Category Archives: Popular Posts

How to get more clients for your call center

March 17, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: Call Center, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

We wrote dozens of articles for how call centers can market themselves and get more clients. Please click on the call center link on the right of our blog to see all of the other articles. This article will be unique.

Get more clients for your call center
There are numerous traditional marketing techniques. Having a great website makes a huge difference. Having great sales staff is also irreplaceable. But, what about networking?

Marketing doesn’t always have to cost
I know of companies who network with other companies to get business. They don’t pay for advertising — not that there is anything wrong with paying for effective advertising. If you are a little call center, what if you take the jobs that a bigger call center rejected for one reason or the next.

Get more clients for your call center by networking
Picture the reality of a big call center. They have 200 seats to fill, and they want big clients only — ones that will sign big contracts and long contracts. What if little clients approach these giants? What will happen? Imagine that they could refer those little clients to your call center. They might want to know if you are any good before ruining their reputation referring clients to you. But, what if your call center service IS good? Or, perhaps they might want a finders fee if they get you a client. It is worth it to pay a small up front fee and residuals for good clients.

You could network with call centers around the world. Trying to get end users to hiring you by calling them is one way of marketing. But, OTHER call centers already have those end users, but might not want them. Perhaps those clients won’t pay enough, or won’t agree to rigid terms. That is perfect for you, because you have liberal terms, so you can get your business moving, right?

I’ll assume that you said, “Right”.

Tweets:
(1) Big call centers eat little call centers
BUT, little call centers can eat the left overs the big #callcenters didn’t eat
(2) 1 big #callcenter has 250 branches in 57 countries.
You’d better be very professional to compete with them for business!

You might also like:

Call centers who don’t answer their phone!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/08/call-centers-who-dont-answer-their-phone/

How to get more clients for your call center — better training!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/05/how-to-get-more-business-for-your-call-center-better-training/

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.

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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/

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How to attract more clients to your call center part 2

May 19, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Call Center, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

How to get more clients for your call center part 2
 
Part 1 of this series about marketing your call center was very nuts and bolts.  Basically, you contact companies who might need your services, be receptive to their questions and needs, and offer them a few hours sample of your work if you think they are serious about a long term relationship.  The several hundred dollars you lose giving a free sample could come back to you 1000 fold in the long run with repeat business and referrals.
 
Hiring the right staff
There is a spiritual law that says that if you have the right people, business will naturally come to you.  Isn’t it funny how some businesses grow without putting a dime, a peso, riyal, or rupee into advertising?   This always frustrated me as a child while I put endless hours in sweat equity marketing my lawn mowing business while other people just got the business while they were sipping iced tea.  Although, I eventually got referrals, and was good at certain tasks concerning the manual labor that I used to do, I did not have the refinement necessary to be someone’s first choice.  I also didn’t have a marketing system for getting referrals. Its much easier to build your business through referrals than it is by getting clients  through advertising.  What I learned later in life, is that it is not a crime to spend a fortune on advertising, but it is a crime not to have a good “offering”, and a good system for gettting referrals.
 
Hiring the right staff that comprises the perfect blend of personalities to handle your clients and future clients is imperative.  If you have a call center with a bunch of pushy salespeople, and customer service reps who mumble, you are going to have a hard time growing at any price.  Remember, that the cost to a company for losing them a client is much greater than whatever they are paying you! Outsourcing is a great way for companies to save money, but let them save money without the headaches that are associated with outsourcing.  Give them the best service in town and a great experience that they will remember
 
Can you imagine if XYZ company hires a call center, and the service was mediocre, but dealing with them was a pain in the neck? The manager at XYZ will have a bitter taste in his mouth with all of the bad memories of XYZ company.  It is a far better plan to give companies who work with you as wonderful an experience as you can while still maintaining a good price.  When all is said and done, and all of the numbers are crunched (analyzed), giving people a pleasant experience counts for 50% of their decision of whether they are going to use you again, even if your actual work is not the best.
 
Having polished staff members
There are call center companies where the employees speak clearly, are patient, polite, and explain things well.  These are the call centers that are going to get the repeat business. I spoke to a call center rep who was the most polite person I have ever encountered.  He worked for a fancy bank, and it is no surprize that they value that individual, as he brings professionalism to their already very professional organization.  On the other hand, there are nightmare call center staff members who hang up on clients, lose their temper, or are always transfering them to someone else who may or may not be there.  You could lose a million dollar account with behavior like that.  The quality of your staff = the security of your future success in business!
 
Training and mentoring
Nobody starts out perfect, except perhaps today’s call center rep from Well’s Fargo. Most call center emplyees just don’t have their act perfected.  It is critical to spend more money on middle level management who walks around and moniters people.  You have to make sure people are performing at an optimal level.  If someone is not answering questions clearly enough, give them a coaching session.  If someone is too quiet, or rough, give them a mentoring session.  If someone has a pronunciation problem, give them a training session in clear speech.  Nobody is perfect, but through molding, amazing improvements can be made. If you do not start out with assets, you can turn someone into an asset in a few months!
 
