Category Archives: BPO

How to use Linked-In to expand your BPO!

August 22, 2014 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Everyone wants to know how to get more business for their BPO. That’s all I hear every day. The answer is that there are many stages in the process of attracting and retaining a BPO client. If they can’t find you, they can’t hire you. But, what if they find you, but don’t think much of you? Hmmm. Be findable and make a good impression. Then, maybe you can catch a few new clients!

Using Linked In in the BPO outsourcing world.
Using Linked In is not as easy as it sounds, especially in outsourcing. There are several dozen prominent outsourcing Linked In discussion groups. Some of these have job postings, while a few post discussions. There are a lot of spammers posting the same job a zillion times too which looks bad.

Since there are so few groups and so few active members in the outsourcing centric groups, you should meander over to general business groups, and try to find members to contact who might be decision makers. To make it in business you have to know how to network. Unfortunately, not all of the people you contact will be relevant to you, and not all will respond to you. But, some of them will, and Linked in is a great way to reach people far away in different countries who you would have no way of talking to in person and a very tough time getting past their secretary on the phone.

(1) Scour all of the larger outsourcing & call center groups and look for process postings.
(2) Try to find decision makers who might need your services in general business groups.

Keep in mind that some of the larger linked in groups might have 30,000 or more members. You will be spending most of your time sorting through the thousands of followers and making your list of who might be a good prospect for you to contact. Does this seem time consuming? It is. You might have better luck training your assistant how to do this. But, you can’t train them until you have mastered the art of sorting and basic introduction messages.

And remember, you will be popular if you can make pleasant small talk instead of going straight for the jugular (the sale)

Happy linking!

Do you use the Steve Jobs principle: “Think Differently?”

May 25, 2014 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

In America, people love the concept of thinking differently. We fool ourselves into believing that we are all unique individuals, that you can’t generalize and that culture is an imaginary force of nature that doesn’t really exist. The truth is that we are all unique, but not as unique as we think. Our DNA is probably 99.9% the same as other humans and what makes us different is the .1%. Sounds Kabbalistic — The 99% and the 1%. In any case, this blog article’s purpose is not to ridicule the innocent incorrect beliefs of popular American culture (even though that is fun.) I want to ask you if you think differently at your work?

It all starts with a thought…
If you want to make a small difference at work, or make a huge galaxy shaking change in the universe, it all starts with your thoughts. At least, my guru claims that all actions that have happened in the universe started with a thought. The Big Bang was started by a rather big thought, or disturbance in consciousness! So, let’s start thinking. What types of thoughts can you do to make a difference?

Problem solving
The way I understand business is very simple. You provide a service. You either follow directions or you don’t. You either do good work or you don’t. You either get back to people (hopefully in a nice way) or you don’t. And you either finish on time, or you don’t. To improve things in the world of work, you can change when and how people communicate. You can try to enhance people’s job skills. You can try to enhance the tools people use at work (Apple computer has mastered this art,) or you can refine the art of meeting deadlines. Larger corporations try to master the art of assessing the value of each of their employees and each of their customers to optimize. My experience with companies is that they often don’t get back to you and don’t finish on time. If I were going to create the perfect company, I would focus my efforts more heavily on communication and ways to meet deadlines no matter what!

Your BPO company
How can you think differently at your BPO company? There are a million things you can think about. I would start by talking to your BPO customers. What do they like about your company and what do they think needs improving. If you talk to 20 customers, you might get 20 different opinions, but you might see that 5 out of 20 are saying the same thing. Think differently by trying to solve the problem of where you are lacking. Then, think differently again and try to do something new and wonderful that no other company of your category has ever done before! Don’t ask me, I have no idea! After all, I don’t think differently!

How to find great offshore companies to do your back-office work!

September 2, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO, Semi-Popular | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How to find great offshore companies to do your back-office work!

