Outbound Telemarketing

Outbound telemarketing involves initiatives like lead generation, event promotion, appointment setting, and database cleaning. As with inbound telemarketing, outbound telemarketing involves anticipating customer concerns and responding flexibly. While you may be able to expedite calls faster using an automated process, you will likely provide better customer service with live operator assistance.

As a class, outbound telemarketers must be willing to take chances with people. When your outbound operator calls a lead, he or she should have a well rehearsed script ready to go. However, many industry analysts believe that telemarketing companies rely too much on these pre-hashed automated scripts to train their agents as to how to negotiate with intractable customers.

How to Assist Your Outbound Telemarketing Agents

The problem with these scripts, otherwise known as telemarketing “decision trees,” is that they don't leave agents room to negotiate using their own personalities. Part of the trouble is that outbound telemarketing managers don't give individual operators free range. Another aspect of the problem is that telemarketers are at such remove as to be stripped of normal empathetic negotiating tools.

I'm not suggesting that outbound marketers should do away with their scripts altogether. I'm merely saying that the script should offer guidelines, not hard and fast rules. By empowering your outbound agents to negotiate on their own terms with potential clients, you'll give them more motivation to get the job done, and you’ll allow the process of customer solicitation to be more organic.