One Reason Telemarketing Has Such a Bad Reputation

by Mike Wallen, CEO, The Lead Dogs

If you read it, forget it. A recent issue of a software industry newsletter published tips for marketers looking to use marketing by phone. The author of the tips, a CEO of a software company, exclaimed that companies should not try to do marketing by phone themselves, but rather they should outsource.

The reasons cited were that "Most outbound call firms keep their people on just six hours per day, making 200 calls per day." And he went on to state "the minimum-wage telemarketer can be sufficiently trained quickly to understand the key issues."

This type of drive-by marketing must stop. While I agree with the author that outsourcing marketing by phone has many benefits, I strongly disagree with the premise behind his recommendation. A minimum-wage (currently $5.15 per hour) telemarketer is not qualified to discuss the renewal of my support contract for a software package.

And I certainly wouldn't want to be their 200th call for the day - it would be painful for both of us. We as marketers must agree that value is created on the phone by having business conversations - conversations that are well planned and considerate. Valuable conversations cannot happen at the tune of 33 per hour.

To the CEO of this company: I strongly encourage you to consider a new approach. These are your customers - treat them like the business asset that they are and have your phone reps research each customer before picking up the phone. Train the representatives to have conversations with your customers - not interrogations.

To the firm that agreed to complete this project: Shame on you. Your client has no idea the number of their customers that you frustrated with this approach.