Telephone marketing, commonly known as cold calling in the business world, encompasses prospecting and re-engaging customers through phone calls. This practice can be carried out individually but professionally, such as when a financial advisor contacts a select group of clients, or it can be organized on a larger scale with a team of agents working in a specially equipped environment. Cold calling strategies and techniques are applied in both B2C and B2B marketing contexts.
Outsourcing these activities has led to reduced contact costs but also to legal compliance issues, resulting in various abuses, particularly in the B2C sector. Due to the intrusive nature of phone calls, these abuses have led to a growing rejection of cold calling by both consumers and professionals. Consequently, the effectiveness of cold calling methods has decreased. It is worth noting that the term “phoning” is generally associated with making calls, while the concept of telemarketing is broader, also including the handling of inbound calls. For more information, specialized resources can be consulted. An example of a telemarketing software interface is shown below.
Return to the glossary index