It’s the experience
My favorite experience with a call center employee was a young lady I talked to many years ago.  She was working for a credit card company and she was located in the Philippines.  She solved my credit card issue quickly and efficiently, but she also had a nice personality too.  We talked about my flight to India.  She commented, “Oh, you flew right over me.. next time you fly over the Philippines, say hi, okay?”.  I’ll never forget her.  If you have staff members who are so charming and pleasant that people would actually like to meet them and get to know them, then you are in business. You will be discovered soon enough.  You can have the best marketing department in the world, but a charming staff member is much more potent than the best salesman on earth!  Remember, you only talk to the salesperson at the BEGINNING of your relationshp with a company.  After the sale is made, you see the regular employees.  If they make your day, you will stay with the company forever!

You might also like:

Part 1 of how to get more clients for your call center

Finding a lucky feng shui spot for my office

How to find a data entry job!

May 14, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Data Entry, Getting a Job, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , | 22 Comments

Where to go to find data entry jobs. 

There are many places you can go to find data entry jobs on the internet, and many places you can find data entry jobs in your city. It is safer to find a real job where you work in an office. That way you meet the boss face to face, and they can not run away when its time to pay you. There are many sites on the internet that can help you find work, but some of these are scams. It is important to find legitimate companies who really need your services and who really will pay you.

Tell-tale signs of scams
If a company wants to use you, but doesn’t test you thoroughly, it is likely that they are not professional, and a potential scam. If a company wants to charge you money for being on their list, there is no guarantee that you will receive a single inquiry. This is risky business. You should not pay money to a company unless they were referred to you by a satisfied customer.

Internet sites
Some sites list job openings, while other sites have opportunities to work remotely. Some sites will help you start your own business. A few sites specialize in helping you get freelance jobs. If you have no business background, it is not advisable to attempt to start you own business doing anything. Data entry is a serious business and clients will not want to hire someone working from home who they don’t know unless you come highly recommended. If you are going to do remote data entry, make sure the company spends time checking you out. If they don’t invest in scrutinizing you, they are likely to not be a good company to work for.

Our recommendations
Find real companies in your metro, or at least within a few hours of your home. Try to meet with them in person, and see if they can either hire you or offer you freelance work. Sometimes, the bosses of these companies will be able to refer you to their colleagues who have similar companies. If your skills are not up to par, you will spend a lot of time job seeking, but without finding much. If your skills are excellent, then you should start off by contacting data entry companies in your area and talking to the HR staff over the phone or in person.

Sites that list job offerings

Indeed.com
This site has a long list of job openings for data entry clerks world wide. It is a good place to look for openings.

Naukrihub.com
This Indian based site can help you find work in many types of professions including medical transcriptions, BPO, and data entry.

BPOjobsathome.com
This site helps you work from home in India and has many types of data entry, and data conversion jobs that you can do.

Careerbuilder.com
Lists Data Entry jobs all over the United States

dataentry.in
This site offers information about data entry jobs in India including medical billing, data processing and many other specialties.

careerguru.com
This site offers a holistic job search. They have many data entry jobs being offered in the United States.

gofreelance.com
This is a fun site, but they don’t have that many actual data entry jobs being offered.

Sites offering work from home opportunities

my-data-team.com
This site offers work from home data entry job opportunities.

online-home-jobs.com
This site caters to people all around the world, including India, the Philippines, and many other countries. This well organized site has a well explained process of how you can find and do data entry work. They even offer online chat with an attentive clerk at the other end.

ourdollars.com
This site offers work from home data entry job opportunities. Get paid by automated funds transfer technology as often as you want to get paid!

online-data-entry-jobs.com
This site allows you to gain employement working from home anywhere in the world. You can be an outsourced data operator, marketing typist, data-collection research assistant, data proofreader, general audio transcriber, response typist, and more!

homeworkers.org
IHA offers many types of jobs where workers can work from home including medical coding, photography, writing, data entry, product assembly, and more germiny.com This site does a thorough job of describing the real work opportunities verses the scams. clickonlinejobs.com Offers work from home data entry jobs.

You might also like:

Training for outsourcing jobs
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/07/12/training-for-outsourcing-jobs/

Data Entry & Data Mining basic information
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2010/12/27/data-entry-data-mining-information/

How to write a resume for an outsourcing job
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/01/01/how-to-write-a-resume-for-an-outsourcing-job-2016/

Training for outsourcing jobs
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/07/12/training-for-outsourcing-jobs/

The winning traits to get an outsourcing job!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2010/09/09/the-winning-traits-to-get-an-outsourcing-job/

Judge a book by its cover; Judge a company by its office
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/12/16/judge-a-book-by-its-cover-judge-a-company-by-its-office-2016/

People who take the first job they find might be unhappy in the long run
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/08/26/people-who-take-the-first-job-offer-they-get-might-be-unhappy-in-the-long-run/

How to get more clients for your call center

May 5, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Call Center, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , , | 21 Comments

Getting more clients for your call center part 1
 
Call centers are everywhere!
There are many call centers throughout the world.  The United States and Canada are filled with them.  The Philippines is the most popular outsourcing location for call centers, while Kenya and South Africa offer a good command of British English and are in the same time zone as Europeans.  But… not all call centers are created equal.  Many new companies want more clients, but they don’t know where to start.
 
It’s about relationships!
BPO Companies typically get business because they have the right contacts. No contacts; No contracts; But, how do you get connections when you don’t know anyone? A call center might know a potential client, or could be referred to a client from someone who knows them.  Often, they will know other people in the business, who give them their overflow or take a commission on BPO business sent their way.  But, what if you are sitting in a building in Navi Mumbai, or Cebu, and you see others succeeding in the call center business when your phone is not ringing with interested prospective clients?
 
