Hi there!

My name is Neil Tregillis, I own a small telemarketing company in Bournemouth called BBS.
I usually handle the training for my operators myself but recently I have had an influx of sales calls regarding "guaranteed increase on conversion rates" and "bespoke telemarketing training" and also "offer your operators the first ever qualification"

I am a small fish in a big pond and I am happy to admit that but do these things really work?

Of course I get sales calls all the time as we all do but the ones lately have seemed more confident, are there qualifications out there now for telemarketers?
Can someone really guarantee to make a difference?

Does anyone have any success stories that may point me in the right direction?

Thanks for taking the time to read this topic

Kind regards, Neil

Hello Neil,

Welcome to CCV, I hope to see many future contributions from you.

Your question is a bit tough to answer as there can be many variables but here are my two cents.

I think professional training companies are a good thing, especially for smaller companies that don't have the resources of a full department.

Alot of companies (smaller one's often) tend to be a hesitant to look outwards for assistance thinking its expensive or that it can be handled in house. Sometimes it's tough to step back and really look at your own business and go "yes, I do need help to get to that next level".

Guarntee's are fine and dandy but make sure they are fully qualified with all the required information if that is going to be one of the reason's you decide to go with this option.

I'd suggest digging into this a bit more and perhaps even meet with some of these people (or better yet get them to take you for lunch!) and really get an idea of what they are offering and what kind of an organization they are.

offer your operators the first ever qualification"



Neil,

I agree completely with what Justin has to say, however,
I would urge caution with the 'qualifications' path.

We have had issues with certifications being offered literally
based on length of service etc...

NVQ's are the obvious base to build on upto and including the MBA
in Contact Centre operations.

Keep an eye out.

Oh... and take Justin's advice on the Lunch!

Regards

DaveA

You wouls expect nothing less of a sales call. If they rang up and said 'we will not make a difference to your business' we would't be exchanging posts now.

If these companies who have called you are that confident then ask for references. If you do go ahead and do business make sure that you are protected through your contract with them.

Hi Neil

You pose an interesting question.

Firstly I would say that training in moderation is a wise investment. An experienced trainer will always be able to add value to areas which you have not covered in your in-house sessions before.

The impact a good trainer will have is always positive, if they are worth their salt there will be a short term increase in the productivity and profitability of the workforce. However, In order to realise your investment you need to be studying the training programme and maintaining levels.

So yes I would recommend that you meet a good training company, it doesn't cost that much in the grand scheme of things.

Why not decide which ones you want to meet by the quality of Telesales call?

I wouldn't be worried about the guaranteed results, its obvious that the improvements will depend entirely on the way they measure it and people can make stats say whatever they want.

regards
Jason

Hi Neil,

call me an old sceptic but i'd check the small print on such claims!

If you are looking to improve results for your clients i'd recommend that you ensure that your clients spend time with the team and 'train' them on the products / services they offer and the service they want your team to provide to their customers.

An agent can have passed every exam under the sun and have lots of lovely NVQ's pinned to the wall, but if they don't know your clients products / services they will be missing opportunities to build stronger relationships or increase sales.

If clients are struggling to find resource / funds to provide the resource or if your company doesn't have the resource or experience to do this then you could outsource this - perhaps this is a better route for your investment?

Elaine

Hi Neil

I to am a newbie to CVV and was intrigued to read of your experience with a training company offering a national qualification. Have you met with them? What was your opinion? Please report back!

I have long believed that the telephone industry has needed to promote itself in a more professional light and believe that a nationally recognised qualification as a step in the right direction.

As one who is always keen to learn how to improve performance of the team (and them to earn more with less effort ;) I am open to hear what you have learned.

Trevor
ITN – Independent Telemarketing Network
Channelling skills & resource where its needed.