How many times have you heard someone say, “I tried telemarketing once and it didn’t work.”?
The reality probably was “I tried telemarketing once and I didn’t get it right first time, so I gave up.”
Telemarketing is a long-term marketing tool – not a quick fix.
A fundamental point to be made at the outset of this article is that marketing using the telephone is a skill-set that has taken BHT Marketing Ltd of Northampton, years to develop and refine. The result is that BHT can demonstrate how a telemarketing campaign should work within specific markets. This experience and the statistical evidence for each client is invaluable knowledge. A regular, long-term campaign with BHT will provide each client not only with a steady flow of interested parties with the corresponding prospect of growth in turnover and, therefore, profitability, but also a better understanding of how to penetrate your market and what its frequency is.
However, because of the poor reputation that has been generated over the years by the majority of “get rich quick” telemarketing agencies, the concept of telemarketing as a legitimate marketing tool is often disbelieved and mistrusted. As a result, it is undervalued and underutilised.
The first point, therefore, is that, because telemarketing is a hard-won skill-set it should only be undertaken by professionals, with a proven track record, if you want to achieve reasonable and consistent results. Some companies believe that the salesman or the sales co-ordinator, or even the secretary, should conduct their telemarketing to find those all important sales leads. Why would you put untrained people into the vanguard of your business and not have sleepless nights? This misunderstanding of the skill needed to conduct a professional telemarketing campaign, fosters the popular belief that the poor results achieved by these untrained, in-house groups, is proof that telemarketing doesn’t work.
Secondly, telemarketing is part of the whole panoply of marketing and, where possible, should be integrated into an overall marketing strategy. The best results are always achieved if there is a cohesive marketing strategy which involves aspects of several disciplines like advertising, e-campaigns and telemarketing. Individually, each discipline will achieve a level of result but together they will improve sales performance all round.
Thirdly, you will need a reasonable budget if you are going to conduct a marketing campaign. Professionals, in the marketing business, will work with you to build the best campaign to suit your objectives and will always be prepared to design a campaign to fit your budget. However, you must realise that a lower cost campaign, will yield lower results. You can’t give the marketers a low budget and expect to get the results from a high spend campaign.
Fourthly, you can’t have fixed ideas about what to expect. If you do and the results you expected are not forthcoming you will, either blame the telemarketing company or telemarketing itself. If you see the discussion with a marketing company as a simple purchasing exercise where the telemarketing company has to be set targets and limits you have missed the point. It is better to see the discussion as the beginnings of a working partnership which is aimed at the common goal of building the success of your business. A professional telemarketing company, like BHT, will be in constant touch with you refining, re-focussing and steadily developing the campaign to maximize its performance for you.
In conclusion, if you want to move your business forward enter into the discussion with an open mind and work with the marketing company to build your tailored campaign – together, suiting your needs and your budget. Recognise that your expectations may have to be lowered, initially, if you have a lower than required budget but that as success is achieved your budget can expand and therefore your marketing ability can grow and you will win more sales contracts and so your business will grow in line with your medium-term vision.
The Result – a working marketing partnership steadily growing your business – SO – everybody’s happy!
if you would like to discuss a possible campaign at no obligation please ring Colin on 0808-172-1900.
To arrange a meeting to discuss your needs and the various options BHT has to offer please click here and fill in the Contact information form or phone 0808-172-1900 and ask for Colin or Christine
