Telemarketing and Telephone Selling - Will It Work for My Company?
Eight questions to answer before you make your first telemarketing hire
-by Denise Clancey, President, Teledirect Partners
Companies which take a ‘look before you leap’ attitude towards Telesales are more likely to implement a plan which will be successful and will support the company’s sales and marketing strategy. Before your company leaps into the world of Telesales, ask the following questions:
Before you post the first position...
#1 Does Teleselling complement your sales and marketing strategy? Can your business and sales plan accommodate a telephone selling component? What specific market or prospects will Telesales target and manage? Include both Sales and Marketing in this discussion. Agree on the primary objectives and targets.
#2 Will Telesales be responsible for generating revenue or will it be developing & managing leads and opportunities? These are very different and require different approaches and resources.
#3 Will Telesales own its accounts or will it share responsibility for its accounts with your Field Sales organization? These distinctions need to be considered as you develop the sales and compensation plans and when you begin your hiring.
#4 What is your average order size and who is your target contact at customer and prospect accounts? Teleselling works best when the order size and target contact are in sync with the experience and capabilities of the telephone sales team. Larger order size and C-level contacts require a different teleselling strategy and talent than smaller average orders and department-level contact.
#5 What does success look like? Identifying success elements will enable you to determine whether you will be successful staffing a Telesales team and what you should be measuring and rewarding when you do.
Before you make the first hire...
#6 Who will manage the Telesales Representatives? What is this person’s level of Telesales expertise? A critical component of a Telesales team’s success is its direct manager. If the manager is an experienced Telesales manager, you will do well. If, as in many companies, your Telesales team will report to someone without the experience or even the inclination to manage Telesales representatives, you will need to fix this before you make your first phone call.
#7 What marketing and sales tools will the Telesales representatives need in order to be successful from the start? Some of these are the same as those you deliver to your Field Sales representatives and there are a number that are specific to doing business by phone. Are they in place now or do they need to be developed? Create the list, identify the gaps, create and deliver the tools.
#8 Do you have a current pool of potential candidates or will you need to develop one? What distinguishes your Telesales opportunity from others in your hiring market? Hiring Telesales representatives is becoming more and more competitive. Examine the local market carefully. Make sure the talent is available and that you have developed a compensation plan that is within range of others who are competing for the same top talent.
A Telesales team can make a significant contribution to many companies. A thoughtful examination of the value and contribution of Telesales will enable your company to successfully leverage this resource once it is in place.
Good luck and good (tele) selling!
Copyright © 2003 Teledirect Partners All rights reserved.
