The following 5 tips relate to things to consider if you are setting up your own in-house telemarketing or telesales team.

1. You must have some form of targets. First it is important that everybody is clear on what is expected of them. It is difficult for you to reward or punish for results when they are not set down. However there are some key guidelines for successful target setting set out below.

2. Get results up on a board. The most effective telephone teams have their results up on a board in the office. Making results public on a whiteboard works for many reasons. First it allows you to see at a glance how they’re doing at any one time. It’s a bit like the way you use the dials on the dashboard in your car.

Secondly it means that no-one has anywhere to hide. So if anyone is unsuccessful you know it, they know it and their colleagues know it. While you may initially feel that this adds pressure, it is the reality of a sales job. If they’re not performing, you will find out sooner or later – better sooner I reckon ! Also of course if members of your team are resistant to having public results, it is almost certainly a way of them self-declaring that they’re probably not the person for your organisation.

Conversely a star performer in your team will like their successes being made public. Many successful telesales and telemarketing people that I’ve worked with over the years enjoy the recognition and acknowledgement that they get for being successful. In extreme situations they may often be self-motivated and a bit of a show off. But then if this is what drives them to produce fantastic results you don’t mind do you ?

3. Check the quality of the leads the team are working on. This is likely to be the biggest single variable to affect success. So for instance if you sell mechanical capital equipment and you’ve got a list that includes hairdressers’ salons and branches of retail outlets, the results are going to be poor. This will demotivate any phoner as soon as they ‘feel the quality.’ Furthermore if they are good phoners they are less likely to put up with it and move on, as they know they can do better and earn more elsewhere.

4. Spend time with them regularly. Appreciate that phoning is a very fast moving environment. Consequently if you don’t spend much time with your team, you will miss loads.

This is a particular issue in small to medium sized businesses where you are responsible for selling to customers and or managing field based sales people as well as the telephone team.

5. Keep developing ideas to motivate your team. This will repay the time and effort you spend on the subject many times over. A phone team environment quickly becomes stale so work with the team to come up with ideas to regenerate and reinvent itself frequently. Watch the renowned training video “Fish!” for ideas on what a well motivated team looks and behaves like.

There is an audio CD available that covers the topic of setting up and managing an effective in-house telesales or telemarketing team available through Associated Learning Systems.

One of the biggest challenges when designing a marketing plan is how to create a successful insurance telemarketing script. Agent usually end up with a lot of poor advice that leads to frustration and ultimately and unsuccessful campaign. In fact, the average insurance agents stops their telemarketing campaign within the first five hours.

Although all lines of insurance agents can launch a telemarketing campaign, this article is going to target the sale of individual health and life products. There is a different script and method for telemarketing consumers for senior products such as Medicare Supplements and P&C.

Let’s cover the first issue – that telemarketing or “cold calling” doesn’t work. That is false. Telemarketing can be on of the most successful ways to build your book of business. When an agent says “I tried telemarketing and it doesn’t work” what they really mean to say is “I tried telemarketing and it didn’t work for me.”

What list were they calling? Which insurance products were they selling? What’s their level of expertise? Did they create and practice their presentation before making calls? Where they using auto-dialing technology? All could have been factors that led to an unsuccessful campaign.

I spent years buying internet leads and although I experienced success, I was looking for an additional method of marketing where I had more control over my income. I quickly discovered by trial and error how to run a successful campaign where I earned over $2,000 a week in commissions.

Let’s get into a step by step process of how to design a successful script and campaign:

I recommend calling businesses, not residential. Businesses are far more likely to answer and you don’t have to worry about scrubbing your list to be DNC (Do-Not-Call) compliant. DNC rules do not apply to business to business calls. Buy a list of small business owners in your state. For the sale of individual life and health products I recommend buying a list with no more than four employees. You can search “business lists” to find list companies. Don’t pay too much for a list if the price is based on accurate mailing addresses. Addresses are irrelevant when telemarketing. You’re looking to spend about 2 to 3 cents per record. Buy an auto-dialer (power dialer.) This is a crucial step because auto-dialers are capable of dialing over 100 numbers per hour which keeps you on the phone with prospects. When searching for a dialer just make sure you’re not buying a predictive dialer. Auto-dialers are typically a monthly cost ranging from $50 to $200 per month.

