Our industry is blessed with rapid growth and, as I have stated in
previous "Publisher's Outlooks," while we're delighted with the prospect of this
growth, we need to be aware of the challenges associated with our fantastic development.
Sure, Wall Street loves our industry's expansion prospects, but as industry practitioners,
we need to address the fact that we are facing a shortage of talent in our industry, and
consider sources from which to cultivate our future industry leaders. The best way to do
this is to look at the various components that comprise the issue.
It Starts With Turnover
Given the unfortunate and very high employment turnover of TSRs (particularly in the
outbound sector), it is extremely difficult to expand this vital resource. As I've said in
past editorials, much of our turnover problem is attributable to the poor selection of
TSRs, CSRs and management personnel. In light of the talent shortage in our industry, I'm
afraid that in haste, many mistakes are made in the hiring process and the wrong people
are placed at the TSR, CSR and management levels. In the telemarketing industry, proper
hiring and training are paramount. Given the importance of hiring and training, I
encourage all readers to avail themselves of as much education as possible on the subject.
Our TCCS™ conferences are an excellent place to start, as are our back issues of
Telemarketing� & Call Center Solutions™ magazine, TCCS™ (TBT�) audio tapes
and industry-specific books.
Based on our firsthand comparative analysis of other offerings, we are
fully convinced that the TCCS™ Confer-ences offer the most authoritative,
comprehensive and strictly noncommercial training for the industry. And, it should be that
way because TCCS™ is not only the original call center convention, but it is backed
by 15 years of pioneering experience. Each year, we use our comprehensive, unparalleled
resources to train and educate approximately 40,000 to 45,000 industry executives.
Experienced Management
Lack of experienced TSRs is only part of the labor-supply challenge. As the growth of our
industry continues, we need - more than ever before - experienced and competent management
with call center experience. Such managers are in such acutely short supply that the top
management of many call centers will go to extraordinary lengths to hire a competent
individual for this position. For example, not long ago, I met with the chairman and CEO
of a multimillion-dollar company and I learned that our industry's shortage of experienced
and qualified leadership is so severe that he is offering a $50,000 finder's fee to anyone
who recommends a qualified and competent general manager to run one of his call centers.
This shortage of manpower is not a new problem. It has been going on for
quite some time in our industry. The only problem is that it has become much more acute at
this point. One clear reason is that with few exceptions, universities are not graduating
students with call center, telecommunications, telesales or comparable degrees. In fact,
as stated in my June 1996 "Publisher's Outlook," they aren't even teaching the
basics of modern marketing to the students, let alone teaching telemarketing, telesales,
database marketing, profiling, modeling, integrated marketing or other marketing
techniques. Accordingly, it is highly unlikely that a future generation of telemarketers
will come from academia.
Therefore, it is up to every one of us in the industry to begin a talent
search for candidates who promise to become outstanding future leaders. As an industry, we
can attract promising personnel to our industry by communicating our success stories
through various media, trying to educate the public that yes, our industry offers
exceptional career opportunities and, in fact, many of our executives are extremely well
paid. It is up to us to get the success story out to the public, and hopefully attract new
talent to our industry. Here are some examples of the outstanding people in our industry,
whose careers I've followed:
Company A:
The president of a multimillion-dollar company in our industry began his career when he
was a student and worked as a TSR making approximately $5 an hour. Upon graduation, he
climbed the corporate ladder and now has an estimated salary of $400,000 to $500,000
annually, plus bonuses.
Company B:
The chairman of one of the leading companies in our industry was a former TSR who rose
through the ranks, and today has an estimated net worth in excess of $80 million.
Company C:
A former TSR is now the president and CEO of a multimillion-dollar corporation with an
estimated income of $20 million per year.
Company D:
The general manager of a telemarketing call center is a former TSR who now earns in excess
of $150,000 a year, plus bonuses.
Company E:
The chairwoman of another prominent telemarketing company has an estimated $8 million per
year in earnings.
