In every form of sales and marketing, it is vital to test your assumptions and premises.  Telemarketing is no different.  When beginning a new campaign, or starting with a new call center, it is essential to test each of the components of your campaign for validity.  These include:

• Offering
• Customer Leads
• Script & Rebuttals
• Training & Support
• IT Processes
• Campaign Hours
• Yield / Sales Per Agent Per Hour

These are the ways to measure what and how much you know, or determine the result of an assumption. Sometimes the purpose of a test is to validate information you already know, but in a new environment, such as a new call center. These are the fundamental principles of telemarketing:  Test - Refine - Test - Refine. 

Clients often ask: "how many calls can a telemarketer make in an hour?" or "how many sales or leads can I expect per agent per hour?"  or "what will be the productivity of my offer, or my new script?"  Even with a crystal ball, these questions are almost impossible to precisely answer, without performing a telemarketing test.

The purpose of a telemarketing test is to test or try a small sampling to predict response on a larger scale. Response is based on many things: 

• the target prospect
• the offer (including pricing)
• the market
• the perceived value
• the name recognition and competition
• the appeal of the script delivery and message
• and more.

All the above factors dramatically influence the telemarketing test outcome, and as a result of the test, one or more may require some changes.  Telemarketing is both a costly and an affordable sales methodology.  The difference between the two is the degree of tuning, and this is what telemarketing testing performs.

Because during a telemarketing test, you have the benefit of  immediate feedback, you can make small changes and instantly gauge response.  This most often provides the most return on your telemarketing dollar. Surprisingly, many call centers don't bother telemarketing testing at all because they think it's an unnecessary step. Or more commonly, they don't implement a large enough test due to the price point. A responsible and professional telesales management company with guide you through the envisioning process to determine to what extent testing is needed for your project.  But don't let sticker shock deter you.  The right telemarketing test is the most important first step, and the reason most campaigns that don't fully test fail.  Also, an equally big mistake is cutting back on the test; you usually can not get the same results with less time and less expense..

To get an accurate indication of results, the average telemarketing test should range from 200 to 500 agent hours. More challenging programs may require a 500 to 2,500 agent hour test. A test smaller than 200 hours is just not enough time invested to get a fair and accurate measure of results. Typically a telemarketing test will also be performed on an hourly basis, since the productivity of a campaign is not yet known.  However, an under-funded test will simply burn time, and bias the test. Insufficient telemarketing tests will not be a realistic image of results and could cause inaccurate conclusions, such as: telemarketing doesn't work for your audience or product. A realistic telemarketing test needs to allow enough time for the following to take place:

• Allow for agent training, comprehension, and improvement.
• Allow for revisions to the script flow to gain efficiencies.
• Allow for ample call monitoring and QC feedback.
• Allow for analysis of the list criteria.
• Allow for refinement of the offer, price and delivery of message.
• Allow for fuller understanding of the reporting requirements and campaign/program process.

The most important point when implementing a test is to look at results based on longer averages, not daily performance. Individual days will generate individual results, based on no particular logic.  A Monday after a big game may have quite different results that any normal Monday, for example.  Averages give a more accurate picture of what to expect, and plan for in your campaign.

At the end of a telemarketing test, it is important to fully analyze your results.  If you received expected results, then you can roll forward and scale up your telemarketing campaign.  If you receive unexpected results, test it again with new assumptions and variables, until you have identified your critical success factors. Change the offer a little depending upon the feedback of prospects, try various pricing structures or test out different approaches in the script. Remember, fundamentally, a telemarketing test is an unknown equation; it comes with no guarantees. But it's the one sure way to find out what your result will be. More often than not, results are surprising and lead to a rollout program that is very worthwhile, and vastly more affordable and productive for your enterprise.

For more information >>  

Click here to Contact TOD for your Telemarketing Test!