Telemarketing seems to have taken up the gauntlet of being attacked after answering service! If you take a look around, call center units are being pilloried at all points for making lead generation calls and intruding the privacy of the customers. As a BPO unit that has been around for about a decade, we feel that telemarketing services are not going anywhere. It still has a lot of potential to provide business and generate leads and sales. It’s just that call centers have to be a little careful with this tool. They have to sort out their plans and strategies and make way for sales lead generation that is approved and recommended by the best practices of the industry.

To start off, specify the goal of the telemarketing calls to all your agents. Different calls have different functions to achieve. For example, some of them could be appointment setting calls, some may be for market survey while others may be to obtain approvals. When the call center agent knows the purpose behind the call, they are in a better position to handle it. Also, BPO agents need to quit pushing for sales immediately after establishing contact. When you make the first lead generation call, speak about your brand and the company. Judge the customer’s reaction and then take it forward. No one in the modern recession-hit economy would buy from a telemarketing services firm that they have never heard about. Establish that trust before you try for sales.