Are you aware of the pitfalls that could cause your outsourced telemarketing campaign to fail? If you’re hiring a telemarketing company for lead generation or appointment setting, you maintain control of aspects such as scripts and lead lists. However, there are other dangers sales managers don’t know about. If you ignore these red flags, your campaign is doomed to fail. Keep these risks in mind before signing a contract.
DON’T: Work with telemarketing companies whose agents have detectable accents.
In countless industries, an accented employee is not a disadvantage. Outbound telemarketing is not one of them. When it comes it telemarketing lead generation, it’s essential to catch the prospect’s interest within seconds. Most people are already irritated by unsolicited
telemarketing calls. If they have to deal with the effort of struggling to comprehend a sales
pitch, the success rate of your telemarketing campaign will drop by 90% or more.
DON’T: Tap an agency whose telemarketing agents have no sales skills.
Without sales experience, new telemarketing agents fail 95% of the time. Even with a perfect command of English, the ability to generate a live lead or set an appointment takes experience and skill. Do not assume that telemarketing agents will learn on the job. If you put ten inexperienced telemarketing agents on the telephone, you’ll be lucky if one is a success. When a company sends you a team of rookies, you can expect months of trial and error before you’ll build your core team—and that slow progress will happen on your dime, not theirs. For your outbound telemarketing campaign to succeed, you must insist on experienced telemarketing agents or find a company that provides nothing less.
DON’T: Consider a telemarketing company that offers other services.
Outbound telemarketing is a tough job that requires very specific talent and unfailing dedication. Outbound telemarketing agents must appeal to all different personalities, sound natural while reciting a script, and remain motivated in the face of rejection. Because outbound telemarketing happens in real time, an agent must counter unexpected objections, deal effectively with disinterest, and get past a prospect’s defenses.
In an industry where the burnout and turnover rate is notoriously high, only a dedicated specialty company can retain quality telemarketing staff. Avoid umbrella companies with sidebar services like chat support or customer assistance. If a telemarketing agency offers surveyors, order takers, personal assistants, or technical support, look elsewhere or you’re certain to get ineffective telemarketing agents.
Now that we’ve talked about what NOT to do, let’s look at three success strategies. There are a few measures you can take to substantially increase your chances of choosing the right telemarketing service.
DO: Pay attention to the telemarketing agency’s salesperson.
When you’re evaluating a lead generation company, your first contact will probably be their internal sales rep. This individual is driving the company’s revenue, so they’re likely the best agent the company can attract! If he or she has a detectable accent, you would do well to end the call and move on.
By the same token, pay special attention to this individual’s level of skill in handling your call. Again, they represent the best this company can offer, so if they’re not competent and charismatic, the telemarketers provided to your telemarketing campaign will be even less so. Your first contact with these companies will usually tell you all you need to know about their ability to provide you with successful lead generation, live transfers, or appointment setting. Ignore these red flags at your peril!
DO: Evaluate telemarketing agents in the context of their current campaign.
Let’s say the company’s sales rep has a golden voice and amazing sales skills. They’re in the running, but first you need to talk to several of their telemarketers. Do they speak without an accent? Can they deliver a sales script and handle objections? As a test, have them pitch you on their existing telemarketing campaigns so you know they’re actually doing lead generation or appointment setting. Pose as a tough sell. If they can’t handle a call with you, they won’t be able to handle real prospects.
Make a point of talking with at least 5-10 telemarketing agents. Be certain they have not only a good training process, but also a deep pool of telemarketing reps. Turnover happens, and if they have no one to replace existing telemarketing agents, they’ll resort to desperate last-minute hires and inexperienced, accented reps.
DO: Make sure they have the technology to eliminate agent accents.
Yes, there is software that eliminates or minimizes accents. We have developed Avatar and Echo for our own agents and it works like magic in our Philippines outbound call centers. If your outsourced telemarketing company does not use such software, they are headed for obsolescence. Most outsourced call centers are thousands of miles away. If they haven’t invested in this state-of-the-art technology, they won’t realistically be able to compete with true specialists in lead generation and appointment setting.
Call Avatar & Echo Telemarketing Agents for a successful outsourced telemarketing campaign! If you need to outsource your telemarketing campaign for lead generation, appointment setting, or live transfers, Avatar & Echo Telemarketing agents are guaranteed to have the clean English and sales experience you need. Let us help you achieve your sales goal for your business-to-business or business-to-consumer telemarketing.
To learn more about Avatar & Echo Telemarketing call (800) 970-9739 to speak with one of our lead generation experts today.
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