Archive for January, 2009
Doing telemarketing right – part 1
By Mike Lake
I recently received an email from a marketing guru who wrote on the subject of telemarketing. While I feel that most of this guy’s thoughts on marketing are very insightful, I felt this one fell short. To his defense, I don’t think much of most of what I read on the subject. Having spent 20 years doing and managing telephone prospecting and sales, I figure it’s time to share some of my thoughts on how to do telemarketing right.
First, the telemarketing to which I’m referring is B to B, not calling to consumers. With the national do not call list, that practice is all but dead for consumer calling. Keep in mind that the do not call list does NOT refer to businesses. We can still call other businesses to introduce our product or service.
Despite what some might feel, telephone prospecting does work. The problem is that most people do it so poorly that it seems ineffectual. If you’ve been watching some of our recent sales videos (http://www.redlake.tv/sales_video/Sales_VideoV3.html), you know that we are great believers in…
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Making the economy work for YOU
By Mike Lake
I received a call yesterday from a reporter of a business publication doing a story on the effects of our economic times. His first question of me was how the economy is effecting creatives. I think he was somewhat surprised by my answer, which was that the effects exist, but not to the extent the doomsayers are proclaiming. In fact, for many, I hear that business is genuinely good. Granted, I’m not hanging out with recently laid-off Bank of America employees or Madoff investors. I truly feel bad for those who are being hurt by circumstances outside of their control, but my comments reflect the freelance individuals, salespeople and small business owners I interact with on a daily basis.
The reporter with whom I spoke yesterday was intrigued, and welcomed my contrarian outlook on the economy. I told him that companies are still spending money on marketing, and the good ones always will. I told him the creative freelancers I know continue to fill their days with paying work. I told him that Redlake’s most recent three clients are in or related to the real estate business(!) and have hired us to create strategic marketing strategies. They’re planning.
Last night I heard for the gazillionth time a popular and self-serving Washington cliche, and for the first time, it made an impact on me. “We want to get the economy working again.” Well, the fact is that the US economy IS working and has been steadily for the past 225 years. There are plenty of places around the world to remind us what a non-working economy looks and feels like! But, this is not a political discussion-for that let’s hang out sometime. Rather, this is my assurance to you that while the economy is in a downturn, there are LOTS of people making great money and the same can be done by anyone reading this.
Here’s how:
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How to lose customers – fast
By Mike Lake
Dear Mr. Cable Company Conglomerate CEO,
Yesterday, I was on an important business conference call. Ten minutes into the call, I was dropped. I immediately used my other line to dial back in and after 4 minutes I was dropped again. As I’ve become skilled at through years of experience, I rebooted my modem. I finally got back on the call and at the end, I complained about your company being the sole provider in this area for my cable, Internet and phone. One of the other conference attendees immediately exclaimed that he was about to sign up for your triple package. After my 3 minute rant about how abysmal your service is throughout every aspect of the organization I have touched – and I’ve got years of touching(!) – he thanked me and said he would use your competitor. Where he lives, he has options.
I realize that complicated technology sometimes goes awry. So, it is not your technology I dislike. Rather it your service. I have questions:
Why must I ALWAYS waste my time working my way up the ladder of service competence being transferred from one department to the next to the next to the next until I finally get to that really smart person who seems to hold all the answers? What’s her direct number?
Why do I need to…
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