Finding call center clients could be easy or hard, but having good technique is what you should be worried about at this point. You can contact larger companies and see if they need extra call center resources. Or, you can market yourself on the web and in directories and wait for the calls to come in. The main point is to attract the people you come into contact with. Many companies have not mastered this point.
Many call centers lack basic phone skills when you call them. They often don’t even answer their own phone, and many don’t even answer professionally. Often times, you can not get someone trained in sales to help you without really pulling teeth. So, master your phone skills before going on to the next step.
Don’t be pushy
Many businesses that do outsourcing of any type can be pushy about contracts and terms. If you are a smaller company trying to make it in the big world, you will feel tempted to copy what bigger companies do. This is a mistake. Don’t copy big companies. Big companies might have rigid contracts, formal looking offices, formal suits, receptionists, etc. You don’t need any of this. Contracts are restrictive and scare people away. Sure, you need to protect yourself from not getting paid. However, trying lock in a complete stranger to a contract will scare them away. Your phone is NOT ringing off the hook. So, if your phone does ring with a prospective client, your strategy should be to NOT scare them away no matter what. Lure them in by being nice, helpful and flexible.
The 70% rule
When I go shopping for companies, I have to turn down 70% of them because they have rigid terms and because they try to push me into a contract. Do you want to lose 70% of prospective clients? Most companies behave as if they don’t care if they get new clients — those companies get far fewer than they could if they changed their attitude. Does your company have this “Don’t care” attitude?
The long run
If you care about the long run of your business, you will quickly realize that catching a new client can turn into a snowball effect. That new client will stay with you for years if they like you. They can also give you more business volume if they like you. Additionally, they can tell their rich friends how great you are — if they like you. However, if you alienate your prospects at the point of sale — they will not try you out — and they will never know if they like you — because you were too pushy. So, DON’T BE PUSHY. Learn your lesson now.