Outbound call center organizations have evolved to become the support pillars for the outbound sales and marketing process of many leading companies. They are known for their rich experience of providing call center services that can help organizations based in the US in approaching and acquiring new customers. No wonder that more and more businesses look towards outsourcing the necessary services for getting ample time to focus on core business aspects. The main reason behind the increasing popularity of call centers can be given to the outbound calling best practices followed by the call center companies based in India. Here is a list of top 7 best practices followed by an experienced call center company, that makes it a highly desirable business partner.
1) Strategizing Outbound Calling Process
Every business has different and unique call center requirements and an outbound call center makes sure it lives up to the high expectations and delivers the desired results. The preparation of an outbound contact strategy requires intensive planning before any call is initiated to the existing and prospective customers. The goals, priorities and the key performance indicators (KPIs) must be established with the help of the business as early as possible. There has to be an end goal for the entire call center campaign undertaken by a BPO company. It is vital to focus on only the important KPIs as not every KPIs are relevant to outbound sales.
2) Using Effective Call Scripts
Diligently drafted and prepared outbound call scripts can be helpful for the call center agents in retaining relevant information and remaining consistent across different calls. However, the major challenge here is that contemporary customers can very well smell the call scripts from a great distance. A good script gives the agents the freedom to make more use of natural language and respond according to the current situation. While preparing the scrips, a successful BPO company takes valuable inputs from the experienced agents as well as the management. Outbound call center services help in curating effective scripts that can work wonders during the training of the agents and help them to hone their communicative skills.
3) Keeping A Track Of Call Center Metrics
Regularly keeping a keen eye on all the relevant call center metrics ensures that an outbound call strategy is in line with the desired objectives and outcomes. Some important metrics which are highly followed are:
Average Handle Time (AHT) – AHT refers to the average time spent by an outbound agent in closing a call. A long or too short average time indicates poor call closing skills or inadequate product or service knowledge.
Sales Conversion Rate – Sales conversion rate refers to the number of successful sales conversion an outbound agent is able to make based on the leads provided to him/her. A high conversion rate reflects that an agent is efficiently able to bring more customers to a business.
Occupancy Rate- Occupancy rate is basically the time spent by agents on call compare to the time when the are unavailable to initiate a call. A low occupancy rate indicates low work productivity at the end of the agents.
4) Training The Agents
An outbound call center is well-aware that the only way to deliver exceptional results is through training the agents in the most appropriate manner. When an agent joins a call center company, the first thing they have to do is attend intensive training sessions. The trainer ensures that during the training period the employees get to work on their communicative skills. They are asked to make mock calls and have to regularly work on their persuasion and convincing skills. The agents are also trained to acquire desirable attributes of patience, empathy, positive and non-judgmental behavior, etc. This makes them handle regular rejections with ease.
5) Having An Incentive Structure
Incentives are a popular and proven way to keep the employees motivated for a long period of time. The BPO industry in particular witnesses the maximum attrition rates and it becomes incredibly important for the call center firms to retain their valuable employees. They always ensure that the incentive structure is focused on both the short and the long-term. When the employees know that they can make more money than their fixed in-hand salaries, they are bound to put in the extra effort. Incentives ensure that the agents are motivated in a positive and healthy way and not because of fear.
6) Engaging The Customers During Call
Keeping the customers engaged during calls is important and can impact the success of the outbound call. Cold calling does not just mean calling the prospects and pitching them about the desired product or service. A lot of factors have to be considered before initiating the phone calls to the necessary customers. The first step is to grab the attention of the prospect and ignite the relevant interest in them. The agents need to make the customers feel that they are immensely valued by the business. They often do this by being mindful of their time and by politely asking them if they could lend the necessary time for this conversation to take place. The agents must avoid making false promises or commit to things which they can not possibly deliver. All such points will ensure that a productive interaction could take place between the prospect and the appointed agent.
7) Establishing An Effective Feedback Loop
Establishing a relevant and timely feedback loop ensures that agent performance could be measured from time to time. Customer feedback also helps the relevant business in better understanding customer pain points and the issues which they might be facing on a regular basis. Appropriate strategies can then be formed to overcome any such grave challenges. Monitoring with the help of customer surveys and feedback can help the clients of a BPO company in judging its performance and in calculating the Rate Of Investment (ROI). The customers can submit their feedback via links provided to them through email or SMS after the termination of the outbound call.
