Telemarketing - History Of Laws

Once upon a time, telemarketing was a relatively new thing. The idea of people calling you up at your home to try to sell you something was unheard of, but it quickly became very profitable. Suddenly, there were telemarketing companies popping up all over the place. It was no longer safe to answer your phone. People were starting to get annoyed, to put it mildly.

To the rescue came congress and the beginning of telemarketing laws as we know them today was just on the horizon.

Congress actually got into the act in 1991. What they did was pass an act that granted consumers certain rights to defend themselves against these annoying telemarketing calls, no offense to those in the industry. One of the things they did, which was actually a work of genius, was to write up what was called an anti telemarketing script for consumers to use when receiving a call they suspected was a telemarketer. In this script they would ask questions like, "Are you calling to sell me something?" "Can you tell me your full name?" "Can you tell me the company name?" "Do they have a do not call list?" "Can you put me on that list?" If they answer no to any of these questions then you can legally sue them.

Congress was finally going to take a proactive role against annoying telemarketing calls. In addition to the script, obviously there had to be laws put in place. Unfortunately, congress didn't have control over the telephones. This was an FCC matter. So the best congress could do was to go to the FCC and ask them to solve this problem, giving the FCC their suggestion to set up a national database of telephone numbers of all consumers who wished not to be called by telemarketers.

However, the FCC had other ideas, which didn't surprise anybody. After all, by reducing the number of calls made, this meant less money for the phone companies and certainly this was not in the FCC's best interests as unhappy phone companies meant an unhappy FCC. Therefore, what the FCC proposed was, what they called a more "cost efficient" series of "company do not call lists", which essentially put the burden of calling every company the consumer didn't want to be bothered by, on the consumer himself. So either you had to call the company beforehand, which was pretty hard to do, or you had to wait for them to call you first. Yes, this was certainly a great solution that the FCC had, one that nobody but the telemarketers and the FCC liked.

However, it didn't last long. Finally, ten years later, the FTC did what the FCC wouldn't do. Because of the drop in long distance rates, calls from overseas from telemarketers started to become very common. Many of these were outright scams. This is when the FTC said, enough is enough and stepped in.

Basically, what the FTC did was make it so that some serious restrictions were put on calls coming in from automated machines. No longer could these machines be the whole call itself. At some point a real operator had to come on and if the consumer wished, he could ask the operator a number of questions and ultimately be put on a do not call list which would take care of calls for all companies, not just the one calling. If the company failed to do this, they were held accountable.

The law itself is pages long and there is no need to reprint it here. You can see this law online if you wish by going to the FTC web site. You can register there to be placed on the do not call list. Telemarketing companies have to pay a fee to get this list and if you are on it, they must not call you or be subject to heavy fines.

7 Steps to Successful Telemarketing

Telemarketing is not as easy as it looks. Telemarketing involves talking on the phone to someone you do not know and trying to convince them to buy a product, use a service, or sign up for a special offer. Many times, telemarketers fail because they are not doing the job properly.

Speaking is a skill, and there are techniques that can be applied to speaking that will help anyone become a successful telemarketer. These are the seven steps to successful telemarketing.

Step #1: Motivation. One of the most important things in telemarketing is motivation. Someone has to want to do the job. The overall motivation will determine how they speak to people. So, successful telemarketers are very motivated to do the job.

Step #2: Product knowledge. In order to successfully speak about a product or a service, the telemarketer must know about the product or the service. Customers will ask questions before they buy or sign up for something, so the telemarketer should be able to answer the questions. Knowing the product or service will help the telemarketer make a successful deal.

Step #3: Know the call format. There telemarketer should have a call format or a call plan. They should know the order of the call: the introduction, the description of the product, the price, the value of the product, how to order, and the closing. Many companies will have a script to follow. A successful telemarketer will know the script and use it to their advantage.

Step #4: Attitude. Attitude is evident on the phone. When someone is happy and excited, those emotions will palatable, even on the phone. Angry, upset, or frustrated telemarketers are usually not successful. So, the successful telemarketer will have a positive attitude while doing their job.

Step #5: Know the customer. A good telemarketer will know the customer. Know when it is a good time to call. Calling during dinner, early in the morning, or late at night will not be successful. If you call at a bad time, ask the customer when a better time to call would be. Know what they are looking for. Do not try to sell them something they are not interested in. This will create hostility. Listen to what the customer has to say. Their comments and input can help you guide the direction of your call. Respect the customer's feelings and comments. Knowing the customer is a successful technique for any telemarketer.

Step #6: Visualize your success. Many telemarketers receive bonuses or rewards for a job well done. A successful telemarketer will visualize his or her success. They set goals and work towards those goals. Having a vision of what you want to get out of this job will help create a successful telemarketer.

Step #7 Enjoy the success. A successful telemarketer will always take the time to enjoy the fruit of their hard work. They will be proud of their successes and will continue to strive for future success.

In conclusion, these sledge, and the motivation are all integral parts of a successful telemarketer. Telemarketing is not an easy job,even steps are simple techniques that any telemarketer can immediately apply to be successful. The way the materials are presented, the attitude, the know but it can be a very successful and rewarding job by following these seven proven steps to success.