Phones are one of the main ways people connect with the world around them, making phone calls powerful tools for marketing and customer outreach. Outsourcing your cold calls and other forms of marketing outreach to a call center can help you tap into the telemarketing craze while focusing on the core elements of your business.
What Is Telemarketing Outsourcing?
Telemarketing, also known as telephone marketing, telesales, and telephone advertising, is a direct marketing technique involving contacting customers to promote products. Many business process outsourcing (BPO) solutions leverage their call center infrastructure to offer telephone outreach as a service to other companies. With telemarketing outsourcing, you hire a BPO call center to handle the entire process of finding prospects, reaching out to prospective clients, and bringing qualified leads into your sales funnel.
Types of Telemarketing Call Center Services
There are several ways to make and take customer calls that contribute to your overall marketing and sales needs. The following are some of the main ways call centers can help you market your business through telemarketing.
Outbound Calls
Also known as cold calling, outbound telemarketing services are one of the traditional methods for telephone advertising. Your BPO partner will conduct research to build contact lists and then call those numbers to discuss your products and services.
Inbound Calls
Along with needing telemarketers to reach out to customers, it’s also important to have representatives available to take incoming calls from interested customers. With inbound call center services, potential clients proactively reach out to your company to learn more about your business. Telemarketers will field these calls to initiate the sales process.
Lead Generation
Sometimes, making a sale involves more than just one conversation. Many telemarketers reach out with the goal of building lists of qualified leads. Lead generation telemarketing focuses on vetting potential prospects to determine if they might be likely to make a purchase so the BPO team can eventually connect them to a sales representative.
Sales Calls
BPO call center reps can use lists of qualified prospects to conduct in-depth sales calls with customers. Experienced sales reps will schedule calls with interested clients and then discuss their needs, budgets, and concerns. Based on this information, they’ll help guide the customer through the sales funnel.
Market Research
Consumer outreach isn’t always about making sales. You can also use call center teams to get an inside perspective on your customers’ wants, needs, interests, and pain points. Call centers can use direct contact marketing to conduct surveys and get feedback from former customers, helping you adjust your future promotional strategy.
Location-Based Options for Telemarketing Companies
Because call centers can operate on a fully remote basis, they can be located anywhere in the world. As a result, you have several options when it comes to the geographical location of your BPO provider:
- Nearshore: Nearshore telemarketing involves working with a call center based in a neighboring country. Due to differences in local labor markets, you can enjoy additional cost savings while still getting localized support from representatives who understand your customers’ business culture.
- Offshore: Offshore call centers are typically based out of distant overseas locations, helping you tap into specialized expertise at a low cost.
- Insourcing: Insourcing marketing is the term for handling your customer outreach needs internally instead of working with a vendor.
Key Benefits of Outsourced Telemarketing
The following are some advantages of working with a BPO team for your marketing needs.
Cost Savings
Telemarketing outsourcing costs are often much lower than the cost of hiring and overseeing an internal team to manage your customer outreach. You’ll be able to secure round-the-clock support from a qualified sales team without having to pay for expensive call center infrastructure or internal salaries.
Enhanced Efficiency
Established call centers have efficient systems in place for generating contact lists, qualifying leads, and moving prospects along each step in the sales funnel. Meanwhile, your internal team can spend their time and resources growing other parts of the business and supporting new customers.
Capturing More Sales
Outsourced telemarketing teams have the capacity to answer and make a high volume of calls. This allows you to connect with a wide audience, generate more leads, and ultimately increase your sales. Through this enhanced availability and high-volume outreach, call center services can increase your inbound sales and outbound sales
Improved Customer Experience
Telemarketers at outsourcing companies are meticulously trained to handle both inbound and outbound calls. They’ll carefully research your company and ensure that each interaction is a positive representation of your company. Their enhanced availability also ensures that customers who reach out will quickly be greeted by a representative who can walk them through the sales process.
Potential Drawbacks To Consider
Outsourced telemarketing has a few cons, but planning ahead can help you combat these issues. The core concerns include:
- Communication Challenges: It’s critical to proactively communicate with your BPO team about any changes in your products, services, or sales processes. Otherwise, there could be confusion among both representatives and customers.
- Brand Inconsistency: BPO teams handle multiple clients, and the outsourcing process gives you less control over their quality standards. Conducting regular alignment meetings will help ensure that the representatives are adhering to your brand guidelines and expectations.
- Security Considerations: When you outsource any task or service, you’re trusting a third party with your data and customer information. It’s important to hire a trusted vendor with strict data security protocols.
Tips for Choosing a Call Center for Marketing
Maximizing the benefits of telephone marketing starts with choosing an outsourcing vendor that’s fully aligned with your business. The global telemarketing market is worth over $11 billion and is expected to become more valuable as businesses look for ways to expand by contacting potential customers over the phone. With so many options available, it’s important to select a well-established vendor that has the tools in place to fulfill your marketing needs. By using these techniques, you can get started with a trusted, dedicated BPO organization that will help you work toward your marketing goals.
Research Top Providers
There are many well-established telemarketing companies across the globe, such as Confie BPO, Helpware, and Americall Communications. Start by making a list of call center options, including local, nearshore, and offshore solutions.
Explore Client Testimonials
Once you have your shortlist, explore reviews from companies that use each call center. You want to ensure that your provider has a reputation for excellent customer service so you can trust them to uphold your brand reputation.
Review Available Services
Ask about which marketing services each BPO provider offers, including inbound and outbound calling. You can also inquire about the technology and software they use to facilitate the customer outreach and lead generation process.