Many companies in the United States are just too busy to get their work done. They need help, but don’t know where to turn. Outsourcing your tasks can be a life saver if you find a good BPO company to help you. But, if you get stuck with a sloppy company, you might end up doing your tasks yourself and being really busy. You can’t just roll the dice and expect to find a great company in India who can anticipate your next need.

Call lots of companies you find on directories
The first step in finding your ideal outsourcing partner is to compare many companies. Some people think that comparing means to call three and pick the best one. That is missing the point. You might need to call up to 500 similar companies to find a handful that are good enough to consider. Once you find your lucky handful, then try them out — then compare.

You can’t compare until you try them
I remember being at a drum store. The guy at the counter said, “You have to buy-it to try-it”. Not a very friendly attitude. The fact is that many outsourcing companies are just plain sloppy and don’t care even a little bit about their clients. In my experience, the 80:20 rule doesn’t apply in outsourcing. I created my own rule called the “98:2 rule of outsourcing” which also applies to American companies. 2% of the companies who provide services might get an “A” or a “B” in my book. Another 10% get a C. The rest are horrifying companies who you should avoid like the plague. If you are stuck with someone mediocre — count your blessings, it could be much worst statistically.

Call 500 companies
If you call 500 companies, you will find 10 that get an A or a B. Don’t expect them to be perfect. But, if they are pretty good, and “care” to a certain extent, then you are ahead of the game! Don’t judge them by how well they talk, judge them based on whether or not they get your task done up to specifications and if they answer questions and emails.

Give a small test project
How small should your test project be? I would test out a dozen companies or so. I would give them a project that is a few hours long. I might give a project that doesn’t matter. You don’t know what they are going to do, or if they are going to do anything at all. You would be surprised at how lousy most companies are. If they are not in the top 2%, they are not that great according to my rule! Compare the work of all the companies tested. Do not compare until all companies have submitted their results or finished their work. Don’t expect anyone to be perfect. See which companies are faster and which do better work. Compare pricing as well.

Pick three winners
Once you found who you like, give them a second phase of screening work. Maybe a slightly longer project. If they do well on that one, then give them a third. I would not entrust a company with serious long term work until they have passed through three tiers of scrutiny.

Never trust salespeople
Don’t believe what the salesperson says. You won’t be dealing with them in the long run, and most of them lie and misrepresent their company. You need to get the salesperson off the phone and get the project manager and workers on the phone. You need to get to know who you will really be dealing with, not the salesperson. That is the entire point of the test project — it might be the only way you will get to know the real people who you need to know who are behind a veil of secrecy!

Use 123outsource.net
123outsource.net has thousands of outsourcing companies in all types of categories from Accounting to Web Design. We have hundreds of call centers, data entry companies, medical billing & medical transcription companies, custom software outfits, and more. 123outsource.net constantly keeps in touch with companies on board and sifts the results little by little every month. This sifting lowers the placement of companies who do not have good interaction skills, and raises the placement of companies (on the search results) who behave in a professional and intelligent way. In the future, we will even go to the extent of testing companies out with small test projects to see how reliable they are. 123outsource.net is a source of thousands of choices that can make your quest for offshore help faster and easier.

Tweets:
(1) To find a good BPO Outsourcing company to help you, you might have to call over 100 and compare!
(2) To find the right BPO company to assist you, give a test project to many & pick a few winners.
(3) Never trust the salespeople in a BPO. They not only lie, but don’t know the technical realities.

You might also like:

Good sign bad sign: what to look for in newly hired workers
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/01/13/outsource-blog-good-sign-bad-sign-what-to-look-for-in-newly-hired-workers/

A 20 minute office visit reveals the character of a company!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/12/12/a-20-minute-office-visit-reveals-the-character-of-a-company/

Roadblocks in the BPO outsourcing profession

April 24, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO, Hiring & Firing | Tagged | Leave a comment

I love meeting people at new companies and talking to them. Some people are so interesting. It is like opening a box of chocolates with fillings. You never know what you will get when you bite into one. Will it be cherry, caramel, or in the case of some companies — a disconnected phone? But, there are also many roadblocks as well. I have various criteria that I use when selecting a new company. Since I have more experience now than before, I interview more companies and expect more, because I know how happy I will be if I pick someone good!

