Forms Of Direct Marketing\Channels For Direct Marketing: direct marketers can use a number of channels for reaching prospects and customers. These include face to face selling direct mail catalog marketing telemarketing tv and other direct response media.
1. face to face selling: the original and oldest form of direct marketing is the field sales call.today most industrial companies rely heavily on a professional sales force to locateprospects, develop them into the customers, and grow the business. Or they hire manufactures representatives and agents to carry out the direct selling task. In addition, many consumer companies use a direct selling force: insurance agents, stock brokers, and distributers, working for direct selling organizations such as Avon, Amway.
2. Mail order marketing or catalogue marketing: Mail order marketing (MOM) or catalogue marketing also known as Mail order business (MOB), is one of the well established methods of direct marketing. Since many mail orders marketers use catelogus for the communication with the consumer, this form of the marketing is often required to as catalogue marketing. In this method, the consumers become aware of a product through information furnished to them by the marketer through catelogus dispatched by mail. The entire marketing takes place by mail. Interested consumers respond by placing a mail order on the marketer, the product is supplied to the consumer by mail; payment by the consumer is also made by the mail, entire by VPP or by cheque, or by the credit cards.
3. Direct mail marketing: Direct mail marketing (DMM) is similar to MOM. Usually, when a trading house markets various products by the mail order, we refer to it as MOM or MOB and when a manufacturer markets his products by the same method, we refer to it as DMM. In direct mail marketing, not only letters or Bouchers are mailed to the prospects, but free product samples, gifts and compliments are also mailed, depending on the text.
4. Telemarketing: telemarketing describes the use of telephone operators to attract new customers, to contact existing customers to ascertain satisfaction levels, or to take orders. In the case of routinely taking orders, it is called telesales. Many customers routinely order goods and services by the telephone.
5. Direct response marketing: Direct response marketing (DRM) is; is another expression that we come across in the context of direct marketing. It is similar to, but not exactly the same as direct mail marketing. What direct mail marketing and direct response marketing from the each other is the media or instrument used? Direct mail marketing relies on mail, media or instrument for obtaining the responses, direct response marketing uses more rely totally on television which gives information about product. Depending on the media used - press, or TV - response is elicted by giving a contact address or phonenumber or fax number. In the case of the press, usually a coupon is also attached to enable response.
6. Tele -shooping or home shooping: Tele -shooping alternatively known as home shooping, is one of the relatively more recent editions of the direct marketing. Here, the marketer hwks the product on the air and the consumer watches it on his TV screen at home, phones up the marketer and buys his requirement.
7. Datastable marketing: Datastable marketing is yet another expression we come across in the direct marketing. Although all forms of direct marketing are database driven, some experts traet database marketing as a distinct form of the direct marketing.