How do you get to know people when you don’t know anyone?
We all start out with empty Rolodexes in this life unless we are born into the right family.
But, how many of us are born into a well connected family?  I’m from America which is a meritocracy. Your success is still based heavily on “who you know”, but we generally are not born with good connections like the upper class British or Indian families might have.  We make it based on merit and hustling — otherwise we don’t make it.  Some of us are talented, while others are average but work harder than our competitors.  In America, many of my friends were from affluent families, but didn’t have the drive or dedication to achieve, and they are working for minimum wage in many cases.  By the same token, many people who were raised in slums are now prospering.  So, get out there and hustle and get to know people. You can meet prospects through cold calling, Linked In, networking meetings, or through existing contacts.
 
Getting to know people
If you want to drum up BPO business, you have to contact companies who might be able to use your service, as well as contacting competitors. Competitors might be able to refer you jobs that they don’t want or don’t have time for. They might charge a commission for offering you work. You could get to know agents and brokers as well, but be careful as many of them charge up front and don’t deliver! You can get listed on outsourcing directories and have a broad social media presence as well. In terms of contacting prospective clients, who do you call, when, and where? Pounding the payment is on my perpetual to do list — my company contacts 400 new companies per month every month, on schedule at the beginning of the month whether we need new clients or not, just to keep the momentum going.
 
Email
Email is a wonderful tool, and it has its place in society. It’s a very practical way to contact people who already know you and are happy (smiley face or not) to hear from you.  However, if you send emails to strangers that are trying to sell them something, you will get ignored.  If you use email to contact people, you might get a 0-1% return rate if you offer them some sort of free trial period. If it is just an introduction to your company, you will be ignored 9999 out of 10,000 emails which makes the whole process futile. Writing to a specific contact person and perceptively addressing their unique needs increases the chance of you getting noticed 100 fold!
 
Cold Calling
Calling companies is a royal pain in the neck. It’s often like pulling teeth to reach the decision maker, and each phone call can carve 10 minutes out of your day only to be put on hold and then ultimately rejected.  Phone calls are tedious, so plan on having someone who is patient and dedicated to manning this essential lifeline. On a brighter note, a dedicated caller can realistically reach up to 30 decision makers on a busy day of cold calling.
 
Meeting people’s needs
The mentality that separates a salesman from a pest is their ability to anticipate their prospective client’s needs.  If you call someone trying to force your service down their unwilling throat, you will have wasted your call.  Even if they need your service, they won’t like your style.  If you are polite, make nice conversation, and ask them about their needs, you will get your foot in the door.  My experience has shown that a female with a nice voice, an even nicer personality, and a good technical understanding of call center work will excel at this type of cold-calling.  Gentleness and suave are the keys that open the doors. On the other hand, my personal experience running my own call operations is that a man with a very feminine voice is just as effective as a girl.  My best caller was a guy with a folksy high voice, and everyone liked “her”.  I hired him to offer free listings on one of my directories, and he got seven listings per hour, while the other male caller averaged only four! Of course — everybody thought that he was a she!!!
 
Smoothness and getting to know people
People hire other people they know. Its not about what BPO company you work for, or even what company they work for.  If a person at a particular company likes a person at another company and gets to know them, you establish trust. Trust = Sales or at least has the potential to lead to sales.  People entrust their money to people they like and trust. If your salesgirl cannot only sell, but makes great chit-chat with the decision makers, they will develop a type of relationship with your company.  In five minutes, you went from a non-relationship, to having a warm and fuzzy relationship. You are no longer doing a cold-sell now. You are working in a warm market.  Your sales girl melted the proverbial ice!!! One sales lady conveys such charm, that clients who have never laid eyes on her are regularly sending her flowers. When you interview your salesgirl, ask how many flowers her clients sent her on her last job. There’s your clue as to how successful she will be!
 
Free samples
Many people are stingy and selfish and don’t want to give away even a minute of their time for free. But, if you are starting out, you have to establish a reputation. If nobody knows you, then the only fast way to GET people to know you is to offer a few hours of work at either no cost, or at a reduced cost if the person will commit to a contract once they are satisfied.  If you have a star employee who will impress your potential clients, you will gain many others from offering free work. Not all of them will hire you. But, always remember that business is about relationships, ideally long term ones. If you sacrificed a few hours of a star employee’s time, but got a client who stuck with you for twenty years and referred you to ten other companies who used you, do you feel that your sacrifice was worth it? You give away a penny, and get a million in return. I like that exchange very much.

Have a professional web site
People judge a book by its cover and a web site by its professionalism. A professional web site that clearly states all of your specialties and contact information will attract business, especially if it is easy to find on Google. Please see our article about having a professional web site for your business.

Pay-Per-Click
An astute web marketer will be an expert at using pay-per-click programs. Google’s adwords is the most effective in this category. Pick the keywords and keyword variations that are well targeted to your business and geographical terms mixed with professional terms, i.e. “Bangalore Web Design”. Twitter, Facebook, and Linked-In also have PPC programs that can help you grow your social media presence quickly and effectively providing that you have popular content. Going to a $100 party wearing a $3 shirt is the equivalent of spending hundreds promoting poorly written blogs or web pages. Write good content and promote it using PPC. However, you should track your results and terminate promotions that don’t yield positive results. Using PPC involves a lot of trial and error, so try many approaches and keep your eyes open. Please read our article on Pay-Per-Click promotion of call centers.

