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What does it look like in the shoes of a pay-per-sale telemarketing Agent?
Pay-per-sale telemarketing, or pay-for-performance sales outsourcing, is popular among small to midsize businesses, especially in the retail and eCommerce industry.
Although PPS Telemarketing is in demand, only some companies know what telemarketers do and what’s happening behind phone calls.
In this article, we will step into the world of Pay-per-Sale Telemarketing Agents and look at their successful strategies for driving positive company results.
Defining Pay-Per-Sale Telemarketing
Pay-per-sale (PPS) telemarketing is a performance-based model in which businesses only pay telemarketing agents or agencies for successful sales conversions.
This differs from pay-per-lead models, where payment occurs for qualified leads, regardless of whether they become paying customers.
Advantages:
- Cost-Effectiveness: PPS telemarketing lowers financial risk for businesses, as they only pay for successful outcomes.
- Higher Lead Quality: Agents in a PPS model are highly motivated to close deals, often resulting in higher-quality leads and better conversion rates.
- Efficiency: Businesses streamline the sales process as agents are incentivized to focus on driving sales directly.
An Insider Insight on Pay Per-Sale Telemarketing
First and foremost, let us define what outsourced pay-per-sale telemarketing means.
In essence, pay-per-sale telemarketing is a marketing pricing strategy in which a company pays a marketing agency or affiliate partner a fee for each sale of goods or services generated by the marketing firm.
It functions like any telemarketing service. There is only a deviation in the payment structure.
Before the marketing firm sends leads to the business owner or advertiser, the advertiser outlines the commission paid for each qualified sale and clearly defines a qualified sale.
Hence, this model is considered the least risky of all the models for owners.
Now that we understand Pay Per Sale, let us discuss what Telemarketing agents do.
Pay for Performance Telemarketing Agents: What Do They Do?
The job of outsourced telemarketing agents sounds as simple as making phone calls and noting down if customers are interested in a product or service. But it is far more complicated than that.
Before we discuss what makes Pay-for-Sales Telemarketing Agents unique, let’s first discuss their responsibilities.
A. Pay for Performance Telemarketing Agent’s Responsibilities
Telesales agents work as members of your company’s sales team.
They work by calling consumers directly or assisting field salespeople by scheduling appointments (also known as pay for performance appointment setting).
Rather than employing traditional sales techniques, a competent telesales representative focuses on clients’ wants and needs to establish strong customer relationships and repeat sales.
They do this by focusing on their responsibilities as telemarketers.
To make it easy, we divided their responsibilities into four areas:
- Lead Generation
- Direct Sales
- Order Processing
- Customer Service
Lead Generation
Companies focusing on lead generation in a cost-per-call leads model are often called pay-per-call lead generation service providers.
Companies that specialize in Pay-per-Lead Telemarketing work similarly to any pay-per-sale marketing model. Businesses are compensated based on the number of leads they bring to the client.
Pay-per-call lead generation services are done in two ways: Cold Calling and Warm Calling.
Cold calling is making contact with potential customers to convert a sale. Meanwhile, warm calling means reaching out to customers interested in your product or services.
Direct Sales
Telemarketing representatives seek to offer items or services to existing customers and new prospects.
They use a database to find clients who have previously purchased a product or prospects whose profiles indicate that they are likely to buy in the future.
Most representatives utilize a script to ask qualifying questions and to showcase the product’s features and benefits. They also follow a script that includes responses to various objections and inquiries.
Using a telesales team to sell directly to clients can improve sales and lower sales costs compared to the expense of a field sales force.
Order Processing
Businesses can also employ telemarketing agents to handle repeat orders from established clients.
This can free up time for their field sales force to focus on new business development and reduce their time on recurring transactions.
When customers phone to place orders, telesales professionals might offer them other products or services. They employ scripts with prompts on relevant items and services. And they can also cross-sell to improve agent productivity.
Agents can also arrange appointments for clients in need.
