There’s a saying that crops up in high school and college yearbooks: “Make new friends, but keep the old: One is silver and the other, gold.” It’s time for telemarketers to go back to school – or at least to start cribbing from yearbooks.
Thanks to new FCC regulations, silver friends are easily definable as those customers that have made purchases within the last 18 months, or inquiries within the last three. These will be the only allowable candidates for telephone solicitations.
But these definitions don’t go into effect until Oct. 1. Until then, marketers not only can renew contact with customers whose most recent purchases were more than 18 months ago, they should be focused on doing so.
These calls should comprise four elements. The first part would be a thank you for being a customer. This would be followed up by a request for any suggestions for improving the relationship between marketer and consumer.
There is little risk in this opening. People like to be thanked for their business – and their business in this economy means more than ever. They also like to be solicited for their opinions – and if they have had any problems that can be worked out, they will become even more valuable customers. Customers who have had complaints successfully resolved are even more valuable to an organization than those that have never had a complaint.
Once customers have offered their two cents, the marketer can go after the dollars. The caller would request permission to call the customer every once in a while with special offers and information. Finally, the caller would suggest current merchandise the customer may like, based on past preferences.
Even if these calls manage only to cover the costs of such a program, marketers will still benefit by building a file of customers that have not only expressly given permission to be contacted by telephone, but are primed to be receptive.
Come Oct. 1, the definition of a prospect for outbound telemarketing is going to be curtailed only to existing, active customers and inquirers. Summer may not be the best time to make these calls, but the luxury of waiting for the perfect opportunity is rapidly diminishing.
Dust off the files from the back of the cabinet and get dialing.
To respond to the opinions in this column, please contact rlevey@primediabusiness.com