It all starts with the initial phone call. The salesperson is always so nice (if you can reach them which can sometimes be hard). I skip the companies that don’t answer their phone. I also skip the companies where I can’t talk to a salesperson easily. If they call me back and sound promising then MAYBE I’ll consider them if I’m in a good mood. But, after talking to them, I realize that I need to DIG and see what I find.

My old company started me with a passable programmer. He quit, and was replaced by an idiot. I fired the idiot and the boss gave me another idiot, and then another. There were problems — I asked them to fix the problems, and they said the problems was with the server.

“You’re FIRED”

I tried one company who had a great programmer, but was so BUSY, that work didn’t get done on schedule. How will this love affair continue when I can’t predict their next move and its ETA? My verdict was:

“Indecision and Hmmmm”

A previous company took me on, but then added fraudulent fees to the bill. 3 hours extra for meetings that never took place, and another 6 hours for meetings that took place where the outcome of the meetings was never applied. No consent to pay for meetings was ever given. I’m paying for WORK buddy! Then they tried to charge me 42 hours worth of work to do a project they bid at 12 hours on, but never followed directions on.

“You’re FIRED” — NEXT!!!

At one BPO company, everything was great. I agreed to hire them and all was fine… Until I read the contract. 40 hour minimum — the salesman never mentioned that before. Hmmm. Should I disqualify them from round 1?

I told them

“I like your company, but this is too rigid for this project — maybe next time!”

Another company had a great boss. I talked with him, and we got along. Then, we had a phone meeting with the programmer overseas. The boss kept interrupting and telling the programmer not to answer my questions. What kind of interview is this? The whole point is to get my questions answered, right?
“You’re FIRED!”

The next BPO company was better, but they said they had 40 programmers who knew a particular language. Upon my next call to the project manager, I found out they only had 5. Disqualify? What would Donald Trump do in this situation? But, I liked them, so I gave them the go ahead. Nice people — great communication — super pricing — even better terms! I was able to dial a California number and be directly connected to India where their project manager answered on the second ring and spoke perfect English! Wow! Now that is service!

“We have a winner — YOU’RE HIRED”

There was only one relatively insignificant piece of misinformation here — so far. Everything else was wonderful!

So, as you can see, when you are TRYING to hire a company, and trying to work with them, many companies seem to put a bunch of road blocks in the way of YOU getting your work done. The secret here is to see the road blocks early on, so you can get rid of these bozo’s (American slang for clowns) and move on! I hope you learned something from my colorful experience dealing with the most stubborn and impossible types of BPO Outsourcing companies.

You might also like:

Power in business is about having choices

Techniques for interviewing outsourcing companies

What is better about your BPO company?

March 26, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Do you run a call center, BPO, KPO, software or IT outsourcing company? Do clients ever ask you what is better about your company? I think they should — and you should know how to answer them as well. Most companies that our staff talk to have no idea what is better about their company. Perhaps nothing is better about their company, and that is why they don’t know how to answer us. But, there SHOULD be something better about your company, otherwise how are you in business? Here are some ways to be the best BPO company possible.

(1) You could be faster at doing the same work or processes others do. I knew a pianist who could play the minute waltz in less than 33 seconds. We clocked him. It didn’t sound great being played that fast, but if you are in a hurry waiting for a train that is about to arrive, and want to hear the minute waltz, that particular pianist is the one to hire.

(2) You could have nicer staff than other BPO companies. These days, I am rarely happy about anyone’s staff. Every company seems to have one shining employee who brightens up my day, and the rest — well — the rest are the rest! Let’s put it that way.

(3) You could be cheaper. Some companies are cheaper, but don’t get the job done right. Are they really cheaper after the hassle? But, what if you really do get jobs done correctly and STILL are cheaper? Well, then you really are cheaper.