Company F:
The estimated salary of yet another call center president is in excess of $165,000 a year,
plus bonuses.
If we take these outstanding success stories of our great people to the
public, we could no doubt hire and attract much more talent to our industry.
The Solution
The solution to the acute labor shortage is to promote from within by grooming promising
staff with proper training, not only in human resource matters (i.e., proper hiring,
training, motivation and compensation), but also by training on advanced technology (i.e.,
inbound/ outbound universal agent and CTI) and other pertinent call center and Internet
technologies. Obviously, this is a time-consuming way to handle the problem, but when it
comes to doing the job right, there usually is no shortcut.
Our growth is not accidental: We have worked for it. Our service agencies
have done a tremendous job of quality product and service delivery, and have convinced
corporate America to outsource projects and services to service agencies, thereby earning
this huge growth. Unless the industry can maintain 100 percent quality and quality
control, growth will be counterproductive. There is no shortcut to success.
Acknowledgments
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Rick Northrop, general partner of Smith
Barney, for being a major corporate sponsor of TCCS™ FALL '96, as well as Karen
Richards of Sun Microsystems; S. Tien Wong, Doug Palley, and Lori Freeman of Unitel; and
John Brennan of ICT Group for their support of TCCS™ FALL '96/ICC™ and the
industry. Many thanks also to Cambridge Technology Partners, Hewlett-Packard, Informix,
Nortel and Scopus Technology for hosting the new "Technology Tutorial"; and to
MCI Call Center Services for sponsoring the working call center in the exhibit hall. We
are grateful for everyone's contributions, and their support of the telemarketing and call
center industry.
I look forward to welcoming all of you to TCCS™ FALL '96/ICC™ in
Atlanta.
Sincerely,
Nadji Tehrani
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
|
Welcome To
TCCS™ FALL '96
New, Unmatched Educational And Networking
Opportunities At The Call Center Industry's Leading Conference And Exhibition
The TCCS™ Conference and Exhibition series is designed to provide
comprehensive information from three particular sources: seminars, exhibitors and
networking opportunities. Each source works in combination with the other two to impart
working knowledge of all aspects of the telemarketing/call center process. We encourage
you to take advantage of all three to ensure a comprehensive learning experience.
In addition, TCCS™ FALL '96 is co-located with the Internet and Call
Center Expo™ (ICC™) because uniting the Internet and the call center is the only
way to make profits on the Web. When it comes to expensive, sophisticated and high-tech
products, Internet marketers absolutely must avail themselves of the services of the call
center. The Internet can be visualized as an electronic buyer's guide, where the actual
transaction may begin at the Internet site, but is ultimately processed in the call
center. We have provided everything you need to know in the conference program from
effective call center management and improving customer service through CTI, to
understanding the Internet in business, how to get started, how to implement the Internet
in your call center and, above all, how to make money on the Internet along with your call
center. We strongly suggest you attend both TCCS™ FALL '96 and ICC™ conferences
to discover how the call center and the Internet are uniting to create corporate America's
new profit center.
Conference Program
As always, the TCCS™ FALL '96 and ICC™ conference programs are intended for top
and middle management. At TCCS™ FALL '96, topics to be discussed range from human
resource development to call center technology. We've also added two new components to the
program. The first is the "Technology Tutorial," designed to teach you how to
personalize and enhance your customer service by harnessing the power of the Internet, the
World Wide Web and new call center technology. (Attendance is limited to only those who
have preregistered specifically for this Tutorial.) The second is "Techniques For
Hiring Successful Marketing Managers," which was developed in response to the
overwhelming requests we received from our readers about our highly effective Marketing
Test. (This session is part of the regular Friday conference program.)
