can do it when it suits you and you’re not relying on someone passing on a message when the person you need to speak isn’t there (or doesn’t want to talk to you). The same goes for a direct mail shot.

However, telemarketing is still a viable form of marketing if it’s done right. That doesn’t mean a scattergun approach where you just cold-call a load of business prospects and hope one or two will have a chat. They don’t know you from Adam and are busy – why would they talk to you?

Telemarketing in the digital age needs to be more sophisticated than that. It needs to build relationships and be a two-way experience for both parties.

So, how can you make this happen? You could follow the example of successful business owners the world over who use other professionals to look after all areas of their business for them, including marketing. Think of a big organisation who makes brilliant TV ads or one with a fantastic social media presence and the chances are they’ve outsourced it to someone else.

They do this because they know the guys they’ve outsourced things to are experts at what they do, who know what works and what doesn’t, and how to connect with customers. They trust them to do it right. It also means the business owner has time to do the stuff they’re good at, like running the business without having to worry about the marketing.

The advantages of outsourcing telemarketing are just the same. You get the benefit of all their wisdom and expertise, like a structured approach, regular call notes and feedback, and face-to-face appointments with the right people made for you, without the hassle of actually making the dreaded phone calls.

So, we say outsourced telemarketing is a big yes. There’s no missed call-backs, awkward silences when you don’t know what to say, and you know when you get to meet your prospective client, they’ll know all about you and are ready to listen (and hopefully buy). You’ll get instant feedback too.

Outbound telemarketing is gaining popularity once again as savvy marketers and smart business owners return to direct response marketing. It’s probably not as expensive as you think it will be either. And whatever you spend, that one well-timed phone call on your behalf could be a game-changer.

very best,

Share this post