Balance in Business, Balance in Life Webinar

Intro to Brio Balance - Webinar

The class focuses on two main topics; the core beliefs of Brio expressed through 4 facts of life and the introduction to the Improvement Cycle, the foundation of all the other classes and programs developed here at Brio.

 4 Facts of life:
#1. We as human beings are amazing and have limitless potential.
#2. We are all unique.
#3. We are each responsible for creating our desired reality.
#4. Change is constant.

 

These are facts of life, they do not change with time, and they apply to all of us. The Improvement Cycle is the application of these facts in our lives and the process that we all need to apply in order to take control of our lives and create the reality that we desire. Find out more about the Improvement Cycle series of classes.

This Intro to Brio class is only $10 and for a limited time if you become a fan of Brio on Facebook we will have a nice new crisp $5 bill (ok it may not be brand spankin new but you get the idea) waiting for you after the class when you attend, Sign up below to reserve your spot at our next Intro to Brio class. The next Intro to Brio class is from 6-8pm on Saturday September 26th.

Intro to Brio class $10 Special. (This price is an introductory offer and is only good for the September Intro to Brio classes)

REGISTER HERE!

How is the Call Center Industry Doing in This Recession?

Companies are looking to contact centers to drive more business value in tough economic times. The contact center industry is entering the next stage of evolution in communicating with customers.

Demonstrating this transition is the 22% increase this year in the number of contact centers that have processes and systems in place to identify sales opportunities during an inbound call. Nearly two thirds (61%) of contact centers now have these systems in place. In addition, the number of organizations that have a strategy in place to reduce the cost of serving customers has increased 9.4% year on year to 67%.

Customer value is king

• Contact centers are gaining a better understanding of the true value of multi-channel customer service and strategies to move consumers away from using the phone as their primary method of customer service have become more selective. Consequently, overall call volumes to contact centers have risen again this year.
• As contact centers search for a balance between personal interaction and cost effectiveness only 11% are offering financial incentives to consumers to use self-service or other lower-cost customer service channels.
• Instead, more organizations are telling their customers about the benefits of using lower cost methods of communication such as the web and self-service  – doubling to 36% of contact centers doing so this year.
• Surprisingly for a recession where cost cutting is rife, one third of contact centers do not measure the cost per interaction of agent assisted calls – the most accurate means to determining the cost effectiveness of an operation.

It’s not the worst job in the world

• Despite regular news reports about high staff churn/attrition in contact centers, the Philippines has one of the lowest ‘agent attrition’ rates in the world: 18% compared to the highest rate of 45% in India and an average of 25% in the USA and Europe.

Prerecorded Messages: The Devil is in the Details

On September 1, 2009, we officially entered the brave new world of prerecorded messaging. As most in the teleservices world know, it was on this day that the FTC's rules regarding express written consent and the delivery of prerecorded telemarketing messages went into effect.

Now there are some out there who say the FTC has created a sort of “death panel” for prerecorded telemarketers, but the fact is, prerecorded telemarketing messages are still allowed under certain circumstances. Under these new rules, telemarketers need to start with the concept that prerecorded messages are generally banned (“it is a violation of this rule for any telemarketer to initiate any outbound call that delivers a prerecorded message”), and then try to work within some very limited carve-outs created by the FTC (i.e., abandoned call messages, express written permission, true informational calls, and healthcare-related calls subject to HIPAA.)

Setting aside abandoned calls and messages that aren't really “telemarketing” - this leaves just one exception: express written consent. The FTC's rules are very clear on what needs to be done to obtain acceptable written consent before delivering a prerecorded telemarketing call:

• there must be clear and conspicuous disclosure that the purpose of the agreement is to authorize the seller to place prerecorded calls to the consumer
• the agreement must be obtained without requiring that it be executed as a condition of purchasing any good or service;
• the agreement must evidence the willingness of the recipient of the call to receive calls that deliver prerecorded messages by or on behalf of a specific seller;
• the agreement must include the consumer's telephone number and signature

Assuming you have managed to fulfill all of the above, you now have what it takes to deliver a prerecorded message without running afoul of federal level rules. This is a good thing - but it's not the ONLY thing that you have to take into account. States have their own rules, and even with express written agreement, there are some issues that need to be addressed - for example, did you know:

• there's at least one state where you can't make prerecorded calls to cell phones?
• there are two states where you will have to register to make such calls?
• there are two states that require you to include, on the form that you use to obtain consent, instructions on how to withdraw consent?
• there are three states that still will not let you make prerecorded sales calls, even with express written consent?
• there are four states that have disclosure requirements that go above and beyond what the federal level rules require?
• there are seven states that have calling time restrictions that are different than the federal level rules?

From an article written by Joseph Sanscrainte, DNC.com

Outsourcing 2009: Procurement

The decision to outsource is just the first step in a series of questions that will need to be answered. One of the first decision points is to answer the question: How will you engage with a set of qualified vendors?

This program will look at two important areas of the procurement process related to this question: 1) will you go through the process of issuing a formal RFI/RFP, and 2) is going off-shore an option you think you want to explore.

Read the entire article:
Atlanta Chapter Event - September 2009 - Powered by RegOnline

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Beyond Efficiency: The Integration of People and Technology in the Call Center by Stephen Dawson

In recent years, the drive for efficiency has been a major factor in business decisions throughout the United States, and perhaps nowhere has this trend been more evident than in call centers. The economic downturn has made the need for efficiency even more acute, driving call centers offshore and increasing the use of self-service tools and technology as means to reduce costs. Such moves are key to remaining viable in times such as these, but if not done properly, they could yield short-term gains and long-term losses through a loss of customer trust and acceptance.

READ ENTIRE ARTICLE: Beyond Efficiency: The Integration of People and Technology in the Call Center by Stephen Dawson

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QUIZ: What's the Best Time to Cold Call?

By Geoffrey James

July 14th, 2009 @ 5:30 am

BNET Insight | Sales Machine

Most sales reps make cold calls when they feel like it. And that’s too bad, because scientific research reveals that timing may be even more important than technique when it comes to cold calling success.

This post tests your preconceptions about timing your cold calls, and then provides you with scientific facts that can help you double or even triple your cold calling success.

Ready to reach your next level of success? Click on the link below to take this three-question “learning” quiz.

CLICK HERE to PAINLESSLY triple your cold calling success… »

Your (Virtual) Operator Is Standing by - FOXBusiness.com

Your (Virtual) Operator Is Standing by - FOXBusiness.com

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Not Enough Facebook Friends? Buy Some New Ones - Science News | Science

Not Enough Facebook Friends? Buy Some New Ones - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News - FOXNews.com

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Asia Economic Institute : Business Process Outsourcing in the Philippines

Recent figures show that business process outsourcing (BPO) firms in the Philippines have managed to grow by one-third in 2008 despite experiencing project delays due to the global economic downturn.

Read Full Article: Asia Economic Institute : Business Process Outsourcing in the Philippines

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