Telemarketing Lists

Pump up your call center sales with qualified telemarketing lists
By Greg Brown Who you gonna call? Getting to the right customer quickly and cost effectively is often a matter of buying the right telemarketing lists. Telemarketing leads connect you to people who have expressed interest in a product similar to yours, bought a similar product in the past or simply fit a profile of your typical customer -- new homeowner in town, just had a baby, or likely to buy a car.

Although generally created from public records, some telemarketing list brokers target specific consumers. The primary reason to use telemarketing lists, rather than or in additional to Internet or direct mail, is the immediacy of talking to a potential customer.

In this guide to telemarketing leads, you will learn how to:
1. Rent targeted telemarketing lists.
2. Choose telemarketing list brokers vs. live leads brokers.
3. Hire outbound telemarketing services instead of a renting telemarketing lists.
4. Avoid telemarketing list traps.

Find the right telemarketing lists for your campaign

Telemarketing lists are more than phone book white pages. The right telemarketing lists for your goals must be finely tuned to your needs. Some telemarketing lists reach consumers, some aim to provide business-to-business contact at the right decision-making level executive.
Try:  Some telemarketing list brokers of both types of telemarketing lists include Go Leads, Martin Worldwide, and Telemarketing.com.

Hiring telemarketing list brokers vs. live telemarketing leads

Telemarketing lists brokers can connect you to people who have shown interest in your product in the past, but the next step up is a live leads broker, which connects your sales people to web surfers who have asked for information on a product at that exact moment. Powerful stuff.
Try:  Among the vendors in this fast-growing telemarketing lead market are Double Positive and Live Lead Network.

Speed things up with telemarketing services

Mounting a serious telemarketing campaign doesn't happen in a week. It takes people, equipment, experience and, of course, telemarketing lists. If your company is new to telemarketing lists or needs extra help with a specific campaign, hiring a telemarketing services provider can close the gap. They do it all, acting as your sales force or simply finding the telemarketing leads and then patching them through to your sales people.
Try:  Get started faster with outbound telemarketing services from providers including Myriad Leads, Marketlink, and West.

Avoid common problems with telemarketing lists

A major problem with telemarketing list brokers occurs when the data on them is incorrectly vetted or just plain wrong. Another is when telemarketing leads' numbers are the U.S. government Do Not Call registry and end up on your telemarketing lists (stiff fines are the result).
Try:  See the U.S. government's Do Not Call registry FAQ page for tips on avoiding opt-out numbers. The Direct Marketing Association has extensive guidelines on ethics, too, including for teleservices operations.

• Test telemarketing lists by renting two lists with similar or identical qualities and then testing them. Choose the strongest and start over.
• Renting telemarketing lists does not a business make. You'll need a decent telemarketing lead script and seasoned telemarketing sales talent as well.
• Consumer backlash against telemarketing lists has grown. Be sure your salespeople understand the law on telemarketing leads and are good brand ambassadors.