At this point you’re set up to run your campaign. With support from your auto-dialer vendor, you simply import and list and you’re ready to make calls. This brings us to the script. Now, before getting into the script it’s important to discuss that at this point you should be very well training on your products, underwriting and rates.

A successful campaign will hinge on one thing: Whether or not your prospect feels that you’re a knowledgeable agent. They either do or don’t. If you come across as meek and hesitant don’t expect to get very far. You need to know your stuff inside and out which requires study.

How to Design a Successful Telemarketing Script

When you introduce yourself and they reply, don’t ask “How are you doing today.” The only thing that accomplishes is the prospect raising the brick wall. Get right into the reason you’re calling. Example: “Is this Tom Smith?” “Yes, this is Tom.” “Tom, my name is John Stevens and the reason I’m calling is…” You have 15 to 20 seconds…maximum. Time your script. If it goes longer than 20 seconds, ditch is and re-write it. Have a reason to call. “I’m offering free quotes” is not a reason to call. Is there anything new in your state over the past 12 months? New plans? New rates? Use that as your introduction: “Tom, the reason I’m calling is because two main life insurance carriers have released new affordable products.” Or “Tom, the reason I’m calling is because there are now three new affordable health insurance plans available in Call to action. The end of your short introduction should tell them the next step: “…all I need if you email address and I can send you the details on the plans and rates.”

So let’s sum up the presentation: “Hi, is this Tom Smith?” “Yes, this is Tom.” “Tom, the reason I’m calling today is there are three new health insurance plans available in Maryland that could have you between 15% to 25% off what you’re currently paying. I’d like to send you the details so you can compare and all I need is your email address.”

That’s a 15 second presentation and gets right to the point. If Tom is interested all you need is his email and also the ages of who will be on the policy. I do not suggest getting into qualification as this point. Simply set a time to follow up so you can go over the plans and rates.

Some Quick Final Tips

Avoid calling major cities especially if you’re selling insurance online. The more remote the better. City businesses receive far more telemarketing calls then rural businesses. Voice tone is everything. Avoid sounding flat and boring. You want to raise and lower the tone of your voice to accentuate key words which makes for an interesting presentation. Practice pitch on your family friends who will give you honest feedback about how you’re coming across.

Most companies prefer using a remote backup option because of its superiority over on-site backup. Generally, data is stored in a local server, or to a server that is kept at another location. Some organizations also use online backup facilities provided by other companies. For any company, the security and protection of its data is very important. This type of data may contain sensitive information like personal and financial records belonging to the company, employees and clients. If documents, files and folders containing such data are wiped out then the company may suffer a big loss. Without a proper data backup plan it would be difficult to get the company back on its feet. This makes it imperative to have an effective data backup plan in place.

Remote backup programs are the best investment that a company can make. Data can be backed up in the company’s off-site server, or it can be stored in a hired server. Only authorized people can access or retrieve the data stored at these servers. The best advantage with the remote backup software is that all the processes are automatic and do not require any human intervention. At the same time, such programs also have manual override options.

Before buying any backup solution, there are some important things that must be considered carefully. First of all, the program should do its main task properly, which means it should backup all the specified data to a remote location at the scheduled time. The second most important thing is that it should offer the highest level of security possible. For this, the software must offer the maximum encryption possible. This can be especially important in case of financial information which is the main target of hackers.

The software must be efficient which means only the new changes should be included to the already backed up files, folders and documents. This also helps increase the speed of backup process. For large organizations, the remote backup program must be able to handle multiple requests and access from the same or different locations simultaneously. If there is sudden interruption during backup process then the software must be able to identify the file that could not be backed up properly. Most such programs allow users various customization features including the ability to exclude particular files from backup storage.

The software must be scalable. This will make it easy to handle increased load of data as the company grows. It is better to first identify the company’s requirements and only then purchase a remote backup service or software. This will help avoid problems like buying software designed for another industry.

In the present competitive business environment, any company that wants to succeed must have all the disaster recovery systems in place. Most research shows that data loss is a common problem. Not only individuals and small businesses but large organizations are also at risk of losing data. Keeping all the data safe with the help of an effective remote backup plan is the best protection that a company can have.

Telemarketing can be a very effective business strategy if executed properly, on the other hand telemarketing can be damaging to company brand and image if done poorly. Over the years telemarketing services have developed a negative stigma by consumers who are apprehensive of being solicited over the phone.

