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Telemarketing sometimes referred to as “inside sales” or “telesales” is a way of marketing or selling product/services using telecommunication devices. You can also say; it is the process of contacting customers and potential customers by telephone. Telemarketing can be an effective tool for your business to increase your profits and promote your product or service. It is considered as an effective tool for a business because it provides a more interactive and personal sale service, you can explain technical issues more clearly, and you can sell to both existing and new customers, at the same time achieve results that are measurable. Telemarketing may be done from office, from a call center, or from home.

With telemarketing, small businesses can expand outside of the local business area. Hence, businesses have the opportunity to reach out to more prospective customers.  However, connecting with customers generates leads, which some eventually turn into sales. This process can equally give you an opportunity to find out more about the client’s needs and build a better relationship.

Telemarketing can be business to business (B2B) or business to consumer (B2C). It is most effective when the business making the call has an established connection to the person being called. Either the person is already a customer of the business or a prospect who has requested more information.

However, telemarketing does have some disadvantages to be considered.

Customer’s reactions are not always friendly especially those that had bad experiences with telemarketers. Hence, they associate telemarketing with a negative image that could damage your business’ reputation. Some customers find the unwanted calls annoying. Meanwhile, more people are using technology to screen out telemarketers and other unwanted callers.  It also replaces a sales team which can lead to negative feelings among employees. Training staff on how to sell your product over the phone can be time-consuming and costly. Customer lists can be very expensive and most of the people on a contact list may have no interest or use in what you are trying to sell. You may be making a lot of calls but not getting any new customers at the end. You need to be professional when contacting your potential customers. Communicate a positive first impression by sounding natural and friendly to gain your customers trust, so that they will be willing to listen to you.  This gives a sales prospect an opportunity to respond, and in turn it gives you an opening to explain the reason for your call. Once you succeed in projecting a positive image, telemarketing can bring your business more sales