Getting work for your company on 123outsource.net

September 4, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: Marketing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

There are lots of businesses in the U.S. and elsewhere that would like to outsource to India or the Philippines and hire your company. But first, they want to be able to talk with you. Whether you seek work in data entry or accounting outsourcing, run a call center in India, or do web design, getting work with a U.S. company all begins with how you answer the phone. Business people need to feel you are professional and can communicate well in English on the phone–well enough so that they feel confident giving you their business records and other data. Since we would like to help your company, let’s talk about how to make a good impression.

People calling your company from the U.S. will be disappointed if you just answer “Hello” and do not mention a business name. For example, of the many professional accounting outsourcing companies listed on 123outsource that we called recently, only about 3% answered with a business name or had any kind of phone answering system or protocol. Yes: we do call your company to see how you handle yourself on the phone. U.S. businesses that might outsource to India expect a bright, pleasant, professional man’s or woman’s voice on the phone at the outset, ensuring them that this could be the start of a friendly and stress-free business relationship. They are also expecting someone to answer the phone using a company name. If we have to repeat your business name several times before you acknowledge the name and say, “Yes, this is XYZ Company,” it does not create a good first impression. It sounds funny, but in some cases, the person we talked to on the phone did not seem to know that the number was listed as a business; it’s as if they had forgotten who they were! Even if you are doing accounting outsourcing and you have the very best accountants, you need to be able to speak to us. How you answer the phone is important.

U.S. clients want to hire confident professionals, whether this means a call center in India or another group of workers. When a business plans to outsource to India, the managers are very interested in the quality of your work, what software you use, how long you have been in business, and any stories about the first project you took on and how your company has continued to improve. If your expertise is data entry, accounting outsourcing, or managing a successful call center in India, being able to tell us a bit about your company and your attitude toward your work–being able to talk on the phone and tell a brief story about your company–will show that you are personable and that you are able to engage in a long-term business relationship.

We at 123outsource.net have traveled and lived in other countries, and we understand that life is different in India or the Philippines. In many ways it is more relaxed, and that is a benefit to those of us who want to outsource to India, or hire a call center in India or a company to do data entry. We know and appreciate your culture and your views about life and work, and we would like to be able to have a brief conversation with you about your company and your experience so that we may recommend you to companies seeking to hire you.

How you answer the phone will distinguish you from other companies that are just starting out. There is a lot of work in the U.S. for companies who do data entry, have a call center in India, or do accounting outsourcing in India, but U.S. business owners who speak English would like to be able to have a 3-minute conversation with someone who speaks English and is confident, enthusiastic, and articulate about your company’s work. We would like to encourage U.S. businesses to outsource to India, but we need to be sure you have the skills companies need. People in the U.S. want to have a conversation with you. They will not make a decision to hire you simply on the basis of your website.

Email and Skype are very helpful, but businesses are interested in how you answer the phone and how you sound on the phone. If you understand us and can talk with us for a few minutes about your background and specific accomplishments, and can tell us something inspiring or educational, we will have a better idea of who you are and how you relate to people. If a U.S. business can have a brief intelligent conversation with you, that company will feel good about moving to the next step in any business relationship.

Here are a few questions for you. We would love to hear from you (really!) :

1) Can you commit to answering the phone with your business name?

2) Please provide us with business hours: when can people call your company and have a live person answer the phone in a professional manner?

3) Is there someone at your company who speaks English and is able to have a conversation about your company’s achievements? Who?

4) Is there an interesting story about how your company was started, or about the owner’s background? Let us know and we can call you. (:

Is it Fair that American Jobs Are Outsourced to India?

September 4, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Is it Fair that American Jobs Are Outsourced to India?
A Look at Both Sides of the Issue

There are always two sides to every story. It will take a lot of soul-searching, planning, sacrifice, and hard work for America to recover and create new jobs and a stable economy. If Americans take the reins and do these things, they will succeed in having a stable economy. But as long as educated Indians are able to work longer hours for lower wages than Americans–and their skills and motivation continue to improve–we should not expect the outsourced jobs to return. Deciding what is “fair” involves considering both sides of the issue, both countries’ needs…and what each can offer.

