Outsourcing Sales & Customer Service (any success?)

by thejlw
13 replies
I've been working on my biz for over a year and do to various setbacks it's taken a lot longer than expected but I'm getting to the point where I'm almost ready to launch and my intention was to start cold calling and iron out that process and then hire a telemarketer I could train to work from their home. I would then continue to hire telemarketers as the business (hopefully) grows.

The problem is that I'm pretty much out of money. I was screwed out of over $13k in legitimate affiliate commissions that would have made things a heck of a lot easier.

I'm probably going to get offered a job in the near future which will pay me fairly well and after some training I'll be able to work from home.

Even though I'll be working from home it doesn't mean I get to jerk off all day and the job is fairly stressful. It's not reasonable for me to be able to make calls while I'm working this job. I could probably get away with a few calls here and there but not the volume (100+ daily) I need to grow the business.

My product or service is legit and I'm looking to create a long term relationship with the businesses I work with so I'm looking for a company instead of an individual that provides rock solid sales & customer service.

I would be willing to pay hourly + commission.

Has anyone had any success in terms of outsourcing customer service AND sales?
#customer #outsourcing #sales #service #success
  • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
    Banned
    Originally Posted by thejlw View Post

    Even though I'll be working from home it doesn't mean I get to jerk off all day
    You need to rearrange your schedule, lest you lose the greatest benefit of getting to work from home.

    Cheers. - Frank
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    • Profile picture of the author eccj
      Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

      You need to rearrange your schedule, lest you lose the greatest benefit of getting to work from home.

      Cheers. - Frank
      A wise man once said - "it be better to beat the streets than beat thy meat."
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  • Profile picture of the author Jack Gordon
    If you can find a way to make this work, you will surely be living the dream.

    Alas, the reason it is just a dream is because in reality, this just doesn't work well. Telemarketers need to be watched like a hawk and managed aggressively.

    I hate to be discouraging, but you probably can't start a stressful new job and launch a new business at the same time. One will fail.

    I would put the business on hold until you get settled into a routine and build up some cash reserves. Then find a way to launch the business when you can carve out adequate time to do it right (i.e. do your own sales or be in the same room with the person doing your sales).
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    • Profile picture of the author thejlw
      Originally Posted by Jack Gordon View Post

      If you can find a way to make this work, you will surely be living the dream.

      Alas, the reason it is just a dream is because in reality, this just doesn't work well. Telemarketers need to be watched like a hawk and managed aggressively.

      I hate to be discouraging, but you probably can't start a stressful new job and launch a new business at the same time. One will fail.

      I would put the business on hold until you get settled into a routine and build up some cash reserves. Then find a way to launch the business when you can carve out adequate time to do it right (i.e. do your own sales or be in the same room with the person doing your sales).
      Thanks for the feedback Jack. I appreciate it.

      I'm still trying to find a way to make it work... hopefully with trial and error I can figure out a solution of some sort.
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      • Profile picture of the author savidge4
        More than kind of sort a I run multiple business' at once. The key here is to have an "office" that allows all of those business' to originate from a single location.

        If you look at your "job" as a business, and then your real passion - your business as a business, you quickly and obviously have realized there is only 1 of you.

        But what if you placed YOUR business in the other room, while you are doing your "job"? You state you would have some time.. just not a lot. would there be enough time to go in and check your telemarketer - be there to answer questions.. and maybe on occasion be there to assist in closing a deal?

        It comes down to working out the time management juggle. where you can give with one to get with the other. and honestly if they are anything other than under one roof I believe you would be asking for trouble. Keep it close and keep it in control!
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  • Profile picture of the author jmferret
    I do outsource offline sales to some degree, but mostly to professional salespeople in my niche, whom I know and just pay them % of sales. Not sure if it would work just as well in other cases.
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  • Profile picture of the author Freebiequeen1999
    JMO.....you need a "partner", not a "telemarketer"

    since you will not be there to "close", to answer questions immediately, you say your days will be busy with your J-O-B you really need someone more on "your level"...who has a grasp of whatever it is you plan to sell, who can make decisions, answer questions , close the sale

