How and Why Telemarketing Remains Relevant in the Digital Age

The adage, “Out with the old, in with the new,” is something many marketers live by. And while it is true that marketers cannot afford to lag behind, it doesn’t mean that newer is always better. Nor does it mean that a combination of old and new doesn’t make good sense.

While online marketing is all the rage today, more and more companies are moving toward offline marketing. Why? Because when it comes right down to it, marketing is about connecting with people. Telemarketing is one of the best ways to do that because it allows a relationship to be formed through live conversation. It also is an exceptionally effective lead generation tool.

So what specifically is it about telemarketing that allows it to remain relevant?

1. It lets customers and prospects ask questions and get answers in real time. This can lead to immediate sales conversions.
2. Talking to a person one-on-one allows a rapport to be established. This rapport makes a lead more confident in making a purchase.
3. This type of personalized customer service is the cornerstone of customer loyalty. There is no better way to let customers know you value their business than having a person on the other end of the phone who is taking time to address their needs.

Now that we know why telemarketing remains relevant, let’s look at the many benefits of telemarketing. Telemarketing provides companies with immediate feedback from customers and prospects, allowing companies to respond to that feedback without delay. Next, telemarketing allows you to optimize all of your marketing strategies. For example, having a telemarketer call prospects following a direct mail campaign allows a company to gage the success of that campaign. What’s more, if a prospect was very interested in what the direct mail campaign had to say, this interest can be parlayed into a sales conversion during the phone call.

Another benefit of telemarketing is that telemarketers do more than talk. They listen. And listening means that the message a company is trying to convey can be tailored to a specific prospect. It also allows a telemarketer to glean critical information about that prospect. Finally, telemarketing allows companies to expand their knowledge of the marketplace. Asking just a few questions can allow companies to get a better sense of what people are looking for when it comes to a particular product or service.

Technology has done wonders for marketers. However, much of the good it has done can be undone if companies don’t combine that technology with more tried-and-true marketing tactics.