BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - May 28, 2008) - In a first-time, comprehensive research study of
the B2B TeleServices industry, Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company (
NYSE:
HHS),
examines the lead discovery and qualification pressures faced by marketing
and sales practitioners, the actions they consider to drive peak
performance in their marketing investments, and how Best-in-Class
performers utilize outsourced TeleServices methodologies to drive maximum
pipeline content and bid-to-win performance ratios. As an end-user's
"buyer's guide" to a sector rarely covered by objective research
methodologies, this April 2008 study reveals leading practices in lead
lifecycle management deployed by teleservices customers, as well as
exploring blended human / technology solutions they have managed to ROMI
success.
Data acquired from over 200 enterprises reveals a number of impactful data
points, according to Peter Ostrow, VP/Group Director, Customer Management
at Aberdeen, the study's author. "Best-in-Class companies place a premium
on lead quality, whereas Laggards reveal an interest in utilizing services
to help address an
out-of-control lead generation process -- too many leads to handle -- at a
pace more than five times as high as that of top-performing organizations,"
he explains. "This reflects a lack of organizational and vendor management
capabilities among Laggards, who benefit the least from their efforts to
drive actionable intelligence to the sales team."
In addition to the quality/quantity balance necessary to achieve
Marketing/Sales harmony, the Best-in-Class companies in Aberdeen's research
demonstrate a preference for the well-defined deliverables provided by
appointment-setting methodologies. "Top performers clearly wish to tee-up
ready-booked appointments or conference calls for their sales team," Ostrow
says, "but only if the meetings are highly substantiated by relevant
account intelligence, identification of appropriate business pressures and
the involvement of powerful influencers or decision-makers in the
conversation." He also cautions against an over-reliance on
appointment-setting as a sole methodology, pointing out that survey
respondents who do so actually experience losses in year-over-year metrics
such as sales performance against quota, and average deal size.
"Best-in-Class companies who remain flexible about their execution,
compensation and delivery model from B2B teleservices providers," concludes
Ostrow, "realize 15 to 20% increases in these crucial performance metrics."
The required actions for companies seeking to gain the most benefit from
external tele-provider services, according to Ostrow, include adopting a
high degree of collaboration between outsourced calling staff and the
customer's marketing and even sales personnel, preferably building 1-1
relationships that maximize their potential to improve on account
penetration strategies, messaging quality and overall program ROI.
A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part to the
following underwriters: eti Sales Support, Marketing Connections, OnPath
Business Solutions, Televerde, TSL Marketing and Virtual Causeway. To
obtain a complimentary copy, visit:
http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4883.
About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market
intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more
than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely
positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating
demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment
analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets,
corporations turn to Aberdeen™ for insights that drive decisions.
As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in
context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's
analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of
Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement -
Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role
Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit
Aberdeen
http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more
about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to
http://www.harte-hanks.com.
© 2008 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
260 Franklin Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110-3112
Telephone: (617) 723-7890
Fax: (617) 723-7897
www.aberdeen.com
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Peter Ostrow
Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
(617) 854-5373
Peter.ostrow@aberdeen.com