    A "regular" telemarketer can't do this...they can front - they find the interest then transfer the call to a closer/expert. That is a fronter . BUT that won't work - you plan to work your J-O-B

    OR they find the interest, they set up a time and place for the prospect to meet with the salesperson/closer/YOU ...that is appointment setter. BUT that won't work - you plan to work your J-O-B

    What you need is a closer, which is hard......since you are not there to train them I think you pretty much need to find someone with some of your knowlege, skills...and be more like partners

    Otherwise...seriously why would anyone bother? If you are not there for the fronter to transfer calls to - they lose the sale....lose the commissiom....why will they keep working?
    same with appontment setters...how can they set appt if you are busy with your job?

    You may have to give up more money and control and make it worthwhile to get the talent you need....
    or wait till you build up the money from your job and quit job and devote time t the biz
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      Your answer makes a lot of sense when placing your rather well communicated post: http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...-possible.html as a reference.

      However, I personally do not follow any of the segmented divisions you work through. I think the same may be true for many here as well. I personally am not the only one in my office to make calls. At no time in our sales process is there a call transfer to say a closer. We don't make appointments ( F2F ). We do however set appointments for a callback. It is then the person the originated the call that makes the return call at the set appointment time.

      I am in no way discrediting what you are saying.. again the above linked post is very informative. Its just the "exact" model is not one that is always followed.


      Originally Posted by Freebiequeen1999 View Post

      JMO.....you need a "partner", not a "telemarketer"

      since you will not be there to "close", to answer questions immediately, you say your days will be busy with your J-O-B you really need someone more on "your level"...who has a grasp of whatever it is you plan to sell, who can make decisions, answer questions , close the sale

      A "regular" telemarketer can't do this...they can front - they find the interest then transfer the call to a closer/expert. That is a fronter . BUT that won't work - you plan to work your J-O-B

      OR they find the interest, they set up a time and place for the prospect to meet with the salesperson/closer/YOU ...that is appointment setter. BUT that won't work - you plan to work your J-O-B

      What you need is a closer, which is hard......since you are not there to train them I think you pretty much need to find someone with some of your knowlege, skills...and be more like partners

      Otherwise...seriously why would anyone bother? If you are not there for the fronter to transfer calls to - they lose the sale....lose the commissiom....why will they keep working?
      same with appontment setters...how can they set appt if you are busy with your job?

      You may have to give up more money and control and make it worthwhile to get the talent you need....
      or wait till you build up the money from your job and quit job and devote time t the biz
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      • Profile picture of the author Freebiequeen1999
        Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

        Your answer makes a lot of sense when placing your rather well communicated post: http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...-possible.html as a reference.

        However, I personally do not follow any of the segmented divisions you work through. I think the same may be true for many here as well. I personally am not the only one in my office to make calls. At no time in our sales process is there a call transfer to say a closer. We don't make appointments ( F2F ). We do however set appointments for a callback. It is then the person the originated the call that makes the return call at the set appointment time.

        I am in no way discrediting what you are saying.. again the above linked post is very informative. Its just the "exact" model is not one that is always followed.
        Hi...well we are sort of in agreement...that is the process you have in place...but I am sure you taught that to the others who call..and you have/had done this yourself

        The OP is going to work a J-O-B and have someone do the calls...which I think is hard,
        cause OP will be busy so the caller needs to pretty much act for him

        Now..if this is something simple, close end, with few variables it could work.

        example : selling a space on a business directory, several choices and prices


        but if it is something with more choices, variables I feel he should get more of a partner who "knows" much of what he knows and can act on their own

        example a website would be something that is very "open ended"....can you, will you,what about....can you add, how much if I just want 4 pages...how much if I want 40 pages, can you add 3dcart? what about woo? how much for Joomla? Can you make it look like this? and so on and so on

        telemarketer will have to say "I will get back to you"...call OP at night..get answer..call and try to reach biz owner...who then says..."Oh ok but my partner wants to link this to our other business, now how much will it be to add that? oh and we want custom graphics...is that included?"...

        and so on and so on...

        with OP working a day job it has to be a simple product/pitch or ? a partner JMO
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        • Profile picture of the author savidge4
          I am in total agreement that the script has to be tested. I think we can agree that the "Telemarketer" should not be at home, but should be somewhere near by to keep tabs on.

