So you recently launched a telemarketing initiative, how it doing? What are your reports telling you? Are they meaningful? As you can imagine (and probably have experienced), there are a multitude of metrics that can be utilized and/or provided by your telemarketing partner. Here are a few tips on getting the reports and metrics you need:
- Review the call statistics. The number of dials, conversations, wrong numbers are important to review as they reflect list quality and program production, but also consider looking at more meaningful statistical metrics such as percentage of new (referral) contacts added or the conversation-to-qualified lead ratio. Remember to work with your partner to understand how your statistics compare to industry benchmarks and program expectations.
- Align your reporting to your program type. Lead generation, lead nurturing, audience acquisition, account profiling, and data cleansing programs all have unique aspects and should have unique reports. One size does not fit all.
- Ensure your reports are customized. For reports to be as meaningful as possible, they should reflect your organizations’ terminology and definitions for qualified leads and non-lead dispositions. This ensures that you are one the same page with your partner (in regards to expectations and delivery) and also eliminates confusion when reports (and leads) are shared within your organization. Keep in mind: Non-lead dispositions can play a key role in future marketing efforts and should be segmented in a way that is meaningful to your organization.
- Utilize multiple reports types. Statistical data is just one component of campaign performance. A number of report types can be used to provide different information in different formats that may be valuable to various individuals and departments. Here are a handful of reports we use:
- Lead Reports – includes individual call notes and call data (including all questions and answers) for each lead, which can be an indicator of the call quality. Useful when leads will be distributed via email to various team members for follow up.
- Summary Reports – includes campaign statistics such as the number of completed interviews, leads, lead rate, referrals, unusable records and more.
Cumulative Reports – includes a cumulative view of all leads and/or completed calls (including all call notes and call data), typically provided in Microsoft Excel. Useful when a comprehensive view of the data is required. - Nurturing Movement and Scoring Reports – includes campaign statistics tied to the movement of qualified prospects through the lead funnel over time as well as a comprehensive view of the interaction (touches and types of touches) with prospects.
- Analysis Reports – includes a comprehensive analysis into all the call data collected on a program. These reports often identify trends and provide learning directly from the targeted prospect or customer base.
- Audio Reports – includes sending audio (.wav) files via email of recorded conversations to clients, as needed. Although, I should note that client calibration (or monitoring) sessions, in which TeleNet client and the appropriate TeleNet personnel listen and critique recorded campaign calls jointly are typically recommended.
- Integrate reports into your system. With more and more clients investing in and relying on CRM or sales force automation tools, streamlining your lead generation process is a priority. Work with your partner to create customized upload files. These can be created in a number of formats and can be provided daily, weekly or as needed.
- Close the loop. The success of most programs is driven by the impact of the leads on the pipeline and the program ROI. Tracking leads onto and through the pipeline to