Summary
Hire a nice girl who makes smooth conversation, knows her technical stuff, and can anticipate her prospective client’s needs.  Get to know companies and offer them a certain amount of free work if you think they are serious. That way, they will be confident about working with you in the future since they had a good experience with your company.  On the other hand, if you hire the worst staff, your free sample will just be a waste, because nobody wants to work with a rotten bunch of employees!!

Stay tuned for part 2 of getting call center work.  You will see a completely different point of view on marketing in that blog entry.

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You might also like:

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

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

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

How to find clients for call centers — good salespeople
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/04/08/how-to-find-clients-for-call-centers-good-salespeople/

How to get more clients for your call center — get an agent!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/09/14/how-to-get-more-clients-for-your-call-center-get-an-agent/

How to get more clients for your call center using Pay-Per-Click
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/08/01/how-to-gain-clients-for-your-call-center-pay-per-click/

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Tweets:
(a) When it comes to business, it is about who you know.
How well do you know yourself?
(b) In business it is about who you know. How well do you hustle to get to know new people?
(c) In business, it is not who you know — it is who knows you and thinks highly of you.
(d) Get to know prospective clients by calling them.
Interact with existing clients by emailing them.
(e) Emailing prospective clients has a really low response rate. Ask your Nigerian uncle. Try cold-calling prospects.

(f) Hire the right girl to talk to decision makers & they will develop a warm & fuzzy relationship w/your company.
(g) 1 sales lady conveys such charm: clients who’ve never seen her regularly send her flowers.
(h) When u interview a salesgirl, ask how many flowers her clients sent her on her last job. There’s your clue as to how successful she will be!
(i) The best things in life are free. Give a free sample to a prospect, do great work, and win a client!

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How to Start an Outsourcing Company

April 24, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Outsourcing Articles, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

How to start an outsourcing company

To start a BPO, Call Center, or Data Entry outsourcing company, you will need a lot of skills.

Be an expert in your field
You need to be an expert at your field, so that you can supervise work and know who to hire. If you know nothing about data entry, and have no clients, nobody will hire you, because you don’t know anything. People want to hire responsible experts, so if you are not an expert, please become one.

Get clients
How do you get clients?  Many people tell me they want to start a 20 seater BPO, but they are asking me how to get clients.  My advise is start with one seat, and then when you get more clients, get more seats.  The clients come before the seats.  No clients = being out of business. If you are asking me how to get business, you are really in trouble, because I am not in the call center business — I’m in the directory business with 10 years of experience.

Contact other call centers or data entry companies and see if they have any advice or overflow.
Contact call centers or other outsourcing outfits in America by phone and ask them if they need your services.
Contact companies in India by phone and ask if they need your services. Create a beautiful website and advertise on web directories
Facebook can sometimes be a great way to market a business too, as it is a way to network with more and more computer literate people.

Have a decisive offering
If you want to create a call center, but don’t know what you are offering, you will sound uneducated to your potential clients.  Figure out what types of services you offer, and then figure out what type of price categories to assign your various services. My advice is focus on being flexible and helpful if you want to attract lots of business. The other call centers are rigid, and half of them want to cheat their new clients. In the long run, the helpful and responsible companies win the game!

Free trials – am I crazy?
If you want to offer people free trials, thats even better.  Many companies will be skeptical about using a new outsourcing company who they never heard of before.  If you have an amateurish phone manner, they will question whether you even are a business, or some unemployed guy who is desperate for work.  If you offer a few hours of free trial work, so that the client company can test you out and get comfortable with you, you might win over some good long term contracts.

Short contracts or no contracts
Established call centers have a reputation and contacts. They can demand six month contracts for at least three seats and get away with it. If you are starting off, its best to let companies try you out for a short time and see if they like you.  It will be hard to get long
contracts when nobody has ever heard of you before.

Equipment?
This is not my industry, so you have to ask other local call centers what they use.  You need good computers and good phone connections for all of your seats. You will need to ask local utility companies what type of connections they can offer and how reliable they are. VoIP is popular these days, but thats all I know.

A place of business
If you have no clients, and want to get a 15 seater office, how do you intend to pay salaries and rent for fifteen people, when you have not a single client, and no knowledge of how to get a client.  Find a real estate broker, and find a small place to start off in while you get your business acumen  in ship shape condition.  Start small and learn the business is you are starting a BPO

How do I start a call center or outsourcing business?
Have a database of people in the area who can work part time.  Lots of ladies with kids don’t want a full time job.  Interview these people, make sure they can function well, and try them out on small projects. While you are doing your outreach calls, you will hopefully get a few contracts.  Hire these part time folks when you have work, and if the work dries up, they can go back home to their family life.  They can be your “on call” staff members.  One week you might be very busy, and the next week you might have hardly any work at all.  Once you develop some long term clients who are comfortable with you and your services, then you will have regular work, and can think about that 15 seater office.  Don’t jump ahead of yourself though.

