Telemarketing and cold calling are often discussed in the same context, yet there are several differences between the two. Both B2B and B2C companies may use a mixture of telemarketing and cold calling approaches when attempting lead generation. In all cases, telemarketing is the most effective and proven method.
What Is Telemarketing?
Telemarketing is a direct marketing approach that uses the telephone as the primary vehicle for contacting potential customers about a product or service. Often known in some organisations as ‘telesales’, the method aims to connect with prospects to gauge interest, then generate leads that can be converted into sales.
While there is an element of ‘cold calling’ involved in telemarketing, the approach is more nuanced. Prospects are well-targeted based on demographics and often have already expressed a level of interest in the product or service being marketed. This gives your telemarketing efforts the best chance of success.
What Is Cold Calling?
Cold calling is technically an element of telemarketing but has no well-prepared objectives or marketing insight. It’s simply a practice used to connect with people using unsolicited phone calls. In nearly all cases, the recipient of the call will have expressed no previous interest in the product or service. In modern society, the approach is largely frowned upon, especially in a B2C context.
What Is The Difference Between Telemarketing and Cold Calling?
While telemarketing and cold calling share some similarities, there are significant differences. The first difference is in the preparation of the campaign. Telemarketing will often have a clearly defined target audience, many of whom will already be familiar with the brand and have expressed a level of interest before the call.
Another notable difference is the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge the level of success of a campaign. Telemarketing will have clearly defined objectives. CRM software and statistical packages will typically be used to track calls and monitor performance and these will be used to refine future campaigns.
In terms of the approach, telemarketing is by far the most recommended method. The level of success of telemarketing is likely to be greater due to precise targeting and also due to the familiarity that call recipients tend to have with the brand. This cannot be replicated by the use of cold calling techniques alone.
IT Telemarketing Services
To see how your own business can benefit from telemarketing services, contact us at IT Focus Telemarketing. As a specialist Information Technology telemarketing provider based in Wiltshire and serving the surrounding areas, we can help you to generate targeted leads for your B2B IT product or service. This includes appointment setting, event booking, reseller recruitment, lead nurturing, and more. With a proven track record, you can trust us to maintain and grow your customer base.
Contact us today on 03300 580100 or visit our contact page to send a message.
