When was the last time you picked up the phone, only to be greeted with an unsolicited, unwanted cold call by someone reading off a weak script and who isn’t really interested in what they’re doing?
If that sounds familiar, it’s hardly surprising, which is a real shame because it’s that kind of approach that damages the integrity of genuine telemarketing. And unsurprisingly leads onto the question…
Is Telemarketing Dead?
Adverse experiences like those mentioned above promote the theory that telemarketing is dead, pointless, or at the very least, not as valued as it should be.
Commonly perceived as a numbers game, whereby if you make enough calls, something will convert, the reality is vastly different, particularly in the B2B space.
For a customer-centric business, this type of telemarketing has fortunately gone the way of the dodo. Telemarketing has evolved. Don’t forget that 50 leads that convert are better than 10,000 leads that don’t.
This is the philosophy that good telemarketers subscribe to.
Today, relationship building is the key — both online and off. When combined with the correct data and insight derived from digital activity, telemarketers can speak to the right people at the right time, promoting solutions and services that are fit for purpose.
The Core Advantages of Telemarketing in 2022
We get it, images draw attention. Videos are immersive. They can both communicate a lot of information efficiently. However, telemarketing calls are dynamically interactive because it’s a two-way conversation. So while an ad can be captivating and persuasive, there’s simply no substitute for personal, human interaction at the correct time.
And a telemarketer who is actively engaged with a prospect, who listens to their needs and is well briefed on the service, product or solution on offer can communicate in much greater detail. Answering questions, allaying fears or teasing out a particular issue being faced.
We’re obviously not suggesting that all marketing budget should be redirected to telemarketing at the expense of other channels. But we do believe that when telemarketing is employed alongside complementary tactics, businesses can cultivate a strong sales funnel, one that’s more likely to convert a lead.
Use telemarketing to build rapport
People buy into and buy from people they like. It’s really that simple. Telemarketers can create a highly personalised experience, something that’s vital to any decision-making process. Think about it, are you going to buy from someone that took the time to get to know you and your business, or someone who makes you feel like you’re just another name and number on a spreadsheet?
An experienced telemarketer can communicate value at all stages in the sales funnel. Adjusting how they communicate with prospects in a microsecond. They can nurture connections, showcase more information to prompt a decision, reassure leads, and so much more. From a rapport perspective, there are few better marketing strategies.
Telemarketing Delivers Quantifiable Results
No matter what marketing strategy your business chooses to employ, being able to quantify results quickly is paramount. Without this, how else are you to know what’s worth investing your resources in and what isn’t? Simple, right?
Telemarketing offers businesses the sublime benefit of being able to gather immediate responses and implement a system for analysing and identifying call nature, tracking how different approaches resonate with different audiences.
Cold calling may, from the outside, appear simple and old-fashioned, but it’s been around a long time, has been effective for a long time and continues to be. And for businesses that don’t have an internal telemarketing team, an agency offers the best of both worlds where you can turn on the telemarketing tap when you need it and turn it off when you’re done.
When you consider just how quantifiable telemarketing is, the question of ‘does telemarketing still work?’ is redundant. It still works… very, very well.
So, What’s Stopping You?
It’s true that telemarketing has garnered a negative reputation in recent years.
But is that fair? Absolutely not. Telemarketing, without question, can be incredibly useful for businesses of all descriptions to thrive if done correctly. After all, genuine prospects do genuinely WANT to speak to vendors.
The bottom line is that there have been plenty of opportunities for telemarketing to go extinct in the face of digital marketing over the past 20 years, but as we enter Q4 2022 it’s still very much alive with no signs of becoming extinct.