Businesses that solely do this are called pay-for-performance appointment-setting providers. Like any other PPS pricing structure, BPOs are paid by the number of appointments they set.
Customer Service
P4P Telesales representatives are also in charge of providing vital customer support.
They sometimes call customers to double-check their information and update their contact details as part of their data gathering.
They also inform customers about new items or special offers relevant to their preferences. Customers who have questions about delivery or product quality can also contact telesales.
Even more so, they sometimes contact customers after a sale to ensure they are happy with their purchase. Customer service calls aid in improving customer relationships and customer retention.
As mentioned above, Pay for Performance Telemarketing Agents are not limited to one function. They perform many tasks to help customers and businesses and drive positive results.
B. Pay for Performance Telemarketing Agents SOP
To make sure that there is consistency in the delivery of service, agents usually follow an SOP.
SOPs or Standard Operating Procedures are uniformly written procedures with detailed instructions to record routine operations, processes, and practices followed within a business organization.
Of course, SOP differs from BPO to BPO. That is why we broke it down into simple and common steps:
Step 1: Call Taking
There are two categories of customer calls: New Callers and Regular Callers. The agent’s response will depend on what kind of call he receives.
New Callers represent new businesses, and they are most likely curious.
After greeting a new prospect, agents should do a KYC (Know Your Customer) verification. Ask the following information to the customer:
- Full Name
- Contact Number
- Address*
- Identification*
- Customer Inquiry
These data will be necessary for future use and profiling.
KYC is also important when making outbound calls. Always double-check if you are speaking to the right person.
On the other hand, Repeat Customers or Regular Callers already know your products and services by heart. Surprisingly, they are easier to handle and convert into sales.
There are four reasons why customers call. And agents must listen carefully to provide a satisfying customer experience.
They’re thinking about buying from you
If a customer is considering purchasing from you, they may phone your company.
This is very common in a call center company. Customers may have a few last questions before making a purchase, and many prefer to speak with someone one-on-one to get confirmed answers to aid in their decision-making.
They’re dissatisfied with something/something’s gone wrong
Customers may contact your company because they are displeased with something or because something has gone wrong with your product or service.
These calls are tough to handle since some disgruntled consumers are outraged about the incident. Keep in mind that it is imperative to respond kindly to the customer.
They’re having trouble doing something on your website
Customers may call your company When they are having difficulties with something on your website.
Customers are unlikely to use your website if they cannot navigate it properly. This is why most people are more likely to phone and speak with a live person who can assist them.
They need an exception and want to talk to a human
Finally, one of the most popular reasons clients contact your company is to request a rule or policy exemption.
They call because most customers feel they have a better chance of getting the exception if they speak to a customer service agent rather than filling out an online form.
It is important to identify the reason for the call so the telemarketing agent can provide appropriate support.
Step 2: Responding
A customer expects nothing less but exceptional service.
Listening also plays a significant role in responding to inquiries. Michigan State University Extension even suggests that active listening can help you talk with others more clearly and with understanding.
The University of Missouri highlights the importance of phone etiquette in answering calls. They note that agents must always be courteous and speak directly into the phone’s mouthpiece or a headset while talking for clear communication.
In Pay-Per-Sale Telemarketing, pitching a sale at this part of the call-taking process is crucial.
A skilled telesales agent can cross-sell products based on the customers’ pain points during a call. Identifying pain points is a quirk that can help businesses generate more sales.
One practice that a cold-calling company uses is compressing the pitch into one sentence. After clearly telling the customer who the agent is, the company provides the customer with a one-sentence explanation of why it is calling them.
This sentence needs to cover three essential points:
- What you’re offering
- Why you’re calling this particular person
- What is the goal of the call is
Some even tell their customers how much time they’ll need to make a pitch. This psychological strategy helps customers stay in line.
Step 3: Closing and Follow-up
There are a lot of strategies for closing a call. But we’ve broken it down into four components:
- Briefly summarize what has been accomplished on the call.