Training?
Being a small company doesn’t mean you are worse than anyone else. You might have less resources, but you might have more caring!  If you have a system of overseeing your workers and coaching them so they can be their best, you might really impress your clients.  Obviously, you should start out with workers who have good skills, but refining their skills, and customizing their skills to the needs of specific clients will win you tremendous popularity and customer loyalty. You have to be on top of your workers, or they will not function optimally, and you will lose your business.

Where do I advertise my company?
Advertise on www.123outsource.net.  We offer free and paid advertising for all types of outsourcing companies.  Advertise in our Call Center, BPO, Data Entry, Software, or any other category.

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You might also like:

How to start an outsourcing company — 2016 version
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/12/29/how-to-start-an-outsourcing-company-2016/

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/

Compilation of best posts about how to get clients for your BPO
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/08/20/how-to-get-more-clients-for-your-bpo-or-call-center-compilation/

Marketing your outsourcing company
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2010/11/24/marketing-your-outsourcing-company/

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

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Solutions to India’s transportation problem

April 10, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: India, Popular on Google+, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The solution to India’s transportation problem

To see the 2015 version of this article — click here!
 
India used to be a poor country a few years ago, but now is having growing pains on their way to being #2 in the global economic scheme, with China looking like its going to be #1 for the majority of this century.  News articles keep stressing the same issue.  India can not grow its GNP without proper infrastructure.  But, roads and buildings take time, resources, money, and space to build.  These are things that India has a real shortage of.  India is short on time, because the time it has is spent in traffic, leaving little or not time left to build roads. It’s a catch 22.
 
The status quo
India’s main forms of local transportation are buses, trains (in certain metros), cabs, and especially the auto-rickshaw.  One British born Indian kid working in Mumbai I met on the train was quoted to say, “Two trains and a rick” in the context of him getting to his meeting.  Roads are congested and traffic law obedience is shaky outside of Mumbai.  There must be a solution.  Whats the answer?  You need to “Think outside the rick”.

Also see:
Wouldn’t it be nice to have your office in the Himalayas?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/04/27/wouldnt-it-be-nice-to-have-your-office-in-the-himalayas/

A stand up comedian at a stand up restaurant in India
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/01/05/stand-up-comedian-at-a-stand-up-restaurant-in-india/
 
Thinking outside the rick
India is used to certain modes of transportation, but those modes don’t work effectively for everyone.  Buses are too congested for women to get into without unwanted physical contact with men.  Rick shaw drivers often harrass women and the wait time for a rick can be unpredictable. Cabs in India are expensive and require waiting time. It seems that the country that is known for its respect for women…. well… doesn’t respect women.  For a woman to find a clean public bathroom is another nightmare of India.  It is not mandatory for India to have all of these unnecessary headaches.
 
The problem is that whatever mode of transportation you use, it either can’t move due to congestion, or you can’t get in the vehicle even if you really are a sardine.  Needs to be other options.  Here are some options that think outside the rick and solve these problems.

Also see:
Compilation of our most interesting articles from 2015
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/06/04/compilation-of-interesting-posts-from-2015/

India in 2140 — Rahul wanted a job at a multi-planetary company
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/05/29/india-in-2140/

Moving walkways
Near downtown areas where congestion is high, and distances are small, it is faster to walk. But, walking is itself an obstacle course, tripping over the front wheels of rick shaws, having your bag get caught on the handlebar of Rajiv’s bike, getting run off the road into a puddle by a truck. Its just not funny.  Moving walkways are expensive, but they solve a problem.  They would be elevated, and only pedestrians would be on them.  The walkway could move 4km/hour, and you could walk 5km per hour which nets you 9km per hour.  There could be coconut water salespeople, newspaper stands, and other conveniences on this moving network.  Additionally, a roof could go over the walkway giving protection in the monsoon season.  Get your exercise, while safely coming and going.  Additionally, traffic could move more easily without a zillion people trying to cross the road all the time. They could cross on these elevated walkways.  
 
Mini-Buses
I always remember comedian Yakov Smirnoff’s famous line, “Women are like buses”. Aparantly he felt that in Russia, women, were shaped like buses. But in India, women DON’T like buses.  Mumbai has the consideration to have women-only bogies (cars) on commuter trains..  Men will get arrested if they dare go in.  Women only buses, or women’s sections in elongated buses would solve problems for women.  Even a women’s waiting area with comfy seats and a bathroom with toilets that are cleaned throughout the day would be super.  To Americans this seems sexist, but try being a woman squeezed between four men who feel deprived of pleasure and you will very quickly see how gender separation is not only appropriate, but should be a universally enforced law.
 
Minibuses have the advantage of being small.  They can come more often, and can fit into smaller bus stations and smaller roads.  There can be particular buses for women only, or buses with larger seats that charge more for entry. You have flexibility with a minibus that a regular bus doesn’t have.
 
Also see:
Indians are used to noise, but do they like it?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/07/08/indians-are-used-to-noise-but-do-they-like-it/

Why your sitar & tabla lessons are the most important traning for business
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/06/09/why-your-sitar-tabla-lessons-are-the-most-important-training-for-business/

Standing only?
Indian buses don’t make sense.  They are always so crowded that you can never get a seat, but you don’t have room to stand either, since the few square feet available have been monopolized by seats.  This is illogical and inefficient!  REMOVE THE SEATS.  If you get rid of most of the seats, then there is room to stand, and you can squeeze more people in.  In a country that prides itself on its ability to squeeze humans as efficiently as it squeezes a sugar cane stick for a glass of juice, they should do it correctly.  Charge triple for a seat, and then people will be able to find a seat.  People should be charged for what they get.  
 
