So if you’ve read the previous 8 Great Ideas, you’ll know why including telemarketing in your marketing mix can add real value. The next question is usually which telemarketing company should you use?

There are several important questions you should ask any telemarketing company before you decide if they’re right for you.

1. Staff: Are all the staff employed by the telemarketing company on a permanent or temporary basis? Are staff paid on results or hours worked? Do staff work in a call centre environment or from home? What is their staff turnover? What is the average age of staff employed? Do staff book appointments or is this handled by someone senior? What staff incentives does the company employ? (You should meet the team who will be working on your campaign and assure yourself they are fully trained. Meeting the staff will give you a feel for the ethos of the firm and if they’re the sort of company you’d like to work with).
2. Service: Is telemarketing their primary area of business? (Beware if telemarketing is an ‘add on’ to a range of marketing services as they may not be as qualified/experienced/knowledgeable as they seem).
3. Exclusivity: Does the telemarketing company offer exclusivity? Ie will they sign an exclusivity agreement stating that they will only with one company in each industry sector in a designated geographic area to avoid conflicts of interest? (The last thing you need is the company working for your competitor at the same time!)
4. The telemarketing campaign:  Is there a structure to the planned campaign? How much staff training will be provided before the start of the campaign? Will you receive a presentation as if you were the recipient they were going to call? (You want to know how the calls are going to be made and if they’ve got it right – after all, they’re representing you!).
5. Reports: How often are campaign reports produced? What detail do the reports include? (You want regular, clear reports that detail what calls have been made and the outcomes to date).
6. Guarantees: Can the telemarketing company provide you with any guarantees for the campaign? (You need to be clear what the agreed ‘outcomes’ from the campaign will be so you can measure if it has been successful or not).
7. Testimonials: Can the company provide you with recent testimonials and contact details of recent clients? (You want to check that the company has delivered what it says it has for other clients).
8. Awards: Has the company won / been short listed for any recognised awards? Do they have recognised quality procedures? (You want to reassure yourself that you’re working with a company who provides quality services and has been recognised in their field).

If you receive the answers you want from the above questions, then you know you have minimised the risks and your campaign is well on the way to being successful.

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