Project Lead and Executive Management for TeleMarketing Assessment

Project Mission

The overall objective of this TeleMarketing Assessment was to ascertain the nature, type, volume and scope of telemarketing activities for each call center or location worldwide, with an eye towards opportunities for improvement.

Project Approach

• Develop an all-inclusive global list of inbound contacts (web search, internal lists, email distribution lists, etc)
• Distribute an initial Inbound survey to all contacts to clarify Inbound involvement
• Conduct phone interviews with all contacts associated with Inbound, focusing on both statistical data gathering as well identifying opportunities for improvement
• Visit major call centers in person to observe and gather additional details
• Assess data and follow-up as needed
• Based on results of the surveys, summarize and present findings and recommendations

Findings

• Inbound Call Inquiry Handling appears to have evolved on its own without a Global Strategy
• Inconsistent, Incomplete Standard Operating Procedures
  • Not documented
  • Definition of Key Inbound Terms not consistent
  • Direct Calls to Regional Offices are handled inconsistently
  • Lead Qualification questions not standardized
• Inbound Reporting & Metrics are severely lacking outside the Americas
• A variety of systems/databases are used for tracking purposes; generally only Prospective Leads are tracked
• Inbound Staffing Model varies greatly by location
• A variety of Inbound improvement projects exist

Recommendations

• Work with Executive Management and Staff to Develop an overall Global Strategy in respect to Global TeleMarketing incorporating recommendations from this and previous assessments.
  • Integrate and Implement this Strategy
  • (as a Manager) "PUT A STAKE IN THE GROUND" as it related to commitment to the project / strategy
• Provide input / recommendations to the review and modification of the North America S.O.P (Standard Operating Procedures) to comply with Global business requirements.
  • Implement the North American S.O.P. as the standard process to be used globally
• Incorporate basic business fundamentals as part of the normal expectation of marketing staff members globally.
  • Include a review of job descriptions, work expectations, performance review measurements, and internal training
  • Set expectations, as part of the Global Strategy that employees will be expected to be aware of and sensitive to, decisions and actions they make that ultimately impact the bottom line at all levels, Regional / Geographical, Global, and Corporate.
  • Clarify / Re-enforce the fact that "All" Marketing teams, regardless of location, are under the umbrella of the Global Marketing Organization
  • Encourage greater participation in future surveys with the understanding that every team member has the opportunity to make a difference by providing quality feedback
• Compile an inventory of all inbound lines and associated routing to determine:
  • Costs associated with each line
  • Overall return on investment (ROI) - Cost vs. Effective Lead Generation and Sales Opportunity.
  • Most effective and efficient routing is occurring
• Evaluate Cost savings opportunities from more streamlined and effective processes; Consolidated management of inbound lines
• Complete reporting capabilities should also be included in the planning and deployment of a consolidated Inbound Call Center. Reports should reflect:
  • List of current and available telemarketing numbers
  • Usage statistics associated with each number
  • Cost and cost distribution
  • Statistics of the number of people called, number of qualified leads generated, results of qualified leads sent to reps, etc.
• Incorporate "Entitlement Checking" into inbound call screening
• Make available current "Org Charts" to the entire Marketing community, so it is clear to everyone
  • How they (Managers, Staff Members, etc) fit into the organization
  • They understand the Management structure (who's in charge)
• Review Tele - vendor Training procedures
  • Document Best Practices
  • Develop and implement standard training processes globally
• Develop Key Performance Indicators to measure and track Tele-Vendor performance
  • Review / revisit current Tele-vendor contracts and recommend modifications that incorporate KPI's / SLA's
• Perform periodic audits of Tele-vendor operations
  • Random phone calls simulating the customer / prospect experience

To see the resume of the expert associated with this case study, see the link below.