Proven Training Techniques for Telemarketing Lead Generation
Posted on Mar 26, 2008 by Anabel Foucart, Program Director
At TeleNet, our lead generation agents or as we refer to them – “Marketing Communications Specialists” – are our product; therefore training them is of the essence. I consider it to be the equivalent of R&D.
Training our targeted lead generation staff at TeleNet requires a mix of technical knowledge transmission, calling strategies, communication skills development and market intelligence. A good dose of inspiration goes a long way too.
So, what do I do when we launch a new client program and I need to train an agent to perform and produce? I’ve got lots of techniques…and here are the most consistently effective ones:
- Give them the big picture. A telemarketing lead generation agent needs to understand the client’s primary mission, objective and market. I find that if an agent understands the company goals they picture themselves as a real extension of the marketing team and more readily generate quality leads for a specific brand or product from that company.
- Understand what motivates an agent. We all like having ownership of our projects, and at TeleNet many of our agents are dedicated to programs over a long period of time. I like understanding agent personality types so that when I train them I can push the “right buttons”; many times assigning a long-term campaign to an agent is a very strong motivator. Agents are driving the day-to-day results of a program and are working in close synch with management to produce great results. In management, knowing your agent’s profile is paramount. You can adjust incentives, program calibrations and deliverables based on your knowledge of your product offer (in this case our talent pool).
- Train & Re-train. Since we work in the high-tech and banking industries our agents need lots of specific product training when a program launches. However, it’s also necessary to replay recorded training sessions because we all know that real learning only happens through regular and repeated exposure to something. We also request collateral updates and interactive sessions with the client throughout the length of any given program. This provides an excellent comfort level at the agent level, which in turn increases call quality ten-fold.
- Play it again Sam… At TeleNet, we have digital recording software that allows us to record most of our outbound calls for training and telemarketing sales lead quality purposes… So while all the action is happening on the operations floor, I’m in the back pulling phone calls, or listening live and providing real-time feedback to the agents so that we do not waste valuable time!
- Multi-media training approach. Varying techniques to train the agents keeps their work interesting. All options should be used – such as webinars, printed collateral, live meetings and role-playing to keep the learning environment dynamic.
To put it in a nut-shell…training techniques should be varied to be successful and the focus should start broad, before getting into granular detail.
Tagged: telemarketing sales leads, lead generation, targeted lead generation, training lead generation agents, training telemarketing sales lead agents
Add a Comment
Welcome to TeleNet's telemarketing lead generation blog. Members of TeleNet's executive, program management and account management staff will contribute to our blog on a weekly basis. Please subscribe to our RSS feed or sign up to receive email updates to obtain insight, tips, and feedback to improve or enhance your telemarketing lead generation and lead nurturing programs and processes.
Browse by Author
- Anabel Foucart, Program Director
- Ashlea Harris, Vice President of Program Management
- Chris Engel, Vice President Information Technology
- Dana Gill, Program Director
- Jason St Onge, Account Executive
- Jason StOnge, Account Executive
- Jon Plant, Account Executive
- Jon Plant, Program Director
- Kathy Rizzo, Vice President Marketing
- Laura Johnson, Program Director
- Melissa Joffrion, Account Executive
- Mike Usry, Account Executive
- Sharon Dahlhaus, Account Executive
Comments
Michael Thompson said:
When I was first asked to help launch a pilot program for a new client, I honestly wasn’t too sure what to expect from the training. I have over five years experience in telemarketing, so the thought of the program itself did not intimidate me. Despite my experience, not one company I’ve worked for in the past has assigned me the task to be the representation of what can be delivered. I knew what was to be expected, and with that, I knew that my own skills and methods had to increase if we were to show our new client what the team at Telenet is capable of. No matter what one’s trade or skill may be, we should always strive to surpass ourselves. Perfection may be unobtainable, however, there is no reason that we should not try to at least aim to for it. Even if absolute flawless performance is never obtained, by aiming for that goal, one’s skill set and knowledge is guaranteed to be improved and surpass one’s current abilities. And it is that state of mind that Telenet understands when they train and calibrate it’s marketing communication specialists. This is not to say that the methods of training and re-training are overly rigorous by any means, nor should it be. But the trainings do serve a very important purpose. In my time training, precise attention is spent listening to pre-recorded calls that help to modify and strengthen weak areas. Through the use of presentations, focus on the client and their goals are much more magnified than any other telemarketing company I’ve seen do to prepare it's employees. The methods and practices used to prepare for the new program have helped to make my performance increase in areas I thought could never be strengthened, and continue to strengthen my abilities. And being able to provide feedback as a MCS that is not only heard, but also seriously taken into consideration and implemented where appropriate, is beneficial. It’s with that improvement that has helped to make this program one of the most, if not the most, successful campaigns I’ve yet to be a part of.
Kyliea Walker - Marketing Communication Specialist- Level 3 said:
Calling on one of TeleNet’s Pilot Programs was just another positive reinforcement of the continuing relationship TeleNet has with the marketing communication specialist. TeleNet understands the strength of each individual and with continuing training and strong feedback from the client we were able to accomplish one of the most successful Pilot Programs for a major printing devices company. The day-to-day operations of the campaign were mine, with all the amenities I needed to succeed provided by TeleNet. I was never left alone, but never micro managed. The success of the campaign was a team effort of TeleNet’s ability to produce the best for the job and to be able to relay information to the marketing communication specialist from the client in a timely manner. We had continuing feedback from the client, extensive training, not only in-house but by teleconferencing, web and email. My calls were listened to by my supervisors as well as the client and as the campaign moved forward we all worked together to accomplish the same goal. Success! TeleNet strives to produce the best for each client, by continuing to train, with positive reinforcement and by keeping the lines of communication alive with information. The feedback, training and continuing learning we receive from our superiors gives our team the opportunity to achieve higher goals for each campaign, our clients and as individuals. Success is what TeleNet has taught me and that anything is possible when working towards the same goal.