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Author and activist Bob Wood places one of his numerous phone calls to residents in Muskegon County, Michigan.

Telemarketing (sometimes known as inside sales,^[1] or telesales in the UK and Ireland) is a method of direct marketing in which a salesperson solicits prospective customers to buy products or services, either over the phone or through a subsequent face to face or Web conferencing appointment scheduled during the call.

Telemarketing can also include recorded sales pitches programmed to be played over the phone via automatic dialing. Telemarketing has come under fire in recent years, being viewed as an annoyance by many.

History[link]

Many^[who?] believe that in the 1950s, DialAmerica Marketing, Inc became the first company completely dedicated to inbound and outbound telephone sales and services. The company, spun off and sold by Time, Inc. magazine in 1976, became the largest provider of telephone sales and services to magazine publishing companies. The term telemarketing was first used extensively in the late 1970s to describe Bell System communications which related to new uses for the outbound WATS and inbound Toll-free services.

Categories[link]

The two major categories of telemarketing are Business-to-business and Business-to-consumer.

Subcategories[link]

• Lead Generation, the gathering of information and contacts
• Sales, using persuasion to sell a product or service
• Outbound, proactive marketing in which prospective and preexisting customers are contacted directly
• Inbound, reception of incoming orders and requests for information. Demand is generally created by advertising, publicity, or the efforts of outside salespeople.

Telemarketing office

Procedure[link]

Telemarketing may be done from a company office, from a call centre, or from home. It may involve either a live operator or a recorded message, in which case it is known as "automated telemarketing" using voice broadcasting. "Robocalling" is a form of voice broadcasting which is most frequently associated with political messages.

An effective telemarketing process often involves two or more calls. The first call (or series of calls) determines the customer’s needs. The final call (or series of calls) motivates the customer to make a purchase.

Prospective customers are identified by various means, including past purchase history, previous requests for information, credit limit, competition entry forms, and application forms. Names may also be purchased from another company's consumer database or obtained from a telephone directory or another public list. The qualification process is intended to determine which customers are most likely to purchase the product or service.

Charitable organizations, alumni associations, and political parties often use telemarketing to solicit donations. Marketing research companies use telemarketing techniques to survey the prospective or past customers of a client’s business in order to assess market acceptance of or satisfaction with a particular product, service, brand, or company. Public opinion polls are conducted in a similar manner.

Telemarketing techniques are also applied to other forms of electronic marketing using e-mail or fax messages, in which case they are frequently considered spam by receivers.

Telemarketing agent sitting in a cubicle. The brightly colored rebuttal sheets are used to answer most questions a customer might have.

Negative perceptions and criticism[link]

Telemarketing has been negatively associated with various scams and frauds, such as pyramid schemes, and with deceptively overpriced products and services. Fraudulent telemarketing companies are frequently referred to as "telemarketing boiler rooms" or simply "boiler rooms". Telemarketing is often criticized as an unethical business practice due to the perception of high-pressure sales techniques during unsolicited calls. Telemarketers marketing telephone companies may participate in telephone slamming, the practice of switching a customer's telephone service without their knowledge or authorization.

Telemarketing calls are often considered an annoyance, especially when they occur during the dinner hour, early in the morning, or late in the evening. Another, potentially serious side-effect of "nuisance" telemarketer calling is that it prompts some exasperated people to begin only answering calls from numbers that they actually recognize on their caller-ID displays, preventing emergency calls and calls from loved ones using pay-phones or someone else's phone from getting through, as well as other legitimate calls made by "unknown but honest" persons who are calling for the first time, such as new acquaintances or responders to a classifieds ad.

Some companies have capitalized on these negative emotions. Since 2007 several forums have sprouted and act as complaint boards where consumers can voice their concerns and criticism. In response some telemarketing companies have filed law suits against these portals^[2][3][4]. The current legal system in the U.S grants such forums a certain degree of protection through "Communications Decency Act, 47 U.S.C 230" and California's Anti-SLAPP law.

A recent trend in telemarketing is to use robocalls: automated telephone calls that use both computerized autodialers and computer-delivered pre-recorded messages in a sales pitch. These often include intentionally deceptive tactics, with computer recorded messages saying things like "Don't panic but this is your final notice" or "We have already attempted to contact you through the mail." These messages are often outright lies, intended to incite concern or fear in the potential customer.

Robocalls are known for failing to add numbers to their do-not-call list and repeatedly interrupting individuals at all hours of the day.

Regulations[link]

This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (January 2010)

In some countries telemarketing is subject to regulatory and legislative controls related to consumer privacy and protection.

