Workforce Management Software for Telemarketing Companies
May 18, 2011
There are many different versions of telemarketing software on the market, but one of the most useful and valuable is Workforce Management (WFM) software. Regardless of the size of the telemarketing company you manage, scheduling your associates is always a challenge. Sick days, holidays, peak call hours and unanticipated scheduling problems all compound the staffing issues. Making sure that the work force is adequate and efficiently utilised can directly impact your telemarketing’s bottom line, so this is one area that any call centre can improve upon.
Several companies market Workforce Management software, allowing telemarketing managers to automate the chore of scheduling telemarketers and forecasting call volumes. New software developments allow management of both traditional phone traffic and the newer internet customer service applications. Since the massive growth of email and online chat customer service, managing three streams of customer requests has become more and more complicated, but the newer, more sophisticated software packages available make these processes easier to manage. Most even have the ability to check predictive dialing research to help forecast staffing needs.
Of course, like any other computerised application, you must first choose the software right for your centre and input your own required parameters. Information like telemarketing service requirements, or the length of time that an agent is expected to spend on each call, labour costs and availability, and historical volume data to help the packages forecasting feature optimise your schedule. Most software developers request two years of call statistics, many will work with one year of stats.
Other information necessary to set up the forecasting features may include upcoming developments and trends, like a new product offering, or the discontinuation of products that generate a large call volume.
Many of the WFM packages can be set up to allow employees more control over their own schedules. Holidays and personal time can be requested right on the system and some packages even allow employees to swap shifts “online”. Although many managers are initially uncomfortable with these features, they usually come to appreciate the ease with which employee schedules are managed after installation. Interesting by-products of these features are increased employee satisfaction and reduced turnover, as employees are able to more easily accommodate their own scheduling needs. WFM reporting capabilities make it easier for management to communicate the telemarketing’s needs to the associates as well, leading improved understanding of scheduling requirements and less “grumbling” among telemarketers.
There are WFM software packages for almost every price point, from basic to sophisticated. Several of the popular providers market different versions of their WFM software to meet the needs of large and small telemarketing services. Have basic call volume information and a “wish list” of features on hand before contacting vendors so that they can help you select the most cost effective package for your company.
Purchasing Workforce Management software for your telemarketing company can be an investment with many long term dividends. Managing your most expensive resource, your telemarketers, more effectively can have a substantial impact on your bottom line. Not only will you manage your agent’s schedules more effectively and reduce labour costs while maintaining proper service levels, you’ll reduce turnover and absenteeism by allowing your employees more control over their schedules. Workforce Management software is an investment that will pay dividends for a long time to come.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Telemarketing
May 9, 2011
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a common telemarketing solution to the clients’ customer retention problems. Research of consumer spending patterns has shown that customers who feel loyal and satisfied are more likely to become repeat customers. This will lower a business’s customer acquisition costs and build brand recognition, both of which can translate into an improved bottom line. Telemarketing solutions emphasising Customer Relationship Management help their clients build this kind of loyalty and reap the associated financial rewards.
Companies that manage their own customer service function often rely on a patchwork of communication channels, developed haphazardly as their business grew. Although this network is often deeply embedded in the company’s infrastructure, it is usually not very effective in meeting the needs of its customers. You know how frustrating it is to call the phone company with a simple request and be transferred to multiple departments? This is a prime example of the old style of haphazard customer service management.
Contracting with a professional customer service telemarketing can provide the solution to this problem. Of course, adequate scripting must be developed to ensure that customer requests can be handled with ease by the telemarketing associates, but once the initial work is done your consumers will benefit from a professionally, deliberately focused customer service effort.
A professionally designed Customer Relationship Management system will give your firm the information and tools it needs to efficiently manage customer service interactions, collect information to design more efficient customer systems and marketing efforts, and provide the consumer with consistent, satisfying experiences that will build confidence and loyalty.
Data collected can be customized and analysed based on your business’s specific requirements, and reporting can be done at the company’s request or at specific intervals. Not only does the CRM platform increase customer satisfaction with their interactions with the telemarketing, it enables the associates to handle requests more quickly (and thus, less expensively). Response times decline dramatically after the installation of a CRM initiative, pleasing customer and client firm alike. However, many companies are dissatisfied with their Customer Relationship Management initiatives and software. Unfortunately, once in place, the process must be monitored constantly in order to provide successful results. Many business fall into the trap of “set it and forget it mentality” and don’t analyse and respond to the collected information in a timely manner. Some don’t use the information at all, erroneously believing that collecting it is enough to increase their customer satisfaction ratings.
Of course, there is no one CRM solution that is right for every business application. Make sure that the CRM software you choose is adaptable to your needs and user friendly. Banks will by nature need to collect different information than catalog gift sales. Query other companies and note their positive and negative experiences. Make sure that the telemarketing CRM solution that you choose can provide you with the information that you need to take you customer service interactions, and your business, to the next level and beyond!
B2B Telemarketing For Your Business
April 11, 2011
Successful B2B telesales starts with knowing the company’s target market. This is extremely important because being able to talk to a prospect about their business using key phrases and “buzz words” from within their industry will quickly help to turn prospects into appointments or customers. So, if you target your market and make sure that telemarketers have a fundamental grasp of the market in which they are operating you specifically are able to maximise sales.
In addition, businesses that follow up with face-to-face meetings are often much more likely to finalise a sale. Obviously, when you spend your telemarketing pounds and use an outsourced telemarketing company to market specifically to a targeted group, you greatly increase the odds of getting some very useful prospects that can easily turn into sales. However, where many companies fail is with no in-person follow-ups, especially if it is a large sale or you are selling a product that needs a demonstration. In these cases it is critical to show the clients what your product can do for their company, and the role of your telemarketing agency should be to book appointments for a field sales professional to visit, as opposed to trying to close these larger sales over the phone.
What Makes a Good Telemarketer?
March 28, 2011
B2B telemarketing is a sales profession that is obviously honed and perfected over the course of a person’s career – but what makes an ideal candidate for a career in telemarketing?
Well, people can be taught the basics and learn certain skills through training sessions, but ultimately it comes down to owning certain qualities and without them, the telemarketer will always struggle to reach the pinnacle of their profession. Some of these characteristics for telesales professionals include the ability to fully understand the products in which they are introducing to potential clients. Let’s face it, if the telemarketer cannot answer specific questions about the product or service they are selling, it is unlikely that they will ever have high sales or appointment making ratios. Therefore, the ability to be able to absorb the fundamentals of the product or service is critical in order to succeed as a telemarketer.
Of course, an important quality is that telemarketers need to possess a courteous nature even when being turned down by a prospect. If a telesales professional remains kind and courteous even when their proposition is turned down, the client can remember that and may just make a call days later to finalise a sale. Moreover, telemarketing professionals hear a lot of “no’s” so they must possess a high level of resiliency and realise that the rejection is not personal.
Use a positive approach in telemarketing management!
March 21, 2011
Call centre management is not an easy task especially when you are dealing with outbound telemarketing because although your staff are sales professionals, they are people not robots. Therefore, you have the power to build your team’s confidence or tear it down. Think about how many more sales and leads your telesales staff are going to bring in when they know they have supportive management. With telemarketing, words are powerful and therefore, the words you use to your staff are also powerful, for instance, never use words such as “must” and “should” when dealing with calls, these words, convey a negative response.
When it comes to telemarketing management and you listen to a call that could have gone better, use it to train, not belittle. Therefore, training would consist of phrases such as, “a different way to handle the call would have been..” because this is training, but if you said, “how many times do I have to tell you this?” it is belittling and you are creating a negative work environment, which most people will not enjoy or be productive in.