by AJ Windle, Director of Operations
I’ve been working in the Telemarketing Services Industry for the last 15 years and one of the most rewarding aspects of this industry is that every day is different. Every client is different and I get to learn from these differences which has allowed me to grow.
They say it is the experiences we have that piece together who we are and I believe this to be true. I’ve worked with a lot of clients over the years and have learned a lot of valuable lessons. These lessons have been learned through wins and losses, all of which now help me to make the best decisions I can for our clients. Let me take a minute and share some of these valuable lessons I’ve learned throughout my years in outbound marketing.
1. You’re both Experts…So trust in that.
Back in the day when I first started managing programs I used to believe that I knew everything. I used to believe that just because I had experience managing certain outbound marketing sales or inbound campaigns that managing similar programs would be the same. Just give me the script and it will be a success. Well boy did I find out that isn’t the case. While every campaign might have had similarities there are always differences by industry and contact type that influences the best approach and the end results.
At the end of the day I realized that, while yes I was the expert in telemarketing services I wasn’t the expert in each client’s industry or their specific business, they were. I learned very quickly that in order to be successful I needed to rely on their expertise just as much as they needed to rely on mine. This created much closer relationships with my clients and much more success on the campaigns that I was running. This co-dependent relationship broke down barriers in communications and tightened gaps which I never even realized existed. At the end of the day you’re a team and teams win together not by themselves.
2. Ideas and Suggestions
Have you ever held back an idea because you thought it was just so far out there that no one will ever go for it? Or have you thought of something and forgot to write it down so it fell into the abyss of nothingness? I think we’ve all done this. The problem is that if something is never said then it will never come to life and often times it is these ideas that you later find are what was needed to propel your outbound marketing success forward. The lesson here is – clients want your feedback. They want to hear your ideas; no matter how far fetched they are. It might just be that one idea that strikes up a conversation and changes the whole direction of the telemarketing program for the better. Remember, you’ll never win the lottery if you don’t play.
3. Transparency is Key
Let me be fully “transparent” here. You like that! I’ve worked in a telemarketing services environment in the past where the definition of full “transparency” is more like trying to look through a fog glass window, it just wasn’t there. The problem that I found with this is that no one ever knew what was fully going on and therefore trying to fix the problems at hand became very difficult. I’ve learned that being transparent with your clients is the only way to truly solve problems. Remember that at the end of the day you’re both on the same team. They want you to succeed and you want to succeed for them. A smart man once told me that while numbers aren’t always friendly they are always your friend. This is important to remember the next time you’re discussing production in your outbound marketing campaigns. Lay it all out. Be fully transparent; because until you do, you will never be as good as you could be.
4. Be Flexible
There is nothing worse than requesting a change and having to wait 3 weeks to a month for the change to be implemented. Now we all know that depending on the change some things take a longer than others. However at the end of the day your clients want to know that the change they are requesting can be implemented quickly and accurately without huge delay. QCS prides ourselves in our ability to be extremely flexible. This can be from making simple changes in scripting/reporting or by delivering on the need to ramp up hours quickly in a pinch. This flexibility has been key to helping our clients achieve their outbound marketing goals.
5. Own It
There will always be times when something falls through the cracks or there is an issue that arises. These are often the most difficult times and create the most difficult conversations in telemarketing services. While typically it isn’t just one department or individual who misses this piece, the words of advice I would give you would be to “own” your piece of the miss. Taking accountability for what you have missed, making it right and carrying those learning experiences in to future programs will undoubtedly make you a better manager and ensure a much higher level of trust from your clients.
Telemarketing Services is a multi-channel, multi-cultural environment that requires diversification and adaptability from all team members. If you are looking for a team to help you move your programs to the next level then give us a call at 1-866-963-2889. Or email me at aj.windle@qualitycontactsolutions.com.
A.J. Windle is the Director of Operations of Quality Contact Solutions. A.J. is responsible for ensuring every client program is successful on a daily basis, including achieving the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that matter most. With a deep call center operations background, A.J. is a hands-on leader and has built his career on creating win-win-win relationships for his team, his clients and the owner-operated call centers he is responsible for. A.J. loves to keep score and he is proud of his team’s scoreboard. A.J. knows that great leaders find a way to make sure their team wins. A.J can be reached at aj.windle@qualitycontactsolutions.com or 516-656-5106.