America Since 2001

Consistently since September 11, 2001, the American economy has been bombarded by economic loss and instability to a degree that Americans could not have foreseen or prepared for. Pandemics such as the mortgage meltdown and the subsequent wave of foreclosures and bankruptcies have affected 70% of the population in some way–economically, emotionally–stripping the country of jobs and hope. Not only did the unemployment rate soar after 2008, but people’s attitudes about the country and job prospects took a nose dive. It is apparent that, since the 1980’s, while productivity had been rising in the U.S., real wages–actual income that people took home– stayed the same
(http://anticap.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/fig2_prodhhincome.jpg ). People kept working harder and longer but not getting ahead as prices and perceived needs rose. According to NBCnews.com, “The number of Americans receiving food stamps has soared, from about 27 million in 1994 to more than 46 million last year [2012], with a spike in the past few years, after the recession struck.” That means roughly one sixth of the entire population was poor enough to qualify for food stamps.

Job Loss, Loss of Income: the End of Manufacturing and the Growth of Technology

According to the Brookings Institute, “Between 1980 and 2009 the United States lost 7.1 million manufacturing jobs, about 38 percent of its manufacturing base,” and, for example, from May of 2002 through May 2012, “the estimated number of advertising and promotions managers fell by nearly two-thirds” (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Jobs in the construction industry decreased by 20% from 2007 to 2009. At the same time, low-wage jobs in the U.S. grew by over 40%, and the motivation, ambition, and real skills of at least 50% of the population have suffered since 2001. In 2013, it is now common for the average American to have several part-time jobs or means of earning income. On the other hand, in the field of technology and IT, which grew by 86% from 2000-2012 and was comprised of a better-educated sector of the population, jobs were available, and wages were often high, $50,000 to well over $100,000 a year. However, in all fields, three out of every four American workers began to describe their jobs as stressful. 10% of the population controlled 80% of the wealth, and corporate profits rose by 20% in 2011–in large part due to outsourcing as well as cutbacks in U.S. jobs. (www.motherjones.com).

The Cost of Education and Poor Mental Health

In the United States, during this same period following 2001, Education in the U.S. became increasingly unaffordable and less comprehensive–for all but the top 5% of the population– and the average person could not be assured of a secure future. At the same time, in a study conducted by the National Institute for Mental Health between 2001 and 2003, 46% of a randomly selected group of Americans were found to have suffered from symptoms of mental illness at some point, and mental illness in the U.S.–and the numbers of people on medication–rose sharply by 2008. In fact, Americans’ use of antidepressant medication rose by 400% from 2001 to 2011 (cbsnews: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20123062-10391704.html ). Continually disappointed and forced to live on less and less, Americans could not afford to have their IT or call-center jobs outsourced to foreign countries.
Yet business process outsourcing was the solution big business adopted in the last decade. Here are some reasons why.

Burned Out and Out of Steam

Americans want top wages, yet in many cases, their skills and work habits no longer match the amount of money they expect or need to earn.

By 2008, U.S. workers were stressed to the max compared to their Indian counterparts. It is well known that in developing countries, there is less stress than in developed countries, says Professor Robert Ostermann, an expert on occupational stress at Fairleigh-Dickinson University. One reason, he claims, for increased stress in countries like the U.S. is the amount of advertising and hammering the public to increase their spending and expand beyond a manageable lifestyle. Yet expectations like this contributed to the mortgage crisis: by 2008, encouraged by the mortgage industry, many Americans had borrowed on the inflated equity in their homes, continuing to increase credit card debt…and when the bubble burst, they would never again be able to have that lifestyle. Discouraged, tired, and feeling tricked by the lenders and the system, they did not want the low-wage jobs that were available–because the standard of living prevalent in the U.S. demanded something more–something they felt they had been promised but not granted.

The Truth

Workers in India–who are generally poor but are not suffering from depression and are very highly motivated to earn even a third of what Americans needed to earn in the IT and call-center industries–are by comparison well educated, compliant, and hardworking. They also still have their faith, whereas many Americans have lost their belief in a higher power–or at least act as if they have. The average income in India is about $1400 a year. In the IT industry, a senior developer with 5 years of experience may make the equivalent of $9000-$11,000 a year. His U.S. counterpart will make $80,000 a year. Is it “fair” that American jobs are outsourced to India?

