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The Future of Outbound
By
Peter L DeHaan
October
31, 2007
In the November issue of
Connections Magazine I shared with readers my observations and insights from
the 2007 ATA Convention & Expo in "A
Moment of Clarity." Since not all ATA members
receive Connections Magazine, I want to share my observations and expand
upon my thoughts on the future of the call center industry:
1.
Outbound is dying.
2.
Expect additional regulations regarding all contact methods.
3.
Plan for increased agent scarcity.
4.
Offshoring is inevitable.
5.
Computer agents are coming.
6.
There is a tremendous opportunity.
In this issue of eConnections,
we will look at the future of outbound and explore the remaining five points in
upcoming issues of eConnections.
I heard more than once that
"outbound is dead"; the Do Not Call (DNC) laws killed it. I fully understand
this sentiment, but I'm not ready to declare that outbound is dead. Even so,
the deathwatch has begun.
It is obvious that outbound as it
existed five years ago is forever gone; there is no point in yearning for it to
return. Even outbound as it exists today will not continue; it's end is near.
Does this mean there will come a time when outbound will be a distant memory?
No, there will always be a need for outbound. It will just look different than
it does today; there will definitely be less of it.
This future incarnation of
outbound awaits those who are able to be forward-thinking, react quickly to
changing market conditions, deftly accommodate evolving public perceptions, and
quickly adjust to and capitalize on legal constraints. Now is the time to
prepare.
If you are an in-house call
center (if you make calls for your company's own products and services) begin
securing permission to contact your customers and prospects. These contact
means should include calling, emailing, mailing, and faxing. Don't rely on
having an EBR (existing business relationship). The EBR window will get smaller
and smaller. Also, begin to open new channels for them to contact you. In
addition to the usual options (phone, mail, email, and fax), this includes
instant messaging and Web interfaces (such as text chat, callback,
talk-to-me-now, and assisted browsing). Lastly, establish and communicate your
privacy policy and how you intend to use personal information. Though you may
be tempted to have an attorney write it, that will not result in communication
that people will actually read and understand. Keep it short and simple, so
that the message is unmistakable. (Yes, a legalese document may be required,
but supplement it with something straightforward.)
For outsourcing call centers
(those who place calls for other companies) employ the preceding ideas as
applicable to your operation, the services you offer, and your clients.
Wouldn't it be great to have a compiled a list of people you can call for any
applicable campaign? Just make sure you do it right, and don't abuse the
privilege: match the offer with their profile, keep it professional, and don't
overcall. Next, think diversification. Not just inbound, but also other
proactive contact methods: email, text messaging, and whatever the next new
technologies emerge. Lastly, and most importantly, fine-tune and develop your
processes and procedures to such a point as to truly distinguish yourself from
the competition.
As I said earlier, outbound isn't
going away; there will just be a lot less of it. Make sure you are rightly
positioned to handle it.
Peter DeHaan is
Publisher of Connections Magazine,
addressing the teleservices and outsourcing call center industry. At the
website you may read call center articles and whitepapers,
subscribe to the magazine, and read or download past issues. Also, check
out Peter's blog
and
outsourcing
call center newsfeed.
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