The Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently reported on yet another scam involving vulnerable seniors. In this one, disreputable companies called the elderly and coerced them to part with sensitive information in order to get a “free” medical alert system. As a result, the victims turned over bank and credit card information to “verify” their identity, and monthly charges for fictional products began appearing on their bank statements.
These tactics of fear and intimidation give the entire telemarketing industry a black eye. This is why we at Vocalcom so strongly advocate the need to use robust telemarketing software to ensure that all ethical standards will be met. In light of this, below are some tidbits from the BBB that we’d especially like to shed light on.
Are your free offers really “free?”: Ensure that your free offers are truly free. Disclose any handling, monthly or other charges to avoid any misunderstandings.
Don’t scare your customers away: Don’t sell your product or service by scaring the prospect into believing that they’ll face physical or financial harm if they don’t buy it. Particularly with seniors, who are more easily intimidated, this is certainly not an ethical way to close a sale.
Calls for immediate action: High-pressure sales pitches with offers that are “good for only the next two hours” certainly ring a scamming bell. Rather, give your prospect adequate time to deliberate and utilize an efficient follow-up. The right telemarketing software solution will boast full reporting capabilities to ensure that your supervisor knows who needs a callback and when.
Steer clear of blatant endorsements: Keep your call scripts truthful. Don’t say that your product has been endorsed by an organization, authority or even one of the prospect’s friends if it hasn’t. To ensure an over-zealous agent isn’t making such claims, telemarketing software can record the calls made during your campaign, so that your company is never at risk of being misrepresented.
By making use Vocalcom’s telemarketing software you can avoid the problems that may arise with a manual system and present your product and company in a way that inspires confidence in your future customers.
