A survey of DM News readers found that marketers who use telemarketing are likely to shift their resources to direct mail and e-mail in response to the launch of the national no-call registry.
Of the 317 DM News readers polled who said they used outbound telemarketing, 60 percent said they would increase their use of other marketing channels to make up for the shortfall in telemarketing.
When asked what media would be increased, 81 percent said they would use mail, and nearly 69 percent said they would use e-mail or online marketing.
The survey, conducted by InsightExpress on Oct. 8, measured the attitudes of direct marketers involved in outbound telemarketing regarding the no-call list's effect on the industry.
Sixty-two percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that the telemarketing industry would become smaller or significantly smaller over the next three years and that many telemarketing companies would go out of business.
Sixty-five percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that the no-call list would lead to a no-e-mail list, while nearly 39 percent agreed or strongly agreed that a no-mail list would follow.
Respondents were split on whether telemarketers would ignore the no-call list, with nearly 28 percent agreeing and 36 percent disagreeing. Sixty-five percent agreed or strongly agreed that telemarketers would find ways to get around no-call regulations.
InsightExpress also surveyed 500 consumers to measure their outlook on how the list would affect their lives. When asked which represented a larger issue, 44 percent said unwanted e-mails and telephone calls were equal. Another 28 percent selected telephone calls, while nearly 20 percent identified e-mails as more problematic.
Forty-seven percent of the consumers said they had signed up for the no-call list, in contrast to 56 percent of DM News readers surveyed. Sixty percent of the consumers disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement, “I am concerned about the potential loss of jobs to those in the telemarketing industry,” and 63 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed that “most telemarketers are honest and trustworthy.”
Nearly 49 percent said telemarketing calls to their homes had decreased since Oct. 1, the day the no-call list officially took effect, while 27 percent said the number of calls had stayed the same and 22 percent said they were unsure.