(4) You could have a nicer looking office. For outsourcing, nobody is coming to your office, so it doesn’t matter.

(5) Your receptionist could have a nicer sounding voice. A nice voice makes an impression

(6) You could have more flexible terms. Many companies are rigid these days. Having terms that benefit the client might bring you more clients. HAVING TERMS THAT BENEFIT YOU, MIGHT BRING YOU MORE YOU’S (if that is possible or desireable).

(7) You might do a better job and follow directions more.

(8) You might train your staff better.

(9) You could hire a fancier salesperson who is great at getting you new clients who you might be equally good at keeping (or losing).

(10) You might offer more related services. ONE STOP SHOPPING. If you do web design, you could also offer programming, social media, blog installation, and more. If you do call center work, you could offer data entry, surveys, statistical analysis, and virtual private assistants.

But, the bottom line is — no matter what is better about your company, if you can’t express that to the world, then it will take them a lot longer to find out what is good about you!

How do you train a BPO worker?

March 20, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How do you train a BPO worker?
 
I have a very small company, and we do tasks very similar to what people in BPO companies do.  We do call center work in small quantities — perhaps an average of two hours a day of outgoing calls, and then we have one dedicated full time incoming phone attendant.  We do about two hours a day of data entry work filling in online forms.  We even do KPO type tasks (we meaning myself individually) such as SEO analytics which includes keyword analysis.  Content writing is another specialty which I personally engage in, etc.
 
The hard part is how to train others to do all of the 20 types of tasks that I do daily.  Training BPO call center workers is not easy.  The manager has to create a SCRIPT for the call center worker to use when doing outbound calls. 

Hi, this is Don from ZYX company, we are calling in reference to your account with us … etc.
 
The script is easy to write, and to say.  The tone of voice that you require for reading the script might require a special personality.  Perhaps a strong man, or a caring woman.  Or, perhaps a tough woman, or a sensitive guy!  The hard part is training them to answer questions. There are so many questions that someone could ask, and how do you train a worker to answer all of the possible questions?  I think that creating an online cheat sheet is super, where all of the answers to common questions are there, and you can search by keyword.  Workers should be trained in the main topics, and be quizzed regularly to make sure they understand things well.
 
The next question is, how often do you check up on your workers?  Some people get better with experience, while others keep making the same mistakes endlessly no matter how many times you correct them.  There should be periodic checking up on workers, and regular evaluations.  If someone has been on a project for three weeks, and hasn’t mastered the basic questions after receiving regular coaching, maybe it is time to say good bye! On the other hand, perhaps your star employee is having trouble dealing with some of the finer points of answering more subtle or less common questions.  How detail oriented should your staff be before handing a question over to the manager?
 
If you are training a BPO data entry clerk, it might make sense to show them the process, have them repeat it a few times in your presence, and then to do a few hours on their own, and then have a reevaluation.  Data Entry seems to me to be less involving than call center work because there are no incoming questions — the complexity of the work is hence, more limited which makes it easier.  But, how do you teach a disorganized person good formatting skills?  You are on your own! Good luck!
 
Training for KPO work is much more sophisticated, and I don’t want to touch that topic today!  Let the folks in Bangalore deal with that — there are so many highly qualified KPO workers there.

Assigning billing work overseas to BPO companies

March 14, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Assigning biling work overseas to BPO companies
 
This is a topic of concern to many US companies, particularly small ones who have less control.  It is nice being a big company.  You can set up huge offices anywhere in the world, get business licenses anywhere and your attorneys will do the work for you.  You can have your head office in the Caymen Islands where there is no corporate tax.  You have a lot of freedom being big.  But, for the rest of us, we do not have these luxuries.  We are at the mercy of who works for us.
 
