what is telemarketing

Telemarketing: Definition

üTelemarketing is a method of selling products and services over the telephone.

üTelemarketing (sometimes known as inside sales, or telesales ) is a method of direct marketing in which a salesperson solicits prospective customers to buy products or services, either over the phone or through a subsequent face to face or web conferencing appointment scheduled during the call.

üExample: Those calls at dinner time from  companies encouraging you to switch from cable TV to a dish service? That’s telemarketing.

Benefits of using telemarketing :

• telemarketing provide a more interactive and personal sale service

•  telemarketing  create an immediate rapport with your customers

•  telemarketing explain technical issues more clearly

•  telemarketing generate leads and appointments

•  telemarketing sell from a distance to increase your sales territory

•  telemarketing reach more customers than with in-person sales calls

•  telemarketing sell to both existing and new customers

•  telemarketing achieve results that are measurable

Disadvantages of telemarketing

• telemarketing can be resented - particularly when dealing with business-to-consumer customers, and when calls are made in the evenings

• customer lists may not always be clean and opted-in - this leaves you with a potential risk of breaking the law

• customer lists can be very costly

• telemarketing has a negative image that could damage your business' reputation - if carried out poorly

• telemarketing has the potential to replace a sales team and this could lead to negative feelings among employees

• training staff can be time-consuming and costly

• an outside service provider can result in your losing control over your sales processes.