United States of America[link]

It is not known exactly when, or possibly if telemarketing officially became legal in the United States of America. Telemarketing in the United States of America is restricted at the federal level by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) (47 U.S.C. § 227) and the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). The FCC derives regulatory authority from the TCPA, adopted as CFR 64.1200 and the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act, 15 U.S.C. 6101-6108.^[5] Many professional associations of telemarketers have codes of ethics and standards that member businesses follow to encourage public confidence.

Some jurisdictions have implemented "Do Not Call" lists through industry organizations or legislation; telemarketers are restricted from initiating contact with participating consumers. Legislative versions often provide for heavy penalties on companies which call individuals on these listings. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has implemented a National Do Not Call Registry in an attempt to reduce intrusive telemarketing nationwide. Telemarketing corporations and trade groups challenged this as a violation of commercial speech rights.^[6] However, the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the National Do Not Call Registry on February 17, 2004.^[7]

Companies that use telemarketing as a sales tool are governed by the United States Federal regulations outlined in the TSR (amended on January 29, 2003 originally issued in 1995) and the TCPA. In addition to these Federal regulations, telemarketers calling nationally must also adhere to separate state regulations. Most states have adapted "do not call" files of their own, of which only some states share with the U.S. Federal Do Not Call registry. Each U.S. state also has its own regulations concerning: permission to record, permission to continue, no rebuttaling statutes, Sunday and Holiday calls; as well as the fines and punishments exacted for violations. September 1, 2009, FTC regulations banning most robocall went into effect.

Telemarketing techniques are increasingly used in political campaigns. Because of free-speech issues, the laws governing political phone calls are much less stringent than those applying to commercial messages. Even so, a number of states have barred or restricted political robocalls.

Canada[link]

In Canada, telemarketing is regulated by Federal Government, specifically handled by Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

Australia[link]

Telemarketing in Australia is restricted by the Australian Federal Government and policed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Australian Federal legislation provides for a restriction in calling hours for both Research and Marketing calls.^[8]

In 2007 a Do Not Call Register was established for Australian inbound telephone numbers. The register allows a user to register private use telephone numbers. Australian Federal Legislation limits the types of marketing calls that can be made to these registered telephone numbers; however, research calls are allowed. Other exemptions include calls made by charities and political members, parties and candidates^[9] however any organisation that is instructed by the recipient of a telemarketing call, not to call that number again, is legally obliged to comply, and must remove the phone number from the organisations calling list(s).

Inbound telemarketing is another major industry^{[citation needed]}. It involves both live operators and IVR—Interactive Voice Response. IVR is also known as audiotext or automated call processing. Usually, major television campaigns and advertisers use toll-free telephone number that are answered by IVR service bureaus^{[citation needed]}. Such service bureaus have the technology and call capacity to process the large amounts of simultaneous calls that occur when an toll-free telephone number is advertised on television^{[citation needed]}.

Technology[link]

• Autodialer
• Automatic call distributor
• Customer relationship management
• Predictive dialer
• Private Branch eXchange
• Teleblock
• Natural Predictive Dialing

See also[link]

• Boiler room (business)
• Call Centre
• Cold calling
• Direct marketing
• List of call centre companies
• Marketing
• Reloading scam
• Spamming
• Sucker list
• Telemarketing in Canada
• Natural Predictive Dialing

References[link]

External links[link]

• Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Telemarketing
• Federal Trade Commission Information about Telemarketing Rules and Scams
• File a Complaint to the Do Not Call Registry
• Federal Trade Commission Do Not Call Registry
• Laws Regulating Telemarketers
• List of State Do Not Call Lists
• s+new+measures+to+tackle+silent+calls
• Telephone Preference Service – UK Do Not Call Registry
• Protect yourself from top telemarketing scams

James "Jim" Florentine (born August 18, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, comedian, voice artist, and performer. He is best known for hosting the That Metal Show on Vh1 Classic as well as performing Special Ed and Bobby Fletcher on Crank Yankers.

Currently, he is touring the country performing solo and with Don Jamieson and is part of The Killers of Comedy tour.

Early life[link]

Florentine was born James Florentine on August 18, 1964. In 1993, he began his career in comedy clubs in New York City.^[1]

Career[link]

In July 2001, Florentine released Terrorizing Telemarketers Volume 1. After numerous plays on the Howard Stern Radio Show, his CD ranking on Amazon.com went from 282,363 to number 2. The only artist ahead of him was the Backstreet Boys. Later that week, Florentine's CD came in at #17 on the Internet Billboard charts.

After the release of Terrorizing Telemarketers Volume 2 in late 2001, Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla took a liking to Florentine's prank calls and hired him for a show to debut in June 2002 on Comedy Central called Crank Yankers. Florentine played Special Ed, a mentally retarded teenager, and Bobby Fletcher, a despicable, alcoholic slob who is the older cousin of Ed.