There are many companies that hire overseas BPO companies to do their billing and credit card transactions.  It is common.  For the most part, it is business as usual.  Americans are always fearful that people in a foreign country will be more likely to cheat them, but I feel that you need to look at countries one by one. India and the Philippines do most of the BPO outsourcing in the world, and there are only scandals from time to time, and perhaps not that many more scandals than their equivalents in the United States.  I don’t have the data.  If you hire a reliable company, all it takes is one bad individual (or apple as we say over here), to spoil the bunch.  One bad employee can commit serious fraud involving credit cards, and ruin a whole company’s reputation and cost them millions. That bad guy could be anywhere. He could be in India, or Canada, or who knows where.
 
If you are in Nevada, and hire a company in Nevada to do work for you, you can have a contract, and you can sue them if they violate the contract.  If you are in Nevada and hire an Indian BPO company to do work for you, it is not so easy to sue them.  For that matter, if you are in India, it is not easy to sue someone in India due to the inefficient legal system.
 
To keep the trust of your clients, if you are a smaller company, you might be better off having your billing done domestically rather than hiring an Indian BPO, and preferably by a trusted staff member.  I would not have billing done by anyone you have worked with for less than a year if at all possible. There is a lot to lose here!

What is the process of setting up a BPO Company?

February 4, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

What is the process of setting up a call center or data entry house?
 
I have never done anything like this before, so I am the wrong person to ask.  However, I regularly interact with those in the BPO, Call Center, and Data Entry professions, so I know a few of the basics.
 
Here is a step by step plan for setting up a BPO company.
(1) You need to be an expert at most of the core skills of the outsourcing company you are setting up. If you don’t know what you are doing, you will not be able to hire or train others to do the job well. Also, if you don’t know what you are doing, you are not serious, and will fall on your face.
(2) You need to be a business expert, and an expert at attracting and keeping clientele.  If you know how to run a BPO call center perfectly, but fail to attract clients, you would be better off as a manager at someone else’s call center. If nobody will hire you, then that proves your value (or lack of it)
(3) You need to pick an auspicious location.  Some areas offer better rates per square foot.  In my opinion, lucky offices will attract more clients, so keep luck in mind.  Do you see an area where companies are generally thriving and making profits?  It is easy to see if someone has revenues, but profits are harder to detect. Maybe these seemingly thriving companies are just getting by, or taking a loss.
(4) There are companies that focus on selling equipment and networking for new companies to set up their phone systems and internet systems. 
(5) Once you have your office all set up, you need clients.  If you have an attractive web site and do outreach to large companies that might need a call center, you might be able to set up a client base.  From there, hopefully you will get referrals.
(6) You need to have a large pool of workers you can call if you need service.  Call centers have unsteady business, so you need a long list of people to call if you get a new client.  It is not a bad idea to let the client have a say in who you hire for their particular projects too.
 
Those are the basics.  I am not in that business, so I can not tell you more!  But, keeping an eye on your employees, and making sure they are doing their best is key. Bringing in an outside consultant to train and critique your workers could make a wonderful improvement too, and is worth the money.  Quality wins the game in the end, so if you are willing to invest in quality, you could beat out the competition.

You might also like:

How to sell like a pro — what exactly do they do?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2012/06/25/how-to-sell-like-a-pro-what-do-the-pros-do/

Marketing your BPO outsourcing firm from A to Z
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/05/22/marketing-your-bpo-outsourcing-firm-from-a-to-z/

If Google ran a BPO, what would they do differently?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/03/30/if-google-ran-a-bpo-call-center-what-would-they-do-differently/

Picking a 4000 foot BPO office before you have the clients!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/01/06/picking-a-4000-foot-bpo-office-before-you-have-the-clients/

BPO projects, how to get them and what they entail!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/10/20/bpo-projects-how-to-get-them-and-what-they-entail/

What does Mark Cuban say about startups?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/12/04/what-does-mark-cuban-say-about-startups/

What is the best BPO work environment?

January 21, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

What is the best BPO work environment?
 
If you are running a BPO, Call Center, Data Entry outsourcing company, or other outsourcing firm, you need to be refined in how to manage your work environment.  I had an interesting chat with a buddy of mine who runs a small web development company. He says that at many of the more successful American IT and marketing companies, everyone works in one large room, where the cubicles have low walls, so you can see everyone at a glance.  This was an interesting opinion. 
 
