IMN Service Takes the Cold Out of Cold Calling

Online communications company IMN added Warm Call reports to its IMN Party online newsletter to tip sales consultants on which customers to call.

The service aims to give consultants useful information about how their customers responded to newsletters, thus offering strategic insight into their customers' interests and needs.

Such information increases productivity, IMN claims. A Warm Call user can make 12 to 13 calls in 10 minutes versus roughly one or two in the same time.

A Warm Call report includes information such as which customers opened the consultant's online newsletters, who read about "hostess specials," what product information interested them most and how to contact readers by telephone or e-mail.

The Warm Call reports are sent to the consultants 24 hours, three days and seven days after each online newsletter mailing. The newsletters can be personalized to the consultants by including their photos along with the rest of their contact information.

Clients include companies like PartyLite, a leading direct selling company for candles and related accessories.