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Teleservices Consulting
TCs' Telemarketing Outsourcing Tips

Business utilize telemarketing for one reason, RESULTS! Telemarketing was the top direct marketing tool in 2006 in terms of average response rates and investments returned, according to the DMA (Direct marketing association).

For the third year in a row, telemarketing response rates were highest among all direct marketing mediums with an average response of 5.78%!

Here are TCs' Telemarketing Outsourcing Tips, designed to help and guide you through your telemarketing outsourcing experience.



Outbound Telemarketing Tips

Outbound includes - Sales, lead generation, appointment setting, fund raising, market research, political calling, database appending, database verification etc.


THE ALL IMPORTANT TELEMARKETING DATABASE 

The Database - Every telemarketing campaign starts with the database of prospects you intend to market to or collect information on. The database or telemarketing list needs to be of high quality, targeting your core market and specific to your business.

Do you have an inhouse data source or are you relying on a database list company to provide the data for you?

If you are utilizing an inhouse list, make sure the data is up to date. Utilizing aged data for a telemarketing campaign is a mistake and will cost you in the long run in overall telemarketing program productivity. If you must used aged inhouse data, send the data out to a database list company to be appended, scrubbed and refreshed with current information before you telemarket. It will cost you less to append the data before the telemarketing campaign, than to pay telemarketers during the campaign to update the data as they go.

Next consider the size of the database you need to market to and time lines for project completion.

If you have a very large database you need called quickly, you may not want to hire a small telemarketing center improperly staffed to handle the task in the time necessary to complete the project

If a telemarketing company offers a free database, be leery, the best data is not free. Use only the best available data for your telemarketing campaign or it will cost you in the long run!

Ensure the outbound telemarketing firm you choose has the necessary experience telemarketing in your business field.

Also ensure the telemarketing company provides detailed daily productivity reports and lead distribution if necessary.

Hiring a telemarketing center that has experience with your type of business or a similar business makes a big difference.

Good telemarketing companies will have a list of references so you can talk with other companies that have utilized their services.

Experience counts, ensure the telemarketing company you hire has the equipment, personnel, and expertise to successfully drive your direct marketing campaign!

The Telemarketing Call

Every telemarketing call needs to be of high quality, targeting your core market and specific to your business.

The Initial Contact - The telemarketers contact with each prospect needs to be clear, confident, positive, friendly and precise. The telemarketing company representing your business needs to clearly introduce who is calling, confidently state why they are calling, positively enforce reason for the call in a friendly manner and be precise in the delivery of information or offer.

The Offer - Consider what you are offering your prospects to grab their attention during the first 15 seconds of every call. Is your marketing approach new and fresh or is it the same old marketing techniques they see everyday? You must differentiate your business from your competitors with unique products and creative marketing offers.

The Close - Always assume the positive and downplay the negative. Prospect objections need to be handled in a professional positive manner. Good telemarketing companies develop frequently asked questions guides and objection rebuttals. Never match wits with your customer, always be friendly and helpful as you respond to their concerns



Inbound Telemarketing Tips

Inbound includes - Direct response television and radio, customer service centers, catalog call centers, advertising response, after hours sales, dealer locator services, emergency call center response, etc.

When setting up an inbound telemarketing program you must consider the call volume you expect over a given period of time. Call volume must be estimated (if possible) with the number of calls you expect the call center to process on a hourly/weekly or monthly basis and when do you expect the call volume peak. This way your call center be ready with the proper equipment and number of telemarketers to handle the volume of calls coming in at any given time for your business requirements..

Also, verify the inbound call center is properly equipped to route, track and report on every inbound call processed. Reports should include, average speed of answer, average length of call, number of calls per hour, close rate, response rates etc. Digital recording is a plus if your center offers this quality tool.

Ask for client references for similar projects as you are intending to outsource!




Additional Telemarketing Tips

National Do Not Call Compliance - Recently enacted National Do Not Call laws prohibit telemarketing to specific consumer phone numbers registered with the federal government. Telemarketers are fined heavily ($11,000 per call) if they do not comply.
Experienced telemarketing companies utilize database software to scrub each and every record against the National Do Not Call Registry to ensure compliance. Do not make the mistake of conducting an inhouse campaign from a purchased directory, or database that has not been scrubbed or it could cost you dearly.

Quality Control and 3rd Party Verification - High quality telemarketing companies offer quality control before the call, during the call and after the call. Proper agent training, monitoring and 3rd party verification are just some of the tools used by telemarketing services agencies.

24/7 and Overflow Support - Telemarketing outsourcing can assist a business in handling spikes in call volume during peak calling periods or extend a businesses normal operation hours to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Inhouse vs. Outsourcing - Without question it is more cost effective to outsource your teleservices program to a proven vendor than performing the same services using your internal staff!

On average it will cost twice as much to complete a teleservice campaign using your own facilities, personnel, equipment, training, hardware, software and Telecom services.

A skilled teleservice vendor will have costs under control, proven business systems and seamless execution of key performance processes that allow them to competitively offer you their services, provide a cost savings over inhouse processes.

Need additional information? Contact a TC telemarketing services executive today at 330-825-2407 or click free telemarketing quote to submit your request via email and receive a response within 1 business day!