Unit 9: TELEMARKETING AND CALL CENTRES

Telemarketing is a form of direct marketing in which a salesperson uses the telephone to sell products or services. The prospective customers are identified and classified by various means, including past purchase histories, previous requests for information, credit limit, entry forms for competitions or application forms. Names may also be purchased from another company's customer database, or obtained from a telephone directory or some other public list or forum. The classification process is intended to find those prospective customers most likely to purchase the product or service being sold or advertised. Charity organisations, alumni associations and political parties often use telemarketing to solicit donations. Market survey companies use telemarketing techniques to survey prospective or past customers of a client business to assess market acceptance or satisfaction with a particular product, service, brand or company. Public opinion polls are conducted in a similar manner.

Telemarketing is often criticised as being an unethical business practice as some companies make unsolicited calls and often engage in high-pressure sales techniques. Such practices may be subject to regulatory or legislative controls related to consumer privacy and protection. There are several methods that people use to avoid telemarketing calls. Some parts of the world have implemented "Do Not Call" listings in which consumers can indicate that they do not wish to be called by telemarketers. Using caller identification or a privacy manager can allow the targeted subscriber to identify the caller before the call is answered and make the decision not to answer. Answering machines and voicemail can also be used to screen calls, as telemarketers generally do not leave messages. The simplest solution is to ask to be added to the "Do Not Call" list and hang up.

Job Advertisement - Telesales Executive - Excellent Opportunity

In this post you have the first contact with our prospective customers. The first impression you give will set the tone for the rest of their communications with our company. You will take customer details, provide information and recommend our products to the customer. You will be responsible for answering incoming telephone requests and placing outgoing calls both proactively and in follow-up to support the company's marketing and sales strategies. Your function will be to:

• Answer inbound calls quickly and efficiently.
• Place outgoing calls professionally.
• Achieve an outbound target of a minimum of 50 calls per day.
• Achieve the sales targets set for you.
• Obtain information from customers and prospects and record it in an

accurate fashion.

• Input orders according to the current procedure.

Call centres provide a number of advantages. By centralizing telephone-based service and support in one location, companies can easily adjust staffing to match call volume. Call centres can be located almost anywhere, allowing companies to take advantage of time zones and cheaper labour rates in different regions or countries. Call centres also centralize the technology needs of companies, allowing major telecommunications setups to be installed in a small handful of large call centres instead of a number of small offices, making it easier to perform upgrades and training. As call centre equipment and staff can be expensive, many companies outsource their telephone functions to an external call centre. In this case, external call centre staff are trained to answer phone calls from a number of different companies.

Is your call centre able to handle all your inbound calls? Outsourcing is the solution. It offers greater flexibility and cost savings. At Bizkall we can offer you customer contact 24/7. We ensure that all enquiries are handled by trained, intelligent specialists. This frees you to concentrate on your core business. Our inbound Call Centre Services include:

• Media Response (TV, Radio, Press, Direct Mail)
• Customer Information and Support Lines
• Telephone Order Lines
• Dealer and Branch Look Up
• Donation Lines
• Internet Response

JOB ADVERTISEMENT

Bizkall Call Centre requires Multi-Lingual Speakers. German – Italian – Dutch. €23,000.

The position involves dealing with customers, handling their queries and resolving them quickly to ensure customer satisfaction. Preferably the successful candidate will be highly customer service oriented and have some experience working in an office environment.

Good communication, problem solving, organisation and computer skills are required. Fluent English and one of the above European languages are essential. Generous remuneration and a fantastic opportunity to progress in a world leader in its sector are guaranteed.

Please contact David or Elena now for immediate interview on 559 1511 or email your CV to us.

In many call centres in North America and Europe, labour costs represent the largest share of operating expenses. Someone answering complicated financial questions on the phone in the E.U. may expect over €30,000 a year. Yet these employees often appear to lack commitment and motivation, as can be observed from the high turnover rates. In India, however, the call centre industry is booming. On the one hand, telecom prices have fallen dramatically, but technical issues are not the only reason. Labour costs are a fraction of what they are overseas, and Indian call centres hire university graduates from an enormous pool of skilled labour. India alone produces 2 million English-speaking college graduates and 300,000 post-graduates annually. Although just some 5% of Indians are proficient in English, in a country of more than one billion people, this still represents a labour pool of more than 50 million people. For these employees, a call centre profession is not just a temporary job, but a career they are committed to. The savings for some companies that have outsourced to India have been truly phenomenal, reaching as much as $250 million annually. Insurance, Human Resources, and Finance and Accounting services are some of the most popular sectors.