How companies use cold calling and the implications for business and individual’s

Cold calling has become a popular way for businesses to expand their marketing activities. The advantage of this approach is that specialized phone operators can target consumers and companies for direct product sales or for appointment setting purposes. In the past, although this method of business generation has been used, it was not as widespread as today. Access to cheaper overseas outsourcing services and the ability to procure personal and business details facilitated by relaxed laws and the internet has provided a platform for business operators to integrate cold calling into their overall sales approach.

Cold calling requires a specialized skill set. Many sales personnel get disenchanted by the rejection. This is often a cause for concern in companies that experience high staff turnover rates and do not have the necessary experience to train and maintain telemarketing teams. Training companies can assist with imparting skills in this regard by providing a proven methodology and assisting personnel to understand the differences between face to face selling and phone selling. This includes real life simulation and audio playback for constructive learning purposes.

Outsourcing companies are a favored approach by some organizations due to the value that experience provides. These companies often employ mature individuals from diverse backgrounds that are good at lead generation and appointment setting. This can be a useful approach for companies that want to specialize. The outsourcing company can provide the leads or appointments and the sales executives can concentrate on presenting to business decision makers and closing the sale. This allows strong closers to generate higher revenues for the company and eliminates time consuming lead generation work.

The annoyance of cold calling has prompted some countries to provide a service that allows individuals to register their name and number in a database to prohibit intrusive telemarketing practices. In Australia, the ‘Do not call’ register is a government initiative that has been enacted in response to the Do Not Call Register Act 2006. The service is free to activate and can take up to 30 days to come into effect. Basically, telemarketing companies are required to check this database for the names of individuals before making telephone calls. You can also report offending companies.