Compartments
Now are are talking.  A bus with the seats removed could have standing compartments.  Spare yourself from the risk of pickpockets with a vinal sheet attached to padded poles.  Of course in India, they don’t like padding.  They want you to get HURT when the bus slams on the brakes leaving you hurled into a piece of metal.  There is no satisfaction if the driver can’t cause you some misery. But, in a few years, the joy of seeing others hurt will wear off, and safety and consideration will become the norm — and padded metal bars will be a standard feature. Imagine a vinal compartment big enough for you to get in.  Nobody can touch you or your wallet.  Maybe there could be a pocket for your briefcase or bag.  Safe and comfy.  I love it!
 
Considerate drivers?
Now I’m really  out there.  I may as well be talking about science fiction.  I’m not sure if its possible for a bus driver in India to have manners.  I have never seen a polite bus driver there. Everyone else in India is polite… so the rude people are outcasted and can only do jobs like being… a lowly bus driver.  But, if local governments require drivers to go to school to learn formalized manners and drive considerately (not running people into the ditch, and not slamming on the brakes constantly), bus drivers could get a completely new rep.
 
Luxury buses
The affluent classes in India see it as not only a comfort, but a status symbol to have a car.   Not having a car is almost as bad as not having a maid.  But, what if buses were so comfortable that they had large, wide seats like on a first class flight. What if designer drinks were served like a Mumbai-Mocha-Latte, or a Soy-Green-Tea-Masala-Chai?  Buses could easily become the in thing.  Drivers could have nice outfits, greet people, and not make jerky driving manouvers.  You could even have wi-fi on the bus!
 
Special roads for buses
If buses had their own elevated roads that were really smooth and level, then buses would be fast and comfortable to use.  With smooth and leveled roads, you could use your laptop if the bus would maintain a constand speed.  People would be less inclined to drive if they could have fast and comfortable alternative transportation.
 
Singaporian style taxes
Indians will never buy into this… Or will they?  Singaporian roads function because there is a highway tax.  For a permit for rush hour use you pay a hefty yearly fee, and off hours, you pay a lesser fee. Taking up space on highways is expensive, and people should pay for this.  Indian roads would open up if drivers wer taxed. More people would take buses, and people would save time. Instead of taking 90 minutes to go to work, 35 minutes would be all you would need. What is your time worth?

A snake train!
What is this? I never heard of this before! A snake train would be a train with hundreds of slowly moving cars that you could read, eat, exercise, or just relax in. Click here to read more about the snake train!

Excuses will kill you
Its easy to say, “Its too difficult, it won’t work, it can’t be done!” Those excuses will leave India behind and leave room for China to quickly gobble up its revenues which is happening as we speak. Take action and find sensible ways to fix this nightmare!

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You might also like:

Women programmers in India and the U.S.
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/06/17/women-programmers-in-india-and-the-u-s/

Is it important to have an English accent if you work at a call center in India?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/03/01/call-centers-in-india-is-an-english-accent-important-just-do-your-job/

Is it fair that American jobs are outsourced to India?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/09/04/is-it-fair-that-american-jobs-are-outsourced-to-india/

If you invested in training your BPO employees, what types of skills would you teach them?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/03/28/if-you-invested-in-training-your-bpo-employees-what-types-of-skills-would-you-teach-them/

The effect of the British on India
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/02/02/the-effect-of-the-british-on-india/

2014 version: solutions to India’s transportation nightmare
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/08/23/solutions-to-indias-transportation-problems-2014/

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Call Center Manila News

April 6, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Call Center, Philippines, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

To see the article:
10 ways to gain clients for your call center — click below
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/07/21/10-ways-to-get-more-clients-for-your-call-center/

Call Center Manila News
 
Manila Call Centers are expected to grow in total revenues due to grow due to increased internal demand as well as increased outsourcing revenues.  Additionally, Indian companies are now outsourcing jobs to Filipino call centers.  The continued recovery of the global economy will also help to fuel growth.  According to abscbn news, Filipino call centers could have total revenues in excess of over 7.38 billion dollars which seems like an optimistic figure considering that total revenues were less than six billion this year.
 
CCAP’s president claims that 350,000 currently work at Filipino call centers, many of which are Manila call centers.  India only has 330,000, and the Philippines has taken the lead over india in call center revenues this year.
 
Additionally, Manila call center employees are reported to be having less regular mealtimes, and indulging in an excess of caffeine, fast food, and alcohol.  A study indicatd that Filipino call center employees skip many meals.  40% skip breakfast (the most important meal of the day), 20% skip lunch, and 16% skip dinner.  The most popular foods included fried chicken, chips, fries, and burgers in that order for Filipino BPO workers.  Coffee consumption was 2.3 cups per day compared to the national average off 1.7 cups.  Filipino BPO employees also prefered drinking to partying or other leisure activities.  It looks like the lifestyle of a Manila call center staff member needs to be more health conscious and less stressful.  Maybe a walk in the park would be good!

You might also like:

Cebu Call Centers in the News

Mumbai Call Centers in the News

India & China compete for outsourcing revenues

How to write a resume for an outsourcing job!

