Small Business Guide to Outsourcing Telemarketing

Telemarketing is a form of direct marketing in which other businesses or consumers are prospected by phone in order to set appointments, generate and qualify leads, sell a service or product, or conduct research. Telemarketing services may be useful for your business, and, when choosing to implement telemarketing into your current marketing plan, there are several things you should know and consider.

The first thing you will want to think about is whether or not you want to outsource your telemarketing. By choosing to outsource, you can hire an experienced company to do work that you would either have to hire new employees for, or train your current employees to do.

In addition, telemarketers can provide you with market research and analysis so you will know if you are targeting the correct demographic, as well as whether or not your telemarketing efforts are having an impact on your sales and revenue. Such reporting will typically be included in the fees your telemarketing firm will charge. In addition, all telemarketing agencies will be in compliance with all laws regarding telemarketing, including the National Do Not Call Compliance, Telemarketing Sales Rule, and Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, which mean you do not have to worry about your company losing credibility or breaking any laws.

Telemarketing services will typically purchase business leads from a broker, or they will use pervious customer and prospect lists in order to compile a database of names to call. When choosing a telemarketing firm, you will want to make sure they have experience working with your type of business. You may want to ask for a list of references so you can speak with companies who have worked with the telemarketing firm in order to assess their services.

You can also request that telemarketing sales representatives (TSR) from a company you are considering do a mock trial with you and your team. This way, you can become familiar with how they sound on the phone when presenting your products or services. Because telemarketers will be the initial contact for your company, you will want to ensure that your potential clients have a good experience on the phone with them. You will also want to work with your telemarketing service to develop phone guidelines, such as the time of day and number of times to call, how to leave a message, and when to follow up.