Social media should have their own “Most wanted” photo in the Post Office; they’ve been accused of causing the premature death of websites, email marketing …and now today’s alleged victim, telemarketing.
Of course, none of these accusations has yet been proven in court; and in the case of telemarketing, it ain’t ever gonna happen …or so says Kristin McKenna, posting on Silverpop’s Demand Generation Blog. The reasons are this simple, she says:
- Marketing has always been about building relationships.
- Culminating that process, nothing beats a personal, one-to-one connection.
And of course, that’s precisely where telemarketing comes in.
Along the way, Kristin provides a useful distinction between telemarketing and telesales:
- “Telesales is the conversion process wherein opportunities are converted into a sale.
- Telemarketing is a marketing tool – activities designed to generate interest, provide information, and ensure customer service satisfaction.”
She is quick to point out, though, that telemarketing cannot stand alone. Rather, it should be part of a holistic nurturing campaign …these days, preferably an email-based campaign.
As to when to call… there’s no perfect answer to that. But there’s no question when it comes to “should you call”: the phone is still your best shot at converting a semi-warm prospect to a sales-ready lead.
