Targeting consumer audiences using telemarketing   You can ensure that you target the correct group of customers and potential customers for your product or service by obtaining telemarketing lists. These lists need to be ‘clean’ – ie only contain details of individuals and organisations that have consented to receive sales calls. Any customers who do not wish to receive calls will have joined specialised lists such as a ‘do not… Read More »Targeting consumer audiences using telemarketing

Measuring the success of your telemarketing campaign   To ensure that your telemarketing campaign is effective and efficient, it is important that you evaluate its success at regular intervals. There are a number of methods you can use to measure the results of your campaigns, such as the following: comparing it to previous campaigns from the year before that ran within the same time period keeping track of calls and… Read More »Measuring the success of your telemarketing campaign

How to start telemarketing in your business   Telemarketing is a form of direct marketing. It involves talking to potential or existing customers on the telephone. Telemarketing can help you to promote your products or services, build your customer database, generate leads and appointments, stay in touch with existing customers or generate new ones. Read more about direct marketing: the basics. Planning your telemarketing When planning your telemarketing campaign, you… Read More »How to start telemarketing in your business

Advantages and disadvantages of telemarketing   Telemarketing can be an effective tool for your business and it can be an easy and effective way to increase your profits and promote your product or service. However, it does have some disadvantages that you should also consider. Benefits of using telemarketing The main benefit of using telemarketing to promote your business is that it allows you to immediately gauge your customer’s level… Read More »Advantages and disadvantages of telemarketing

Create an online shop Introduction Selling products and services online can have major advantages for businesses, leading to increased profitability and lower costs. This guide tells you about the advantages of selling online, what you need to consider when creating an online shop and the consequences of getting it wrong. If you choose to work with a third party to build your online shop, this guide will help ensure you… Read More »Create an online shop

Plan to set up an online shop Before building your website, you must create the right processes and procedures to support it and put in place the resources to deal with orders. You need to work out how to: deliver your products or services – see fulfilling online orders collect payments maintain security and demonstrate this to the customer let customers contact you comply with relevant regulations Test your website… Read More »Plan to set up an online shop

Helping customers find your website For your online shop to be effective, customers must be able to find it easily. There are a number of things you can do to steer customers towards your website, including: Improving your website listing in search engine results through search engine optimisation (SEO). Getting your website listed prominently in web directories or through online advertising like pay-per-click and paid search advertising. Using social media… Read More »Helping customers find your website

Using a sales agent Instead of having to recruit, train and finance your own employees, you can use an outside sales agency. A good sales agent should already have the necessary contacts and skills. Use sales agents for: building sales without heavy investment reaching specialist and overseas markets A clear, written agreement is essential. As a minimum it needs to cover: what ‘territory’ the agent is responsible for – eg… Read More »Using a sales agent

Setting sales targets You need to set clear targets for your salespeople, linked to incentives such as commissions and bonuses – this motivates them and provides a clear indication of the kind of performance expected of them. This process is crucial to the success of your business and needs to be closely tied in with the rest of your business strategy and planning. Be specific when setting targets for sales… Read More »Setting sales targets

Start a sales forecasts Sales forecasts enable you to manage your business more effectively. Before you begin, there are a few questions that may help clarify your position: How many new customers do you gain each year? How many customers do you lose each year? What is the average level of sales you make to each customer? Are there particular months where you gain or lose more customers than usual?… Read More »Start a sales forecasts