- Let the customer know what happens next.
- Ask the customer if there is anything else that they can be helped with.
- Finish with a courteous call-closing statement.
Remember that this will be the last opportunity to ensure that the caller is entirely satisfied with the service they received. Whether making a sale or answering basic inquiries, closing right is important.
How your agent closes the call will leave a negative or a positive impression of your company.
Once the call is done, always make a follow-up on promises.
Regular follow-up gives customers a chance to be heard and engaged effectively.
In addition, constant contact helps customers remember your brand when they have a need that you can fulfill. Existing customers receiving follow-ups are more likely to choose new offerings than those without follow-ups.
Essential Skills and Qualities for PPS Telemarketing Success
Now, let’s explore the key skills and qualities that make a pay-per-sale telemarketing agent successful:
- Excellent Communication Skills: Persuasive communication, clear articulation, and a confident phone presence are essential for engaging with potential customers effectively.
- Active Listening: The ability to actively listen, understand customer needs, and tailor responses accordingly builds rapport and increases conversion rates.
- Persistence and Resilience: Handling rejection and maintaining a positive attitude in facing challenges are crucial for success in a performance-based environment.
- In-Depth Product Knowledge: A thorough understanding of the product or service sold allows agents to answer customer questions confidently and address specific needs.
- Mastery of Closing Techniques: Knowing how to convert interest into finalized sales is a key skill for maximizing success in PPS telemarketing.
Challenges and Rewards of a PPS Telemarketing Career
Like any career path, PPS telemarketing presents its unique challenges and rewards:
Challenges:
- Performance Pressure: The performance-based nature of PPS telemarketing can create pressure, as income is directly tied to sales outcomes.
- Rejection Management: Telemarketing involves frequent communication with potential customers, and handling rejections requires mental resilience and a positive attitude.
- Adaptability: Adapting communication styles to interact with a diverse range of customer personalities effectively is vital for success.
Rewards:
- Unlimited Earning Potential: PPS telemarketing offers the potential for high earnings based on an agent’s skill, effort, and sales success.
- Sense of Achievement: Successfully contributing to a company’s bottom line through sales conversions provides a strong sense of achievement and direct impact.
- Career Advancement Opportunities: Strong performance in a PPS model can open doors to opportunities for advancement or leadership roles within the telemarketing industry.
How to Measure Success in Pay-Per-Sale Telemarketing?
The meaning of success is different for every organization.
Some organizations want qualified sales leads that they follow up using internal salespeople. Others want to close sales directly on the telephone.
Ultimately, it comes down to two things: return on investment and how long you can support telemarketing activity until that ROI return kicks in. There is no fixed ratio for success; it differs widely.
Success should be directly related to the achievement of your business growth targets.
You can look at their KPIs or Key Performance Indicators on a per-agent basis.
KPIs such as First Call Resolution, Average Handle Time, Average Speed of Answer, Average Time in Queue, Net Promoter Score, and Customer Satisfaction can help you identify efficiency.
In our years of experience, we’ve seen campaigns generate many leads/appointments each day. As well as swift wins.
However, other efforts may take several days or longer to reach decision-makers.
Similarly, we’ve identified projects for imminent opportunities and maintained the sales pipeline for several years until a need arises and a target organization is discovered.
This means taking a medium—to long-term view, especially regarding higher-value sales.
A Pay-Per-Sale Telemarketing Service Provider You Can Trust
Of all the commission-only telesales companies, who should you trust?
We are Magellan Solutions and are known as the premier BPO service provider to SMEs.
You can guarantee the best results with our wide range of services, unwavering focus on quality over quantity, industry discipline, state-of-the-art technology, pool of talents, and business transparency.
We have 18+ years of industry experience and are an ISO 27001-certified, GDPR-compliant, and HIPAA-compliant firm. Data protection and professionalism are at the heart of what we do.
If you want to experience a difference in your business, message us! Our business development team will be with you ASAP.
