| Telemarketers: You can't live with them, and you | | | | for more experienced people to re-contact.A smart |
| can't kill them!Seriously, starting and running an | | | | call, typically, is business-to-business, that would sell |
| effective telemarketing unit is costly, more time and | | | | consulting services via appointment. So, the phone |
| effort consuming than you ever imagined, and a | | | | rep has to (1) Get through screening or voice mail; |
| grind, even when you're getting positive results.And | | | | (2) Determine and arouse needs in the decision |
| when you're failing, and it feels you're pouring | | | | maker; and (3) Get that person to agree to a |
| resources down a widening sinkhole, it is like a | | | | meeting at a definite time; one that will not |
| near-death experience, each and every shift.To put a | | | | cancel.Smart calls take linguistic, thinking, and |
| stop to the madness, management often thinks | | | | persuasive capabilities, and most people who work |
| outsourcing is the answer, and on paper, it looks | | | | for these outsource firms just don't have these |
| pretty good. First, these workers are never on your | | | | things going for them.One of my former trainees at |
| books, so you don't run afoul of a lot of labor laws if | | | | Xerox, who has developed outsource tele-units in the |
| they're hired and fired in record time, which happens | | | | United States, India, and elsewhere, agrees with me. |
| frequently in this field.You don't have to put up with | | | | "They're fine for some basic calls, but they just can't |
| the cultural clash that tele-people bring to an | | | | do others," he says.So, take a hard look at what you |
| otherwise staid and starched environment. (See my | | | | need, and be realistic. Who do you really need to |
| article: "Having Telemarketers Aboard Will Create | | | | have working for you, to get the job done, and done |
| CULTURE SHOCK!")And usually, you're quoted an | | | | right?Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of |
| all-in-one fee for their services, ranging from about | | | | Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote |
| $25 per hour, and up, providing you sign a minimal | | | | speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader |
| pilot program contract. Compared to your own costs | | | | and the best-selling author of 12 books, including |
| of hiring, training, supervising, compensating, and | | | | Reach Out & Sell Someone(R), You Can Sell Anything |
| housing these folks, the dollars seem to match up | | | | By Telephone! and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing |
| very well.So, what's the downside?That's easy: In my | | | | Customer Service, and the audio program, "The Law |
| experience, most telemarketing outsource companies | | | | of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," |
| are barely capable of making "dumb calls." And | | | | published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent |
| they're almost all incompetent to make smart ones.A | | | | guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from |
| dumb call is one aimed at preliminary lead | | | | USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an |
| development, in which the caller asks for some basic | | | | MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont |
| intelligence, such as "Who is the person who buys | | | | Graduate University, Gary offers programs through |
| your office supplies?" or "What kind of sales | | | | UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade |
| software are you currently using?"It could also be a | | | | associations, and other organizations in the United |
| call to residences that asks: "Are you thinking of | | | | States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st |
| selling your home, refinancing, or buying a new home | | | | Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. |
| in the next 6 months?"These calls are then harvested | | | | |