March 9, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Getting a Job, Outsourcing Articles, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

To see the 2016 version of this article — click here

How to write a resume for an outsourcing job
 
We get many resumes emailed to us daily, and it is sad to see how poorly organized they always are.  I have not seen one good resume so far.  There is more than one way to write a good resume, but the most important thing is to keep it organized with no omitted information.  Information should be in inverse chronological order, contain information about your education, and even professional memberships.  Please keep in mind that I am sitting here in Los  Angeles, and the rules are different in Manila or Hyderabad, or wherever you may be.
 
Here are some general tips about resumes.

Use a high grade of paper
In America, it is customary for resumes to be treated like very valuable documents such as legal documents like wills, or trusts. Likewise, resumes traditionally are printed by a professional printer and drafted by a professional typist.  The paper used should be a very fancy grade of off-white or ivory colored paper. Some use light gray in the legal profession.  Different professions might have different standards.  The main thing is to ask around to see if a particular grade or shade of paper is preferred.  Your resume is one of your first impressions, and you want to appear fancy and well equipped. If this is not available wherever you are, try to find a very high-end print shop near the downtown of your metro, or do the best you can in your neighborhood.

You might also like:
Ways that people ask for jobs
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/07/31/ways-that-people-ask-for-jobs/

Training for outsourcing jobs
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/07/12/training-for-outsourcing-jobs/
 
Inverse chronological order
Although there are various ways to craft a resume, the information should be in some sort of clear order.  Make sure that all of the years in your professional life are somehow accounted for, or you will be questioned.  I have seen more resumes in inverse chronological order meaning that the most recent job description is on top.
 
What to put on the resume?
You should state your job objective, and indicate any highlights in terms of your type and level of specialties. There should be a brief summary of each job you have held, education, and anything else that you think is really important.  Its generally preferred to keep it to one page, but two might be okay.  It might not be a bad idea to attach exhibits to the back of the resume: one exhibit for each job you want to elaborate on if there is a lot to say.  That way the interviewer can view that information only if they want to, but won’t be overloaded.
 
Job objective
It is recommended to put this at the top of the resume.  Indicate what type of job you are looking for and why.  
 
Highlighting special skills
You are encouragedd highlight particular areas of experience that would be highly needed by the potential employers you are contacting.
 
What do I say about each company I’ve worked for?
Include the dates you worked for these companies, the name and city of the company, and your job description.  You might quickly mention particular tasks that you were responsible for if you can keep it short.
 
How do I document my education?
State what schools you went to and when.  What degree did you get?  Were there any special areas of focus?  What did you major in?  Stick to Universities and High School, or whatever the highest two degrees you have earned are.  If you went to special trade or music schools, you can list that too to make an impression.
 
Professional memberships?
Everybody wants a job and claims to be good at what they do or want to do.  But, a professional membership can prove how passionate or serious you are about something.  If you claim to be a member of a professional organization, make sure you really attend meetings and know what is going on at that organization so you will appear to be serious.
 
Customized letters should accompany each resume
People looking for jobs fax, email, and mail resumes to everyone in sight.  This is not so smart.  Resumes get throw away quickly.  You should make personal contact with whomever you are sending the resume to so they will remember you when they get the resume. That way they will at least read it before they shred it.  Attach a nice customized letter with the resume. You can say how much you enjoyed talking to them on the phone and how eager you are to get started soon.
 
Don’t list reasons why you terminated employment
If the interviewer wants to ask, they can ask why you left a job.  But, the worst thing you can do is to jump from job to job.  Its expensive to train and hire new employees, so bosses want someone who is stable who will stick around and work hard.
 
Good luck!
Go on the internet and read the details about good resumes.  Have a few people in the business world check your resume and make pointers. Have them check again once you have fixed the pointers.  Its common to go through many drafts before arriving at a perfect finished product.
 
Remember
A resume makes one of the first impressions that you will make with an employer.  Get to know contact people at companies over the phone or in person before sending a resume.  In marketing, having met someone is worth a thousand pieces of paper.  Being on top of your skills is critical.  There are thousands of unqualified people looking for work.  If you feel you are not at the top of your game, please find a tutor, school, or way you can improve upon your weak points.  Make sure you know everything you need to know.  Nobody wants a semi-disfunctional worker. You will waste people’s time and end up unemployed if you don’t know your stuff.  Practice your communication skills to.  Everyone needs someone who can speak well, confidently, and clearly. Meeting someone is the first impression, the resume is the second, but good work skills will keep you employed in the long run with a high salary.

You might also like:

Looking for jobs in all the wrong places
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/07/03/looking-for-jobs-in-all-the-wrong-places/

In China, hot girls were hired to motivate programmers
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/08/24/in-china-hot-girls-were-hired-to-motivate-programmers/

Six problems that only individuals working in a BPO industry would understand
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/06/15/six-problems-that-only-individuals-working-in-a-bpo-industry-would-understand/

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Data Entry, Data Mining Information

December 27, 2010 by 123outsource
Categories: Data Entry, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Data Entry General Information

Data Entry Clerk – job description
What is data entry and what does it involve? Data entry involves a data entry clerk or typist who reads hand-written or printed records and manually types them into a computerized database. Some data entry clerks are temp workers, while others are regular employees. Larger companies have enough data entry work to keep full time employees busy.

