If you’re thinking of hiring a lead generation and appointment-setting firm to assist with your sales and marketing needs, it helps to find a partner that knows the ropes “inside and out.”
That means finding a company with the ability to deliver both inbound and outbound call center services.
A majority of the prospecting work VSA does on behalf of our clients is of the outbound variety. The combination of skilled and experienced Business Development Representatives (BDRs), advanced calling technology, and robust list-building services allow us to make far more dials—and far more effective dials—than the average B2B call center. After 21 years as a company, outbound remains our bread and butter.
But alongside our outbound work, VSA also provides inbound services for clients who require them, and this dual strategy translates into a more effective overall call center campaign. Our Philadelphia office is focused entirely on taking inbound calls for a local transportation company.
And this month, we’re launching a full-time inbound program for a client, with a dedicated team that will be available to take calls around the clock. The plan is to add similar programs for other clients moving forward.
If you’re thinking of hiring a partner to assist with your inbound needs, here are five things to keep in mind:
1. Even outbound campaigns require inbound call center services
It’s no secret that prospecting voicemails, emails, or messages left with gatekeepers often go unreturned. Getting busy decision-makers to call you back isn’t easy.
But if they’re curious enough about your offering, they will respond—with the expectation that they’ll be able to have an actual conversation. According to the digital marketing service Smart Insight, 88% of customers prefer to speak to a live person when they contact a company. Certainly, these people don’t want to get stuck in a phone tree or “talk” to a voice bot.
That’s why inbound is already an element of all of VSA’s outbound programs and any calling campaign. Each of our clients is assigned a specific phone number, so any callbacks from prospects are handled directly by one of the BDRs working on that program. Our clients never have to worry about return calls being picked up by people unfamiliar with their company, or worse, being ignored altogether. And if a prospect’s call does go to voicemail, it’s always promptly returned.
2. The more calls you’ve got coming in, the more we can help
VSA uses a dedicated agent model for our inbound services, which means if you’ve got a limited number of calls coming in each week, it’s probably not the best use of your money to hire for us a separate inbound campaign.
However, if you regularly receive a substantial number of calls and the tough labor market has made it more difficult to staff your internal inbound team, outsourcing may be a great way to meet the demand and provide a robust call center solution, resulting in higher customer satisfaction.
Whether you’re looking to outsource all or part of your inbound, we can develop a program that fits your needs. VSA collaborates closely with all clients—outbound or inbound—to determine the program hours that make the most sense.
3. Your inbound partner should feel like part of your team
There’s nothing worse than a potential customer thinking they’re calling a company directly, only to reach a call center representative who says they’re with an answering service and unable to provide any assistance beyond taking a message. The person answering the phone on your company’s behalf should be familiar enough with your offering to be able to have a meaningful conversation.
A lot of call center partners are unable to provide that level of knowledge. CallsTools.com, a call center software company, lists “inadequate brand awareness” as one of the biggest disadvantages to call center outsourcing.
This isn’t an issue at VSA. Our BDRs are always highly trained on their assigned programs, and that includes the ability to professionally handle both outbound and inbound calls. As we like to say, we don’t just assist your inside sales team—we become your team. It’s our unique approach that is proven to be a more effective call center, ensuring your campaigns are aligned to have as high of a potential for success as possible—we come prepared.
4. Quick response times on inbound calls are essential best practices
If you and your staff are unable to promptly respond to inquiries from prospects and customers on your own, there’s a good chance you’re losing business. According to a recent survey regarding telephone wait times, nearly two-thirds of respondents said they are only willing to wait 2 minutes or less before hanging up. Meanwhile, more than 13% said no hold time is acceptable.
VSA’s team-based model ensures that this is rarely, if ever, a problem. We always have multiple BDRs assigned to your program, so regardless of when the calls are coming in, there’s somebody available to answer the phone. Our inbound campaigns are strategically designed to minimize wait times for your callers.
5. The right calling technology can make a huge difference
Just as VSA’s advanced calling technology allows us to make significantly more dials than the average B2B call center, it also allows us to efficiently handle a greater volume of incoming calls. The calls are always routed to the right people, without annoying beeps, pauses, or any other glitches that might cause an impatient prospect to drop off before the conversation begins. VSA is a different type of call center.
The technology also allows us to securely store information pertaining to the previous contact we’ve had with a prospect, so we’re always prepared when they call back a warm lead. We can also quickly report information obtained during the call to our clients, ensuring a seamless transition to the next step of the sales process.
Conclusion
No matter what outsourced call center needs your company is looking to fill, it’s crucial to find a partner you can trust to represent your brand professionally, courteously, and confidently.
This is especially true with inbound campaigns. If a prospect takes the time and effort to call you, the experience they have on the telephone could make or break their relationship with your company. You need to feel comfortable that the people inquiring about your offering are being treated properly on the phone.
With 21 years of B2B telephone experience, VSA is always well-equipped to deliver this level of service. Whether you’re looking for help with outbound, inbound, or some combination of both, give us a call. We’re always happy to discuss the ins and outs of lead generation.