So, what is better, private cubicles, a room filled with desks and no dividers, or completely separate rooms?  If it is up to me, I like a separate room, but if I am managing others, I like to be able to hear them faintly in the distance, so if they are telling a client the wrong thing, I can run in and intervene — but I get relative peace and quiet simultaneously.  In the real world, my perfect environment is not so easy.
 
Are there studies that discuss the advantages of office set ups?  I am reading on Wikipedia that having a bunch of people working together in the same large room is called an “Open Plan”, and contributes to higher noise, higher turnover, and stress.  I can relate to that.
 
I’m reading another blog called The Good Work Circle that claims  that many larger companies are getting rid of cubicles and adopting an open workspace office set up.  The open workspace model was better for communiation and a sense of community. 
 
I like the idea of a hybrid system for BPO companies, where you get your private space and quiet part of the day, but can have togetherness during other parts of the day. 
 
Another factor is how cool the building is that you are working in.  A really pleasant work environment for BPO companies might have high ceilings, art work, a pool table, a pleasant break room, and places to interact with others. If rooms are too small or efficient, then it might not be so pleasant to be in them.  A good balance between space efficiency and coolness might win the game in the long run.  It is good to not overlook the fact that many people just don’t care about how cool the building is while others who are more tuned it will really notice and just not want to hang around if the work environment is not up to their standards for coolness!
 
Since every group of employees is different, rather that reading a book written by an “expert”, why not listen to YOUR employees and see what they say about what they think a good layout would be!  That way you please the people who you are stuck with, and can make the best out of it.  And remember, BPO companies in India have a high turnover rate, so if you can make your employees lives better, the will stay around longer!

Data Analysis KPO India

November 10, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Data Analysis KPO India

KPO = Knowledge Process Outsourcing which is a type of outsourcing that involves a high level of sophistication in research and analytics. Market and Financial research are some of the most common specialties of KPO companies in India.

There are many types of KPO companies in India. The majority do some type of data analysis, analytics, research, or offer financial advice. You might find it interesting to browse our various KPO company listings in India. We have KPO companies in other countries as well, but our India KPO page is by far the most active in it’s category.

Please keep in mind that there are many companies in our data entry section that also offer data analysis services in India. It is unclear if their services have the same level of sophistication as a KPO company, but you can contact such companies and find out for yourself.

One of the main types of data analysis that KPO companies do is for market research, market segmentation, and business strategy. If you can identify your best market segment to contact, and the most efficient way of contacting them, then you can get a good rate of return on your marketing efforts.

Another common type of data analysis that call centers and KPO companies alike might engage in would be survey response analysis. A good analyst would be able to identify trends, and important data patterns by taking a closer look at the data.

You might also like:

KPO India Search Results

Call Center India Search Results

Data Entry India Search Results

LPO Definition and Information

November 6, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

LPO Definition and Information
 
There are a few terms in outsourcing that may not be familiar terms to Americans and Europeans. BPO, KPO, and LPO.  I have written a blog article about distinguishing BPO from KPO, and LPO.  But, let me summarize here. 
 
BPO = Business Process Outsourcing
KPO = Knowledge Process Outsourcing
LPO = Legal Process Outsourcing
 
Any type of outsourcing could be classified as BPO. However, the more highly educated types of outsourcing work fall into the category of KPO, which itself is a broad term.  BPO includes any type of data entry, call center, or back office work.  KPO includes any type of knowledge intensive services which often include research, analytics, writing, software, and sometimes legal work as well.
 
Legal Process Outsourcing is a subset of Knowledge Process Outsourcing.  Many companies in India specialize in various types of LPO services to please foreign clients.  It is interesting that almost all LPO companies in India are located either in the Delhi NCR region, or in Bangalore.  There are huge volumes of highly educated people in any of the top ten large cities in India, but these two cities attract certain types of industries.
 
