Creativity is key to the future of telemarketing

by Kim Benjamin, Marketing Direct 05-Jun-06

Delegates at the annual Telephone Preference Service (TPS) Forum, held last month at the International Direct Marketing Fair, were urged to "get back to the basics of human relationships" if they are to influence the future of outbound telemarketing.

"The phone has always historically outperformed other media, but it is
now at a lower rate than other types of media," said Simon Roncoroni,
director of SR Consulting, which specialises in call centre

consultancy.

"The cold call is rapidly dying, and where it isn't dead, let's kill it.
It's annoying consumers and causing huge problems with call-centre
reputations."

Roncoroni said that the telephone is now seen as more intrusive than
email or direct mail.

"We can be far more creative in the way we conduct outbound
telemarketing," he said. "We must base selection on intelligence, rather
than data. If we can make the call relevant, we can talk to the
consumer."

Roncoroni also suggested that permission marketing is "simply too blunt
an instrument to use" to solve the problem of the alarming rise in TPS
registrations.

"Permission marketing does not deal with relevance," he said. "It
doesn't encompass the area of interest, preferred channel or timing.
Opt-outs are growing at almost the same rate as the TPS - it cannot be
the saviour. Consumers relate to permission marketing in the same way as
the TPS - it is easier for them to say 'no' and to move on."

Delegates at the conference expressed concerns over third-party
registrations to the TPS, and debated whether the service should be
renewed annually.