It appears that the economy has turned around.  Business balance sheets are growing and jobs are finally being created.  How does your business capitalize on the turnaround?  PPC advertising can be expensive and clicks can be difficult to capture.  Maybe you're not convinced that the turnaround will last.  Outsourcing telemarketing services can provide instant opportunities, but requires some planning and consideration prior to engagement. 

Telemarketing is a tried and true method for reaching customers.  Anyone who has a sales background will tell you that success was a "numbers game", and the daily refrain was "smile and dial".  If you've worked in sales, you surely are familiar with what I am talking about. 

The landscape has changed.  Technological growth during the last decade allowed companies to move a bulk of these operations overseas to countries like the Philippines and India.  As the landscape has changed, so must the handling of campaigns. 

Hiring an employee to work on-site carries both risks and rewards.  For instance, it can be easier to get to know your employee personally when your telemarketer physically arrives at your location at 9am (or earlier to avoid gatekeepers!).  While this can offer additional insight into your telemarketer's day to day activities, it can lead to difficult decisions if you are dissatisfied with his performance.  Hiring an internal telemarketer can also require a larger commitment on your behalf to your campaign or project.  It can be difficult to convince an internal prospective employee to jump on board for a "one month trial", while outsourcing companies allow an easier exit if you choose to try something different.

How do I manage a successful outsourcing campaign?

So you've decided to outsource your campaign.  How do you build on the success you've had domestically, or improve upon shortfalls?  I would recommend the following steps:

1) Set Expectations-

A favorite quote of mine is from Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  The Cheshire Cat asks Alice, "If you don't know where you are going, how do you expect to get there"?  To execute a successful campaign, you first need to define success and what it will take to achieve it.  To define success, you might want to do a simple cost/benefit analysis and ask yourself the following questions.  What am I trying to accomplish?  What is the potential upside/downside?  Am I looking to generate leads?  How much am I willing to pay for a lead?  What expectations would I have for an internal employee?

2) Define Your Market

Many telemarketing companies will put together lists for their telemarketers to call.  Who are the decision makers for your product or service?  This can vary widely from company to company, so it is crucial that your telemarketer is reaching out to the right people.  If your telemarketing provider offers a list, be sure to request to see it.  You know your business better than they do, so be sure the contacts are appropriate.  You should also ask if the list is current and if it has been called before.  The last thing you want is to have your telemarketer call a recycled list with burned leads.  Of course, you can provide a list yourself, and alleviate the uncertainty.  

3) Write a Script

If you have previously engaged in telemarketing campaigns, you undoubtedly have a script internally.  If not, you can choose to write a new one, or ask your provider to write one for you.  If you write a fresh script, ask the telemarketing company to review it and offer input.  This can be helpful as your provider is the expert and probably has a good idea of what will work.

4) Introduce Yourself

You probably wouldn't hire an employee internally without occasionally checking in with him or her.  The same should be true for external employees. 

5) Track Outcomes

Schedule calls to review progress with your telemarketer.  If this too time consuming, ask for email updates.  CRM software can help you monitor their work.  If you don't have a CRM, there are free tools online such as Google Documents that can help you track their work in real-time. 

6) Measure Up

How is your telemarketer doing?  Compare the performance you've seen with the objectives you set prior to the campaign launch.  Hopefully, implementing these steps will assure telemarketing success.