56% of B2B sales are primarily initiated by telemarketing. That’s a whole lot of business to business potential, don't you think? So, stats prove this technique is effective but is it liked? To do marketing properly, you need to feel your promotional actions are just right. Marketing is emotions - we all use this basic truth to influence our customers on the B2C level. But what about our own feelings towards marketing campaigns? Which telemarketing styles or tools do we prefer and why? I asked marketers and consumers on their opinion.
Customer
Ursula, Generalist Physician: ‘I receive several phone calls as part of telemarketing campaigns from pharmaceutical companies, but most of them occur while I’m working and this really bothers me. Also, I suspect that in case of any additional product questions from my side, these marketers would not be able to provide any details, as they do not have a medical formation.’- she says. ‘I also receive emails from representatives which visit me face to face, but I would sincerely prefer SMS promotion channel, as I use my private mobile at work and each email viewing requires internet usage, which means costs.’- she explains.
Marketer
‘SMS campaigns are short and concrete’ - summarizes Dorothy, marketing manager in a Swedish bank - ‘that’s what I like the most about them, they fit my communication style’- she adds. Many managers support Dorothy’s opinion: ‘our latest SMS campaign received a 51% open-rate. I trust these reports. The best thing about SMS marketing is a positive, innovative side. Of course, the texts need to be good quality, beautiful messages, not just any SPAM’- she explains. ‘But the main quality in favor of this marketing type is speed. I like the thought my company is probably first to reach the client’.
Does this mean marketing agencies sell a lot of SMS marketing services?
‘It has been said for the last three years that SMS campaigns would be a revolution in marketing, but it really started to incite major interest-only during last year.’- says Warsaw promotion agency owner. ‘Marketers gladly wander around unexplored multichannel areas and the SMS fashion enhances more and more people to buy smartphones. Project managers trust this technique, as open-rates are very high and call-to-action buttons create instant leads. I gladly observe niche SMS campaign usages, e.g. for small, regional campaigns dedicated only for district habitats.’ - adds the entrepreneur.
It looks as if most marketing and project managers enjoy testing new promotional channels and clients also like receiving them. SMS telemarketing biggest pros: speed of delivery, variety of attachments, instant call-to-action. So what are you waiting for?