Last year, once again, saw significant growth within the
telemarketing industry and projections from a number of bodies forecast
that this will continue for years to come.
Indicators, showing the fact that telemarketers represent 2% of the
working population (Data Monitor), signpost the road ahead. Yet some are
beginning to focus upon the Internet as a primary channel of
communication and question whether that could erode the role of the
telemarketing industry.
What is the answer? And how should we be tackling it on behalf of our
clients?
The business case for adopting the Web would appear sound. Cost
considerations are appealing and the physical enablers are here and
developing. Given the growing demand in the US - IDC forecasts that
Internet telephony gateway revenues could reach dollars 1.8bn (pounds
1.12bn) by the year 2001 - the outlook looks promising in this area.
There are structural challenges, such as speed of access, security and
the high failure rate of key-word retrieval that represent the downside,
but undoubtedly these will soon be resolved based on the current speed
of development in this sector.
What would this mean to our industry? I believe that if we ignore the
growth of the Internet we do so at our peril. However, if we embrace it
we can work with our clients to develop one-to-one relationships with
their target audience. Call centres should then continue to develop the
framework for creating and maintaining these relationships.
To achieve this, we must recognise that consumers have choice and it is
they who will choose how to access the brand or service proposition.
At InTelMark, we have developed the concept of the ’contact centre’ - a
structure that recognises, customers’ demands for extensive access to
the brand proposition, eg by live operator, voice, e-mail, fax, Internet
or even letter!
The channels of communication are then supported by on-site fulfilment
at each of our locations throughout the UK.
An example of the telephone replacing the traditional retail environment
is InTelMarks’ experience with a healthcare company. Using a careline
strategy, we have enabled a group of consumers to have access to a
product which they would normally feel sensitive enquiring about within
this environment.
They prefer instead to have a discreet and tailored dialogue by
telephone in the comfort of their own home.
Taking this to its extreme, certain groups of consumers may not wish to
have even telephone interaction, rather they would prefer to conduct the
whole relationship via the Internet.
However, despair not! I believe the majority of situations will continue
to call for the telephone to be offered and used as a significant and
popular channel of communication.
Technology is already available that enables an agent to take control of
the prospect’s Web page on-screen and from a remote site both visually
and verbally guide them through the features and benefits of other pages
within the Web site, just as if they were both in the same room.
It presents an exciting opportunity for the telephone to be employed in
more complex sales scenarios, such as for motor manufacturers and
financial services, in an easy and user-friendly way.
To operate and deliver within what some may see as a ’blue sky’ scenario
and make marketing spend work even harder, there are some
challenges.
These challenges are not only in technological requirements but also in
culture, structure and business processes. The timings and take-up rate
of the Internet are still relatively unknown factors but it would be
folly to sit back, instead we should offer the Internet as a supplement
and not as a substitute for the telephone.
The opportunity exists to partner our clients in blending the variety of
media into the contact centre and set about the task of customer value
management. We should do this by employing our key assets - the agents -
to tailor marketing propositions and secure sales
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