American IT professionals are just not a bargain–and are high maintenance. By some standards, Americans’ work is unsatisfactory; in the IT field, for example, many high-paid developers don’t return calls, and don’t work efficiently; they pad their hours, have temper tantrums… yet they expect to be paid the big bucks even though they do not demonstrate the required skills and attitude. The big companies all have offices and call centers overseas for these very reasons. For much less money, they can find workers in India who do not argue, do not demand high salaries, but more or less cheerfully do the work. They are a bit slower than Americans, and there are some communication problems…but they are human beings with needs just like Americans’, and they are available and willing. They will work for much less than Americans, and are easy to manage once you understand the culture and set up a good working relationship.

There is such a thing as karma. Americans have been selfish for a long long time. They took land away from the Native American Indians, and they took Africans from their homeland. They have often talked down other races and other cultures, and have touted their superiority. And now, they are burning out. We are burning out.

Of course, not all Americans have been selfish. But we have been all but blind to others on the planet, and just looking at history or the survival of various species, no group is on top forever. The Romans and the Greeks had their day. India has an impressive ancient culture with a great deal of wisdom and much to offer.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s their time now.

You might also like:

Paying more gets you better service, right? WRONG!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/08/19/paying-more-gets-you-better-service-right-wrong/

Is offshore outsourcing right for you?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/08/31/is-offshore-outsourcing-right-for-you/

Hire staff with a flexible schedule
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/08/28/hire-staff-with-a-flexible-schedule/

What is the correct order of steps to screen an outsourced company
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/08/16/what-is-the-correct-order-of-steps-to-screen-an-outsourced-company/

Should you annoy people on purpose to test them out?

September 3, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: Hiring & Firing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

I have learned in business that if people hate you, they won’t do good work for you. Many will just stop work all together. People lose their tempers all the time. Americans are far less patient than people in India — just for your knowledge. When we screen outsourcing companies, we ask them a bunch of questions to learn how they think. But, maybe we should ask a few questions to test their patience as well. In real life, in a business relationship, there will be situations where you have to go over nit-picky details to straighten out an ugly situation. If they don’t have patience, learn this up front.

But, what questions could you ask people that will annoy them?
I asked an IT outsourcing company details about their corporate status. They became furious and said they didn’t want to work with me anymore. I asked a programming outsourcing firm about their birth data so I could do an astrological chart to prove compatibility. They flat rejected my question.

Honestly, if you want to have a happy family, you should find out BEFORE the wedding if you are compatible, and an astrological chart can help identify areas of incompatibility — although it still is rather wishy-washy at best. A chart is better than nothing.

I ask people how they would fit a giraffe in a refrigerator.
I ask people what they would do if they won a million dollars.
The point is that if you keep asking questions to the point where it is ridiculous, you can test their patience.

“Are you testing my patience?”
“Yes, that is exactly what I am doing — as a matter of policy. If I don’t know where you break, then it is not safe to enter a work relationship with you”

Err on the side of safety when hiring companies or individuals. A single bad choice can cost you thousands, while shopping around only costs hundreds! You need to shop around anyway, so shop smart in addition to shopping hard.

The 2nd interview: why is it so important?

September 2, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: Hiring & Firing | Tagged | Leave a comment

After hiring and firing eight software companies in a row, I am becoming smarter. The first one I hired, I only interviewed three companies and made contact with only a dozen. When they didn’t pan out, I went to a known contact who started out good, but had gone down hill over the years. I stuck with him for a year on the current project. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t work out that well due to the complexity of the work, but at least I knew him better than anyone else. I don’t like taking risks. I like doing business with people I know as a rule. Whomever I know best gets the most critical work. Experimental or new projects can be done by strangers.

So, company 1 and 2 didn’t work out well. to hire the 3rd company I made contact with another 20 companies. I figured I would get it right this time. Yet again, the company I hired didn’t get any work done. I tried a few other companies, and it didn’t work out either. Finally after a while I reverted to a company in Arizona who I had used for a few months. I gave them all of my work because nobody else worked out. Unfortunately, their work went down hill and they developed a huge temper too since I was being more demanding after I gave them my most critical project. They couldn’t handle the pressure. After all of these failures, my new strategy was to make contact with HUNDREDS of companies in 10 different countries and screen them with my life.