Targeted conference tracks include Human Resources; Frontline Operations
Management; Customer Retention, Support And Services; Call Center Technology And CTI For
Management; Sales And Marketing Techniques; MIS/ Telecommunications Integration; Executive
Solutions; and Business-To- Business And Business-To-Consumer Marketing Applications. We
urge you not only to take advantage of these comprehensive course offerings, but also to
join us for the free keynotes.
The Keynotes
- Keynote: Internet/Intranet & The Call Center: Global Business Solutions. Karen
Richards (global market development manager for customer management solutions, Sun
Microsystems Computer Company) will examine the implications and growth potential of the
combined Internet and call center, as well as all the buzz surrounding the developing role
of the Intranet. (Wednesday, October 9, 1996, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.)
- Postnote Address/Exhibit Hall Kick-Off: Wall Street's Love Affair With Teleservices: How
Long Will It Last? Richard R.S. Northrop (managing director, Smith Barney) will provide
insight into whether the call center industry's growth and advantageous business position
will continue to impress investors into the next millennium. (Wednesday, October 9, 1996,
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.)
- Keynote: Outsourcing And Insourcing, The New Evolution In Business. Ted Schwartz
(president and CEO, APAC TeleServices, Inc.) will discuss the wisdom of judicious
insourcing and outsourcing for corporate America. (Thursday, October 10, 1996, 10:00 -
11:00 a.m.)
Pre-Conference Clinics
Our Pre-Conference Clinics, which take place October 8, 1996, (the day before the opening
of the Exhibit Hall and the main Conference Program) allow you the opportunity to attend
these nonconflicting presentations on vital organizational issues. The variety enables you
to take advantage of comprehensive tracks, or mix and match the clinics to suit your
needs. The first track addresses telemarketing call center basics, including
inbound/outbound telemarketing; human resource development; technology basics; effective
scriptwriting; and outsourcing. The second track focuses on customer service and includes
such tutorials as blending sales and customer service; using CTI; preventing burnout; and
performance consulting.
Internet and Call Center Expo™
The ICC™ - the world's first exhibition and conference on profit-generating Internet
applications for inbound, outbound and customer service/help desk call centers - will
offer the following seminars:
- Internet 101, The Basics
- Going Online, Your First Wave
- Inbound Internet, Global Marketing
- From Marketing to Selling: Defining the Profit Opportunity for Call Centers on the Web
- Saving Your Center Cash on the Net
- Outbound Internet, Surfing with Ma Bell
- Web Commerce, Electronic Banking
- Revolutionizing the Help Desk by Taking It Online
- Padlocking Your Computer, Internet Security
- Intranet, Internet, the Call Center and You
Exhibit Hall
Showcase of State-of-the-Art Technology for Call Centers, Internet, CTI and Teleservices
Industries.
While at the show, be sure to visit the Exhibit Hall and ask questions! What you learn
from exhibitors will be invaluable. The Exhibit Hall at TCCS™ FALL '96/ ICC™
features more than 100 exhibitors that serve the Internet, telemarketing and call center
industry. Be sure to exchange business cards with everyone you meet, particularly the
vendors, because although you may not need their services now, in six months they may have
the solution you are seeking. While in the Exhibit Hall, be sure to get the most
authoritative information from the industry's most credible sources: Telemarketing� &
Call Center Solutions™ and CTI For Management magazines. Our booth will feature the
Telemarketing Bookstore, which contains the largest selection of educational books and
tapes in the industry. For those of you who wish to attend only the Exhibit Hall, please
return the registration form, which can be found in this issue (between pages 80 and 81),
by October 1.
Networking
Enjoy good food and meet with the industry's top executives at Telemania! ™, the
industry's most outrageous, fun-filled networking reception, which will be held on
Wednesday, October 9, between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel (sponsor:
Unitel Corporation).
For those of you who are golf fans, be sure to reserve your space for the 1st-Annual
TCCS™ FALL Golf Classic, which will be held Monday, October 7, at 1:00 p.m. at The
Lakeside Golf Club (sponsor: Unitel Corporation). |
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