Referral Sites: Is Email Considered a Telemarketing Approach in 2021?
By Michelle P.
Maybe you’ve heard that telemarketing isn’t relevant anymore or that it’s dead, and that’s why email as a marketing channel has been dominant in the last several years. But let me tell you, telemarketing is anything but dead. On the contrary, I see how successful it is every day.
Regardless of how you feel about telemarketing, the results speak for themselves. Telemarketing is relevant and very effective. However, that doesn't mean that telemarketing as a stand-alone tactic works for every business.
Using different communication channels increases engagement with your targeted audience regarding business-to-business (B2B) sales and marketing. But is email considered a telemarketing approach?
Before we answer that question, let's make sure we speak the same language and define telemarketing and email marketing.
Email marketing is the act of sending a commercial message, typically to a group of people, using email. Every email sent to a potential, or current customer could be considered email marketing.
Telemarketing is a form of marketing that allows companies to connect with potential customers to offer goods and services over the telephone or the internet. To learn more about what telemarketing is, check out this article I wrote earlier this year.
Two very distinct approaches yet have the same end goal.
(H2) Question: Is Email Considered A Telemarketing Approach?
(H3) An Email Only Marketing Approach
For years people have frowned upon telemarketing in favor of email marketing, as cold-calling received a bad rap and new automation tools made email easier to do. However, email as a stand-alone isn't a good idea.
But let's face it. In the business world and our personal lives, we regularly receive an overwhelming amount of emails from co-workers, friends, family, clients, and customers. But, unfortunately, we don't have enough time in our day to get through all of them, let alone inspect them with the level of detail a marketer would like.
If you are only using email marketing as your strategy, there's a pretty good chance that it's getting lost in the shuffle.
(H3) A Telemarketing Approach
Even though it's so easy to email or text to communicate, some folks would rather talk on the phone.
In B2B communications, businesses answer. It might take more than one attempt to reach the intended contact, but they will pick up their phone. (Talk about an awesome way to increase sales!)
One benefit (of many!) of integrating telemarketing into the marketing communication strategy is that you'll quickly confirm if you are speaking to the right contact. If you need to talk to an alternate person, you can obtain the correct phone numbers, email addresses, etc.
So, is email considered a telemarketing approach?
(H3) A Multichannel Option
Multichannel marketing doesn't limit communication to email or telemarketing. Instead, the purpose behind a multichannel marketing approach is to incorporate various marketing channels into communication with customers and prospects.
Some people respond best to text messages or social media outreach rather than a phone call. The goal is to encourage customers to take action in response by using their preferred channel.
Providing multiple channel options empowers customers to choose a convenient channel making it easier for the customer.
(H2) Marketing Plans & Approaches
There are many considerations when developing a marketing plan and the various tactics and strategies to use. For instance:
- Where does telemarketing fit into the sales process?
- Will an email be sent before the telemarketing call or after?
- What is the end goal for the email? How about the call?
- How receptive are your customers to emails? Phone calls?
- Do your customers prefer to communicate by text? Social media?
- Do you know what the preferred communication channels are?
- Do you have the technology to support a multichannel communication strategy?
You get the point.
Using different marketing approaches provides options to connect with the customer. It takes trial and error, but you will find that magic cadence.
(H2) Let’s Answer “Is Email Considered a Telemarketing Approach”
Now that we understand the different channels and approaches, I think we can finally answer the question, "is email considered a telemarketing approach?"
No, it isn't a telemarketing approach because telemarketing connects people through voice channels -- on the phone.
In my experience, if you combine the nuances of email marketing and telemarketing into a multichannel marketing strategy, I believe you will develop an outstanding, winning combination.