THE GOOD, THE AND THE OF

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1 THE GOOD, THE GREAT, AND THE POSITIVES OF SELECTING THE RIGHT TELEMARKETING COMPANY

2 Meyer Associates Buyer Guide for Teleservices About Meyer Associates Teleservices In a time when telemarketing companies can seem to appear in waves, some flourishing and others are dissipating, Meyer Associates Teleservices remains solid, having built a strong reputation for excellence since its inception in Operating out of three call centers all located in Minnesota, USA, the company possesses extensive resources as well as a broad range of experience in the telemarketing industry. Meyer Associates offers customized packages tailored to meet the specific needs of their clients. This guide provides detailed insights to help you make an informed decision regarding telemarketing services. You ll learn how the services of a telemarketing company can benefit your business, what drawbacks you might encounter, and what to look for in a provider. Introduction to Teleservices Teleservices, or telemarketing services, are widely used by businesses to promote goods and services, generate leads, set appointments, conduct market research, and build lasting customer relationships. Telemarketing has proven its merit over the years; with alternative marketing options appearing almost daily, live telephone contact with a targeted market remains a reliable and cost effective way for companies to gain new business and retain valued customers. Key Benefits of Using Teleservices Cost savings is the number one reason most businesses give for choosing to outsource their teleservices needs. Telephone sales and marketing practices must continually adapt to the needs of an ever-changing market. Techniques that were effective five years ago may meet with resistance now. Ongoing training to build and refine the skills of in-house sales and customer service reps is simply not in the budget for many businesses. Using the services of highly skilled and trained agents to represent your company can be much more cost-effective. Teleservices can also save your company money on travel expenses; closing a sale over the telephone can be must more cost-efficient than a face-to-face meeting.

3 Increased revenue from captured sales opportunities is another result you can expect from a quality teleservices company. Customer services agents are adept at recognizing and acting on every opportunity to up-sell or cross-sell products or services your customers may be interested in. Dedicated representatives will acquaint themselves with your company and its offerings in order to make helpful recommendations based on your customers needs. Excellent return on investment (ROI) comes from outstanding response rates, and that is exactly what telemarketing services deliver, according to a recent study by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). At 5.78 percent, telemarketing was the clear leader over other direct marketing media. It also had the highest ROI index, 18.2 percent, in terms of direct purchases. Customized campaigns are much more effective when it comes to connecting with your target market; the immediate feedback you receive from an outbound telemarketing campaign will enable you to adjust and refine your message. A good teleservices provider will help you create a campaign that gets the results you want. Increased customer satisfaction is one of the most valuable results you can anticipate when you use teleservices. A quality teleservices company will treat your customers as they would their own, helping to build a strong relationship and foster loyalty to your company through excellent customer service practices. Only a live operator can provide that human touch, which can greatly enhance your company image and engender long-term relationships with your customers. Value-added services are available through many teleservices companies. You can take advantage of services such as business-to-business appointment setting, call recording, list procurement, broadcast and fax, customer satisfaction and market insight surveys, and more. Talk to your teleservices provider about the options and packages they have available. Drawbacks to Consider The outbound telemarketing industry has been affected by negative press coverage due to abuse of the system by disreputable marketers. As a result, governmental regulations such as the Do-Not-Call legislation have been activated to protect consumers. This does not need to have a negative impact on your telemarketing campaigns, however, if your service provider remains in compliance with the laws.

4 Excessive telemarketing calls can be annoying to consumers and businesses, but if you chose a provider whose agents demonstrate a high degree of professionalism, courtesy and discretion, the majority of calls to your prospects should prove successful. Your provider can take advance measures to qualify leads, ensuring that agents contact only those who have expressed an interest in your products or services. How to Pick a Vendor The teleservices company you choose will be representing your business; that s why it is so important to choose carefully. Here are some key factors to consider: Be sure the call center agents are well trained and will present a professional image of your company to your prospective clients. The company should be able to assign the appropriate agent to reach your target customers. The company should assign a project manager to help you to assess results and refine your telemarketing campaigns. Your project manager should be available to consult with you through every step of your project. It is vital to find a telservices company that is in complete compliance with all state and local Do Not Call regulations. Compliance with these regulations is extremely important as violations can carry steep fines and penalties. The teleservices company should welcome your involvement in the process of choosing the right customer service representatives for your company. Effective telemarketing involves more than just sales. Agents should be skilled at asking questions, nurturing leads, developing relationships and creating opportunities. The vendor should provide accurate lists, an important key to effective outbound telemarketing. The company should also be willing to conduct tests to help you identify the most productive lists for your campaigns. Inquire as to what type software the company uses. Will it be compatible with your specific needs? For example, predictive dialing software can enable agents to work more productively during high-volume campaigns. Predictive dialing is not recommended, however, for marketing services to businesses, which often involves contacting executives and other company decision makers.