After season 1, Eminem took a liking to Florentine's characters and flew him out to his Detroit studio to do prank calls together for the upcoming season of Crank Yankers. The following year in 2004, Eminem and Florentine did a bit together on the MTV Music awards show where Eminem beat up Special Ed, who kept annoying him (and tore his leg off). Crank Yankers lasted 3 seasons on Comedy Central. The show moved over to MTV2 in 2006 for one season. Florentine's Special Ed character that he created is still played at various Sporting Events at stadiums across the USA.

Florentine was featured on the series premiere of Down and Dirty with Jim Norton, a stand-up comedy series that aired on HBO on October 3, 2008. The series spotlights new and established talent, including Artie Lange, Bill Burr (Chappelle Show), Patrice O'Neal (Scary Movie 4), and Andrew Dice Clay. Lemmy, leader of the heavy metal band Motörhead, serves as the musical director.

Later that year, That Metal Show which Florentine hosts made its debut on VH1 Classic. It's described as "The Tonight Show for AC/DC fans". He is also co-hosting along with Eddie Trunk and Don Jamieson.

Florentine has been seen on The Apprentice, Comedy Central's Mother Load, HBO's Inside the NFL, Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The Opie and Anthony Show, The Howard Stern Show, Spike TV's Video Game Awards, MTV Music Video Awards, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Last Call with Carson Daly, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn on Comedy Central, VH1's The List, and Louie Anderson's Comedy Showcase. He also voiced the redneck radio host Bobbie Ray in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

He has a series of prank call CDs known as Terrorizing Telemarketers Volumes 1-5.^[2] The CDs feature a series of recorded telephone conversations, often with Florentine receiving calls from telemarketers, wherein he turns the tables on often aggressive salespeople by being deliberately difficult and creating awkward situations.

In 2004, he worked one season on HBO's Inside the NFL performing various comedy sketches. The show won an Emmy that season and Florentine has proudly said in various interviews that when he was single he kept it on his night stand and it would close the deal anytime he had a date over. He called it his "Mariano Rivera".

At the same time, Florentine released two hidden camera DVDs called Meet The Creeps where he and his partner Don Jamieson pull outrageous pranks on people. The DVD has got in the hands of some Comedy Central executives and they brought Meet The Creeps to their broadband channel called Motherload. After the two successful seasons, Comedy Central did a Meet The Creeps pilot for the network. The pilot was deemed too mean spirited and the show never made it on the network.

Between 2004 and 2008, he made 3 appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC. He also appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. In 2007, Florentine appeared on the last episode of The Apprentice in season 4 doing his edgy stand-up comedy at a conservative charity event. He asked Trump's partner George if he wears a diaper. He has not appeared on "The Apprentice" since.

In 2008, he dated Robin Quivers.^[1]

He is an occasional guest on the late-night Fox News Channel show Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld.

Later in 2010, Florentine appeared in the feature film A Little Help as Brian.

On October 25, 2011 his live comedy CD/DVD Cringe 'n' Purge was released on Metal Blade Records.^[3] The album cracked the top 5 on the Billboard Current Comedy Chart. It is also available on iTunes with three additional bonus tracks and peaked at #3 on the iTunes comedy charts.

Filmography[link]

Television work[link]

Video games[link]

• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories .... Bobbie Ray (2006)

Discography[link]

• Terrorizing Telemarketers I (CD)
• Terrorizing Telemarketers II (CD)
• Terrorizing Telemarketers III (CD)
• Terrorizing Telemarketers IV (CD)
• Terrorizing Telemarketers V (CD)
• Jim Florentine LIVE: GET THE KIDS OUT OF THE ROOM (CD)
• Anger is a Gift (CD)
• Cringe and Purge (CD)

DVDs[link]

• Meet The Creeps Volume 1 (DVD)
• Meet The Creeps Volume 2 (DVD)
• Meet The Creeps Volume 3 (DVD)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Jim Florentine at the Internet Movie Database
• Jim Florentine on Twitter
• Interview with WickedInfo.com
• Jim Florentine on Tom Green Live
• Interview with JesterJournal.com

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2011)

Tom Mabe is an American comedian and prankster.^[1][2][3]

Mabe uses hidden cameras and specializes in exposing telemarketers; he is based in Louisville, Kentucky and has been featured on Drew & Mike in the Morning on WRIF numerous times. He has released three comedy albums of his calls, on Virgin Records Nashville.

In 2008 Mabe was Executive Producer / Writer and Talent for CMT (Country Music Television) comedy series, Mabe In America. To date six episodes have been produced, as well as two "best of" shows.

He appeared in the second episode of CMT Comedy Stage.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• "CMT/Mabe in America" website
• Transcript of attempt to raise money for homeless people

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