          I think the level of difficulty could be overcome by some type of process in most cases. Web Design as an example. I cant remember who, but someone that has posted here is selling and developing Mobile sites from a web form. If site building can be brought down to its most basic of elements it very easily could be sold by just about anyone.

          All of the add ons and questions could be covered with a simple reference guide - again the depth of this reference would depend on the "owners" knowledge of what is going on and the process - along with possible questions a potential client may ask.

          Personally if it were Web Design I was selling I would have a web based "Back-end" in place to assist in this process of question answers and the walk through in the information needed to start the fulfillment process.

          With the right amount of knowledge and a bit of fore sight much of this stuff can be worked through.

          Granted.. this type of set-up is not for those that think they can just sit there and hire all of this all out, and don't have a clue how to do any of it... I am in no way arguing those folks need to get some skin in the game and at least know something.

          All that being said.. if you look at someone such as Meg Whitman.. the President of HP and look at her corporate history.. what the hell does she know about printers? It may not be the knowledge of what your selling that is important.. but understanding the process overall that could be key. Ms. Whitman has probably NEVER sold a printer or a PC in her life... but under her watch HP has gotten a whole lot better at it!

          Originally Posted by Freebiequeen1999 View Post

          Hi...well we are sort of in agreement...that is the process you have in place...but I am sure you taught that to the others who call..and you have/had done this yourself

          The OP is going to work a J-O-B and have someone do the calls...which I think is hard,
          cause OP will be busy so the caller needs to pretty much act for him

          Now..if this is something simple, close end, with few variables it could work.

          example : selling a space on a business directory, several choices and prices


          but if it is something with more choices, variables I feel he should get more of a partner who "knows" much of what he knows and can act on their own

          example a website would be something that is very "open ended"....can you, will you,what about....can you add, how much if I just want 4 pages...how much if I want 40 pages, can you add 3dcart? what about woo? how much for Joomla? Can you make it look like this? and so on and so on

          telemarketer will have to say "I will get back to you"...call OP at night..get answer..call and try to reach biz owner...who then says..."Oh ok but my partner wants to link this to our other business, now how much will it be to add that? oh and we want custom graphics...is that included?"...

          and so on and so on...

          with OP working a day job it has to be a simple product/pitch or ? a partner JMO
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  • Profile picture of the author thejlw
    Hey guys I really, really appreciate the feedback.

    I think what it's going to come down to for me is trial and error.

    Try Plan A and if that doesn't work try Plan B and so on down the line until I find what works.
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      Originally Posted by thejlw View Post

      Hey guys I really, really appreciate the feedback.

      I think what it's going to come down to for me is trial and error.

      Try Plan A and if that doesn't work try Plan B and so on down the line until I find what works.
      That's great that you are going to try. One thing to keep in mind here... through trial and error... we will assume there will be error. At who's expense will the error fall? Will it be on your lap, or a potential customers?
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    Another possible avenue. A web designer friend and his business partner programmer are capable
    of doing projects such as the front end and back end (all the way down to ounces of meat sold at each store) for a national fast food chain.

    They work with another business owner who brings them 1 to 4 larger projects per year for at least 30% commission. It's not bread and butter business, but it is a worthwhile chunk of revenue. This
    other business owner has sufficient knowledge, intelligence, and the communication skills to make this work. It's about setting up referrals the right way..

    >>>>>

    You could perhaps find a firm like I used to work for. They were locally owned. The husband and wife owners and their trainer knew how to telemarket, and hire and train us. They took on a variety of projects. Some worked and some did not. Small ticket projects (say $50 per month) did not work. Their best project was selling a home
    exercise machine to inbound leads from television advertisements.
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    "If you think you're the smartest person in the room, then you're probably in the wrong room."

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