What I learned is that you can interview people, ask probing questions, test them, and give them projects. But, you don’t know how RELIABLE they are until they are doing a real project. The trick here is to see their true colors. People never show their true colors at a 1st interview. I never understood why big companies were so fastidious and had such long screening and interviewing processes. Now that I have been through the ringer, I understand perfectly. The more tests, trials and tribulations you give a prospective employee or outsourced company, the higher your chances are for a successful relationship.

The 2nd interview is one of the most intelligent hiring techniques ever invented. If they are getting upset with you, it will show during the 2nd interview. If they are in the habit of being late, that might show up too. Their initial good behavior will fade, and they will start being themselves. If there is a long silence at the beginning and there is nothing to say — that is a sign. If they seem bored, that is another sign. If they don’t even bother to show up, yet another useful analytic. But, there is more.

You can ask annoying questions during the 2nd interview to see how much endurance they have. If you are going to hire someone for a decade worth of tough projects, they had better have staying power. You can ask weird questions about astrology, feng-shui, natural disasters, or touch working conditions to see if they can handle it. You need to know if someone is serious about getting your work done, otherwise you have no business hiring them. Good luck!

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/

Soup from a stone

September 1, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: Outsourcing Articles | Tagged , | Leave a comment

When starting to write an outsourcing blog, it’s useful to remember the classic folk tale about making soup from a stone. In case you have never heard it, here goes:

Someone who is hungry (a soldier, a peasant…or maybe a BPO manager) comes along and claims he can make soup from a stone. He starts a fire, asks to borrow a big pot from one of the townspeople, and these people are all amazed that this BPO manager can make soup from a stone. The manager puts a big stone into the pot, adds water, and waits. All of the townspeople come and taste the “soup,” and say things like “Needs salt” and they bring salt, or “Needs carrots,” and they add carrots…until, of course, many ingredients have been added and it really is SOUP! The punchline is that someone says, “Imagine that! Soup from a stone!”

Of course, the soup is never really made from just a stone. Maybe the stone is earth, all the hidden stories of the earth and her people. The soup needs all our individual ingredients–carrots, beans, potatoes, salt–and, if you are not a vegetarian, a meaty soup-bone, too. But it can be delicious and nourishing! It takes a community to feed the poor and the hungry, or to inspire each other to keep hope alive. And an outsourcing blog needs the BPO manager or CEO to communicate with us about the company’s strengths and accomplishments…so we can write about your strengths and list you so other companies will hire you. Personal communication is an important ingredient that having a website cannot replace.

It would be great to have a conversation with you to in order to write an outsourcing blog that will bring you business. Showing me your website is not enough. People did not come up to the soup-maker and offer to show him a website or to order carrots online; people spoke and brought what was needed. Everyone helped. Getting work for your company is a joint effort, and without your input, it will not happen. I need you to tell us about your business, and why anyone should hire you. Can you make soup from a stone? I have visited your country many times, but what I really want is to get to know you.

Food from India is particularly delicious. It has just the right combination of sweets and sours, spicy and bland. I have been to India many times, but people must experience the food for themselves. In the same way, English-speaking companies will want to speak with someone at your company so they feel they have a clear idea of what you do well. What is unusual about your company? What are its strengths? How is it different than other companies that do the same kind of work? Can you have a conversation with us?

Sign on a restaurant window: “Come in and eat, or we’ll both starve.” Without the ingredients you bring—all the interviews and information some of you are providing– there will be no story. But if you tell me a story about how your company started, what the CEO’s background is, and maybe the BPO manager’s background…and how you have helped another company grow– we will have some of the extra ingredients we need to help your company find more work.

Then, we just keep adding the special qualities and skills you bring, and writing and answering requests for information… and then… Soup! For everyone!

Is Offshore Outsourcing Right For You?

