Lampooned Telemarketing Still EffectiveLampooned Telemarketing Still Effective

Posted: 03/2000

Lampooned Telemarketing Still Effective
By Liz Montelbano

Just the word "telemarketing" is enough to make anyone who’s ever been
disturbed by a phone solicitor on a Saturday morning or over his dinner plate recoil in
horror.

For telecom companies, however, the fact remains: Telemarketing is a viable sales
channel. It’s happening. It works. And, much to an average consumer’s chagrin, it’s here
to stay.

Though telemarketing in the communications industry isn’t exactly increasing at the
speed of light, it is climbing steadily and shows no signs of gasping its last breath
anytime soon.

According to recent The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) (<ahref="http://www.the-dma.org">www.the-dma.org

) research, telephone marketing in the
communications industry is expected to increase 4.39 percent between 1994 and 2003. DMA
tracks trends in direct-marketing tactics in various industries.