4 Secrets to Outbound Call Success

Tuesday, September 29, 2015 Unknown 6 Comments










The face of outbound calls today

Outbound calls are no longer the nuisance they once were, thanks to modern tools and new practices in outbound calling. People used to detest calls from strangers at ‘ungodly’ times, but now await them, though with a bit of anxiety. Many people will want businesses or customer service agents to call them, as it allows them to receive a call and no longer wait on hold for long periods of time. The action somewhat makes them feel important, as it’s a sign businesses are now taking them seriously.


Making every call count


The change in customers’ attitudes towards outbound calls, however, doesn’t give businesses the license to ‘harass’ potential customers, because calls are still annoying when done wrong. Would you dare annoy customers who are faced with plenty of flexible options and great deals from your competition? I think not.

To make customers respond to your offer, survey, or solicitation, you shouldn’t only invest in the right outbound call center, but also in strategies and techniques, some of which you need to test and tweak when the situation calls for it. Here are four secrets to outbound call success:

 Know when to call customers – Avoid calling people at meal times and during TV prime-time. You can ask them for the best time to call them, and if they agree to you calling them back, make sure you call at the time they’ve specified, not before or after. If they don’t want you to call back, thank them for picking up the call.

 Drop the script – You shouldn’t treat customer service as a mere process, and don’t limit conversation to a script. Memorization is good, but it’s not key to outbound call center success. Success lies in the efforts agents put in ‘feeling’ the spirit of the script. The focus should be on the customers, not on the call process.

 It’s all in the delivery – Treat customers as if they are people you’d like to meet, not as a hurdle you should clear to meet your quota. Still, don’t forgo the professionalism and respect. You must sound reliable if you want people to buy your product, donate to your cause, or answer your survey.

 Put in the right people – Many businesses don’t realize that their outbound agents are their spokespeople or PR people of sorts, so you should invest in your people, too. So if you require agents for your direct response customer service team, make sure your outsourced outbound call center fields in people who can whet the interest of those who stay awake just to watch your infomercials. Overall, you want agents who can deal effectively with your customers.

Your business should never do without outbound calls, because you owe your customers new information and new offers – and it’s your job to inform them before they learn it from someone else or hear something big-time from the competition.

Want to step up your outbound call performance? Entrust your calls and processes to Taking You Forward, a world-class outbound call center in the Philippines. Let us do the talking for you.

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4 Things to Do When Planning to Outsource to an Inbound Call Center

Wednesday, September 02, 2015 Unknown 4 Comments

There is no stopping you from outsourcing your customer service and technical support to an inbound call center in the Philippines. You have already pointed out the benefits to your partners or investors. You have determined the activities to be outsourced and even finalized a budget. However, you have yet to sit with business development managers from the Philippine-based call centers in your list, and you foresee no difficulties in identifying what call center you want to work with. It seems like everything is going according to plan.

Hope so, because if done wrong, outsourcing can doom you to an early bankruptcy, and you would never allow that, would you? So you are carefully exerting every effort to make sure the venture is worth the risk and the investment. During the planning or reviewing stages, did you:

1. Think of the benefits, not just the costs

Outsourcing sure saves you a lot of money, but it will take some time before you will see a return of investment, so you will need to invest more before your projected and actual savings start to match. But think not of the costs, but the benefits that you can gain: Increased operational efficiency, more space (to set up more equipment or accommodate more guests or concessionaires), more time and resources (to work on new projects), flexibility (to adjust to economic challenges), and stress-free management.

2. Find ways to achieve balance

Achieving balance should be the most important goal when outsourcing, but sadly many businesses have not been doing this. They sacrifice their most loyal and hard-working in-house employees – the people vital to the success of outsourcing. You must learn how to create a balance between working with an offshore call center and with your in-house employees, who are likely to be more loyal and have a deeper understanding of your business and customers.

3. Learn to maintain control

Does outsourcing mean giving up control of the outsourced tasks? It shouldn’t be. Though you give your outsourced staff some level of control so they can perform to your standards, don’t rely too much on them, lest you lose control of your own business. Maintain control by getting your in-house staff involved in the outsourcing process. Train them to manage the outsourced staff (but not to be bossy towards them).

4. Talk to your in-house employees

Where do your in-house employees fit in once your Philippine-based inbound call center enters the picture? Before you even meet with representatives from call centers, make sure you talk to your in-house employees first and hear them out.

You will want to keep the best, the most loyal, and all those who manage your core activities. You will need them to help make the outsourcing partnership work. You will need to help them adjust to the changes that will take place once the partnership comes into effect.

If you’ve done all four of these, then you are all set to outsource. Success lies ahead in your outsourcing efforts.

Need an outsourcing partner to help you tread the path to efficiency? Call Taking You Forward, an inbound call center based in Cebu, Philippines. We are ready to help you transform your business along the tried and tested road.

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