August 31, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: Outsourcing Articles | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

We have all heard horror stories about outsourcing
All of us have heard the stories about people in America who had a nightmare of an experience outsourcing to India, Pakistan, or China. The work didn’t get done on time, or the company went out of business. There have been many horror stories with offshoring. However, there are also many disadvantages to outsourcing your work to companies in the United States or in-housing your work as well. American companies often lie and cheat, overcharge, and are often far behind schedule with deadlines.

Why outsource overseas?
It is really about finding the right company for you — overall. If you find someone in America who gets the job done correctly for a fair price, and treats you well, then great. India and the Philippines have hundreds of outsourcing companies that are hungry for work. They can get work done in fewer weeks than their local counterparts, and for a much lower price as well.

An infinite labor pool
Part of the reason offshore companies can get so much work done so fast is that the labor pool in those countries has more “availability” than here. In America, in programming, there is no available labor unless you want very inexperienced people. In India, programmers grow on trees and the pool of programmers is growing daily.

The downside of outsourcing to India
Companies in India tend to be very unpolished with communication. Even if the boss communicates well, his workers are not likely to be verbally adept. Sloppy work is another problem you have to look out for. But, you can get similar problems right here in the United States — you can get people who don’t check their work and REFUSE to communicate. Sure, refusal to communicate is different from people who garble their communication attempts, but the bottom line is the same.

So, how do you proceed?
Regardless what country you hire your outsourced company in, screen them. Don’t just hire a company because you like them. Email them a few questions from time to time to see how they respond and if they respond. Talk to various staff members on the phone at various times. Spread your screening out. Give a 3-hour test project to see how fast and how well they get work done. Many won’t even start. If they get through the first test project, give them a small “real” project, perhaps 7-15 hours. If they get through the 2nd project too, then you can continue giving them larger and larger assignments until you decide it is safe to have them work for you regularly.

Start calling companies today
Use 123outsource.net and find outsourcing companies in any category from call center, to software to data entry. Have fun!

You might also like:

Hire staff with a flexible schedule
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/08/28/hire-staff-with-a-flexible-schedule/

Paying more gets you better service, right? WRONG!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/08/19/paying-more-gets-you-better-service-right-wrong/

What is the correct order of steps to screen an outsourced company?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/08/16/what-is-the-correct-order-of-steps-to-screen-an-outsourced-company/

Companies who talk well at interviews don’t always deliver
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/08/10/companies-who-talk-well-at-interviews-dont-always-deliver/

What time of the day do you think better?

August 26, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest, Semi-Popular | Tagged , | Leave a comment

What is time?
Time is an intangible non-object that is very critical to our daily lives. Astrology dictates whether a particular day will be good for you or not, and whether the world will have a good day or not as well. Did you know that there are 12 periods of the day according to acupuncture theory? The human body is “focusing” more on particular parts of the body at different times.

The bewitching hours of the night!
11pm to 3am is the time of the night when the body emphasizes activity of the gallbladder and then the liver. If you have problems with your gallbladder, it is good to be asleep before 11pm, so that your body can optimally perform healing activities for the gallbladder. 5am to 7am is when the large intestine is more active. Sometimes, when I experience pain due to a dry colon, it happens typically around that time, although my body will react between 4:30am and 8am. I guess my body is not punctual!

But, what about your work life?
Is there a time of the day when you are more productive, or do better at certain tasks?Do you do phone calls better in the morning? Are you better at accounting at 2pm. Did you ever put any thought into this? You can make a chart and take notes as to how well you do particular tasks at different times of the day.

Business decisions
If you engage in deep thought for business decisions, from 11pm to 3am is perfect. The atmosphere is still, and you can think on a very subtle level. You can meditate on business decisions at that time. I do this regularly.

A formal study
A study was done on Junior High Students by Finley Edwards of Colby College. Students did 3% better at math and reading when they started the day an hour later.

Interesting! What do you think? (But, don’t think about this now, because now is not a good time to think.)

Tweets:
(1) Time is an intangible non-object, but what time of the day do you think better?
(2) According to 82% of spiritual gurus, time does not exist. But, what time of the day do you think better?
(3) Students did 3% better at math & reading when they started the day an hour later.

