Identifying the Main Cause of Failure

The main cause of most telemarketing failures has correctly been identified as oversimplification. I call it the "eureka syndrome". It's what follows when someone suddenly grasps the concept, "You mean you phone people and get them to buy?"

Of course (among other things) that is precisely what telemarketers do. But what is not sufficiently appreciated - usually until too late - is that telemarketing is just one of a score of factors which must be properly planned...and properly nurtured all the way...before you can expect to achieve sparkling bottom line results. Hiring a team of telephone sales reps (TSRs) is not enough to make it happen. Nor is hiring an experienced telemarketing manager always the solution - although this is certainly a lot smarter than just hiring people to man the phones.

Nevertheless, successful telemarketing requires additional skills which the average telemarketing manager does not always acquire in the normal course of his/her career.

"But wouldn't we save a lot of money if we did it inhouse?"

We truly believe, contrary to the strongly held views of most do-it-your-selfers, that doing it inhouse does not minimize the costs of the testing - it maximizes them. For example:

1. Telephone Expenses...at net cost. We do not add any percentage.
2. TSR Costs...depend on quality and experience required - high school graduates, college graduates, or undergraduates.
3. Set Up Costs...at a fraction of the time and cost of doing it inhouse.
4. Skilled, Experienced Telemarketing Management...at perhaps no more than it will cost you to hire an experienced telemarketing manager - if you're fortunate enough to find one willing to undertake a test assignment.
5. State-of-the-art Computerization...at an extremely reasonable short term rental fee for use of our facilities (none of which involves you in a purchase or lease).
6. Guarantee...When the one-time cost for origination and set up for your test is discounted, there is no way a do-it-your-selfer can match the quality or professionalism which ETI brings to bear, except at vastly increased cost.

Doing it yourself does not minimize costs - it maximizes them!

It requires a well heeled, brave-hearted entrepreneur to plunge into the unfamiliar waters or telemarketing, with its rapids and swirling cross currents. For even a cursory reading of the 21 points of setting up a basic test will show that doing it yourself does not necessarily minimize the costs...nor the risks...nor the outlay of money. On the contrary it probably maximizes all three.

Faced with so many tangible and intangible problems it is no wonder that knowledgeable executives will almost always prefer the alternative scenario...

• which capitalizes on the fact that a small but intensively hi-tech service bureau such as ETI, can take the ball and be up and running on a test program...literally within a week or two.
• which will quickly give you the basic answers you need as to viability, breakeven and rollout.
• which permits you to withdraw with least loss if your test does not work out.
• which will help you to transfer a successful test to your own inhouse operation.
• which permits you to rely on the comprehensive support of ETI to back up your inhouse operation whenever you need help.

There's almost no way the do-it-yourselfer can possibly handle the test with the same professionalism as ETI. Nevertheless, even if the do-it-your-selfer does succeed in emulating our experience and professionalism, there's still no way he can do it at a lower cost.

Back To Articles

Phone:(800) 466-4384Fax:(914) 747-3466