In Part 1 we discussed the key factors why telemarketing programs fail. Let’s discuss the expectations and other vital aspects when setting up and managing a campaign.
Expectations: Having unrealistic expectations of the results of the campaign can not only cause the agent to become unmotivated thus experience poorer results, but it affects everyone who is an integral part of the campaign. Having unrealistic expectations will cause the staff to handle the campaign in a state of “crisis management”, or worse yet, making further mistakes without a thorough assessment of the “why” and “how”.
The benefit of having a Project Management Guide (PMG) it’s a road map, a blueprint that carefully out lines the level of expectations of the campaign; it is the responsibility of those assigned to carry it out and to make the necessary efforts to meet that expectation. The expectations should be well tested and defined in the PMG so that all variables to every campaign can be addressed. However, with the expectations there needs to be a “what if” section in the PMG so that in the event something does not go as planned, alternatives are provided to correct mistakes, lower or raise the expectations and so forth. The “what ifs” are carefully decided upon ahead of time along with the resolutions by the project management team and then it is given to the client for approval. This process increases the internal and external communication between the client, the project management team, and the assigned center.
The Database for Outbound Campaigns: For most campaigns, the database is 50% of whether an account is successful or not. Therefore, the database needs to be fresh, pre scrubbed and the demographics need to be closely matched to what the ideal customer the client is after. A calling list that is outdated, poorly targeted, over worked, or not scrubbed will dramatically affect the results of the client’s campaign. A poor list will eat up calling hours very quickly, yielding inferior results and frustrate not only the assigned agents but also everyone that is an integral part of the campaign. This is where the disposition of calls is crucial. The agent must have a clear understanding of the target prospect in order to identify how to best disposition the calls and determine what is a bad lead. If there are too many “bad leads” identified, the list may need replacing to achieve the results expected of the campaign. The assigned project manager will assist the client in assessing the profile of an ideal list. Once defined, the reporting of the dispositions from the list is defined so agents can report more accurate results. Be sure to follow all DNC and TSR regulations when cold calling on a list.
Reporting: Once the disposition of the list is defined, a custom report needs to be put into place so that the agents can disposition each call made or received. This helps everyone determine the quality of the list for outbound campaigns, quality of the marketing efforts for inbound campaigns, the effectiveness of the assigned agents, and finally a determination of the overall results. The per call results enable the assigned task team (i.e. floor supervisors, shift supervisors, quality assurance department and project managers) to assess the results of the campaign and make appropriate changes to enhance the overall campaign results.
In Part 3 we will discuss how to properly assess and prepare your agents for training.