Outbound business telemarketing response rates highest of all media.

So says the 2009 Response Rate Report (March 2009)  by The Direct Marketing Association (DMA).

Some findings from the report.
In the direct order sector, outbound telemarketing had the highest average response rate among all media (4.41% for house lists and 2.92% for prospect lists), followed closely by catalogs (3.95% for house lists and 1.85% for prospect lists) and direct mail (3.65% house lists and 1.65%-prospect list).

• Response rates were higher than in previous years, perhaps as a result of better list management and more sophisticated targeting.

• The Catalog and Retail segment outperforms other industries in direct mail response rates.

DMA’s Response Rate Report was conducted through a survey emailed in December 2008.

When the survey was closed, 1,175 responses were received.  Although the report surveyed twenty-four major industries, only thirteen are covered in-depth in this report.

For Winning New Customers: You'll find direct mail and email shortens the sales cycle of almost any telemarketing program...especially when it comes to winning NEW customers.

Test scripts, literature offers, and call back programs to improve your  business telemarketing response rates.

When handled properly, outbound telemarketing can deliver sales conversion rates much higher than the response rates from direct mail or email campaigns that are not supported by follow-up calls.

For Launching New Products: Now you can have in a well planned telemarketing program an efficient way to tell prospects and customers about your new products and services.

But without any costly travel or wasted commuting time.

A well executed telemarketing program will accomplish this --- it's good business because  it will improve efficiency, boost sales and deliver customer care that keeps your customers from drifting away.

Improve Your Business Development Phone Prospecting  

Get updates on ways my custom phone prospecting can help your business grow ---especially in this economy.

Also, go here for DMA 2012 response rate reports for lead generation marketing media. Plus this Advertising Age update on B2B phone marketing.

Also, for further study:

• Harvard Business Review On Cold Call Sales Prospecting
• 7 New Rules for Prospecting In The Age of The Customer
•  Survey of best media for  highest QUALITY sales lead generation. 

Become A Better Marketer

Also, if you do nothing else today click and read this:

7 New Rules for Prospecting In The Age of The Customer

Also: Harvard Business Review reports on benefits of cold call lead development.