Okay, maybe ‘personal’ is a bit of a stretch. Outsourcing telemarketers to send out your birthday invitations sounds like something out of the 50s.
By personal, it simply means the business connections and networks you’ve personally built up. You’re proud of the connections you worked so hard to make. Despite that, it can be harder to get in touch with everybody as that network grows bigger in size. What if you or your business wants to announce a new product? What if you’re attending a convention and want everyone to know?
This is where outsourcing normally comes in. There’s only so much ‘personal’ action you can take before you’re crushed under the weight.
Then again, these are your contacts. You’ve known each and every one of them. You sat together over lunch. You’ve done them all big favors. You memorized all their names and all their faces. How can an outsourced company compare?
The solution is very simple. You don’t need to compare. At all. Representatives of outsourced telemarketing services would be foolish to think they could. What they’re not foolish about however, is service. You can have a personal hand in things even when working with them.
- Step 1: Ready the data – They don’t have to pretend they’re you. All they’re there for is delivering a message. Make sure your contact lists are primed and ready. Before signing any contract, also ensure a strict compliance policy that this information belongs to you and should be used only for you.
- Step 2: Notify beforehand – In dinner parties, you don’t just tap a glass once to get everyone’s attention. Same principle applies here. Use different forms of mass communication at different intervals. Email your contacts prior to outsourcing so they’ll expect a call. Announce your decision on social media. This way they know the callers represent you specifically.
- Step 3: Work closely – Getting people to do things will never eliminate your own responsibilities. Every outsourcer has a right to work closely with vendor companies. If anything, you’ve only reduced the amount of micro-management now have enough peace of mind to work on the bigger picture.
The idea of ‘doing things personally’ often carries an individualistic tone. It gives you the impression that you know better. But guess what? You really do and that is why you shouldn’t hesitate to outsource companies that won’t do things any less than how you want them. You know your contacts well enough that they can be terribly unhappy customers. Guess what? The best telemarketing companies would feel the same way about you.
