subject: Outsourced Telemarketing Services: Things To Help Businesses Decide(part 1) [print this page] The decision to either establish an in-house telemarketing arm or outsource telephone selling services can be tough for businesses these days. This article intends to give light and understanding to the aspects of outsourced telemarketing services.
The point of using the telephone in business development is for companies to make direct sales, acquire leads, set appointments, conduct market surveys and research, or validate information. But organizations opting to launch a telemarketing campaign should consider a number of important factors.
To Outsource or Not
Establishing an in-house telemarketing body for a business can mean investing a huge amount of money. This entails training and hiring new people, securing a space, and providing things like computers, telephone systems or automatic dialers. Many businesses opt to outsource due to budget and time constraints.
Professional telemarketing providers can very well manage a small or large phone-based sales operation. They are capable of handling different types of marketing projects depending on the demands of the business. They are able to provide assistance with developing lists, formulate scripts and conduct strategic targeting. In addition, most service providers are likely to provide the people, software, hardware and the proficiency to suit the marketing requirements of the business.
Making a Choice
It is important to know what the business objectives are in choosing a provider. Companies must think about what they want the telemarketing firm to achieve for them. Businesses should go for the firm that had successful partnerships with other organizations in the industry which they belong. This provides the security of previous success and guarantees that the provider can manage and develop the campaign.
A company needs to have a proper estimate of what the call volume should be. Set realistic expectations that are neither too high nor too low. In most cases, service providers inform businesses if these numbers are attainable or not, depending on factors like business growth, type of product or service, time of year, special promotions etc.
Businesses must also consider the software compatibility between that of the provider and their own. This contributes to the smooth data exchange between the company and provider in monitoring the outcome of the campaign. Call monitoring is important to make sure that calls are being conducted according to the company's preferences. Companies may want transparency of sales information and campaign development or inquire about options that will benefit the project.
Offshore Telemarketing Firms
There are businesses that have chosen to outsource telemarketing services to firms outside the US . These companies have decided to obtain services offshore mainly because it is cost-efficient however there have been recent ethical and legal issues concerning offshoring. As mentioned, using an offshore call center can save businesses as much as 25% in costs compared to hiring a call center based in the US that offers the same services. But, business ethics of the situation becomes an issue due to companies who have embarked on some illegalities and failed to uphold US laws. This significantly affects industry and customer perception leaving offshore smaller businesses prone to criticism.
Language or communication must also be considered when deciding to hire offshore firms. Telephone sales representatives may have strong accents and this can affect the quality of conversations with customers. This can either make or break the business. To help representatives communicate better and get used to the American culture, these call centers provide language training and culture orientation programs.
by: Anne Geller
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