You might also like:

What if classically trained musicians ran IT companies in India?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/01/01/what-if-classically-trained-musicians-ran-it-companies-in-india/

500,000 Filipino call center workers are on American time!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/03/29/half-a-million-filipino-call-center-workers-are-on-american-time/

Why a CEO is worth 6000 times more than the average worker
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/03/06/why-a-great-ceo-is-worth-6000-times-more-than-the-average-worker/

How to get outsourcing work without lifting a finger

August 25, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: Humor, Semi-Popular | Tagged | Leave a comment

“Myron, are you up yet????” yells a woman’s voice.

“Sure, sis. Yeah, I’m getting dressed.” An obvious lie…but why not? Whose company is it anyway?

You live outside the U.S., in the Philippines, let’s say–but want to entice U.S. companies into using your BPO services. You’ve chosen a snappy company name and a logo, have a mobile phone, and absolutely no work. You have a trusted group of friends who are now your employees…but again, you have no work, so you really can’t test out how this new relationship will go. In the meantime, you come downstairs and lie on the sofa after you are dressed, and maybe you watch the news or a few cartoons.

“Myron, what are you going to do with yourself today? Are you going to get listed on 123outsource.net? Are you going to call your prospective client list? Are you going to search the internet for more clients? Are you going to call a few people you know who might need you to do some accounting or office work? Are you going to at least visit other BPO companies and pretend to want to hire them so you can snoop around?”

So you lie back on the sofa and watch a few shows. Your sister goes to work and you lie there. Soon she comes back for lunch and sees you lying there…

“MYRON!!! Here’s the trash. At least take the trash out. And go buy the paint for the guest room so you can make it into an office. Here’s 2000 pesos. Don’t come back with that same lazy, depressed attitude. You’ve got to DO something!!! So take out the garbage and get the paint. Then you can…” and she goes on and on and on.

Sure, without lifting a finger, you’ll get work, but not the kind of work that a positive attitude, energy, and diligence will bring. Anyway, what your sister is giving you are chores, not work.

Not BPO work.

Notice I didn’t call this blog “How to get hired by a serious U.S. company without lifting a finger.”

THAT takes work. (:

Tweets:
(1) You have a snappy company name & logo, but no work. What do you do? #outsourcing
(2) Sure, without lifting a finger you’ll et work, but not the kind of work you get with a positive attitude!

You might also like:

An American teaches Indian companies to be more American
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/09/23/an-american-teaches-indian-cos-to-be-more-american/

If you hire happy people to interact with your staff!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/05/29/if-you-hire-happy-people-to-interact-with-your-staff/

Integrity is more important than skills or even prices

August 23, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: Hiring & Firing, Semi-Popular | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How do you assess a person’s character? Should you? Should you jump to conclusions? Should you trust your gut? Or should we be good Christians and “Judge Not” like the Bible says? In business, the minute you stop judging, you get eaten alive. You have no choice but to determine where danger lurks and avoid it like a disease!

Imagine a world where you have a million dollars, but the people around you lack integrity. They lie, cheat, deceive, and steal. They are late on deadlines and they couldn’t care less about their clients. How long would your million last without integrity? I feel that the majority of outsourcers lack integrity, and you can get taken for a ride very easily. Without a society with integrity, you will lose your money easily. My personal story is that I was very lucky to find many outsourcers who had excellent integrity, and it has only been recently in the last two years when I have been confronted with so many crooked people involved in outsourcing. Maybe God wants me to learn how to deal with them.

On the other hand, in a world where you start out with little or no money, but are surrounded by honest and decent folks, you will make money, and not get cheated out of it if you do worthwhile work for a living. You would be given a fair handshake every step of the way! You might only make moderate income, or you might make millions. With integrity, the money comes!

When working with outsourcers, you might not see their flaws right away. Part of your skill as someone who hires companies is to quickly recognize the character of the owner, manager, and workers in an outsourcing company. You can see certain traits right away if you are looking. You can ask questions that reveal a person’s character or thinking style too. Avoid questions where they tell you what they think you want to hear and ask probing questions which bring out their personality.

If a company gets by your initial scrutinization, you might see character flaws later on, i.e. Recklessness, carelessness, disrespect to others, substance abuse, keeping bad company, etc. You need multiple backup plans when hiring companies just in case your first pick doesn’t work out well. If your hired company exhibits character flaws, you can expect trouble to manifest itself later on, and you will suffer as a result. Keep a keen eye and watch out.