However, there are many positive features and benefits of telemarketing. If your business is using telemarketing, it is imperative to perform this method in the right manner. This involves doing research, working closely with telemarketing representatives, and most importantly treating customers the right way.

Your business may not have the time or resources available to carry out telemarketing on a consistent basis; an option is outsourcing telemarketing services. This will allow you and your team to focus on the priorities applicable to your business and leave the telemarketing to the experts.

Telemarketing Services and Expertise

Depending on the specific needs of your business telemarketing companies complete a variety of functions such as lead generation, outbound sales, fundraising, market research, political telemarketing, and call center services. Telemarketing companies also help you avoid headaches by being knowledgeable of current and changing laws, creating and providing prospect lists based on your company’s target demographic, and ability to recognize special needs such as language barriers and time zones. When outsourcing a telemarketing program, it is important to not only find the firm with a price structure that fits within your budget, but to pick a vendor that will portray a positive image for your company.

The Right Company for You

While shopping through telemarketing companies, keep in mind the one you choose is an extension of your business and will be working directly with your most prized possession, the consumer. Make sure the telemarketing company you choose has similar business principles and culture, also ensure telemarketing representatives or TSR’s have the knowledge of your products and services and the ability to communicate properly.

Keeping consistent communication with your representatives, listening to their feedback, and making the effort to improve the process are all components of the relationship you will have with the chosen company. If you’re conducting B2B telemarketing respect that you are an unscheduled part of their day and they are conducting business as well. When contacting businesses make sure your telemarketers are not being overly aggressive and are setting appointments and call-back times at their convenience.

The Consumer

The most important part of the telemarketing equation is the customer. Whether your target market is consumers or other businesses it is important to respect their time by being efficient and communicating your business’s key messages in a timely manner. TSR’s will be reaching customers and businesses under you name so ensuring they are using a script that meets your standards is your obligation; work with them on scripts, data, and customer characteristics. Reviewing potential telemarketing companies’ customer service reviews, complaints and suggestions, and past business evaluations can help you choose a company that will be best for you target market. Understand their TSR’s reputation and pay structure, be knowledgeable of the specific services they offer, and make sure they are willing to have an open line of communication with your business as to change or update anything product or service related.

Talk to vendors, do your own market research, and remember that everyone who is involved in telemarketing services wants the day to end with a job well-done. Remember it is about getting the right people to communicate the right message, not who can make the most calls in a day.

There is an explosive growth in the mobile marketing in the past two years and it is only moving upwards with the cell phone advertising market boasting of more than six billion consumers. This is four times more than the size of our internet market! Above all, it is growing rapidly day by day and there is negligible competition in this lucrative market as it is still emerging.

Mobile marketing has come up as a highly personalized and interactive medium that offers immense opportunity to the marketers to make tons of money. By successfully integrating the mobile technology in the marketing campaigns, consumers can avail liberal discounts, coupons, codes, special offers, event alerts, product release information, inaugural discounts and this form of marketing also provides instant and powerful impact.

We are discussing below few big advantages of the mobile phone advertising for your business:

1. Anytime and anywhere- As cell phones can instantly receive any information at any place, this makes it easier for the marketers to maintain and strengthen their relationship with their clients and prospects.

2. Large user base- The mobile phone users are more than six times the number of internet users. Therefore, marketers have a much larger and untapped audience that can be successfully converted to long term customers.

3. Targeted advertising-The mobile advertising campaigns are more target specific as compared to other forms of advertising.

4. Marketers can capitalize on the moment- You can easily modify your mobile campaigns according to the necessity of the moment. For example, there are high chances that your marketing offer may reach your customers when they are actively shopping in the market or on the internet, so you can even influence their buying decision.

5. Interactive nature- Mobile marketing is highly interactive and is designed for eliciting response even from on-the-go consumers.

6. List generation- Mobile phone marketing is great way to generate a solid list for the purpose of customer retention and future marketing campaigns.

7. Easy tracking-With the latest software, it is easy to track the message delivery and any responses from the consumers. This makes mobile advertising a great marketing tool.

The highly advanced features of the mobile marketing have made it possible for the marketers to reach millions of consumers within seconds as compared to the traditional advertising mediums that are more expensive and slow in providing the anticipated results with the marketing campaigns. Therefore, the mobile advertising offers more opportunities for the robust growth and bigger profits.