The world of telemarketing and online marketing are two large monoliths in the marketing world. They represent two ways of reaching customers or potential customers.
Let’s compare and contrast these two sales prospecting techniques to get a better understanding of them.
This can help a business to know which approach may be right for them in a marketing sense.
And with that, you’re clear on how you should spend your time, money, and other resources in the future.
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What are telemarketing leads?
Telemarketing leads are leads that are either generated by or for telemarketing. These leads or prospects may be generated by cold calling—calling customers for the first time without any knowledge of whether they have an interest in the product.
They can also be generated by purchasing them from a lead provider. These companies use demographics and other techniques to provide targeted leads to firms using telemarketing (and other direct sales techniques).
Leads generated by and for telemarketing can vary in effectiveness. The upside of this type of prospecting is the fact that the contact is very direct and immediate. The salesperson can interact with the prospect directly and gauge their interests and needs as potential customers.
The disadvantage here tends to be the fact that many people hang up on telemarketers or see them as a nuisance. It turns into a number game. The more calls you make, the greater chance there is of closing a deal.
Consider whether telemarketing is a good method for you to generate leads by answering the following questions:
- Do you feel comfortable spending hour after hour prospecting via telephone?
- Do you have thick skin, or will constant rejection get you down?
- Do you have any experience selling over the phone? Are you willing to gain the experience necessary to achieve success?
- What other lead generation methods will you use in addition to telemarketing?
Telemarketing gets a bad rap. Many people shy away from this because they don’t want to be the “annoying person” on the other end of the phone. Don’t think of it like this. Think of this as a personalized way to connect with your target audience.
Some of the many benefits of telemarketing include:
- An interactive, personalized sales experience
- Easier to explain what you’re selling and why it’s a good fit
- Reach more customers in a shorter period
The only way to decide if telemarketing is right for you is to give it a try. Spend a week cold calling prospects, tracking your results, and tweaking your strategy accordingly.
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What is online lead generation?
Online lead generation uses the power of the internet to generate sales prospects.
This can happen in a variety of ways. Usually, a company will have a website through which direct sales can take place and customers can request additional information. The website may also have opt-in pages in which customers can enter their information and be put on email lists.
In addition, techniques such as search engine optimization, social media pages, or pop-up ads are used to bring customers in initially.
Once the leads are obtained they’re used either for direct sales methods like telemarketing or, as noted above, the hope is that direct sales will occur through the website.
The advantages of this type of marketing are that not as much effort needs to be put into the actual securing of the leads themselves.
Often the entire process can happen more or less spontaneously. Money can also be saved in that the company doesn’t have to purchase leads from a lead provider.
There are, however, the costs of web design, site maintenance, search optimization, and so forth to be factored in. Generating leads online also lacks the advantages of direct real-time communication with customers, at least initially.
Depending on the type of product or service and the way telemarketing is conducted, an individual may be more or less likely to respond to online marketing than telemarketing.
There is no general rule here as to which marketing type will work better for your business.
Both techniques can work well, but it’s up to your company to integrate them successfully into a sales plan, continue to monitor their effectiveness, and keep ROI in line.
If you’re leaning toward online lead generation, answer these five questions to give you the best path forward:
- Do you have a website? Is it designed with conversions in mind?
- What methods of online lead generation are you most comfortable with?
- Do you have anyone to assist you with online lead generation, such as a social media assistant?
- Are you comfortable combining online lead generation with other methods, such as buying leads?
- Do you know how much traffic your website currently generates? What’s your process for turning visitors into leads?
And when you do that, there’s a greater chance of implementing an online lead generation strategy that produces results.
Finally, let’s examine some of the many benefits of online lead generation for insurance agents:
No cold calling
If you’re not into cold calling, you can use online lead generation to supplement this outreach strategy. When you contact someone who has requested information, it’s much easier to make a connection and push the process forward.
No shortage of options
From search engine optimization to social media to content marketing, if you’re looking for a way to generate leads online you’re sure to find it.
It’s scaleable
With telemarketing, you only have so much time to make calls. And when that time is up, it’s up. Online lead generation is more passive. If you have strong search engine rankings, you’re driving traffic to your website at all times of the day — even when you’re out of the office.
How Can Aged Lead Store Help?
Let’s face it—your success as an insurance agent hinges on your ability to generate leads.
It doesn’t matter if you do so through telemarketing, online lead generation, or some other method. As long as you have qualified leads to call on, you’re in a position to succeed.
The best way to remove this gray area from the equation is to buy leads.
You don’t have to choose one way to generate leads.—you can do so in as many ways as you want.
Buy leads, develop an online lead generation machine, and get on the phone. As the days go by, you’ll learn how to use your time wisely.
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