Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Your Answering Machine is a Method of Telephone Sales

The tele-selling industry sub-sector often called Telemarketing breaks down their category by incoming telemarketing and out-going telemarketing. Out going telemarketing is what folks got so angry about and why we ended up with all the Federal Regulation on Telemarketing. Incoming telemarketing would be when someone calls your company and you attempt to get them to place an order or upgrade from their current status as a customer.

For instance if you are ordering a Dell Computer, you see that they take your order, this is incoming telemarketing. When you call your credit card company, phone company or an airline or even a hotel to ask a question they will sometimes ask you if you would like this, that or the other type of upgrade. This makes sense too, why would you miss out on such an obvious opportunity?

But what if your customers call and you are not there in your small company? Well you want your answering machine to answer and take a message, but you also have time for a 15-25 commercial when they call, before they leave the message. Perhaps you can alert them of other offerings you company has. You should do this, but keep it short and sweet as to not upset your clientele.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.

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