To develop telemarketing leads, you typically purchase a list of contacts from another company or use Internet co-registration. Using a contact list, you perform cold calls pitching your service or product, in hopes of making a sale. With the information from co-registration, you respond to individuals who have indicated interest in your company. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, and you will probably have to try both to find out what works for you.
A telemarketing list service provides a database of contacts who are likely to be interested in your product. These leads will not be expecting a call from you, so you have to perform "cold calls" to contact them. Cold calls are usually a two part process: a telemarketing representative calls first to evaluate the interest level of the contact. A sales representative then follows up likely contacts with a pitch.
Although cold-calling can be a daunting task, a well-planned script can help you to succeed. Instead of a constantly running pitch designed to keep the customer from being able to say, "No, thank you," ask your telemarketing leads a specific question. For instance, start with "Did you know you're paying too much for your cell phone use each month?" The interest of the client will be apparent immediately, allowing you to respond with an appropriate pitch.
Another common method of developing telemarketing leads is through Internet co-registrations. This system relies on finding individuals who are interested in related products or services, or "hand raisers." These users indicate their interest as part of registration on a website.
For instance, a popular home and garden website may require registration to access some of its articles. When the user signs up, he is asked to check which topics he is most interested in or if he would like a representative from a certain company to contact him. He may also be asked if he wishes to receive coupons, promotions, newsletters, or other information. The contact information of the user is shared with the appropriate co-registrant companies.
If your business has a significant Internet presence, you can create leads using your own registration. It is important to indicate what manner of communication a representative will use, whether physical mail, e-mail, or telephone, if a user indicates that they would like to be contacted. Even if your website sees a lot of traffic, you may find that partnering with additional sites is still beneficial.
In some cases, it makes more financial sense to use a telemarketing leads service. These companies find lists of possible contacts, call and evaluate them, and send the approved contacts to you. This is often a good choice for companies that need to spend more time with clients rather than finding clients.