An outsourcing company that is not reputable can start out nice, but later on cheat you in so many ways you never thought of. There are so many ways to cheat in outsourcing services and it is so hard to protect yourself. The only real protection is good karma and choosing people with integrity. Integrity means you don’t cheat, you don’t lie, you deliver when you said you would, and you are generally decent. Don’t compromise on these.

Pick people with good character even if they are not the smartest! In the long run you will be better off!

Tweets:
(1) How do you assess a person’s character? Should you? In business you get eaten the minute you stop judging!
(2) The Bible says, “Judge Not,” but if you don’t judge in business, you can lose everything overnight!
(3) If you lived in a world where people were honest, you might do okay w/very little money.
(4) An outsourcing co that is not reputable can start out nice & then cheat you!

You might also like:

What type of salesperson to avoid in outsourcing
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/12/14/what-type-of-salesperson-to-avoid-in-outsourcing/

You are a helpless victim if you hire the wrong company
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/07/04/you-are-a-helpless-victem-if-you-hire-the-wrong-company/

Mistrust and Phone Interaction
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2012/05/26/mistrust-and-phone-interaction/

Motivating workers with bonuses or shortages, which is better?

August 22, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: Motivation, Semi-Popular | Tagged | Leave a comment

If you are an employer, you need to know more than just how business functions. You need to understand psychology. Many people are what you might call psychologically demented. They do not respond to reason. However, they do respond to particular stimuli. As a company boss, you need to understand that what a textbook says about motivating workers might be true in general, you need to understand the particular psychological makeup of EACH of your workers and subcontractors if you want to have an optimal working relationship. So, how do you go about this?

The shortage type
Some people are motivated by money. Others are motivated by laziness. A few like flexible work schedules, while many like a good quality of life. What I learned from reading and also from real life is that there is a set of people who are motivated by shortages. There is a particular mindset of some individuals where they are never satisfied. If you give them more, they respect you less — or at least not more. If you give them enough, they take it for granted. You can not motivate these types of people to do more unless they are afraid that they will not have enough. This type of people don’t save money, because they don’t plan for tomorrow. They only want enough to get by.

There was a car manufacturer that moved its operations to Mexico. They paid top dollar to have good workers. As soon as the workers had enough money in their pocket, they stopped coming to work. Yes — it was very short sighted to stop work like that. It is hard to get a good job at a good company. But, many people, particularly in the third world countries, do not think about tomorrow. The only way you get them to work is if they are hungry. Unfortunately, the strategy with this demented type is to keep them a little bit hungry. Not too hungry. Just hungry enough so that they don’t skip work.

Identifying the shortage type
To identify someone who is motivated by shortages is not hard. Offer them a bonus for good performance. See if they respond well. If they slack off after you give them a bonus. Try talking to them — try reasoning. If they still don’t respond. Try one last bonus after a few months if they did something to merit it. If there is still no good response, then you have identified that your employee is definately not the bonus type — the type who is motivated by bonuses (or who gets bonuses as the two go hand in hand). Step two, is to reduce the job responsibilities and payment for this individual to just below their comfort level. Knowing their comfort level might require some study and guesswork. Giving them 5% below what they think they should be making might be a good place to start. It is not low enough to panic, but low enough to get off their rear and start performing!

If they don’t respond to bonuses, maybe they respond to shortages. Use shortages as a way to motivate workers who don’t respond to bonuses and see what the results are. In some cases, your workers might not respond to any stimuli in which case you might have to phase them out! Good luck!

Tweets:
(1) If they don’t respond to bonuses, maybe they respond to shortages. #motivating workers
(2) Use shortages as a way to motivate workers who don’t respond to bonuses & see what the results are.
(3) If you are an employer, you need to understand business & psychology. R ur workers motivated by bonuses?

You might also like:

Positively reinforcing good worker behavior & negatively reinforcing bad
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/03/31/positively-reinforcing-good-worker-behavior-and-negatively-reinforcing-bad/

What is your management style?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2012/02/02/what-is-your-management-style/

Are bonuses really the best incentive?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/01/17/are-bonuses-really-the-best-incentive/