Typical jobs for data entry clerks might involve typing in tracking numbers of shipped goods, typing reference numbers for shipped goods that didn’t reach their destination, data input of medical information.

Optical character recognition technology allows a data entry clerk to read a report generated by an optical character scanning machine. The data entry clerk is still responsible for reviewing the results of the report for incorrect or omitted information.

Data entry work outsourcing is done heavily in many parts of the Philippines and India. Employees in those companies enjoy much higher than average salaries which affords them a lifestyle that includes restaurants, travel, entertaining, and other niceties that are not possible for the average person in their respective countries.

Many BPO companies in India do only Data Entry and data related services. But, many other BPOs in India offer a mixed bag of services including call center, data entry, and a variety of other back office services.

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Data Mining Introduction
Data mining is the process of extracting patterns from particular data and is commonly used for marketing, surveillance, and fraud detection. One example of data mining is when a computer program or human extracts email addresses from a large directory type website, and compiles a list of email addresses to spam. Data mining has been used for centuries to find hidden patterns in data. One interesting example include the computer programs that look for mystical word and letter combinations / patterns in the Torah which originally was a really long scroll of letters with no spaces between the words.

Data Mining in Business
Data mining is used heavily in customer relationship management. Many businesses realize that identifying patterns of customer tastes and behaviors can help them to provide better and more targetted services to their customers. Since its expensive to contact customers, it is practical to identify which customers would be ideal to contact for specific purposes. If you are having a special on hotel rates, contacting customers who travel once per year might not be as efficient as contacting customers that travel once per month. If you are offering a discount on drinks at a bar, contacting teetotaling vegetarians will net you a big fat zero, while contacting avid wine connoisseurs might work better assuming your wine list is up to par. Mass mailings are done with the same principle – by identifying individuals who would be most reponsive to a particular message.

Identifying Ideal Customers or Employees
If you crunch the numbers, you might be able to create algorithms to identify which employee is the best and why. You have to look through data of many employees to find this information. Certain customers are worth more than others too. Some customers spend more than other on high profit items, while other customers spend very little and tie up your phone lines with endless bickering. Data mining can help you determine who is who which can help you figure out who to target to be your customer or employee, and can even tell you how much effort its worth to win someone over. Unfortunately, through data mining, we can put a price tag on everyone’s head. By the way, you (the reader) are worth exactly $5.28 to me! Just kidding – you are worth much more than that!

Profiling
Customer data can be analyzed to learn about spending trends and customer profiles. This is why supermarkets such as Ralphs have Ralphs cards. It helps them develop not only customer loyalty, but helps them analyze who is buying what. Are you a single white male who buys lots of Gatoraid and Ramen noodles? Or are you the head of an Asian American family who purchases twenty pounds of pasta sauce per year? You may think that Asians eat won-tons, but those who understand data mining and data analysis know that behind closed doors, Asians are really eating pasta with marinara sauce and cheesecake in unbounded proportions– at least in California (just a hypothesis based on observation). That way, after interpreting customer data, a company who is advertising in an Asian neighborhood in California can have a smiling Asian lady who is devouring pasta; and display a bottle of tomato sauce with the name of the company on it. That, my friend is market segmenting and profiling in a nutshell — or in a pasta sauce jar.

Other Uses
Data mining can also be used to study educational research to see how students learn most. It can also be used to study drug safety issues, equipment testing, and even genetics. Gene mapping can be studied with techniques that include data mining.

Data Entry India – News

September 6, 2010 by 123outsource
Categories: Data Entry, India, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Data Entry India – News Issues
 
Genpact
As reported by India Knowledge at Wharton, Genpact has moved from merely doing data entry in India, to doing actuary services. This is a significant step up the value chain stairway.
 
Manual data entry
India primarily relies on manual data entry for port related operations such as berthing, logistics, cargo handling and management.  The Indian government wishes to double their cargo handling capacity by 2012, but only with the help of IT solutions will this be possible.  Computerized and IT solutions would allow a port to know exactly what is going to arrive long before the fact, instead of at the last minute. This allows ports to plan ahead and allocate their resources efficiently.  They will know how many employees and how much equipment each boat will need, and when through container tracking. Additionally, this IT tracking will deter the incidence of tax evasion and revenue pilferage.
 
Rural outsourcing hurts Indian Data Entry industry
U.S. companies that had been outsourcing to India are now finding ways to get low cost home grown labor through rural outsourcing.  India is also moving lots of jobs to its rural areas.  Rural outsourcing in India could help the whole country lower costs in general and develop a larger capable outsourcing workforce.  One huge advantage that America has is that land and labor is extremely cheap in parts of the Midwest which can allow American companies to be competitive in a global marketplace by creating new companies in that area.
 
Who are you really doing business with?
Articlesbase.com brings up an interesting point when they say that a company doing data entry in India needs to have the latest technology and updated infrastructure.  If you hire an Indian data entry outsourcing company, you have no idea who they are unless you visit them.  Are they using archaic computers with internet connections that disconnect every five minutes?  Do they have a list of large foreign companies with whom they do business?  Are you hiring a sophisticated company or are you hiring what could be called a “closet operation” otherwise known as a “sidewalk” data entry firm.  Speed and accuracy, training and management style are other factors to consider.  The bottom line is to think hard about who you hire, and hire a really qualified company!

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Pharmaceutical Research in India

Medical Transcriptions and Errors

Data Mining Information