Typical specialties for Legal Outsourcing companies might include legal research, document drafting, patent research, litigation support, and assistance for foreign companies trying to set up a branch in India. Many companies have a wide variety of other specialties, but for Americans and Australians outsourcing to India, those are the specialties that are the most common.
 
I read that there were roughly 140-150 Legal Process Outsourcing companies in India, so there are plenty to choose from. 123outsource.net currenly lists over fifty such companies, and we welcome you to browse our search results.  We also have many KPO, BPO, medical billing, medical transcription, web design, and software companies that you can browse too!

BPO Projects – How to get them and what they entail

October 20, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: BPO, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

BPO Projects
BPO = Business Process Outsourcing.  BPO companies typically do data entry, call center, payment processing, and other repetitive back office services.

There are many types of BPO projects out there.  Some are voice processes while others are non-voice processes.  It is important to note, that when communicating with prospective American or Australian clients, they might not understand what you are talking about if you use the term, “non-voice process”.  When talking to Westerners, it is more clear to mention a specific type of process or work such as data mining or telemarketing for example.

What do projects entail?
BPO projects might include a call center or telemarketing project, data conversion, image processing, payment processing, data capture, or a wide variety of other types of work.  It is important to note how many seats will be involved in the work, and how long the work is expected to take unless it is intended to be continuous work on an ongoing project. 

Getting work
Getting BPO projects is not always easy.  Established companies have a steady clientele that might refer them to other overseas companies.  So long as the quality of their work stays intact, they would normally continue getting regular business.  There might be economic cycles that would effect their work volume, but a steady flow of BPO projects would be normal. 

Newer BPO companies, especially those that have weak marketing skills, will find it much harder to get steady work.  Additionally, I have found that inexperienced start-ups have management that doesn’t always have a good command of English.  If your marketing materials are in broken English, it will be hard to attract data entry or call center work, since those lines of work are language intensive.

In the beginning, you should have someone help you with your marketing materials to make sure they will attract foreign clients.  Once you establish a reputation for doing good work for a reasonable price, then business will begin to be more steady. 

How do I get initial work?
You can contact companies overseas that might need your type of services.  Making personal contact is a very effective marketing technique.  You can advertise on alibaba.com, or on 123outsource.net to gain worldwide exposure for your company as well.  The basic trick is to find companies who need your BPO services, and to make them feel confident about using your outsourcing services. Offering them a little bit of work at a discount or for free with liberal terms is the easiest way to get BPO projects fast! If you make life easy for your new clients at a great price, they’ll be very enthusiastic about your company!

More ideas for getting work
Have a website, call companies that might need your service, create a Linked In profile, advertise on large outsourcing directories, use PPC advertising on Google, network with other companies, do email blasts, etc. Please read our more up to date articles below for more thorough information.

.

You might also like

Marketing your BPO outsourcing company from A to Z
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/05/22/marketing-your-bpo-outsourcing-firm-from-a-to-z/

How to get more clients for your BPO or Call Center (compilation)
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/08/20/how-to-get-more-clients-for-your-bpo-or-call-center-compilation/

What is the process of setting up a BPO company?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2012/02/04/what-is-the-process-of-setting-up-a-bpo-company/

How to get clients for call centers — contracts!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/04/05/how-to-get-clients-for-call-centers-contracts/

Best Outsourcing Articles (compilation)
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/04/02/compilation-of-best-outsourcing-articles/

Outsourcing was first used as a business strategy in 1989
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/12/02/outsourcing-was-first-used-as-a-business-strategy-in-1989/

Getting new clients and nurturing them correctly
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/04/17/gaining-new-clients-and-nurturing-them-correctly/

Why Indian call centers fail
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/03/16/why-indian-call-centers-fail/

From 100 Indian call centers down to 1
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/01/21/from-100-indian-call-centers-down-to-1/

Get more clients for your BPO by having better TRAINING
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/05/how-to-get-more-business-for-your-call-center-better-training/

.