Telephone selling had a signature moment-back in 1984.
Around that time it was dubbed telemarketing in AT&T's national advertising blitz, voiced by none other than Star Trek's Mr. Spock, actor Leonard Nimoy.
Suddenly, it was cool and ostensibly high-tech to ply the wires for a living, and this tapped into the nation's desire to save fuel, which had erupted in price at least twice during the decade that came before.
AT&T was in it for the money, of course, squatting on a lot of unused long distance capacity, needing a rationale to hawk it. And businesses were receptive to Ma Bell's appeal, wanting to save money after suffering through a deep recession and stagflation; keen on recovering the fortunes squandered on questionable travel to far-flung clients and prospects.
1984 was also the year my classic book was launched, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone. With AT&T's wind at my back, and about three dozen universities, various large companies and associations sponsoring my seminars, it was better than smooth sailing, I was on a juggernaut to success.
Where was actor Dennis Hopper in 1984?
Not sure, but he seemed mostly lost in obscurity, though he became an adept photographer on the side. Between "Easy Rider" and "Apocalypse Now," in which he had a strong roles, ten years had elapsed, 1969 to 1979.
In the following 20 years, he would star in four fine roles, in "Hoosiers," "Colors," "Blue Velvet," and "Speed," but demand for his skills was intermittent and filled with long gaps.
Telephone selling followed the same pattern.
Like Hopper, it was more a character actor, than a consistent lead. Phone work wasn't perceived as a critical skill set in itself, but as an adjunct to direct selling.
Phones qualified prospects and set appointments for the glamorous roadies that were the closers, the stars, who pressed the flesh, cutting deals in person.
And the folks that worked phone calls were paid a mere fraction of what field reps earned, under the premise that the real persuasion, the heavy lifting of selling, couldn't be done, shouldn't be done, and wasn't really done until folks gazed at each other, eye to eye.
As a youth, Hopper appeared in the movie, "Giant," in which Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and a new guy, James Dean, starred. Part of the Hollywood grooming system, Hopper was probably happy to be aboard, playing the son to Hudson's oil tycoon.
But the signature moment for Hopper came in the anti-establishment film, "Easy Rider," in which he co-starred with Peter Fonda, and a new guy, Jack Nicholson. Notably, Hopper directed the movie, which is now featured prominently on numerous Top 100 films-of-all-time, lists.
But immediately after "Easy Rider," what should have been a breakout career event, Hopper's went into a nosedive.
The same thing happened to telemarketing.
After the AT&T surge, it retreated to the margins, nearly as quickly, due in no small measure to the fact that consumers were being phoned relentlessly, and many had the bite put on them by phone sharks, scammers of various kinds.
Bowing to pressure, politicians and consumer groups promoted the idea of an opt-out list, which culminated in the National Do Not Call Registry, signaling a low point in telemarketing's public image.
About that time, in 2004, the Internet became the sales and marketing medium of choice. With the cache of high-tech, and the implicit promise that business would come to you, instead of you having to beat it from the bushes, telemarketing seemed an antiquated tool of the past.
However, like Hopper, who came to be appreciated and even celebrated a few years before his demise, telephone selling is set for a reappraisal and I daresay, a renaissance.
The Internet is a tremendous medium and resource, whose effects on businesses and consumers should not be underestimated. But it doesn't, to borrow the title from of one of my books, Reach Out & Sell Someone.
Typically, the Internet is an order-taker and not an order-maker. It's a great clerk, but a lousy salesperson.
What is the future of telephone selling? Will it stage a comeback?
The answer might be found in this question: Where are your customers going to come from, if not from the Internet?
How will they learn about you, hear your message, find you credible and distinctive, and focus on your offer?
You will need to go to them, instead of waiting for them to seek you out.
The phone is the cheapest, fastest, and surest way to engage someone's attention. And when you use this tool, your prospects aren't staring at limitless ads and web pages sponsored by your competitors.
You stand out by reaching out.
Dennis Hopper: Square and Hip, In and Out, Big Studio Player and Indy Bad Boy.
Many guises, but always skilled. Waiting for the next big role to play.
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