| The telemarketing sector is high on technology. | | | | value-adds of what they are trying to sell. This |
| But that does not mean that manpower has not | | | | requires a pronounced gift of the gab and a lot of |
| much of a role to play. Call center agents have | | | | convincing powers. You cannot mumble your way |
| equal credit for the success of a telemarketing | | | | through. To make a sale, the BPO agent has to |
| services project. But the question is: do you need | | | | be forceful in his opinion. |
| some special qualities to be a BPO agent? The | | | | Point 3: Clarity of speech is important for lead |
| answer is yes and no at the same time. Yes, | | | | generation as well as for answering service. So |
| because you will need to be above-average in | | | | the BPO service person has to realize that the |
| certain marketing skills to be good at call center | | | | accent and the diction may not match with that |
| services. The answer is also no because with a | | | | of the person on the other end of the phone. |
| little application of common sense and soft skills, | | | | That's when the call center person has to speak |
| you can be good at BPO service without a doubt. | | | | clearly and fluently. The gift of the gab, as they |
| Let's find out how you can be good at | | | | call it, is the greatest gift of the telemarketing |
| telemarketing. | | | | agent. The products/services sell more on the |
| Point 1: You need marketing acumen. A | | | | convincing powers of the agents than on the |
| telemarketing agent is first a marketer and then | | | | features. A successful agent should be backed to |
| something else. Call center agents who don't | | | | a long way just on the basis of their persuasive |
| make the mark as good marketers don't make | | | | skills. |
| good agents either. Telemarketing services will | | | | Point 4: Being a sympathetic listener is one |
| need exploiting those marketing and promotional | | | | underrated soft skill that telemarketers need. |
| ideas that will take your product/service beyond | | | | Consumers sometime like to share their concerns |
| the limits it is enveloped in. BPO agents are often | | | | with the telemarketing agent. If they feel that the |
| on their own with very little assistance from the | | | | call center person that they are talking to is |
| upper levels of the hierarchy. That's when the | | | | genuinely interested in the problems that he's |
| agent needs to think of his feet and come up | | | | talking about, it builds up a strong sense of |
| with solutions. | | | | belonging. That is strong enough to stop the |
| Point 2: The telemarketing executive needs to be | | | | consumers from moving over to a rival |
| a "people's person". Telemarketing services is all | | | | competitor. |
| about interacting with customers and trying to sell | | | | Point 5: Telemarketing agents have to be |
| to prospective customers. On a very skeletal | | | | dynamic. They must think on their feet. Calls in call |
| level, call center agents have to talk to people and | | | | centers are different and need to be treated |
| make them understand the features and the | | | | differently. The cardinal rule is that there is no rule. |