Telesales data?

Hi Luke, we've gained a few telesales battlescars over the years, although it's becoming a fading memory and the pain doesn't feel as bad...

There's 2 elements to Telesales. High quality data and experienced telesales resource, both of which cost, and we started we neither

Between you me and the forum walls, back in the day, we used to grab data from anywhere, erm directories were a favourite . That's when I learnt the hard way about seed listings and had our first legal threat.

So B2B data has to be bought in. The problem is suppliers (and we've tried plenty) make various promises, all data is opt in, only allowed 2 contacts a month, 90% of data is accurate blah blah and most if it was always cobblers.

You end up with lots of duplicate data, ie multiple phone numbers for the same company. Most of the contact numbers have been spammed to death that they are managed by PA guard dogs or ring out.

The best data we had (can't rem name of company but can find it if interested) was expensive for the number of records, but was brand new businesses which was our target market and hadn't been hit too many times. 

Then there was our sales force. After realising that the 3 of us at the time couldn't sell water to a dehydrated millionaire, we had the genius idea to recruit a sales force and took on a succession of youngsters as our outbound sales force. Then it eventually became obvious we now had 7 of us that were rubbish at selling with an ever growing wage bill. 

We then tried outsourcing to a professional call centre which was expensive, but the sales force were very slick, but was also turning us into a mini Yell, losing our character and I realised we were going a direction I wasn't comfortable with.

So we changed the model, said au-revoir to the sales guys and gave up completely on outbound telesales. Even now the thought of doing a sales call brings me out in a cold sweat.

If I had any advice, it would be spend any budget on a decent sales salary and employ the best sales bod you can afford. Forget pure commission promises, the best guys can command a good base salary plus commission. With the remaining budget, get the best data you can afford.

TPS we learnt is a toothless organisation so don't worry too much about that, but any professional data you buy should be TPS free.

The budget we saved on telesales we spent on PPC, and have been doing it ever since, with a consistent return.

But don't let me put you off!  

Steve, 

Thats Brill, thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I kinda felt the same. When I used to be employed by others, I worked in a heartless regime that had lead generators, and field salesmen going out to try and close. Every employee in those departments were well broken before they came to us, and we just burned them out and replaced them.

Our idea is to have the guy sell the product (Which is relatively and easy sell with our company).

But, you've hit the nail on the head with data quality. Most of it is hammered, with a gate keeper ready to just say no.

I'm loathing paying for this stuff though... it's just a phone book - No matter what they say! 

What do you think about this cold calling style...

It's definitely more "targeted", what do you think? Did you try it?

We haven't tried it yet, but, yes, it is more targeted, and, it will produce results - if done properly, with good data, and a good sales person. Sales is just a numbers game. The more people you speak too, the more chances there will be to have a yes.

The only issue I see, is people don't like the cold call. It's not unusual, it's not unique, and for me, when I get them, it's a pain in the rear - often offering a product or a service I don't want (But end up buying because I'm a pushover)

Our product tends not to be offered with telesales, and we have freebies, so... er,... its win win!

How good is Gary Vaynerchuk!! That video is from 2008 and still stands up!

Just shows though, been a sales guy is all about passion and conviction of your product and service.

On the first aid side (knowing nothing about it apart from annual refresher courses years ago in the mob), can you spin the HSE card? Are there advantages to having a trained first aider on staff?

Does having a first aider or first aider offer any employer perks, tax breaks? Can it reduce insurance? Are there grants that cover small businesses allowing them to put people on courses?

No idea to any of the answers, but if you come up with enough right questions and you can spin it in such a way that it's not a cold sales call, but an employer opportunity to save money, gain kudos etc. Then in the mind it becomes soft sell lead generation rather than cold calling, and the associated hostility that goes with it.

Ah, thought you were ex mob too by your terminology...

Attitude is everything - From Owning the business to being a co-worker in any department. At the moment everyone can do everyone's job in this part of the company, and that works well. Telesales takes a special kind of person though... I do believe we have that person... Fingers Crossed. Then we grow it.

There's many benefits to having staff First Aid trained, the first being that it's within the HSE guidelines. The larger the company / industry it's in, the stricter the enforcement of these regs.

Ill churn a separate post on this trying to be neutral, and not linking to ourselves too much, but in essence, having someone as an Appointed Person for First Aid upwards can make the difference between getting sued senseless for a failure of duty of care, and delivering plain simple life saving assistance.

The main perks are being able to have a heart attack at work, and being close to someone proficient to jump up and down on your chest. It won't reduce insurance, but, it's one more thing that an insurance company will look at if applicable, and refuse to payout on a claim if the provision isn't made correctly. 

We are a bit weird, in that the company runs on a mixture of Karma, Good Service, Hugs and Coffee. The Karma side of the business offers a FREE course for the workplace on behalf of The British Heart Foundation. We'll travel anywhere in the world to do the training so long as Transport, Accommodation and Food is covered for the Instructors. It only takes 2 hours, and gives an attendance certificate. It's not HSE, but, for the new start ups, it gives them an opportunity to get a bit of press coverage for doing the course, and increases the amount of people with a basic CPR knowledge, so it's all good. It's been mega popular, and doesn't interfere with the paid side of the business, in fact, it compliments it well.

We know so many people don't have the funds to invest in things like this, and many businesses tend to put First Aid on the back burner, but, with quantity discounts making the training for a group more affordable (We often have several companies teaming up together to fill a course) and with our will to help anyone from any background have a leg up, we tend to overcome the objective DM who might consider Procrastinating.

More than that, if a company requests it, they get me for a few days... Now that's just fun wrapped up in a crepe bandage, all bouncing to get out... and I make a cracking brew...