Direct Line to Profits: The Canadian Guide to Telemarketing

Ann Turner is Financial and Budget Manager, University of British
Columbia Library.

“Telemarketing is . . . a systematic, controlled and purposeful
program for using the telephone to win and keep customers.” It is a
relatively new technique for Canadian businesses, but one that is
already generating billions of dollars in total annual sales. Domanski
markets it to marketers; he is manager for market development of
“Phone Power,” the telemarketing consulting division of Telecom
Canada. In this practical guide for managers he demonstrates just how
powerful a tool telemarketing can be in the right business context. The
presentation takes a systematic “business plan” approach that is
both familiar to its target audience, and useful for exploring the
technique’s potential value to a specific business. After an overview
of the range of telemarketing applications now in use in Canada, the
reader follows a strategic planning process to identify potential
telemarketing applications for his business. The next step is to develop
a program outline for a pilot implementation, and follow the checklist
provided to sell the idea internally, implement it, and evaluate the
results. Discussion then turns to the various decisions that must be
made: the pros and cons of alternative marketing techniques; whether to
buy telemarketing services from a service bureau or develop them
in-house. Nearly half the book deals with the details of implementing an
in-house telemarketing centre, offering some very practical advice on
everything from personnel selection and training to automated equipment.
Many real-life examples from named Canadian companies illustrate both
successes and failures in introducing telemarketing applications. A
bibliography identifies 39 other recent publications on the subject for
further reading.