5 Be sure the company you plan to work with offers the specific type of services your company needs, whether outbound telemarketing, lead nurturing, customer support, market research, or a combination of services. Check references; find out what other businesses have to say about the company. A reputable teleservices company will have verifiable references and positive testimonials from current and previous clients. The Meyer Difference To grow and thrive, a telemarketing company must excel at helping its clients to do the same. Meyer Associates Teleservices is a company whose culture is steeped in customer service; providing outstanding value to customers while helping them reach their customers. Meyer consistently demonstrates the ability to manage collaborative outsourcing partnerships and delivers teleservice programs that balance the need for cultural alignment, high quality of service and a solid return-on-investment. We strategically partner with our clients, measuring success by your success, and we pride ourselves on the ability to grow and adapt with clients as needs change. Our focus is on delivering support of a multi-touch telemarketing program based on three key Meyer attributes: People, Process and Technology. Meyer offers a full range of services, including: Customer Service and Order Taking Product and Service Sales Appointment Setting Technical Support Lead Generation Fundraising Event Registration and Promotion Surveys, Market Research and Polling Data Collection and 3rd Party Verification Controlled Circulation (Acquisition and renewal of paid or controlled magazine, newspaper subscriptions.)

6 Membership Outreach (Includes services such as membership renewal, event notifications, announcements and publication renewals.) Here is what Meyer Associates Teleservices clients have to say about the company: I can honestly say that Meyer Teleservices is certainly in a league of their own. Meyer Teleservices ability to listen to their client s needs while focusing on achieving campaign goals is unrivaled in the teleservices industry. I was duly impressed with Meyer Teleservices ability to handle our donor s questions and/or criticisms about teleservices in a proficient manner. -Special Olympics International Meyer Teleservices ability to match or exceed our high sales performance standards for the entire three months they worked on the project was impressive. Their ability to accommodate program revisions, their attention to detail as well as their superior and consistent customer service were appreciated by everyone who worked with them. -Fingerhut Companies, Inc. I worked with six different major teleservices firms. Of those, four were clearly inferior, in many respects, to the work product of Meyer Teleservices. The one other firm was equally as efficient and effective as Meyer Teleservices but their fees were more than twice as high as my friends in St. Cloud. -Targeted Communications Corp. A division of Ogilvy & Mather, Inc. We Are Here to Help The Meyer Client Process Before your calls begin, you will be assigned a Senior Account Manager as your single point-of-contact. This person will consult with you to ensure the success of your campaign, providing updates, customized reporting options and all other data concerning your program. Your Account Manager will work closely with the Meyer IT department to seamlessly transition your files into the dialing system, enabling the company to provide fully customized data to your specifications. The Operations and QA team members will make sure your agents stay up-to-date, achieve benchmark objectives and key performance indicators, and represent your company in a professional manner.

7 A Meyer sales team member will walk you through this process to ensure the ideal representatives are paired with your program, and relieve you of the stress of navigating through a telephone marketing campaign on your own. Meyer has extensive experience in transitioning outbound programs and understands the nuances involved when these programs are currently in-house or with other vendors. Founded in 1976, Meyer has nearly four decades of telemarketing experience. Here is what you can expect from Meyer Associates Teleservices: Highly skilled, professional representatives with ongoing training to build on and refine skills Customized packages and service options to meet your specific needs On-site client services staff and IT personnel Billing transparency and very competitive rates Full call recording and remote monitoring capabilities Extensive experience in building and growing small-donor programs Customized reporting and data delivery tailored to client specifications Strict adherence to state/federal telemarketing laws and regulations Inbound and outbound capability NCOA and phone appending Broadcast and fax service List procurement Meyer Teleservices excels at understanding and working with client needs in order to provide a customized, scalable, cost-efficient service. Meyer Associates Teleservices is a Business Member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and endorses the AFP Code of Ethical Principles and Standards.

