Mind Your Business: Grow Your Call Center

By Steve Michaels

September 2009

Q: How can I grow my call center service?

A: That's a great question, one that I am often asked.  Here is what I recently shared with a caller:

First, sign up with an email blast service.  For content, target your clients who are thriving during this recession.  If you can't do that, then find a niche - that is not affected by these difficult times - and hone in on that industry.  Question them to find out what they're doing well, how they do it, and what part you play in their success story.  By sharing success stories about your clients with prospects, sales interest is generated.

After you have identified your target audience, you can purchase an email list that pertains to the market in your target area.  Next, using the program's templates, write a testimonial, but keep it brief, as many people today are bombarded with emails and will only read your message if it's short, of specific interest to them, and shows a benefit to their business.  Include your call center's name and the number of years you have been in business. 

Some ideas for your marketing email are:

• Did your prospects have to let staff go and now need someone to answer their phones?

• Perhaps your targeted clients stopped using a call center in order to save money, but this has left them tired and nonproductive.

• Your potential clients' companies will look bigger when someone else answers their phone calls.

• Having calls screened gives your clients time to focus on other things. 

• Successful people don't want to deal with unsophisticated people.  Using unskilled people to answer the phone sends the wrong message.

Ask your prospects, "If you called two businesses and one had an answering machine and the other was answered by a person, which one would you give your business to?"  Depressing economic times force everyone to work that much harder and to think about every lead and call which could generate a sale.

Sending e-blasts is just one of the ideas call centers are using to boost their client base and bottom line.  In summary:

1) Setup an email broadcasting service.

2) Find a market segment to highlight.

3) Use colorful graphics and testimonials, but keep it short.

4) Send your message.

Steve Michaels is a business broker with TAS Marketing and can be contacted at 800-369-6126 or tas@tasmarketing.com for questions.