Telemarketing for the Small Business Owner

July 1st, 2021 by dayat No comments »

To start with let’s be honest here, telemarketing is not an easy task nor is it easily managed. It is a fulltime job not only for the telemarketing agent but also for the person managing the telemarketing team. There are many factors to consider such as training, targets, scripting, motivation of staff and much more.

With that said, many businesses successfully conduct in house telemarketing and many telemarketing call centres fail. So what does it take to have a successful telemarketing operation? Well I wish it was as simple as one two three, but unfortunately a lot goes into running a successful telemarketing operation. A lot of which many people are unaware of which is why so many businesses struggle to keep a well performing telemarketing team. Below, I will take you through some points to further educate you in what telemarketing options may suit your business, and if you already have in house or outsourced telemarketing operations what you may be overlooking.

In house Telemarketing

Something many business owners get into for the simple reason that they want to get the job done to their own standards and always be in the know. Not a bad thing, but here’s some things for you to consider before jumping in the deep end.

* How much spare time do you have to manage this team?

Obviously, you have other things that need to get done; running in house telemarketing is a full time job! Do not under any circumstance overlook this. If you don’t have the time or have someone with experience you can hire fulltime then in house marketing simply isn’t for you. Some lucky business owners will be able to push their work into evenings or weekends and as long as you have the dedicated time it requires to run your team 100% then you need to look into other options.

* Do you have experience in telemarketing or are you willing to take the time to learn?

I have been in this industry for over 8 years now, and I am still learning every single day. Telemarketing is forever growing and expanding and therefore you need to grow and expand your skills and techniques accordingly. If you had experience years ago but haven’t recently dipped your toes into the industry then be sure to do your research first! You can learn a lot via Google looking for telemarketing tips etc. And it certainly is possible to self-teach but do not go into this blind or you will waste plenty of time and money in the process.

* Are you aware of the psychological side of telemarketing?

This is important not only for you, but also your telemarketing agents and the potential customers you’re contacting. Telemarketing requires you as a manager to understand the psychology of it all to ensure top performance of your agents, as well as correct and effective communication with your potential customers.

These are just a few pointers on what you will need to consider if you’re looking to do telemarketing within your business. If you have done your research and feel like you’re ready to go then you will also need some telemarketing lists to get started. You shouldn’t really need to pay ridiculous amounts for data you can purchase bulk databases extremely cheap if you know where to go.

If you feel that perhaps you might be biting off a little more than you can chew with in house telemarketing then you should consider hiring a professional to get the job done. Here are some things to consider in outsourcing your telemarketing.

Outsourcing your Telemarketing

* You need a company who understands how you want your company represented, you need to give input of exactly what you require or you may be left wondering what went wrong. Provide the telemarketing professionals with a specific list of qualifying questions, which should outline exactly what you expect to be provided in each lead, appointment, or presentation.

* Look for a company who guarantees their work, and offer a replacement policy to all customers, which allows you to rest assured that your money is being well spent. If a company cannot guarantee their work then you should not go into business with them. They should want to keep your business so quality should be their utmost concern.

* Make sure you have a budget in place to pay upfront. Most reputable telemarketing companies simply won’t put their telemarketing agents to work unless the client has committed with payment and provided the relevant information to successfully complete the campaign. Most companies or freelancers who charge once the job is done usually won’t be able to provide the same high quality work in a timely manner as well as those companies requiring an upfront payment. The truth of the matter is those who will be paid when the job is done will rush to complete it usually resulting in low quality work or can sometimes put the job off for other jobs they are getting paid upfront for or are easier. Whereas those who have been paid upfront are able to spend more time on training and coaching as well as providing the best staff to complete the job and will also be more dedicated to ensuring you are happy with the service and will want to continue working with them.