8 Glossary Agent A trained telemarketer who makes or receives calls on behalf of a telemarketing company. Appointment Setting This is one of the tasks of an outsourced telemarketing team working on a B2B campaign or project. The aim is create leads for the client s sales staff to convert by setting appointment times for them to call or visit. B2B The abbreviation of the term Business to Business. This is a phrase that refers to doing business primarily with other businesses. Call Center The term often used to refer to the facility where telemarketing campaigns are conducted. Call centers are often defined as inbound, outbound or mixture of both. Call Recording In order to provide transparency to all concerned, many telemarketing companies record all of their calls so that their clients can listen to them and assess their effectiveness. Call Recording In order to provide transparency to all concerned, many telemarketing companies record all of their calls so that their clients can listen to them and assess their effectiveness. Cold Calling The practice of making calls to potential customers with whom you have no prior relationship. Conversion The process of turning a lead into a sale. Data A term for the vital Lead information that includes the name, address, telephone number and other personal details of the Prospect.

9 Database The filing system (these days it is computerised) for storing, amending and maintaining all relevant information regarding Leads, Prospects and Sales Data for a particular telemarketing campaign. Decision Maker A person in a household or business that has the power to say Yes and buy or authorise the purchase of your product or service. Deduplication The thorough process of ensuring that the Prospect Database contains only a single reference for each customer. This reduces any wasted Talk Time and upsetting potential customers with multiple calls. Also known as Deduping. Follow Up Call A call that is made to a potential customer after the initial contact has been made by , letter or phone. The aim of the Follow Up is to utilise the momentum of the first contact, increasing the prospective response rate. Gatekeeper The person, usually a secretary or PA, whose job it is to reduce the number of unnecessary interruptions that the Decision Maker receives. Handovers The process of passing lead information created by an outsourced Telemarketing Company on to their client. Inbound This term relates to calls that originate with potential customers or clients. Initial Call An initial call placed in the B2B sales environment to tentatively test interest in a product or service. This often forms part of the Appointment Setting process. Lead Information regarding a potential customer or client that has expressed interest in the product or service offered.

10 Lead Generation The specialist process of creating lists of potentially interested customers or clients. Without Lead Generation, your sales staff will quickly run out of leads to convert into sales. List Building The process of creating lists of people to call in a telemarketing campaign. List Cleaning List Cleaning or Cleansing involves calling individuals or companies to ensure that their details are correct in advance of a bulk mail out. Marketing Mix The entire blended marketing campaign taken by a client, including include telemarketing, internet marketing, direct mail, marketing, and other forms of advertising. Outbound This term relates to calls that originate from Telemarketing agents. (Opposite of Inbound) Outsourced Sales A method of increasing sales success rates by using a specialist Telesales Company to produce sales on your behalf. Prospect The term for a potentially interested customer that is yet to buy goods or services from your company. Qualification Criteria A set of criteria that each lead must meet in order to be accepted by the client. Reactivating The practice of calling previous clients who have become dormant and no longer order your product or use your service. Reactivation aims to gain continued business from former clients and is often as or more effective than seeking new business.

11 Response Rate The amount (expressed as a percentage) of responses received from a particular Telemarketing campaign. Seats The number of Seats is the number of agents that are currently working on your campaign. This is occasionally replaced by the word Desks' instead. Script A standard set of remarks that must be adhered to by a Telemarketing agent during a call. Scripts can help to ensure all of the pertinent information is delivered to the Prospect, but they also make the conversation stilted. Excellent telemarketing agents make each call individual. Talk Time The amount of time spent on a telemarketing call. High quality lead generation and conversion requires time to develop a relationship with the customer. Telemarketing The overarching generic term for a set of different services offered by a Telemarketing Company. Telemarketing Company A business that provides Telemarketing Services as an outsourced service to clients that require Lead Generation and Conversion. Telemarketing Services The full range of activities undertaken under the auspices of the name Telemarketing'. This includes Appointment Setting, Call Back, Customer Satisfaction Questionnaires, Focus Groups, Initial Enquiry Calls, Lead Generation and TeleSales. TeleSales The business of selling goods or services by telephone.