5 Mistakes to avoid when working with Outsourced Telemarketing Companies

The inclination towards outsourcing a business’s telemarketing operations is catching on, mainly because they can save precious human and financial resources in the process. However, the benefits are not without a price to pay. Sometimes, the relationship between the employer and the outsourced firm becomes dysfunctional, causing a campaign to deteriorate. Making the transition from in-house operation to outsourced call center has its growing pains. But the mistakes businesses make should at least be new ones, and not the ones others have made in the past. Without learning, there’s no point in moving on.

Here are 5 mistakes to avoid, particularly in the strategic planning stage:

1. Outsourcing to the wrong vendor

When a partnership fails, it’s either one of the parties didn’t do its part, or the partnership itself was a mistake. Businesses should use the expert knowledge to their advantage when choosing a vendor. There are a lot of ways to verify the credibility of a service provider before hiring it. Better yet, go for someone who’s highly recommended by peers.

2. Not embracing analytics by heart

A business that’s looking into outsourcing telemarketing operations should make sure they have the means and tools in analyzing that data to find opportunities for improvement – for both itself and the vendor it’s looking to hire. Some businesses even have departments solely devoted to managing and interpreting call center data.

3. Disregarding the importance of CRM

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is more than an industry buzzword – it’s the tool that bridges the gap between a business and its outsourced telemarketing firm. CRM has become more and more relevant on the heels of new social network technologies that feature user-generated content (UGC).

4. A lousy approach or script strategy

Work with agencies in coming up with a natural, conversation-oriented rapport that includes pertinent sales information without sounding stuffed. Again, this boils down to how meticulous a business is in investigating the reputation of an agency prior to making a deal.

5. Who executes the follow-up process (if there is one)?

Ask your vendor: Is a follow-up mechanism included in the contract? Or does the responsibility end as soon as leads are submitted? Up to what extent are leads nurtured and followed-up on? What’s the standard process for sub-quality leads, and those which did not translate into anything positive? Without knowing how this entire process works, a vendor may end up leaving a business hanging.