Monday, May 28, 2001		Article

Telemarketing to woo customers
Sumesh Raizada

IN today’s world of cutthroat competition, it has become extremely difficult for the corporate sector to build and retain customers. Similar is the situation in the service, finance and tourism industry where the number of providers far exceeds the users. The technique of establishing and developing business relationship with the potential customer or a new buyer through telephone is usually referred to as telemarketing. It is an effective system of introducing a company or its products to a prospective buyer. With the advancement in the telecommunication network, the reach of telephone has extended to the remote villages or far-off places that may otherwise be difficult to approach through transport.

Telemarketing is also used by various organisations to promote their new product range or services to existing customers and clients. It mostly involves interaction through telephone and unlike direct marketing does not involve extensive travelling. This brings in considerable saving for the company as the sales force becomes aware of prospective buyers before hand and need not spend on travelling to an uninterested customer. Telemarketing is becoming a much-sought-after career among young English speaking graduates, both male and females. However many companies that deal in consumer products and financial services usually prefer to have women for the job due to their "naturally pleasant voice." In case of highly technical products, qualified professionals are employed for the job. By introducing telemarketing, a firm is able to increase its efficiency as telephone has a wider and quicker coverage than in-person call. Also, customer’s problems can be immediately addressed and at many times can be resolved, thereby improving customer loyalty and relationship.

Typically, the task of telemarketing professional includes gaining appointment with the potential customer for face-to-face meeting later on, giving personal presentation on the product features and various commercial aspects, receiving phone calls from the existing or new buyers and satisfying their technical or financial queries. They are required to generate database of the potential customers in different segments for the available product or service range. They also find out the preferences and requirements of the prospective customer as well get a feedback from the existing customers on the product or service performances. Telemarketing personnel work in association with the field marketing staff and assist them by pre-sale or pre-presentation market research.

Usually the market research and advertising companies, banks and finance firms, hotel and travel agencies and computer hardware firms employ telemarketing professionals. In consultancy firms, these professionals are required to take prior appointments from the potential or existing customers, explore their requirements as well as problems related to the product and analyse whether these requirements match with that of the offered product or service.

The information so collected is passed on to the sales representative of the firm who then visits the prospective customer for negotiation or closing the sale. Many times, telemarketing professionals are able to convince the client on telephone itself on the benefits accrued by using their product. They succeed in clinching the deal and the job of sales representative is to execute the order. Successful and assertive personnel can convert even a disinterested person into a potential buyer just by giving a forceful presentation on telephone.

Telemarketing professionals need to be fully aware of the commercial policies and technical features of the products offered by the company or client. They are required to maintain regular contact with the customers. Depending upon the product or services offered by the company or client, qualifications of telemarketing professional varies. While in finance or banking sector they should preferably be having accounts or finance background, in manufacturing or technology sector, professionals with engineering degree are hired. Many USA and UK-based companies are now outsourcing their telemarketing requirements to the Indian firms.

As a result, employment opportunity is wide open to the young graduates with fluency in English. Telemarketing opportunities are also available on the Internet for the housewives or those interested in part-time earning. These sites hire persons on commission basis for telemarketing of their products in India and other countries. Many firms from the USA, Canada or UK, hire telemarketing professionals in other countries for promoting sales of their products through their Web sites, even if they may not be having any manufacturing or distribution network in those countries.

Salaries offered initially may not be very high for the telemarketing personnel but with the experience, earnings increase proportionately. A large numbers of telemarketing consultancy firms have come up in India in recent years. Job of telemarketing executives in these firms include utilising telephone for communicating with customers and generating their responses, providing consultancy to client firms in selection and management of in-house telemarketing operations, creating database for B2B and B2C telemarketing operations, etc.

Their client’s include consumer product and home appliance companies, holiday resort membership companies, health and fitness companies, publishing firms, ISPs, IT firms, etc. Telemarketing professionals are required to extend better customer services, promote renewal of annual contracts and subscription, conduct event marketing and follow-up the response of promotional mails. Telemarketing coordinator or manager manages telemarketing team and coordinate promotional campaigns, motivates and train telemarketing staff, monitor daily plans, reports and measure effectiveness of calls.

Firms like Magic touch India dealing in services for computing environment employ telemarketing executives for prospecting the new business areas and to increase the existing market share. Another Delhi-based firm dealing in marketing of audio-visual foreign language courses employ telemarketing personnel for promoting sales and awareness of their products. Atco Health Care, Mumbai, Vision Securities Ltd., Delhi, Alfredo Borges Associates, Mumbai, AM Finance Services, Delhi, etc. are some of the firms that provide employment opportunities for these professionals.