No.1 –Strong track record in the type of revenue generation you are attempting to create. There are a lot of different types of people who can generate new business over the telephone from Incoming to Outbound to those who are used to working on an existing customers database through to those who can work on new sectors selling new products.
No.2 – Operational effectiveness. You need to set up an operation which can be monitored, measured and reviewed. Without this you will miss many opportunities and the investment you make in the people will not be fully realised.
No3 – Money. There is a wide variety of salaries from the minimum wage right through to >100K. An additional £5.00 per hour does not always bring in better people. If you have got a decent budget for the team you might consider putting the additional monies into incentives directly relatable to the profit they bring in that way they will earn more if you do. Putting it into the hourly rate will not be a motivation after they have been receiving it for a while.
No.4 –Strong Management. Don’t leave this team to manage themselves, if budgets are tight then ensure the manager splits their day between managing the team and generating some business themselves.
No.5 – Conflict, Field Sales and Telesales collaboration. This is generally where there can be conflict. The telesales teams generate a lead for the field sales teams and the field sales question the quality of that lead. A simple suggestion for this is to get the field sale s and the telesales teams together to identify what a good lead looks like. That way everyone understands what’s needed. I’s very tempting for a telesales person to pass over a lead before it’s properly qualified. The qualification is up to the person converting the sale. They may want a relationship build or a BANT qualified lead. It’s up to the team to decide what they want. Conversely the field sale person may be under pressure to perform and blames their lead generators for poorly qualified leads.
No.6 – Technology. Depending on the size of telesales team you are setting up will of course depend on the technology you need. Even if you are setting up a team of two there will be some basics you need. Headsets (professional standard to give longevity and to reduce the normal office background noise) Call recording, File sharing facilities, Good quality seating, telesales people sit for longer in their seats than the average office worker and so need to be comfortable.
No.7 – Environment – Telesales is usually a very focussed activity so regular breaks are an essential to reduce fatigue. Installing stand up desks where operators can move to from time to time can help generate greater levels of energy.
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