Telemarketing is proven to be successful, having a 5.78% response rate - the highest of any marketing approach according to the recent Direct Marketing Association study.

But, telemarketing is still not a sure thing by any means.  It’s been estimated that a person who cold calls a new prospect IN PERSON (and actually stands in front of the decision maker) has about 90 seconds to get the prospect interested enough to want to hear more about buying it.  So a good sales person has to say the right words and offer the right benefits of the product in a very short time.

By contrast, a telemarketer (speaking over the phone) who cold calls a decision maker has only 30 seconds to interest the prospect!   It’s just a fact of life that people are more reluctant to say no right away to a person who is standing right in front of him.  But, with a telephone call, the prospect generally feels no obligation to listen futher, once they’ve heard what the call is about.

So, that first 30 seconds of a telemarketing call needs to present the product and its benefits in a smooth and understandable presentation.  And make sure the call is being placed to prospects who can use the product!  If a telemarketer makes that 30 seconds count, the prospect may become a customer.